2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Meet With LB Karlos Dansby

March 20th, 2018 at 6:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Karlos Dansby has now taken his second free agent visit with the AFC East, as the veteran linebacker met with the Jets today, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The division-rival Bills have also reportedly hosted Dansby.

Dansby overlapped with Jets head coach Todd Bowles in both Miami and Arizona, so it’s no surprise that Gang Green has some level of interest in the 36-year-old linebacker. However, New York signed former Titans linebacker Avery Williamson last week to pair with fellow inside ‘backer Darron Lee, so it’s unclear where exactly Dansby fit.

While Dansby could be viewed as something of a glorified coach if signed by the Jets, his recent play doesn’t quite warrant that moniker. Indeed, Dansby is still an effective and durable player despite his age. In 2017, Dansby started 15 games a season ago, racking up 74 tackles and one sack while grading as the league’s No. 49 linebacker among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Redskins Host DT Sylvester Williams

March 20th, 2018 at 6:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Redskins hosted free agent defensive lineman Sylvester Williams on Tuesday, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link), while the club also has interest in fellow defensive tackle Bennie Logan but has yet to schedule a visit, per John Keim of ESPN.com.

Washington is clearly seeking to improve the interior of its defensive line after ranking 29th in rush defense DVOA and dead last in adjusted line yards in 2017. Williams and Logan join Johnathan Hankins as notable defensive tackles on the Redskins’ radar, as the former Colts defender met with the club on Sunday. Keim recently reported Washington isn’t interested in investing heavily in it defensive line, but Williams and Logan could each be available on one-year deals.

The Redskins are “working hard” to sign Hankins, tweets Finlay, so Williams and/or Logan might not be of interest to the club for much longer. On the other hand, neither of Washington’s 2017 defensive tackle additions — Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain — made much of an impact during their respective first seasons in the nation’s capital, so one or both could be released.

Indeed, Washington altered the contract of defensive tackle McClain in a way that will make him easier to release, as Keim writes. Previously, McClain’s $3.25MM base salary was scheduled to become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2018 league year, but Washington has since made that salary guaranteed for injury only. As such, the Redskins should be able to cut McClain at any point prior to the start of the regular season without being on the hook for his salary (provided he doesn’t get injured between now and then).

Williams, meanwhile, started 11 games and made 15 total appearances for the Titans in 2017, his first campaign outside of Denver since the Broncos made him a first-round pick in 2014. Last season, Williams played on roughly a third of Tennessee’s defensive snaps (third-most among the club’s defensive linemen) while posting 12 tackles. Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s No. 67 interior defender among 122 qualifiers, assigning much better marks against the run than the pass.

Logan, 28, has caught the Redskins’ eye in the past, as he took a meeting with the team last spring before ultimately landing a one-year, $8MM pact from the Chiefs. Washington should have a good idea of Logan’s capabilities, as he played against the Redskins twice per year as a member of the Eagles from 2013-16. Last season, Logan appeared in 15 games and played on 55% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps, acting as a serviceable run-stuffer during that time. Washington could have competition for Logan, as he met with Seattle earlier today.

Lions Host TE Levine Toilolo

March 20th, 2018 at 5:43pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions met with free agent tight end Levine Toilolo on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Detroit released starting tight end Eric Ebron last week, and also witnessed top reserve Darren Fells ink a new deal with the Browns. At present, the Lions’ starting end is projected as 2017 rookie Michael Roberts, but the club is fully expected to sign a veteran tight end, per Rapoport. Thus far, Detroit has met with Luke Willson, Ed Dickson, Brent Celek, and Logan Paulsen, and all but Dickson remain on the open market.

Toilolo, who was recently released by the Falcons, has never been much of an offensive force, as he’s failed to top even 300 yards receiving in any of his five NFL campaigns. The 26-year-old was famously deployed as a tackle when Atlanta ran out of offensive linemen in a 2014 contest, but Toilolo didn’t grade well as a blocker in 2017, at least according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked Toilolo 23rd and 29th among tight ends in run-blocking and pass-blocking, respectively.

Seahawks Meet With DT Bennie Logan, CB Dontae Johnson

March 20th, 2018 at 5:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks have conducted visits with free agent defensive tackle Bennie Logan and cornerback Dontae Johnson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Seattle is seeking to replace defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, who inked a one-year deal with the Vikings last week, and Logan could help in that regard. Logan can’t offer the interior pass rush that can Richardson, but he’s a run-stuffer that can plug the middle of the line. The 28-year-old Logan is fresh off a one-year, $8MM pact with the Chiefs, a deal he signed following four seasons with the Eagles.

Johnson, meanwhile, started 16 games for the 49ers in 2017 after serving as a reserve for the first three years of his career. The results weren’t great, as Johnson ranked near the bottom of Football Outsiders’ yards allowed per pass and success rate. He’d give Seattle depth after the club cut ties with fellow cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane and lost DeShawn Shead to free agency.

Allen Hurns To Visit Jets

March 20th, 2018 at 5:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Allen Hurns is moving fast. After being released by the Jaguars earlier today, Hurns has lined up a Wednesday visit with the Jets, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

New York seems to be intent on adding a complementary wideout to their offense after not engaging on any of the top free agent pass-catchers during the opening phase of free agency. Over the past week, the Jets have met with both Terrelle Pryor and Charles Johnson, each of whom would supplement a receiving corps that already includes Jermaine Kearse, Robby Anderson, Chad Hansen, ArDarius Stewart, and Quincy Enunwa.

Hurns, 26, was midway through a four-year Jacksonville extension worth roughly $40MM with $20MM in guaranteed money. Those guarantees were paid down over the first two years of the deal, so the Jaguars felt comfortable moving on from the former undrafted free agent even after losing No. 1 receiver Allen Robinson to free agency.

Hurns’ high-water mark came in 2015, when he broke out for 64 receptions, 1,031 yards, and 10 touchdowns. In the two seasons, since, however, Hurns failed to top 500 yards receiving as his role in Jacksonville’s offense was scaled back.

Blaine Gabbert Meets With Titans

March 20th, 2018 at 5:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent quarterback Blaine Gabbert has taken a visit with the Titans, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Tennessee is in the market for a backup quarterback after releasing Matt Cassel earlier this month. While starter Marcus Mariota has been healthy for 15 regular season games in each of the past two seasons, he’s a mobile quarterback who may be more susceptible to injuries, so rostering a quality No. 2 signal-caller is critical for the Titans.

Mariota fractured his fibula during the 2016 campaign, and dealt with hamstring issues in 2017, but each ailment only cost Mariota one contest (the former due to the timing of the injury). Aside from Mariota, the only other quarterback on the Titans’ roster is 2017 undrafted free agent Tyler Ferguson, who has never attempted an NFL pass.

Gabbert, of course, was a top-10 selection in the 2010 draft, and while he’s never lived up to that billing, he’s carved out an NFL career that is now entering its seventh year. In 2017, Gabbert suited up for the Cardinals and ultimately started five games when injuries struck Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton. During that time, the 28-year-old Gabbert completed 55.6% of his passes for 1,006 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Bills Host LBs Kevin Minter, Karlos Dansby

March 20th, 2018 at 5:06pm CST by Dallas Robinson

After losing Preston Brown to the Bengals last week, the Bills are making moves to replenish their linebacker corps. Buffalo has met with free agent linebackers Kevin Minter and Karlos Dansby, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

Minter started 32 games with the Cardinals from 2015-16, and had been expected to take on major responsibilities with Cincinnati after inking a one-year pact last spring. But Minter played on fewer than 20% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps, seeing less action than sixth-round rookie Jordan Evans and barely playing ahead of undrafted free agent Hardy Nickerson. Minter ended the 2017 season on injured reserve while dealing with a hamstring issue.

But Minter is still only 27 years old, and he offers more experience than other Bills options such as Matt Milano and Tanner Vallejo. Moreover, the off-ball linebacker market has mostly been picked over, as NaVorro Bowman is the only impact player left at the position. Minter, then, could be viewed as an attractive addition when compared with aging veterans such as Brian Cushing, Lawrence Timmons, or Jerrell Freeman.

Dansby, on the other hand, is one of those aging veterans, and like Minter, he’s also an ex-Cardinal. The 36-year-old has actually enjoyed three separate stints with Arizona, and has also spent time with Miami, Cleveland, and Cincinnati. An extremely durable linebacker, Dansby started 15 games a season ago, racking up 74 tackles and one sack while grading as the league’s No. 49 linebacker among 87 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Bears Officially Match Packers’ Offer Sheet For Kyle Fuller

March 20th, 2018 at 4:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Kyle Fuller is staying put. The Bears announced that they have matched the Packers’ offer sheet for the cornerback. The contract is a four-year deal worth $56MM with $18MM in guaranteed money, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported.

“We could not be happier to have Kyle under contract for four more years,” Bears GM Ryan Pace said in a press release. “We feel he is an ascending player on our top 10 defense and we look forward to him having many more productive seasons here in Chicago.”

Instead of using the franchise tag, the Bears opted to use the less frequently used transition tag on Fuller this offseason. The transition tag for cornerbacks was worth just $12.9MM this year, versus the nearly $15MM franchise tag. On the flipside, that move only gave them the first right of refusal without granting them any draft compensation in the event of an unmatched offer sheet.

The Packers did not manage to steal Fuller away from their rivals, but they did jack up the price. Fuller reportedly turned down another offer sheet before signing one with Green Bay.

Fuller is now the sixth bears free agent to be retained by the Bears in free agency, joining outside linebacker Sam Acho, cornerback Prince Amukamara, offensive lineman Bradley Sowell, tight end Daniel Brown and punter Patrick O’Donnell. They have also tendered receivers Cameron Meredith and Joshua Bellamy and cornerback Bryce Callahan. Meredith may not be a done deal, however, as he is on a visit with the Colts.

Colts Host Cameron Meredith On Visit

March 20th, 2018 at 4:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts hosted Bears restricted free agent Cameron Meredith for a visit, a league source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Bears have the right to match any offer after using the low level tender on Meredith. If they do not match an offer sheet, they will not receive any draft compensation.

Meredith, 26 in September, missed all of 2017 with a knee injury. Before that, he had a breakout season for Chicago. In 2016, Meredith hauled in 66 receptions for 888 yards and four touchdowns. If healthy, the former undrafted free agent could be a big contributor for the Colts, Bears, or another team in 2018.

The Colts signed Ryan Grant on Tuesday, but their WR group is a bit thin outside of him and T.Y. Hilton. Donte Moncrief left to sign a surprisingly lucrative free agent deal with the Jaguars earlier this month, leaving Indianapolis with a clear need to fill in free agency or the draft.

In other Colts news, the team has signed tight end Eric Ebron, re-signed cornerback Pierre Desir, and added offensive lineman Matt Slauson.

Xavier Williams To Sign With Chiefs

March 20th, 2018 at 4:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Xavier Williams is changing teams. The Cardinals have declined to match the offer sheet on the defensive lineman, clearing the way for him to sign with the Chiefs, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.

Williams, 26, attended Grandview High School, which is roughly 30 minutes outside of Kansas City. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent, but he eventually became a regular sub for the Cardinals. Last season, he was in the rotation as he played on about 24% of the team’s snaps. The advanced metrics indicate that he could be capable of more as he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 42 interior defender out of 122 qualified players.

The Chiefs have a pair of defensive tackles – Bennie Logan and Stefan Charles – in unrestricted free agency, so there’s a chance for Williams to compete for the top job at nose tackle. Jarvis Jenkins, who was re-signed earlier this month, figures to have the edge on that gig, however. Restricted free agent Rakeem Nunez-Roches also figures to factor into the equation after being tendered at the original-round level.