Denver television station CBS4 (KCNC-TV) reported the Indianapolis Colts are among the teams interested in signing Decker.
Andrew Luck has a veteran No. 1 (Reggie Wayne) and a dynamic ace slot man (T.Y. Hilton), but could use a No. 2 with speed and good hands. Given Wayne, coming off a torn ACL, is more a possession type at the latter stages of his career, the 26-year-old Decker would give Luck a needed big playmaker outside.
The Colts have proved that even though they are a young team at heart, they are willing to be aggressive in getting complementary veterans on the open market. According to OvertheCap.com, they are expected to have almost $38 million under the projected salary cap for 2014.
In addition to wideout, the Colts could use help on the offensive line and at linebacker. They also will need to upgrade without the benefit of a first-round pick in May's draft.
COWBOYS NEED TO KEEP WARE
We're about to find out how much the Dallas Cowboys want to make sure DeMarcus Ware remains a Dallas Cowboy for life. The venerable 31-year-old pass rusher won't be retained at his current $12.25 million salary for a team looking at being $21 million over the cap.
Riddled with injury in 2013, Ware is coming off a bad statistical season while making the transition from 3-4 outside linebacker to 4-3 defensive end. That leaves owner and general manager Jerry Jones balancing his heart with his wallet. Let Ware go, and there's the potential of him signing with a rival team such as Philadelphia. Keep Ware, and the cap savings of $7.4 million won't happen.
The Cowboys, however, can tap into a solution Jones has found for other such veterans: Restructure base salary to help the team both now and later. That's the best, and smartest option here.
Ware didn't get a chance to show his entire wares in Monte Kiffin's scheme. With Rod Marinelli stepping in with the same Tampa 2 philosophy, trying to restore a front-four pass rush is crucial to Dallas' short-term playoff chances. You can never have enough pass rushers, and even at his age, the Cowboys' all-time sack leader will be attractive to other teams.
Given the Cowboys' challenge of already trying to re-sign free-agent defensive linemen Jason Hatcher and Anthony Spencer, Ware can offer them the out of an adjusted salary they should work to take. He may no longer be the same dominant edge player, but that still makes him better than most. That's before getting to his leadership on the field and presence in the locker room.
Jones is willing to make the tough cut this time. But there's no reason he should.
HALL OF FAME GAME ANNOUNCED
The Buffalo Bills and New York Giants will play the first game of the 2014 NFL season. The league announced they will be the opponents in the annual Pro Football Hall of Game to open the preseason schedule on Sunday night, August 3 (8 p.m. ET, NBC).
As usual, the game in Canton, Ohio's Fawcett Stadium is tied to the Hall of Fame inductions that weekend. The Bills are represented in the 2014 class by wide receiver Andre Reed, while defensive end Michael Strahan will be enshrined for the Giants.
For both teams, it means an extra exhibition game. It's a tongue-twisting matchup of starting quarterbacks bound to make cameo appearances, Eli Manning and EJ Manuel. If you're keeping score at home, that means we are 157 days away from live NFL football. Just try to be patient.
COOPER, KELCE SIGN NEW DEALS
The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to a five-year contract with wide receiver Riley Cooper and a seven-year deal with center Jason Kelce.
Cooper would've become a free agent next month after a breakout season in which he set career highs in receptions (47), yards receiving (835) and touchdowns (eight). Kelce was signed through 2016, and the new deal adds four years to his contract. He was part of an offensive line that helped the Eagles lead the NFL in rushing while setting a franchise record for points (442).
The moves were announced Thursday, a day after All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters signed a new five-year contract.
The Eagles were 10-6 and won the NFC East title in Chip Kelly's first season as coach after going 4-12 in 2012.
BEARS AGREE TO DEAL WITH GARZA
The Chicago Bears say they have agreed to a one-year contract with center Roberto Garza.
The Bears had expressed a desire to bring him back, and they announced the move on Thursday.
Garza, who turns 35 in March, was the lone holdover on a line that featured four new starters last season. He has appeared in 194 games and made 164 starts over 13 seasons with the Bears and Atlanta Falcons.
REDSKINS RE-SIGN BAKER
The Washington Redskins have re-signed defensive lineman Chris Baker to a three-year contract with $12 million.
The deal announced Thursday includes $4 million of guaranteed money.
Baker has spent two seasons with the Redskins, playing in 29 games. He started the final three games last season after Stephen Bowen was sidelined with a knee injury.
Baker has played both tackle and end on the defensive line, and he'll be a possible contender for a regular starting job at end in the team's 3-4 alignment under new coach Jay Gruden, especially with both Bowen and Adam Carriker recovering from major injuries.
The 26-year-old Baker went undrafted out of Hampton. He played with Denver and Miami before joining the Redskins in 2012.
SMITH MIFFED AT PANTHERS
Steve Smith’s not feeling the love.
The Carolina Panthers and the veteran receiver appear to be on the verge of a breakup, and Smith is the one who’ll have to pick up the pieces of a broken heart.
The hints aren’t so subtle, either. At the NFL Combine, general manager Dave Gettleman only went this far when asked about the 35-year-old Smith: “Steve’s had a great career, and the bottom line is, it’s part of the evaluation process.”
Ron Rivera doled out the same dose of thank you for your services: “A lot of it will have to do with what our situation and circumstances are going to be. I think as we go forward, just what the role is going to be we’ll see.”
It all has thrown Smith, a 13-year veteran, for a loop. More pointedly, it has annoyed him at best.
“(I) would have wished that I would have been afforded the opportunity to be given a heads up by our GM and also with coach Rivera,” he said on WBT-AM in Charlotte, N.C. “When I did my exit meeting, no one spoke to me about it in that manner, so the unfortunate part of it is I had to hear second hand.”
Maybe it’s not a breakup, but the Panthers obviously need a new leading man. Smith could take a pay cut, retire or play elsewhere. The priority is creating cap room to get a long-term extension for Cam Newton and making a call on unrestricted free agent, Greg Hardy.
Where does Smith fit into all of that?
“We have to read into things and we try not to, but when we speak of an individual’s career in the past tense, I think ultimately it would suggest that a team is moving on, and that’s all I can do.”
WARRANTS ISSUED FOR SHARPER
New Orleans police have issued an arrest warrant for former Saints player Darren Sharper, accused of raping two women there last year, according to NOLA.com.
The alleged rapes occurred on Sept. 23, 2013, and an acquaintance of Sharper’s, 26-year-old Erik Nunez, is believed to have been involved and is also wanted on two counts of aggravated rape.
Sharper, 38, pleaded not guilty last week to separate charges in Los Angeles. He is charged with drugging four women and raping two of them. His bail has been set at $1 million. Also last week, it was revealed that Sharper is under investigation in Miami Beach for alleged sexual battery. He is also being investigated in Arizona and Nevada.
According to NOLA.com, the cases in Louisiana are still being investigated. A conviction of aggravated rape in Louisiana carries a mandatory life sentence without parole.
As the alarming allegations continue to surface, former teammates and coaches of Sharper are expressing utter shock.
Said one anonymous teammate to NOLA: "I'm shocked and disgusted by it. I'm going to wait until the whole thing plays out before I completely judge him.
"But this would be one hell of a conspiracy for that many allegations to pop up across (five) states in such a tight window of time. I just never heard of something like that. I'm just disgusted by it."
Another teammate said that Sharper was a known “womanizer” but no one suspected anything that would suggest he is an alleged serial rapist.
Said another former teammate: "Sex addiction is one thing. (Accused of) being a f-ing serial rapist is whole different galaxy. I'm pretty torn up about it all. ...
"You almost don't want to see how this thing ends up. I'm pretty sure I know how it's going to end up."
Contributors: Rana L. Cash, Vinnie Iyer, The Associated Press
