NFL Free Agency: Ndamukong Suh, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin expected to move
Monday 9 March 2015 19:31, UK
Anticipation of Tuesday's start of National Football League free agency for the 2015 season has sparked a flurry of reports on deal-making and follow-up counter-moves, even though nothing is official.
Free agents are not permitted to sign deals with new teams until Tuesday afternoon, although written pitches to player agents were allowed starting Saturday and their reactions set off a wave of excitement and expectation.
Detroit Lions' 28-year-old defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, whose father is from Cameroon and whose mother is Jamaican, will reportedly become the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history in a deal with Miami worth $114 million over six years, $60 million of that guaranteed, a pitch ESPN said was $2 million a year better than what the Lions dangled for him to stay.
Houston star JJ Watt's six-year deal for $100 million last year is the richest contract ever inked by an NFL defender.
When it came to discussing paramaters of deals with talent ahead of actual deal-making, the Philadelphia Eagles seemed to have the most action.
Eagles running back LeSean McCoy tweeted he was going "straight to buffalo as my new FAMILY awaits me can't WAIT!!!!". But his deal technically has not yet been made.
McCoy was sent from the Eagles to Buffalo last week in a trade for linebacker Kiko Alonso that can't become official until Tuesday, ESPN reported, and the Philadelphia Inquirer said McCoy has come to terms for a five-year deal with the Bills worth $40 million.
That opened up enough salary cap room for the Eagles, theoretically, to make a deal to sign free agent rusher Frank Gore of San Francisco, USA Today reported.
Jeremy Maclin is also expected to leave the Eagles via free agency and join Kansas City, leaving Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly to continue the musical chairs of moves by bringing in free agent Byron Maxwell, a cornerback from 2014 Super Bowl winner Seattle, who ESPN says will receive $63 million over six years.
It's no wonder ESPN reported the NFL has sent all 32 clubs a letter saying it has started looking into a number of reported agreements involving teams and players vowing to punish violations of its terms, which allow for negotiations and adjustments based upon agent reactions but mandate clubs cannot term their moves "offers" even though that's basically what they are, even though contracts cannot be formally offered or signed until Tuesday.
