2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Bears To Sign WR Taylor Gabriel

March 13th, 2018 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears’ offense is looking downright scary. Chicago has agreed to sign wide receiver Taylor Gabriel to a four-year deal, according to former NFL player Andrew Hawkins (on Twitter). The news has been confirmed by Peter Schrager of NFL.com (Twitter link).

The four-year deal is worth $26MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes $14MM guaranteed with a maximum value of $28MM.

Earlier this month, Gabriel bid farewell to the Falcons as he anticipated better offers to come in from other teams. He found the proposal he was seeking from Chicago, which has changed its offensive attack for the better.

In 2016, Gabriel put himself on the map with 35 receptions for 379 yards and six touchdowns. Last year, those numbers dropped off a bit with 33 receptions for 378 yards and one score. Still, he brings lots of speed to the Bears’ passing game, which also now includes free agent pickups Allen Robinson and Trey Burton.

After settling for bargain buys last year in the form of Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright, the Bears committed to serious shopping this year. Chicago has been extremely active in free agency thus far, allocating much of its cap space to helping a passing game that injuries decimated last season.

The Bears were without Cameron Meredith and Kevin White last season, with tight end Zach Miller going down with a scary injury as well. The team tendered Meredith, an RFA, at the original-round level and still has White under contract. But Robinson, Burton and now Gabriel are going to play key roles in the Windy City.

Once waived by the Browns, Gabriel then caught on as a key target for the NFC champion Falcons in 2016. The six touchdowns Gabriel caught that year, though, represent three-fourths of Gabriel’s TDs over a four-year career. His per-catch average plummeted by five yards, to 11.5, in 2017. But he wasn’t the only Falcon to produce worse numbers in Steve Sarkisian‘s offense compared to Kyle Shanahan‘s.

Now, Mitch Trubisky will have a chance to develop a rapport with several playmakers with higher-end potential.

[RELATED: Bears Depth Chart]

Packers To Sign TE Jimmy Graham

March 13th, 2018 at 3:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers intend to sign tight end Jimmy Graham to a three-year deal, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal provides Aaron Rodgers with a quality red zone target at TE, something they have been seeking for years.

Last year, the Packers believed they had their answer at tight end in Martellus Bennett. That contract quickly proved to be a mistake, but the revamped Packers’ front office believes that they have a much better solution in Graham.

Heading into free agency, we had Graham ranked as the second-best tight end available. After Trey Burton agreed to terms with the Bears, Graham quickly ascended the ranks to become the No. 1 undisputed top tight end on the market.

Graham isn’t quite as dynamic as he was in his prime with the Saints, but he’s still trouble for opposing defenses, as evidenced by his ten touchdowns in 2017. The Saints were eager to facilitate a reunion, but the bidding got out of hand thanks to Green Bay.

Rodgers is now slated to have Graham, Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb as his top targets. However, that lineup could change in the coming days with either Nelson or Cobb being pushed out as cap casualties.

Browns To Sign DE Chris Smith

March 13th, 2018 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chris Smith will make his way across Ohio, moving from Cincinnati to Cleveland. And the Browns are committing to a three-year deal with the defensive end, Peter Schrager of NFL.com tweets.

Smith’s deal will be worth $14MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

The fifth-year end served as a depth piece with the Bengals last season, playing in all 16 games but starting none. Prior to that, the former fifth-round pick was an auxiliary piece of the Jaguars defensive lines from 2014-16.

With Gregg Williams also using a 4-3 scheme, Smith will continue his work as a 4-3 end. This will probably be for work in a rotational capacity. The Browns have Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib already part of the Myles Garrett complement contingent, and each enjoyed more productive seasons than Smith in 2017.

Smith has racked up 7.5 sacks in his career, including three last season. Pro Football Focus did not grade his run defense well at all, but in tabbing the former Arkansas lineman as its No. 81 defensive end last season, was slightly more bullish about his pass-rushing acumen.

Panthers To Sign Bashaud Breeland

March 13th, 2018 at 3:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers are expected to sign cornerback Bashaud Breeland, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Until today, Breeland had spent his entire NFL career with the Redskins.

Breeland will receive a three-year, $24MM deal, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The pact includes $11MM in guarantees.

Breeland wasn’t the most well-known cornerback in this year’s lot with Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler, Morris Claiborne, Prince Amukamara, and others in this year’s crop, but he was among the best. The Panthers have been desperate for secondary help ever since parting with Josh Norman and Breeland will help in that regard, even though he’s not exactly of the same caliber.

Breeland was on the radar for the Browns and likely high on the list for other needs in need of cornerback help. Breeland, 26, appeared in all but one of the Redskins’ games last season. He amassed 47 tackles and one interception, which was returned 96 yards for a touchdown against the Chargers.

Formerly a fourth-round pick, Breeland played opposite Norman for the past two seasons. He will now work for Norman’s former employer. Pro Football Focus bestowed a middling grade on Breeland but viewed him as an improved player from 2016. He deflected a career-high 16 passes last season and now has eight career INTs. Breeland has started 57 of the 60 regular-season games in which he played, moving into the lineup as a rookie.

The Redskins were going to let Breeland test the market before having traded Kendall Fuller, and now they’re going to be without two of their top three corners from last season. The Panthers, who are trading Daryl Worley to the Eagles for Torrey Smith, will align Breeland with James Bradberry and Captain Munnerlyn next season. They’ve now added Munnerlyn and Breeland the past two offseasons, augmenting a corps that was comprised almost exclusively of young talent after the rescinding of Norman’s franchise tag and Charles Tillman‘s retirement.

Extra Points: Broncos, Cousins, Coleman

March 13th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite the Broncos being interested in Kirk Cousins throughout the offseason, they moved on Case Keenum and reached an agreement before the Cousins domino fell. The Broncos, who do not have as much cap space as their top Cousins competitors do, spoke with the quarterback’s representation on Monday but did not submit an official offer, James Palmer of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The team’s Keenum agreement being at least $18MM represented a significant discount from Cousins’ near-$30MM-AAV deal — one expected to be with the Vikings. Despite Cousins having proven more than Keenum, Broncos brass moved quickly on this agreement and was on the same page about the belated breakout passer. Palmer reports that went a long way toward completing this deal. Gary Kubiak is currently serving as a top Broncos front office bastion. Kubiak initially brought Keenum into the NFL as a UDFA while serving as Texans HC.

Here’s more from Denver and elsewhere around the league on Day 2 of pre-free agency.

Now that the Broncos lost one of the UFAs they were trying to keep, when Corey Nelson agreed to terms with the Eagles, Denver is trying to retain a higher-profile linebacker. The Broncos are expected to try and ramp up their efforts to retain Todd Davis before he hits free agency on Wednesday, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter). This would continue a change of pace for the John Elway-era Broncos. Previous offseasons saw off-ball ‘backers Wesley Woodyard, Nate Irving and Danny Trevathan depart. But in 2016, Elway authorized an $8MM-per-year deal for Brandon Marshall. Davis almost certainly won’t cost that much, profiling as more of a two-down thumper than sideline-to-sideline rover who can reliably operate in coverage, but he won’t come cheap since he’s been a two-year starter on one of the league’s top defenses.
Kurt Coleman took two visits before agreeing to join the Saints, meeting with the Giants and Bengals, Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com tweets. Coleman has bounced around the league, with his most recent stop being his most notable since the Panthers deployed him as a three-year starter — including in Super Bowl 50 — and signed him to an extension in 2016. Despite having played for three teams and having started 74 games, Coleman won’t turn 30 until July. The Giants are in need of a safety to complement Landon Collins. The Bengals, though, don’t have as obvious a need on their back line.

Latest On Cardinals, Tyrann Mathieu

March 13th, 2018 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have asked Tyrann Mathieu to take a pay cut. The two sides have yet to agree to a renegotiated contract, but the two sides are “making positive strides” on that front, a source tells Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic.

Mathieu will have a large chunk of his contract guaranteed if he remains on Arizona’s roster on Wednesday. In theory, the Cardinals could release the defensive back, but they would much prefer to keep him at a new deal that will lessen his $14.1MM blow against the cap in 2018.

In the summer of 2016, Mathieu inked a five-year, $62.5MM extension with the Cardinals. Thanks to injuries, he hasn’t quite lived up to that contract. Honey Badger saw an ACL tear end his 2015 season prematurely and he played in just ten games in 2016. He played a full 16-game slate in 2017, but he graded out as just the No. 61 cornerback in the league last year, per Pro Football Focus.

The Cardinals’ cap crunch hasn’t precluded them from spending elsewhere as they have agreed to sign quarterback Sam Bradford to a surprisingly large free agent deal.

Texans To Sign CB Aaron Colvin

March 13th, 2018 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Jaguars cornerback Aaron Colvin is expected to sign a four-year deal with the Texans, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Colvin will earn $34MM over the life of the contract, and receives $18MM in guarantees, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Colvin ranked as one of our 25 best available free agents available.

We had Colvin slotted as the sixth-best cornerback in free agency last week, behind Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler, Bashaud Breeland, E.J. Gaines, and Morris Claiborne. Colvin has beaten them all to the punch by agreeing to terms.

Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye were the primary cornerbacks for the Jaguars last year, but Colvin performed well in his own right as a slot cornerback. Last offseason, the Jaguars stole Bouye from the Texans. This offseason, the Texans have flipped the script, to some degree, by signing Colvin.

Colvin looked likely to depart given the financial commitment the Jags made to Bouye and the one they likely will make to Ramsey in the future. For the Texans, this could impact their pursuits of Butler and Gaines. However, with Colvin playing in the slot, the team could still pursue one of those players.

Houston entered the day with $65MM in cap space, and Kareem Jackson is entering the final year of his contract. If necessary, he could be cut with $6MM-plus in savings. So, Colvin may represent the first piece of the puzzle to help a Texans team that may be retooling at corner. Johnathan Joseph, a Houston starter since 2011, is also a UFA.

Jets, Teddy Bridgewater Working On Deal

March 13th, 2018 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The quarterback market has accelerated rapidly on Tuesday, and the Jets are now talking to their Kirk Cousins contingency plan.

Teddy Bridgewater is working on a deal with the Jets, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The Jets are not believed to be Bridgewater’s only option, per Rapoport, but he is the team’s top choice at this juncture.

The Jets have been eyeing Bridgewater for a bit now, and with the Broncos, Cardinals and likely Vikings having successfully selected their quarterbacks in the past 15 hours, options for Bridgewater to be a starter are dwindling. The Bills do not have a bridge option as of yet, and A.J. McCarron is still unattached, but New York has had Bridgewater atop its Cousins-failsafe hierarchy.

This coming to fruition would send all three of Minnesota’s 2017 quarterbacks to other teams. Bridgewater, though, has not completed a pass in a game since the 2015 season. He threw two passes last season after entering one Vikings game late, but the severe leg injury has defined the former first-round pick’s career to this point. It figures to significantly lower Bridgewater’s price compared to what it would have been, and given his previous status in Minnesota, Cousins may well not be Twin Cities-bound if Bridgewater didn’t get hurt during the Vikes’ 2016 training camp.

Bridgewater only received one full season of starter work, and it was a workmanlike campaign. The Louisville product threw 14 touchdown passes and nine interceptions but led the Vikings to the NFC North title. He completed 65 percent of his passes that season as well.

The Jets are likely fully committed to landing a quarterback in the first round, putting Bridgewater as their latest bridge option. Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty remain on Gang Green’s roster, but neither has instilled much confidence in the Mike Maccagnan-led franchise as of yet. Hackenberg has not seen any action in two years despite being a second-round pick.

Josh McCown played well as New York’s previous bridge solution, and it was rumored the Jets were considering him for a second tour of mentor duty. But the soon-to-be 39-year-old passer may have to consider other options if he wants to continue playing. McCown was considering retirement prior to the Jets signing him last year.

Jaguars To Re-Sign Marqise Lee

March 13th, 2018 at 2:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Allen Robinson has left Jacksonville to sign with the Bears, but the Jaguars are retaining their other top free agent wide receiver. Marqise Lee has agreed to re-sign with the Jags, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal with a maximum value of $38MM, including $18MM guaranteed, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

Before this week’s free agent frenzy, few expected Lee to net a deal as strong as this. However, after fellow WRs Robinson, Sammy Watkins, and Paul Richardson netted mega contracts, the price went up for Lee and others.

Lee doesn’t offer the same tantalizing talent as Robinson, but he has been a reliable receiver for Jacksonville over the years. Heading into free agency, I rated Lee as the 27th best available player on the market.

Lee had the most catches of any Jaguars receiver in 2017 (56) and finished second in receiving yards (702). Lee does not profile as a WR1, but he’s a solid WR2 who offers familiarity with quarterback Blake Bortles. It’s a seller’s market for wide receivers this year, so Lee presumably had plenty of lucrative offers from other teams.

Between 2016 and 2017, Lee racked up 119 receptions for 1,553 yards and six touchdowns.

Raiders Interested In Brown, Bowman

March 13th, 2018 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Jon Gruden loves his veterans, and the Raiders have their eye on a pair of experienced linebackers. Oakland has expressed interest in re-signing NaVorro Bowman and they have also shown interest in free agent linebacker Zach Brown, according to Michael Gehlken of the Review Journal (on Twitter).

Gruden may have some familiarity with Browns since he played under his brother, Jay Gruden, in 2017. With the Redskins, Brown amassed 127 total tackles and 2.5 sacks, making him an excellent value on his one-year deal. This time around, Brown says he wants to be paid as a top-three inside linebacker. It’s unlikely that he’ll reach that lofty goal.

Bowman, meanwhile, has said that he wants to remain with the Raiders. New Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is a supporter of his, so it’s possible that he’ll stay put. We have Bowman and Brown ranked Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, amongst this year’s top free agent linebackers.