Sean Smith - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Working To Re-Sign Sean Smith

March 9th, 2016 at 8:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Even after agreeing to new deals with Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson and Jaye Howard over the last two days, the Chiefs still aren’t finished trying to keep one of the NFL’s premier defenses in place. The club is now making a push to bring back standout free agent cornerback Sean Smith, Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter).

Paylor notes (via Twitter) that the Smith sweepstakes is down to three teams. As of earlier today, the Chiefs were competing with the Raiders and 49ers for his services.

Although relatively young (28), Smith has already amassed 100 NFL starts in 108 appearances since the Dolphins took him in the second round of the 2009 draft. Smith signed with the Chiefs on a three-year, $16.5MM deal in 2013 and has since added five interceptions, giving him 10 for his career, while making 44 starts in 45 appearances. Thirteen of those starts came last season, when the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder finished an outstanding 12th at Pro Football Focus among 111 qualifying cornerbacks (subscription required).

Thanks to his efforts since signing in Kansas City three years ago, Smith is guaranteed to land a significant raise sometime soon, perhaps as much as $12MM annually (Twitter link via Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle). Entering free agency, PFR’s Luke Adams ranked Smith as the ninth-best player available. Among corners, only Janoris Jenkins had a higher ranking (fourth). Jenkins has since agreed to a five-year, $62.5MM contract with the Giants.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Raiders, Chiefs, 49ers In On Sean Smith

March 9th, 2016 at 1:37pm CST by Zachary Links

1:37pm: Peter King of TheMMQB.com tweets that the Chiefs, Raiders, and 49ers are still in on Smith. If Tafur’s morning report that four teams are in the running is accurate, that leaves one unknown club, though it’s possible Smith’s list of suitors has been narrowed down since then. Oakland has been mentioned most frequently as a landing spot for the cornerback, but it doesn’t appear any deal is imminent at this point.

9:19am: Sean Smith‘s market has been whittled down to the Raiders and three other clubs, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The market is currently set at $12MM/year for the cornerback’s services, Tafur adds.

The 49ers have also been tied to Smith, but it’s not clear if they’re one of the “three other clubs” in the mix for his services. Ditto for the incumbent Chiefs, though it was reported on Monday that KC had not reached out to him during the legal tampering period. Of course, it’s possible that the two sides connected on Tuesday.

Smith was ranked as the No. 9 overall free agent by PFR and considered to be the No. 2 available cornerback, behind Janoris Jenkins. With an even 100 regular-season starts under his belt, Smith is still just 28 years old. With so many other key defensive free agents to re-sign, the Chiefs appear willing to let Smith sign elsewhere, and considering the cornerback market isn’t overly deep, the former second-round pick should have no shortage of suitors.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC Rumors: Vernon, A. Jones, J. Freeman

March 8th, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Alex Marvex of FOX Sports is “getting strong vibes” from NFL sources that the Dolphins will rescind defensive end Olivier Vernon‘s transition tag at some point (Twitter link). Vernon could be expendable given that Miami signed Mario Williams and plans to keep Cameron Wake.

Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald agrees that the Fins could rescind the tag, and also reports that a league source expects Vernon to sign a long-term deal with another club in the next few days, and the Dolphins aren’t expected to be able to match. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also chimes in, noting that he hears Miami hasn’t made a decision on Vernon yet.

Here’s the latest on the AFC free agent scene:

The Jets are no longer in contention for free agent corner Adam Jones, a source tells Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
The Chiefs are “poking around” on free agent linebacker Jerrell Freeman, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. Freeman could serve as a potential replacement for Derrick Johnson, who is also a free agent.
Elsewhere in Kansas City, it looks like Chiefs corner Sean Smith will hit the open market, per Robinson (Twitter link), and the Raiders could be one potential suitor.
Despite receiving interest from other clubs, receiver Travis Benjamin is still in play for the Browns, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com believes the Titans are interested in receiver Rishard Matthews — it’s a little unclear if the ESPN scribe is reporting or speculating, but it sounds like there could be a link.
Free agent safety Tavon Wilson will not return to the Patriots, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. the former second-round pick has been in New England since 2012.

FA Rumors: Osweiler, Sean Smith, Adam Jones

March 7th, 2016 at 9:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest rumors on a slew of free agents-to-be:

The Broncos have offered quarterback Brock Osweiler a three-year contract worth ~$39MM, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post. That runs a bit contrary to a weekend report that stated the Broncos had offered $45MM for three years.
Seven teams have expressed interest in Jets running back Chris Ivory, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The Buccaneers and Raiders are among those clubs, per a report from earlier tonight.
The Raiders “have reached out” to Chiefs corner Sean Smith‘s camp, per Scott Bair CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). Smith is the fourth high-profile pending free agent whom the Raiders have been connected to today, joining Ivory, Malik Jackson and Kelechi Osemele (links to Jackson and Osemele stories: 1, 2).
Bengals veteran corner Adam Jones has several potential suitors, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who lists the Ravens, Browns, Dolphins, Raiders, Cowboys and Vikings as teams that could end up with the 32-year-old. The Bengals would like to retain Jones, per Florio.
The Bears are expected to go after Patriots defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Bears general manager Ryan Pace and player personnel director Josh Lucas were in the Saints’ front office when they drafted Hicks in 2012, Biggs notes.
The Giants, Eagles, Dolphins and Bears are interested in Chargers corner Patrick Robinson, reports ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

Cole’s Latest: Harrison, Vernon, Mack, Ayers

March 7th, 2016 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL’s legal tampering period underway for 2016, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has passed along several noteworthy free agent rumors. Let’s round up the highlights…

While plenty of teams will have interest, the Titans appear to be the club most willing to meet Damon Harrison‘s asking price, according to Cole (video link). The Jets would love to retain their standout nose tackle, but given all the suitors expected to be in play, the price will be high. That may be an issue for the Jets, who have already committed $15MM+ to Muhammad Wilkerson.
The Dolphins may ultimately decide to pull the transition tag they placed on defensive end Olivier Vernon last week, says Cole (video link). As Cole explains, if the Dolphins decide not to match an offer sheet for Vernon, the pass rusher wouldn’t factor into the compensatory pick formula for 2017, since only departing unrestricted free agents can earn teams extra picks. So if Miami senses the bidding on Vernon will be too high, the team may surrender its right to match an offer, in order to regain the $12MM+ in cap room and line itself up for a mid-round 2017 comp pick.
Free agent center Alex Mack has generated “extensive interest” from the Falcons, per Cole (video link). Cole says the Jaguars, who signed Mack to an offer sheet in 2014, don’t have as much interest this time around, and adds that the Rams have expressed some interest, but aren’t expected to be serious contenders.
The “rumor late last week” was that defensive end Robert Ayers was looking for $10MM per year from the Giants, tweets Cole. While it’s possible that was Ayers’ starting point in negotiations, it seems extremely unlikely that he’d actually land that kind of salary. Ayers had a strong year in 2015, but it’s the first time he had more than 5.5 sacks in a season, and he’ll be turning 31 this year.
Cole confirms (video link) that the Raiders and 49ers will both be in the mix for the top cornerbacks on the free agent market, including Sean Smith and Janoris Jenkins.

Free Agent Rumors: Sean Smith, Niners, Raiders

March 7th, 2016 at 1:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The very latest free agent news:

The 49ers have discussed Chiefs free agent cornerback Sean Smith, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). He adds that Smith has been on the Niners’ radar in the past as well. The Chiefs have not reached out to Smith since the start of the tampering period, but they have talked with his agent since the Combine, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes.
The Chiefs know they will have to raise the current offer to Smith in order to retain him, but it’s not clear if they will, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Raiders will also be in play for his services, he adds.
The Chiefs have expressed interest in former Raiders receiver Rod Streater, Paylor writes. Streater’s best season came in 2013 when he hauled in 60 catches for 888 yards and four scores.
Seahawks free agent guard J.R. Sweezy is generating a ton of early interest with at least ten teams expressing serious interest, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. The Buccaneers, Falcons, Lions, Dolphins, Saints, 49ers, Jaguars, Bears, and Jets, have all made it known that they will be suitors (link).
Donald Penn’s agent met with the Raiders but the tackle is expected to hit the free agent market on Wednesday, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.
The Cardinals have expressed interest in Rams free agent defensive end William Hayes, according to Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The eight year vet has racked up 21.5 sacks over the last four years.

FA Rumors: Broncos QBs, Snacks, 49ers, Hali, Mebane

February 29th, 2016 at 5:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest rumors as we draw closer to free agency:

The quarterback-needy Texans are likely to go after Brock Osweiler if he doesn’t re-sign with the Broncos, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link).
If Peyton Manning – whom Osweiler has backed up since entering the NFL in 2012 – returns for his age-40 season and the Broncos release him, the Texans and Rams could pursue the future Hall of Famer, writes Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. Should Manning elect against retirement, Denver is expected to cut the two-time Super Bowl champion by March 8 and save $19MM on its cap. A good portion of that money would go to linebacker Von Miller, who is looking for a deal similar to what Miami gave defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh last winter (six years, $114MM, with $60MM in guarantees), reports Marvez.
It’ll take a “major reversal” for Jets defensive tackle Damon Harrison to not reach the open market, according to La Canfora (Twitter link). “Snacks” stated earlier this month that he and the Jets were making progress toward a deal, but that no longer appears to be the case. The 27-year-old was Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked interior defender against the run last season (subscription required).
Passing along what he heard at the scouting combine, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee lists several prospective free agents the 49ers are thought to be targeting. Guards Kelechi Osemele, Brandon Brooks, J.R. Sweezy, Richie Incognito and Ramon Foster; receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu; cornerbacks Sean Smith, Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins; and running back Doug Martin could all be on the club’s radar.
The Chiefs are working hard to retain linebacker Tamba Hali, whom they’ll meet with later this week, reports La Canfora (Twitter link). Hali has so far spent his entire career in Kansas City, which used a first-round pick on him in 2006. The 32-year-old has piled up 86 sacks (6.5 last season) while missing just four regular-season games in his decade-long career.
Speaking of players whose careers have been spent in one place, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane hopes to extend his nine-year tenure with the Seahawks. “I’d love to be back out there in Seattle, finish my career in Seattle,” the 2007 third-rounder told 710 ESPN. However, Mebane added that he’ll probably visit other teams. Mebane’s status is one of many issues PFR addressed in its offseason preview of the Seahawks on Sunday. Click here to read it.

Chiefs Prioritizing Deal For Eric Berry

February 17th, 2016 at 6:06pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Chiefs are prioritizing pending free agent safety Eric Berry and could sign him to a long-term deal as early as next week’s NFL scouting combine, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Berry is coming off a stellar season that saw him earn All-Pro honors for the second time, his fourth Pro Bowl nod and AP Comeback Player of the Year. The 27-year-old missed 10 contests in 2014 while battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but he was able to recover in time to return last season and play all 18 of the Chiefs’ games (playoffs included).

Earlier this month, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt spoke of Berry’s importance to the organization.

“Certainly, Eric is somebody that’s very important to the franchise,” Hunt said. “Coach (Andy) Reid and his staff think highly of him. They appreciate the leader that he’s become, and obviously personally, he had the amazing year overcoming cancer. We’ll do everything we can to try to bring him back.”

Berry’s now-expired pact, which he inked after the Chiefs drafted him fifth overall in 2010, ranked second among current safeties in total value ($50.05MM), fourth in AAV at over $8.34MM, and first in guarantees at just under $25.70MM. His next contract should keep him in the elite tier in all three categories.

In the event the Chiefs and Berry are unable to strike a new deal, the team could place the franchise tag on the 6-foot, 212-pounder by March 1 to prevent him from hitting the open market March 9. As PFR’s Luke Adams wrote earlier this week, the franchise price of over $10MM for a safety isn’t exactly cheap, but it wouldn’t be unpalatable in Berry’s case. Moreover, by tagging Berry, the Chiefs would buy themselves extra time to lock him up for the long haul.

While the Chiefs appear willing to do what it takes to retain Berry, they otherwise won’t be big-time players when it comes to handing out sizable contracts this offseason, Cole reports. That means they could lose one of Berry’s top secondary cohorts, cornerback Sean Smith, who’s also unsigned as free agency approaches.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

King’s Latest: Chiefs, Steelers, Packers, Lynch

January 18th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of the weekend’s divisional playoff games, Peter King of TheMMQB.com takes a look at what’s next for the four teams eliminated from the postseason, and passes along several notable tidbits. Here are the highlights:

Odds are that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will promote quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy to replace Doug Pederson as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator, says King. Brad Childress has been viewed as a candidate for that job as well.
With Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali eligible for free agency, King expects the Chiefs to retain one of those two players, at most — the team is more likely to spend on its free agent defensive backs, Sean Smith and Eric Berry.
Michael Vick doesn’t appear to be in the Steelers‘ plans going forward, so the team should bring in a backup quarterback to challenge Landry Jones, King suggests. The MMQB scribe would also like to see Pittsburgh use a high draft choice on a tight end.
With Jordy Nelson back next year and the Packers developing some promising young receivers, James Jones may be a luxury that GM Ted Thompson decides he can’t afford. King writes that Green Bay also needs to invest in a pass rusher and perhaps draft Eddie Lacy‘s replacement.
“Even the most ardent Marshawn Lynch fan has to see it’s over for him,” according to King, who suggests that the Seahawks are likely to cut their longtime running back to create cap room for other core players.

NFC Notes: Michael, Jeffery, Trattou, Cousins

December 16th, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks inked running back Christine Michael to a contract earlier today, his second stint with the organization. The former second-rounder was traded prior to the season, and with all of the injuries in Seattle’s backfield, he’s hoping his second chance ends better than his first.

“I’m just here to work and give you guys all I have,” he told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “That’s all I can do. All I want to do. And I told them just like that.’’

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the NFC…

Alshon Jeffery ranked number two in the first installment of our 2016 free agent power rankings, but he’s not the only important Bears player on an expiring deal. Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com takes a look at four more to go along with Jeffery.
After re-signing with the Vikings, defensive end Justin Trattou admitted that he got an offer from another team during his brief time as a free agent, but turned it down because he wanted to remain in Minnesota. “I really didn’t want to go anywhere else,” Trattou said, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’m happy where I’m at.”
While Panthers cornerback Josh Norman is considered one of the top free-agents-to-be at any position for 2016, there are plenty of other corners who should be in line for nice deals, including Sean Smith of the Chiefs and Janoris Jenkins of the Rams. Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a closer look at the cornerback market.
Former sports agent (and current writer for CBSSports.com) Joel Corry examined what Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ next contract will look like. Corry wonders if Cousins could receive a deal similar to the two-year, $24.5MM (worth up to $38MM) extension between the Rams and Nick Foles.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.