2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Browns Release WR Sammie Coates

March 15th, 2018 at 10:19am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have released wide receiver Sammie Coates, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Coates has personally confirmed the news with a thank you to the Browns organization on Twitter.

Coates arrived in Cleveland last September via a trade with the rival Steelers. That deal saw the Browns send a 2018 sixth-round selection to Pittsburgh with a 2019 seventh-round pick going back to the Browns.

Coates, a former third-round pick himself, didn’t do a whole lot for the Browns. He had six catches for 70 yards with no touchdowns, a step back from his 21 catches for 435 yards and two scores in the previous season.

Many had expected Coates to be a bigger part of the offense with the Browns. He was buried, to some degree, by the Steelers’ other talented receivers. In Cleveland, he had a chance to be third on the depth chart behind offseason addition Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman. Britt disappointed and Coleman was limited due to injury, but Coates was still not a major factor for them.

Saints Sign OL Jermon Bushrod

March 15th, 2018 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are signing Jermon Bushrod, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Bushrod, a fourth-round pick of New Orleans in 2007, returns back to where it all began.

Bushrod spent the first six seasons of his career with the Saints. Four of those campaigns were spent as the team’s starting left tackle and he earned Pro Bowl nods for his 2011 and 2012 seasons with New Orleans.

Bushrod left in free agency in 2013 to sign a five-year, $35MM free agent deal with the Bears which, at the time, was considerable cash for a tackle. Three years later, the contract was cut short and the Dolphins picked him up to serve as their starting guard.

Bushrod will likely fill the void created by Senio Kelemete‘s departure. Kelemete, who signed a three-year, $12MM deal with the Texans, moved between tackle and guard for the Saints and appeared in 47 games over the past three seasons with 22 starts, including 17 in the past two seasons.

Texans Re-Sign CB Johnathan Joseph

March 15th, 2018 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans have agreed to re-sign cornerback Johnathan Joseph, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal worth $10MM with $3.9MM guaranteed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Joseph, one of our top 15 ranked cornerbacks before the start of free agency, didn’t appear to take any other visits this week. His representatives likely spoke with other teams, but ultimately, he has opted to return to the Texans for his eighth season in Houston.

Joseph has pretty much been a starter throughout his career, dating back to his entry into the league as a first-round pick of the Bengals in 2006. In 2018, it’s not a lock that he’ll start for the Texans. Houston has been flirting with a number of free agent corners, so another signing could theoretically push Joseph down the depth chart. We know for sure that free agent pickup Aaron Colvin will hold down at least one starting job. The other starting gig could be filled by Joseph, Kareem Jackson, or perhaps another outside addition.

Last year, Joseph started all 16 games for the Texans and managed two interceptions. He rated as just Pro Football Focus’ No. 62 corner out of 121 full-time players at the position, but simultaneously ranked 21st in Football Outsiders’ success rate, meaning he was excellent at stopping wideouts short of the sticks.

Extra Points: Butler, Shead, Rams, Chiefs

March 14th, 2018 at 10:39pm CST by Micah Powell

It’s been a wild ride for the Seahawks defense the past week. After the team traded Michael Bennett to the Eagles and released Richard Sherman, it also decided to release cornerback DeShawn Shead.

This was noteworthy because the Seahawks told the player it would release him to allow him to become an unrestricted free agent despite the NFL saying his contract should toll for 2018.

Earlier today, Shead signed with the Lions but reportedly wanted a return to the Seahawks, the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta tweets. After Seattle honored its statement to make the cornerback a free agent, Shead wanted to give Seattle every chance to keep him, but the organization ultimately wouldn’t match the offer he received from the Lions.

Seattle now enters free agency without three of its top veterans and could be seeing the end of the Earl Thomas era, who has threatened to hold out if he doesn’t receive a new deal. The Seahawks could deal him this offseason and are reportedly looking for a first-round pick in return.

Needless to say, the Seahawks once-stingy defensive unit will look plenty different in 2018.

Here’s more from around the league:

Rams general manager Les Snead said on Wednesday the team traded linebacker Alec Ogletree to accommodate the ensuing move for cornerback Aqib Talib, Alden Gonzalez tweets. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips prefers cornerbacks to linebackers in his scheme, and a big move had to be made to bring in the former Broncos corner, who will count $11 MM toward the cap.
Snead also said he sees ways the Rams can address run defense and the pass rush in free agency, Gonzalez tweets. Though he is weighing what will be available to fill those holes with rookies, he doesn’t want to just wait until the draft to fill obvious needs. The team received some insurance for its pass rush on Wednesday when it re-signed veteran linebacker Connor Barwin.
New Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler said he was worried his Super Bowl benching would hurt his value on the open market, USA Today’s Lindsay Jones tweets. Butler notoriously didn’t see the field against the Eagles in February when the Patriots allowed Nick Foles to shred their secondary. The 2015 Pro Bowl selection reached a deal with the Titans on Wednesday worth up to $61 MM over five years, with $30 MM of that being guaranteed.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said cornerback Marcus Peters‘ trade to the Rams had nothing to do with national anthem protests, Pro Football Talk passes along. “This was a football decision. … This wasn’t just one game, wasn’t a month, this was three years of body of work, and we look for consistency. We felt that this was in the best interest of the team,” Veach said.
Veach also touched on the Chiefs move for Sammy Watkins, saying the team pounced on the receiver in the first minute of free agency, the NFL Network’s James Palmer tweets. Veach said that if Watkins received a call before theirs, the other team would’ve had to call in 30 seconds before they did. The team was motivated to move on Watkins to add him to Tyreek Hill, giving strong-armed quarterback Patrick Mahomes a pair of dynamic, stretch-the-field receivers.

RB LeGarrette Blount To Visit Lions

March 14th, 2018 at 9:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Add another name to the list of Lions running back targets. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that free agent LeGarrette Blount is set to meet with Detroit. Earlier tonight, there were conflicting reports that the organization was closing in on a deal with free agent back Frank Gore. The organization also met with DeMarco Murray and Jonathan Stewart (before he inked a deal with the Giants).

Following three straight seasons with the Patriots, Blount joined the Eagles last offseason. The 31-year-0ld proceeded to play in all 16 games (11 starts) last season, collecting 766 rushing yards and two scores on 173 carries (4.4 yards per carry). Blount was plenty productive in the postseason, collecting three touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl championship.

Pro Football Focus wasn’t overly enthused with Blount’s performance in 2017, ranking him 41st among 58 eligible running backs. However, the veteran’s track record still earned him the 11th spot in our free agent running back rankings.

The 250-pound Blount would certainly provide the Lions with a change-of-pace running back. The team is already rostering Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, Tion Green, and Dwayne Washington.

RB Frank Gore Closing In On Deal With Lions?

March 14th, 2018 at 8:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Frank Gore may be closing to signing with a new team. Mike Jones of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that the veteran running back is close to reaching an agreement with the Lions. However, both Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press and Josina Anderson of ESPN tweet that Gore just arrived in Detroit, and his visit hasn’t yet started. We learned yesterday that Gore was set to meet with Detroit.

We heard in late February that the Colts were planning to move on from the 34-year-old, and previous reports indicated that the veteran running back intended to keep playing in 2018. Despite getting up there in age, Gore was listed as the sixth-best free agent running back in our positional rankings.

Playing in his 13th NFL season, Gore collected 250-plus carries for the seventh consecutive campaign. The former 49ers star ultimately started all 16 games for Indy last season, compiling 961 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 261 carries. Gore also added another 29 receptions for 245 yards and one touchdown. Pro Football Focus actually wasn’t all that critical of his 2017 performance, as the site ranked him 17th among 58 eligible running backs.

Gore would provide the Lions with another option at running back. The team is already rostering Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, Tion Green, and Dwayne Washington. The Bills have also been connected to Gore.

Giants To Sign Patrick Omameh

March 14th, 2018 at 8:29pm CST by Micah Powell

After striking out in their quest to land Panthers guard Andrew Norwell, the Giants have agreed to terms with former Jaguars guard Patrick Omameh, the player’s agency Schwartz & Feinsod, announced (Twitter link). The Jaguars signed the aforementioned Norwell to replace Omameh on the line.

The fourth-year guard spent two seasons with Jacksonville and helped pave the way for standout rookie running back Leonard Fourtnette in 2017. Pro Football Focus was not impressed with his performance, however, grading him the No. 36 guard in football. In his four seasons, Omameh has spent time with Jaguars, Bears and Buccaneers after entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan.

After originally signing with the 49ers as a rookie, Omameh joined the Bucs in 2013 and spent the rest of the season on the team’s practice squad. He started every game the following season at right guard before switching to left guard the folowing season with Chicago.

New Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has made rebuilding the New York offense line a top priority early in free agency. Omameh joins longtime Patriots tackle Nate Solder as new addition’s to the team’s front five.

[RELATED: Giants Depth Chart]

Saints Interested In Retaining Alex Okafor

March 14th, 2018 at 8:22pm CST by Ben Levine

If the Saints have their way, Alex Okafor will be back with the team next season. Joel A. Erickson of the New Orleans Advocate reports (via Twitter) that the organization has interest in bringing back the defensive end.

Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams, however, passes along that Okafor is schedule to visit with the Buccaneers on Thursday. She notes he has connections to Tampa Bay with general manager Jason Licht and defensive line coach Brentson Buckner from his time in Arizona.

Following four seasons with the Cardinals, the 27-year-old joined the Saints last offseason. The 2013 fourth-rounder proceeded to start each of his 10 games for New Orleans, compiling 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a career-high 43 tackles. Unfortunately, Okafor’s season was cut short after he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 11.

Pro Football Focus was particularly fond of his performance last season, ranking him 22nd among 106 eligible edge defenders. Okafor was also listed sixth in our positional free agent rankings.

If Okafor re-signs with the Saints, he might be hard pressed to make his way back into the starting lineup. However, he should have an opportunity to be the top backup options to Cameron Jordan and Sheldon Rankins.

William Hayes Re-Signs With Dolphins

March 14th, 2018 at 7:38pm CST by Ben Levine

William Hayes is headed back to Miami. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that the defensive end is signing a one-year deal with the Dolphins.

The veteran lineman was traded to Miami last offseason following five seasons with the Rams organization. The 32-year-old proceeded to play in 10 games for the Dolphins, compiling 19 tackles and a single sack. This was a far cry from his performance with the Rams, as Hayes collected at least four sacks each season between 2012 and 2016.

Despite the underwhelming numbers, Pro Football Focus was fond of his performance in 2017. Hayes played only 271 snaps, so he wasn’t eligible for the site’s ranking. However, his grade would have earned him a spot among the top-20 edge defenders. The site had also ranked Hayes favorably in each of the five previous seasons. The veteran was ranked second among edge defenders in our free agent positional rankings.

With the lineman back in the picture, the Dolphins seem to be set at defensive end. Hayes will likely compete with Andre Branch for snaps behind Robert Quinn and Cameron Wake.

WR Bruce Ellington Re-Signs With Texans

March 14th, 2018 at 7:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Wideout Bruce Ellington is returning to Houston. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the receiver has signed a one-year deal with the Texans.

The 2014 fourth-round pick had a breakout campaign with Houston in 2017. The 26-year-old hauled in 29 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns, and he added another 17 rushing yards on three carries. Ellington also proved to be a capable returner when he played for the 49ers. The receiver averaged 25.6 yards per kick return in 2015 and 2016, but he didn’t return a single kickoff in 2017. He did return five punts, though, compiling 47 yards.

Assuming Houston’s wideouts are healthy heading into next season, Ellington could slot in behind DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and Braxton Miller on the depth chart.