Olivier Vernon - Pro Football Rumors

East Notes: Vernon, Giants, Gipson, Wilkerson

March 2nd, 2016 at 8:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants will have nearly $60MM in cap room to work with when the free agent period begins next week, and the club is expected to use that ample space to target pass rushers, according to Ebenezer Samuel and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Both Olivier Vernon — who was designated as the Dolphins’ transition player — and Mario Williams (recently released by the Bills) figure to “at least get a call” from general manager Jerry Reese & Co, sources tell the NYDN scribes. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) agrees, guessing that Vernon will be the first player contacted by the Giants.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Along with the edge rush, safety is another area on the Giants‘ roster that could use improvement, as PFR’s Zach Links pointed out in his preview of the New York’s offseason. Browns free agent Tashaun Gipson will be one of the top safeties available on the open market, and Raanan hears (via Twitter) that Gipson would “welcome” the idea of playing in New York. Gipson is widely expected to move on from Cleveland and find a new club next week.
The Jets have long been rumored to be willing to explore the possibility of trading franchise player Muhammad Wilkerson, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News doubts that the team will find a suitor willing to not only part with a first-round pick, but pony up the $40MM+ that Wilkerson is said to covet. One general manager told Mehta that he wouldn’t sacrifice a second- and third-round pick package for Wilkerson, so it’s fair to wonder if a market will develop for the star defensive end.
Receiver Brian Tyms tweeted his goodbyes to the Patriots organization today, a sign that he won’t return to New England in 2016, writes Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. Tyms, who spent the 2015 season on injured reserve with an Achilles injury, was set to be a restricted free agent, so the Patriots apparently won’t tender him a contract.

Dolphins Put Transition Tag On Olivier Vernon

March 1st, 2016 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

10:49am: The Dolphins have officially submitted the paperwork on Vernon’s transition tag, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

10:34am: The Dolphins are set to place the transition tag on defensive end Olivier Vernon in advance of this afternoon’s deadline, according to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link). The transition tag for Vernon will be worth $12.734MM, nearly $3MM less than the non-exclusive franchise tag.

It’s a bit of a surprising decision from the Dolphins, who used the transition tag a year ago on tight end Charles Clay and ended up losing him to the Bills for nothing. While the non-exclusive franchise tag gives a team the right to two first-round picks if the player signs an offer sheet with another team, the Dolphins won’t receive any compensation if Vernon signs an offer sheet that Miami decides not to match.

The transition tag provides rival suitors some incentive to structure their offers in a way that will make it unappealing for the player’s current team to match it. That was the case a year ago for the Bills, who heavily frontloaded their offer sheet to Clay, fully guaranteeing $24.5MM of a total $38MM and including a $10MM second-year roster bonus.

Vernon, 25, is coming off a season in which he recorded 7.5 sacks to go along with 61 tackles. While his counting stats weren’t eye-popping, Vernon ranked as the league’s third-best edge defender according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, behind only Khalil Mack and Von Miller.

In his first four seasons in the NFL, Vernon has notched a total of 29 sacks, including a career-best 11.5 in 2013. Since he won’t turn 26 until October, the former third-round pick should have plenty of prime seasons left, which could make him an appealing target for some of the many NFL teams in need of pass-rush help.

While it’s possible that Vernon will simply return to the Dolphins on a one-year deal, or a multiyear extension, assigning the transition tag to him will help the club get a sense of his value on the open market. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), Miami has been willing to pay Vernon about $12MM per year on a long-term contract.

If no other teams are willing to top that price by a significant margin, the defensive end could return to the Dolphins. On the other hand, teams like the Jaguars and the Giants have far more cap space than Miami, and could make Vernon an offer that the Fins are unwilling to match.

Meanwhile, with Vernon on their cap with a charge of nearly $13MM, the Dolphins will likely make a few more moves to create room in the near future. Restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s contract is a given, but it will be interesting to see whether the club also addresses contracts like Cameron Wake‘s and Jordan Cameron‘s in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Vernon, Crosby, Bears, Draft

February 29th, 2016 at 10:10pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The fate of defensive end Olivier Vernon will shape how the Dolphins approach their offseason, writes Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. The Dolphins have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to place the franchise tag ($15.7MM) or transition tag ($12.7MM) on Vernon. But doing either of those things would make it especially difficult for them to keep fellow pass rusher Cameron Wake and running back Lamar Miller, which they want to do. If he hits the open market, Vernon could end up with a long-term deal in the range of $12MM to $14MM annually, per Beasley, who adds there’s an outside possibility Miami will slap the franchise tag on the 25-year-old and then trade him.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

The Packers are unlikely to use the $4.572MM franchise tag on longtime kicker Mason Crosby, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As of last week, there was optimism the Packers and Crosby would agree on a contract and render the tag unnecessary. If that doesn’t happen by March 7, Crosby will be free to start negotiating with other teams.
Even though he’s coming off a personal-best eight-sack season, the Bears could release edge rusher Lamarr Houston, one well-placed AFC executive told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Cutting Houston would open up over $4MM of cap space for the Bears this year. When PFR’s Dallas Robinson previewed the Bears’ offseason earlier this month, he named Houston as a possibility for the chopping block.
Ole Miss defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche has visits with 19 teams set up, according to Tony Pauline of WalterFootall.com. That number has increased from the 15 Pauline reported Sunday.

Free Agent Rumors: Cromartie, Iloka, Norman

February 29th, 2016 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

An NFL Network report over the weekend suggested that free agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie was expected to meet soon with the Bills and old head coach Rex Ryan. However, news of that alleged meeting caught Cromartie by surprise, as Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin details.

“I want to know where he got this report from, ’cause this is news to me,” Cromartie said, referring to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

Still, Cromartie conceded that heading to Buffalo “would be a great opportunity,” adding that he loves Ryan, who coached him during his first stint with the Jets. “I think he’s doing something good up in Buffalo to try to get that organization turned around,” Cromartie said of Ryan.

As we wait to see whether Cromartie officially makes a free agent visit to Buffalo, let’s round up some more of Monday’s free agent rumors….

Bengals safety George Iloka, who is expected to be pursued by the Lions, also figures to draw interest from the Vikings, who are coached by former Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
No real progress has been made on contract talks between cornerback Josh Norman and the Panthers, so it continues to look as if Norman will get the franchise tag, says David Newton of ESPN.com.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald goes in-depth to break down all the possible scenarios for Olivier Vernon and the Dolphins, concluding that the team would be best off using its franchise tag on the defensive end.
Joe Panos, the agent for Texans guard Brandon Brooks, tells Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that Houston has made it clear that his client is a priority in free agency. “In the next couple days we’ll trade proposals,” Panos said.
Former Eagles and Browns executive Joe Banner (Twitter link) believes there’s at least a 90% chance that quarterback Sam Bradford will re-sign with the Eagles.

East Rumors: Vernon, Wilkerson, Cowboys

February 27th, 2016 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Dolphins and Olivier Vernon‘s representatives haven’t spoken much about the possibility of a long-term deal in Miami, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports.

Recognizing the interest the 25-year-old defensive end will draw in free agency if he reaches the market, the Dolphins will entertain the possibility of tagging Vernon with the intent to then trade him, sources inform La Canfora.

The franchise tag for defensive ends is $15.7MM, and the Dolphins already employ the league’s highest-paid defender in Ndamukong Suh, who makes $19.06MM per year. Suh and Cameron Wake‘s cap numbers add up to $38.4MM in 2016 if those contracts are not restructured, making a potential Vernon extension tricky.

PFR’s Dallas Robinson rated Vernon as a top-15 free agent in this year’s class.

Here’s some more news coming out of the Eastern divisions on Combine Saturday.

Publicly seeking a long-term deal for some time, Muhammad Wilkerson could also be a tag-and-trade candidate, La Canfora reports. The Jets and Wilkerson’s reps aren’t close on a long-term deal and haven’t discussed it much since talks broke off last year. The 25-year-old’s been the game’s second-best 3-4 defensive end over the past few seasons, and the $15.7MM Wilkerson would draw as a tagged player would make Gang Green’s auxiliary moves — like keeping Ryan Fitzpatrick — more difficult. The Jets possess $21.9MM worth of cap space. League executives told La Canfora Wilkerson is “plenty worth” the deal Marcell Dareus signed to stay in Buffalo last year (six years, $95.1MM, with a $25MM signing bonus) and would be incredibly sought-after on the open market. La Canfora lists the Giants, Raiders and Jaguars as teams who would listen in a tag-and-trade scenario.
Jerry Jones expects Tony Romo to be the Cowboys‘ quarterback for another four or five years, he tells media, including Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Although this isn’t the first year Dallas’ owner tossed out that timetable for the soon-to-be-36-year-old quarterback, it wouldn’t mesh with Dallas drafting Romo’s successor at No. 4 overall, but either Jared Goff or Carson Wentz probably reaches the Cowboys at that spot barring a trade-up scenario.
Romo’s leaning toward having a plate surgically inserted to stabilize his collarbone, which he injured twice last year, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports. Such a procedure would allow the 11th-year Cowboys starter to participate in offseason workouts despite suffering his latest setback on Thanksgiving Day.
Romo’s backup could be a higher-profile player than Wentz or Goff, at least according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The veteran reporter expects Robert Griffin III to be in play for the Cowboys next month despite previous reports indicating tepid interest on Dallas’ behalf, Schefter said on a radio appearance with Cowlishaw and Mosley (via JP Finlay of CSNMidAtlantic.com).
The lengthy legal battle between DeSean Jackson and former agent Drew Rosenhaus ended with a judge ruling the Washington wideout doesn’t have to pay back the $516K he was previously ruled to have owed Rosenhaus, Daniel Kaplan of the SportsBusiness Journal reports (on Twitter). Jackson and Rosenhaus had been mired in a legal tussle since 2013, when Jackson fired Rosenhaus in favor of Joel Segal. In April 2014, an NFLPA arbitrator ruled in Rosenhaus’ favor after the agent filed a grievance to recoup unpaid loans and agent fees.

Dolphins May Explore Olivier Vernon Trade

February 25th, 2016 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

1:27pm: Word around the combine is that the Dolphins are “50/50” on whether or not to franchise Vernon, tweets Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net.

1:18pm: The Dolphins have just five more days to decide whether or not to use their franchise tag on pass rusher Olivier Vernon. As they weigh their options, one potential outcome the team is considering is franchising Vernon, then trading him, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.

While Miami has not yet made any decisions, Raanan hears from several league sources with knowledge of the situation that the team has been indicating at the combine that franchising and trading Vernon is a possibility. The franchise tag for defensive ends is expected to be worth about $15.5MM in 2016, which is a steep price to pay, but the Dolphins risk losing a 25-year-old pass rusher for nothing if they don’t use a tag.

The Dolphins’ current cap situation will make it hard to franchise Vernon and keep him, which would limit the club’s leverage in possible trade negotiations, notes Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Still, Miami could potentially keep clearing room by restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s contract, working out a new deal with Cameron Wake, and potentially cutting some other players with significant cap hits.

If the Dolphins do use their franchise tag on Vernon and then attempt to work out a trade for him, it remains to be seen whether any teams will want to give up a much of value for the right to commit to Vernon on a huge, long-term deal. Although he has shown promise during his first four NFL seasons, the former third-round pick recorded just 6.5 sacks in 2014 and 7.5 in 2015 as a full-time starter. Using the franchise tag on Vernon would put his floor for a multiyear contract at about $15MM per year, which would make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL.

For what it’s worth, Dolphins executive VP Mike Tannenbaum said on Wednesday that the team has yet to decide on whether to tag Vernon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dolphins Rumors: Vernon, Cameron, Miller

February 24th, 2016 at 4:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins still mulling whether to use the franchise tag on Olivier Vernon, as Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes.

“We have options and so does he,” team exec Mike Tannenbaum said. “We haven’t made any decisions. We have a deadline coming up in another handful of days. We haven’t made any decisions. We’re just looking at options.”

The deadline for using the tag on a player is March 1. If defensive end Cameron Wake agrees to an extension before then, the team will have more flexibility to get a deal done.

Here’s the latest out of Miami:

Dolphins head coach Adam Gase told reporters, including Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, that Jordan Cameron is in the team’s plans for 2016. The tight end is scheduled to cost $9.5MM against the salary cap and cutting him would save $7.5MM, but the team apparently wants to hang on to him.
Dolphins GM Chris Grier says the Dolphins want Lamar Miller on the team, as Salguero tweets. Grier is slated to meet with agent Drew Rosenhaus at the Combine to discuss the free agent running back. Grier added that the team continues to work on a deal with Wake (link).
For his part, Tannenbaum refused to guarantee anything when it came to Vernon or Miller, as Salguero writes.

Cameron Wake, Dolphins Discussing Extension

February 19th, 2016 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 10:17am: According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Wake and the Dolphins are hoping for resolution on his contract situation next week, which would give the team time to turn its attention to Vernon before the franchise-tag deadline.

THURSDAY, 8:23am: The Dolphins have engaged in contract talks with veteran defensive end Cameron Wake about a possible extension, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). According to Rapoport, Miami is exploring the possibility of getting something done with Wake before the new league year begins, which could give the team increased flexibility to retain defensive end Olivier Vernon.

Wake, who turned 34 last month, was his usual productive self during the first half of the 2015 season, racking up seven sacks in seven games for the Dolphins, and forcing four fumbles. However, a torn Achilles, sustained in late October, sidelined him for the rest of the year, and has him on the mend as the ’16 league year approaches.

Wake is currently due a base salary of $8.275MM, plus a workout bonus of $125K, in 2016, the final year of his contract. If the Dolphins were to cut him, they could clear that $8.4MM from their books, leaving just $1.4MM in dead money on the cap. Since Miami seems to want to keep Wake on its roster, and a new deal would give him some guaranteed money up front, there’s motivation for both sides to work something out.

If the Dolphins do agree to an extension with Wake, it likely wouldn’t add more than a couple new years to his deal, given his age. It would also almost certainly reduce his $9.8MM cap number for 2016, which would free up some space for the club as it tackles other offseason business. Frankly though, if the Dolphins hope to use their franchise tag on Vernon or spend big on another player, releasing Wake and restructuring Ndamukong Suh‘s contract would make the most sense — those two moves would create upwards of $25MM in cap savings for the club.

If the Dolphins do extend Wake, it may signal the end of Derrick Shelby‘s time in Miami. Re-signing both Vernon and Shelby would be most plausible for the Dolphins if they move on from Wake, but as long as the veteran still in the mix, it might make sense for the club to focus on re-signing one of its two free agent defensive ends. Miami will have until March 1st to use its franchise tag, and until March 9th to work out extensions to avoid having its free agents reach the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Wilkerson, Eagles, Cousins, Jets

February 18th, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jets reportedly intend to use their franchise tag on Muhammad Wilkerson within the next couple weeks, but that doesn’t mean Wilkerson won’t have suitors this offseason. Given the Jets’ depth at defensive end, the team is expected to at least listen to trade offers for Wilkerson, and it sounds like the standout defender wants to make it clear that he’s recovering from well from the broken leg that ended his season last month.

“Great visit w/ Dr. Anderson 2day in NC,” Wilkerson tweeted today. “Leg responded gr8, starting rehab ahead of schedule. Anxious to get to work. Thx for all the support!”

Wilkerson’s leg injury was never expected to sideline him for any of the 2016 season, but the fact that he’s ahead of schedule in the rehab process is a good sign for the Jets and for any teams that may be considering making a play for him in the coming weeks.

Let’s check in on several more updates from out of the NFL’s East divisions…

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Chase Daniel will be a “name to watch” this offseason for the Eagles. Daniel, a free-agent-to-be, has been previously linked to Philadelphia, due to the team’s hiring of former Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson. Rapoport suggests the Eagles’ new head coach views Daniels as “more than a backup.”
John Keim of ESPN.com and Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports each examine the Kirk Cousins contract situation in Washington, with Keim suggesting the team must maintain future cap flexibility, with many other extension candidates on deck in a year or two. As for Garafolo, he still sees the franchise tag as the most likely outcome for Cousins, since the quarterback has far more leverage at this point than Washington does.
Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t a franchise quarterback, but he’s a great bridge option for the Jets, who must re-sign him, writes Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Cimini projects a three-year, $24MM pact, including $12MM guaranteed, for Fitzpatrick, whom the ESPN scribe expects to be back in New York next season.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald expects the Dolphins to either lock up Olivier Vernon to a multiyear contract or use their franchise tag on him, since “it makes no sense” to allow a young pass rusher like Vernon to reach the open market.
Although Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft has the Cowboys selecting Jared Goff with the No. 4 overall selection, Todd Archer of ESPN.com remains skeptical that Dallas will use that pick on a quarterback.

Dolphins Hope To Re-Sign Lamar Miller

February 15th, 2016 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

Re-signing running back Lamar Miller is a top priority for the Dolphins this offseason, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, who hears from a source that the team “definitely” wants Miller back in the fold for the 2016 season.

[RELATED: Offseason Outlook: Miami Dolphins]

While the Dolphins are “bullish” on Miller behind the scenes, his price tag will be the sticking point when it comes to the club’s ability to re-sign him. According to Beasley, industry insiders are estimating that Miller will earn a contract that averages somewhere around $5MM per year. That figure seems reasonable, though it’s not clear yet if Miami has a cutoff point when it comes to annual salary or guaranteed money.

Miami doesn’t currently have a ton of cap space, and there are other free agents and extension candidates the team will want to address this offseason. However, there plenty of players who could be released or have their contracts restructured in order to create some flexibility. Most notably, reworking Ndamukong Suh‘s deal could create more than $17MM in cap savings.

Still, assuming the Dolphins do restructure Suh’s contract and make other cost-cutting moves, the team will have to decide whether it wants to dedicate a chunk of those savings to the running back position, where inexpensive second-year back Jay Ajayi could be ready to handle a larger load in 2016. Miami has also been cited as a possible suitor for free agent running back Matt Forte, who figures to command a per-year salary similar to Miller’s and may be interested in reuniting with former Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

As the Dolphins weigh their offseason moves, Olivier Vernon‘s future will also be a key issue, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald details. A team source tells Jackson that the Dolphins have yet to tell Vernon how much they’re willing to offer him on a new deal. Earlier today, I identified Vernon as a viable candidate for the franchise tag.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.