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2013 Free Agency Live Blog: Day 7

We survived the first week of free agency! The first wave is done (and some of the second wave as well) and now comes the value shopping for all of those free agents who didn't cash in with the big deals during the initial rush.

As always, we’ll have the blog manned around the clock to update with PFF notes and comments on each bit of free agent news, but make sure you're caught up on what's gone before by clicking on the past days' entries for our takes:

Countdown to FA | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

You can also catch up to us on Twitter, and browse our exhaustive Free Agent Tracker that comes complete with 2012 PFF player grades and snap counts. And, if you want more detail than that, then you really need to get yourself a PFF Premium Subscription.

What will Day 7 Bring? Check in with us throughout the day to find out!

(Updates will be hourly today.)

 

23:00 Update

Not pertaining to this year’s free agency period, but this evening's news was flavored by the NFL’s announcement of the compensatory picks tied to last offseason’s free agent moves. Including three third-rounders handed out (to Houston, Kansas City, and Tennessee), the list adds a total of 32 picks to April’s draft. Some of the big-name FAs factoring in to those highest comp picks, you’ll remember, were Mario Williams, Brandon Carr, and Cortland Finnegan. In all, the Falcons and Ravens received the most picks (four each), just ahead of the Titans and 49ers (three). Yep, the two teams that competed for the title last season now have a combined 26 picks next month (including the one they recently swapped for Boldin).

22:00 Update – a busy hour!

SIGNING! Adam Schefter shared the news that the Tennessee Titans have quickly filled the backup QB hole created by letting Matt Hasselbeck go earlier in the day as they signed the former Bill, Ryan Fitzpatrick to a two-year deal. The move replaces the league’s quickest trigger (Hasselbeck: 2.35 sec time to attempt) with the fourth-quickest (Fitzpatrick: 2.61), though it also swaps out our 24th-ranked QB in 2012 for the 35th (of 38).

SIGNING! As many have reported might be happening, it looks like Matt Hasselbeck landed on his feet rather quickly after being relieved of his Titans responsibilities. He’ll be brought in to Indianapolis to serve again as a quality backup and mentor for a young QB, though, barring injury, there'll be no chatter of him pushing for playing time in this case.

SIGNING! Per Ian Rapoport, linebacker Parys Harralson has agreed to a one-year $1.3m deal to return with the 49ers after spending 2012 on I.R. Haralson’s snaps had diminished in each of the three seasons prior to his injury as the 49er LB corps was molded into its current form. In his last action (2011) he turned in 151 pass-rushing snaps and 14 total QB disruptions for a PRP of just 7.3 (26th of 32 qualifying 3-4 OLBs). He fared better against the run, logging 17 stops on 236 run D snaps (a 7.2 Run Stop %) to claim the eighth spot among his position mates.

21.00 Update

RUMOR! While the Raiders have added a number of quality defensive players on a budget, one of their former players is getting a look from many teams. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that Michael Huff has seen interest from the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans. In Huff's years with the Raiders he has shown versatility by playing safety and also cornerback when the Raiders have been thin at the position. Huff played mostly cornerback in 2012, where he had a very up and down year. In seven games he allowed 22 receiving yards or less, but in the other nine games he allowed 45 or more yards. Both Baltimore and Dallas probably need Huff the most with the Ravens cutting Bernard Pollard while Ed Reed is a free agent, and Dallas had trouble at the position all last year.

20.00 Update

RUMOR! While there are whispers of where the backups quarterbacks of the league might go, there is still a big market of older pass rushers available. This includes Elvis Dumervil, whom the Ravens have interest in according to the Denver Post. After losing Paul Kruger in free agency, the Ravens have a big need for an outside pass rusher. First round rookie Courtney Upshaw was outstanding in stopping the run, but his Pass Rushing Productivity of 5.4 was second worst for 3-4 outside linebackers. Teammate Terrell Suggs wasn't much better at 5.6 which was third worst. While ideally the Ravens can also get more of a long term solution as Suggs and Dumervil aren't getting any younger, it would still be an upgrade from what they currently have.

19.00 Update

RUMOR! From the twitter account of John Clayton, there’s some speculating going on as he attends to owners meeting. That speculation that he’s been led to believe? That Miami could trade one of their second round picks to Kansas City to fill their left tackle spot with the franchised Branden Albert. If they could get a healthy Albert then it would be an upgrade on what they got at the position last year with Albert ranking 25th in our tackle rankings and Jake Long 46th.

RUMOR! Today was a day when the backup quarterback market came alive. We heard about Ryan Fitzpatrick visiting with teams earlier, then were informed of the release of Matt Hasselbeck. Now? Well Jason Campbell is in the mix with news that those pesky Titans are looking at him while Indianapolis are also discussing terms with Hasselbeck to make him the deputy for Andrew Luck (per Mike Garafolo).

18.00 Update

RUMOR! The Bears just lost their blocking tight end while the Texans never really replaced Joel Dreessen. Why do we mention this? Well both are showing interest in former collegiate offensive linemen and current blocking tight end Steve Manieri per Jeff Dickerson. He earned every bit of his +5.3 grade for blocking even if he didn’t exactly contribute much (five receptions for 50 yards) in the passing game.

SIGNING! You have to like the business the Raiders are doing. In limited action Vance Walker impressed for Atlanta, and now Oakland have signed him up. The former seventh round pick played 598 snaps and earned a +8.9 grade. He should assume a starting role for the Raiders on early downs.

SIGNING! He earned a -15.4 rating as a starter for the Colts this year but that hasn’t stopped them bringing back Cassius Vaughn on a one-year deal. With the signing of Greg Toler it’s hard to see him matching his 2012 snap total of 885 (including playoffs).

RUMOR! The Raiders lost their pass catching tight end Brandon Myers and are the first documented team to show any interest in Kellen Winslow per Ian Rapoport. Winslow is reportedly healthy after manging just four snaps in 2012 with the Patriots. Between 2009 and 2011 he was averaging 802 yards a season so it can’t hurt to see how his knees are holding up at this stage.

17.00 Update

RELEASE! It seemed on the cards when the Titans brought in Ryan Fitzpatrick, but they've now confirmed they're releasing backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The former Seahawk got 407 snaps worth of action and earned a +3.0 grade last year, showing there's still something left in the tank. We'd expect him to have no problem finding a backup job if he wants it.

SIGNING! Good news Dallas fans, you’ve made a signing. Well more of a re-signing actually. Ernie Sims is coming back on a one year deal. Sims has never lived up the billing as a former top 10 pick, earning some of the lowest grades we’ve ever given to a linebacker. In fact since 2008 he’s earned a -117.5 grade and he hasn’t even been a starter every year. If you look at plays of him in isolation he comes across as a useful player. If you look at the body of work he is the ultimate liability.

VISIT! The Bears haven't managed to lock down their free agent defensive lineman Israel Idonije, and they may be prepared to move on without him. They're hosting former Saints defensive end Turk McBride according to Jeff Dickerson. He only played 141 snaps on the field in 2012, earning a -4.0 grade during and has never delivered on being a former second round pick. He'd be quite the drop off.

16.00 Update

SIGNING! While the news this hour isn't all that exciting, the New York Jets re-signed their long snapper Tanner Purdum. The news isn't surprising as most long snappers who hit free agency have already signed with their old team. The exceptions are in Tampa Bay where the Buccaneers signed Andrew DePaola to a futures contract to likely replace unrestricted free agent Andrew Economos, and in Kansas City who had Thomas Gafford last year and currently are without a long snapper.

RUMOR! Pro Football Talk is also reporting that both the Lions and Dolphins have shown interest in Osi Umenyiora. While there has been plenty of talk about pass rushers over the age of 30 in the past week, but so far John Abraham, Umenyiora, Elvis Dumervil, Dwight Freeney and James Harrison amongst others are all available. The Lions are currently more in need of his services with just Ronnell Lewis and Willie Young on the roster, with Jason Jones better suited at defensive tackle. Umenyiora's 8.6 Pass Rushing Productivity puts him at an above average pass rusher in the league.

16.00 Update

RUMOR! The Bears just lost their blocking tight end while the Texans never really replaced Joel Dreessen. Why do we mention this? Well both are showing interest in former collegiate offensive linemen and current blocking tight end Steve Manieri per Jeff Dickerson. He earned every bit of his +5.3 grade for blocking even if he didn’t exactly contribute much (five receptions for 50 yards) in the passing game.

SIGNING! You have to like the business the Raiders are doing. In limited action Vance Walker impressed for Atlanta, and now Oakland have signed him up. The former seventh round pick played 598 snaps and earned a +8.9 grade. He should assume a starting role for the Raiders on early downs.

SIGNING! He earned a -15.4 rating as a starter for the Colts this year but that hasn’t stopped them bringing back Cassius Vaughn on a one-year deal. With the signing of Greg Toler it’s hard to see him matching his 2012 snap total of 885 (including playoffs).

RUMOR! The Raiders lost their pass catching tight end Brandon Myers and are the first documented team to show any interest in Kellen Winslow per Ian Rapoport. Winslow is reportedly healthy after manging just four snaps in 2012 with the Patriots. Between 2009 and 2011 he was averaging 802 yards a season so it can’t hurt to see how his knees are holding up at this stage.

15.00 Update

SIGNINGS! The New Orleans Saints were a busy team this hour, signing tight end Ben Watson from the Cleveland Browns as well as re-signing linebacker Ramon Humber. Watson will replace Dave Thomas who was released earlier this off-season and provide an upgrade in the passing game. Watson caused seven players to miss tackles on him, which was the same amount as Saints starter Jimmy Graham but on 36 less catches. Humber had the second most special teams tackles for the Saints at eight last year, and will likely remain a special teams player.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Branden Albert will reportedly sign his franchise tender. This move guarantees that the Chiefs can't remove the franchise tender, which would have put Albert back in the free agent pool. Earlier today it was reported that the Chiefs would be open to trading Albert. While there are a number of good right tackles on the market, the left tackle market isn't as good which increases the chances of Kansas City finding a trade partner.

14.00 Update

SIGNING! The Jets haven’t spent big this offseason but they’ve made some smart additions as they go about rebuilding their roster in this transitional phase. The latest signing, as broken by his own twitter feed, is that of Antwan Barnes. He’s done exceptionally well for himself in a limited role, contributing as a rusher for the Chargers in their sub package defense. He didn’t play much in 2012, but go back to 2011 and you see a guy who chalked up 45 combined sacks, hits and hurries on 265 pass rushes.

SIGNING! The Redskins have been busy bringing in a lot of right tackles, and now they've brought one back in the shape of Tyler Polumbus. It would be wrong to say Polumbus graded out well in our system, and judging by the signings of Jeremy Trueblood and Tony Pashos, the same holds true with that Washington have seen. He got a two-year deal despite being our lowest ranked right tackle on the year.

You have to feel bad for Brandon Stokley. He showed he still had something left in the tank with a productive 2012 season as the Broncos slot receiver. Unfortunately for him the Wes Welker signing kind of made him redundant, and at 37 years old just who is going to take a chance on him. He realizes this but who knows what will happen in the NFL? There's bound to be a team out there that gets desperate and decides that the receiver who picked up the eighth most yards from the slot of all receivers last year is worth a shot.

13.00 Update

The Panthers are up against the cap so what don't they need? A player under contract realizing they're grossly underpaid. When we did our Performance Based Value reports, nobody was more undervalued by the Panthers than Greg Hardy. So now, according to the Charlotte Observer Hardy wants himself a big fat extension befitting his talents, and given he's watched guys like Cliff Avril and Michael Johnson strike it rich without playing as well as him, it's easy to see why. He was our sixth ranked defensive end.

RUMOR! Bit of news breaking this hour. Let's start with Miami who have certainly done their bit to make themselves the main attraction in free agency. They're nearing a deal with Nate Garner per Adam Beasley. Garner is a great lineman to have on the roster, capable of filling in at a number of spots and doing a decent job. Like last year when an injury to Jake Long saw him come in and play right tackle for the last four games of the season. Outside of a disappointing Week 17 showing me more than held up, and while the right tackle spot appears to be open, we'd look for him to return to his role as valuable backup.

12.00 Update

SIGNING! According to Adam Schefter, the Bengals have re-signed LB Rey Maualuga to a two-year, $6.5 million deal. There are rumors floating that Maualuga may shift to the strong side after a disastrous 2012 season playing in the middle as he was our lowest rated ILB at -26.3, including a position-worst -17.2 coverage grade. He also ranked as the fifth-worst tackler among inside linebackers as he missed one out of every 7.3 attempts. Even if Maualuga does switch positions, opening the door for second-year linebacker Vontaze Burfict to take over in the middle, it's a questionable move by the Bengals, especially with a few linebacker options still on the market.

The Saints have announced through their Twitter account that they've re-signed WR Courtney Roby. He's played sporadically on offense since we started grading in 2008 as he's only seen the field for 79 snaps in five years, but he's notched 43 special teams during that time while doubling as the Saints' kick returner from 2008-2010.

11.00 Update

Our own @PFF_Khaled looked at what James Harrison could still bring to an NFL franchise last week. But while Khaled still think he has something to offer, the market isn’t there for him at this time. The often fined former Steeler isn’t drawing much interest according to Peter King and will inevitably have to play for a lot less than he was scheduled to make with Pittsburgh.

10.00 Update

RUMOR! Cut by the Raiders after failing to deliver on a massive contract, Darrius Heyward-Bey is apparently on the radar of the Jets according to Pro Football Talk. As you can see from this study we produced earlier today, “DHB” only caught 25 first downs and touchdowns combined, a lowly 4.9 of his routes converted. That was the 13th lowest of all receivers. Make of that what you will.

09.00 Update

It's quiet but we're expecting a busier day after a very quiet weekend. Keep up to date with all the free agent goings on (and see who is still available) with our free agent tracker.

08.00 Update

An interesting note from Adam Schefter who reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers made a late move to acquire the services of Jake Long. How they would have done this with no cap room is interesting, but it’s telling what they think of their tackles currently, and implies an interest in what is out there. For what it’s worth they’ve spent two early picks in the last two drafts on tackles, with Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert. Gilbert has impressed but struggled to stay on the field in 2012 while Adams had the usual rookies problems, but had enough good games you’d like to see more of him.

07.00 Update

RUMOR! This comes courtesy of Mary Kay Cabot who reports that Josh Cribbs is visiting with the Cardinals and will take a physical with the team. The obvious conclusion is that a deal is close and Arizona will add one of the most explosive returners in the league to their ranks. Cribbs has longed to be more involved offensively, and even saw 567 snaps in 2011, but you’d have to think Arizona isn’t a place where he’ll get a chance to show he’s capable of more.

06.00 Update

VISIT! The Bengals lost their backup quarterback when Bruce Gradkowski departed for Pittsburgh, but they’re making moves to fix that according to Geoff Hobson. They’re bringing in former Bills starter Ryan Fitzpatrick for a visit. As bad a starter as Fitzpatrick had become, he would become one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. He finished 35th in our quarterback rankings last year while Andy Dalton was 25th.

3:00 Update

In the news that broke overnight (and finished off our Day 6 Blog), our Steve Palazzolo wrote:

The final news item of the day is a huge one as Pro Football Talk reports that Jake Long has officially signed with the Rams with Ian Rapoport reporting that the contract is for four years and worth up to $36 million. Multiple sources indicate that Long took his time in making a final decision between the Rams and the Dolphins, but in the end, he decided to leave the team that drafted him to join the rugged battle in the NFC West. Jake now joins Chris Long as the top two picks from the 2008 draft unite in St. Louis.

Jake ranked as our No. 2 offensive tackle in both 2009 and 2010 before falling to No. 21 in 2011. Injuries affected his performance in 2012, including a season-ending torn triceps, on his way to a career low -0.4 overall grade. The Rams are hoping he bounces back to his elite form and they'll likely move third-year left tackle Rodger Saffold to the right side after he posted the first positive grade of his career at +8.6.










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