Reggie Bush - Pro Football Rumors

Extra Points: Hartline, Murray, Browner, Bush

March 10th, 2015 at 3:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The latest from around the league…

Brian Hartline‘s decision ultimately came down to the Browns and the Patriots, the receiver tells Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal (Twitter link). Hartline ended up signing a two-year pact with Cleveland yesterday.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says the club wants to re-sign DeMarco Murray, emphasizing that Dallas is still in negotiations with its free agent running back (Twitter links via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
The Panthers don’t seem to be showing much interest in edge rusher Derrick Morgan, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
The Titans have interest in cornerback Brandon Browner, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). Browner isn’t expected to take a pay cut to remain in New England. Browner is receiving a lot of interest around the league, but he could still return to the Patriots, per Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link).
Jahri Evans is still a candidate for release in New Orleans, and if the Saints do cut him, expect the Bills to be in on the veteran guard, says Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Most observers expected free agent receiver Michael Crabtree to depart San Francisco, but the 49ers do have interest in re-signing him, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 (via Twitter).
Having been cut by the Lions earlier in the offseason, running back Reggie Bush is considering a return to the Saints, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, the Patriots and Eagles are among the other teams in play for Bush.

Saints Re-Sign Sanford, Retain Bunkley

March 6th, 2015 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have re-signed safety Jamarca Sanford, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing agent Drew Rosenhaus (via Twitter). According to the PFT report, the former Viking has agreed to a one-year deal to remain in New Orleans.

Sanford, 29, started 41 games for the Vikings from 2011 to 2013, but was cut by the team in August and had trouble finding regular work for the 2014 season. After a short stint in Washington, Sanford landed with the Saints in November, and appeared in six games down the stretch for the team, logging 14 tackles.

Financial terms of the deal aren’t yet known, but I’d expect a modest salary for Sanford, who should have the chance to compete for playing time on the Saints’ defense this summer.

Here’s more out of New Orleans:

A year ago, defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley accepted a pay cut in return for a $300K roster bonus and a spot on the Saints’ roster, and it appears he has made a similar concession this time around. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that the team is bringing back Bunkley on a reduced salary, and Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link) confirms that the agreement is a “mirror image” of last year’s, and will create about $3MM in cap savings for the club.
The Saints have been “quietly” looking for trade partners for Junior Galette, a league source tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. However, as Getlin notes, a deal is unlikely (Twitter links). Galette has been involved in some off-the-field legal issues recently and has a $12.5MM roster bonus on the way next Thursday, making him a pretty unappealing trade chip, despite his on-field production.
Head coach Sean Payton is high on Reggie Bush, who is currently a free agent, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora adds that the still has interest in re-signing Mark Ingram, but is keeping an eye on other running backs as well.

NFC Mailbags: Rams, Panthers, Lions, Packers

February 28th, 2015 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift focus to the NFC…

Nick Wagoner says the Rams would like to re-sign tight end Lance Kendricks, but the writer wonders if the rumored $4MM annual salary the player is seeking is too pricey.
The Panthers need a speedy wideout to pair with Kelvin Benjamin, and David Newton suggests free agents Eddie Royal, Ted Ginn Jr. and Michael Crabtree, although he warns that the former 49ers receiver may not be a “Dave Gettleman guy.”
With Cam Newton‘s contract situation being a priority in Carolina, Newton says the Panthers likely won’t make any progress on an extension for Luke Kuechly until next season.
The Lions releasing Reggie Bush is not an indication that they’ll draft a running back early, says Michael Rothstein. The team still has Joique Bell and Theo Riddick, so there doesn’t need to be any panic from the organization to replace the former second-overall pick. With the said, Rothstein still believes the team will select a running back, albeit much later in the draft.
Dan Graziano believes Bush would be the type of running back the Giants would be looking to acquire. However, the writer says that the team wasn’t among the organizations that displayed initial interest in the veteran.
Rob Demovsky says the Packers could keep both Tramon Williams and Davon House, but he notes that it’s unlikely for both players to remain on the roster. After all, the team is looking to expand Casey Hayward‘s role, meaning one of the two defensive backs would be on the outside looking in.
John Keim opines that Washington needs to improve their tight end depth. The writer says the team can’t rely on Jordan Reed, and he adds that Logan Paulsen is most productive as a blocker. Keim points to former Eagles tight end James Casey, noting that Washington has already shown interest in the 30-year-old.

Extra Points: Bush, Peterson, Skrine

February 26th, 2015 at 9:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Reggie Bush is available, but he’s not the answer to the Saints‘ problems, Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune writes. Bush was the very first draft pick Sean Payton’s nine-year tenure in New Orleans, but they’re probably prioritizing a new deal for the 25-year-old Mark Ingram instead.

The Saints remain saddled with the NFL’s worst cap situation at more than $21MM over, which makes adding a running back entering his age-30 season probably a non-starter.

In other news around the league …

Money is the overlooked factor in the drama between Adrian Peterson and the Vikings, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Peterson might be unhappy with perceived slights from the organization, but the reality is that he could earn $12.75MM with the Vikings in 2015 and it’s not clear if another team would pay him that much, especially after giving up whatever is necessary in compensation to the Vikings in a trade.
Wide receiver Kevin Dorsey, who was cut by the Packers last week along with tight end Brandon Bostick, has three more visits with teams scheduled for next week after meeting with the Patriots, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).
Browns cornerback Buster Skrine is attracting plenty of interest from other teams, sources told Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Serving as the No. 2 corner to Joe Haden on last season’s No. 8-ranked pass defense that didn’t get much out of No. 8 overall pick Justin Gilbert, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Skrine could command as much as $7MM per year, per Cabot, on the free agent market headlined by Brandon Flowers, Kareem Jackson and Byron Maxwell.
The Bucs hired Paul Spicer as assistant defensive line coach, per the Baltimore Sun’s Wilson on Twitter. A former Jaguars defensive end, Spicer previously served as the Jaguars assistant DL coach and played under current Tampa Bay defensive line coach Joe Cullen for the Jags.

Luke Adams and Sam Robinson contributed to this report

East Notes: McCown, Dez, Parnell, Bush

February 26th, 2015 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh McCown‘s free agent tour appears to have come to an end, and after drawing interest from the Bills, Jets, Bears, and Browns, the veteran quarterback has engaged in contract discussions with Buffalo, according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Carucci cautions that it’s not known how many other teams are talking to McCown about a potential contract, or if the Bills are the favorites to land him, but the club is very much in the hunt, and the signal-caller may finalize his new deal – with Buffalo or another club – by Friday.

For what it’s worth, Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 notes (via Twitter) that the Bills view McCown as an upgrade over Kyle Orton, and that the former Buccaneer is the club’s preferred target in this free agent class. While we wait to find out whether a deal with the Bills materializes as a result of Buffalo’s interest in McCown, let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFL’s two East divisions….

As Monday’s franchise tag deadline nears, the rumors surrounding Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant continued to swirl today. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com passed along word – and a police report – about an incident that took place outside of a Walmart in Lancaster, Texas; Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk attempted to break down what this new info means; and Jason Cole of Bleacher Report suggested that sources close to Bryant believe the alleged video of that Walmart incident does, in fact, exist.
Cowboys tackle Jermey Parnell should be a popular free agent next month, according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com and Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter links). When I examined the free agent market for offensive tackles earlier in February, I singled out Parnell as a player who hasn’t seen much action as a reserve in Dallas, but pointed out that he has been very good when he has played.
In response to the Lions’ release of Reggie Bush, Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com explores whether the Patriots would be interested, and how Bush’s availability may affect the market for free-agent-to-be Shane Vereen.
Nick Powell of NJ.com takes a look at whether or not the Giants will have interest in Bush, concluding that the former USC star could fit as a complement in the backfield for Rashad Jennings, particularly since Tom Coughlin is fond of veteran players.

West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, V. Davis

February 26th, 2015 at 8:57am CST by Zachary Links

As the West Coast wakes up on this Thursday morning, let’s take a look at a few items out of the NFL’s two West divisions….

Free agent running back Reggie Bush likely doesn’t make sense for the Chargers, according to Tom Krasovic of U-T San Diego. At running back the Chargers already employ a pass-catching specialist in Danny Woodhead, who caught 76 passes from Philip Rivers in 2013. San Diego’s focus instead will probably be on finding a back with power, rather than one that has a similar skill set to Woodhead.
Don’t tell that to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, who feels that Bush could reinvent himself with the Chargers. Williams doesn’t see Bush as an every-down back at this point in his career, but he could see him thriving in a role where he gets 10 touches a game on jet sweeps, reverses, bubble screens, and slants from the slot.
The Chargers‘ signing of King Dunlap to a four-year contract last week wasn’t without significant risk, but it would have been a greater risk for both sides if they parted ways, Krasovic writes for the Union-Tribune. The Bolts had no other left tackle that they could have trusted to protect Rivers and losing Dunlap would have meant duking it out on a seller’s free-agent market.
Bill Williamson of ESPN.com wonders if LeSean McCoy and a package of picks would be worth the Raiders‘ No. 4 pick. At 26 years old, McCoy is still effective and had a combined 2,926 rushing yards over the past two years. On top of that, new Oakland offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave was the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia last season and he wants to run a fast-paced, no-huddle offense as a base.
After both Bush and A.J. Hawk were cut yesterday, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis is one of just two top-10 picks from the 2006 draft class to remain on his original team, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes. The two-time Pro Bowl tight end is entering the final year of a contract that is scheduled to pay him $4.95MM — that would normally make him a prime extension candidate, but Davis is also coming off the worst season of his NFL career, so his contract situation will be interesting to monitor.

Lions Cut Reggie Bush

February 25th, 2015 at 4:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Less than an hour after the division-rival Packers parted ways with a former top-five pick, the Lions have done the same, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Detroit has released running back Reggie Bush from his contract, allowing him to hit the open market.

Bush, who turns 30 next week, spent the last two seasons in Detroit. The former second overall pick had an excellent season in 2013, racking up more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage in just 14 games, establishing a new career high. However, he was plagued by injuries in 2014, and wasn’t overly effective when he did play. Overall, Bush accumulated just 297 yards on the ground and another 253 through the air in 11 games.

Having inked a four-year, $16MM contract two years ago, Bush had been under contract through the 2016 season. A total of $3.556MM in dead money will now count toward the Lions’ cap in 2015, assuming the team doesn’t designate Bush as a post-June 1 cut. The move creates a little over $1.7MM in cap savings, which the club could put toward re-signing Ndamukong Suh or another free agent.

As for Bush, despite his age and his injury history, he still has some upside. He certainly won’t land another $16MM contract, but the former USC star should receive some interest on the open market, particularly since he can visit teams immediately rather than having to wait another two weeks.

The Lions currently have Joique Bell, Theo Riddick, and George Winn under contract at running back, and look like a decent bet to add an inexpensive rookie to their backfield during the draft this spring.

Combine Pressers: Washington, Lions, Chargers, Ravens

February 18th, 2015 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Head coaches and general managers continue to speak to the media at press conferences in Indianapolis, and we’ve already rounded up the highlights from several of them so far today. Here are a few more noteworthy comments from some NFL decision-makers, with all links go to the Twitter accounts of various reporters in attendance:

Washington head coach Jay Gruden:

In perhaps the most newsworthy moment of any of today’s pressers so far, Gruden said that Robert Griffin III will open the 2015 campaign as Washington’s starting quarterback. There’s still plenty of time for things to change between today and September, but on a day when Jay Cutler couldn’t get a vote of confidence from the Bears, it’s notable that Washington seems committed to RGIII.
According to Gruden, the Washington front office is in contact with the reps for high-priced players like Pierre Garcon, Barry Cofield, and Stephen Bowen about possible contract restructures. Discussing Garcon specifically, the head coach stressed that the veteran wideout is still very much in the club’s plans.
Echoing the mantra of new GM Scot McCloughan, Gruden said Washington’s philosophy will be to target the best available players in the draft.

Lions GM Martin Mayhew:

While he admitted that a new deal with Ndamukong Suh isn’t done, Mayhew remains confident that the two sides will work something out. According to the GM, the defensive scheme, coaches, and players are all a good match for Suh, and the club will definitely “keep working on it.”
The Lions still haven’t decided whether or not they’ll resort to the franchise tag if the team and Suh don’t reach an agreement by March 2. Detroit also remains undecided about the fifth-year option for offensive tackle Riley Reiff, and hasn’t yet made any final determinations on any free agents except center Dominic Raiola, who won’t be re-signed.
Mayhew can envision a situation where both Suh and Nick Fairley return to Detroit, but he can also imagine a scenario in which neither player is back. The Lions aren’t sure yet how seriously they’ll pursue Fairley, but will meet with his agent, Brian Overstreet, this week.
The general manager also has a combine meeting lined up with the agent for free-agent-to-be Matt Prater.
According to Mayhew, the team is engaged in dialogue with some players about contract restructures to clear some cap room. Although the GM didn’t identify anyone specifically, one of those players could be Reggie Bush — Mayhew said the team hasn’t determined yet what the running back’s future with the team is.

Chargers GM Tom Telesco:

The Chargers plan to meet with the agent for free agent running back Ryan Mathews at the combine this week, according to Telesco. The GM added that the Chargers are “a different team” when Mathews is healthy and on the field.
The team is currently planning for D.J. Fluker to play right tackle in 2015, rather than continuing to try him at guard. San Diego figures to have some holes to fill on its offensive line this offseason, so having a set plan for Fluker should help identify the spots that need to be addressed.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh:

According to Harbaugh, the team’s free agents want to return to Baltimore, and the team wants them back. “That bodes well for us,” Harbaugh said.
It’s not clear if the head coach’s comment applies to every Ravens free-agent-to-be, but when he was asked specifically about Torrey Smith, Haloti Ngata, and Lardarius Webb, Harbaugh said, “They want to be back [and] we want them back, so we should have a good chance.” Smith is eligible for free agency, while Ngata and Webb are candidates for contract restructures or pay cuts.
Harbaugh also expects wide receiver Steve Smith to be back with the Ravens in 2015. The former Panther has two years left on his contract, but will turn 36 in May, so retirement may be a viable option soon.

NFC Mailbags: Panthers, Ingram, Bush, Giants

November 29th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN’s NFL writers are opening the mailbags and answering reader questions. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the NFC…

The Panthers could move on from DeAngelo Williams after the season, says David Newton. Meanwhile, Jonathan Stewart, who still has a couple of years left on his contract, is more likely to stick around.
Mike Triplett wouldn’t be surprised if the Saints let Mark Ingram walk and opted to utilize their running back depth instead.
It would make sense for the Lions to consider trading Reggie Bush if they were to receive a solid offer, writes Michael Rothstein. However, the writer believes Bush still has a place in the team’s offense, and he adds that it would be tough to move a 30-year-old running back.
Dan Graziano’s gut tells him that both Giants coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese will be safe following the season, but he warns that the final stretch of the season could ultimately determine their fate.
John Keim guesses that Washington could expect a third or fourth-rounder in exchange for Robert Griffin III. He expects a “low-rounder at best” for Kirk Cousins.

NFC Notes: Lions, Cowboys, Panthers, Seahawks

October 18th, 2014 at 10:53am CST by Ben Levine

As Reggie Bush prepares for his reunion with the Saints this weekend, the former No. 2 overall pick reflected on his entrance and exit from New Orleans.

The current Lions running back was ushered into the business side of the league very quickly, as he was blindsided by not going first overall. Via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein…

“I was preparing to go to Houston, and we found out the same way everybody else found out, on SportsCenter,” Bush said. “That was that. That was my first real introduction to the business side of football. I got an introduction really quick.”

Following five up-and-down seasons with the Saints, the two sides parted ways following the 2010 season. The 29-year-old said there is not bitterness or hard feelings over the “mutual decision.”

“It was nothing that was unexpected,” Bush said. “I don’t have any bitterness toward the team or anybody. It’s part of the business side, the business side of our sport.

“Sometimes it can be ugly, but at the end of the day we all sign on the dotted line and we understand how it works.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

Rothstein opines that if the Lions don’t keep Ndamukong Suh, they could very well re-sign DeAndre Levy and Nick Fairley. While Levy’s contract doesn’t expire until 2015, the team could still theoretically try to lock him up. Rothstein also questions whether the team would actually extend Fairley following one productive season.
In addition to Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray, Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain will also be in line for a payday this offseason, but an extension isn’t on his mind. “We haven’t talked about it and I’m not worried about it,” McClain told ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. “I’m getting ready for the Giants…I’m just happy to be with the Dallas Cowboys. I’m happy with our success so far. I’m having fun with my teammates. Having a good time, gelling together and playing some good ball right now.”
At this point in time, the Panthers have no reason to trade for a cornerback, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton. The team still believes in Antoine Cason and Melvin White, as well as former fifth-round pick Josh Norman.
Newton writes that there would be little incentive for the Panthers to cut Greg Hardy since the team would still owe him more than $13MM.
Seahawks rookie Cassius Marsh broke his foot in practice this week and is expected to have surgery on Monday, tweets NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While Rapoport estimates the defensive end will miss four or five weeks, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times says a six-to-eight week absence is more likely (via Twitter).