Ryan Fitzpatrick - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos Reach Out To Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Agent

March 13th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Zachary Links

SUNDAY, 9:00am: ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms that the Broncos have indeed reached out to Fitzpatrick, but, like the Jets, the Broncos are currently unwilling to meet Fitzpatrick’s salary demands (Fitzpatrick is said to be seeking a contract that will pay him $16MM-$18MM per year). Per Schefter, Denver will monitor the Fitzpatrick situation while continuing to pursue other signal-callers to compete with the recently-acquired Mark Sanchez.

THURSDAY, 5:38pm: The Broncos are looking into Plan B scenarios and, as expected, they are exploring the idea of signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, as Michael Silver of NFL Network tweets. Denver has been in touch with Fitzpatrick’s agent about a possible deal.

It’s not immediately clear how close the two sides might be to a deal or whether numbers have been exchanged. And, even though the Broncos were not able to retain their top QB choice in Brock Osweiler, they still have multiple options to choose from. With Robert Griffin III also on the open market and Colin Kaepernick likely available via trade, Fitzpatrick may not be their No. 2 or even No. 3 choice.

At age 33, Fitzpatrick is coming off of a career year. Naturally, his value is pretty hard to nail down. On one hand, Fitzpatrick guided the Jets offense extremely well in 2015 and talent at the quarterback position is scarce. On the other hand, some would argue that Fitzpatrick represents a decent transitional option at best, and pessimists could point to his solid campaign as a fluke. Still, it’s the market that dictates a player’s value and there aren’t a whole lot of quality quarterback options out there. After celebrating a Super Bowl victory, the Broncos certainly want to have a capable QB under center in 2016.

In 2015, Fitzpatrick started all 16 games for the Jets, setting new career highs by tossing 31 touchdowns and racking up 3,905 yards through the air. He led the team to a 10-6 record for the season, narrowly missing a playoff berth.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

FA Rumors: Foster, Fitz, Thurmond, Larsen, Fins

March 11th, 2016 at 6:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Running back Arian Foster isn’t in a hurry to sign anywhere, writes Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who adds that the four-time Pro Bowler might not join a new club (potentially the Broncos) until after the draft. Foster spent the first seven years of his career in Houston, which cut the soon-to-be 30-year-old earlier this month after a torn Achilles cost him most of last season. Foster should be fully healthy by the summer, per Florio.

Here’s more on players who are presently without contracts:

Six-year veteran Walter Thurmond was terrific for the Eagles last season, his first as a safety after shifting from cornerback, but he isn’t generating much interest as a free agent. One possible reason: “Several people around the Eagles” think he might retire, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. Thurmond, 28, has dealt with injuries and has off-field business interests, one of which is filmmaking, Bowen adds (Twitter links). If Thurmond continues his football career, odds are it won’t be in Philly, which signed safety Rodney McLeod to a sizable deal earlier this week.
The Jets hold all the cards in their negotiations with Ryan Fitzpatrick, offers the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta, who opines that it’s time for the quarterback to admit defeat and re-sign with the only team willing to hand him a starting job. The Jets want Fitzpatrick back, but they’re not going to give the 33-year-old the $16MM to $18MM annual value that he wants, according to Mehta, and could instead turn to other options. Earlier today, Gang Green met with Robert Griffin III.
After meeting with the 49ers on Thursday and the Seahawks today, guard Ted Larsen is “weighing options,” a source tells Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). Both teams were familiar with Larsen before visiting with him – the 28-year-old has spent the last two seasons with NFC West rival Arizona. Larsen started in all 26 of his appearances with the Cards.
Linebacker Sean Spence is visiting the Dolphins tonight, PFT reports (on Twitter). The 2013 third-round pick spent the first three years of his career in Pittsburgh, with which he amassed 90 tackles and two sacks in 31 regular-season appearances (13 starts).

FA Rumors: Steelers, Fitzpatrick, CBs, Chargers

March 11th, 2016 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers are exploring the possibility of adding some pass-rushing help in free agency, and have expressed interest in veteran defensive end Jason Jones, sources tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Jones is said to have a visit with the Dolphins scheduled for today.

Jones, 29, has been a full-time starter in Detroit for the last two seasons, picking up a total of 9.5 sacks in his last two seasons. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him 43rd out of 110 qualified edge defenders, assigning him solid grades as both as a pass rusher and a run defender.

While Jones typically plays defensive end in a 4-3 system, Fowler suggests that the Steelers are intrigued by the possibility of Jones being able to rush from the outside and slide inside when necessary. Pittsburgh runs a 3-4 base, but defensive coordinator Keith Butler runs more 4-3 looks than you’d think, says Fowler.

As we wait to see what happens with Jones, here’s more on free agents around the NFL:

The “staredown” between the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick is continuing today, according to Michael Silver of the NFL Network, who tweets that New York is considering other options. Silver confirms that the Broncos are pondering Fitzpatrick as a backup plan. We heard earlier today that the Browns and Rams don’t have real interest in the veteran QB.
Prince Amukamara visiting the Jaguars could be the first domino to fall in the cornerback market, tweets Peter Schrager of FOX Sports. While most top free agents are off the board, there are still a handful of intriguing corners available, including Casey Hayward, Brandon Boykin, Brett Grimes, and Patrick Robinson.
Having lost Ladarius Green to the Steelers, the Chargers are exploring the free agent market for tight ends, and will bring in James Hanna for a visit today, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Hanna, who has been a Cowboy for the last four seasons, is also reportedly on the Vikings’ radar.
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, free agent tackle J’Marcus Webb said he has a visit set up with the Seahawks, but he also believes that the Raiders would like to re-sign him (Twitter link via Eddie Borsilli).
After a heavy focus on skill positions on Thursday, the Patriots have linemen on the radar for today as they schedule free agent visits, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Rams, Browns Not Interested In Ryan Fitzpatrick

March 11th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

On Thursday, the Broncos reached out to Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s representation to express their interest in the veteran quarterback. However, other quarterback-needy teams are not as high on the veteran signal caller. The Browns are not interested in Fitzpatrick and the Rams don’t want to spend significant money to sign him, according to sources who spoke with Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Mehta suggests that the Browns are disinterested in Fitzpatrick because they already have a veteran signal caller in Josh McCown. The Browns are expected by many to draft a quarterback at No. 2 overall while potentially using McCown as a transitional option. It sounds as though the Rams may have some interest in Fitzpatrick, but if they do, it’s likely only as a failsafe. If the Rams aren’t willing to spend significant money on the Harvard product, then they’re unlikely to vault beat out the Jets for his services.

Fitzpatrick is said to be seeking an average annual payout close to what Brock Osweiler and Sam Bradford have netted this offseason. The Jets, at this point, are unwilling to pay something in the neighborhood of $16MM/year, having offered something only a little better than what Chase Daniel got from the Eagles. Daniel and the Eagles agreed to a three-year deal with a base value of $21MM on Wednesday.

The Browns have been tied to Colin Kaepernick this week and they are said to be more interested in him than the Jets are. Meanwhile, the polarizing sixth-year passer is reportedly the Broncos’ top quarterback target. Robert Griffin III would reportedly like to be under center for the Rams, but it’s not clear if Los Angeles is reciprocating that interest.

At age 33, Fitzpatrick is coming off of a career year. In 2015, Fitzpatrick started all 16 games for the Jets, setting new career highs by tossing 31 touchdowns and racking up 3,905 yards through the air. He led the team to a 10-6 record for the season, narrowly missing a playoff berth.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

QB Rumors: RG3, Kaepernick, Jets, Hoyer

March 10th, 2016 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

If Colin Kaepernick leaves for the Broncos, Browns, or Jets, Ed Werder of ESPN.com (on Twitter) expects 49ers head coach Chip Kelly to have serious interest in Robert Griffin III. RG3 has already been connected to the Broncos, but it sounds like this week’s game of quarterback musical chairs could put the Baylor product in San Francisco instead.

Here are the latest QB rumors:

If the cannot re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) expects the Jets to inquire about Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer. As Rapoport notes, the Jets already traded for one Texans QB in Fitzpatrick last year. Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter) notes that the Jets talked to Hoyer last year, but they preferred Fitzpatrick to him.
Hoyer is expected to exit the Texans‘ roster “sooner than later,” a source tells Mike Florio of PFT.
The Jets have yet to “put their cards on the table” with regards to their talks for Kaepernick, a source tells Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. Before making a move for Kaepernick, the Jets could be waiting to see if they can first get a new deal done with Fitzpatrick.
Quarterback Scott Tolzien will visit with the Colts today, Tom Silverstein of the Journal-Sentinel tweets. The Bears are also showing interest in the Packers free agent.

AFC East Rumors: Fitzpatrick, Grimes, Patriots

March 10th, 2016 at 10:48am CST by Zachary Links

The latest from the AFC East:

Ryan Fitzpatrick wants to be paid in line with the salaries that starting quarterbacks seem to be getting, which begins at about $16MM per year and works its way up, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Jets are not comfortable going that far for the veteran quarterback and Cole says that the QB needs another team to get involved in the bidding process in order to make that kind of sum a reality.
The Jets have made an offer to Fitzpatrick that is only a little better than what Chase Daniel got from the Eagles, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Daniel and the Eagles agreed to a three-year deal with a base value of $21MM on Wednesday. The pact carries a max value of $36MM with a $3MM signing bonus. That’s a far cry from what Fitzpatrick is currently seeking.
There isn’t acrimony between the Jets and Fitzpatrick, however, according to Breer (on Twitter). The Jets have told the veteran that they want him back as their starting QB, but they have set a price for him and they plan on sticking to it.
Three NFL GMs refuse to sign Brent Grimes because of his wife’s antics, per Cole (video link). Grimes’ wife continues to make news off the field and execs are worried that she can become a distraction. Grimes’ wife, Cole reports, was the main reason why the Dolphins pushed Grimes to take a pay cut for 2016. When the two sides couldn’t agree to terms, Miami simply cut the cornerback. Grimes is still considered to be a very talented player, but as long as Miko Grimes continues to make the news for all the wrong reasons, it sounds like teams will be wary of adding him.
Benny Cunningham is visiting the Patriots today, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets Not Close To Deal

March 10th, 2016 at 7:27am CST by Luke Adams

While one quarterback landed a big-money deal on Wednesday, with Brock Osweiler headed to the Texans, the other starting QB on the market has yet to reach an agreement with a team. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick are “nowhere close” to an agreement, and no deal is expected anytime soon.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) echoes Rapoport’s report with one of his own, suggesting that there’s “no end in sight” for the Jets’ talks with Fitzpatrick. According to Rapoport, the two sides remain far apart, and Fitzpatrick is seeing what the market has to offer.

In the wake of the deals signed by players like Osweiler and Sam Bradford, it seems reasonable that Fitzpatrick would be seeking a significant raise for the 2016 season, but by all indications, the Jets have no interest in going anywhere near that $18MM-per-year price for their starting quarterback. While it probably wouldn’t take that significant an offer to secure Fitzpatrick, he’s seeking more than the team has been willing to offer so far, and it’s hard to blame him for not settling — at age 33, coming off a career year, this could very well be his best and last chance to land a big-money contract.

In 2015, Fitzpatrick started all 16 games for the Jets, setting new career highs by tossing 31 touchdowns and racking up 3,905 yards through the air. He led the team to a 10-6 record for the season, narrowly missing a playoff berth.

It remains to be seen whether another team will be willing to offer a more appealing contract to Fitzpatrick than what the Jets have put on the table. Two logical suitors would be the Rams, who were cited earlier this week as a team that might have interest, and the Broncos, who just lost Osweiler. There has been no indication yet though that John Elway‘s team has reached out to Fitzpatrick.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Megatron, JPP, Cardinals, Wallace

March 7th, 2016 at 10:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Lions hope to know whether receiver Calvin Johnson will return or retire by Tuesday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, as his decision will greatly impact how they approach free agency. If Megatron retires or the Lions release him by Wednesday, they’ll open up over $11MM in cap space for 2016. Otherwise, Johnson’s $15.95MM base salary and $24MM-plus cap number will go on the team’s books this year.

Here’s more from around the NFL, including some intriguing notes on pending free agents:

There’s “optimism” that the Giants will be able to re-sign defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, reports ESPN’s Dan Graziano, who adds that the club has offered JPP a one-year deal. Other possible suitors are “hesitant” to offer Pierre-Paul a long-term pact, per Graziano. However, there’s an “aggressive” market for his services, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. Thus, it’s hard to believe he’d have to settle for a one-year deal.
If Pierre-Paul leaves New York, he could go to the Cardinals. They’ll pursue JPP, Mario Williams and the previously reported William Hayes, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).
The Vikings reportedly wanted to bring back wideout Mike Wallace at a reduced cost as of last Friday, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports “would be shocked” if he isn’t released by Wednesday (Twitter link). The Vikings will save $11MM if they part with Wallace.
The Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick are the best fit for one another, opines the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta, who expects the two to renew their relationship. Mehta lists a two-year deal with $14MM in guarantees as the floor for Fitzpatrick’s next contract, adding that the ceiling on guarantees could stretch to $18MM.
The Raiders are looking for a replacement for inside linebacker Curtis Lofton, according to Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Last month, $3.5MM of Lofton’s $5.35MM base salary for 2016 became guaranteed. The Raiders had to pay it because Lofton had an arm injury at the time, per Tafur, and a team isn’t allowed to release a player if he’s hurt when he’s due guaranteed money.
Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines the Steelers’ need for a cornerback, suggesting this year could be the first time since 1997 that the team uses a first-round pick on a corner.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Rams Could Have Interest In Ryan Fitzpatrick

March 7th, 2016 at 6:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

We learned earlier today that Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is expected to reach the free agent market Wednesday. Should that happen, the team that drafted him – the Rams – could be among his suitors if the price is reasonable, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link).

Fitzpatrick, 33, looks primed to join Denver’s Brock Osweiler as one of the top two quarterbacks available in free agency this year. The 11-year veteran is coming off the best season of his career, having thrown for nearly 4,000 yards to go along with 31 touchdowns against 15 interceptions. Fitzpatrick, who has started for six different teams since the Rams took him in the seventh round of the 2005 draft, made $3.25MM last season during a 10-6 campaign for the Jets and could be in line for as much as $10MM to $15MM per annum on his next deal.

During his two seasons with the St. Louis Rams, Fitzpatrick appeared in five games and threw four TDs against eight picks. He has improved significantly since then, though, and would be an on-paper upgrade over incumbent Los Angeles signal-callers Case Keenum and Nick Foles.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Expected To Hit Open Market

March 7th, 2016 at 8:57am CST by Zachary Links

Ryan Fitzpatrick is expected to hit the open market, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Jets and the quarterback are far apart on a potential deal, he adds. Last week, it was reported that the Jets’ offers to Fitzpatrick so far haven’t necessarily reflected the going rate for starting quarterbacks.

Fitzpatrick enjoyed a career year in his first season for Gang Green. The veteran threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns against just 15 interceptions. After earning just $3.25MM last season, the 11-year veteran is pushing for a pay bump and some have speculated that he could command a salary of $10-15MM per season.

Although Fitzpatrick looks like a hot commodity, his value is still difficult to pin down. On one hand, Fitzpatrick guided the Jets offense extremely well in 2015 and talent at the quarterback position is scarce. On the other hand, some would argue Fitzpatrick represents a decent transitional option at best, and pessimists could point to his solid campaign as a fluke. For the Jets, the bottom line is this: Fitzpatrick is the best option they have and they simply can’t afford to let him go. A two-year deal with a $16-$18MM value would be ideal for Gang Green, but the club may have to go a little higher than that to retain its starting QB.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.