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The new league year is upon us as it begins on Tuesday at 4:00 PM EST. With rumors abounding throughout the three-day ‘legal tampering’ window we opted to start a live thread that will take us through all the action.

You can find all of the latest news as it breaks via this thread. So bookmark it and check back as we inch closer to deals becoming official.

Wednesday

6:00 pm: Thanks to everyone that followed along. We will officially be signing off our live free agency thread. If any big signings happen we will be posting a story as soon as possible. It’s been fun and thanks for helping us break our single day pageviews mark yesterday. The growth of our community has been overwhelming as we continue to do what we love. Big thanks to all those avid readers and we are currently working on a new three round mock draft that will be out Friday morning.

5:31 pm: Adam Schefter reports the Oakland Raiders have inked former Brown OLB Kaluka Maiava to a 3-year, $6 million deal.

5:27 pm: Per his agent, Drew Stanton has signed a three-year deal to join the Arizona Cardinals. It’s a reunion of former Michigan State quarterbacks as Stanton joins his MSU predecessor, Brian Hoyer.

5:14 pm: Matt Maiocco reports there’s mutual interest between the San Francisco 49ers and Nnamdi Asomugha.

5:13 pm: Alex Marvez reports the Cardinals have signed WR/KR Josh Cribbs. Cardinals also inked Lorenzo Alexander.

5:04 pm: Jason La Canfora reports the Cardinals have cut safety Kerry Rhodes.

4:52 pm: Albert Breer reports the Broncos and Wes Welker agree on a two-year deal.

4:35 pm: Ian Rapaport reports the Titans reached a 3-year, $11.4 million deal with DT Sammie Lee Hill.

4:27 pm: Pro Football Talk reports TE Dustin Keller is taking a physical in Miami and working on terms of a deal.

4:26 pm: Adam Schefter reports CB Drayton Florence agrees to one-year deal with Panthers.

4:16 pm: John Elway tweeted the Broncos agreed to a one-year deal with LB Stewart Bradley.

4:08 pm: Mike Giardi of CSNNE reports Wes Welker has went back to the Patriots to see if they will match the Broncos offer.

4:05 pm: Rob Demovsky reports the Packers and free agent RB Steven Jackson are talking about a three-year deal.

3:55 pm: Adam Schefter reports the Titans have reached an agreement on a 3-year deal worth $10 million with former Jet RB Shonn Greene.

3:23 pm: Greg Bedard reports deal between Broncos and WR Wes Welker is “very likely”. Read the rest of this entry » «2013 NFL Free Agency Live Thread»

Jason Bridge-US PRESSWIRE
Mike Wallace Miami Bound?

Last week we ranked the top fifty (possible) free agents with our best guesses on where they would land. The franchise tags have been doled out, drastically changing our top fifty. March 12 will mark the beginning of free agency, so I would expect this list to change over the course of the next six days as teams look to lock up their own guys before they can hit the open market on the 12th.

1. Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers, WR, 27

The Browns and Dolphins could be locked in a bidding war for the services of the speedy Wallace. At the end of the day, the Dolphins win out on this one as they get aggressive at just shy of $12 million a season.

Destination Point: Miami for five years, $58.5 million

2. Sebastian Vollmer, New England Patriots, OT, 28

Vollmer is coming off knee surgery but he’s one of the better right tackles in the game and still relatively young. The Patriots have Marcus Cannon waiting in the wings and may opt to let Vollmer walk with Welker and Talib taking precedence. The Eagles are clearing cap space and may be dead set on rebuilding the roster in a talented free agent class. Vollmer allows them to slide Todd Heremans inside and gives them a versatile RT, important if Vick is the starter.

Destination Point: Philadelphia for 5 years, $37 million

3. Wes Welker, New England Patriots, WR, 32

Tom Brady signs an extension to stay in New England. The deal carves cap space for this year which could open the door for them to re-sign Welker. Welker isn’t an option to tag him but I can’t see them letting Brady’s boy walk…probably the reason Brady freed up money.

Destination Point: New England for 4 years, $36 million Read the rest of this entry » «Top fifty free agent predictions updated after franchise tags doled out»

Ozzie keeping Ed Reed in Baltimore?
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Scouting Combine is in the books and all the attention will be turned to pro days and free agency. With the 2013 salary cap appearing to remain pretty stagnant, teams will be re-shuffling their rosters over the course of the next two weeks to get under the salary cap by March 12. With teams looking to cut high priced veterans, this list could grow as teams make tough decisions on players soaking up cap room.

We continue our free agency predictions with the bottom half of our top fifty.

26. Brent Grimes, Atlanta Falcons, CB, 30

Brent Grimes may be the toughest prediction in this free agency class. He’s come off a season-ending knee injury. Before the injury Grimes was working his way into a premier corner in the league. Two factors that will affect Grimes market will be his age and injury. Just not sure the Falcons will be able to afford paying Moore and Gonzalez. The Dolphins would be an intriguing place for Grimes to resurface on a one year deal.

Destination Point: Miami for one year, $6 million Read the rest of this entry » «Offseason Primer: Free Agent Predictions 26-50»

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Scouting Combine is in the books and all the attention will be turned to pro days and free agency. With the 2013 salary cap appearing to remain pretty stagnant, teams will be re-shuffling their rosters over the course of the next two weeks to get under the salary cap by March 12. With teams looking to cut high priced veterans, this list could grow as teams make tough decisions on players soaking up cap room.

Today, we play Nostradamus with the top twenty-five unrestricted free agents. Tomorrow we will look at 26-50. This list, in its totality, serves as a top fifty ranking of NFL free agents as well. Enjoy.

1. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens, QB, 28

It’s just a matter of time at this point. I have a greater chance of signing with a team than Flacco does of leaving Baltimore. At this point the only matter of contention is just how much the Ravens will pony up for their franchise quarterback.

Destination Point: Baltimore for six years, $120 million

UPDATE: Joe Flacco was re-signed by Baltimore for 6 years, $120.6 million

2. Ryan Clady, Denver Broncos, OT, 26

John Elway has been clear that Ryan Clady isn’t going anywhere but Denver. This one comes down to whether the Broncos can get a deal done or have to franchise him. I think they wind up paying Clady as they restructure deals. He’s a franchise LT that is one of the best in the league and he’s only 26.

Destination Point: Denver for seven years, $84 million Read the rest of this entry » «Offseason Primer: Free Agency Predictions»

Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

We continue our free agency primer series with a quick rundown of the NFL calendar as it relates to the 2013 NFL Draft. I get emails every week asking when is the Combine? Free agency? Draft? We’ll here’s your answer, so bookmark this page and use it as a reference for all things on the calendar NFL Draft related.

February 9-10: Regional Combine – Orange Coast College, Los Angeles CA

February 16: Regional Combine – Methodist Training Center, Houston TX

February 17: Regional Combine – Cleveland Browns Training Facility, Berea OH

February 20-26: NFL Scouting Combine – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis IN

March 2-3: Regional Combine – Jets Training Facility, Florham Park NJ

March 9: Regional Combine – One Buccaneer Place, Tampa FL Read the rest of this entry » «Free Agency Primer: Mark your Calendars»

Timothy T. Ludwig-US PRESSWIRE

In the last edition of the 2013 NFL offseason primer we looked at all the implications of the salary cap. Essentially creating a framework for your teams options in the free agency market.

Winning teams have proven that you don’t win championships by winning the offseason. Spending big on guys that teams didn’t want to overpay for is not a recipe for success in the NFL. That said, finding a piece or two to complete a roster or adding depth at a position is never a bad idea.

At 4:00 PM EST on March 12 we will usher in the free agency period. Many of the top players will have already be dealt with, either via a new contract or the franchise tag. The top of our current list will have the top taken off by teams placing the franchise tag on them. Guys like Ryan Clady, Joe Flacco, and Jairus Byrd will never see the light of day on the open market.

Our rankings are based off several factors. 1). Positional value, 2). Age, 3). Overall performance. This is the reason you will see guys like Dwight Freeney so far down the list. While he plays a premium position, his age is catching up with him and his performance declined this season.

So without further ado, here’s our top 50 2013 NFL free agents. Read the rest of this entry » «2013 NFL Offseason Primer: Free Agency»

David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

Twenty four NFL teams have turned their full attention to the 2013 season and eight more will join them in a matter of time. With the CBA changing the way the teams have to think about the salary cap, teams are preparing earlier and earlier for their future cap.The 2013 salary cap is tentatively set to be at or just below $121 million. Inevitably, emails begin to rush in at this time of the year, seeking specific team’s salary cap situation. With that in mind, I will begin to look at the offseason in a three part breakdown. First, we tackle the current salary cap numbers.

The 2012 salary cap was set at $120.6 million. With the cap looking to increase by $300,000, it could spell trouble for teams and some high paid players. Teams are eyeing their future in negotiations, hence why you see guys like Drew Brees, Matt Forte, and Mike Wallace fighting tooth and nail for contracts. The flat-lined nature of the salary cap is forcing teams to keep a watchful eye on the coming years.

Clearly, hires around the National Football League at the executive level will be financial guys. In the past, teams coveted ‘football guys’ for executive leadership. Now the league is trending towards a ‘Wall Street’ approach with numbers crunchers and salary cap experts heading these giant organizations. Read the rest of this entry » «2013 Offseason Primer: The Salary Cap»