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Percy Harvin

Packers, Patriots Interested In Percy Harvin

March 11th, 2015 at 3:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers and Patriots are among the teams showing interest in Percy Harvin, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (via Twitter). On Tuesday, Rapoport identified the Patriots as a team to watch when it comes to Harvin. The Packers appear to be a new team in the mix for the athletic wide receiver.

Harvin has played for three teams during his five-year career, starting with the Vikings before being moved to the Seahawks and Jets, each time thorough trade. New York released Harvin earlier this week, clearing more than $10MM in cap space and guaranteeing that it would only send a sixth-round pick to Seattle rather than a fourth-rounder (as per terms of the deal).

Harvin, 26, was acquired by the Jets from the Seahawks back in October in the most surprising in-season trade of 2014. However, the veteran receiver and return man didn’t have a huge impact in New York, totaling 29 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown in his eight games with the Jets. Harvin also averaged just 24.8 yards per kick return, with no TDs.

Percy Harvin To Visit Bills

March 10th, 2015 at 6:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Both Percy Harvin and Rex Ryan were dumped by the Jets in the past few months, but a reunion between the two could be on the horizon. Harvin, who was officially released by New York earlier today, will take his first free agent visit with the Bills, reports Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

Buffalo has been of the league’s most active teams during the past weeks, as they’ve traded for LeSean McCoy, retained Jerry Hughes, and signed Jerome Felton. But the club could still use an upgrade at receiver, especially in the slot between Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods. When he’s at his best, Harvin is one of the most dangerous slot men in the NFL, and given that offensive coordinator Greg Roman is expected to implement a run-heavy scheme, Harvin could be utilized out of the backfield, as well.

Harvin has played for three teams during his five-year career, starting with the Vikings before being moved to the Seahawks and Jets, each time thorough trade. New York released Harvin today, clearing more than $10MM in cap space and guaranteeing that it would only send a sixth-round pick to Seattle rather than a fourth-rounder (as per terms of the deal). While the 26-year-old Harvin won’t come to close to matching his previous double-digit salary, I could see him securing $6-7MM per year.

Pats Rumors: Revis, Harvin, Spiller

March 10th, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The very latest on the Pats..

  • The Bills are also expressing interest in Pats free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Ryan and Revis have a previous relationship, of course, and by most accounts the star cornerback enjoyed playing for Ryan in New York.
  • The Patriots are a team to watch when it comes to Percy Harvin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Rapoport hears there’s a good chance that New England will be where he lands.
  • The Pats are still searching for playmakers, Rapoport tweets. They’ve inquired about C.J. Spiller possibly filling the Shane Vereen role.
  • The Saints are an early entrant into the Brandon Browner chase, but they have company, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.

Jets Release Percy Harvin

March 10th, 2015 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

4:30pm: The Jets have confirmed the transaction, making it official.

TUESDAY, 8:30am: The Jets will officially release Harvin today, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

FRIDAY, 2:31pm: Confirming what most observers suspected even before the Jets agreed to acquire Brandon Marshall from the Bears earlier today, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that New York is expected to release Percy Harvin.Percy Harvin

There’s no real urgency for the team to make the move official — as long as Harvin is no longer on the roster as of March 19, the Jets will give Seattle a sixth-round pick instead of a fourth-rounder. I expect the team to finalize Harvin’s release sooner rather than later though, to allow him to hit the open market and to free up cap room.

Harvin, 26, was acquired by the Jets from the Seahawks back in October in the most surprising in-season trade of 2014. However, the veteran receiver and return man didn’t have a huge impact in New York, totaling 29 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown in his eight games with the Jets. Harvin also averaged just 24.8 yards per kick return, with no TDs.

With no dead money left on his contract, the Jets will clear Harvin’s entire $10.5MM base salary from their books by cutting him, which will also wipe out the remaining four years on his contract. Recent reports have suggested the Jets may have been open to retaining the former first-round pick at a reduced rate, but that Harvin isn’t interested in taking a pay cut, since he’s confident he’ll do well on the open market.

The draft pick the Jets send to the Seahawks in the deal for Harvin is contingent on whether or not he remains on the roster, so cutting him will ensure the team keeps its fourth-round pick, giving up its sixth-rounder instead. New York also appears set to part ways with its fifth-round pick in the trade with the Bears for Marshall, who will replace Harvin on the club’s wide receiver depth chart.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC FA Rumors: Harvin, Raiders, Adams

March 10th, 2015 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders‘ interest in wide receiver Percy Harvin will be contingent on meeting him and also finding out his price tag, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Even with Harvin’s connection to Bill Musgrave, the Raiders have to inspect the baggage before going any further with him. The latest free agent rumors..

  • Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter) still anticipates the Colts re-signing safety Mike Adams, but no deal is done just yet. Adams, who turns 34 later this month, has said that he wants to retire with the Colts.
  • Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) suggested that the Raiders are pursuing Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith. Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (via Twitter) believes that the Raiders are the favorites when it comes to him.
  • Linebacker Arthur Moats spoke with the Bengals and Cardinals and seemed set to go to the Falcons before deciding to re-sign with the Steelers, Ross Tucker of NBCSN tweets.
  • The Titans are still working to retain both defensive end Derrick Morgan and kicker Ryan Succop as the clock ticks towards the opening of free agency, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets.
  • McCormick (on Twitter) isn’t sure that the Titans will land him, but he expects them to seriously pursue Jason Worilds.
  • Linebacker Andrew Gachkar has received interest from the Vikings, Panthers, and Raiders, and may end up visiting all three teams later this week, tweets Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports. Washington has also talked to Gachkar’s camp, but hasn’t made an offer yet, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The 26-year-old had his best season for the Chargers in 2014, playing nearly 400 defensive snaps.

Bills Targeting Bryan Bulaga, Others

March 9th, 2015 at 12:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills aren’t done making big splashes this offseason. Ross Jones of FOX Sports (on Twitter) hears that Buffalo is pushing to sign Mike Iupati or Bryan Bulaga. Other options for the Bills could include guard Jahri Evans and wide receiver Percy Harvin if/when they become available (link).

Recently it was reported that the Raiders, Jets, and Bills appeared to be the front runners for Iupati if he does not return to San Francisco. Recently, two league sources told Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Bulaga is seeking a contract worth at least $7-8MM per year. The Bucs, Jaguars, and Washington were all identified as teams that have interest in the free agent.

Evans would likely represent a cheaper alternative to either Iupati or Bulaga. The Saints are expected to release Evans from his hefty contract, but would like to re-sign him at a cheaper rate. As it stands, Evans’ deal calls for him to have the highest cap hit of any guard in the NFL.

New Bills coach Rex Ryan got to familiarize himself with Harvin this past season in New York. While Harvin has gotten a bad rap for his locker room demeanor, Ryan spoke glowingly of the wide receiver and his behavior while with the Jets. The veteran receiver and return man didn’t have a huge impact on-field in New York, however, totaling 29 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown in his eight games with the Jets.

AFC Rumors: Cameron, Bulaga, Langford, Raiders

March 8th, 2015 at 11:16pm CST by Rob DiRe

Tight end Jordan Cameron has become one of the most sought after free agents in the league during this “legal tampering” period, drawing interest from the Browns, Raiders, Broncos, and Seahawks, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Jaguars would also be in the mix if they are unable to sign Julius Thomas.

Here are some other rumors from around the AFC:

  • One name the Bills could target heavily in free agency is versatile offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga, writes Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). Graham writes there will be plenty of competition for his services.
  • The Broncos have scheduled a visit with defensive tackle Kendall Langford, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The 29-year old veteran would provide a stout body for either a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense.
  • In addition to Denver, Langford is scheduled to visit the Colts, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter). Langford already met with the Lions, Jets, and Saints.
  • The Raiders are interested in Cameron to fill their tight end woes, but are also targeting Jermaine Gresham, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN (via Twitter). The team is trying to work out a deal with the former Bengal by Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Williamson also wrote an overview of the Raiders’ free agent options after top targets Ndamukong Suh and Randall Cobb agreed to deals this Sunday.
  • With Cobb and Jeremy Maclin signing big money deals, and Torrey Smith leaning towards the 49ers, the Raiders will have to look at veterans released to fill their wide receiver woes, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). Percy Harvin, Andre Johnson, and Dwayne Bowe could all be options for the Raiders.
  • The Titans have expressed interest in pass rusher Brandon Graham, reports Paul Kuharsky of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • The Titans are also targeting a number of players, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean dives into ten topics the team will address this offseason. Among other things, Wyatt mentions the team needs to continue to pursue cornerbacks, writing that the team has expressed interest in Cary Williams, and could also chase Tramon Williams and Buster Skrine.

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.

AFC Notes: Chiefs, Raiders, Jaguars

March 2nd, 2015 at 7:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Having officially made the decision today to use their non-exclusive franchise tag on Justin Houston, the Chiefs will be back over the projected cap for 2015 until they make some more cuts or restructure some contracts. Still, that doesn’t mean the team won’t be able to eke out some cap room to potentially make some moves in free agency, as chairman Clark Hunt said this weekend (link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star).

“We always want to be a smart player in free agency,” Hunt said. “We want to sign guys that can be here and make a contribution, not necessarily (sign) somebody just because he makes a splash. … We also pay a lot of attention to the salary cap because you … can spend whatever you want and circumvent the cap, but every one of those dollars eventually comes back and hits you on the cap. So when we look at the salary cap, I’m not just looking at 2015, I’m thinking about 2016, 2017. So those decisions are made in that context.”

Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC….

  • Teams like the Raiders and Jaguars will have to spend over the next two years to reach the NFL’s minimum requirement of 89% of the cap over a four-year period, and both clubs have the cap space to make a splash in free agency this month. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) points out that both teams have starting quarterbacks eligible for extensions after the 2016 season, so if Blake Bortles and Derek Carr develop as expected, the Raiders and Jags could extend them prior to the 2017 league year as a means of reaching that 89% threshold. In other words, there’s no urgency to reach that minimum threshold immediately.
  • In another video for Bleacher Report, Cole weighs in on Percy Harvin, reiterating what we’ve heard as of late: the Jets receiver appears open to restructuring his deal, but not to taking a pay cut. Harvin is confident that he’ll do fairly well on the open market, and it looks like that’s where he’ll end up, since the Jets are very unlikely to keep him at his current price.
  • The Jaguars have yet to decide whether or not to tender contract offers to any of their players eligible for restricted free agency, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. The club has been in touch with UFAs Tyson Alualu and J.T. Thomas though.

WR Rumors: Marshall, V-Jax, Wallace, Harvin

February 27th, 2015 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

With Reggie Wayne‘s NFL future still up in the air, the Colts have explored the possibility of bringing in a veteran wide receiver to start opposite T.Y. Hilton, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, the team has internally discussed players like Brandon Marshall, Andre Johnson, Mike Wallace, and Vincent Jackson as potential targets. Not all of those players will become available in the next few weeks, but one or more could be traded or released, and if the Colts had their pick, Marshall may be their top choice, per Cole.

While we wait to see if any opportunities open up for the Colts, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has a few more tidbits for us on the wide receiver market. Let’s dive in….

  • Cole noted in the above video that Jackson likely isn’t going anywhere, and La Canfora agrees that it looks like he’ll be back with the Buccaneers. However, it doesn’t seem as if Jackson will be willing to take a pay cut, sources tell La Canfora.
  • La Canfora also touches on the Marshall situation, noting that if a team were to call asking about a possible trade, “it’s not like [the Bears] wouldn’t pick up the phone.”
  • According to multiple general managers, Wallace is the only wideout being “actively shopped” at the moment. The Dolphins continue to explore a deal, and La Canfora suggests Wallace himself would be interested in returning to the Steelers, though it’s not clear if that interest is mutual. $3MM of Wallace’s base salary for 2015 becomes guaranteed on March 13, so that may act as a deadline of sorts for Miami.
  • Percy Harvin won’t accept a pay cut to stick with the Jets, and trading him would likely be impossible, so he looks like a good bet to be cut. If that happens, many teams would want to pick him up on a short-term deal, says La Canfora.
  • We can expect the Dwayne Bowe situation to come to a head soon — paying him $11MM with a $14MM cap hit is a luxury the Chiefs can’t afford, so Bowe may be willing to accept a pay cut, knowing he won’t make close to that amount on the open market.
  • With cap numbers for Anquan Boldin and Stevie Johnson on the rise, and Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd eligible for free agency, La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if only one of those four players returns to the 49ers for next season — if that.
  • Johnson and the Texans had a bit of a stand-off a year ago, and with the veteran wideout carrying a $16MM into the 2015 season, the two sides may be headed for another interesting summer. La Canfora isn’t convinced Johnson will remain in Houston long-term, but says “time will tell.”
  • Two Dolphins wideouts have already been released today, and according to Armando Salguero the Miami Herald (Twitter links), Rishard Matthews asked the team to be cut or traded as well. However, Miami has denied that request for now, says Salguero.
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