Ricky Jean-Francois - Pro Football Rumors

Ricky Jean-Francois To Visit Packers

March 21st, 2017 at 7:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois‘ next meeting will be with the Packers, as Jean-Francois himself tweets. The visit will take place on Wednesday, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Jean-Francois, 30, played in 32 games (eight starts) with the Redskins over the past two seasons. Last year, he saw action on roughly 40% of the club’s defensive snaps, racking up 32 tackles and 1.5 sacks in that span.

The Packers have expressed interest in Jean-Francois in the past, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Twitter link). RJF would help Green Bay account for the loss of Datone Jones, who signed with the division rival Vikings, and Letroy Guion, who is suspended for the first four games of the 2017 campaign.

Jean-Francois ranks as PFR’s No. 5 free agent interior defender still on the board. Since being released by Washington, Jean-Francois has visited the Seahawks and Bears.

North Notes: Packers, Williams, Bengals

March 19th, 2017 at 8:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers made a rare foray into the non-street free agent portion of the offseason waters by signing Martellus Bennett. That move figures to pay off, in the eyes of some anonymous NFL personnel men.

“Bennett is way better than Jared Cook,” one personnel director said, via Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an expansive piece. “And he’s smarter. And he’s not as selfish. He’s going to be loud, but you’ve got to live with that.”

Chiming in on this debate, a scout told McGinn: “Cook is faster straight-line, yes, but their body type is totally different. When you walk up on Bennett, that is a man. Cook can’t block you or me. Bennett can. He can seal an edge.”

While these evaluators said the deal for Bennett comes with risk because of the pass-catcher’s age (30) and recent injury struggles. Bennett injured an ankle last season and reinjured it to the point he might require offseason surgery. One GM also mentioned 12 tight ends he would rather have than Bennett next season — a list that included Jack Doyle, Jermaine Gresham and Kyle Rudolph — but the same GM told McGinn he would only take two of those tight ends (Rob Gronkowski and Rudolph) over Bennett as a blocker.

Here’s more from the Norths as free agency nears its third week.

Lance Kendricks‘ two-year Packers accord will be worth $4MM, with $1.2MM guaranteed, per McGinn. This could prove to be a value-re-establishing pact for Kendricks, who saw the Rams get out of a four-year, $18.5MM deal by cutting him.
Brandon Williams received interest from beyond Baltimore, but the Ravens succeeded on a persistent push to retain him. The fifth-year nose tackle wasn’t keen on being the latest impact Ravens UFA defection. “I wanted to come back. I tried to kind of leave hints,” Williams said, via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Ravens signed their former Division II find to a five-year, $52.5MM deal. That pact includes a $12.5MM signing bonus. The Bills’ decision to revert back to a 4-3 look will make Williams the league’s highest-paid nose tackle by a wide margin.
Despite Kevin Minter pledging to come to Cincinnati for the 2017 season, Reuben Foster remains an option for the Bengals with their No. 9 overall pick, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Minter signed a one-year deal, and Foster — if taken at No. 9 overall — would be under team control for five. Plus, Minter has positional versatility that would allow him to play alongside the Alabama middle linebacker.
Ricky Jean-Francois left his Bears visit without a contract, and the UFA defensive lineman will make his way to Seattle for a scheduled Seahawks summit, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Anderson added

Ricky Jean-Francois To Visit Bears

March 17th, 2017 at 5:55pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois informed ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he will visit the Bears on Saturday. If he leaves Chicago without a deal, his previously reported meeting with the Seahawks will take place Sunday (Twitter link).

Jean-Francois just hit the market when the Redskins released him on Wednesday. That came on the heels of a 16-appearance, seven-start season in which he racked up 32 tackles and 1.5 sacks while playing roughly 40 percent of the Redskins’ defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus ranked Jean-Francois’ performance an above-average 45th among 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.

The 30-year-old Jean-Francois remains a competent defender, clearly, and hasn’t missed a game since 2013. An adept run defender, Jean-Francois would help bolster a Chicago defense that finished just 28th in DVOA against opposing ground games last year. While the eight-year veteran indicated Thursday that he’d rather play in a 4-3 alignment than a 3-4 (the Bears utilize the latter), signing with Chicago would reunite him with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Jean-Francois previously played under Fangio from 2011-12 in San Francisco.

Seahawks Visits: Charles, RJF, A. Brown

March 16th, 2017 at 7:27pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent running back Jamaal Charles had a “good visit” with the Seahawks, but he doesn’t plan to sign there – at least not yet – a source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Charles may meet with another team next week, per Florio, who notes that the club’s identity isn’t yet known.

Given that Seattle already added a No. 1-caliber rusher, Eddie Lacy, this week, it’s interesting that Charles isn’t ruling out signing there. In addition to Lacy, the Seahawks have Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise as prominent members of their running back corps, so there doesn’t seem to be a fit for Charles on paper.

As Charles leaves Seattle without a deal, two defenders – tackle Ricky Jean-Francois and linebacker Arthur Brown – are on their way to visit the team, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Jean-Francois came available when the Redskins released him Wednesday, after he had played in all of their games and totaled eight starts over the previous two seasons. The Seahawks are lacking established depth behind starting defensive tackles Jarran Reed and Ahtyba Rubin, which Jean-Francois would provide. The 30-year-old is excited about the possibility of joining the Seahawks.

“It would be great to get a chance to get out of a 3-4 and play in a 4-3, because I would get to use more of my skill-set and not be limited,” he told ESPN’s Josina Anderson. “In the 3-4, I feel like you can only do so much; but in a 4-3, I feel like you can get uphill more and disrupt the back field.”

Brown, meanwhile, is looking for a fourth team after spending the first four years of his career with the Ravens, Jaguars and Jets. The 2013 second-round pick hasn’t lived up to his draft selection, as he has just a half-sack and no starts on his resume. Brown, 26, has primarily served as a special teamer in the pros.

Top 2017 Free Agents By Position 3.0: Defense

March 15th, 2017 at 6:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The initial wave of NFL free agency is now complete, and while many of the league’s top available players are now off the board, there are still plenty of quality options still on the open market.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each defensive position. These rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts – or the amount of guaranteed money – that each player is expected to land in free agency. These are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account.

Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents, as well as players who received the franchise tag, aren’t listed here, since the roadblocks in place to hinder another team from actually acquiring most of those players prevent them from being true free agents.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some free agents than you are, so feel free to weigh in below in our comments section to let us know which players we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by defensive position for 2017:

Edge defender:

The pass rushing market has been completely depleted during the first week of free agency, as 14 of our original top 15 edge players have now been franchised, signed, or, in the case of DeMarcus Ware, retired. As such, a 37-year-old with 15 NFL seasons under his belt is now the best pass rusher on the market. Dwight Freeney played on roughly a third of the Falcons’ defensive snaps in 2016, and posted three sacks and 18 hurries. Capable of playing in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme, Freeney can still help out a club on the cheap.

Three players on this list — Elvis Dumervil, Connor Barwin, and Eugene Sims — were released by their respective clubs last week, meaning they won’t count against the compensatory formula if and when they’re signed. Dumervil, now 33, was hampered by injuries last season but still earned strong pass-rushing marks from Pro Football Focus. Barwin, meanwhile, wasn’t a good fit in Jim Schwartz‘s 4-3 defense, but he should flourish if he signs with a team running a 3-4 look. So far, he’s met with the Bengals (who use a 4-3) and Rams (3-4).

Chris Long has already indicated he won’t be returning to the Patriots, indicating he wants to join a roster where he’ll earn more playing time. Erik Walden, too, won’t re-sign with his 2016 club (the Colts), but he has taken a visit with the division rival Titans. Further down the list, Howard Jones has also met with at least one club, as he was hosted by the Jets on Tuesday. Jones, 27, is recovering from a torn ACL, but did post five sacks in five starts last season.

Interior defensive line:

Although top-flight players such as Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams have already been signed, the crop of interior defenders remains strong at the top. The buzz around Johnathan Hankins has been virtually non-existent, as the only club that’s been even tangentially linked to the 25-year-old is the Redskins. He’s one of the youngest free agents on the market, and therefore is probably looking for a massive payday. But the lack of interest around Hankins may be an indication that he’s simply asking for too much money.

The same issue could be surrounding Dontari Poe, although he’s not wanting for meetings around the league. He’s visited with the Colts, Falcons, Jaguars, and Dolphins, while the 49ers and Raiders also reportedly have some level of interest. Clubs may have concerns about Poe’s lingering back issues, and he might have to accept a one-year deal in order to prove he’s healthy and willing to provide full effort.

The remaining defensive interior players are mostly over-30 veterans, with names such as Tony McDaniel, Cullen Jenkins, Frostee Rucker, and Tyson Jackson still looking for new deals. While most of these guys can still play, they may have to wait awhile — possibly into the summer — before signing on with their next club. Jared Odrick (Patriots) and Vance Walker (Bears) have both taken visits, but the most intriguing lineman here may be Sen’Derrick Marks, who offers a good amount of pass rush from the interior.

Linebacker:

~~Zach Brown~~
~~Kevin Minter~~
Perry Riley
~~Gerald Hodges~~
DeAndre Levy
Daryl Smith
~~Sio Moore~~
~~Sean Spence~~
~~Manti Te’o~~
Mike Morgan
~~Keenan Robinson~~
~~Nick Bellore~~
D’Qwell Jackson
Erin Henderson
Josh Bynes

While players at other defensive positions have flown off the board, there’s been almost no movement among off-ball linebackers. Only five of PFR’s original top-15 free agent linebackers have signed new contracts, a group that includes Dont’a Hightower, our previous No. 1 ‘backer who re-signed with the Patriots today. Zach Brown, who now holds that honor, broke out in his fifth NFL campaign and played especially well in coverage, a skill that should lead to a handsome reward. Brown, 27, met with the Raiders today, while the Dolphins also hope to schedule a visit.

The Bengals, specifically, are in the linebacker market, as they’ve met with both Kevin Minter and Keenan Robinson in recent days. But the rest of the players on this list aren’t drawing much interest as of yet, a fact that speaks to the devaluation of the linebacker position. Teams will pay up for a three-down linebacker like Hightower, but if a player can be formation-ed off the field, he’s not going to land a hefty deal.

One linebacker who did prove he could stay on the field on third down was Perry Riley, who played 370 coverage snaps for the Raiders last season. Riley is still only 28 years old, but posted awful marks from Pro Football Focus during his previous campaigns with Washington. Whether it was Oakland’s scheme (including its talented pass rushers) that allowed Riley to flourish, or a true breakout coming in the middle of a career, Riley could help a number of clubs. The Raiders are reportedly working to bring him back.

Cornerback:

The top two corners still on the open market are both former Cowboys, and Brandon Carr looks like the surer bet to return to Dallas at this point. Morris Claiborne, meanwhile, has drawn interest from the Ravens, and most opposing clubs believe he’ll end up signing with Baltimore. Clairborne, 27, appeared to be a prime overpay candidate heading into the offseason, but if the Ravens can land him on a short-term deal, they’d be making a wise investment.

Nickell Robey-Coleman was surprisingly cut loose by the Bills earlier this offseason, and the 25-year-old has already drawn interest from numerous teams, with the Vikings, Chargers, Dolphins, Steelers, and Titans all considering a run at the slot man. Like Robey-Coleman, Alterraun Verner, Valentino Blake, and Leon Hall are all probably best sticking to slot duty, while Hall can even offer safety versatility.

Now that all charges have been dropped against Darrelle Revis, he’ll make for an interesting test case in free agency. Clearly, Revis is not the shutdown corner he once was, and may even be mulling a move to safety as he closes his career. But clubs in the market for secondary help could do worse than Revis, and he should be on a roster when the regular season rolls around.

Safety:

Tony Jefferson, Duron Harmon, and Barry Church all came off the board quickly, leaving Darius Butler as the top safety who is still unsigned. Butler is 30 years old, but as a former cornerback, offers the type of coverage skills that NFL teams are looking for in today’s passing league. He’s taken a visit with the Bears (who have already added Quintin Demps), while a return to Indianapolis is still possible.

Most of the safeties on this list are in-the-box types — that’s thanks to the fact that center field-esque safeties are more rare and thus more expensive. Recently-released veterans such as Jairus Byrd, Lardarius Webb, and Corey Graham, however, offer coverage ability and would make for decent signings on short pacts. T.J. McDonald and Bradley McDougald, on other hand, are big hitters that will patrol near the line of scrimmage. McDougald, specifically, will take a visit with the Seahawks this week.

Chris Prosinski is just a special teamer, but he’s a great special teamer. While he only played 173 defensive snaps in 2016, he saw time on more than 80% of the Bears’ special teams plays, and was listed as one of the season’s best special teams players by Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus. Football Outsiders ranked the Cardinals, Jets, and Texans as the bottom-three teams in special teams DVOA, and any of those clubs would benefit from adding Prosinski.

Kicker:

Demand is not high for placekickers at the moment, as only the Giants and Bengals stand out as clubs that immediately need a kicker. Injuries and ineffectiveness are sure to strike the position, however, at which point the specialists on this list will surely receive calls. Dan Carpenter and Mike Nugent missed a combined 11 extra points in 2016, and given that he topped both Carpenter and Nugent in field goal percentage, Nick Folk should be the first kicker on clubs’ emergency list.

Redskins Release Ricky Jean-Francois, Re-Sign Ziggy Hood

March 15th, 2017 at 5:08pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins have released defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois, tweets Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Washington has also re-signed fellow interior defender Ziggy Hood to a two-year deal, the club announced.

Jean-Francois, 30, played in 32 games (eight starts) with the Redskins over the past two seasons. Last year, he saw action on roughly 40% of the club’s defensive snaps, racking up 32 tackles and 1.5 sacks in that span. Jean-Francois was entering the final year of a three-year contract he agreed to prior to the 2014 campaign, and his release will save Washington $3MM in cap space.

Hood, meanwhile, started 14 games for Washington in 2016, but graded out as a bottom-10 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus. The 30-year-old Hood appeared in all 16 contests for the Redskins last year, managing 33 tackles, one sack, and three passes defensed. The former first-round pick was an unrestricted free agent, so he’ll now be signed through the 2018 season.

Washington has revamped its defensive line this offseason, as it agreed to multi-year pacts with outside free agents Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain, and was also loosely linked to Johnathan Hankins and Bennie Logan.

NFC Notes: Vikes, Turner, Redskins, Giants

July 8th, 2016 at 10:30am CST by Connor J. Byrne

With former Rams and Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur now on the Vikings’ staff as the tight ends coach, O-coordinator Norv Turner‘s job could be in jeopardy if Minnesota’s attack doesn’t improve this season, writes Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune. The Vikings’ Turner-led offense ranked just 27th and 29th over the previous two seasons, and the latter finish came despite excellent production from running back Adrian Peterson. One way Turner could help his cause is to involve receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the game plan, Souhan offers. Patterson – a first-round pick in 2013 – racked up just two targets and two carries under Turner last season. He was at his most productive as a rookie in Bill Musgrave‘s 13th-ranked offense, with 45 catches on 78 targets, 469 yards and seven total touchdowns (four receiving, three rushing).

Washington Signs Ricky Jean-Francois

February 27th, 2015 at 3:33pm CST by Zachary Links

FRIDAY, 3:33pm: Washington has officially signed Jean-Francois, the team announced today in a press release.

THURSDAY, 6:00pm: Washington has agreed to sign Ricky Jean-Francois to a three-year deal, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The deal is worth $9MM with $4MM guaranteed. In total, with incentives, the deal can be worth up to $11.25MM.

Jean-Francois, 28, parlayed a part-time role with the 2012 NFC champion 49ers into a four-year, $22MM pact with the Colts, who made him a starter and increased his playing time. Jean-Francois held his own in the increased role, ranking 26th out of 47 qualified 3-4 defensive ends in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required). He also set new career highs last season with 34 tackles and three sacks. His time with the Colts ended when they opted to release him last week in order to free up some cap space.

The defensive tackle spent the first four seasons of his career with the 49ers and a reunion seemed possible as he met with San Francisco earlier this week. Jean-Francois also lined up a visit with the Seahawks.

NFC West Notes: Palmer, Dockett, Seahawks

February 25th, 2015 at 7:03pm CST by Luke Adams

While he appeared over the weekend to be headed to Detroit, Australian rugby league star Jarryd Hayne still hasn’t officially signed with an NFL team. That leaves the door open for another suitor to swoop in, and agent Jack Bechta confirms to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com that there’s mutual interest between Hayne and the 49ers. Per Maiocco, the Niners don’t have a standing offer out to Hayne, but could still put something on the table — the former rugby player is expected to decide on his NFL team early next week.

The Cardinals may decide to restructure Carson Palmer‘s contract in order to create some cap flexibility, tweets Mike Jurecki of 910 Fox Sports Arizona. Palmer’s has a $9.5MM roster bonus coming up in March, which could be converted into a signing bonus to free up a chunk of cap room for 2015.
Kent Somers of Arizona Republic dives into the Darnell Dockett situation in Arizona, explaining why the Cardinals will likely have a harder time finding common ground with the veteran defensive lineman than they did with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
We heard earlier today that Ricky Jean-Francois has visits lined up with Washington and the 49ers, and those aren’t the only teams that he’s scheduled to meet. According to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), a visit with the Seahawks is also on the free agent defensive lineman’s docket for this week.
With the idea of a fully guaranteed contract for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson gaining steam (at least among reporters), Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes that one difficult aspect of such a deal would involve team ownership having to put the entire amount of the contract in escrow up front. While that wouldn’t be an issue for Seahawks owner Paul Allen, who is one of the richest men in America, if it were to set a precedent, other owners may be reluctant to sign off on fully guaranteed deals where $50-100MM could be tied up.

FA Rumors: Pascoe, Jean-Francois, McCourty

February 25th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The agent for tight end Bear Pascoe tells D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his client will be moving on from the Falcons next month.

“We had a great conversation with the Falcons and it looks like at this point Bear is going to explore some other options for next year and the Falcons are going to do the same,” said Noel LaMontagne, Pascoe’s agent. “The front office and Bear both were really appreciative of everything over the last year, but with coaching changes, there will always be other changes, so Bear is going to see what else is out there for the future.”

Let’s round up a few more Wednesday updates on 2015’s prospective free agents:

After been released by the Colts earlier this week, defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois is seeking a new home for the 2015 season, and a pair of potential suitors has already surfaced. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Jean-Francois has visits lined up with Washington and the 49ers this week. Jean-Francois has a history with the Niners, having spent the first four years of his NFL career in San Francisco.
Asked about the possibility of being franchised by the Patriots, safety Devin McCourty wasn’t sure if that’s the team’s plan, but said being tagged wouldn’t be the worst thing (Twitter link via Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald). “The franchise tag is player-friendly now,” McCourty said (Twitter link via Phil Perry of CSNNE.com). “It’s a good number.”
After some confusion about his contract status, Lions defensive end George Johnson is being considered a restricted free agent by both the NFL and NFLPA, says Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). As such, there’s a very good chance Johnson returns to Detroit.
Appearing on PFT Live today, veteran safety Mike Adams said he’d like to retire as a Colt (Twitter link). Adams, who is eligible for free agency, turns 34 next month, so there’s a chance his next contract will be his last.
As we heard this morning, the Dolphins are working to get a deal done with tight end Charles Clay. If he remains unsigned when the free agent period arrives though, Clay’s market will be “very strong,” tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk takes a look at a few clubs to watch in free agency, identifying the Falcons, Buccaneers, Raiders, Jaguars, and Bills as the teams poised to spend big.