HEADLINES

Steven Johnson

Broncos Re-Sign Johnson, Will Host Daniels

March 10th, 2015 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos have reached an agreement to re-sign linebacker Steven Johnson, who had been eligible for restricted free agency, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Rather than tendering him an offer worth $1.542MM, the team appears to have worked out a one-year deal worth less than that.

Johnson saw an increased role on the defensive side of the ball in the second half of the 2014 season, playing in 215 total snaps on defense for the Broncos. Typically though, he has primarily been a special teams contributor — he recorded 11 tackles in kick and punt coverage last season.

In addition to re-signing Johnson, the Broncos have also been busy trying to fill the void left by the departing Julius Thomas at tight end. According to Klis, tight end Owen Daniels, who has a long history with new Denver coach Gary Kubiak, will visit with the team on Wednesday.

While the Broncos appear set to lose Thomas to Jacksonville, the team seems to be in good position to bring back its other free agent tight end. Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Broncos are the frontrunners to sign Virgil Green, who is weighing strong interest from multiple teams and is close to making a decision.

Tender Updates: Saturday

March 7th, 2015 at 9:01am CST by Ben Levine

As teams prepare for free agency, they have to figure out a plan for their restricted free agents. Teams will often slap these players with a mid-round tender, at least assuring some kind of compensation should they sign elsewhere. The second-round tender is popular, and this year’s value is worth $2.356MM. The value of a minimum-level tender is worth $1.542MM.

With that said, we’ll pass along any tender updates throughout the day, with the most recent updates added to the top of the list…

  • Defensive end Ryan Davis has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Jaguars, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • The Chiefs have tendered outside linebacker Josh Martin to a one-year deal, reports Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). Martin is an exclusive-rights free agent. The team has also tendered tight end Demetrius Harris (via Twitter).
  • The Dolphins have re-signed A.J. Sanders and Jordan Kovacs to their tenders, reports Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter). He notes that the team has not yet been able to re-sign Derrick Shelby or Michael Thomas.
  • The Broncos notified linebacker/special teams ace Steven Johnson that he would not be tendered, making him an unrestricted free agent, reports Mike Klis of The Denver Post. The 26-year-old started seven games for the Broncos last season, compiling a career-high in tackles (32). Klis notes that the organization could bring Johnson back on a cheaper contract, but their unwillingness to offer the one-year, $1.542MM contract indicates they won’t overspend.
  • Washington tendered kicker Kai Forbath, tweets ESPN’s John Keim. Citing Mike Jones of The Washington Post, Keim says the two sides haven’t discussed a longterm deal. The 27-year-old finished 2014 with career-highs in field goals made (24) and total points (103), while his 88.9 field goal percentage ranked in the top-10 in the NFL.
  • ESPN’s Field Yates passes along a pair of second-round tenders (via Twitter): Raiders wideout Rod Streater and Eagles defensive tackle Cedric Thornton. Streater didn’t have the best 2014 season, finishing with career-lows across the board. However, his performance in 2013 (60 catches, 888 yards, four touchdowns) showed that he can contribute in the NFL. Meanwhile, Thornton has continued improving during his three years in the league, and he finished last season with 52 tackles.
  • Streater’s teammate, receiver Andre Holmes, received the low tender from the Raiders, tweets Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo. The former undrafted free agent followed an impressive 2013 season with a better 2014, compiling 47 catches for 693 yards and four touchdowns.