HEADLINES

Ndamukong Suh

Giants Owner Talks FAs, Eli, JPP, Draft

March 19th, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today, Giants co-owner John Mara answered questions about his team’s approach to free agency, the contract status of a pair of the club’s most notable players, and a handful of other topics. Tom Rock of Newsday passed along several highlights from the session, so let’s round them up, with all links going to Twitter….

  • Acknowledging that the Giants “still have some holes to fill” on their roster, Mara said the team has done a good job so far in free agency.
  • Asked about the top free agents available, Mara admitted that the Giants made a big push for Devin McCourty. The club also inquired on Ndamukong Suh, but he was “a little too pricey” for the team’s liking. According to Mara, this year’s free agent class was a mediocre one, and many of the players who signed lucrative deals did so because a lot of teams had plenty of cap space. The Giants didn’t want to invest in those higher-end players at inflated prices.
  • No contract extension is imminent for Eli Manning, but “obviously something will be done at some point,” according to Mara.
  • The Giants co-owner would like to see Osi Umenyiora retire as a Giant, but Mara hasn’t spoken to coaches or GM Jerry Reese about signing the veteran pass rusher this year.
  • Mara would prefer to lock up Jason Pierre-Paul to a long-term contract, but is comfortable having JPP play out the 2015 season on the one-year franchise tag if necessary. The two sides have until July to work out a multiyear extension.
  • Wide receiver won’t be a top priority for the Giants early in this year’s draft, but the club won’t be averse to taking one if there’s value to be had.

Contract Updates: Manning, Suh, Parker

March 14th, 2015 at 2:58pm CST by Rob DiRe

Peyton Manning‘s contract restructure with the Broncos includes a no-trade clause, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. However, that clause only applies for 2015, so theoretically the Broncos would be free to trade him after this season.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Dolphins Sign Ndamukong Suh

March 11th, 2015 at 6:20pm CST by Rory Parks

6:20pm: Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun has all the details on Suh’s contract (via Twitter). The guaranteed portion is worth $59.955M, and the defensive tackle will receive a $25.5M signing bonus. The base salaries for each year (chronologically) are $985K, $23.485MM, $9.985MM, $16.985MM, $18.985MM and $8.36MM.

WEDNESDAY, 1:49pm: Suh has signed his deal, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes.

SUNDAY, 12:12pm: Ndamukong Suh will sign with the Dolphins on Tuesday, tweets ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. It will be a six-year contract worth around $114MM with $60MM guaranteed.

The deal will bring an end to perhaps the biggest storyline of the 2015 offseason. Because of Suh’s generational talent, it was not a foregone conclusion that the Lions would decline to put the franchise tag on Suh this year, despite the $26.9MM cap number that the tag would have carried. After all, Suh has established himself as one of the league’s top defensive linemen, having earned four Pro Bowl berths and three First-Team All-Pro nods. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) have ranked the former second overall pick among the NFL’s top four defensive tackles in each of the last three seasons.

Ndamukong Suh

By PFF’s count, Suh racked up 72 total quarterback pressures in 2013, well ahead of any other DT besides Gerald McCoy, and he generated 57 quarterback pressures in 2014, tops in the league among defensive tackles. Suh also excels against the run, and he will team with Cameron Wake to form an intimidating defensive front for Miami.

As expected, Suh’s deal will top the contract that J.J. Watt signed with Houston last year, and it marks the richest deal ever given to a defensive player. The Lions had consistently expressed optimism that they would be able to retain their superstar lineman, but when they tabled extension talks last July, Suh’s departure became more likely. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Detroit had offered Suh a contract worth $17MM annually–his deal with Miami will average $19MM per year–including $58MM guaranteed. In the end, however, the Lions “did not want to approach Miami’s money.” Birkett reaffirms that the Raiders, Jaguars, Colts, and Chargers all had some degree of interest in Suh.

Along with the transcendent talent, of course, comes a number of well-documented behavioral concerns. While Suh has never been plagued by off-field issues, he has been justifiably labeled as one of the dirtier players in the game, as evidenced by past encounters with, among others, Evan Dietrich-Smith and Matt Schaub. Suh was initially suspended for the Lions’ wild card playoff matchup against Dallas for stepping on Aaron Rodgers‘ leg during Detroit’s Week 17 loss to Green Bay, though the suspension was ultimately overturned. So, in addition to the financial ramifications of the deal, Miami does have a few other reasons to be concerned with bringing Suh into the fold.

As for the Lions, Suh’s departure leaves an irreplaceable void in the middle of the team’s defensive line. As Birkett writes, Detroit will now shift its focus to re-signing Nick Fairley and adding a complementary run-stuffer. Although the Lions will miss Suh’s talent, they will at least avoid the strain that his contract will put on his new club’s salary cap. The Dolphins, meanwhile, have proven that their past missteps in free agency will not deter their free-spending ways, and by landing the biggest fish in this year’s free agent pool, they might have taken a number of risks, but they also got a lot better.

Luke Adams contributed to this post

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Extra Points: Suh, Wilson, Revis

March 11th, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he’s confident that the Dolphins did not break any rules in the lead up to the Ndamukong Suh signing, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. The Dolphins appear to have struck an agreement with the defensive tackle during the “legal tampering” period, but the league specifically asked that handshake deals not go down during that time. Of course, other teams certainly exchanged figures prior to Tuesday, but Suh was one of the most prominent free agents available. More from around the NFL..

  • Seahawks GM John Schneider said the team has met with the agents for Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, though the reps for each player know Seahawks have other things to do, as well, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (Twitter links).
  • A year ago, the Raiders were willing to assume all of Darrelle Revis‘ existing contract with the Buccaneers but the cornerback’s camp convinced the team that he wouldn’t report, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
  • The Patriots dropped out of negotiations with Revis upon hearing he was seeking $16MM per year and $40MM guaranteed, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets.
  • The Chargers offered Andre Johnson more money than he got from the Colts, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweets. It’s not known how much San Diego offered, but the Colts got Johnson for $21MM over three years.
  • Tom Benson, principal owner of the Saints and the NBA’s Pelicans, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to remove all stock in the sports franchises from the trust funds that he set up for his daughter and grandchildren, Andy Grimm of The Times-Picayune writes.

Contract Details: Suh, Cobb, Jackson, Graham

March 10th, 2015 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s a round-up of a few notable details on new contracts from around the NFL:

  • Ndamukong Suh, DT (Dolphins); $60MM guarantee is fully guaranteed at signing (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
  • Randall Cobb, WR (Packers): Four years, $40MM base value. $13MM signing bonus. $3.5MM roster bonus in March 2016, $5.35MM cap hit for 2015 (Twitter links via Joel Corry of CBSSports.com).
  • Kareem Jackson, CB (Texans): Four years, $34MM base value. $9MM signing bonus. $4MM roster bonus due this weekend (Twitter link via Corry).
  • Brandon Graham, OLB (Eagles): Four years, $26MM base value. $4MM signing bonus. $14MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
  • Cary Williams, CB (Seahawks): Three years, $18MM base value. $3.5MM signing bonus. $7MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Mark Sanchez, QB (Eagles): Two years, $9MM. $2MM signing bonus. $5.5MM guaranteed. Escalators for playing time, playoffs (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Ryan Mallett, QB (Texans): Two years, $7MM base value. $1.75MM of $2.5MM 2015 salary guaranteed (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Brian Hartline, WR (Browns): Two years, $6MM base value. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Tyvon Branch, S (Chiefs): One year, $2.1MM base value. $200K signing bonus. $2MM in playing-time, INT, Super Bowl incentives (Twitter links via Wilson).

AFC East Rumors: Jets, Vereen, Hoyer, Suh

March 10th, 2015 at 10:17am CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the AFC East..

  • The Jets are showing interest in Patriots running back Shane Vereen, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Their level of interest, predictably, hinges on the outcome of their talks with Bilal Powell. There are other suitors for the 26-year-old as well.
  • The Jets will have interest in Brian Hoyer if the price is right, but they won’t go out of their way to target him, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter). There are other, cheaper options for the Jets and the source says the team won’t be “losing sleep” over which veteran signal caller they wind up with.
  • The Dolphins are worried about the NFL investigating them for tampering when it comes to the Ndamukong Suh pact, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald explains.
  • Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter) hears that the Bills‘ offer to Jerome Felton is a nice contract for a fullback. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com first reported Buffalo’s interest in the veteran.
  • Dolphins wide receiver Mike Wallace explained to Anderson (on Twitter) that he’s not concerned about the terms of his pay cut because any deal he strikes would be one where there are ways where he can earn his money back. The implication there, we can infer, is that Wallace is targeting easily attainable incentives in the deal that will bring him back to what he was scheduled to earn. He went on to explain that he’s happy “for the most part” in Miami (link). Any restructuring deal he takes would have to be “reasonable” and he refuses to do anything “crazy” since he has a family to take care of (link).

AFC East Rumors: Revis, Jets, Tannehill

March 8th, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Rob DiRe

It will be hard to beat the Patriots re-signing Devin McCourty in terms of news, but there are a number of other rumors surrounding the AFC East teams as we approach free agency.

  • As the “legal tampering” period continues, the Patriots are still the favorites to keep either Darrelle Revis or McCourty, and are “a pretty good bet” to keep both players, according to Tom Curran of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). The team already completed a deal with McCourty, and only needs to keep Revis to make good on Curran’s tweet.
  • While the Patriots may be the favorites, keeping Revis is not a done deal. The Chiefs and Jets are still contenders to sign Revis, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
  • The Jets are looking to add a veteran passer to its quarterback depth chart, and one name that has surfaced as a favorite it Brian Hoyer, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
  • The team has also targeted Ryan Mallett as a possible addition, although he has far less experience than fellow Tom Brady-backup Hoyer (via Twitter).
  • La Canfora also examines the impact of the Dolphins signing Ndamukong Suh will have on Ryan Tannehill‘s next contract. He writes the team has left itself little wiggle room to pay Tannehill if he has another productive season that would warrant an Alex Smith-like extension, which came in at four years and $68MM, with $45MM in guaranteed money.
  • It also surfaced that the Bills are expected to come to terms on a long-term deal with newly acquired quarterback Matt Cassel.

AFC FA Rumors: Raiders, Jags, Colts, Jets

March 8th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders may have missed out on two big-name free agent targets — Ndamukong Suh and Randall Cobb — but they may have other players in mind. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Oakland will continue to make a “strong push” for center Rodney Hudson, though the Chiefs haven’t given up on retaining him. Elsewhere, the Raiders have expressed interest in free agent tight end Jermaine Gresham, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that the Browns also have interest.

Let’s dive in to the latest AFC rumors…

  • The Jaguars have an “opportunity” with running back DeMarco Murray, per Robinson (Twitter link). It’s not entirely clear if that means Jacksonville has been talking with the free agent RB, but Robinson says the Jags could outbid the Cowboys.
  • More on the Jaguars: Despite their ample cap space, they were “never in” on Ndamukong Suh, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter).
  • While it’s not a priority, the Colts are expected to talk to edge rusher Brian Orakpo in the coming days, tweets Robinson. Orakpo has also drawn interest from the Falcons. Jaguars, Cardinals, as well as his current team, Washington.
  • The Jets have interest in free agent safety Ron Parker, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). We learned earlier today that Parker and the Bucs have mutual interest.
  • Given the nature of recent CB contracts, Buster Skrine is one cornerback who could be in for a big payday, according to Garfolo (on Twitter).
  • With Jordan Cameron unlikely to return, the Browns are expected to show interest in tight end Ed Dickson, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

Dolphins Front-Runners For Suh?

March 8th, 2015 at 9:33am CST by Rory Parks

PFR’s Luke Adams wrote last night that one “high-placed source” is confident that standout defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will land with the Dolphins, and Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports lends even more credence to the Suh-to-Miami rumors. Robinson tweets that “multiple league sources” definitively believe that Suh will be plugging the middle of the Dolphins’ defensive line for the foreseeable future.

Robinson adds that Suh’s deal is expected to set a new league record for the amount of guaranteed money given to a defensive player, which will not come as a surprise to anyone. The Texans gave J.J. Watt a six-year deal worth over $100MM last season, with nearly $52MM of that guaranteed, and Suh’s next contract was always expected to at least match that figure.

The Dolphins, of course, have been major players in the free agent market in recent seasons, but they have yet to enjoy much on-field success during that time. Although Branden Albert was playing at a high level before being placed on IR last season, Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe have been disappointments for Miami in a number of ways, and the teams that spend the most money in free agency are rarely among the legitimate contenders when the season draws to a close.

As such, it may be difficult for Dolphins fans to get especially excited about this development, but Suh’s talent is undeniable. Although the financial commitment is an obvious risk, Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report correctly points out that Suh is one of those rare players who is probably worth that risk. As a dominant interior lineman who can stop a running game in its tracks and get after the passer, Suh alone could give Miami enough of a lift to contend for a playoff spot in 2015. And he does not seem to be the type of player who will rest on his laurels after getting a big payday.

So while the Dolphins have learned all too well what the term caveat emptor means over the past several offseasons, it would be tough to criticize their decision to sign Suh.

FA Rumors: Bulaga, McCourty, Suh, Raiders

March 7th, 2015 at 11:36pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Packers were able to retain one of their top two free agents tonight, reaching an agreement to bring back wide receiver Randall Cobb, the team may end up losing tackle Bryan Bulaga, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Two league sources tell Silverstein that Bulaga is seeking a contract worth at least $7-8MM per year, and has a good chance of landing such a deal. Per one of Silverstein’s sources, Green Bay isn’t interested in paying $7MM+ annually for Bulaga, and would let him walk if the bidding got that high. The Buccaneers, the Jaguars, and Washington are believed to have interest in the free agent tackle.

Here’s more from around the league on what has been a busy Saturday:

  • According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), safety Devin McCourty is seeking an annual salary of $9MM per year, like what Jairus Byrd got a year ago. When I listed McCourty as 2015’s second-best free agent earlier today, I noted that if Byrd could land $9MM per year, the Pats safety should be able to do just as well on the open market.
  • Cole also has an update on Ndamukong Suh, tweeting that one high-placed source is confident that Suh will end up with the Dolphins, while a second source says the Lions are the only other team involved in the bidding. Given how rare it is for a player of Suh’s caliber to reach the open market, I’d be pretty surprised if only two teams were pursuing him, but multiple reports over the last several days have identified Miami and Detroit as the frontrunners.
  • Cobb had been high on the Raiders‘ list of wide receiver targets, but now that he’s off the market, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) says the team will likely shift its focus to Jeremy Maclin, Torrey Smith, and – if and when he becomes available – Percy Harvin.
  • The Texans have interest in quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer, and it may not be an either/or proposition for the team, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that the club would like to sign both players.
  • The Cowboys have elected not to tender a contract offer to cornerback Sterling Moore, meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent rather than an RFA, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
Load More Posts