HEADLINES

Matt Forte

East Notes: Stills, McVay, Vereen

November 27th, 2016 at 12:13pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the league’s east divisions:

  • The Dolphins will try to retain impending free agent Kenny Stills, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Head coach Adam Gase loves Stills, who has become one of the league’s better deep threats, but depending on how aggressive the bidding on Stills becomes, Jackson writes that Miami could let him seek his fortune elsewhere and try to replace him with Leonte Carroo.
  • Patriots defensive tackle Alan Branch will continue to play as he appeals his recent four-game suspension, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that the appeal is expected to be heard within the next month. That means that New England could lose Branch very late in the season and into the playoffs, which begs the question of whether it would be better for the team if Branch simply accepts his suspension now so that he is sure to be back for the stretch run. Branch, though, needs to do what is best for him, as the suspension could cost him about $1.13MM and could hurt his market when he reaches free agency this spring.
  • Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay is not exactly a household name outside of the nation’s capital, but his work with Kirk Cousins and his development of Washington’s proficient offense is garnering attention around the league, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Per La Canfora, the 30-year-old McVay is viewed as a coaching prodigy, and he is expected to get interviews for head coaching gigs at the end of the year if the Redskins’ offense continues performing at a high level.
  • ESPN’s Adam Schefter passes along another interesting detail about Matt Forte‘s brief flirtation with the Patriots. According to Schefter, Forte flew into New Jersey to meet with the Jets on the first day of free agency, and Gang Green decided to sign him. However, there were some concerns about the condition of Forte’s knee during the physical, and the Jets did not rush to get the paperwork done. That made Forte a bit antsy, and he made plans to board a plane and visit the Patriots. But when New York learned of those plans, the team’s concerns with Forte’s knee suddenly evaporated and Forte was handed his contract.
  • Giants RB Shane Vereen, currently on IR, could be on his way back to the field. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Giants are optimistic Vereen can return for the club’s December 11 matchup with Dallas.

East Notes: Forte, Gronk, Pats, Fins, Eagles

November 23rd, 2016 at 7:41pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Before signing a three-year, $12MM deal with the Jets in free agency last March, running back Matt Forte also drew interest from the AFC East rival Patriots, he told Connor Hughes of NJ.com Wednesday. The Pats’ attempt to woo him came too late, however. “My agent told me they called. I asked if they talked about anything, and he said they just wanted me to come for a visit,” said Forte. “I said I’m already here about to sign, so, I didn’t feel like that would be right.”

Forte has been productive in his age-30 season (911 total yards, eight touchdowns), but the 3-7 Jets are out of playoff contention and the 8-2 Patriots are the division’s top team. Statistically, New England’s No. 1 back, bargain signing LeGarrette Blount, is having a better season on the ground than Forte. Blount has piled up 802 rushing yards (compared to Forte’s 732) to go with a slightly superior per-carry average (4.0 to 3.9) and 12 scores.

More from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is not expected to play Sunday against Forte’s Jets, per Dianna Russini of ESPN (Twitter link). Gronkowski suffered a perforated lung Nov. 13 in a loss to the Seahawks and missed the Patriots’ win over the 49ers last week as a result. The all-world weapon has sat out a total of three games this year, but New England hasn’t yet lost without him.
  • Eagles receiver Nelson Agholor admitted he’s fighting a “mental battle,” and head coach Doug Pederson won’t commit to playing him Monday against Green Bay, writes Tim McManus of ESPN.com. A reduced role for Agholor is a “real possibility,” Pederson said Wednesday, adding that Agholor has seen a sports psychologist recently. “Every team has them and I think it’s good, whether they’re going through stuff or not, to keep talking through some issues,” stated Pederson. Agholor hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft status on the field since going 20th overall in the 2015 draft. Plus, as of late October, he was under league investigation for an offseason rape accusation that didn’t lead to charges.
  • Dolphins defensive end Dion Jordan practiced Wednesday for the first time in almost two years and “felt good,” but whether he’ll play this season is up in the air. “I don’t know,” Jordan told Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. “It’s kind of hard to tell. It’s my health, man. It’s my body. If my body tells me I’m not ready to go out there and perform with the best athletes, I’m not going to put myself out there. The way everything’s been going, it’s been going well. I’ve got high hopes for myself to go out and compete before the season ends.” Jordan, whom the Dolphins chose third overall in the 2013 draft, has missed 32 of 58 regular-season games – 22 because of various suspensions – and has been out all of this year after undergoing two knee surgeries in the summer.
  • The Eagles signed special teamers Donnie Jones (punter), Chris Maragos (safety) and Jon Dorenbos (long snapper) to contract extensions last week. Details on the deals Jones and Maragos inked are now out, via Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter links): Jones’ three-year pact is worth $5.5MM ($1MM fully guaranteed) and maxes out at $5.8MM with Pro Bowl incentives. Maragos’ extension, also for three years, is worth $6MM ($2.25MM fully guaranteed) and carries a $6.3MM max with Pro Bowl incentives.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC East Notes: Revis, Ajayi, Forte

September 18th, 2016 at 8:40am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some notes from the AFC East before the early slate of Week 2 games get underway:

  • Considering Darrelle Revis‘ much-discussed struggles over the first two weeks of the 2016 season, the Patriots‘ decision not to get into a bidding war over his services after the 2014 campaign is looking especially shrewd, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes. New England was never going to come close to the five-year, $70MM pact Revis received from New York, as the Pats favored a contract with option bonuses that protected them financially in the event that Revis had a sharp decline. But the Patriots did receive a lot of criticism for not making more of an effort to re-sign Revis, and although it is far too early to say Revis will never regain any of his past form, New England’s approach is pretty tough to criticize right now.
  • Dolphins RB Jay Ajayi was left off the travel list for the team’s Week 1 matchup in Seattle, and Miami head coach Adam Gase reportedly made that decision to send a message to Ajayi about the second-year back’s lack of professionalism. Now, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), that message has been received and Ajayi will be active for today’s game. However, as the third running back on the Dolphins’ depth chart (per Roster Resource), it remains to be seen how much playing time Ajayi will actually receive.
  • The Jets need to be mindful of Matt Forte‘s workload, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com opines. Through two weeks, Forte has 52 rushing attempts, which puts him on pace for 416 at season’s end. As Cimini notes, 416 is the league record, which was set by a 26-year-old Larry Johnson in 2006. Forte, however, is 30, and New York would do well to protect its investment a bit better, especially since the team saw firsthand how Chris Ivory‘s heavy workload early in the 2015 season reduced his effectiveness down the stretch.
  • Although it’s never a good sign when a coach is fired after the second game of a season, we learned yesterday that Bills‘ players are generally excited about what the dismissal of OC Greg Roman could mean for the team’s offense.

AFC Notes: Forte, Texans, Bills

June 15th, 2016 at 7:09pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The fact that the Jets have a pair of terrific receivers in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker is one of the reasons running back Matt Forte chose to sign with the team over the winter, writes Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “If Brandon and Eric can be on the outside to help me out and if I can be really effective in the running game, it can help them out, too,” said Forte, who noted in 2013 – perhaps his best season – the Bears had two high-caliber wideouts (Marshall and Alshon Jeffery) whose respective presences aided the club’s running game.

Elsewhere around the AFC…

  • Thirteenth-year Texans defensive tackle Vince Wilfork believes he has a couple more good seasons in him, Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com tweets. Wilfork, 34, says his love of the game keeps him coming back each year, despite the sacrifices and hard work. Wilfork is entering the final season of a two-year, $9MM contract he inked in March 2015.
  • Bills running back Karlos Williams disappointed Rex Ryan when he showed up to minicamp overweight, with the head coach saying that the second-year man isn’t “anywhere close to where he needs to be to play at a high level” (via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). Williams attributes his weight gain to his then-pregnant fiancee’s eating habits. “It definitely is a first but I like to eat and then her being pregnant gave me an excuse to eat, so eating anything and everything,” he said. “She’d wake up, one or two o’clock, ‘I want a snack.’ Well I’m not going to sit here and watch you eat because I don’t want you to feel bad but it’s back to football.” With his fiancee having had the baby, Williams will now try to work back into shape and follow up his excellent rookie year (517 rushing yards on 93 attempts, nine total touchdowns in as many games) with another strong campaign.
  • One of Wilfork’s teammates, Texans left tackle Duane Brown, is progressing from offseason surgery to repair a torn quadriceps muscle and should be ready by Week 1 at the latest, reports John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Brown, who has started in all 120 of his appearances with the Texans, suffered the injury in Week 17 last season.
  • Earlier this evening, we checked in on the latest from the AFC West – including a Von Miller update.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: RGIII, J. Cameron, Forte

June 5th, 2016 at 12:11pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some notes from around the AFC:

  • In response to a reader wondering when Browns head coach Hue Jackson would officially name Robert Griffin III Cleveland’s starting quarterback, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer said that the formal designation would probably come after the preseason games begin. Per Cabot, Jackson wants Griffin to earn the job, and RGIII is getting a strong push from Josh McCown—who looks ready to start tomorrow—and rookie Cody Kessler, who is handling his learning curve nicely.
  • When deciding whether he should accept a paycut this offseason or risk being released, Dolphins TE Jordan Cameron spoke with a number of people, including current Jaguars TE Julius Thomas, as James Walker of ESPN.com writes. Per Cameron, Thomas “called me immediately and said you have to play for [new Dolphins head coach Adam Gase]. I’ve had a lot of conversations about [Gase] and what he can do. It was kind of the things I heard about Coach Gase (that helped make my decision).” Gase was Thomas’ offensive coordinator in Denver, and he is well-known for having success with tight ends. In the end, of course, Cameron agreed to take the paycut.
  • One of the primary reasons Matt Forte signed with the Jets, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com, is New York’s training room. The 30-year-old back, who has been burdened by a heavy workload in his career, said, “That was one of the reasons for me wanting to come here, because the training room is so good. At this point in your career, health is so important. You’re not as young as you used to be, or recover as fast as you used to. But if you get the right [trainers] in there and work with them, you can turn back the time.”
  • The Jaguars‘ Peyton Thompson has been cut six times by four different teams since he entered the league in 2013, but after making the switch from cornerback to safety, Thompson feels as though this year marks the best chance he has had to make a Week 1 roster, as Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union writes. Thompson appeared in 15 games for Jacksonville last season, and he will compete this year to be a key special-teamer and backup to newly-signed safety Tashaun Gipson. Thompson says, “The amount of special teams I can play and being somebody [the team] can interchange from from cornerback to nickel to safety and know the whole defense no matter where I am, that definitely gives me the upper hand.”
  • Earlier today, we learned that the Dolphins would not be pursuing veteran corners like Leon Hall and Antonio Cromartie at this time.

FA Rumors: Bolden, Bears, Morris, Larsen

March 25th, 2016 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The free agent contracts for players like Brock Osweiler, Olivier Vernon, and Malik Jackson dominated NFL discussions when the new league year opened earlier this month, but Field Yates of ESPN.com wants to make sure that some of this year’s less heralded deals don’t fly entirely under the radar.

In an Insider-only piece, Yates identifies the Panthers‘ one-year deal with defensive end Charles Johnson, the Seahawks‘ three-year agreement with wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, and three other signings as moves that perhaps didn’t get the attention they deserved.

Here’s more on 2016 free agency:

  • Omar Bolden‘s previously-reported visit to the Bears is set to happen next Wednesday, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post, who tweets that Chicago is the favorite to land the versatile defensive back, special-teamer, and return man.
  • Sean Stellato, the agent for Alfred Morris, appeared on 105.3 FM-KRLD The Fan in Dallas to discuss why his client was ready to move on from Washington, and why he wanted to sign with the Cowboys. The Dallas Morning News has the key quotes from Stellato, who said Morris was seeking “a fresh start.”
  • Free agent guard Ted Larsen continues to consider his options and isn’t expected to sign a contract today, but his visit with the Falcons went “great,” a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
  • As Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com details, new Jets running back Matt Forte wasn’t thrilled with the Bears‘ willingness to pursue C.J. Anderson in free agency after announcing they were moving on from Forte. Despite comments from head coach John Fox suggesting the team was happy with its young, in-house backs, the Bears reportedly made Anderson an offer higher than the one he signed with Miami.

FA Rumors: Okung, Galette, Raji, Forte

March 14th, 2016 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent offensive tackle Russell Okung has offers on the table from the Lions, Steelers, and Giants, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Okung is talking to Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak today. Meanwhile, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) hears that the Giants are probably an underdog for the former first-round pick, who has no other visits scheduled for now.

While La Canfora doesn’t indicate that the Seahawks have made a formal offer to Okung, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Seattle is out of it. We heard last week that the Seahawks were making a push to bring back their tackle, and it’s possible he’ll give his longtime team a chance to match offers he receives from rival suitors. Since he’s representing himself, Okung’s time on the market has lasted a little longer than it otherwise might have, but it looks like there’s a decent chance of him getting something done this week.

Let’s round up a few more free agent rumors from around the NFL…

  • Junior Galette remains in a holding pattern, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who reports that the pass rusher would like a one-year deal that would pay him in the $7-9MM range. Jones writes that Washington has made one-, two-, and three-year offers to Galette, but they’re all low on base salaries and heavy on incentives.
  • The Panthers are in the market for players to contribute to their defensive tackle rotation, and David Newton of ESPN.com says that the team has interest in B.J. Raji. Carolina also brought in Paul Soliai for a visit over the weekend, as we previously heard.
  • In a conversation with reporters, including Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter links), Matt Forte said today that the Buccaneers and Cowboys were among his suitors, and the Patriots and Packers also expressed “minor interest.” Forte, who ultimately signed with the Jets, added that not receiving an offer from the Bears was a “hard pill to swallow.”
  • According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill is the latest in a series of interior defenders to visit the Seahawks, who are looking to beef up the middle of the line in the wake of Brandon Mebane‘s departure.

Contract Details: Forte, Lewis, Rey

March 11th, 2016 at 9:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are a few of the latest contract details for players who have agreed to new deals and/or signed them in recent days. Unless otherwise specified, all links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle…

NFC:

AFC:

  • Donald Stephenson, OT (Broncos): Three years, $14MM. $10MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus. $3MM salary for 2016 fully guaranteed. $4MM salary for 2017 guaranteed for injury at signing. Otherwise, Stephenson’s 2017 salary is guaranteed if he’s on the Broncos’ roster on the fifth day of the league year (Twitter links).
  • Matt Forte, RB (Jets): Three years, $12MM. $9MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus. $1M roster bonus due March 15. $1MM salary for 2016 and $4MM salary for 2017 guaranteed. $2MM stat escalator for 2017 and ’18 (Twitter link).
  • Marcedes Lewis, TE (Jaguars): Three years, $12MM. $5MM guaranteed. Jags must exercise $3.5MM club option for 2018 before 22nd day of the league year (Twitter link).
  • Vincent Rey, LB (Bengals): Three years, $10.5MM. $3MM guaranteed as a roster bonus on March 15. $500K roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2017 league year. $500K playing-time escalator in 2017 and ’18. $12,500 per-game active roster bonus each year. (Twitter links).

Jets Sign Matt Forte

March 10th, 2016 at 8:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

THURSDAY, 8:09pm: The Jets’ deal with Forte is official, Mike Garafolo and Peter Schrager of Fox Sports report (Twitter links). There was a slight hold-up due to Forte’s physical, but nothing emerged that the team viewed as significant, Garafolo reports.

THURSDAY, 9:03am: Forte is getting a three-year deal worth $12MM from the Jets, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The contract features an $8MM guarantee and has an additional $4MM available in incentives.

WEDNESDAY, 2:08pm: The Jets have agreed to sign free agent running back Matt Forte, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Forte must wait until 3pm to officially sign, but it looks like he’s heading to New York.

Numerous clubs were said to be interested in Forte after the Bears informed him that he would not be re-signed after eight seasons in Chicago. The Jets had previously been mentioned as a potential destination, as had the Dolphins, and even the division rival Packers were said to have said to be intrigued by Forte.

The 30-year-old Forte will head to the Big Apple, where the Jets are certainly in need of running back help after Chris Ivory agreed to sign with the Jaguars last night. New York’s No. 2 back, Bilal Powell, might also be on his way out, as the market is said to be intensifying for his services.

Forte had a relatively down season in 2015, missing three games with injury and failing to top 1,000 yards rushing for the first time since 2011. But he still managed almost 1,300 yards from scrimmage thanks to his receiving ability — he caught 44 passes out of the backfield for almost 400 yards. Whether Forte is asked to carry the full load in New York or instead serves as a receiving back remains to be seen, as the Jets could certainly add even more weapons in the backfield.

Given his age, Forte isn’t going to command a lengthy deal or a large salary, but it will be interesting to see the specifics of his contract with the Jets. One report earlier this year claimed that Forte would be “lucky” to get $3MM per year on the open market, and while that figure seems a bit low, running backs — especially those over 30 years of age — certainly aren’t valued all that highly in free agency.

PFR listed Forte as the No. 3 free agent running back, behind Doug Martin and Lamar Miller. Martin has already re-signed with the Buccaneers, so Miller remains the best back available, followed by Alfred Morris, Arian Foster, Powell, and Chris Johnson.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jets, Dolphins Interested In Matt Forte

March 9th, 2016 at 12:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets and Dolphins are among the teams pursuing running back Matt Forte, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport adds that Forte’s market will likely heat up once some of the other free agent backs in this year’s class sign deals.

"<strong

A sneak peak at what Forte would look like in a Dolphins jersey, courtesy of @ProFootballRumors on Instagram.

[RELATED: Follow Pro Football Rumors on Instagram]

Forte would make plenty of sense for the Jets, who lost Chris Ivory to the Jaguars earlier today and could lose Bilal Powell to free agency with three rival teams in pursuit. The Dolphins, of course, could lose starting running back Lamar Miller to free agency and it has been long expected that they would consider Forte to fill the role. Earlier today, it was reported that the Texans are pushing hard to sign Miller.

Forte announced last month that he wouldn’t be returning to the Bears. In his 120 regular season contests with the Bears, Forte piled up 8,602 rushing yards and another 4,116 yards through the air, to go along with 64 total touchdowns. The 30-year-old earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods, including one in 2013, when he accumulated more than 1,900 total yards and 12 touchdowns, both career highs.

While Forte still managed to gain nearly 1,300 yards from scrimmage in 2015, rookie Jeremy Langford showed that he was capable of carrying the load for the Bears in three games the veteran missed due to injury. The Bears informed Forte that he will not be retained.

Load More Posts