2012 Free Agent Watch

[woodbuck27]

For Stephen Ross, the big splash could end up being Tebow

Posted by Mike Florio on March 16, 2012, 8:56 AM EDT
Getty Images


As Peyton Manning gets closer to a decision about his future (hopefully, he’s not getting farther away from making up his mind), the Broncos remain extremely viable — especially with the Dolphins reportedly focusing on Matt Flynn and ....

the Cardinals having to decide by 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday whether to keep Kevin Kolb on the roster and owe him $7 million as of Saturday.

If the Broncos land Manning, it’s highly likely that they’ll send Tim Tebow packing.

The only unknown is Tebow’s next destination.

While some self-styled professors of football have professed that the arrival of Chad Henne in Jacksonville closes the door on Tim returning to his hometown, the only thing that will remove the tarps is Tebowmania.

And the extra money coming from a truly sold out stadium would quickly recoup a wasted $3 million signing bonus on Henne.

But that’s not the only possible Florida destination for the former Gator.

If the Dolphins swing and miss on Manning (which necessarily will be the case if he signs with the Broncos) and also fail to secure the services of Flynn, the only way owner Stephen Ross can make a big splash in the short term would be to put his trust in Tebow.

Ross saw the power of Tebow last year, via that goofy University of Florida reunion that ended up being the coming-out party for the visiting team’s quarterback.

And while Tebow would possibly give ulcers to offensive coordinator Mike Sherman, let’s not forget that Sherman while at Texas A&M turned a part-time quarterback/part-time receiver into the hottest 2012 prospect not named Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III.

Besides, Tebow’s impact on the locker room could be potent.

“Young man is blessed,” linebacker Karlos Dansby said last year.

“Young man has a special anointing on him. And for God to show himself in that game the way He did, through the guy He did it through, it opened a lot of guys’ eyes on our team. And it brought a lot of guys closer to God, so like I said, everything happens for a reason. . . . My hat goes off to Tim. And God working through him like that, it opened up a lot of eyes.”

While John Elway is trying his best to find an excuse to look away, the eyes of owner Stephen Ross would surely be wide open.

And he’s be seeing nothing but dollar signs.

[woodbuck27]

Dolphins had to enlist Marino just to get a meeting with Manning

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 16, 2012, 9:22 AM EDT
Getty Images

In another sign that Peyton Manning was never high on the Dolphins, a report out today says that Manning wasn’t even willing to talk to the Dolphins until one of his childhood heroes, Dan Marino, intervened on his old team’s behalf.

We noted last week that Marino said he didn’t plan to call Manning but that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross might ask Marino to make the call, and it turns out that’s exactly what happened:

Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post reports that in the first few days after the Colts cut Manning, the Dolphins grew frustrated because they hadn’t reached Manning directly and hadn’t even been able to get his agent to agree to a meeting. That’s when they asked Marino to call Manning personally, and it was only after the two of them talked that Manning agreed to meet with the Dolphins on Monday.

Even when Manning agreed to that meeting, it was clear that Manning wasn’t as interested in the Dolphins as he was in the Broncos, Cardinals and Titans. With those teams, Manning went to the team facility and met with all the key players. With the Dolphins, Manning said they’d have to come to him in Indianapolis, and that only members of the coaching staff — not Ross, not G.M. Jeff Ireland — could attend.

Manning has long expressed admiration for Marino, saying he grew up loving to watch Marino play and still fashions himself after Marino as a passer. So it’s not surprising that when Marino called, Manning decided to do him the courtesy of giving the Dolphins the meeting that Marino requested.

But from all indications, the meeting wasn’t much more than a courtesy.

It appears that the Dolphins were, at best, Manning’s fourth choice.

[woodbuck27]

Conflicting reports on Saints’ plans with Jonathan Vilma

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 16, 2012, 9:44 AM EDT
AP

The Saints are looking into adding a middle linebacker in free agency, and that has led to conflicting reports about whether Jonathan Vilma has a future in New Orleans.

After the Saints scheduled a visit with free agent Curtis Lofton, Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reported that the Saints have been mulling releasing Vilma.

However, Mike Triplett of the Times-Picayune reports that the team has no plans to release Vilma, even though they’ll be meeting soon with free agents David Hawthorne and Joe Mays in addition to Lofton.

Vilma turns 30 next month, is coming off knee surgery and is due $5.5 million this year, so it’s easy to see why the Saints would consider cutting him. And there’s another issue at play:

Vilma may be suspended for his role in the ongoing bounty case. The NFL’s discipline is expected to be announced soon, and Vilma — who reportedly offered $10,000 cash to any teammate who could knock Brett Favre out of the NFC Championship Game — is the player who’s likely to get the harshest punishment.

So the Saints may not have Vilma available to him for all 16 games.

Or they might just decide they don’t want him for any games.

[woodbuck27]

Last Updated 9:44 AM, March 16, 2012 EDT

[woodbuck27]

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/titans-life-contract-offer-manning-may-way-gain-162337118.html

Titans’ ‘for-life’ contract offer to Manning may be a way to gain salary cap advantage

By Doug Farrar





By Doug Farrar | Shutdown Corner – 21 hours ago

• 
  Peyton Manning signs autographs for Titans fans last October. (Getty Images)

Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams has been going hard at Peyton Manning ever since the quarterback became a free agent, and it seems that Adams may have come up with an interesting way to sweeten the pot. Adams' intent to make Manning a fixture of the Titans franchise "for life" may actually be a novel way to give Manning certain advantages he may not receive from other teams.

According to Fox Sports' Alex Marvez, the Titans could offer Manning, who spent a large part of Wednesday meeting with team officials and coaches, the promise of a front-office position after his career is over, without any financial promise affecting the Titans' salary cap situation over the life of any deal covering Manning's football-playing days. Marvez reports that the promise of a front-office position would not promote any kind of cap hit, but that the position offered must be considered fair market value for the position.

In other words, if the Titans decided to put a similar offer on the table to those presented by other teams, and then chose to add some sort of seven-figure-per-year deal for a nebulous position later on, there's nothing to prevent that from happening.

As Marvez hypothesizes, this could set a very interesting precedent for other teams looking to beat their competitors out for elite free agents. The league would have to approve any contract, including one offering additional positions after on-field duty, but even if the NFL's Management Council approves the deal ahead of time, it doesn't mean that the Titans are entirely off the hook.

As was recently seen in the Management Council's decision to strip millions of dollars in salary cap space from the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, alleged offenses on contracts that were approved by the league can fall outside the purview of the CBA if the NFL chooses to backtrack and deem certain deals to be outside the lines.

Marvez recalled a situation in 2000, when the San Francisco 49ers were fined $300,000 and stripped of third- and fifth-round draft picks after offering two players (including tight end Brent Jones) contract work in the offseason to promote the team's campaign to get a new stadium. So, Adams had best be careful -- even if his gambit seems legal at this time, it's not out of the question for the other owners to decide otherwise.

The Titans are one of four teams seriously in the hunt for Manning's services -- they're in competition with the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.

[woodbuck27]

Hopes rise in Denver that Peyton Manning is heading to the Broncos

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 16, 2012, 10:03 AM EDT
AP

Although the Titans appeared on Thursday to be building momentum in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, there’s optimism coming out of Denver on Friday morning that Manning is heading to the Broncos.

Mike Klis writes in today’s Denver Post that all signs point to the Broncos and Titans as the final two, with the Cardinals likely resigning themselves to keeping Kevin Kolb and paying his bonus, and the Dolphins starting to turn their attention toward Matt Flynn.

And MileHighReport.com points out that Broncos owner Pat Bowlen’s plane is scheduled to fly to Raleigh, North Carolina, where Manning has been working out, this morning.

That’s the same plane that Broncos front office boss John Elway and head coach John Fox have been flying around in to conduct their offseason business, and the same plane that picked up Manning for his visit to the Broncos’ facilities. Presumably, if Manning were about to join the Broncos, that’s the plane the team would provide Manning to bring him to Denver.

Albert Breer of NFL Network points out that Titans owner Bud Adams’ plane is still in Houston.

So to the extent that we can tell anything by tracking owners’ planes, we can say that Broncos fans have more reason for optimism right now than Titans fans do. And when the best updates we’re getting come from tracking owners’ planes, we can say that we hope Manning is ready to make his mind up already.

[woodbuck27]

Peyton Manning will work out for John Elway today

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 16, 2012, 10:16 AM EDT
Getty Images

Moments after we noted that the Broncos’ plane is on the way to North Carolina, where Peyton Manning has been working out, we know why: John Elway will be there in person to watch one of Manning’s workouts.

From the beginning, it has seemed like a necessity that whatever team wanted to sign Manning would have to watch him throw first: After all, how can a team tie its future to a quarterback without making sure he can actually throw a football effectively? Surprisingly, several reports have said that multiple teams were willing to give Manning a contract without making him throw first.

But the Broncos apparently won’t be in that position. Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that Elway and other Broncos officials will land at the Raleigh-Durham Airport at 1:20 p.m. today, and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports that Manning will work out for the Broncos at Duke University’s indoor facility.

That doesn’t mean the Broncos are going to land Manning.

In fact, according to Mortensen, the Titans are still in the mix.

But this is the strongest sign yet of progress between the Broncos and this year’s most sought-after free agent.

[woodbuck27]

Laurent Robinson catches $13.6 million fully guaranteed

Posted by Mike Florio on March 16, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT
Getty Images

In 2011, receiver Laurent Robinson opted to take the chance on a one-year, minimum salary contract with the Cowboys, hoping to parlay a big season into an even bigger payday. He wasn’t alone; after the market softened during the lockout-delayed free agency period in 2011, plenty of guys went with one-year contracts and the promise of more money later.
Unlike most of those other guys, Robinson made it work.

Per a source with knowledge of the contract, Robinson pocketed from the Jaguars an $8 million signing bonus, along with another $5.6 million in fully-guaranteed money.

In all, Robinson’s payout consists of a $1 million fully-guaranteed base salary in 2012, a fully-guaranteed $2 million roster bonus in 2012, a fully-guaranteed base salary of $2.6 million in 2013, and the following non-guaranteed base salaries in 2014 through 2016: $5.6 million, $6.4 million, and $6.4 million.

Robinson also is eligible for a $100,000 workout bonus per year, and up to $600,000 each season in incentive payments.

It adds up to $32.5 million over five years, a fair reward for the risk he took with a six-figure salary in 2011.

[woodbuck27]

From REPORT on NFL Access:

Peyton Manning has made it clear to the Miami Dolphins Organization that he will not sign with them. So one of the four candidate teams has been removed. Leaving Denver,Tennessee and Arizona as possible destinations for his services. It's been looking to me like Denver is the best choice giving their CAP space; but Tennessee has certainly placed themselves in a strong position.

So who will Peyton Manning marry?

Denver is coming hard after him. Tennessee has offered him a lifetime opportunity and Manning knows this community and the team very well having the Titans in his division. His father Archie Manning knows many of the Titans brass from his college and career days. Peyton Manning is adored in Tennessee playing his college ball there. Passionately it looks like the Titans should sign him but will their contract offer be there money wise?

Arizona hasn't been ruled out at this time as Miami was reported to be today.

Which of these three teams in Peyton Manning's mind will offer him the best opportunity for a Super Bowl ring?

It's all very interesting to me.

Ona nother note:

Miami is saying that no matter what PM decided they wanted to move WR Brandon Marshall. So we now can be clear that that trade by Miami ( Brandon Marshall ) to the Bears was not influenced by Peyton Manning.

[woodbuck27]

Last Updated 10:49 AM, March 16, 2012 EDT

[woodbuck27]

Jets to host free agent LaRon Landry this weekend

Posted by Evan Silva on March 16, 2012, 11:22 AM EDT
Getty Images

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the Jets will host free agent safety LaRon Landry for a visit to club headquarters this weekend.

Florio reported earlier in the week that the Jets were, indeed, one of four teams showing immediate interest in Landry once the free agency period commenced.

The other clubs were New England, Detroit, and Philadelphia.

The Jets are believed to be Landry’s first free agent visit.

[woodbuck27]

Report: Raiders releasing Kamerion Wimbley today

Posted by Evan Silva on March 16, 2012, 11:49 AM EDT
Getty Images
NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi reports that the Raiders will release linebacker Kamerion Wimbley on Friday.

This move has been expected for quite some time. As Florio has explained, the Raiders would have guaranteed Wimbley $17.5 million had they kept him on their roster through Saturday.

While the Raiders are still on the hook for $6.5 million of Wimbley’s $11 million base salary, releasing him saves them $4.5 million in 2012 salary cap space and clears him completely off the books for 2013.

Once Wimbley’s release becomes official, he’ll be the top free agent pass rusher available on the open market.

Expect virtually every team that missed out on the Mario Williams sweepstakes to turn its attention to Wimbley.


Comment woodbuck27:

I'm going to watch this players movements very closely. Why? The Chicago BEARS.

The Bears are just now in a LIVE press conference on NFL Access. Showcasing their recent acquisitions for their offense.

[woodbuck27]

Concern in Miami that Flynn could sign with Seahawks today

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 16, 2012, 12:05 PM EDT
Getty Images
With the Dolphins out of the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, attention in Miami is turning to Matt Flynn, who always seemed like a good fit because he learned coach Joe Philbin’s offense in Green Bay.

But there’s one problem:

Flynn is visiting Seattle first, and some folks in Miami are concerned that the Seahawks will make Flynn a great offer that convinces him to sign without even visiting the Dolphins.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports, quoting an unnamed associate of Flynn, that Flynn signing with Seattle before he flies to Miami can’t be ruled out.

Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel also writes that the big question right now is: whether the Dolphins can keep Flynn from Seattle.

Flynn could sign with the Seahawks as soon as today if Seattle makes him a great offer, and the Seahawks have plenty of money and cap space with which to do that, if they’re so inclined.

That would put the Dolphins in the position of not only missing out on their first choice (Peyton Manning), but also missing out on their fallback option (Matt Flynn).

It took a few days, but as Manning narrows his options, it appears that interest in Flynn is starting to heat up.

That’s not a good sign for the Dolphins.

[woodbuck27]

Cutler: Marshall has a checkered past, but he’s a good guy

Posted by Michael David Smith on March 15, 2012, 7:25 AM EDT
Getty Images

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is standing up for his new No. 1 receiver, Brandon Marshall, saying that he knows from their time together in Denver that Marshall is a good man.

“I know he has a checkered past, and Brandon is the first one to stand up and admit to that,” Cutler said on WMVP-AM 1000, via the Daily Chronicle. “But I know deep down he’s a good guy. He made some mistakes, but going forward, I see nothing but bright things for the guy.”

If the latest allegations are true, Marshall has a checkered present, not only a checkered past. Marshall stands accused of punching a woman at a nightclub over the weekend, an incident that may have been the last straw for him in Miami and the reason the Dolphins traded him. Cutler said he talked to Marshall and hopes Bears fans will wait until all the facts come out about the most recent case.

“I talked to Brandon [on Tuesday], and I think he was bummed about it, the perception and everything, of him getting to Chicago and that [controversy] being over his head,” Cutler said.

“Let’s not judge him quite yet.”

Cutler says he lobbied the Bears to acquire Marshall, and Cutler knows he’s putting his own reputation on the line in vouching for his buddy. That’s not surprising, because if Marshall plays like the All-Pro receiver he’s capable of being, Cutler will be one of the beneficiaries.

But if Marshall’s off-field issues continue to plague him in Chicago, ** Cutler vouching for him as a good guy will look dumb.**




Comment woodbuck27:

** I'm just now watching Brandon Marshall on NFL Access.

I disagree that anything a player says about another player that's positive can make that player look dumb. How can positive support for anyone be viewd in hindsight as dumb by anyone else? I would disagree with such a judgement.

Brandon Marshall has taken a treatment plan for BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) and his relationship with his wife is one of sincere respect. His wife he supports in initiatives to work with battered women.

Brandon Marshall expresed mixed emotions over leaving Miami; saying he loved his teammates there, 'in fact' had a positive relationship with Dolphin teammates, and feels that the positive direction that team was taking was one that he was passionately and positively involved in. He said he was so involved in that process but is now a BEAR. Pleased to be a part of the great Chicago Bear organization and excited in the direction the organization is committed to head in.

IMO this is a very solid move for the Bears. The TRUTH of that will play out in terms od results next season.

He said that from the get go on his arrival in Chicago the Bears brass has treated him and his wife so impressively. He said he's very pleased to be reunited with the Bears starting QB Jay cutler. That his relationship and communication with Jay Cutler was excellent.

[woodbuck27]

Report: Dolphins make low-ball offer to Matt Flynn

Posted by Evan Silva on March 16, 2012, 12:58 PM EDT
Reuters

Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Miami Dolphins are “low-balling” free agent quarterback Matt Flynn in contract negotiations.

The Dolphins’ thinking is apparently that Flynn wants so badly to play for head coach Joe Philbin, his offensive coordinator in Green Bay, that Flynn might be willing to settle for significantly less than market value.

Of course, market value for a quarterback with two career starts is ambiguous.

Kevin Kolb signed a reported six-year, $65 million contract with the Cardinals last offseason after seven career starts. And that deal has already been considered for termination.

At the same time, the Dolphins don’t have much leverage.

Top free agent target Peyton Manning resisted their overtures, and the quarterback market is otherwise devoid of franchise-caliber signal callers.

Flynn is in a better spot, drawing interest from the Seattle Seahawks.

Could the Fins miss out on Peyton Manning, and Matt Flynn, too?

It certainly seems like they’re willing to take that risk.