Tramon Williams - Pro Football Rumors

FA Rumors: Ravens, Bush, Knighton

March 12th, 2015 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Look for the Ravens to be players on the receiver market once it comes into better focus, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. The Ravens could be waiting on guys like Dwayne Bowe and Mike Wallace to be cut since their preference is always to gravitate towards guys who have been released. Signing released players doesn’t hurt the team’s status for compensatory draft picks, and they generally come cheaper that way, too. More from around the NFL..

Free agent running back Reggie Bush is set to meet with the Patriots and 49ers, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (via Twitter).
A head coach told Russini (on Twitter) that teams are afraid to sign Terrance Knighton because he’s out of shape.
Defensive back Sterling Moore is coming to Tampa for a visit with the Buccaneers, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. The Cowboys elected not to tender a contract offer to the cornerback earlier this month. The Vikings were also said to have preliminary interest in him earlier this week.
Packers free agent cornerback Tramon Williams is back home thinking things over after his visit with New Orleans, but the Saints remain in play, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. The Vikings also reached out to Williams this week.
Patriots free agent linebacker Akeem Ayers is currently visiting with the Rams, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Ayers was sent from the Titans to the Pats in a mid-season trade.
The Giants have expressed interest in safety Darian Stewart, but no visit has been scheduled yet, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). Stewart is in Denver today, then headed to Atlanta.
There was talk that the Dolphins were meeting with Falcons free agent cornerback Robert McClain with the intent of signing him, but that’s on hold right now, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Money is tight in Miami and they have other needs to fill, so he’ll remain on their radar while they look at other areas first.
The Cowboys brought in former Browns running back Ray Agnew for a workout, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). That was presumably prior to signing fullback Jed Collins, however, so there might not be a spot for Agnew in Dallas anymore.

Free Agent Rumors: Gilchrist, Morgan, Robinson

March 11th, 2015 at 2:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Running backs Felix Jones, Michael Bush, and Mikel Leshoure are among the players scheduled to participate in the NFL’s veteran combine later this month, tweets Mark Maske of the Washington Post. The Arizona Republic has the full list of combine participants. Here’s more from around the NFL..

The Jets are in contract talks with free agent safety Marcus Gilchrist, a source tells Darryl Slater of the Star-Ledger. Gilchrist arrived Tuesday for a free agency visit with the Jets that has continued into Wednesday, as scheduled. Gilchrist, 26, has spent his entire career with the Chargers, who drafted him in the second round in 2011.
The Titans remain in the mix to sign Derrick Morgan despite his free agent visits and apparent interest from the Cowboys, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. They’re also still working to re-sign kicker Ryan Succop.
Free agent cornerback Patrick Robinson has received some interest from the Vikings, Dolphins, Saints, Steelers, and Panthers, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
The Vikings have touched base with free agent cornerback Tramon Williams, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears the same thing, but his source says it doesn’t sound “very serious.”
Linebacker Andrew Gachkar‘s anticipated visit to the Vikings is on hold as of right now due to what a source only will say is related to “some issues right now,” Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.
New Jaguars defensive lineman Jared Odrick told reporters, including Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links), that “tons of teams” went after him. The Colts and Chiefs, he said, were among the teams chasing him.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

FA Rumors: Carter, Helu, Gresham, McCain

March 10th, 2015 at 6:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent linebacker Bruce Carter is drawing interest on the open market, and he’ll first visit the Buccaneers, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). If he doesn’t sign with Tampa, he’ll head to Houston to meet with the Texans, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Here’s more from the free agent front…

The Buccaneers will meet with center Stefen Wisniewski, per Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Tampa just signed center Evan Dietrich-Smith last offseason so Wisniewski could be viewed as a guard.
Cornerback Tramon Williams will visit with the Saints tonight, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN. The veteran CB is wrighing a return to Green Bay and has also drawn other interest.
Running back Roy Helu probably won’t be returning to Washington, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link), but he does have other suitors, including the Patriots, Raiders, and Jets (link).
The Patriots are interested in another free agent running back, C.J. Spiller, tweets Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, but their interest isn’t considered serious.
As we’ve heard earlier, the Raiders want to sign tight end Jermaine Gresham, Caplan (via Twitter) would be surprised if a deal doesn’t get done.
The Vikings were hoping to meet with cornerback Brice McCain, but he’s meeting with a mystery team and taking a physical, reports Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).

North Rumors: Thomas, Williams, Parker

March 10th, 2015 at 12:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens‘ first choice at running back is to re-sign Justin Forsett, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. But, if things don’t work, Pierre Thomas could be a plan B for them. More from the AFC and NFC North..

The Bears informed veteran middle linebacker D.J. Williams that the team is going in a different direction and he will not return to Chicago, a source tells Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com (on Twitter).
Chiefs free agent safety Ron Parker remains very much on the radar for the Bears, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Many, many teams have been connected to Parker over the last week. The Bears and Falcons are the most involved when it comes to Parker, according to Biggs (on Twitter).
The Packers haven’t been moving much on their number with Tramon Williams, Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel tweets. However, Dunne wonders if that changes with cornerback Davon House leaving.
The Vikings have inquired about San Francisco cornerback Chris Culliver, but they haven’t made an offer, so things are still preliminary there, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.

FA Rumors: Sheard, Eagles, Broncos, Bears

March 9th, 2015 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

If you’re a little confused about all the reported deals over the last couple days between free agents and new teams, you’re not alone — the three-day “legal tampering” period prior to free agency is supposed to allow teams to negotiate with agents of prospective free agents without any offers being made or agreements being reached.

Of course, teams have long ignored those guidelines, but typically they at least maintain the pretense that they’re waiting until Tuesday afternoon, with a flood of contract agreements hitting the news wire when free agency begins at 3:00pm central time on Tuesday. This year, however, noteworthy free agents Ndamukong Suh, Jeremy Maclin, and Byron Maxwell all reportedly have deals with new teams already in place.

According to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links), the NFL sent a memo to all 32 teams expressing its displeasure with the release of contract terms prior to the official start of free agency. According to Getlin’s source, the league intends to conduct an investigation to examine whether teams agreed to terms with free agents early.

Considering the leaks on new deals seem to affect so many teams around the league, it seems unlikely that the NFL would come down too hard on everyone. If anything, the situation may be the push the league needs to modify its rules for free agency. In the NBA, for instance, teams and players are allowed to reach verbal agreements during the league’s “July moratorium,” which lasts a little over a week, but those signings can’t be made official until after the moratorium lifts. A system like that could make sense for the NFL.

As we wait to see how the NFL plans to address potential free agency violations, here’s more from around the NFL on free agents and free-agents-to-be:

The Buccaneers, Bengals, Seahawks, and Patriots are all in the running for edge defender Jabaal Sheard, according to Getlin (via Twitter). Sheard is viewed as a better fit for a 4-3 team, which could give those first three suitors an edge over the Pats.
A source tells Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link) that the Eagles are showing “a little bit” of interest in cornerback Tramon Williams. Despite having reached a tentative agreement with Byron Maxwell, Philadelphia remains on the lookout for another corner and perhaps a safety as well.
Speaking of those Eagles, Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) hears that the team was “hovering just below” $10MM annually on its final offer to Jeremy Maclin, which allowed the Chiefs to make a move on the wideout. Maclin will reportedly get about $11MM per year from Kansas City.
The Broncos have displayed interest in free agent center Chris Myers, a source tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link). This comes as no surprise, considering Myers excelled in Gary Kubiak‘s zone-blocking scheme for years in Houston.
Elsewhere on the center front, former Raider Stefen Wisniewski is on the Bears‘ radar, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. While Chicago has expressed interest in Wisniewksi, it’s not clear how serious that interest is, Biggs notes.
The Vikings have an offer out to quarterback Shaun Hill, but it’s unclear whether he’ll accept it, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
The Packers maintain interest in bringing back defensive tackle Letroy Guion, despite his recent legal issues, tweets Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Dunne points out that Guion, in the wake of his off-field troubles, may come cheaper than he otherwise would have.

AFC Rumors: Cameron, Bulaga, Langford, Raiders

March 8th, 2015 at 11:16pm CST by Rob DiRe

Tight end Jordan Cameron has become one of the most sought after free agents in the league during this “legal tampering” period, drawing interest from the Browns, Raiders, Broncos, and Seahawks, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Jaguars would also be in the mix if they are unable to sign Julius Thomas.

Here are some other rumors from around the AFC:

One name the Bills could target heavily in free agency is versatile offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga, writes Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). Graham writes there will be plenty of competition for his services.
The Broncos have scheduled a visit with defensive tackle Kendall Langford, writes Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The 29-year old veteran would provide a stout body for either a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense.
In addition to Denver, Langford is scheduled to visit the Colts, writes Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter). Langford already met with the Lions, Jets, and Saints.
The Raiders are interested in Cameron to fill their tight end woes, but are also targeting Jermaine Gresham, according to Bill Williamson of ESPN (via Twitter). The team is trying to work out a deal with the former Bengal by Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
Williamson also wrote an overview of the Raiders’ free agent options after top targets Ndamukong Suh and Randall Cobb agreed to deals this Sunday.
With Cobb and Jeremy Maclin signing big money deals, and Torrey Smith leaning towards the 49ers, the Raiders will have to look at veterans released to fill their wide receiver woes, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). Percy Harvin, Andre Johnson, and Dwayne Bowe could all be options for the Raiders.
The Titans have expressed interest in pass rusher Brandon Graham, reports Paul Kuharsky of ESPN (via Twitter).
The Titans are also targeting a number of players, and Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean dives into ten topics the team will address this offseason. Among other things, Wyatt mentions the team needs to continue to pursue cornerbacks, writing that the team has expressed interest in Cary Williams, and could also chase Tramon Williams and Buster Skrine.

NFC East Rumors: McCourty, Williams, Graham, Helu

March 8th, 2015 at 8:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Eagles have already brought in Byron Maxwell, but are interested in continuing to add to their secondary and are pushing to sign safety Devin McCourty, writes Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). No front-runner has emerged for McCourty’s services, but the Eagles’ backup options could be Ron Parker and Rahim Moore (via Twitter).

Here are some other notes from around the NFC East:

Maxwell and a safety would be great, but the Eagles could still be looking for another corner to complete the secondary. Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com believes Tramon Williams could be an option for the team (via Twitter).
The Giants also need help in the secondary, and checked in on Buster Skrine as a possible replacement for Walter Thurmond as a nickel cornerback, reports Dan Graziano of ESPN (via Twitter). Skrine, however, will likely be too expensive for the team.
The Giants have serious interest in pass rusher Brandon Graham to pair with Jason Pierre-Paul, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, piggybacking on Graziano’s report from earlier (via Twitter). Pass rushing is thought to be a priority for the Giants this offseason. The team is also targeting Dan Williams for the defensive line and are a third contender with the Eagles and Patriots for McCourty, according to Graziano (via Twitter).
When it comes to running back, Raanan writes that the Giants have interest in Roy Helu and Antone Smith. With Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams in the fold, both players are thought to be good complements to give the running game some versatility.
As for Helu, Washington has remained in contact with him through the offseason, according to John Keim of ESPN (via Twitter). Keim writes that five other teams have also expressed some interest in him.

Vikings FA Notes: Hill, Brinkley, Clayborn, Selvie

March 7th, 2015 at 5:06pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Vikings have a promising quarterback situation after drafting Teddy Bridgewater with the last pick of the first round last year, but lost their backup when they traded Matt Cassel to the Bills. However, they might already have their eyes on Shaun Hill as a veteran backup, writes Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.

Hill played with the Vikings between 2002 and 2005, and has experience with offensive coordinator Norv Turner from their time together with the 49ers in 2006. Hill started eight games in 2014 in relief of Sam Bradford.

Here are some more notes from the Vikings as they build their roster for 2015:

One player currently on the roster who wants to be back is linebacker Jasper Brinkley, writes Tomasson. Brinkley was with the team from 2009-2012 and returned to the team in 2014. “I would love to come back,’’ Brinkley said. “They gave me an opportunity and it still feels like home for me. I would love to definitely come back. Coach Zimmer is doing great things with the team, turning the culture around there and everything is on the up and up.’’
The Vikings’ big move last season was keeping defensive end Everson Griffen with the team, and this offseason the team could look to add a pass rusher across from their young star. Ben Goessling of ESPN reports that the team has looked into the possibility of signing Adrian Clayborn (via Twitter).
Another pass rusher the Vikings may be interested in is former Cowboys defensive end George Selvie, according to Goessling (via Twitter).
One player the team has not reached out to as of yet is division-rival Packers cornerback Davon House, according to Goessling (via Twitter). They also have not expressed interest in Tramon Williams, according to Tomasson (via Twitter). That wouldn’t rule either out as a potential target.
While the team has reached out to a number of players already and has been rumored to be linked to a few more, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune warns that rumors fly this time of the year but that does not necessarily mean the Vikings will land all or any of these players.

Seahawks Eyeing Free Agent Cornerbacks

March 5th, 2015 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

With Byron Maxwell poised to reach the open market, and almost certain to sign with a team besides the Seahawks, Seattle is considering its options for replacing the cornerback, and is looking at the free agent market for a solution. According to various reports, the club is eyeing Cary Williams and Tramon Williams as potential free agent targets.

A report from NFL Draft Diamonds indicates that the Seahawks would be hosting Cary Williams for a visit this week, several days after he was cut by the Eagles. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun confirms as much, reporting that there’s also mutual interest between Williams and the Ravens (Twitter links). The Jets and Titans are among the other clubs with interest in the ex-Eagle, according to NFL Draft Diamonds.

If the Seahawks are outbid for that Williams, another Williams (Tramon) could be an option for the team if and when he reaches the open market. As Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details, Seahawks general manager John Schneider was involved in signing Tramon Williams to Green Bay’s practice squad back in 2006, and the team has made it clear it will pursue the veteran corner if he becomes available.

A source tells McGinn that the Packers proposed a two-year, $8MM deal for their free-agent-to-be, but Williams turned down the offer and is seeking a three- or four-year contract averaging $5MM+ annually. McGinn’s source adds that Williams would like a deal with a sizable guarantee as protection against being released.

While the Seahawks may like to retain Maxwell, he looks poised to land perhaps the largest deal among free agent cornerbacks this month. The Eagles are viewed as the current frontrunners, but several other teams – including the Jets – are expected to be in the mix.

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.