2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens To Sign WR Ryan Grant

March 13th, 2018 at 7:39pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens are expected to sign free agent wideout Ryan Grant, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’s a four-year deal worth $29MM ($14.5MM guaranteed), and Grant will earn a $10MM signing bonus. This is the second receiver Baltimore has added today, as they agreed to a deal with free agent John Brown this evening.

With Mike Wallace hitting free agency and Jeremy Maclin being mentioned as a cap casualty, the Ravens have been seeking veteran additions at wide receiver. They certainly found an intriguing option in Grant, who had a breakout season in 2017. The former fifth-rounder finished the campaign with 45 receptions for 573 yards and four touchdowns. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked Grant 57th among 116 cornerback candidates. The Redskins had previously expressed interest in retaining the wideout.

If Maclin is let go, Grant will likely slide behind Brown on the depth chart. The Ravens are also rostering Chris Moore and former first-rounder Breshad Perriman, among others.

Packers To Sign Muhammad Wilkerson

March 13th, 2018 at 7:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Packers have agreed to terms with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s a one-year deal, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), and Wilkerson will collect $5MM with the chance to earn $3MM via incentives, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.

Green Bay was the first free agent stop for Wilkerson following his release from the Jets, but the Packers were hardly the only club interested in the former All-Pro. The Chiefs, Saints, and Redskins all took visits with Wilkerson, while the Raiders were reportedly also eyeing Wilkerson.

With the Packers, Wilkerson will reunite with former Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who now holds the same title in Green Bay. He’ll also be sticking in a 3-4 scheme, and will play his familiar defensive end position alongside Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels, and the rest of the Packers’ defensive line.

Wilkerson, of course, was once one of the premier defensive players in the NFL, but he hasn’t been the same since inking a massive extension with the Jets in 2016. Not only has Wilkerson reportedly had problems with effort, tardiness, and coaches, put his play has slipped, as well. Last year, the 28-year-old appeared in 13 games but graded as just the 50th-best interior defender in the league, per Pro Football Focus. While that was an improvement from his dismal 2016 campaign, Wilkerson was still a far cry from his 2011-15 heyday.

The Packers have now signed two free agents — Wilkerson and tight end Jimmy Graham — before the market even officially opens. That’s a new approach from Green Bay’s front office, which is now headed by Brian Gutekunst, who is apparently more willing than former GM Ted Thompson to engage in the first wave of free agent activity.

Heading into the free agent period, Wilkerson ranked as PFR’s No. 3 interior defensive lineman and No. 16 overall free agent.

Jets To Sign Teddy Bridgewater To One-Year Deal

March 13th, 2018 at 7:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets will sign free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a one-year deal, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bridgewater will earn approximately $5MM on his new pact, tweets Dianna Russini of ESPN.com, while the pact also contains incentives, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link).

Earlier today, reports indicated that Bridgewater was working on a contract with the Jets, but he apparently had other options on the table. Since then, we’ve learned Gang Green has promised its starting job to fellow quarterback Josh McCown, so Bridgewater will presumably join New York as a backup. McCown, however, isn’t exactly a picture of health, so it won’t be surprising if Bridgewater sees significant playing time.

Bridgewater, of course, comes with significant health question marks of his own. The former first-round pick infamously suffered a gruesome knee injury prior to the 2016 campaign, and while he’s remarkably worked his way back into form, Bridgewater has attempted just two passes since 2015.

The Jets’ quarterback situation is extremely fluid, as they could still use the sixth overall pick on a young signal-caller. If they do, it’s possible Bridgewater is relegated to third-string duty. But if New York goes another direction in the first round, Bridgewater could see playing time as the season progresses, possibly setting himself up for a payday in 2019.

During his two years as the Vikings’ starting quarterback, Bridgewater was competent but not a world-beater. In 28 starts, Bridgewater completed 65% of his passes and averaged 3,075 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. While those are respectable numbers, they’re probably not enough for a club to not pursue an upgrade.

Jordy Nelson Unlikely To Rejoin Packers On Reduced Salary

March 13th, 2018 at 7:09pm CST by Ben Levine

After being released by the Packers earlier, some fans may have been wondering if Jordy Nelson could return to the organization on a reduced salary. However, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports (via Twitter) that the wideout will likely be playing elsewhere in 2018.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said he doesn’t expect the veteran wideout to rejoin the organization for less money. Of course, the executive also noted to “never say never.” Green Bay did give Nelson the opportunity to stick on a reduced salary, but the club’s offer wasn’t believed to be much above the league minimum, tweets Jason Wilde of ESPN.com.

The move wasn’t a huge surprise, especially after the Packers inked tight end Jimmy Graham to a pricey three-year deal earlier today. The 32-year-old had been considered a cap casualty for some time, as the organization will save a hefty $10.2MM by moving on from the wideout. Considering his track record, Nelson should be able to secure a modest deal in free agency. Last offseason, the receiver had said he intended to play another two-to-four seasons.

The 2008 second-round pick had spent his entire career with the Packers, winning a Super Bowl and earning a second-team All-Pro nod along the way. Nelson missed the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL, but he had compiled at least 1,200 receiving yards in four of his five healthy seasons between 2011 and 2016. With Aaron Rodgers out of the lineup, Nelson’s numbers took a dip in 2017.

Raiders Interested In CB Rashaan Melvin

March 13th, 2018 at 6:43pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders are eyeing free agent cornerback Rashaan Melvin, reports Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal (via Twitter). There’s been “some communication” between the two sides, but it doesn’t sound like a deal is coming anytime soon. Meanwhile, the reporter notes that Oakland wasn’t in on Trumaine Johnson, who signed with the Jets today.

The 2013 undrafted free agent out of Northern Illinois spent the past two seasons with the Colts, where he’s had a pair of solid campaigns. Following a breakout season in 2016, Melvin was just as productive productive this year, finishing with 36 tackles, three interceptions, and 13 passes defended. Pro Football Focus was particularly fond of his performance, ranking him 17th among 120 eligible cornerbacks. Our own Dallas Robinson listed him as the No. 12 free agent cornerback.

The Raiders could certainly use some reinforcement at cornerback. The team is currently projected to be starting 2017 first-rounder Gareon Conley and former seventh-rounder Dexter McDonald. The team is also rostering Darius Hillary, Antonio Hamilton, Tevin Mitchel, and Shaquille Richardson.

Latest On Nate Solder’s Market

March 13th, 2018 at 6:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Left tackle Nate Solder is one of just three of PFR’s top 10 free agents that has yet to find a new contract, and his market appears fluid. Two teams that are reportedly in pursuit of Solder — the Browns and the Texans — have signed other offensive tackles today, but both clubs still appear to be in play for Solder.

Cleveland inked former Steelers swing tackle Chris Hubbard to a five-year deal, but the Browns are still interested in Solder, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Franchise icon Joe Thomas hasn’t given Cleveland an indication as to whether he’ll retire, so it’s unclear exactly how many tackles the team needs. But Hubbard’s ability to play several positions means the Browns could land Solder to play left tackle and deploy Hubbard elsewhere, likely at right tackle.

Houston, meanwhile, signed Seantrel Henderson and are expected to give him a chance to win a starting job. But the Texans are still in on Solder, as well, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Like Hubbard, Henderson can play right tackle, and given Houston’s porous offensive line, there is plenty of room for improvement.

Solder is not expected to take any free agent visits, according to Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link), meaning he could conceivably sign at any time. The Giants are also reportedly targeting Solder, who has spent his entire career with the Patriots.

Rubin Eyeing Diddy, Curry For Panthers Bid

March 13th, 2018 at 6:20pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard earlier this week that Michael Rubin is “considered a serious bidder in the race to buy” the Panthers organization. However, it sounds like the Fanatics owner won’t be the only big name in his bid. ESPN’s David Newton reports that music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and NBA star Steph Curry “are among a strong, diverse group” of potential minority owners that Rubin has been putting together. An owner is allowed to have up to 25 members in his ownership group.

Curry and Combs have both previously expressed interest in being part-owners of the Panthers. Diddy is currently valued at $820MM, while Curry, who went to high school in Charlotte, took home an estimated $47.3MM in 2017. While the duo might not have enough cash to be a majority owner, Newton points out that they “have the robust diversity Rubin is looking for in partners.” The two will likely join Rubin’s effort to own the Panthers, although no agreement has been finalized.

Rubin, who owns a stake in the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and Premier League team Crystal Palace, is estimated to be worth $3 billion. The potential owner is primarily competing with two other serious candidates: hedge fund billionaire David Tepper and debt collector Ben Navarro. However, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that there have been six to eight “viable bidders” for the team.

Formal bids are expected to be due in a couple of weeks, as the NFL would like to get a deal approved before the owners meetings in May. Following allegations of work misconduct, owner Jerry Richardson announced that he was selling the organization back in December.

Steelers Rework Alejando Villanueva’s Deal

March 13th, 2018 at 6:16pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers have created a bit of extra salary cap space by restructuring left tackle Alejandro Villanueva‘s contract, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Villanueva had been scheduled to collect a $3MM base salary and a $3MM roster bonus in 2018, but the majority of that money has now been converted into a signing bonus. Given that Villanueva’s roster bonus was due on Saturday, the third day of the 2018 league year, Pittsburgh had to act now to avoid that figure hitting their cap immediately. All told, the Steelers will create nearly $4MM in cap room, per Fowler.

Villanueva, who has been the Steelers’ left tackle for the better part of three seasons, inked a four-year, $24MM extension last summer, so he’s under contract through the 2020 campaign. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, had been projected to be over the cap in 2018, but they’ve since reworked Antonio Brown‘s deal and will release Mike Mitchell and William Gay in other cost-cutting measures.

Jets To Sign Trumaine Johnson

March 13th, 2018 at 6:02pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets have agreed to sign free agent cornerback Trumaine Johnson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The deal is estimated to be worth $15MM a year, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

Plenty of teams had interest in the former Rams cornerback, including the Browns, Cowboys, and Raiders. It’s not all that surprising that Johnson was such a popular name, as the 28-year-old was listed as the top cornerback (No. 8 overall) in PFR’s ranking of the top-50 free agents. While the Jets hadn’t been directly connected to Johnson, previous reports indicated that the organization was looking to add two starting cornerbacks this offseason.

The 2012 third-round pick had spent his entire six-year career with the Rams organization. Johnson had another productive campaign in 2017, compiling 65 tackles, 14 passes defended, and two interceptions in 16 games (five starts). Pro Football Focus was underwhelmed by the performance last season, ranking him 68th among 120 eligible cornerbacks. However, Johnson was graded as a top cornerback in both 2015 and 2016.

Johnson will presumably slide atop the Jets cornerback depth chart, and he’s slated to start opposite Buster Skrine. The organization will have to make a decision on some of their cornerbacks, as they’re currently rostering eight other players at the position, including Darryl Roberts, Juston Burris, Derrick Jones, and Rashard Robinson.

Ravens To Sign WR John Brown

March 13th, 2018 at 5:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens have agreed to terms with free agent wideout John Brown, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Baltimore was reportedly in advanced talks with Brown, a former Arizona Cardinal, as of earlier today.

Brown will receive a one-year deal, per Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter links). The base value of his new contract is $5MM, but he’ll have the chance to max out at $6.5MM via incentives.

Baltimore is in dire need of wide receivers, as Mike Wallace is a free agent while fellow veteran Jeremy Maclin has been mentioned as a candidate for release. With limited cap space, however, the Ravens were forced to sit and watch as top-tier pass-catchers such as Allen Robinson, Sammy Watkins, and Marqise Lee came off the board.

Brown is coming off the worst season of his NFL tenure, as injuries limited him to just ten games. During that time, Brown managed only 21 receptions for 299 yards and two scores. As recently as 2015, however, the now 27-year-old Brown put up 65 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, and he’s reportedly healthy.

Heading into free agency, PFR ranked Brown as the 10th-best available wide receiver. He reportedly generated interest from at least seven clubs before inking his pact with the Ravens.