NFL Free Agency, Draft, etc. news (Brandon Albert to Miami)

[Messiah]

Anything that you don't think is major enough to be made into a thread can be thrown into here, hopefully organized by me in this post (but don't count on it!). The most important of the recent news goes into the topic title.

Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta to release '12 Pro Bowler FS Thomas Decoud

Baltimore Ravens
Ravens and TE Pitta agree to a 5 year, $32 million deal

Carolina Panthers
OT Jordan Gross retires
Carolina Panthers inform Greg Hardy that he will be franchise tagged
Panthers re-sign K Gano to a 4 year deal

Cleveland Browns
Cleveland releases MLB D'Qwell Jackson

New York Jets
Jets likely to release disappointing WR Santonio Holmes
The Jets tag K Nick Folk

Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles re-sign Riley Cooper to a 4 year deal
Eagles and OT Jason Peters agree to a 4 year, $41.35M extension
Eagles and C Jason Kelce agree to a 6 year extension
Eagles and Maclin agree to a 1 year deal

Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks expected to release DE Red Bryant
Seahawks release WR Sidney Rice

[Everlong]

hopefully organized by me in this post (but don't count on it!).

4 year deal for Cooper is a bit of a surprise. What were his stats like this year? Didn't think he was worth a commitment of that length. Good for him though.

Also, what kind of effect do you think Gross's retirement will have on the Panthers?

[Messiah]

Also, what kind of effect do you think Gross's retirement will have on the Panthers?

I will just say this. If Carolina makes the postseason next season, Ron Rivera is the best head coach in the NFL or Cam Newton went to an even higher level than before. That team has so many issues because of their ex-GM Marty Hurney that I feel bad for Gettleman, who is doing as good of a job as he can to try and build a long-term contender. The media doesn't do their homework so most of the NFL does not understand the issues currently with Carolina's team but here is the rundown in its simplest form (I know you only asked about JG's retirement but it kind of connects).

Jordan Gross retiring leaves Carolina with 2 of its 3 best offensive lineman off the team. And it wasn't a strong unit to begin with. They have nobody on the team capable of playing left tackle partially because there is only one tackle on the team with actual in-game experience in the first place, and he isn't even a high quality right tackle. This is a deep tackle class in the draft but Carolina is picking at 28th in which the three best tackles won't fall far enough. This is a deep left tackle class in free agency as well but Carolina doesn't have any money. Mind you, I guess if you googled and saw they had $19 or so million of cap space available, you would think I was lying to you. But that is only because Carolina has 21 free agents. 3 of their starting DBs from last year are FAs, leaving only UDFA Melvin White as a starter in the secondary currently. Greg Hardy is as good as gone. I have never seen a player so public about his intentions to follow the green trail. Hardy has openly admitted several times he will go to whichever team offers him the most money. Maybe they would be fine if it wasn't for the fact they will need to figure out what to do with Cam Newton soon as well. He is the franchise quarterback and is a clear priority, but what is crippling them as well is the ridiculous contracts given to DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Even worse than both of those contracts, however, was one given to Steve Smith, who is due $7m in 2014 and $10m in 2015. Basically, barring him agreeing to a paycut or voiding his contract before the 2015 season (cutting him doesn't really help them this year but it is the future that matters; Smith is below average at best nowadays), he will be cut.

Which leads to another issue. If Steve Smith is cut, Carolina's top 4 wide receivers from last year will no longer be on the roster. So, yeah. They are paying 2 RBs a shit ton of money and yet they haven't had a quality running game since 2011. So basically Carolina is a team with a bunch of free agents, players who they will need to extend soon (Cam Newton and in 2015, Luke Kuechly), and very limited cap space. Marty Hurney ruined them.

What Gross' retirement now does for Carolina is make trying to repair them and make them a playoff contender in 2014 in an ultra-competitive NFC conference as tough as any front office job in the NFL. They wanted Gross back because they are suffering from dead money because of him this upcoming season I believe despite his contract voiding and now they have a gigantic hole in an offensive line that has a bunch of question marks. It is unreasonable to expect the defense to perform as well as it did last year again in '14, where for majority of the season it was on par and at times better than Seattle's defense, and Newton honestly has no chance with his surrounding cast. It is why I always found it a joke when people criticized Newton for Carolina's lack of success. Cam Newton is the offense in Carolina. And with Jordan Gross retiring and Smith's likely release (but I do think there is a chance they find a way to keep him in town), it takes a ton of veteran presence out of the locker room and it doesn't help with a good amount of starters leaving. I think Gettleman is a fantastic GM for them but he has been thrown in a tough situation as has Rivera. It's going to take one hell of a coaching job to get them back to the postseason next year.

4 year deal for Cooper is a bit of a surprise. What were his stats like this year? Didn't think he was worth a commitment of that length. Good for him though.

Depends on the money, but Cooper did have a solid season. Showed the ability to get open for Foles and had 47 receptions for 800+ yards and 8 TDs. He isn't anything special but a guy you like to have around for your offense because he is reliable.

[The Legend]

Also, Jerry Jones has said that the Cowboys will most likely release DeMarcus Ware.

[Messiah]

A source informed of the negotiations tells NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport that Kelce's six-year extension is worth $37.5 million with $13 million guaranteed and an annual average of $6.25 million.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200000 ... -contracts

Kelce has proven to be a top 3 center in the NFL over the past 2 years.

[Everlong]

Also, Jerry Jones has said that the Cowboys will most likely release DeMarcus Ware.

Whaaaat? I'm assuming he's declined in skill? I had no idea. If so, that's a really fast drop-off.

[Messiah]

Also, Jerry Jones has said that the Cowboys will most likely release DeMarcus Ware.

Whaaaat? I'm assuming he's declined in skill? I had no idea. If so, that's a really fast drop-off.

Not just that but he's injury prone, old, and costs way too much money. Just one of those moves that unfortunately has to be done if a team expects to be competitive.

I've heard Polamalu could get released too.

[Everlong]

Jets are expected to cut Santonio Holmes. Probably about time. Always injured and never lives up to expectations.

[The Legend]

Jets are expected to cut Santonio Holmes. Probably about time. Always injured and never lives up to expectations.

And really old. I remember when he played at Ohio State like 100 years ago. (or 8-10)

[motionmann]

I'm really hoping Seattle can keep Tate, Baldwin, and Bennent. However, realistically I see them only keeping two. Don't ask me which two I'd want to keep however because I love all three of them. Going to be hard to see one of them walk.

[The Legend]

I'm really hoping Seattle can keep Tate, Baldwin, and Bennent. However, realistically I see them only keeping two. Don't ask me which two I'd want to keep however because I love all three of them. Going to be hard to see one of them walk.

I'll make it easy for you. You need Bennett, the defensive line and the pressure they apply is what makes Seattle as good as they are. This draft is incredibly deep at WR you'll find someone to replace and probably be better than Tate or Baldwin.

[Romo]

Also, Jerry Jones has said that the Cowboys will most likely release DeMarcus Ware.

Whaaaat? I'm assuming he's declined in skill? I had no idea. If so, that's a really fast drop-off.

not really, I mean he missed 3 games last season and always seemed to be battling injuries when playing, finished with 6.5 sacks which was down 5 from the season before, it's Jerry Jones being a idiot again, a few days prior he said that he couldn't "fathom" a Cowboys defense without DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys are rumoured to be around $21million over the salary cap and cutting Ware would cut it by around $8million.

All in all it is mostly down to the fact that Jerry Jones hasn't been able to handle the salary cap and now its coming back to bite him in butt and could end up losing one of the best pass rushers in the NFL!

[SKS]

Good moves for the Eagles so far.

Kelce and Peters are great lineman, and Cooper is a pretty good receiver. I think only 5 or 7 mil is guaranteed.

[The Legend]

Apparently the Browns are also planning on cutting starting DE Ahtyba Rubin. Rubin can really play, man I hate it when a new regime comes in and decides it needs their own toys and not the former regime's players.

[Messiah]

https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/sta ... 0775674880

Panthers will be tagging Hardy.

There goes a nice chunk of their cap space. Interesting to see how they approach this. I imagine they will try to get a long term deal done.

[Messiah]

Eagles re-sign Jeremy Maclin to a 1 year deal

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status ... 4164212736

[The Legend]

^^^ Yeah, it's just an extension of their negotiating time.

[Messiah]

^^^ Yeah, it's just an extension of their negotiating time.

Yeah, I think they will try to spread out the money a good amount.

Also, Pitta and Ravens agree to a 5 year deal worth $32 million. Some other news put into the opening post.

[Everlong]

[Everlong]

As far as the Packers go, multiple sources are saying BJ Raji and Ryan Pickett will both not be re-signed. Johnny Jolly on the other hand...