Weekend Free Agency Thread (LATEST: Talib to NE)
Looks like things have dwindled a little bit, so I'll just leave this one up over the weekend to collect all the signings.
Friday
11:00 a.m.:
49ers sign LB Dan Skuta to two-year deal.
Raiders sign LB Nick Roach.
Jets sign RB Mike Goodson to a three-year deal, reportedly worth $6.9 million.
Patriots sign WR Donald Jones.
Dolphins sign TE Dustin Keller to one-year deal.
1:30 p.m.:
Chiefs sign OL Geoff Schwartz.
Patriots re-sign CB Kyle Arrington to four-year deal.
Bears re-sign CB Zack Bowman to one-year deal.
Colts release S Tom Zbikowski.
Chargers sign RB Danny Woodhead to two-year deal.
3:30 p.m.:
Lions reportedly sign Louis Delmas to two-year deal which I'm sure will stick this time maybe.
Jets sign OL Willie Colon to one-year deal.
Arizona signs DL Matt Shaughnessy to one-year deal.
4:20 p.m.:
Elvis Dumervil released by Broncos, who apparently didn't file his restructure paperwork in time.
Jaguars sign RB Justin Forsett.
Jaguars sign DB Alan Ball.
Dolphins reportedly will sign WR Brandon Gibson.
Eagles acquire WR Arrellious Benn and a 2013 seventh-round pick from the Buccaneers for a 2013 sixth-round pick and a conditional pick in 2014.
7:20 p.m.:
Greg Jennings agrees to five-year contract with Minnesota.
Jaguars sign DT Roy Miller to a two-year deal.
Jets sign DT Antonio Garay.
Lions re-sign OL Dylan Gandy.
Seattle releases Ben Obomanu.
Cardinals sign CB Antoine Cason to one-year deal.
Ravens sign DE Marcus Spears to two-year deal.
Chargers re-sign RB Ronnie Brown.
Patriots sign S Adrian Wilson.
Saturday
2:00 p.m.:
Patriots sign CB Aqib Talib to one-year deal.
Patriots re-sign LB Niko Koutouvides to one-year deal.
Giants sign LB Dan Connor to one-year deal.
Giants sign WR Louis Murphy to one-year deal.
10:00 p.m.:
Giants sign TE Brandon Myers.
Jets re-sign K Nick Folk to one-year deal.
49ers sign S Craig Dahl to three-year deal.
Sunday
11:00 p.m.:
Rams agree to terms with OT Jake Long on a reported four-year, $36 million deal.
Raiders sign LB Kevin Burnett.
Patriots sign OT Will Svitek.
Comments
65 comments, Last at 20 Mar 2013, 5:50am
#1 by ChicagoRaider // Mar 15, 2013 - 12:16pm
Dang. Goodson ran better than McFadden last year.
#2 by Pottsville Mar… // Mar 15, 2013 - 12:27pm
Guess the Dolphins aren't done spending money on their receiving corps. I guess it's time for Tannehill to produce.
#3 by Raiderjoe // Mar 15, 2013 - 12:59pm
N. Roach no longer riding coach. Fjrst class noe thst come to Raiders.
#4 by dryheat // Mar 15, 2013 - 1:10pm
bRvao.
#5 by Anon E. Mouse (not verified) // Mar 15, 2013 - 2:09pm
Always good for a completely incomprehensible comment. I still can't decide if this is a joke account or not.
#9 by TomC // Mar 15, 2013 - 2:34pm
Damn. All of a sudden the Bears LB corps is looking pretty thin. I'm assuming now that they will re-sign Urlacher and draft some LBs, but they're still going to be nowhere near the quality depth they had last year.
#10 by Steve in WI // Mar 15, 2013 - 3:03pm
Yup. I was (and really still am) on the fence about whether or not they should bring back Urlacher, but I'm starting to get worried because they need somebody to play linebacker besides Lance Briggs. And while I agree that they should draft at least one LB, now it's looking like they'd better take one in the 1st round and he'd better be darn good in his rookie season, or they're in trouble.
#24 by LionInAZ // Mar 15, 2013 - 6:24pm
From flying coach on Virgin Airlines to first-class on Aeroflot. Good move!
#6 by PatsFan // Mar 15, 2013 - 2:21pm
ESPN reporting NE RB Danny Woodhead has signed a 2yr contract with the Chargers.
#7 by Go pats (not verified) // Mar 15, 2013 - 2:29pm
Darn, I was really hoping that woody would come back, wish him well. This really opens it up for vareen, who did look really good when he played
#8 by RickD // Mar 15, 2013 - 2:32pm
At least the Pats have retained Kyle Arrington.
For four years.
Excuse me while I look for a skyscraper.
#11 by Go pats (not verified) // Mar 15, 2013 - 3:36pm
Well lets hope he will still end being the third cb option and they retain Talib
#12 by PatsFan // Mar 15, 2013 - 3:44pm
And a reported $6mil signing bonus.
#13 by Insancipitory // Mar 15, 2013 - 4:32pm
Haha, accidentally releasing Dumervil. Classic. I guess that NFL executive of the year award isn't going to Denver this year.
#15 by PerlStalker // Mar 15, 2013 - 4:49pm
"Accidentally" is the wrong word. Dum or his agent get the paperwork back to the team in time so they released him to avoid a $12 million guarantee.
As a follow up, according to Jeff Legwold, the cap hit from the Dumervil release means that they can't afford to pay him what they had agreed to. https://twitter.com/Jeff_Legwold/status/312664872712286210
#27 by andrew // Mar 15, 2013 - 8:20pm
Elvis was apparently attempting to do his part of it from a Kinko's in Miami.
#14 by PerlStalker // Mar 15, 2013 - 4:34pm
1:25 Agreed to deal
1:59 No paperwork Dumervil released
2:06 Faxed contract arrives
#19 by cisforcookie (not verified) // Mar 15, 2013 - 5:01pm
there are a number of teams that are needy for pass-rushing elephant linebackers. I could easily see dumervil getting better than 8 million per on a long term deal from someone.
#48 by jackiel // Mar 16, 2013 - 1:03pm
Really? I don't see how a guy who's older and more one-dimensional than Avril gets more than the $15 mm for 2 years that Seattle handed out. Dum also would have gotten $10.5 mm ($3.5 mm guaranteed) from Denver if he was still on the team in 2014. So really, Dum gave up $18.5 mm (11.5 mm guaranteed) for 2 years, which seems to be a fair valuation.
The bigger question is, how in the world does an NFL player who may be signing a new multimillion dollar contract not buy his own fax machine? Geez, they're like $100-150.
#50 by dryheat // Mar 16, 2013 - 3:28pm
Why would you hire an agent to represent your financial interest and fax your own contract?
#51 by jackiel // Mar 16, 2013 - 5:12pm
Um...because the agent has negotiating skill and knowledge about the CBA that the player does not have and because the player's acceptance of a team's offer ultimately requires his signature.
There is no way around Dum not having to sign his own contract for obvious reasons. We can argue whether the NFL is old-fashioned regarding how it conducts contracts. However, the current environment mandates that the player sign his contract on paper in order to get a deal done. Given that, Dum should have bought a fax machine or flown up to his agent's office location to minimize the chance of this very situation occurring.
#52 by bhauck // Mar 16, 2013 - 6:35pm
He could sign a power of attorney or something similar giving his agent the right to sign for him. In a non-sports context (IE my CPA exam study books), an agent can bind agreements for his . . . uh, boss? I don't remember the term . . . that are within an area it's reasonable to expect the agent to have authority. Or something like that.
#53 by JDOE (not verified) // Mar 17, 2013 - 11:19am
Can't believe no else has said it yet:
Elvis has left the building!
#55 by justanothersteve // Mar 17, 2013 - 1:10pm
See message #30
#22 by PerlStalker // Mar 15, 2013 - 5:18pm
Michelle Beisner is reporting that Broncos gave Dumervil a 1:00 deadline to agree. https://twitter.com/MichelleBeisner/status/312670085330382848
#16 by jackiel // Mar 15, 2013 - 4:56pm
So what are the odds that he remains in Denver? I don't know if there's anyone else out there who'd give Dum $8 million in 2013.
#18 by PerlStalker // Mar 15, 2013 - 5:01pm
Unless the NFL lets the contract go through (unlikely), the Broncos can't pay him and pay their draft picks. I'm sure someone can scrounge up $8 mil for a pretty good pass rusher.
Twitter is bursting with Dumervil to NE jokes but who knows. It's likely that he'll end up signing smaller deal.
#20 by Will Allen // Mar 15, 2013 - 5:14pm
Assuming it was the agent's fault it didn't get faxed in time, he oughta' sue the agent for the difference, and seek the agent's decertification by the NFLPA. I swear, slip and fall sharpies from Schenecdaty have, on average, more competence and ethics than sports agents.
#21 by PerlStalker // Mar 15, 2013 - 5:17pm
I wonder if Dumervil would have grounds to get the NFL to allow the extension based on agent incompetence. I doubt they'd agree though.
#23 by Will Allen // Mar 15, 2013 - 5:27pm
If the agent has any track record of a similar group fornication, Dumervil might have a decent civil case against his union as well, for negligently certifying the half-wit.
#37 by Bright Blue Shorts // Mar 16, 2013 - 7:49am
The NFL would be crazy to set a precedent of allowing extensions to deadlines just because the agent screwed up. Plain & simple, get the deal done early enough that you don't risk it.
What amazes me is that people are still using fax in this day and age. Why wouldn't "scan & email" be good enough?
#40 by Will Allen // Mar 16, 2013 - 10:49am
It may have to do with various states' laws not catching up with technology yet. I think fax documents have been specifically granted some degree of legal status in all states, or nearly so.
#43 by bhauck // Mar 16, 2013 - 11:33am
Good lord, I'm 27 and have been on computers since I was 8, and faxing is the most miraculous thing I have ever seen. Scanning takes forever, file formatting issues, doing it page-by-page cause there's no feeder, ugh. Pop it in the fax, hit some buttons, and it appears on the other side of the world. Magic.
#44 by Bright Blue Shorts // Mar 16, 2013 - 11:36am
Assuming the other guys telephone isn't engaged and there's paper in his machine ;-)
But you pitch it well ... have you thought of a career working in Sales for Xerox ...
#47 by Jimmy // Mar 16, 2013 - 11:58am
I work in construction and fax machines have a good deal of utility that comuputers have yet to catch up on. If I need a detailed construction element fabricated all you do is draw it on a piece of A4 and fax it to the manufacturer. From a certain type of skirting board or architrave to staircases and windows, if you can draw a good enough representation (or just trace the thing you want followed) and add dimensions you can get it made. They are cheap, don't crash, people can't spend all day using them to update their facebook pages, all you need to operate them is a pencil, paper and opposable digits. Computers have connection issues too.
You can do a lot of those things on computers / smart phones but there is a good deal more dicking around.
#61 by Ed Schoenfeld (not verified) // Mar 18, 2013 - 11:17pm
E-mail is a non secure communication method in which the message bounces for multiple minutes between multiple servers anywhere around the globe on which any Tom, Dick, and Harriet can access your confidential info. (Reference: Top secret pentagon contractor bids that were emailed via servers in Peking. Think about it.)
Faxes go directly to the number dialed, nowadays mostly using an e-mail program sent VOIP that takes seconds to get through.
If it doesn't got through because the receiving number is out of paper (or whatever), there is a time stamped failure document that the agent can use to sue the Broncos into cap hell. He isn't, so that is not where the fault lies.
There is absolutely no reason the agent should not have had an authorized electronic signature for Dumerville on file. Copy past, attach to the fax, and send.
Ed
#63 by Will Allen // Mar 19, 2013 - 8:23am
Well, there is the, "The agent is not qualified to manage a coin operated car wash" reason.
#65 by Bright Blue Shorts // Mar 20, 2013 - 5:50am
And if you encrypt the email it's still non-secure?
#32 by Bobman // Mar 15, 2013 - 11:27pm
Unless the agent did it on purpose--there's a decent chance of that. At 1 pm they said "no" (basically, "release me") and at 1:25 "we've had second, thoughts, let's do it." So already, Doom's camp was of two minds about it. I wonder why....
With pass rushers (and CBs?!?!) not really getting premium dough like in years past, they held Elway's feet to the fire as long as they could and he did not quite yell uncle. They know for certain that $12M is out of reach. Depending on what the cap hit was for Den on Doom's earlier bonii not spread over the remaining year, Den probably can't pony up $8 M either any more. But they're still interested at "about that price," which is a solid data point for the agent as he shops Doom elsewhere. And whatever was happening at his office between 1 pm and 2:07 pm may have involved frantic calls to other teams where some GM may have said "Oh, I don't know... nine mil?" resulting in a delayed fax back.
X-filesesque conspiracy theory? Maybe. Possible reality? I'd give it a 40% chance of being what really happened. 20% chance that the agent's new assistants, Larry, Moe, and Curley broke the fax machine, and the other 40% is aliens.
#45 by Bright Blue Shorts // Mar 16, 2013 - 11:38am
Plus there's the chance that Denver doesn't bother to release Doom at 1:59am which then means he gets the full $12 million.
#62 by Ed Schoenfeld (not verified) // Mar 18, 2013 - 11:18pm
If that's the reasoning, why did Dumerville fire the agent?
#17 by Jim C. (not verified) // Mar 15, 2013 - 5:00pm
Baltimore trades Flacco to New England! For real!
Um, except it's the Orioles trading bush leaguer Mike Flacco to the Bosox. Mike is Joe's little brother.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-trade-mike-flacco-to-boston-red-sox-20130315,0,616804.story
#25 by The Hypno-Toad // Mar 15, 2013 - 8:11pm
I am so full of Dumervil related hatreds right now that I just don't know what to do with them all. I hope his so-called agent is eaten by coyotes.
#26 by The Hypno-Toad // Mar 15, 2013 - 8:19pm
To clarify, my hatreds are about the story. Not about Dumervil himself, who I love.
#28 by Rick S (not verified) // Mar 15, 2013 - 8:28pm
The only other player Dumervilles agent represents is Travis Henry...
Dumerville will likely end up in Houston or Atlanta
#36 by Mr Shush // Mar 16, 2013 - 6:07am
Dumervil certainly fills a need in Houston, but I doubt they can afford him. There's a reason guys like Glover Quin and Connor Barwin won't be coming back, and it's not that they weren't wanted.
#54 by JDOE (not verified) // Mar 17, 2013 - 11:26am
I would love to see Miami blow 8 Mil a year to see him play opposite Cameron Wake. Hey, I can dream.
#29 by justanothersteve // Mar 15, 2013 - 8:51pm
While I won't be happy seeing Jennings in purple and white, I do wish him well. He's always been a class guy and if he stays healthy we'll find out if Ponder is any good.
#34 by Will Allen // Mar 16, 2013 - 12:12am
It'll be interesting to see the numbers. Chances are the Vikings had to overpay; that's the conumdrum of drafting a qb in the upper half of the first round, if he doesn't pull a Luck, and you don't have good wide-outs. You can't be sure if he looks so pedestrian because he is inexperienced, and lacking good targets, or if it is due to the fact that you shouldn't have drafted him. So you pay too much to get something as a receiver, just to answer the question.
What discourages me is that, well past his 20th start, Ponder is still largely being babied, and not asked to make reads of the whole field. I may be wrong, but I think a guy, for example, like Eli was pretty much tossed into the deep end from the start, and was expected to swim. Yeah, he drowned a few times, but they ended up wth a guy who they could trust on the biggest stage. We'll see what happens with The Ponderous One.
(edit) Ah, I see it's a five year deal with 18 million guaranteed. I expected it to be pricier. Hope he stays on the field.
#35 by DisplacedPackerFan // Mar 16, 2013 - 12:27am
I think he will be healthier. The abdominal surgery he had seemed to clear up most of the problems based on his late season play. The hamstring issues are likely unrelated but they weren't the big issue, the groin and back issues were all related to the abdominal issues, and the fact he got the 2nd opinion and the surgery despite what the Packers wanted him to do, I think will matter.
#38 by dryheat // Mar 16, 2013 - 10:20am
As irritating as Percy Harvin can be (and nobody is the NFL gives me the Haynesworthian "Screw it, I got paid, I'm checking out" vibe like Harvin), I think his attitude in re: Ponder speaks volumes.
#30 by RickD // Mar 15, 2013 - 10:59pm
So we're saying that Elvis has left the building?
#46 by Jimmy // Mar 16, 2013 - 11:49am
+1
#31 by RickD // Mar 15, 2013 - 11:04pm
Adrian Wilson to Pats.
Well, that's good news.
#33 by Bobman // Mar 15, 2013 - 11:29pm
That, sir, depends entirely on your perspective!
#39 by dmstorm22 // Mar 16, 2013 - 10:37am
Can someone who remembers better than I explain the similarities (if any) between what happened with Dumervil and what happened with TO back in '04, who's agent filed late for FA, then he was traded to the Ravens, but the NFL ruled that he could be released and free to sign with the Eagles?
#41 by Karl Cuba // Mar 16, 2013 - 10:51am
The Owens snafu was a result of a dispute over the start of the league year. If I remember correctly, the contract specified a particular date and the start ofnthe league year had been moved for some reason. At least that's what I can recall off the top of my head.
#42 by Will Allen // Mar 16, 2013 - 10:54am
I think an arbitrator made that ruling, as the NFL maintained that the trade was valid. If Dumervil doesn't get something close to an offer that matches the Broncos', I suspect he'll fire is agent, and then have new representation appeal to an arbitrator as well, but I really don't know the specifics of the current CBA in that regard.
#56 by Bobman // Mar 18, 2013 - 12:47am
Very prescient, Will. Agent fired. It really is a sticky story--which we've all probably read, but I'll recap anyway. The agent only took over as Doom's agent when his old agent died. Therefore any extension of the old agent's contract would have a split commission with the estate of deceased agent and new agent. But if the Bronco's deal terminated, all future Doom commissions belong to the new agent.
A bit of an ethical dilemma for the new (now fired) agent, Magid. With Doom firing him (and maybe the NFLPA decertifying him soon?) Magid has just one NFL client. For now. Will the league step in and say "we clearly had intent here and it was undermined by this jerk we just black-balled, so if both sides want to, we'll turn back the clock, just this once"??? I doubt it, because it has cap advantages for Denver and 31 other owners might not take so kindly to it. And not the Ravens and Steelers seem to be expressing interest, which would not have been possible if he had stayed on the Broncos.
#57 by The Hypno-Toad // Mar 18, 2013 - 2:44am
Man, that would be great. But I think that the chances of the NFL bending the rules on this are pretty much zero. If Dumervil winds up back with the Broncos, it will be through some fancy cap/contract work that partially negates the impact of the 4.85 (or so) million of dead money from his dead contract while including enough money up front to make Doom happy.
I don't know enough about the restrictions on NFL contracts (particularly any restrictions on year-to-year base salary imbalances) to know if that's even feasible. All I know is that as a Bronco fan and a comic book dork, I am pretty much unwilling to part with the concept of having a two man pass rush threat which in my head I call (Victor) Von Doom.
As a fan, I hate this situation. He's been mostly excellent other than the year that he missed with a torn pectoral. He's done everything that has been asked of him. Switching to OLB under Nolan, switching back to DE under Allen, accepting a complementary role once Von was drafted, accepting a redefinition of his role as almost a decoy rushing from a 9-tech in order to free things up for Von when Del Rio arrived, accepting a pay cut after a double-digit sack season from that decoy-ish position.
As a fan of him, I would absolutely love to see him back with the Broncos, but I think the dead money hitting the cap and the kind of shady circumstances surrounding the end of that contract will wind up with him going somewhere else. The Broncos will be trying to get him to sign a deal with a 2013 cap number around 3-4 million, and I just don't think that work out. Some other team that's willing to have a cap number closer to 6-7 million is going to wind up with an excellent player who is sincerely willing to put his interests behind those of the team if the situation calls for it, but is capable of being the featured player on a good defense. I wish him luck... Especially if he somehow winds up back in Denver.
#58 by The Hypno-Toad // Mar 18, 2013 - 2:46am
Wow. Thus ends my unintentionally novel-length love letter to Elvis Dumervil, I guess.
#60 by commissionerleaf // Mar 18, 2013 - 11:36am
I mostly agree with the novel-length letter.
If Dumervil's cap number is going to be in the $4M range, it is really, really hard to get him enough money that he can stay. I suppose you can shoot him a big bonus, but then there's a lot of dead money on an aging pass rusher's contract...
#59 by Will Allen // Mar 18, 2013 - 8:27am
I love that the agent announced his own firing, by saying that Dumervil said that "he wanted to go in another direction". My guess is that Dumervil stated his desire with a more colorful metaphor.
#49 by Go pats (not verified) // Mar 16, 2013 - 2:52pm
Talib back in the fold, woohoo! Now let's get vollmer back and Edelman hopefully as well
#64 by The Hypno-Toad // Mar 20, 2013 - 12:40am
Has anyone seen any details about the Broncos' offer to Dumervil? I've poked around a bit, but haven't seen anything at all.
I know that many of you on this site are way more plugged in regarding NFL scuttlebutt (read: more informed) than I am so I thought it would be worth a shot to put out the question here.