2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles Release TE Brent Celek

March 13th, 2018 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles announced that they have released tight end Brent Celek. The veteran was scheduled to carry a $5MM cap hit for 2018. By releasing him, the Eagles will save an estimated $4MM.

This is the latest move by the Eagles to free up cap space, following the restructuring of Lane Johnson‘s contract. With their extra cap room, the Eagles have added accomplished defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to the mix. The Eagles are also hoping to hold on to Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, though they might be willing to trade him for a substantial haul in draft compensation.

The defending champs have not rested on their laurels this week. In addition to the aforementioned Ngata signing, they have shipped wide receiver Torrey Smith to the Panthers and they have a deal in place to retain nickel cornerback Patrick Robinson.

Celek, for his part, wants to continue playing.

Dolphins To Keep Ja’Wuan James?

March 13th, 2018 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Ja’Wuan James was rumored to be on the block, but it sounds like the Dolphins are intent on keeping him. The Broncos called the Dolphins to inquire the right tackle but were informed that he will be staying put, a source tells Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter).

On Monday, we heard that the Dolphins were working with James on a new contract, which is consistent with the latest word on him. The former first-round pick has been mentioned as both a trade and release candidate given his bloated cap charge, but it seems more likely that he’ll remain with the team under a lesser deal.

Given the lack of quality tackles on the open market, James has some leverage in talks. Nate Solder and Justin Pugh are the only clear-cut starters available, though Austin Howard could be added to that group now that his option has been declined by the Ravens.

Several Teams Comprise Heated Lewis Market

March 13th, 2018 at 12:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

On a player-friendly second tampering-window day, Dion Lewis has yet to make his decision. He’s going to be receiving a notable raise from his previous contract, however, when he does choose his next team.

The 27-year-old running back does not look like he will be returning to the Patriots, who were not believed to be a bidder if the price escalated to a certain point. Now that it apparently has, the Dolphins, Jets, Giants, Titans, Texans, Colts and 49ers are in on Lewis, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

The Jets, Colts and Titans were reported suitors earlier this week, but the remaining teams are now diving into the fray.

The Giants signed previous Pats passing-down back Shane Vereen in 2015 but haven’t found much in the way of backfield success in several years, and the 49ers may well lose Carlos Hyde in free agency. The Dolphins traded away Jay Ajayi and have versatile runner Kenyan Drake. Houston, interestingly, has a Lamar Miller–D’Onta Foreman setup but is evidently eyeing big-name help.

Lewis’ asking price was rumored to be around $6MM per year, and given the events of Tuesday and the number of interested teams here, it’s quite possible the sixth-year veteran could surpass that despite having just one 100-touch season on his resume. However, that also means Lewis could have a few productive seasons left despite being set to turn 28 later this year.

Bucs Interested In RB Jerick McKinnon

March 13th, 2018 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have interest in running back Jerick McKinnon, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McKinnon could be a fit for Tampa Bay’s backfield following the release of Doug Martin.

On Tuesday morning, the Bucs re-signed exclusive rights free agent Peyton Barber, who also figures to be a key component in the running game. McKinnon may not have the build to carry the ball 17 times per game, but he could combine with Barber to make a formidable combo at running back.

Heading into free agency, I ranked McKinnon as one of the 50 best players available and ranked him third amongst all running backs based on ability.

A return to Minnesota has not been officially ruled out for McKinnon, but he has been vocal about his desire for a larger role.

Broncos Exercise Demaryius Thomas’ Option

March 13th, 2018 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have exercised Demaryius Thomas‘ $4MM option to trigger the final two years on his deal, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post (on Twitter). This was the expected move, even though Thomas was once speculated to be a potential cap casualty.

Thomas has become one of the greatest wide receivers in franchise history and he’ll have a chance to build on his credentials in a ninth season in Denver. The former first-round pick has functioned as the Broncos’ No. 1 wide receiver since his second season, and John Elway said at the Combine that Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders — also a rumored cut for a franchise that had Kirk Cousins on its radar — would be back next season.

With Case Keenum now in the fold at a deal believed to be worth around $18MM per year, the Broncos have more breathing room regarding the salaries of their veteran wideouts than they would have had Cousins agreed to come to Denver. Thomas will count $12.3MM toward Denver’s 2018 cap.

Thomas and Sanders have been the Broncos’ starting tandem since 2014, and the duo has been vital for a franchise that’s had trouble identifying supporting-cast talent at receiver or from its tight ends. While the Broncos’ quarterback situation helped sink the 2017 team, Thomas still graded as Bleacher Report’s No. 6 outside receiver. His string of 1,000-yard seasons stopped at nine, but the former Georgia Tech talent still caught 83 passes for 949 yards and five touchdowns.

Despite experiencing injury trouble during his first two years, Thomas has become one of the most durable players at his job. He’s played in all 16 regular-season games for six straight years. He’s now entering his age-30 season.

Broncos Eyeing CB T.J. Carrie

March 13th, 2018 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have interest in cornerback T.J. Carrie, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). Carrie entered free agency as one of PFR’s ten best cornerbacks available and one of the 50 best free agents overall.

Carrie has said that he doesn’t want to leave the Raiders, but it’s not clear whether new head coach Jon Gruden has him in their plans. Carrie did meet with the Raiders’ new staff, however. Ultimately, his market value could drive him away from Oakland and into the arms of a divisional rival.

The Broncos are in search of a No. 3 cornerback after agreeing to trade Aqib Talib to the Rams. Talib, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby formed probably the league’s best corner trio over the past four years, and Harris and Roby remain. But despite drafting Brendan Langley in last year’s third round, the franchise was said to be searching the veteran market for a cheaper option than Talib.

Carrie qualifies, but after a strong contract year where he proved to be a clear slot upgrade on D.J. Hayden, it’s unclear how cheap he will come. Both Harris and Roby are going to earn north of $8MM in 2018, so any Carrie deal would place the Broncos toward the top of the league in cornerback spending.

A perennial Pro Bowler, Harris has functioned as probably the game’s best slot cornerback over the past several years. But he recently expressed a desire to play more on the outside. His flexibility as a boundary corner in base sets and slot cover man in Denver’s nickel would allow the team to target a slot player or outside defender in free agency.

Redskins To Sign WR Paul Richardson

March 13th, 2018 at 12:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are expected to sign wide receiver Paul Richardson to a five-year, $40MM deal, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes $20MM in guarantees. Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter) first reported that a deal could be on the horizon.

Richardson has reportedly been on the Redskins’ radar for a while. The Redskins were also targeting Allen Robinson, but this year’s top free agent wide receiver has agreed to terms with the Bears. There aren’t a ton of quality WRs available in this year’s crop, but Richardson is among the best.

Richardson stepped into a larger role last year after the Seahawks shipped Jermaine Kearse to the Jets. Richardson, who doesn’t turn 26 until April, averaged 16 yards per grab for Seattle.

The Redskins have been looking for a speedy complement to Josh Doctson and Richardson would fit the bill. With Richardson in the fold, it seems unlikely that they will roll the dice on Terrelle Pryor for another season.

Free agency doesn’t technically begin until Wednesday, but things are already off to a rollicking start for this year’s available wide receivers.

Sammy Watkins has agreed to a three-year, $48MM deal with the Chiefs, and the Bears have agreed to a three-year, $42MM deal with Allen Robinson. Richardson, who was ranked as our sixth-best wide receiver heading into free agency, has matched the $8MM average annual value of Kenny Britt‘s free agent deal from last offseason while adding another year and nearly doubling his guarantees.

This is a nice haul for Richardson, who had not put together much of relevance until his contract year. Having torn an ACL in the playoffs as a rookie, Richardson then played in just one game in 2015. After serving as a lower-level supporting-cast cog in 2016, the former second-round pick broke out last year in averaging 16.0 yards per catch and gaining 703 air yards. He scored six touchdowns in what turned out to be a critical year in his career.

Richardson will be a key piece of a revamped Redskins offense, joining Alex Smith. Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed will again be expected to play big roles, with Chris Thompson doing so as well, assuming he returns from his season-ending injury.

Dolphins Re-Sign Walt Aikens

March 13th, 2018 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

Walt Aikens is re-signing with the Dolphins on a two-year deal, a league source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). The defensive back is now under contract with Miami through the 2019 season.

Aikens played in all 16 games last season in a backup role and tallied a forced fumble and two tackles without an interception. Aikens was the only member of the Dolphins’ cornerbacks group that was set to become an unrestricted free agent. The 26-year-old still has the likes of Cordrea Tankersley, Reshad Jones, Bobby McCain and Trae Elston in front of him on the depth chart and under contract for next season.

The Dolphins took Aikens in the fourth round of the 2014 draft out of Liberty and he’s missed just two games over his four-year career while making five starts — all coming in 2016. Miami still has a need to address at safety as Nate Allen is due to become a free agent this offseason.

While the Dolphins’ secondary looks like it will remain intact for the most part, the same can’t be said for the team’s front seven. That starts with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who was released Monday, and linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who’s expected to be cut before the new league year begins Wednesday. Middle linebacker Koa Misi is also set to become an unrestricted free agent.

Bills To Bring Back Kyle Williams

March 13th, 2018 at 11:35am CST by Sam Robinson

Perhaps the most memorable part of the Bills’ playoff celebration involved Kyle Williams rejoicing after 11 years of regular-season-only football in Buffalo. After Williams’ 12th doubled as the Bills’ first 21st-century playoff berth, he plans to stay on board for a 13th year.

The Bills are re-signing the defensive tackle stalwart on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s a $6MM agreement including $5MM fully guaranteed, Rapoport reports (on Twitter).

The five-time Pro Bowler has played in at least 15 games in five of the past six seasons, offering stability to an evolving Buffalo defense. The Bills pivoted back to a 4-3 scheme last season and relied on Williams, who gave them 16 starts. He will turn 35 in June.

He’s recorded 43.5 career sacks — fifth in team history and far and away the most by a Bills defensive tackle — and will be in position to add to that total next season.

Falcons Restructure Brooks Reed’s Deal

March 13th, 2018 at 11:28am CST by Ryan Posner

The Falcons have created $1.5MM in cap room toward next season by restructuring the contract of defensive end Brooks Reed, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Reed’s cap hit next season will be reduced from $5.44MM to $3.94MM.

It had been reported last week that Reed agreed to restructure his deal with the Falcons. He was ranked as the No. 31 edge rusher in the NFL last season, in Pro Football Focus’ view.

Reed was set to enter the fourth year of a five-year, $22MM deal. The Falcons could use some breathing room in regards to available cap space. Entering Tuesday, they were No. 28 in the NFL, with $13.21MM in available space.

The Falcons’ secondary is mostly under contract for next year but a couple key players from their front seven are due to hit free agency, including Dontari Poe, Courtney Upshaw and Adrian Clayborn. The team also placed a second-round tender on safety Ricardo Allen on Monday.

Reed, 31, appeared in all 16 games last season — starting 14 — and racked up four sacks, which were the most since his rookie season with the Texans in 2011. Reed started in front of Clayborn last season, and the Falcons also have 2017 first-round pick Takkarist McKinley (six sacks in 2017) waiting in the wings.