2013 Forum Offseason Media Thread

[DeepThreat]

Browns Cut Young

The Cleveland Browns announced that they have cut Usama Young, citing his $2.15 million salary as the main reason. Young has frequently been injured with the Browns, and has struggled when on the field. The team will consider bringing him back at a lower price.

[RaiderNation]

Raiders Announce Initial Cuts, and Draft Plans

Coming into this off season the Oakland Raiders are at $4.5M under the cap, but after 3 recent cuts they have regained money to spend. LB Rolando McCain, DT Tommy Kelly and RG Mike Brisiel are now free agents, while Oakland has around $10.35M to fill holes on the roster. Rolando McClain was a former top 10 draft pick who did not pan out at all, and with his recent off and on the field conduct it wasn't a surprise to see him not wear Silver and Black in the future. Tommy Kelly's age, production and salery were all in question during the decision whether he could stay on the team and now DT has easily become the top need in Oakland. Mike Brisel signed a 5 year $20M deal last off season, but with the zone blocking scheme gone he just won't fit what the Raiders are trying to revive in the running game with a healthy Darren McFadden.

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie also did a recent interview about the draft plans, stating:"Right now we will listen to all offers for any of our players and also the 3rd overall pick. We would be willing to deal Darren McFadden for the right price, and also will be actively trying to trade down to gain more picks in this years draft.

There are a few players we would like to resign, but only for the right price. We have some cap room and we will use it wisely compared to the Al Davis era."

[diabsoule]

Black Thursday For Two Saints Veterans

Loyalty and dedication only get you so far in today's NFL. Rare are the times when a single player can stay with one franchise throughout his entire career despite his salary figure. Unfortunately for fan favorite and long time Saints defensive end Will Smith, and also linebacker Jonathan Vilma, they will not be among those few players.

In a difficult, yet necessary, move the Saints have had to release the two veterans in order to get below the salary cap. David Thomas, Johnny Patrick, Chris Chamberlain, and Will Herring have been issued pink slips before Smith and Vilma, however, when it became evident that both were unwilling to restructure then both were shown the door.

The reason for their release was their exorbitant salary. Will Smith's base salary was $9 million but his total cap figure was $14.5. Vilma's, on the other hand, while less than Smith's was still high compared to his on-the-field production. His base salary was $4.8 million but his total cap hit was $8.6 million.

These two cuts, couples with the prior release of Chamberlain, Herring, Thomas, and Patrick now have the Saints below the salary cap.

The team has expressed interest in bringing re-signing both but to more cost efficient deals.

[ATLDirtyBirds]

Cuts

WR Harry Douglas (1,750,000)
DT Peria Jerry (905,000)
LB Stephen Nicholas (2,500,000)
RB Michael Turner (6,900,000)


http://www.rotoworld.com/teams/contracts/nfl/atl/

[mightytitan9]

The Titans have announced that they have franchised K Rob Bironas, and executed their exclusive rights on C/G Kevin Matthews. They also tendered C Fernando Velasco

[falloutboy14]

Ryan Grigson & the Indianapolis Colts have announced their first string of off-season moves. They've elected to part ways with Adam Vinatieri after 7 years with the team. Vinatieri helped guide the team to two Super Bowls including one victory. However with the youth movement in progress, the 39 year old kicker has become the first cap casualty.

In other news, the Colts have chosen to use their franchise tag on Punter Pat McAfee. The designation will keep the punter on the team for one year while the two sides work to negotiate a long-term deal. One year offers have also been extended to RFAs Cassius Vaughn, Joe Reitz, & Jeff Linkenbach. As well as ERFAs AJ Edds, & Martin Tevaseu.

[Matthew Jones]

Top Fifty Impending Free Agents

With free agency looming, here's a look at the top fifty most significant impending free agents in 2013, listed by alphabetically by position:

1. QB Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

2. RB Reggie Bush, Miami Dolphins

3. RB Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams

4. WR Danny Amendola, St. Louis Rams

5. WR Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs

6. WR Brian Hartline, Miami Dolphins

7. WR Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers

8. WR Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers

9. WR Wes Welker, New England Patriots

10. TE Martellus Bennett, New York Giants

11. TE Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers

12. TE Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons

13. OT Branden Albert, Kansas City Chiefs

14. OT William Beatty, New York Giants

15. OT Gosder Cherilus, Detroit Lions

16. OT Phil Loadholt, Minnesota Vikings

17. OT Jake Long, Miami Dolphins

18. OT Andre Smith, Cincinnati Bengals

19. OT Sebastian Vollmer, New England Patriots

20. OG Andy Levitre, Buffalo Bills

21. OG Brandon Moore, New York Jets

22. DT Henry Melton, Chicago Bears

23. DT Richard Seymour, Oakland Raiders

24. DT Randy Starks, Miami Dolphins

25. DT Kevin Williams, Minnesota Vikings

26. DE Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions

27. DE Michael Bennett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

28. DE Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts

29. DE Jason Jones, Seattle Seahawks

30. DE Antonio Smith, Houston Texans

31. LB James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers

32. LB Paul Kruger, Baltimore Ravens

33. LB Daryl Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars

34. LB Anthony Spencer, Dallas Cowboys

35. LB Philip Wheeler, Oakland Raiders

36. CB Chris Gamble, Carolina Panthers

37. CB Brent Grimes, Atlanta Falcons

38. CB Chris Houston, Detroit Lions

39. CB Mike Jenkins, Dallas Cowboys

40. CB Adam Jones, Cincinnati Bengals

41. CB Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie, Philadelphia Eagles

42. CB Sean Smith, Miami Dolphins

43. CB Aqib Talib, New England Patriots

44. FS Kenny Phillips, New York Giants

45. FS Glover Quin, Houston Texans

46. FS Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens

47. SS LaRon Landry, New York Jets

48. SS Quintin Mikell, Philadelphia Eagles

49. SS William Moore, Atlanta Falcons

50. SS Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers

[TheBoyWonder22]

Eagles to let FAs walk, cut OT Bell
Eagles GM Mickey Von Clair has announced that he will not be retaining any of the team's impending free agents. The most notable of these being cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was reportedly considered as the team's franchise tag recipient. The team also announced the release of tackle Demetress Bell and 9.5 million dollar salary in 2013.

The Eagles may make more cuts throughout the day. Rumored releases include Nnamdi Asomugha and Michael Vick. Stay tuned for details.

[CJSchneider]

In a team press conference this morning, 49er GM, Timm Baalke, announced that the following players where to be cut in order to make room under the salary cap:
Chad Hall
Will Tukuafu
Darius Fleming
Micheal Thomas
Al Netter
Nathan Stupar
Wayne Tribue

Baalke included that the team would not be tendering the free agent contracts of CB Tramaine Brock and S Darcel McBath. Currently this gives San Fransisco 7.5 million dollars to work with under the salary cap.

[OSUGiants17]

Giants Cut Ties With Vets Webster and Diehl

The New York Giants have announced that they will be cutting veteran players Corey Webster and David Deihl. After having down years and big contracts, the Giants decided it's time to part ways and save money for younger guys. The Giants also put a 1st round tender on Victor Cruz. Cruz has broken out as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL after being an un-drafted free agent back in 2010. The Giants also resigned two veteran ERFAs. Running back Andre Brown, who broke out last year and is expected to see more playtime with Ahmad Bradshaw gone, and defensive end Adrian Tracy who should get a chance for playtime with Osi Umenyiora cut earlier in the offseason.

[CJSchneider]

Alex Smith gets vocal.

It has to be tough. To be 19-5-1 over the last two years, see the number of OC's come and go that you have, to hear the words people say about you, to sit there and take the situation you have been put in without letting it get to you. It has to be tough. It has to be, because Alex Smith, second string QB of the San Fransisco 49ers has endured those very hardships, and those were the first words out of his mouth.

"It's been tough. Don't make this what it's not, I don't fault Colin [Kaepernick], but I've had enough. I'm ready to go where ever they send me...or if they don't, I mean...if they just cut me, I'm ready."

Yesterday, the 49er's announced interest in trading Smith. Sources close to Smith have stated 3 teams have been in contact with the 49ers offering anywhere from 4th round picks to multiple late round picks.

[CJSchneider]

In a move that comes as no surprise, the 49ers have sent QB Alex Smith to the Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers receive the Eagles 5th round pick, number 138 overall and a 7th round pick, number 238 overall, which the Eagles had acquired from Indianapolis.

"We had other options that yielded higher returns for us", added 49er coach Jim Harbaugh.

"We wanted to send Alex somewhere that he would have a chance to be as much of a contributor as he was with us, or even more should that be what happens for him."

The move clears 7.5 million dollars from SF's salary cap, giving the 49ers many more options in free-agency.

[jrdrylie]

Jaguars Update Trade Block

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially informed tight end Marcedes Lewis and defenisve end Jason Babin that the team is seeking to trade both players.

The news of the shopping of Jason Babin comes as a surprise. He seems to be a good fit for Gus Bradley's pass rushing specialist role filled by Bruce Irvin last year. But the team desires to get younger at that position. The 32-year old Babin has 37 sacks in the last three seasons.

Marcedes Lewis has been a disappointment since his 2010 Pro Bowl season. But he offers solid ability to be an intermediate target and is an above average blocker. Bus Cook, the agent for Lewis, welcomes the news. Cook blames poor quarterback play for his client's drop in production and believes a change of scenery is just what he needs to get back to his Pro Bowl abilities.

The team is asking for a mid-round pick for each players.

[Jensen]

Panthers Part Ways with DeAngelo Williams

CHARLOTTE, NC -- The Carolina Panthers have decided to make the unfortunate decision to cut longtime Panthers runningback DeAngelo Williams. The Panthers cited that with little trade interest in Williams, they had no choice but to cut him. Williams had a down year this past year, and with Jonathan Stewart still on the roster, the Panthers felt that they would be better off using Williams' $4.75m cap hit somewhere else. The Panthers did not rule out that Williams will not be back with the team in some capacity, but he would have to accept a much more team friendly deal.

[Matthew Jones]

Multiple teams reportedly "love" Cox

Early in the free agent process, perhaps one of the more surprising trends is every team's willingness to pay big money for Cox. 26 year-old Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Derek Cox, a 2009 third-round pick, has received a number of handsome offers from suitors. Cox, who started on the right side of Jacksonville's defense last season, was courted by the Jaguars, but is also mulling multiple additional offers. Last season, he allowed completions on just 54/89 passes, including only one touchdown, while intercepting four passes.

[gonzo1105]

THE BILLS NOT IN PLAY FOR D.COX, WILL FOCUS ON GETTING MORE LEVITRE FOR WOOD


The associated press earlier reported that Derek Cox, an unrestricted free agent from the Jaguars, is being courted by many teams around the league. With the need at CB, the Buffalo News tried to find out if the Buffalo Bills were one of the suitors. The more we searched it became abundantly clear that the Bills are not in play for Cox.

Instead the team is currently focused on resigning their own players from the Free Agent pool, most notably LG Andy Levitre. The Bills have made a substantial offer for their FA LG and are also negotiating with a few other players that we could not confirm at this time. They are expected to meet again tomorrow before the rest of the front office heads to the combine in Indianapolis.

[draftguru151]

Dolphins Focused on Bringing Back Free Agents

While the Dolphins do have a fair amount of cash available for free agents, the priority will first be on resigning their own players. While talks with Jake Long haven't gone very well so far, the team does hope to be able to bring him back to continue locking down left tackle for Miami. The Dolphins also haven't given up on RB Reggie Bush, as they are concerned with Lamar Miller being the primary back with Daniel Thomas' injury issues backing him up. As for free agents that weren't on the Dolphins last year, the primary focus seems to be on bringing in play makers for QB Ryan Tannehill. There is no word on who the Dolphins seem to prefer at receiver at this point in time.

[Matthew Jones]

Andy Levitre among the free agent period's most coveted free agents

Buffalo Bills left guard Andy Levitre has emerged as one of the most coveted free agent candidates, with lucrative offers having been proposed by a number of teams, including Buffalo themselves. Levitre, a 2009 second-round pick, has developed into one of the top offensive guards in the league, having allowed just one sack last season despite playing over one thousand snaps. He is currently visiting interested teams and will reportedly decide upon a final destination in the coming days.

[princefielder28]

Packers eye Backers

The Green Bay Packers have scoped the free agent market and identified linebacker Dannell Ellerbe as their number one target. Ellerbe was the second leading tackler on the Super Bowl winning Baltimore Ravens and he became an enforcer on the defense. Green Bay is excited about the potential of Desmond Bishop returning from injury and pairing him with Ellerbe to help stabilize a defense, which has been shaky the last two seasons. If you factor in Clay Matthews and youngster Nick Perry as the outside backers, Green Bay may be attempting to assemble one of the top linebacker unit in the league.

The team is also chasing competition and depth for the defensive line, and they are looking to land a veteran back to help balance the offense as the Packers look to the draft for the future of the position.

The team has also announced the release of RB James Starks and RB Brandon Saine.

[Matthew Jones]

Free agent receiver Bowe faced with difficult decision

Among the most sought-after free agents in this year's crop is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs. Thus far, Bowe is rumored to have a handful of offers on the table; at this point, the Chiefs are reportedly still in play for their top target, who caught 59 passes for 801 yards and three touchdowns last season, but Bowe is rumored to be strongly considering additional teams as well. He is said to be seeking a deal more lucrative than the offers extended to other top free agent receiving options, including Danny Amendola, Miles Austin, Brian Hartline, Greg Jennings, Mike Wallace, and Wes Welker. Bowe is expected to choose his destination by tomorrow afternoon.

[Matthew Jones]

Cornerbacks among free agency's most coveted positions

The wide receiver class is filled with top-end talent, but this year's cornerback crop is another deep class, with many available players expected to receive lucrative contracts. Among those players are E.J. Biggers, Derek Cox, Chris Gamble, Brent Grimes, Chris Houston, Adam Jones, Keenan Lewis, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Sean Smith, Aqib Talib, and Greg Toler, all of whom have reportedly received interest on the open market. In fact, rumor has it that almost all of these players could be in different uniforms next season.

[Hines]

KEENAN LEWIS A WANTED MAN


Got confirmed by two sources that former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Keenan Lewis has two big offers from undisclosed NFC teams. He will announce his decision this afternoon. Lewis, who led the NFL with 16 pass break ups, has emerged under DB coach Carnell Lake.

[AntoinCD]

Texans To Make A Big Splash In Free Agency?

With free agency imminently upon us there have been some rumblings from within the Texans organization which indicate they may be big players. An unnamed source has stated they may make some sort of big move at the start of free agency. “Look, we tasted success two years ago winning the AFC South and we maintained that last year” said the source, “but you won’t find one person in this building who is content with that. We want bigger and better things and that means winning the Superbowl”.

The Texans have fallen short on both occasions in the playoffs and it is no surprise that both teams who have ended their run are very much on the minds of the Houston top brass. “We need to be able to beat the Ravens and Patriots when it matters” our unnamed source stated. “There is one person in free agency we are very high on that we believe could be the difference maker. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t going to sell the farm and we have quite a lot of guys who we are high on, but they are more for depth at this point”.

A lot has been made of the Texans depth in this last year because as far as starters go they can rival any team in the league. However the reserves leave quite a lot to be desired. “We need to get more guys who can do a job for us. No team has 53 pro bowlers” said the source. “We want to bring in 5 or 6 guys who can fill a role for us before the draft and we will set our board at that stage. Our main focus is to get better overall and that is what we hope to achieve.”

The talk of bringing in a marquee free agent has people talking around Houston and numerous names have been mentioned. However, at this point the most likely player would appear to be Mike Wallace. The Texans need to outscore the Ravens and Patriots and when the run game gets shut down teams can focus their coverage on Andre Johnson. Wallace adds serious deep speed which must be respected.

If the Texans hope to sign Wallace in the initial stages of free agency they will need to fight off numerous teams rumoured to have some serious interest. The Texans currently have over $23 million in cap space so could certainly offer a very lucrative contract to him. The big question is how high will they go in a bidding war?

Wallace could be the missing piece for this Texans team so it’s hard to argue about what they may offer, but if he brings a Superbowl title to Houston then whatever he makes will be insignificant compared to the value he has brought.

[Matthew Jones]

WALLACE SIGNS FIVE-YEAR, $60 MILLION DEAL WITH DOLPHINS



One of the free agent period's most coveted players, Mike Wallace will sign a five-year, $60 million deal with the Miami Dolphins. Wallace, who was heavily courted throughout free agency, reportedly turned down additional offers from teams such as Cleveland, St. Louis, and Tennessee.

[Matthew Jones]

BUCCANEERS RETAIN MICHAEL BENNETT



Michael Bennett, one of the free agent period's most coveted defensive linemen, has turned down a competing offer from the Tennessee Titans in order to re-sign with Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers are facing the possibility of losing Da'Quan Bowers to a league-mandated suspension, and decided Bennett was too valuable to lose, locking him up for four years and $36 million. Bennett recorded nine sacks in 2012.