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March 6, 2016 at 1:45 pm #40068
znModeratorFive lessons learned from the NFL’s free-agency period last year
Shutdown Corner By Frank Schwab
The 2015 free-agency period was one of the more interesting ones in recent memory, with plenty of big names changing teams.
We all congratulate the teams that land the big-ticket players, and think there will be a road to better days in the future. It doesn’t always work out that way, of course.
[NFL free agency starts March 9. Here are Shutdown Corner’s free-agent rankings foroffensive players and for defensive players and specialists. Here are the top needs for all 32 NFL teams.]
There were a lot of moving pieces in free agency last year, and it’s worthwhile to take a look back at the lessons learned from an interesting free-agency period:
The Miami Dolphins didn’t hit the jackpot withNdamukong Suh, but that’s not an indictment on all mega-deals
It’s easy to look at Suh’s $114 million contract with the Dolphins as a mistake. Even if Suhrenegotiates after one year, the salary cap hits over the remainder of the contract will be enormous. And in the first year, Suh didn’t make the Pro Bowl and the Dolphins’ defense got worse. Miami slipped from 12th in yards allowed and 12th in yards allowed per play in 2014 to 25th and 22nd in those respective categories last season. That’s not all Suh’s fault, but when you invest a nine-figure deal in a defensive player you don’t expect the defense to get significantly worse.
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So the lesson is to never give that kind of a deal, right? Not exactly. Many of the other massive deals through NFL history, in which a player switches teams, have worked out fine. Mario Williams ($100 million) had 43 sacks in four seasons with theBuffalo Bills. Julius Peppers ($84 million) made three Pro Bowls in his four Chicago Bears seasons.Peyton Manning ($96 million) will be in the Denver Broncos’ ring of honor someday.
So not every massive deal is Albert Haynesworth or Nnamdi Asomugha. It’s just picking the right player to spend a small fortune on. And that’s the tough question this year: Is someone like Malik Jackson or Olivier Vernon worth all that cash?
Good luck finding a quarterback
Last year there were bidding wars for Josh McCown, and Brian Hoyer was one of the top prizes on the free-agent quarterback market. We all knew how those moves turned out before the ink dried (though, in fairness, Hoyer had a good regular season, though nobody will remember that because of the playoff debacle).
Of the top 25 quarterbacks in passing yards last season, two were acquired by their team via free agency: Drew Brees and Tyrod Taylor. Brees was a strange case, coming off a major shoulder injury and the San Diego Chargers let him hit the open market only because they had Philip Rivers waiting. Taylor had zero starts and 35 NFL attempts when the Buffalo Bills signed him, and kudos to the Bills for a savvy move.
Maybe there’s another diamond like Taylor out there, but that’s very rare. Is Brock Osweiler a rare case? Look at the contracts given to Kirk Cousinsand Sam Bradford — gambling on Osweiler is going to cost a fortune. Competent starting quarterbacks rarely hit the market, so the price of doing business with them is steep. It’s a tough call on someone like Osweiler, who was up and down over his seven career starts. But, if Ryan Fitzpatrickre-signs with the New York Jets as expected, there’s not much else available.
Expensive running backs remain a poor investment
Here are some of the highly-ranked free-agent running backs who changed teams last year:DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, C.J. Spiller, Frank Gore, Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley, Reggie Bush, Roy Helu. Which of those players returned a profit on their new team’s investment? Murray and Spiller in particular were exceptional busts.
The best running back signings last year wereDeAngelo Williams by the Pittsburgh Steelers (two years, $4 million), Darren McFadden by the Dallas Cowboys (two years, $3 million) and Chris Johnson by the Arizona Cardinals (one year, $2 million). Those are modest contracts for veterans who ended up having something left in the tank. That’s far different than giving Murray $40 million over five years or Spiller $16 million over four. If the price is right, a veteran running back can help. But would you feel comfortable giving a huge deal to Doug Martin, no matter how productive he was last year, or Lamar Miller?
Cornerbacks will get paid, but they might not pay off
According to Spotrac, here are the 10 cornerbacks who got at least $15 million last year to switch teams in free agency: Darrelle Revis, Byron Maxwell, Chris Culliver, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, Davon House, Tramon Williams, Cary Williams, Perrish Cox and Brandon Browner.
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Here are the rankings last season for those 10 cornerbacks, respectively, by Pro Football Focus: 30th, tied-69th, 110th, 103rd, 106th, 78th, 53rd, 76th, tied-69th, 118th (out of 118 qualifying cornerbacks). So one cornerback ranked better than 53rd in PFF’s grades, and that was Revis, whose $70 million deal produced a disappointing season.
You know what? It won’t matter. Janoris Jenkins is going to get paid this year. So is Casey Hayward. And Prince Amukamara, Sean Smith and just about any other cornerback with a pulse. You can’t survive in the NFL without cornerback depth, and that comes at a premium in free agency. Buyer beware.
You can win big by building through free agency
We’ve all heard many times that you have to build a Super Bowl champion through the draft. That’s partially true. But you also need key free agents. And as shown by our defending Super Bowl champions, spending aggressively in free agency can be the ticket to a title.
Of the Denver Broncos’ 12-15 best players on their Super Bowl 50 title team, DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib, Louis Vasquez, Emmanuel Sanders, Evan Mathis and Owen Daniels were all acquired via free agency. So was quarterback Peyton Manning, one of the greatest free-agent signings in NFL history. John Elway and the Broncos built a Super Bowl champion by being the most aggressive spenders in the NFL. That can work, too.
It’s a fallacy that you must build a championship team through the draft. It’s one tool. So is free agency. Every Super Bowl champion this century had a key free-agent addition on the roster. Teams need to use free agency as a tool to win a title. The trick is making the right moves, which is easier said than done.
March 7, 2016 at 11:46 am #40108znModeratorRamBill: Ian Rapoport discusses the free agents that are expected to sign big deals. Janoris Jenkins is on his list. He expects the Niners, Raiders, Jags, and Titans to be interested, along with the Rams, who want to re-sign him.
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trey wingo @wingoz
Filed to ESPN: Chris Long’s first visit will be to Washington tomorrow..March 7, 2016 at 12:35 pm #40115znModeratorFree agent signing period on the horizon for Seahawks, rest of NFL
Bob Condotta
Here’s a quick review of the rules and timelines for the NFL free agent signing period, which gets underway this week.
Beginning Monday at 1 p.m. Seattle time, teams can begin talking with agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday. Here’s exactly how it reads in the NFL press release: “Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2015 Player Contracts at 400 p.m., New York time, on March 9. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 400 p.m., New York time, on March 9.” This is often referred to as the “legal tampering” period, and it also annually results in all kinds of rumors involving teams and free agents. Seattle has 17 free agents (which we have been counting down all week — here’s a list). And beginning Monday those players can talk with other teams, as well as continuing to also talk with the Seahawks. One interesting note revealed today about the “legal tampering” period is that Seattle left tackle Russell Okung, who is acting as his own agent, will not be able to talk to other teams himself. Pro Football Talk has the details, revealing that NFL teams have been told they cannot talk to Okung himself but can talk to a consultant he has hired.
What also must happen this week is that by Wednesday at 1 p.m. Seattle time, clubs must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts and to whom they desire to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation. Seattle has four RFAs who it has yet to tender — OL Alvin Bailey, RB Christine Michael, FB Derrick Coleman and LB Nick Moody. Seattle also has two Exclusive Rights Free Agents it has yet to tender — CB Marcus Burley and DL Jesse Williams.
Also Wednesday, all clubs must be under the 2016 salary cap prior to 1 p.m., Seattle time (which is not an issue for the Seahawks).
March 9, 2016 at 12:16 am #40190znModerator
Free agency: All eyes are on Brock Osweiler, including Ryan Fitzpatrick’sJASON LA CANFORA
It’s foolish to believe too much of what any team says, or whispers, this time of year, with free agency on the horizon. There’s a high-stakes game of leverage and bluffing underway between NFL clubs and agents.
But when it comes to the New York Jets, and them holding a firm line on how high they will go to compensate quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, I tend to buy in.
While it is true the rampant spending on quarterbacks has driven up what some passers will look for on the open market and in looming renegotiations, it will apply more in some cases than others. And in the particular case of Fitzpatrick, I still see his ultimate earning potential and leverage to be somewhat capped.
In fact, if Brock Osweiler ends up staying in Denver, then I don’t see too many viable options for Fitzpatrick beyond returning to the Jets. Making matters a little more interesting, Osweiler and Fitzpatrick are both represented by the same man, Jimmy Sexton.
John Elway wants to keep Osweiler, it has been and remains far and away their favored option and, after developing him for four years, watching him walk would be somewhat painful. Of course, the Broncos also franchised Von Miller and would like to keep Malik Jackson — that gets more bleak by the day — and if anything, 2015 proved beyond belief to them that with their defense they don’t even need a game manager to win.
There is some very real interest for Osweiler from Houston. (USATSI)
Some weeks, Osweiler and/or Peyton Manning were barely serviceable. In the postseason it was clear Denver had a unique formula here where the quarterback didn’t need to lead the way, he just needed to keep from messing it up.That’s not to say they are low-balling Osweiler in any way. Sources said they are offering $13 million per year on a three-year deal — not bad for a kid with seven NFL starts — and I would expect Denver to be willing to lift that offer to $15 million per year. Beyond that, however, they may draw a line.
What Osweiler has going for him, however, is some very real interest from the Texans, who have been stealth in the weeds on this situation for quite some time just waiting for the opportunity to speak to Osweiler. It only takes one team to get a contract and if you have two teams, you have a market. Osweiler has a market and given the timing of the recent spending splurges, he is very well-positioned.
But let’s consider Fitzpatrick for a moment. He was traded by the Texans for a conditional late-round pick a year ago; obviously he is not going back there. And he’s been there/done that with the Rams as well, another team potentially in the market for a starter, albeit in a limited fashion. And signing a 33-year old quarterback at this stage of the Rams’ perpetual rebuild doesn’t make much sense, either.
The Browns want to draft a quarterback with the second-overall pick. Now he’s going to have Robert Griffin III on the market and perhaps soon, Colin Kaepernick joining him.
The Bills? They are sticking with Tyrod Taylor, have a cap crisis and Fitzpatrick already got paid there once before and then it all fell apart.
Seriously, if Osweiler goes to Houston, then I get it. Fitzpatrick gets some play with the Broncos and maybe he can command a little more coin. But I wouldn’t blame the Jets at all for sticking to their stance here and being willing to watch how the Osweiler saga unfolds. Fitzpatrick is clearly the best fit with them, he’s been at his best with Chan Gailey as his offensive coordinator, the Jets nearly made the playoffs a year ago and teammates like Brandon Marshall are mounting a sustained campaign to lobby him back.
Whatever it turns out to be — $12 million per year on a bridge contract (2-3 years) with the chance to earn more in incentives — is probably good enough. Yes, Fitzpatrick has a unique allure to the Jets, but they have the same symbiotic relationship with him, and this team will have other plans to land a quarterback and their greater reality if they have to find a way to develop a quarterback of the future over the next 12 months regardless. Perhaps Bryce Petty is that guy or maybe they draft another quarterback in the mid-rounds.
A wise Ron Wolf once pontificated about the need to always be drafting quarterbacks. I suspect the Jets are wise enough themselves to be heeding that advice.
So, if Osweiler goes, maybe, maybe, so does Fitzpatrick. But if he stays, I don’t see many viable options for Fitzpatrick to go to.
Running backs are at the opposite end of the spectrum
Mercy me, it’s tough out there for a running back. This is the opposite end of the spectrum from what’s going on with quarterbacks. Godspeed to this group of free-agents runners. They’re going to need all the help they can get.
When DeMarco Murray — the rare back to manage to get himself overpaid by a run amuck Chip Kelly a year ago — re-does his contract a year later to facilitate a trade, you know it’s bad. I didn’t see any of these free agent backs getting much above $5 million per year prior to the Murray trade, and now, with the Titans — the team most execs identified as the club most likely to overpay for a runner — now out of that market, things only constrict further.
Many have long believed that Doug Martin will end up back with the Buccaneers, where he fits well and where they need a run game to buttress Jameis Winston — and they have the money to spend. Now more than ever that’s probably his best bet.
Lamar Miller’s quest to make more than $5 million a year may have taken a significant hit with Murray shuffled off to Tennessee now. The 49ers, another team doing work on free agent backs, seem inclined to go more on the cheap at that position and with so many attractive backs in the second tier — Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell, and older Matt Forte — this could be a market where teams stick together (dare I type, collude?) to keep the money available to running backs at a very reasonable rate.
Roseman performing magic tricks with contracts in Philly
As much as I disagree with the contract the Eagles did for Sam Bradford, my goodness, let me applaud Howie Roseman for the magic tricks he performed on Monday. I didn’t think you could trade Murray’s contract, or Byron Maxwell’s contract — both part of Kelly’s implosion program in Philly — and not have to give away a bunch of picks with it. I didn’t think you could do it and not have to assume a large portion of the guaranteed money as part of the trade. And ain’t no way in hell I believed it was possible to unload them both within a few hours in the same day.
Bravo. Bravo.
This was part of the mess Roseman inherited in the aftermath of the power struggle for control of the Eagles’ front office a year ago, and it comes as no surprise that Roseman would want them gone with Kelly now exiled as well. But wanting something and being able to accomplish it are two different things, and I don’t care what he gets back in draft pick compensation, this is addition by subtraction and eliminates distractions there and turns the page further on the Kelly experiment.
The Eagles are unloading many of Kelly’s players, including Murray. Roseman is motivated to pawn off running back Ryan Mathews as well, I continue to hear, and will probably take next to nothing to move him. They may be positioned to draft a back in the first round, and I would not be surprised at all if the takes the future cash and cap savings from shipping off Murray and Maxwell and invests it in an extension for Fletcher Cox and perhaps a free-agent corner as well (he’s dabbled in that market with some regularity).
Even if Murray, Maxwell and Kiko Alonso thrive elsewhere — and there are serious doubts about that — I get this move and the message it sends. I didn’t think anyone could pull it off.
Things are unfolding very nicely for Olivier Vernon
Olivier Vernon is going to one of the big winners in this free agency. Miami placing a transition tag on him is like asking to lose him — and there’s no shortage of teams lining up to put together offer sheets.
Plenty of people around the league are scratching their heads at what the Dolphins are doing, including kicking the can down the road by pushing more money deeper into Ndamukong Suh’s contract via a restructure to create cap space.
Also, no progress between them and Cameron Wake on a new deal whatsoever, and it’s pretty clear they either pay him $9 million this season or cut him; not much middle ground there.
March 9, 2016 at 12:46 am #40191znModeratorNFC West free agency preview: Capsules of NFC West teams heading into free agency.
Available salary cap space is an estimate. The 2016 salary cap is $155.27 million per team.
ARIZONA CARDINALS (14-4)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: S Rashad Johnson, CB Jerraud Powers, RB Chris Johnson, RT Bobby Massie, TE Jermaine Gresham, OLB Dwight Freeney, C Lyle Sendlein, LG Ted Larsen, QB Drew Stanton, ILB Sean Weatherspoon, DE Josh Mauro, OLB LaMarr Woodley, RT Bradley Sowell, DE Red Bryant, CB Corey White, OLB Jason Babin.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: S Tony Jefferson, WR Jaron Brown, S D.J. Swearinger, ILB Kenny Demens, TE Ifeanyi Momah.
NEEDS: GM Steve Keim listed finding outside pass rusher as a top priority. Freeney filled in admirably after his in-season signing, finishing with team-high eight sacks in 11 games. But Freeney is contemplating retirement and team might want to go in another direction, anyway. Keim doesn’t usually go after high-money free agents. Cardinals already have promising rookie OLB Markus Golden. Cardinals also are hunting for center, Massie probably will leave and Cardinals insist last year’s first-round pick D.J. Humphries is ready. But they may want a veteran just in case; same could be said for RG. Also need bigger CB even if Powers re-signs. And they need backup QB if Stanton doesn’t re-sign. Keim is adept at plugging holes with late one-year deals with veterans. Effort to extend S Tyrann Mathieu could limit available cap space.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE: $16 million.
LOS ANGELES RAMS (7-9)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: C Tim Barnes, LB Mark Barron, DT Nick Fairley, DE William Hayes, FB Cory Harkey, CB Janoris Jenkins, S Rodney McLeod, WR Brian Quick, DE Eugene Sims, WR Nick Toon, WR Wes Welker, K Greg Zuerlein.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: LB Daren Bates, RB Benny Cunningham, DB Cody Davis, QB Case Keenum, RB Chase Reynolds.
NEEDS: Rams will scour quarterback market for addition to compete with Case Keenum, Nick Foles and Sean Mannion. They could use upgrades at almost every offensive position aside from running back, with offensive line and tight end getting particular attention. Defense will be solid if they re-sign their own free agents, but Los Angeles might look at potential starting cornerbacks if it won’t meet Janoris Jenkins’ hefty price.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE: $44 million
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-11)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: WR Anquan Boldin, OL Alex Boone, K Phil Dawson, DL Ian Williams, RB Reggie Bush.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: LB Michael Wilhoite, DL Tony Jerod-Eddie, S Ray-Ray Armstrong.
NEEDS: Biggest priority will be deciding whether to keep QB Colin Kaepernick and his nearly $12 million salary or let him go and find another quarterback to team with Blaine Gabbert. RT Anthony Davis could return after sitting out last season but offensive line will still need help even with Davis back. Niners also must upgrade at receiver and in secondary if they are to rebound in coach Chip Kelly’s first season.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE: $63 million.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (11-7)
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: T Russell Okung, DT Brandon Mebane, DT Ahtyba Rubin, G J.R. Sweezy, WR Jermaine Kearse, LB Bruce Irvin, CB Jeremy Lane, QB Tarvaris Jackson, LB Mike Morgan, P Jon Ryan, RB Fred Jackson, FB Will Tukuafu, DE Demarcus Dobbs, C Lemuel Jeanpierre, TE Chase Coffman, RB Bryce Brown, TE Anthony McCoy.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: WR Ricardo Lockette, DB DeShawn Shead, LB Nick Moody, RB Christine Michael, C Patrick Lewis, DB Steven Terrell, DT A.J. Francis, T Alvin Bailey, FB Derrick Coleman, CB Marcus Burley, CB Mohammed Seisay, TE Cooper Helfet, LB Eric Pinkins, DT Jesse Williams.
NEEDS: Line of scrimmage is priority for Seattle. There are problems to solve on offensive line and decisions to make on bringing back Okung and Sweezy. On the defensive front, Seattles direction will be determined whether Rubin or Mebane is retained. Irvin is expected to be hot commodity on open market so Seattle will also need to find pass-rushing outside linebacker and could be looking to fill cornerback if Lane seeks new home.
AVAILABLE SALARY CAP SPACE: $20
March 9, 2016 at 12:53 am #40192znModeratorWhat we learned: Big-name free agents off board
Gregg Rosenthal
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000642569/article/what-we-learned-bigname-free-agents-off-board
Free agency hasn’t officially started, yet many of the best free agents are already accounted for. That was the biggest takeaway from a busy Tuesday that included five of our top seven available players agreeing to terms. The teams that jumped on big players early — should not be a surprise.
Let’s break down the four most important moves of the day in order of cash:
Top 99 available free agents
Mario Williams agrees to deal with Dolphins
Malik Jackson set to join Jaguars
Kelechi Osemele reaches deal with Raiders
Jason Pierre-Paul staying with Giants
Bills, Richie Incognito strike three-year deal
Potential landing spots for RGIII
Best team fits for free agency
Breer: Building-block free agents
Watch:
Marvin Jones a priority for Bengals
Vikings release Mike Wallace1. The Jacksonville Jaguars entered free agency with a record amount of salary-cap space, a requirement to spend most of it, and a mandate from ownership to win now. It should be no surprise they agreed to terms with our No. 1 overall free agent Malik Jackson on a six-year contract worth $90 million, including $42 million fully guaranteed according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. In short: A player that has never made a Pro Bowl and wasn’t even a full-time starter until 2015 just got paid like a starting quarterback. And we don’t think it was a crazy move. Jacksonville needs to improve its defense and Jackson is a versatile fit for any scheme. The Jaguars also are adding a nice complement to T.J. Yeldon in their backfield with power back Chris Ivory from the Jets, according to Rapoport
2-3. The most surprising news of the day came late when the Raiders swooped in and stole former Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin from the Arizona Cardinals and other potential suitors. We are waiting to hear details on the money, but it’s safe to expect it will be massive. The Raiders wanted some help in the front seven with Khalil Mack after missing Aldon Smith in the second half of last season, and they found it with Irvin. While he’s not a pure pass rusher like Smith, Irvin’s flexibility should fit into any system.
Last year, the Raiders had more salary-cap room than they knew what to do with. This season, general manager Reggie McKenzie made sure that wasn’t a problem again. Kelechi Osemele is hardly a household name, but he’s one of the best guards in football. NFL Media’s Rand Getlin was the first to report his agreement with the Raiders. His contract, which averages more than $11 million per season, resets the market at guard (Osemele could wind up playing tackle for the Raiders, too).
4. The Dolphins annually make big news in March, and this year has been no exception. Following Monday’s big trade agreement with the Eagles, they doubled down on their strategy of buying medium on big names that struggled elsewhere by signing a two-year, $16 million deal with Mario Williams. Cameron Wake remains in the team’s plans, which makes it very hard to imagine they will keep Olivier Vernon. So the Dolphins essentially chose to get older at defensive end with a player whose effort was widely questioned last season. Miami has done this “Offseason Champion” thing before without a lot of success.
5. Jason Pierre-Paul will try to get his Malik Jackson-like money next season. His one-year deal to stay with the Giants was a sign of how well the Giants handled his situation last year. He probably could have earned more money elsewhere, but he wanted to stay where he was comfortable and produce a huge 2016 season before cashing in next year. We think he has a chance to be one of the best bargains of this free-agent period. The Giants have so many holes on defense that they should remain very active over the next week. That’s how the start of free agency goes: Desperation inspires spending.
The hog mollies up front weren’t the only players in the news Tuesday. Let’s break down the rest of the activity on the eve of free agency:
Megatron retires his way
One day after Peyton Manning’s retirement news conference, Calvin Johnson walked away from football in fitting fashion. Even the impact of his announcement was diminished by all the other moves of the day, not to mention the two-month buildup leading to the moment.
“Let me begin by apologizing for making this announcement via a statement and not in person. While I truly respect the significance of this, those who know me best will understand and not be surprised that I choose not to have a press conference for this announcement,” Johnson stated.
Kevin Patra wrote a great piece about Johnson’s decision to retire. It’s not going to be easy for Matthew Stafford or Lions general manager Bob Quinn to handle a Megatron-sized hole on the depth chart.
Best Bargain of the day
The Panthers released defensive end Charles Johnson last Thursday when he was set to count more than $15 million on the salary cap. They agreed to re-sign him on Tuesday for $3 million, despite getting offers for double that elsewhere. A lot of players say it’s not about the money, but Johnson truly meant it. As Johnson showed in the Super Bowl, he still has plenty of snaps left as a solid starter. The Panthers were thin at defensive end if he left, and Johnson ultimately spurned division rivals (Tampa) after visiting with them, just like he spurned a big-free agent offer from the Atlanta Falcons in 2011.
I would rather have Charles Johnson than Mario Williams at any salary, much less at less than half the price.
Johnson staying “home” with the Panthers is a cool story, just like Tamba Hali’s contract with the Chiefs. It would be strange to see Hali play in any other uniform. One year after taking a paycut to stay on the roster, Hali earned his three-year, $22 million deal.
Tweet that would have been hard to imagine two years ago
Incognito played extremely well for Rex Ryan last year in Buffalo, and the team showed they saw him as a priority with a three-year contract worth $15 million, Rapoport reported.
Cuts to know about
1. Mike Wallace, who was our top free agent available back in 2013, is back on the open market again. He wasn’t worth the money in Minnesota, although he could still help a team as a deep threat specialist.
2. Colts general manager Ryan Grigson finally admitted his error from 2013 by cutting first-round pick Bjoern Werner.
3. The Broncos, a rare team tight to the cap this year, had to let go of former All-Pro guard Louis Vasquez. Tight end Owen Daniels also was let go.
Signings to know
1. Tight end Jordan Cameron will stay with the Dolphins after taking a small pay cut on his current deal. Cameron vanished last season, but he should be a nice fit for offensive coordinator Adam Gase’s offense.
2. The Ravens surprisingly signed one of Drew Brees’ best buddies, tight end Ben Watson, to a two-year contract. Watson will act as a mentor to a pair of young tight ends in Baltimore. Watson was also a Walter Payton Man of the Year candidate.
3. The Colts signed Adam Vinatieri to a new contract. He’s 43 years old and will be entering his twenty-first season in the league, and eleventh with the Colts!
4. Drew Stanton will be back with the Arizona Cardinals for all your sideline dancing needs.
March 9, 2016 at 2:07 pm #40223znModeratorIan Rapoport @RapSheet
#Browns C Alex Mack is headed to the #Falcons, source said. The 5-year deal is being finalized.Peter King reports the deal is worth $9.5 million per year.
March 9, 2016 at 3:36 pm #40243znModeratorLadarius Green tabbed to fill Heath Miller’s shoes in Pittsburgh
Former San Diego Chargers tight end Ladarius Green is expected to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The signing, which cannot be official until the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, comes in the wake of longtime Steelers tight end Heath Miller’s retirement in February.
The Steelers are high on Jesse James, last year’s fifth-round pick, but a Green signing adds depth and playmaking. Plus the Steelers value tight ends who block, and they feel Green is an adequate blocker.
Green played well while Antonio Gates sat out the first part of the 2015 season for a suspension, totaling 14 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns through the first four games.
March 9, 2016 at 6:41 pm #40276znModeratorOlivier Vernon to sign $85 million deal with Giants
The New York Giants have snagged another big fish as they undergo a total rebuild on defense.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that the Giants have reached agreement on a contract with former Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
The deal is a monster. Rapoport reported Vernon’s new deal is worth $85 million over five years with a whopping $52.5 million in guarantees. Vernon tops freshly minted defensive tackle Malik Jackson, who got $42 million in guarantees in his deal with the Jaguars.
The Giants won out in a bidding war with those Jaguars for the services of Vernon, who had his transition tag rescinded by the Dolphins earlier Wednesday. Vernon had 7.5 sacks in 16 starts with the Dolphins last season and was ranked by analytics site ProFootballFocus.com as the top 4-3 defensive end in football.
The Giants have a suddenly formidable front four. Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul (re-signed Tuesday) will rush at the edges with huge tackles Damon Harrison (lured away from the Jets) and holdover Johnathan Hankins clogging up the middle.
Did the Giants overpay? Probably. Vernon’s guaranteed money is a tick above what all-world defensive end J.J. Watt is getting in his current contract from the Texans. But the Giants were desperate to upgrade their terrible defense.
In the last 24 hours, they certainly have — on paper anyway.
March 9, 2016 at 6:46 pm #40278znModeratorVikings agreed to terms with OG Alex Boone, formerly of the 49ers, on a four-year, $26.8 million contract.
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/5247/alex-booneChargers signed DT Brandon Mebane, formerly of the Seahawks, to a three-year contract.
http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/4367/brandon-mebane%5B/quote%5DMarch 9, 2016 at 7:09 pm #40299znModeratorIan Rapoport @RapSheet
.@NFL announces it fines coach Andy Reid & GM John Dorsey, docks the team 2 draft picks for violating anti-tampering policy.Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
#KCChiefs lose the 2016 third-rounder and 2017 sixth-rounder for their infractions. Team also fined $250,000. Reid fined $75K, Dorsey: $25K
86 retweets 65 likesMarch 9, 2016 at 7:22 pm #40303znModeratorFrom @adamschefter and I: Chase Daniel agreed to a 3-year, $21m deal with $12m fully guaranteed with #Eagles.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) March 9, 2016
March 9, 2016 at 8:43 pm #40317znModeratorhttp://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/7515/bruce-irvin
Raiders agreed to terms with SLB Bruce Irvin, formerly of the Seahawks, on a four-year, $37 million contract.
Being dubbed a “pass rusher” by the media, Irvin has just 22 career sacks in four full seasons. He’s more of a strong-side linebacker and should improve that area of Oakland’s defense. Irvin could also be asked to play “Leo” defensive end after Justin Tuck retired, Aldon Smith was suspended, and Mario Edwards suffered what’s believed to be a potentially career-threatening neck injury as a 2015 rookie. Irvin’s signing reunites him with DC Ken Norton, who coached LBs in Seattle through the 2014 season. The Raiders had a boatload of money to spend, and have now landed LT/OG Kelechi Osemele and Irvin. Mar 8 – 9:07 PMMarch 9, 2016 at 10:57 pm #40328znModeratordam SchefterVerified @AdamSchefter
Buccaneers are giving former Seahawks guard J.R. Sweezy a 5-year, $32.5 million deal, per source.March 10, 2016 at 8:04 pm #40383znModeratorFalcons agreed to terms with former Bengals WR Mohammad Sanu on a five-year deal, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2016
March 11, 2016 at 11:49 am #40422
sdramParticipantSeven riskiest signings of NFL free agency so far
By Gregg Rosenthal
Around The NFL Editor
Published: March 10, 2016 at 06:46 p.m.
Updated: March 10, 2016 at 09:58 p.m.After an insane first day of free agency, things calmed down considerably around the NFL on Thursday. That gives a chance to take stock of what’s happened so far.
While it’s more fun to choose our favorite deals of free agency thus far, it should be easier to predict what deals won’t pan out. History tells us that the majority of first-day signings in free agency won’t be worth the money. So what were the seven shakiest deals thus far?
1-2. Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones: The former Bengals receivers are both nice players, but they benefited from a razor thin free-agent wide receiver market. Sanu, signed by the Atlanta Falcons, was essentially the fifth receiver in Cincinnati last year and did not quite measure up when he was asked to start while replacing Jones in 2014. He didn’t top 500 yards in any other season. Ultimately, he is a solid underneath receiver with flexibility that is getting paid like a top-level starter. His contract (five years for $32 million and $14 million guaranteed) positions him as a No. 2 wideout.
Jones has a much more complete skill set, and we’ve long believed in his talent. But he’s been in the league four seasons and has never topped 850 yards. He will make $13 million in 2016, and $27 million over the first three seasons. That’s No. 1 receiver money and it won’t help the expectations in Detroit that he was signed the day after Calvin Johnson retired.
It’s not a great sign that the Bengals didn’t make it a priority to bring the receivers back. But it also wasn’t that surprising; they were secondary pieces on the Bengals’ offense.
3. Janoris Jenkins, New York Giants cornerback: Jenkins is a solid starting cornerback that excels in man coverage and is undoubtedly a playmaker. But he also gives up big plays and doesn’t always have consistent effort as he admitted on Thursday. When Jenkins was asked what he can improve upon, he answered:
“Stop being lazy at the end of games.”
The money is just out of whack in Jenkins’ deal. With $62.5 million over five seasons, including $29.5 million guaranteed, Jenkins now ranks second among cornerbacks in guaranteed money. That’s ahead of guys like Patrick Peterson and Richard Sherman. Jenkins has not made a Pro Bowl and the Rams chose to keep Trumaine Johnson over him. So essentially the Giants spent nearly $200 million on three players (Jenkins, Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison) that weren’t even the top players at their position on their previous teams. General manager Jerry Reese knows that his dream team needs to start fast in 2016 or the natives will be restless in New York.
4. Mario Williams, Miami Dolphins defensive end: Some teams try to “buy low” on bargains during free agency. Others just spend like crazy. Miami’s strategy has been curious. They are “buying medium” on players like Mario Williams and Byron Maxwell coming off down seasons at big prices elsewhere. The price tag on Williams ($17 million over two years) isn’t outrageous, but there just isn’t great reason to believe Williams will bounce back after a lackluster effort in Buffalo last season.
5-6. Brock Osweiler and Sam Bradford, quarterbacks: The going rate of $18 million per season for mid-level starting quarterback play is suddenly the norm. Bradford’s numbers have never matched his potential and he is barely making less than Cam Newton, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan and Drew Brees. Bradford might start out as the clear No. 1, but he’s transitioning to yet another system and has a backup in Chase Daniel who knows the scheme better. What player other than Bradford could sign for that much money and then potentially have to battle to keep his starting job?
Should Brock Osweiler get extra credit for having less experience and more potential when compared to a quarterback such as Bradford? Osweiler could turn out to be a risk worth taking for the Houston Texans. But there is no denying that general manager Rick Smith put his future on the line by giving such an unproven commodity $37 million guaranteed over the next two seasons *the full contract is $72 million over four years). It’s impossible to know how Osweiler will pan out in coach Bill O’Brien’s system. Osweiler showed some promising characteristics in Denver, especially in his pocket movement. But he’s an unknown quantity that will now determine the future of this franchise.
7. Coby Fleener, New Orleans Saints tight end: It’s never a good sign when a player’s original team shows little interest in keeping him. The Colts decided to re-sign Dwayne Allen for big money despite lower production than Fleener over the last four years. Fleener’s reputation for drops and soft play precede him in New Orleans. Ben Watson was coming off a season with nearly 1,000 yards receiving and they let him leave for little money, instead using up much of their small cap space on Fleener. If they wanted to sign a very poor man’s Jimmy Graham, why not just keep Jimmy Graham?
March 11, 2016 at 12:06 pm #40425sdramParticipantWhat’s left of the top 100 on nfl.com – lots of dl among other things.
March 11, 2016 at 1:09 pm #40431znModeratorHey SD…your link don’t work (cause the vandals took the handles).
It goes to the wrong thing.
I tried to fix it but I couldn’t find the right thing.
March 11, 2016 at 1:16 pm #40434
AgamemnonParticipantHey SD…your link don’t work (cause the vandals took the handles).
It goes to the wrong thing.
I tried to fix it but I couldn’t find the right thing.
It works. It is just slow to load. For me, anyway.
AgamemnonMarch 11, 2016 at 1:20 pm #40435znModeratorMarch 11, 2016 at 1:27 pm #40437znModeratorIt works. It is just slow to load. For me, anyway.
You;re right.
.
fwiw I copied & posted the entire list here too: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/wagoner-rams-still-can-find-free-agent-bargains/#post-40436
March 11, 2016 at 1:43 pm #40442sdramParticipantThanks.
I tried to cut and past the list as well but it was too chopped up – one word per line with a blank oline between every dline – kinda sorta.
It’s maybe gonna change every day I would think. Maybe they’re changing the link after every signee? Anyway, just another foible of the interweb. Links change constantly.
March 11, 2016 at 3:02 pm #40447znModeratorMichael Silver @MikeSilver
The 49ers have reached out to OT Russell Okung, joining the Seahawks, Lions & Giants in pursuit of the unrestricted free agent @nflnetworkMarch 12, 2016 at 12:54 am #40478znModeratorPete Prisco
More Musings
Chicago Bears
One of the things I like about the Bears signing of Cardinals tackle Bobby Massie is that it allows Kyle Long to go back to guard. He did a nice job at right tackle last season, but he was kind of thrown into it. He is a dominant guard. Massie will play right tackle next to Long. They know each other well from working out together at OLine Academy in Arizona, the place run by former NFL player LeCharles Bentley. Long was thrown in at right tackle last year in camp, and made the most of it. But back at guard he should again become one of the best at his position.Cincinnati Bengals
Mohamed Sanu was the third receiver for the Bengals, a good player but not much more than that. Yet the receiver-needy Falcons gave him a five-year, $32.5-million deal Thursday that will make him the No. 2 receiver opposite Julio Jones. Sanu can do a lot of things — including throw it and run it on reverses — but that’s a lot of money to pay a third receiver with hopes he can be a No. 2. Keep an eye on Justin Hardy, who didn’t do a lot as a rookie last season but has a lot of potential.Oakland Raiders
The Raiders badly needed help at corner and signing Sean Smith gives them a nice player who can play press-man. Smith isn’t a star, but the Raiders need a lead corner on their defense, and he will fill that role. I like the signing for Oakland, which is putting together a nice, young team. The Raiders are coming fast.Kansas City Chiefs
The league slapping tampering penalties against the Chiefs is a joke. Every team does it. To single out one team is terrible. The Chiefs got caught tampering with receiver Jeremy Maclin last year, and will lose two draft picks because of it. One is a third this year. That’s absurd in a league where every team tampers. -
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