NFL Rumors: Latest Trade and Free Agency Buzz Heading into Second Wave

A whirlwind beginning to the 2016 free-agency period saw several of the market's biggest names move within the first couple of days.

The likes of Brock Osweiler and Olivier Vernon, young players at critical positions coveted for their potential, inked massive contracts, while stalwarts like Tampa Bay's Doug Martin and Washington's Kirk Cousins reupped with their respective teams to provide them a solid foundation. 

The news and rumors have petered out since the blistering start to free agency, but there are still a few big names that could be on the move soon, some as free agents but others by trade. Let's take a look at the latest rumors to come down the pike.


Colin Kaepernick Trade Chatter Continues

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick fell out of favor, and eventually the startling lineup, during a disastrous 2015 season that saw him throw six touchdowns against five interceptions in nine appearances. With the team looking to rebuild under new head coach Chip Kelly and Kaepernick in need of a fresh start, the trade rumors have run rampant.

Friday saw ESPN's Adam Schefter report that Kaepernick was interested in going to the Cleveland Browns:

Head coach Hue Jackson has inherited a typically mediocre Browns team, one that has only gotten worse in this free-agency period with key players like wide receiver Travis Benjamin, center Alex Mack and safety Tashaun Gipson all signing with other teams.

Still, Jackson proved he has an astute and innovative offensive mind during his stint as the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator. He also managed to drag a talent-depleted Oakland Raiders team to an 8-8 record during his one season as head coach of the Silver and Black in 2011. If Cleveland wants Kaepernick, Jackson is their best draw at this point.

However, there hasn't been any real movement on the trade front. Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot wrote Sunday that Kaepernick's salary could be a roadblock to a workable deal:

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The Browns are willing to give the 49ers a third-round pick (No. 65 overall) for Colin Kaepernick, a source told cleveland.com, but the trade is contingent on the Browns restructuring his contract to the satisfaction of Kaepernick's agents. He's currently averaging $19 million a year, which puts him at No. 13 in the NFL. I'm told the Browns prefer to pay him more like a bridge quarterback, in the $7 million to $8 million a year range, likely with incentives for games started.

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Kaepernick may indeed want to play for the Browns, strange as it may seem, but that would be a hefty pay cut. Schefter (via ESPN.com) also noted the Denver Broncos and New York Jets are potentially interested in Kaepernick, so it could be that the 28-year-old quarterback is hoping these teams sweat each other out and drive one of them to keeping his hefty salary intact.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio outlined one strategy for Kaepernick if he is intent on making as much money as possible: 

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But if the Browns — or anyone else — expect Kaepernick to drop his already low (relative to other quarterbacks) base salary for 2016, Kaepernick should declare that he has changed his mind and wants to stay with the 49ers.

Calling the team’s bluff has no real downside for Kaepernick, if teams interested in trading for him expect him to take less money. Either the 49ers keep him from at least another year at $12 million, which becomes fully guaranteed on April 1, or they cut him and he can join a team that would be giving up nothing to get him.

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Staying in San Francisco might still afford Kaepernick opportunities under Kelly. His mobility would seem to fit well with the kind of system that Kelly likes to run, though the poor accuracy he displayed last season doesn't bode well for his ability to complete the quick-hit passing plays.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Drawing Interest from Denver

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

ESPN.com reported Sunday that the Denver Broncos are interested in free-agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, but his salary demands could be too much for them to make a deal: "The Broncos have reached out to free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick's representatives, sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, though Denver currently is unwilling to pay the salary that the quarterback is seeking."

This comes just a couple of days after a tweet from Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson suggested the Jets and Fitzpatrick talks had reached a significant impasse:

Denver is in need of a quarterback to mount a Super Bowl defense in 2016. The Broncos lost Peyton Manning to retirement and Osweiler to the Houston Texans in free agency. While they did bring in Mark Sanchez via a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, more competition is needed at the position.

Fitzpatrick would be a more attractive option than Kaepernick, as Denver wouldn't have to give up a valuable draft pick in a trade and the veteran's numbers were far, far better in 2015. 

If Kaepernick and even Robert Griffin III come off the market soon, a desperate team still looking for a quarterback might be more willing to meet Fitzpatrick's demands. But considering reports that Kaepernick might have to take a pay cut to make a move, it could be that no team is willing to pony up the big bucks for quarterbacks with question marks, especially with the upcoming NFL draft still an option.

His age (33) and the fact that he's been a journeyman, replacement-level guy for much of his career are certainly working against him, but his career hasn't ever sunk to depths of Kaepernick or Griffin's. Fitzpatrick will find a home soon enough, but his asking price might have to come down before it happens.



Eric Weddle's Coy, Quiet Free-Agency Quest

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Free safety Eric Weddle's relationship with the San Diego Chargers soured at the end of last season, and the veteran is certain to part ways with the team that drafted him in 2007. The two-time All-Pro's play dipped a bit in 2015, but he's still an adept tackler and can provide excellent veteran leadership to a new defense. 

Compared to some of the other top free-agent players, Weddle is taking a slow, steady and quiet approach to his big free-agency decision. Building off a report from the San Diego Union-Tribune's Michael Gehlken, Florio noted Sunday that Weddle is close to whittling down his mystery suitors to two teams:

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As noted by Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Weddle has four offers on the table. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Weddle has decided to keep the identity of all interested teams secret.

Two of the offers are expected to be rejected without a counter, reducing the final field to two franchises. Apparently, Weddle’s discretion is aimed at ensuring fans and players on teams that are (or aren’t) in the hunt won’t react negatively toward that franchise (or, possibly, to him) once he chooses another destination.

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CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported the type of salary Weddle might command:

With his body clock ticking, it seems the only thing 31 year old has made known about his free-agency search is that he wants to play for a Super Bowl contender.

“I’ve got three to five years left in me,” Weddle said, per the MMQB's Peter King. “I want to go somewhere I have a chance to win a Super Bowl. Until last year I’ve never been injured. I’ve never had surgery. I don’t drink, I don’t go out. My shoulders, back, legs, hip, they’re all fine. I think I bring a lot to a team.”

King also noted that Weddle admires the likes of Oakland, Pittsburgh, Carolina and New England.

Pittsburgh would be one obvious landing spot, as the secondary was a weak link on a team that has young talent in the front seven and a terrifying amount of talent on offense. Carolina and New England's Super Bowl bona fides are readily apparent. The Panthers lost to the Broncos in the big game in February, and Weddle has clashed with Bill Belichick's dynastic Patriots several times over the course of his career.

Oakland needs a free safety following the retirement of Charles Woodson, but they don't quite fit Super Bowl contender status, at least not this season.

The Raiders' promising young core of David Carr, Amari Cooper, Khalil Mack as well as a host of free-agent signings could perhaps sway Weddle, who might see them as competing for a Super Bowl within, oh, say the next three to five years.