Vince Wilfork - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Clay, Browns, Worilds, Wilfork

March 22nd, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the offseason’s biggest winners, Charles Clay reportedly twice received offers worth more in 2015 than he was asking for from the Dolphins, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reports.

Initially, Clay only sought $6.8MM per year from the Dolphins when the sides were negotiating, but Clay’s would-be salary for this season rose to $7MM when the Dolphins placed the transition tag on their developing tight end. Clay’s initial asking price represented the logic behind Miami opting to place the lesser-used transition tag on Clay as opposed to the franchise tag ($8.2MM for tight ends this year), per Salguero. This would’ve forced the Bills to part with two first-round draft picks if they matched the offer and ultimately kept Clay in Miami.

The Bills will now pay Clay, who signed a five-year contract worth $38MM, more than any tight end over the next two seasons ($11.5MM per season in ’15 and ’16) due to the frontloaded deal.

The Browns are the frontrunners to be the subject of this season’s Hard Knocks, reports Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News reports on Twitter. This would mark the first such time the Browns, who finished 7-9 last season, would appear on the HBO training camp show.
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said prior to Jason Worilds‘ retirement he was not in the Steelers’ plans, as the team thought the improving linebacker would receive an offer they weren’t prepared to match, reports Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via Twitter.
Signing DeAngelo Williams required the Steelers’ brass to take a “little leap of faith” after what happened regarding LeGarrette Blount‘s abrupt midseason exit, Colbert said (via ESPN’s Scott Brown on Twitter). Coming off a career-worst season and entering his age-32 campaign, Williams received a key endorsement from quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner, who recruited and coached the running back when he was on staff at Memphis in the early 2000s (Twitter link).
Colbert told Brown the Steelers will pursue cornerbacks in the draft and that three of Pittsburgh’s four starting linebacker positions, excluding the inside backer spot manned by Lawrence Timmons, are open competitions.
Texans owner Bob McNair wanted to sign Vince Wilfork when he became a free agent in 2010, reports Tom Curran of CSN New England. Instead, Wilfork re-signed with the Patriots on a five-year, $40MM contract — then a league-high pact for defensive tackles. McNair received a slightly lesser version of the run-stuffing tackle this year, with the now-33-year-old signing for $9MM across two years.
Elite edge-rushing prospect Randy Gregory will visit the Ravens, whom he already met with at the NFL Scouting Combine, according to the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson.
Former Titans and Ravens linebacker Brandon Copeland participated in Sunday’s inaugural Veteran Combine and caught the eye of several teams, per Wilson on Twitter. Copeland, who will be 24 in July, told Wilson he spoke with the Chiefs, Titans, Colts, Bengals, Giants and Eagles after a workout that he said included a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound linebacker went undrafted out of Pennsylvania and appeared on the Ravens and Titans rosters in 2013 but did not accrue any statistics.

Texans To Sign Vince Wilfork

March 16th, 2015 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

3:25pm: Wilfork’s two-year contract is worth $9MM, with $5MM in guaranteed money, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.

2:33pm: After spending his entire NFL career with the Patriots, Vince Wilfork be joining another AFC team for the coming season. The veteran defensive tackle announced on Twitter today that he’ll be signing with the Texans. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), it’s a two-year deal for Wilfork and the Texans.

“We will be starting a new chapter in our lives as Houston Texans,” Wilfork said in his statement, after thanking the Kraft family and the Patriots. “The coaching staff in Houston has made his new exciting transition feel like home to us.”

Wilfork, 33, has spent all 11 years of his NFL career in New England, playing 158 regular season games for the Pats, and starting 148 of those. An anchor in the middle of the defensive line in New England for the last decade, Wilfork looked like he may be leaving the team a year ago, before the two sides worked out a new deal to keep him around for the club’s Super Bowl 2014 season. However, the Pats declined to exercise his option for the 2015 season, making him a free agent.

In Houston, Wilfork will be joining a front seven that already features J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, which should make for an interesting defensive front in 2015. Wilfork figures to play the nose tackle position in Houston, after the team didn’t get a whole lot out of Ryan Pickett and Jerrell Powe at that spot in 2014. Second-year pro Louis Nix may be the future for the Texans at nose tackle, but Wilfork represents a very nice stopgap option until Nix is ready to assume the role.

The former Patriot will also be reuniting with a number of familiar faces in Houston. Outside of Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, Romeo Crennel and Mike Vrabel are among the other one-time members of the Patriots’ organization who are now in Houston.

Wilfork’s deal with the Texans is the second notable contract agreement today for the team. Houston is also bringing aboard free agent wideout Cecil Shorts.

Vince Wilfork Visiting With Texans

March 15th, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Rob DiRe

Former Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork is visiting with the Texans in Houston, reports Mark Berman of Fox 26 (via Twitter).

The Texans are in need of a veteran nose tackle and Wilfork would be their top choice, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).

Wilfork was effective during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, grading out as 13th best defensive end in the league by Pro Football Focus’ metrics (subscription required). Wilfork is known more as a defensive tackle, and although he has the versatility to shift outside, that would be the role he is likely to play should he land in Houston.

Houston struggled on the interior of its defensives line in 2014, with Ryan Pickett and Jerrell Powe both grading out poorly as defensive tackle, ranking 65th and 76th out of the 81 players to line up for 25% of their teams snaps at the position (subscription).

McClain also points out the connection Wilfork has with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, with whom he won a Super Bowl as a rookie in 2004. McClain knows there are still a few teams interested, and that Wilfork is not close to making a decision (via Twitter). The Patriots are among those teams, and are reportedly interested in bringing him back.

Extra Points: Saints, Wilfork, Jets

March 13th, 2015 at 9:37pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Saints addressed their secondary in a big way Thursday when they signed free agent cornerback Brandon Browner, but another of the team’s corners seemingly faces a less certain future in New Orleans.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweeted Friday that the Saints are “actively shopping” Keenan Lewis, who voiced his displeasure with the team’s direction on social media earlier this week. Shortly after La Canfora’s tweet, though, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported (Twitter link) that the Saints are restructuring Lewis’ contract in an effort to appease the six-year veteran. Lewis has three years and $10.8MM in guarantees left on the five-year, $26.5MM deal he signed with the Saints in 2013. Lewis, 28, said Tuesday that the Saints should either guarantee all of the remaining three years or release him. However, he changed his tune Friday night. According to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (via Twitter), Lewis wrote on Instagram that “leaving was never an option.” We’ll see whether that proves true.

In other news:

Elsewhere on the Saints front, Woodbery writes that, despite its recent moves to open up spending room, the team is still in cap trouble. Woodbery speculates that the Saints will have to do something with 31-year-old guard Jahri Evans, which could mean restructuring his current deal, trading him or releasing him. Evans is signed for two more years at cap numbers of $11.2MM and $10MM, respectively.
Vince Wilfork‘s agent, Kennard McGuire, said Friday that the Texans have a “legitimate shot” to sign the free agent defensive lineman, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston. “One of the benefits from the organization’s standpoint is that of familiarity.” said McGuire. “Vince played with (linebackers coach Mike) Vrabel. He was coached by (head coach) Billy O (O’Brien) and Rac (defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel).” The 33-year-old Wilfork spent the first 11 seasons of his career in New England, with which he made five Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls. He’d further beef up a Texans defense that finished a solid 10th against the run last season. Wilfork is unlikely to join the Texans (or anyone else) imminently, however, as his agent said the player would “take his time” on choosing a team.
Multiple sources told Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) that the NFL is investigating the Jets for possibly tampering with free agent cornerback Darrelle Revis, whom they signed earlier this week. The negotiating period between teams and free agents opened last Saturday, and the league is taking the notion that the Jets may have had contact with Revis prior to then “incredibly seriously,” per Cole.

Vince Wilfork Considering Four Teams

March 12th, 2015 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 8:50am: Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link) hears that Wilfork has three offers of two years, $10MM on the table from AFC teams.

WEDNESDAY, 12:19pm: Vince Wilfork was one of three notable Patriots who became free agents yesterday when the team decided not to exercise their options. Darrelle Revis has already landed with the Jets, and Brandon Browner is off to visit the Saints, but Wilfork is expected to take his time to make a decision, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

According to Rapoport, Wilfork is considering four potential destinations. One of those possible destinations is Houston — we heard yesterday that the Texans were trying to sign the veteran defensive tackle, and the team continues to maintain interest in landing him. Another suitor in the mix is Wilfork’s old team, the Patriots. The statement Wilfork released when he announced the Pats wouldn’t be picking up his option seemed to close the door on New England, but apparently the two sides could still end up working toward a reunion.

Wilfork, 33, has spent all 11 years of his NFL career with the Patriots, playing 158 regular season games for the club, and starting 148 of those. An anchor in the middle of the defensive line in New England for the last decade, Wilfork looked like he may be leaving the team a year ago, before the two sides worked out a new deal to keep him around for the club’s Super Bowl 2014 season.

In his statement last week, Wilfork said he has “lots of gas still left in the tank,” so he should eventually land with a team, whether it’s the Pats, the Texans, or one of his other two unknown suitors.

Texans Trying To Sign Vince Wilfork

March 10th, 2015 at 4:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans are making an effort to sign Vince Wilfork, Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com tweets. Houston is in need of a nose tackle and the veteran is very familiar with Romeo Crennel from their previous time together.

Wilfork, 33, spent all 11 years of his career with the Patriots, playing 158 regular season games for the club, and starting 148 of those. An anchor in the middle of the defensive line in New England for the last decade, Wilfork looked like he may be leaving the team a year ago, before the two sides worked out a new deal to keep him around for the club’s Super Bowl 2014 season.

By turning down their option on Wilfork and removing him from the roster, the Patriots avoided paying a $4MM roster bonus that was coming up, as well as his $3MM base salary for 2015. In total, the club cleared more than $8MM in cap room, reducing his cap hit from $8.933MM to about $867K in dead money.

Texans FA Rumors: WRs, Wilfork, Hoyer, Parker,

March 7th, 2015 at 2:59pm CST by Rob DiRe

Either by trade or release, it seems inevitable that Andre Johnson will not be a member of the Texans sooner rather than later. DeAndre Hopkins emerged as a capable number one option last year, but the team will need to add pass catching talent if they want to improve on offense without their franchise leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

The team will likely pursue top free agent receivers such as Randall Cobb and Jeremy Maclin to line up across from Hopkins in 2015, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). He believes that Torrey Smith could be an option as well.

Here are some other notes surrounding the Texans’ free agency plans:

One huge name the Texans could have a shot at bringing in is former Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, writes McClain (via Twitter). He adds that Wilfork knows head coach Bill O’Brien from their time together in New England, and is especially close with defensive coordinator Romeo Crennell.
The team could also be interested in Chiefs safety Ron Parker, according to Terez Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).
Five or six teams have expressed interest in Brian Hoyer as either a starter or high-level backup, reported Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). The Texans appear to be on that list (via Twitter).
McClain also opined on how he expects the team to approach free agency in general, saying he does not expect the team to sign many big name guys due to the self-imposed budgets they have on how they value players (via Twitter). He writes that teams with more cap space will likely overpay for their services. He adds that the Texans have a history of overpaying to retain players, but rarely chase other team’s free agents (via Twitter). He cites the regrettable signings of Ed Reed and Ahman Green as reasons the team will likely be quiet in free agency.

AFC FA Rumors: Hartline, Douglas, Vereen

March 5th, 2015 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

Facing unrestricted free agency for the first time, Jaguars wide receiver Cecil Shorts admitted to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports that all the losing he has experienced in Jacksonville in recent years has left him feeling frustrated. Asked about what he’ll be seeking in free agency, Shorts suggested he would prefer to join a contending team.

“I just care about winning, man,” Shorts said. “When it comes down to it, I’m kind of fed up with this losing stuff. I’d do anything I can to help this team win. But you’re going to get a reliable guy. I’m not going to be any trouble during the season or the offseason. Just a reliable guy that’s going to be there and show up on Sunday.”

Shorts is one of a handful of free agents – along with Derrick Morgan, Andrew Gachkar, and a few others – who Garafolo thinks could see their careers take off with new teams. Here’s more on free agency, from around the AFC:

After visiting the Browns, wide receiver Brian Hartline is on to Houston to meet with the Texans, a league source tells Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). According to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), a deal with the Texans is a “real possibility” for Hartline, particularly with the club ready to move on from Andre Johnson.
Another free agent receiver is paying a visit to an AFC South team today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that ex-Falcon Harry Douglas is meeting with the Titans. As Schefter notes, Mike Mularkey, who is now Tennessee’s assistant head coach, was the Falcons’ offensive coordinator from 2008 to 2011, overlapping with Douglas’ stint in Atlanta.
Having reported last month that Shane Vereen may aim for $5MM per year in free agency, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter links) now says that the running back is eyeing a $3.5MM annual salary. According to Howe, the Patriots haven’t shown a willingness to meet that price, but other teams will likely have interest at that rate.
While Vince Wilfork‘s statement this morning announcing his departure from the Patriots had a sense of finality to it, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says (via Twitter) that if the defensive lineman wants to return to New England on a reduced deal, the team will leave the door open for him.
The Jets, who have been linked to free agent defensive linemen like Kendall Langford and Chris Canty, would like to re-sign Kenrick Ellis, but Ellis is interested in testing his value on the open market, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.

Pats To Decline Vince Wilfork’s Option

March 5th, 2015 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots have elected not to exercise their option on Vince Wilfork, meaning he will be released and will become a free agent within the next few days, according to the defensive lineman himself. Wilfork posted a statement on Twitter confirming the team’s decision.

“I want to take this time to just let everyon know that I was informed on Tuesday that the Patriots will now be picking up my option,” Wilfork wrote. “I’m in a good place [and] I have a great relationship with the Patriots organization. Please know how blessed my family and I have been to play 11 years in New England for [an] amazing organization.”

Wilfork, 33, has spent all 11 years of his career with the Patriots, playing 158 regular season games for the club, and starting 148 of those. An anchor in the middle of the defensive line in New England for the last decade, Wilfork looked like he may be leaving the team a year ago, before the two sides worked out a new deal to keep him around for the club’s Super Bowl 2014 season.

By turning down their option on Wilfork and removing him from the roster, the Patriots will avoid paying a $4MM roster bonus that was due next week, as well as his $3MM base salary for 2015. In total, the club will clear more than $8MM in cap room, reducing his cap hit from $8.933MM to about $867K in dead money.

Within his statement, Wilfork enthusiastically expresses his desire to continue playing football, noting that he has “lots of gas still left in the tank.” So once he officially becomes a free agent, it looks like he’ll shop around for a new NFL home.

As for the Pats, the decision on Wilfork is one of many difficult contract issues facing the club. New England also has to make a decision on Darrelle Revis within the next few days — the cornerback also has an option for 2015, and could face the same fate as Wilfork if the team decides it’s too expensive. Standout safety Devin McCourty is also just two days from being able to openly negotiate with rival suitors, and five days from being able to sign with a new team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Patriots Links: Revis, McCourty, Gostkowski

February 17th, 2015 at 8:28am CST by Luke Adams

Only time will tell if Darrelle Revis is forced into a 2015 year with the Patriots and if there are any fireworks along the way, but the cornerback’s last two deals should serve as a cautionary tale about the negative trade-offs that can happen when agreeing to certain contract structures, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. In Revis’ agreement with the Bucs, he got the $16MM AAV he was after, but had no guaranteed money. In his Pats deal, Revis’ camp agreed to a second year that would carry a $25MM cap hit, assuming that the team would never keep him on board at that price. However, a $20MM salary for 2015 – and $32MM over two years – isn’t ridiculous when compared to what guys like Patrick Peterson, Joe Haden, and Richard Sherman are making in the first two seasons of their respective contracts.

Let’s round up a few more items out of New England….

Of the potential free agents on the Patriots’ roster, the two who seem most likely to be hit with the franchise tag – if the team uses it – are safety Devin McCourty and kicker Stephen Gostkowski. However, McCourty is the more probable candidate, WEEI’s Ryan Hannable writes, though Hannable speculates that the Pats could give the safety the tag a few days in advance of the deadline in hopes of working out a long-term deal.
In a video segment, a CSNNE panel debates whether retaining Revis is worth potentially losing other free agent starters like McCourty, Gostkowski, and Dan Connolly, with Andy Hart suggesting that New England needs to keep its star cornerback “at all costs.”
In a separate CSNNE video segment, Ron Borges suggests that both Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork will be asked to take pay cuts and “may not be happy about it.” That applies especially to Wilfork, who accepted a pay cut last year and had a strong season.
After capturing another Super Bowl ring, the Pats have proven they don’t need to spend a ton of money on an elite receiving weapon, says Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com (video link).
The 2011 collective bargaining agreement calls for teams to spend at least 89% of the salary cap in cash over two four-year periods (2013-16 and 2017-20), and the Patriots are one of 10 teams that must increase spending over the next couple years to meet that threshold, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. Considering all the free-agents-to-be that the club is working to retain, using most or all of its cap room shouldn’t be a problem for New England in 2015.

Zach Links contributed to this post.