Free Agent Notes: Sam Bradford, Gary Barnidge, Nick Novak

Sam Bradford

• Tom Pelissero of NFL Media spoke to a source familiar with Sam Bradford‘s plans who said that the former No. 1 overall pick “absolutely” intends to play in 2018, despite the knee issues he dealt with last year.
• According to Pelissero, Dr. James Andrews has told Bradford that his surgically repaired knee is sound and his ligaments are intact.
• Pelissero mentions that if a team can pass Bradford on a physical, it’s possible he could be a bargain.
• We have him featured in our Top 100  – 2018 NFL Free Agents list.

Gary Barnidge

Former Browns TE Gary Barnidge, who wound up sitting out the entire 2017 season, mentioned during an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio that teams weren’t willing to pay him a salary in line with his recent production.

“I had calls and opportunities and workouts and stuff like that but I was really frustrated,” Barnidge said, via the Sporting News. “Teams view you like once you’re an older guy, ‘Oh, you’re not worth as much. You can’t succeed. You can’t do that kind of stuff.’ That’s how they do it. That’s not the truth.

“As I proved when I was 30, 31, I went to the Pro Bowl (in 2015) and put the two best years up in my career because I was given the opportunity to play. Teams try to take advantage of the situation … You have second- and third-string guys who are getting significant amounts of money and you’re trying to pay me a lot less because I’m 31, 32 years old? My numbers show what I can do.”

Barnidge explained that teams were trying to get him for the lower salary possible, which would have been $900,000 for a nine-year veteran.

“I was trying to weigh, ‘Do I go play for a little bit of money or I can sit at home, rest my body, still get paid something and then be ready to go for next year and get another opportunity,’” Barnidge said. “There wasn’t a right opportunity for me to play with anybody because everybody was trying to get me for the lowest (price) they can get. It didn’t make sense.”

Nick Novak

• Jason La Canfora reports that the Chargers have informed K Nick Novak that while they are keeping the door open to re-signing him, they plan to will allow him to test the free agent market.
• La Canfora adds that Novak has fully recovered from the hip strain that bothered him all of last season and led to him being placed on injured reserve.
• Novak is, of course, planning play in 2018.