Open Thread: Free Agency Begins
The “legal tampering” period of free agency is underway. From noon Saturday through 4 p.m. Tuesday, teams are allowed to negotiate with the representation of pending free agents. No deals can be executed during this time, but this is when many of the contracts get hammered out.
We’ll update the post with all the latest. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
12:21: Camp Vick’s focus seems to be mainly on the Jets at the moment and less on the Bucs. Still some uncertainty as to where Michael Vick ends up, but New York seems like the best bet for now. — TM
1:20: Panthers safety Mike Mitchell is expected to hit the open market, according to the Charlotte Observer. We wrote about Mitchell last month. He’s a mid-tier option worth keeping an eye on. Per the report, the Falcons could have some interest in his services. –SK
2:59: We have some (non-Eagles) action.
Jaguars head into free agency with some momentum: reached agreement with former Seahawks DT Red Bryant on a 4-yr deal.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2014
3:03: Best bet is that Bengals DE/OLB Michael Johnson is headed to the NFC. Eagles have shown some interest. Don’t think they ultimately pay what promises to be pretty high price tag for his services, though. Vikings, maybe? — TM
3:43: Miami Dolphins veteran nose tackle Paul Soliai is most likely gone, according to The Miami Herald. The 30-year-old will be considered a stop-gap option for 3-4 teams. The 6-4, 340-pounder figures to come off the field in sub packages. He played 48.1 percent of Miami’s snaps last year, per Pro Football Focus. If the Eagles aren’t sold on Bennie Logan as their starting nose tackle, Soliai could get a look. –SK
4:17: No dice on Michael Johnson. There are a few teams in the mix as negotiations come down to the wire, and the Eagles are not among them. Looks like the Cincinnati edge rusher is going to get paid pretty handsomely. Out of Eagles’ desired price range.
5:50:
Hearing Bears, Eagles, Broncos and Falcons showing interest in CAR safety Mike Mitchell.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) March 8, 2014
9:19: The Rams are one of the teams showing interest in Jairus Byrd, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
9:57 (Sunday): Things have been relatively quiet on the T.J. Ward front, but Rapoport says the Lions are one of the teams that has shown interest. –SK
9:58 (Sunday): Mike Rodak of ESPN.com suggests the Bills could be in the mix for Malcolm Jenkins to replace Byrd. It will be interesting to see how the mid-tier safety market plays out.
Fwiw: source says the redskins called about Carolina s mike Mitchell very early in the process Saturday. No surprise. Speculated long time
— John Keim (@john_keim) March 9, 2014
1:27 (Sunday): Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen was listed as a potential target for the Eagles, but it looks like he is staying put.
DE Everson Griffen is re-signing with the Vikings on a huge 5-year deal, per source
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2014
3:39 (Sunday): The Eagles checked in on Oakland’s LaMarr Houston, per Geoff Mosher of CSN Philly. He’s an interesting name and someone who can line up in a variety of places (standing up, DE, DT). But the report suggests he’ll likely be priced out of the Eagles’ range.
3:45 (Sunday):
#Redskins, #Eagles showing most interest in #Panthers free agent safety Mike Mitchell, per league source.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) March 9, 2014
Monday: We’ve started a new open thread. Click here for Monday’s updates.