Official 2015 Free Agency/Contract Extension Thread

[Joemailman]

Might be a good idea to again have a thread like this so we don't end up with 50 different threads about Free Agency.

Key Dates:

Feb. 10 Beginning at Noon ET, NFL clubs may begin to sign players whose 2014 CFL contracts have expired. Players under contract to a CFL club for the 2015 season or who have an option for the 2015 season are not eligible to be signed

Feb. 16 First day for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players

March 2 Prior to 4 p.m. ET, deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players

March 7-10 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 2014 contracts at 4 p.m. ET on March 10. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4 p.m. ET on March 10
March 10 Prior to 4 p.m. ET, clubs must exercise options for 2015 on all players who have option clauses in their 2014 contracts

Prior to 4 p.m. ET, 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

Prior to 4 p.m. ET, clubs must submit a Minimum Salary Tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2014 contracts and who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit

Top-51 Begins. All clubs must be under the 2015 salary cap prior to 4 p.m. ET

[Joemailman]

Broncos may franchise Demaryius Thomas if necessary. That would be about 13 million. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...-franchise-tag

Seahawks waiting to see if Marshawn Lynch wants to keep playing or retire. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...ide-his-future

The Seattle Seahawks know Marshawn Lynch is the heartbeat of their offense, however they don't know if the running back has decided he's done beating for them.

In a radio interview Tuesday on KIRO-AM, general manager John Schneider said that the team is waiting for Lynch to decide on whether he will retire or return.

"Whether or not he wants to play next year, I can't answer that," Schneider said. "I don't know if he knows at this juncture."

Schneider added Lynch's decision "might not happen overnight," but if he returns the team plans to re-do the running back's contract.

"Obviously we think he's a hell of a player," Schneider said. "We want to have him back, he knows that, his representatives know that. He knows that if he's back he's not going to be playing at the same number he's scheduled to make."

Lynch is entering the final year of a four-year, $31 million deal and was slated to make $5 million in 2015. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported prior to the Super Bowl that the Seahawks have offered Lynch a "huge contract extension," believed to include more than $10 million in 2015.

However, before any deal gets done, Schneider is waiting to hear if Beast Mode wants to take on another grind.

"It's hard for these guys, it's a long season," Schneider said. "We've played a lot of football these last two years. Especially the way this guy runs the ball, it's taxing on his body."

[Cheesehead Craig]

Lynch retires that's a big help from the cap perspective, but that's a big dropoff in talent at RB there. Given that team's success is based on how well they run the ball then they better hope he sticks around another year otherwise that window will close awful quickly.

[Joemailman]

Interesting move by Schneider here. He's talking to the press about the Lynch situation, probably figuring based on the past that Lynch won't. He gets his side of the story out without a response from the other side.

[Joemailman]

Colts release safety LaRon Landry, offensive tackle Xavier Nixon and linebacker Andrew Jackson. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-xavier-nixon/

While the release of Landry could well be tied to finances, the departures of Nixon and Jackson could be not-so-subtle messages to the rest of the roster.

A reserve offensive lineman, Nixon missed the team flight to New England for the AFC title game in January. The 24-year-old Nixon played four games for Indianapolis in 2014, starting one.

Jackson, meanwhile, pled guilty to a driving under the influence charge in January, according to the Indianapolis Star. It was his second DUI charge in less than a year’s span, per the Star.

[MadScientist]

When will the 2015 cap number be announced?

[Joemailman]

When will the 2015 cap number be announced?

Don't know. What we have for now is this:

Jason La Canfora ✔ @JasonLaCanfora
Follow

NFL Management Council informed teams at league meeting today '15 cap projects b/n $138.6M-$141.8M. I bet it ends up higher. Often does
10:13 PM - 9 Dec 2014.

Using the higher figure, the Packers have about 24 million in cap space. That's before they cut Hawk and Jones.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25061883/report-ndamukong-suh-wants-to-sign-with-seahawkscraigslist

Report: Ndamukong Suh wants to sign with Seahawks

By: Jared Dubin | CBSSports.com staff

February 7, 2015 1:45 pm ET

Comment woodbuck27:

Yet here's the reality check:

http://mynorthwest.com/292/2705636/Suh-interested-in-Seahawks-but-logistics-are-in-the-way

Suh interested in Seahawks, but logistics are in the way

By: Brady Henderson, 710 ESPN Seattle | February 6, 2015 @ 5:42 pm

[woodbuck27]

Comment[/B] woodbuck27:

Yet here's the reality check:

Suh interested in Seahawks, but logistics are in the way

Then there's this article which I discovered was interesting and comprehensibly revealing as to just how Seattle may blueprint this off season and that accounts for certain risk:

http://seahawksdraftblog.com/ndamukong-suh-seattles-full-on-aggressive-off-season

Ndamukong Suh: Seattle’s full-on aggressive off-season

February 10th, 2015 | Written by Rob Staton

"...according to Davis Hsu — it’s not the pipe dream we perhaps first imagined. You’d have to make cuts elsewhere. But Hsu has calculated you would be able to keep Brandon Mebane in 2015. Presumably it would mean cutting ties with Zach Miller and Tony McDaniel to raise an additional $6m. That seems like an acceptable trade-off. ..."

Comment woodbuck27:

The fan (other) comments attached to this article may be of interest also.

[denverYooper]

Colts release safety LaRon Landry, offensive tackle Xavier Nixon and linebacker Andrew Jackson. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...-xavier-nixon/

Andrew Jackson's worth about 20 bucks.

[denverYooper]

Then there's this article which I discovered was interesting and comprehensibly revealing as to just how Seattle may blueprint this off season and that accounts for certain risk:

http://seahawksdraftblog.com/ndamukong-suh-seattles-full-on-aggressive-off-season

Ndamukong Suh: Seattle’s full-on aggressive off-season

February 10th, 2015 | Written by Rob Staton

"...according to Davis Hsu — it’s not the pipe dream we perhaps first imagined. You’d have to make cuts elsewhere. But Hsu has calculated you would be able to keep Brandon Mebane in 2015. Presumably it would mean cutting ties with Zach Miller and Tony McDaniel to raise an additional $6m. That seems like an acceptable trade-off. ..."

Comment woodbuck27:

The fan (other) comments attached to this article may be of interest also.

Day after the superbowl, there was a Seattle blogger on our local drivetime show speculating that Wilson and Lynch would probably do some kind of team friendly deal because they "knew they had the chance to do something special" in the next few years.

Yeah.

The point is that this is the second time I've come across some Seattle blogger pitching the kind of pie-in-the sky idea that you might otherwise see on a fan forum.

[denverYooper]

I've seen a lot of mentions of the Seahawks probably not being able to re-sign Byron Maxwell. Tom Brady showed you what that dropoff looks like against a competent offense.

[smuggler]

Life sucks in free agency when you actually have to pay for your quarterback. Haha!

[pbmax]

Day after the superbowl, there was a Seattle blogger on our local drivetime show speculating that Wilson and Lynch would probably do some kind of team friendly deal because they "knew they had the chance to do something special" in the next few years.

Yeah.

The point is that this is the second time I've come across some Seattle blogger pitching the kind of pie-in-the sky idea that you might otherwise see on a fan forum.

I could see Wilson doing it, maybe Paul Allen gets him a summer internship with Microsoft.

But Lynch is already mad at the team. Unless he has no choice, and even as a RB he would seem to have a choice, I can't see him swallowing his pride again for a below market deal.

[woodbuck27]

I could see Wilson doing it, maybe Paul Allen gets him a summer internship with Microsoft.

But Lynch is already mad at the team. Unless he has no choice, and even as a RB he would seem to have a choice, I can't see him swallowing his pride again for a below market deal.

Marshawn Lynch is so mad at the Seattle Seahawks that he runs like crazy...scores TD like crazy rushing and via the pass?

He's so crazy mad at his team that he's clearly the top or a top two RB in the NFL He's really mad !

What can the Packers do to really piss of Eddie Lacy? Maybe that inverse psychology won't act the same.

Maybe Marshawn Lynch plays as incredibly good as he does? Because he does love his teammates and that's why he informs us that he does.

Seattle needs to understand their RB's commitment and the offer upgrade his salary for next season has been recognized as generous. Presently he'll make a salary of $5 M$ and receive bonus's of $3.5 M$ for a CAP hit of $8.5 M$. Add the offered increase of $5 M$ for next season and a contract extension is a strong incentive.

I believe this 28 year old RB will swallow (any pride issue?) to return for a real shot again at Super Bowl L.

There might be an issue with this. Marshawn Lynch is possibly over utilized where his body takes a lot of punishment. There's a life to think of after the NFL. It piss's off a lot of people that the NFL is dogging this man when he's one of the best things available to market the NFL. Why all the harsh attention? The NFL sickens me in regards to this mans rights to simply be himself. The NFL doesn't look good as the bully.

That aside...An extra $5 Million plus endorsements that's he's already worked hard for and at a cost to the NFL will pay for a lot of goodwill towards the underprivileged youth in Oakland (anywhere).