HEADLINES

Jermichael Finley

NFC Notes: Cardinals, Finley, Garoppolo

April 8th, 2014 at 8:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agency has hit a lull for the Cardinals but it isn’t over yet, writes Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Last year was Steve Keim‘s first as a GM, and he learned the value of patience with free agency. Keim signed four players who became starters after this date a year ago, Somers notes. Here’s more out of the NFC..

  • Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link) spoke with Packers free agent tight end Jermichael Finley who says he’s expecting to get an X-ray on his neck Thursday and an MRI within two weeks. The plan is to exchange the feedback on his latest films with interested teams.
  • The Buccaneers visited with Eastern Illinois quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo today, tweets Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune.
  • Standout quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is scheduled to travel and make his visit with the Vikings on April 14th and 15th, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com.
  • Texas Christian cornerback Jason Verrett, a potential first-rounder, is slated to visit with the Cardinals tomorrow and Thursday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport adds that the Verrett is doing well post-shoulder surgery.
  • LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger met/will meet with the Raiders and Patriots today and will meet with the Vikings tomorrow, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network. Mettenberger will throw tomorrow too.

FA Notes: Finley, Britt, Spencer, Barkley

March 21st, 2014 at 7:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

Former Packers’ tight end Jermichael Finley failed his physical with the Seahawks, reports Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Twitter). He writes that Finley is only four months removed from neck surgery.

Finley could still be months away from landing with an NFL team, based on his recovery, notes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Here are some other rumors from around the NFL:

  • While they haven’t expressed much interest in Finley, the tight end is still an option for the Giants. However it looks like the team has concluded that Anthony Spencer‘s health is not worth the risk, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
  • Kenny Britt had a good visit with the Patriots, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com. Britt had a conversation with Reiss’ colleague Mike Rodak, who covers the Bills. “It was actually better than I thought it was,” said Britt, discussing the Patriots. “A lot of guys, a lot of people out there that don’t know or been on the inside or think it’s strict and things like that, but it’s laid back when I got there. They got good people there. I actually worked out for them. The workout went great. I had a good time.” 
  • Matt Barkley will have a chance to win the number two quarterback job behind Nick Foles, reports Matt Bosher of CSNPhilly (via Twitter). Bosher writes that the Eagles will still have to bring another quarterback in this offseason.

FA Rumors: Colts, Blount, Allen, Britt, Finley

March 21st, 2014 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Colts aren’t necessarily done adding free agents, the team’s major moves have likely already been made, as GM Ryan Grigson told reporters today, including Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star.

“You never say you’re done,” Grigson said. “We had a plan and we feel really good about it. We feel real good where we’re at right now. We’re going to look toward the draft. You never say never and we’re always trying to get better. If somebody pops up and they make sense from a roster standpoint and they kind of fit the specs – age and money, big picture – then I’ll look at it.”

As the Colts shift their free agent focus to the bargain bin, let’s check in on a few other afternoon items related to the open market:

  • Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link) doesn’t see the Colts pursuing center Alex Mack any further, suggesting it always would have been a long shot to sign him away from the Browns.
  • Free agent running back LeGarrette Blount, who continues to draw interest from the Patriots, is scheduled to visit the Steelers on Sunday night, league sources tell Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Pittsburgh also met with veteran running back Maurice Jones-Drew this week.
  • As Jared Allen continues to mull his options, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) weighs in with a couple tidbits: The veteran defensive end is considering three teams, with retirement also still an option, and should make a decision this weekend. As for Allen’s second visit with the Seahawks, it happened because key members of the organization weren’t at the first meeting, says Rapoport.
  • Wide receiver Kenny Britt has visited the Rams, Patriots, Redskins, and Bills, and has also garnered interest from the Seahawks and Panthers, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. According to Florio, Britt will decide his next move this weekend, whether that means taking more visits or agreeing to sign with a team.
  • Jermichael Finley may still be a few more months from being in position to sign with an NFL club, a source tells Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The free agent tight end continues to recover from a spinal injury, and hasn’t yet received medical clearance.
  • At this point, the Panthers aren’t expected to sign Kevin Cone, Lestar Jean, or C.J. Akins, the three receivers they worked out today, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

FA Rumors: Vikings, 49ers, DRC, Cowboys

March 14th, 2014 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Vikings GM Rick Spielman spoke to reporters on a conference call today, and indicated that his team is “not by any means finished” in free agency, and will continue to be aggressive in exploring potential upgrades (Twitter links via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). According to Spielman, the Vikings still have interest in free agents Charlie Johnson and Kevin Williams, and have spoken to Williams’ agent recently (Twitter links via Tomasson).

Here are plenty more afternoon free agent rumors from around the NFL:

  • After meeting with the Chiefs today, Emmanuel Sanders‘ next visit will be with the 49ers, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The free agent wide receiver, who has also visited the Jaguars and Buccaneers this week, will be staying in Kansas City overnight, so the Chiefs still have a chance to lock him up before he reaches San Francisco, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com gets the sense that Julian Edelman‘s visit with the 49ers is more a feeling out process for both sides than an indication anything is imminent (Twitter link).
  • Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is heading to New York tonight to meet with the Jets, reports Schefter (via Twitter).
  • The Seahawks have expressed interest in bringing back wide receiver Sidney Rice, who was released by the club earlier in the offseason, writes Jayson Jenks of the Seattle Times.
  • In addition to having some interest in Julius Peppers, as we heard earlier, the Cowboys are keeping an eye on Jared Allen and would be interested if his price falls, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  • Free agent tight ends Jermichael Finley and Ed Dickson don’t appear to be in the Giants‘ plans for now, says Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter).
  • Free agent guard Daryn Colledge met with the Rams today, and is now off to meet with the Raiders, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • The Bengals have confirmed that two offensive linemen, Vlad Ducasse and Uche Nwaneri, both visited the team today, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

FA Rumors: Rice, Sanders, Thurmond, Melton

March 13th, 2014 at 8:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest free agent rumors..

  • The 49ers will host Julian Edelman on Friday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN (on Twitter). The club is also interested in Hakeem Nicks.
  • Jermichael Finley left his meeting with the Seahawks without a contract, sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks are now interested in re-signing Sidney Rice, who was a salary cap casualty earlier in the offseason, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
  • The Jets still have interest in Emmanuel Sanders, but they had to reschedule his visit due to conflicts, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. He’ll pay the Chiefs a visit tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. The Ravens have yet to get involved, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • Cornerback Walter Thurmond told his fans via Twitter that he had a great meeting with the Jaguars and noted that the club is “headed in the right direction.” Thurmond’s next stop is San Francisco.
  • Henry Melton plans to spend the rest of the evening in Minnesota with the Vikings, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.
  • Ryan Clark tweeted to Richard Sherman to let him know his visit with the Redskins went well. Now he says that “the money guys have to work.”
  • The Panthers aren’t showing interest in Hakeem Nicks yet, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. It should be noted that this report came out before Carolina officially said goodbye to Steve Smith. Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reported this evening that the Panthers indeed have interest.
  • Jets free agent guard Vlad Ducasse will visit the Bengals before coming to the Vikings, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN (on Twitter).
  • The Cardinals are still negotiating with Ben Dogra, the agent for Antonio Cromartie, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. This one isn’t as easy as some other deals, Somers adds.
  • The Steelers are bringing Chargers free agent nose tackle Cam Thomas for a visit on Friday, tweets Alan Robinson, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. If he’s put in the middle, San Diego can move Steve McLendon over to defensive end.

Packers Re-Sign Andrew Quarless

March 13th, 2014 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Packers have re-signed free agent tight end Andrew Quarless, the team announced today in a press release. The terms of Quarless’ new contract weren’t disclosed, but it’ll be a two-year deal, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Post-Gazette (via Twitter).

Quarless, who reportedly drew interest from seven teams in free agency, including the Giants, set career-highs with 32 receptions, 312 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns in the 2013 season. The 25-year-old’s increased role in the Packers offense came as a result of injuries to Jermichael Finley, and with Finley a free agent himself, Quarless could continue to see increased playing time in 2014.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Finley left Seattle today after visiting the Seahawks, and while there’s mutual interest in a deal, Finley is still waiting on medical clearance.

NFC FA Rumors: Cowboys, Seahawks, Lions

March 11th, 2014 at 7:31pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve passed along word of all the free agents who have already found homes – old or new – but there are plenty of players still on the market. Let’s take a look around the NFC at some of the day’s free agent rumors….

  • Now that Julius Peppers is an unrestricted free agent, the Cowboys have interest in the veteran defensive end, tweets Dianna Russini of NBC Washington. It would have to be a pretty inexpensive deal, given Dallas’ cap limitations.
  • Jeff Sullivan of DallasCowboys.com (Twitter link) and Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link) both classify the Cowboys‘ interest in defensive lineman Henry Melton as strong, and Sullivan suggests there’s mutual interest. Melton will visit with the team and things could move quickly, according to the Dallas writers.
  • Free agent receiver Jacoby Jones will visit with the Giants on Wednesday, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. The Ravens are still discussing a potential return to Baltimore for Jones.
  • The Seahawks are in talks with defensive tackle Tony McDaniel on a new deal that would bring him back to Seattle, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport also tweets that the Seahawks will meet with free agent tight end Jermichael Finley and wide receiver Taylor Price, while Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link) adds defensive tackle Jason Hatcher to that list.
  • Meanwhile, former Seahawks receiver Golden Tate is visiting with the Lions tonight, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
  • Schefter passes along word via ESPN.com colleague Michael Rothstein (Twitter link) that the Lions have interest in safety Chris Clemons. The Steelers were also originally mentioned as a suitor, but they’re almost certainly out of the mix now that Mike Mitchell is headed to Pittsburgh.
  • In their pursuit of a tight end, the Lions are discussing a potential visit for free agent Scott Chandler, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
  • The Panthers would like to retain free agent receiver Domenik Hixon, but the Bears are also in talks with him, reports Rand Gatlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

NFC Rumors: Cowboys, Bell, Vikings, Bears

March 10th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys are interested in re-signing free-agents-to-be Jason Hatcher and Anthony Spencer, but Dallas isn’t the only team with interest in the defensive linemen. According to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com, the free agent duo has at least seven interested suitors, including the Cowboys. Dallas is also interested in defensive tackle Henry Melton, according to Watkins (Twitter link), but the ESPN scribe cautions that there are no assurances of a deal, given the Cowboys’ limited cap space.

Here’s more from around the NFC, with free agency less than 24 hours away:

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC North Notes: Packers, Vikings, Bears

March 9th, 2014 at 6:05pm CST by Ben Levine

When evaluating potential free agents, teams certainly look at a players’ ability to stay on the field for as many games as possible. David Chao of the National Football Post ranked his top-ten injury risks among this year’s free agents and he featured two Packers on that list. Defensive lineman Johnny Jolly was seventh, with Chao pointing out that the 31-year-old will still need another month or two to recover from offseason surgery. Tight end Jermichael Finley was number-eight following his neck injury in October, and the writer believes he’ll be medically cleared very soon. Cowboys’ defensive end Anthony Spencer finished atop the list.

Let’s take a look at some more rumblings from around the NFC North…

  • The Packers ended up paying cornerback Sam Shields, which seems to go along with what Packers’ General Manager Ted Thompson has done in the past, writes Tom Silverstein of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Based on Silverstein’s list of players the Packers have and have not extended, the team has typically made the correct choice in which players they’ve chosen to keep.
  • The number of signings, particularly in the NFC North, has shrunk the Bears‘ market, says John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. He points to Shields as a player the team could have used.
  • After the Vikings signed Everson Griffen earlier today, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com took a look at what was next for the team. He estimated that the Vikings would have about $25MM left in cap room, which would be enough to sign Michael Johnson and Alterraun Verner (the Vikings have expressed interest in both) but wouldn’t leave the team with enough room to extend Kyle Rudolph or sign other free agents.
  • Former Viking Jared Allen will likely take his team choosing a new team and probably won’t have a decision by Tuesday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

FA Rumors: Falcons, Finley, Winston, Neal

March 7th, 2014 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s follow up on this morning’s free agent rumors with another round of them for the afternoon….

  • The Falcons are engaged in active talks to bring back offensive lineman Mike Johnson, but appear ready to part ways with defensive tackle Peria Jerry, reports D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Consitution.
  • Tight end Jermichael Finley has drawn interest from the Jets, Chiefs, Seahawks, Giants, and Steelers, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The former Packers standout still hasn’t been medically cleared, however.
  • The Cardinals have maintained interest in offensive lineman Eric Winston, but with no deal imminent, the veteran tackle could hit the open market, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Packers have had meaningful discussions with outside linebacker Mike Neal, but they haven’t come up with a large enough offer to keep him from testing the open market, tweets Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
  • Wilson also passes along an update on former Ravens defensive tackle Bryan Hall, who worked out for eight NFL teams at Arkansas State today. Hall was converted to linebacker by Baltimore, but is back to playing on the line now (Twitter links).
  • According to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link), defensive tackle Antonio Johnson continues to talk to the Titans, as the team tries to re-sign some of its players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents
  • Having re-signed Marcus Sherels, the Vikings have one restricted free agent left, in linebacker Larry Dean. A source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) the team is having ongoing discussions on the possibility of bringing Dean back.
  • Tight end Dustin Keller, who was doing exceptionally well in camp with the Dolphins last offseason before tearing his ACL, is on track to return for this season, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Keller is an unrestricted free agent.
Load More Posts