Knowshon Moreno - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Ravens, Pats, Chargers, Moreno

March 22nd, 2014 at 10:25am CST by Matt Feminis

The Ravens’ free agent activity has been characterized by value signings, writes ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. The team was able to sign four starters and their top kick returner without breaking the bank. Additionally, the Ravens will actually be paying Steve Smith less ($4.5MM) than the Panthers ($5MM) are on the hook for this season.

Other AFC news and notes:

In a mailbag piece, Hensley also says 2014 will be an important season for Lardarius Webb, whose cap hit jumps from $5.39MM to $10.5MM. Meanwhile, 2013 third-rounder Brandon Williams figures to have an increased role on the defensive line following the departure of Arthur Jones.
In the past, Bill Belichick has built his defenses inside out, but Boston.com’s Erik Frenz wonders if the signings of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner “point to a change in that philosophy — or, at the very least, a golden opportunity to make the switch.”
Free agent Knowshon Moreno visited the Dolphins on Friday, but departed without a contract, writes the Palm Beach Post’s Andrew Abramson, who compares Moreno to Miami’s current running backs.
Chargers personnel has been getting in-person looks at edge pass rush prospects, including UCLA’s Anthony Barr, Boise State’s DeMarcus Lawrence and BYU’s Kyle Van Noy, according to Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The team’s projected outside linebacker starters, Dwight Freeney and Jarret Johnson, will be 34 and 33, respectively, this season, while disappointing 2009 first-rounder Larry English is a free agent at season’s end.

Extra Points: NFLPA, Moreno, Contract Details

March 20th, 2014 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Newly-minted NFLPA president Eric Winston is just hours into his new role, but he sounds like he’s ready to hit the ground running.

“This union has always been about fighting,” Winston told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. “It won’t change.”

Winston didn’t mince words when it came to the idea of expanding the NFL season from 16 to 18 games, telling Pelissero that the idea is “dead in the water.” He was less definitive when it came to the idea of playoff expansion, but he made it clear that the union will only be on board under certain conditions. Here’s more from around the NFL:

Knowshon Moreno arguably had the most impressive 2013 campaign of any of this year’s free agent running backs, but his name hasn’t surfaced at all in the last nine days. That changed today, with word breaking that the Dolphins will have Moreno in a for a visit on Friday (Twitter link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald).
The Panthers continue to pursue free agent receivers, and will have Lestar Jean in for a visit tonight and tomorrow, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
The Buccaneers hosted free agent defensive back Chris Owens today, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. Owens also met with the Steelers this week, as we heard earlier this afternoon.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap has the full breakdown of many of the new contracts signed in recent days, including, but not limited to, Andrew Hawkins‘ four-year pact with the Browns, Scott Chandler‘s two-year deal with the Bills, James Starks‘ two-year deal with the Packers, Charlie Johnson‘s two-year contract with the Vikings, and Usama Young‘s two-year deal with the Raiders.
Jerricho Cotchery‘s deal with the Panthers is technically for five years, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun details (via Twitter). I imagine it includes three void years, similar to Roman Harper‘s new contract. Cotchery also received a $2.25MM signing bonus.
Wilson (Twitter links) also provides details on a pair of minimum salary benefit contracts, noting that fullback Jed Collins will get $710K from the Lions between his $65K signing bonus and $645K base salary. Safety Craig Steltz will get $795K from the Bears between his $730K salary and the $65K roster bonus for 2014.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Broncos Links: RBs, Decker, DRC, Miller

March 5th, 2014 at 8:35am CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos signed eight practice squad players to futures contracts and extended the contract of GM John Elway last month, but otherwise the team has been fairly quiet since the Super Bowl. With several prospective free agents seemingly on their way to the open market, let’s check in on the latest Broncos updates….

The Broncos appear likely to let Knowshon Moreno walk in free agency, and while the team plans to sign a free agent running back for depth purposes, Denver wants to give Montee Ball a chance to earn the No. 1 job, says Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Klis names Donald Brown and James Starks as a couple free agents who the Broncos could target as Ball’s backup.
Some people in league circles believe the Broncos are hoping to see Eric Decker get a lucrative offer from another team, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That way, the Broncos won’t have to decide between making Decker a below-market offer or “politely telling him they’re not interested.” As we wrote yesterday, the team will be wary about investing in Decker with long-term extensions for Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas due soon.
In a mailbag for the Post, Klis writes that he thinks the Broncos would bring Decker back if his price doesn’t exceed $7MM. Klis also addresses the team’s top free agent priority (re-signing Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) and says Denver should be patient with Von Miller rather than considering trading him.

Broncos Notes: Fox, Bailey, Free Agents

February 21st, 2014 at 8:41pm CST by Ben Levine

John Elway has a lot on his plate in the coming weeks, ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold writes. With the Super Bowl behind him, the Broncos‘ general manager can now focus on his offseason tasks. Let’s see what Elway will be up to…

The Broncos GM made it clear that he wants to re-sign head coach John Fox. “I want to get him done,” Elway said. “I’m going to sit down with his agent while I’m here, sit down with him and see where we come out.” Fox is entering the final season of a four-year deal he signed in 2011.
Elway said that he would meet with cornerback Champ Bailey prior to the opening of free agency. Bailey’s 2012 salary is worth a $10MM cap figure, the second-highest on the team behind Peyton Manning.
Elway expects his key free agents – Knowshon Moreno, Eric Decker and Wesley Woodyard – to test free agency. In particular, he expects Decker to evaluate his worth on the market, especially considering that teammates Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker are set to become free agents after next season.

AFC Notes: Jags, McCourty, Decker

February 8th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Matt Feminis

The Jaguars have been upfront about the team’s desire to re-sign Chad Henne as well as draft at least one quarterback, but GM Dave Caldwell told Jacksonville.com’s Vito Stellino (subscription required) he won’t be a slave to need: “If we’re going to give into pressure (to take a quarterback high if they have other players rated higher), we’re going to make the wrong decision,’’ he said. “Our vision is to build a franchise that can sustain and win over a period of time. In that process, if a quarterback presents himself, we’ll grab him.’’

Patriots safety Devin McCourty earned a $3MM contract bump for 2014, the final year of his rookie deal, because he played 80 percent of the snaps his first four years, according to Christopher Price of WEEI.com.
Broncos free agents Eric Decker and Knowshon Moreno would like to return to Denver, but they don’t know their futures, and executive VP of football operations John Elway is being vague about the team’s plans, per Colorado’s 9news.com. Industry insiders expect both players to be too expensive for the Broncos to re-sign, especially Decker, who will be highly sought after on the open market.

Broncos Links: Moreno, DRC, Salary Cap

February 5th, 2014 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

While Sunday’s 43-8 drubbing at the hands of the Seahawks is still fresh in the Broncos’ minds, the team is now looking forward to the coming offseason rather than dwelling on its Super Bowl XLVIII loss. Let’s round up the latest links on Denver’s upcoming winter and spring:

Speaking to reporters (video link via NFL.com), running back Knowshon Moreno said “hopefully” he’d re-sign with the Broncos and return to Denver for the 2014 season. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk notes, executive VP of football operations John Elway pointed out on Tuesday that Denver has plenty of running back depth, though Elway said the club will wait to see how things “flesh out” with Moreno. A recent report indicated that the Broncos don’t expect to re-sign 2013’s starting running back.
Irv Moss of the Denver Post spoke to impending free agent Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie about his next contract, with DRC indicating that he’s “not worried about the money,” but rather will prioritizing signing with a team in position to win — like the Broncos.
Because of Russell Wilson‘s small cap number, the Seahawks’ front office had plenty of flexibility to add complementary players around the club’s quarterback. The Broncos are in the opposite situation, prompting Mike Klis of the Denver Post to explore whether Peyton Manning‘s $20MM+ cap hit will prevent Denver from building a sustainable Super Bowl contender.

Broncos Don’t Expect To Re-Sign Moreno

January 29th, 2014 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of key Broncos contributors will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, and Knowshon Moreno is one player the team doesn’t expect to re-sign, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Moreno, 27, enjoyed a career year in 2013, establishing new personal bests in rushing yards (1038) and rushing touchdowns (10), among other categories. The former 12th overall pick initially had a team option on his contract for 2014, but it was voided, which will give him the opportunity to hit the open market a year early.

According to OverTheCap.com, the Broncos already have more than $122MM in salary commitments on their books for the 2014 season. While Denver can carry over some unused cap space and can clear additional room by shedding a handful of contracts, it will still be tricky for the club to create the flexibility to bring back all its notable free-agents-to-be. Eric Decker, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Zane Beadles are among the other Denver starters eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Assuming the Broncos don’t draft or sign another starting running back to replace Moreno, Montee Ball is the odds-on favorite to assume a larger role in the offense in 2014.