The NFL Free Agency thread

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RamsJunkie

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Ravens agree to terms with veteran TE Watson
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Ravens agreed to terms with TE Ben Watson, formerly of the Saints.

Although Watson isn't one of the bigger names of free agency, it's one of the most surprising deals. The New Orleans media widely expected Watson to re-up with the Saints, while the Ravens already have young tight ends Crockett Gillmore and Maxx Williams in tow. That's not to mention a suspended Nick Boyle. Now 35, Watson had a renaissance 2015 in New Orleans, but caught only 39 passes from 2013-14. Watson was a legitimate TE1 last season, but figures to tumble back down the ranks in Baltimore.
Source: Jeff Zrebiec on Twitter
Mar 8 - 3:05 PM


Report: Bears offer LB Trevathan 4-year deal

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According to Raul Martinez of FOX 31 Denver, it "sounds like" the Bears have offered a four-year deal to free agent ILB Danny Trevathan.

The money is unknown, but it wouldn't be surprising if Trevathan pushed for $8 million annually. Inside linebacker was by far Chicago's biggest defensive weakness last season, and inside linebacker is a key position in Vic Fangio's 3-4 defense, where he had Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman in San Francisco. The Bears look like the early front-runners to land Trevathan.
Source: Raul Martinez on Twitter
Mar 8 - 3:04 PM
 

JackDRams

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Jeez big deal for Malik. Jags spending some scrilla. I bet they have a couple more big splashes
 

RamsJunkie

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Olivier Vernon - DL - Dolphins
Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reports the Jaguars are still in on free agent Olivier Vernon after signing DL Malik Jackson.

Per Cole, they're also in the mix for a "top" cornerback or safety. Even after committing $42 million guaranteed to Jackson, the Jags still have money to burn. A defensive back could be more likely, as the Jags have 2015 first-rounder Dante Fowler returning in addition to Jackson.
Related: Jaguars

Source: Jason Cole on Twitter
Mar 8 - 2:58 PM
 

jrry32

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Isn't McGinn just a Packers beat writer?

Yes. But he has the best connections of any writer out there. Usually posts takes from NFL personnel men in March and April on prospects. Has a ton of info and opinions.
 

RamsJunkie

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Vikings cut Mike Wallace, saving nearly $12M
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Vikings released WR Mike Wallace.

This was perhaps the easiest decision Rick Spielman has made as Vikings GM. Coming off a forgettable 39-catch season, Wallace was owed nearly $12 million in salary and bonuses. A straight-line speedster, Wallace was a terrible match for weak-armed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Wallace turns 30 in August and is showing signs of decline. In a miserable free agent wideout market, however, Wallace is likely to draw interest due to his lid-lifting potential.
Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter
Mar 8 - 3:17 PM
 

Roman Snow

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Rumor: I hear the Giants tried to get a "five finger discount" on JPP but it just wasn't possible. :whistle:
 

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It's madness out there...
 

kurtfaulk

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I thought free agents weren't allowed to be signed till the 9th. What's with all these details coming out now?

.
 

Akrasian

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I thought free agents weren't allowed to be signed till the 9th. What's with all these details coming out now?

.

Presumably they have agreed to the contract, just haven't formally signed it.

Occasionally somebody will change their mind, of course.
 

woofwoofmo

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Presumably they have agreed to the contract, just haven't formally signed it.

Occasionally somebody will change their mind, of course.


Correct. New contracts cannot be signed before the completion of the 2015 league year at 4pm EST on March 9.
 

RamBill

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Malik Jackson, Janoris Jenkins among building-block free agents

By Albert Breer
NFL Media reporter

http://www.nfl.com/freeagency/story...noris-jenkins-among-buildingblock-free-agents

Conventional NFL wisdom has long held that free agency is a pool full of fool's gold, with those dumb enough to dive in deserving of the fate that inevitably awaits them.

Then the Broncos won Super Bowl 50.

It was just two years ago that Broncos executive vice president/general manager John Elway went headlong into the market with what appeared to be a final stab at getting a ring out of the Peyton Manning Era. He paid cornerback Aqib Talib at what qualified as the upper reaches of his position at the time. Elway wasn't shy with safety T.J. Ward, either. And he scooped former Cowboys pass rusher DeMarcus Ware off the scrap heap at a heftier annual rate than either of them, then bet on potential with receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

Each deal ran three years or longer. They added to a cumulative average cost per year of $30.41 million (or 22.9 percent of that year's salary cap figure of $133 million). All four players were within three years of turning 30.

And boy, did it ever work.

Those four have made a total of six Pro Bowls the last two years, and now each is a world champion. Talib and Sanders were upgrades over the guys they replaced that offseason. Ware made Von Miller even better. Ward became a tone-setter.

"The one trick, every guy they signed in free agency, they're all highly competitive," said one NFC pro scouting director. "They got paid, but they want to win. And that's part of their model. You have to have those qualities to play there."

Here's the other thing: In each case, there was a logical answer to the operative question every team should ask about every single free agent.

Why is this guy free in the first place?

» With Ware, it was because of tight economics in Dallas and injury issues that limited his production in his final seasons there.

» With Sanders, it was, as with Ware, because of a cap issue, and the fact that Pittsburgh simply had to choose among its young receivers and went with Antonio Brown over Mike Wallace and Sanders.

» With Talib, the Patriots balked early in talks. New England later pounced on the transcendent Darrelle Revis when he became available.

» With Ward, it was because the Browns were two GMs removed from his draft day in 2010, and the safety had played under three head coaches, meaning there was little investment in him inside the building.

Two of the four were Wave 1 signees, coming in right after the signing period started. Another, Ware, was a veteran who had been released by his team. The fourth, Sanders, came a week after the market opened. And the real key was that none arrived as a savior, even thought they'd grow into cornerstones.

"Sanders goes to Denver and, well, they already have [Demaryius] Thomas," said an AFC personnel exec. "There's Ware to go with Miller. Now, Talib's there, but they already had [Chris] Harris. So those guys were just taking it from one level to another -- they were finishing it out, making it complete. None of those moves were forced by need, which is where you can make a mistake."

So how does all this apply this year? Here are some guys who will hit the market Wednesday for reasons other than their teams not liking them, guys who could wind up bringing value the way Denver's star quartet did:

Colts TE Coby Fleener: Indy re-upped Dwayne Allen -- a more versatile piece than Fleener -- and hosted veteran tight end Scott Chandler on Monday, signs they're ready to let Fleener walk as a matter of circumstance. And while Fleener isn't All-Pro, he has posted three consecutive 50-catch seasons. If you're expecting Rob Gronkowski, you won't get that. But he can be a valuable piece alongside other weapons as a matchup guy.

Rams DE William Hayes: Hayes was imported from Tennessee by former Titans coach Jeff Fisher when Fisher made his way to St. Louis in 2012, and he served as a leader for a group that was stocked with a quartet of former first-round picks. But he was also productive, piling up 21.5 sacks as a valuable depth piece over the last four years, and he could be a good get for someone in the second wave of free agency.

Broncos DL Malik Jackson: You can look at Denver's situation on its defensive front like the receiver situation in Pittsburgh that led to Sanders' availability a few years back. The Broncos can't keep everyone. So they got Derek Wolfe in at just under $10 million per, tagged Miller and have made a real effort to get Jackson done while working to keep quarterback Brock Osweiler in these tight quarters.

(UPDATE: Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Jackson agreed to terms on a six-year deal with the Jaguars and will sign with Jacksonville on Wednesday.)

Rams CB Janoris Jenkins: If Jenkins can stay focused and get more consistent, he has high-end man-to-man cover skills. Los Angeles' decision to tag cornerback Trumaine Johnson raised some eyebrows elsewhere in the league, and it does raise some questions about Jenkins. But there's enough there to think he could evolve in the same manner Talib did as he bounced from Tampa to New England to Denver.

Seahawks DT Brandon Mebane: The mammoth Seattle mainstay just turned 31 and plays on a defense that's now loaded with well-paid 20-somethings. But as a second-wave free agent, he's certainly got the potential to really help someone, health permitting. One rival pro scouting director said, "He can still wreck games."

Ravens OG Kelechi Osemele: This one's all but gone, as he and the Raiders have already agreed in principle to a deal, but he fits the mold. Two of Baltimore's four highest-paid guys are offensive linemen, and keeping Osemele would've required the team to move him past both those guys (Marshal Yanda and Eugene Monroe) on the team's payroll. Plus, other clubs view his value as a tackle, which helps explain why Oakland is set to pay him more than $11 million per year.

Seahawks OG J.R. Sweezy: As is the case with Osemele, it's tough to tag a guard, given the way the system works (the OL tag is based on left tackles' salaries), and so they routinely make it to the market. And the Seahawks, again, have paid a lot of their own on a talent-rich roster already, which means it makes sense that some good players will eventually have to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

Follow Albert Breer on Twitter @AlbertBreer.
 

RaminExile

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I hope to see some news on us resigning Jenkinz and McLeod soon. We don't need too many holes to fill and we need our young secondary to keep growing together.

I think the Ravens got a good deal with Watson. I love him as a TE. Good with everything he does but not showy or flashy. Exact opposite of Jared Cook.
 
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