2018 March - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens To Decline Austin Howard’s Option

March 13th, 2018 at 8:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are not picking up the option for right tackle Austin Howard, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Howard is not a world-beater, but as Rapoport notes, he is entering a very thin right tackle market and he started all 16 game last year.

Howard joined the Ravens on a three-year, $16.5MM free agent deal last year. Baltimore, who is right up against the salary cap, will now create $3MM in savings by parting ways with Howard. The club has opened up nearly $5MM by getting rid of Howard and running back Danny Woodhead today.

Howard, who has also spent time with the Eagles, Jets, and Raiders, graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 36 offensive tackle during his first season with the Ravens. Overall, Baltimore’s offensive line was extremely effective, grading as top-five unit in Football Outsiders’ adjusted line yards and adjusted sack rate.

Because his option was declined (and he wasn’t actually released), Howard will still count towards the 2019 compensatory pick formula.

Dolphins To Sign WR Albert Wilson

March 13th, 2018 at 8:48am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Dolphins will sign wide receiver Albert Wilson to a three-year, $24MM deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Miami still has a relatively deep wide receiver group even after trading the franchise-tagged Jarvis Landry to the Browns last week. Currently, the club’s depth chart is headlined by DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills, while Leonte Carroo, Jakeem Grant, and Rashawn Scott are among the other pass-catchers in South Beach. Wilson, though, will give the Dolphins another experienced option for Ryan Tannehill, or whomever Miami deploys at quarterback in 2017.

2017 marked the best overall campaign for Wilson, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2014. Last season, Wilson posted a career-high in receptions (42), yards (554), and touchdowns (three). Among receivers with fewer than 50 receptions, Wilson ranked eighth in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA, meaning he was extremely effective on a per-play basis despite his lack of volume.

The Dolphins aren’t the only club that expressed interest in Wilson, as the Bears — who now employ Wilson’s former Kansas City coordinator Matt Nagy as head coach — had also been linked to the free agent wideout. PFR ranked Wilson as the No. 13 available wideout heading into free agency.

The Chiefs have already made a move to replace Wilson by agreeing to a three-year, $48MM deal with fellow pass-catcher Sammy Watkins.

Bills To Sign DT Star Lotulelei To Five-Year Deal

March 13th, 2018 at 8:41am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills have agreed to a five-year deal with free agent defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Although he’s a former first-round pick, Lotulelei’s performance has slipped in every season since he entered the league in 2013. Last year, the 28-year-old appeared in all 16 games for the second consecutive season but managed only six tackles while grading as a bottom-15 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.

Buffalo, meanwhile, clearly needs help on the interior of its defensive line after ranking just 21st in adjusted line yards a season ago. The Bills shipped malcontent defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to the Jaguars at midseason, while veteran Kyle Williams is now a free agent.

The Panthers, Lotulelei’s former squad, are already heavily invested at the defensive tackle position. Kawann Short is the NFL’s third-highest-paid defensive tackle with a $16.1MM annual salary, while the Panthers used a first-round pick on Vernon Butler in 2016. Veteran Kyle Loveis also under contract for the 2018 campaign.

Before signing with the Bills, Lotulelei also reportedly drew interest from the Chiefs and Texans. Lotulelei ranked as PFR’s No. 4 free agent interior defender.

Saints, Drew Brees Working On Two-Year Deal

March 13th, 2018 at 8:32am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints and quarterback Drew Brees are working on a two-year deal that could be completed today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Brees’ current contract with New Orleans will void on March 14, the first day of the 2018 league year, and if no new deal is reached, the Saints will incur $18MM in dead money on their salary cap. By hammering out an extension, the Saints will keep that dead money total at a relatively manageable $6MM in 2018 while retaining their franchise quarterback.

Chiefs Add LB Anthony Hitchens

March 13th, 2018 at 8:29am CST by Ryan Posner

The Chiefs have reloaded their linebacker corps, agreeing to a deal with former Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Hitchens’ deal will span five years for a total of $45MM, per Pelissero (on Twitter), including a $14MM signing bonus and $21.29MM guaranteed at signing. His contract will be worth up to $49.25MM, with incentives included.

Hitchens will help the Chiefs fill the void on defense after cutting ties with longtime middle linebacker Derrick Johnson and pass-rusher Tamba Hali earlier in the offseason. Hitchens said last month that he was seeking $10MM a year on the open market. He’s slated to work alongside Reggie Ragland at middle linebacker for the Chiefs, with Kevin Pierre-Louis set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. The Chiefs also have Terrance Smith, Ukeme Eligwe and Ramik Wilson on the roster at middle linebacker.

A reunion with the Cowboys seemed unlikely as they ranked No. 28 in the NFL entering Monday with $3.12MM in available cap space. They had placed the franchise tag on linebacker Demarcus Lawrence and have reportedly made extending the fellow linebacker to a long-term deal a priority.

The signing of Hitchens was the second major addition Tuesday for the Chiefs as they also reportedly agreed to a deal with free-agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Hitchens started 12 games for the Cowboys last season and recorded 55 tackles, which were the most since his rookie season in 2014. The Colts were also reportedly interested in Hitchens, as new Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus had previously worked as the linebackers coach for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys originally selected Hitchens in the fourth round of the 2014 draft out of Iowa. He had not missed a game leading up to this season, in which he missed four due to a tibia plateau fracture sustained in August.

Broncos To Sign Case Keenum

March 13th, 2018 at 8:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have agreed to sign Case Keenum, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal for at $36MM, as Mike Florio of PFT details. All $36MM of the deal is guaranteed for injury and $25MM of the contract is fully guaranteed.

We heard on Monday that Keenum might not wait for Kirk Cousins to sign first and that is exactly the case. Keenum saw an opportunity and an offer that he liked with the Broncos, and he took it.

The deal means that there are likely three teams in on Cousins – the Jets, Vikings, and Cardinals. The Broncos were thought to be suitors, but Cousins was apparently too rich for their blood.

One year ago, no one would have expected Keenum to be one of 2018’s most sought-after free agents. The Vikings signed the former Rams signal caller to a one-year, $2MM deal in March with the idea that he would back up Sam Bradford and, eventually slide down to third on the depth chart when/if Teddy Bridgewater returned to full health. When Bradford went down in September, Keenum exceeded all expectations and put together the best season of his career.

The 30-year-old graded out as Pro Football Focus’ ninth-ranked QB in 2017, putting him above the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Aaron Rodgers, Marcus Mariota, Matthew Stafford, and Tyrod Taylor. With Keenum at the helm, the Vikings earned a first-round bye and beat the Saints in a playoff thriller before succumbing to the Eagles in the NFC championship game. Of course, after four seasons of mediocrity, teams are wondering whether this was an aberration or a real sign of things to come. The Broncos, of course, are in the latter camp.

Keenum, a career journeyman who inked a one-year, $2MM pact with Minnesota last offseason, posted the best season of his career in 2017 while leading the Vikings’ offense to a No. 5 finish in offensive DVOA. The 30-year-old ranked seventh in passer rating and ninth in adjusted net yards per completion during the 2017 regular season, and finished first in Football Outsiders‘ individual DVOA metric.

Keenum now reunites with Broncos senior personnel advisor Gary Kubiak, who brought him into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Texans and eventually made him his starting quarterback. Broncos head coach Vance Joseph was also on that same Texans coaching staff.

[RELATED: Broncos Depth Chart]

Jaguars Sign Andrew Norwell

March 13th, 2018 at 8:17am CST by Ryan Posner

The Jaguars and guard Andrew Norwell have agreed on a five-year, $66.5MM deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), with $30MM fully guaranteed. The deal is set to pay the former Panther an average of $13.3MM per season, making him the highest-paid guard in the NFL.

Norwell, a former undrafted free agent, was ranked at No. 4 in Pro Football Rumors’ Top 50 NFL Free Agents for 2018. The Jaguars fill a need at left guard as Patrick Omameh is due to become an unrestricted free agent.

Pro Football Focus ranked Norwell as the third-best guard in the league last year. The Jaguars have solidified the left side of their offensive line for newly-extended quarterback Blake Bortles and standout rookie Leonard Fournette, with Cam Robinson — the team’s second-round pick last season — entrenched at left tackle. The signing will certainly give the upstart Jaguars a boost a day after watching wide receiver Allen Robinson agree to a deal with the Bears.

Norwell started all 16 games at left guard for Carolina last year for the second straight season. They elected to not place the franchise tag on Norwell as the offensive lineman tag was at $14.54MM. The Panthers originally signed Norwell as an undrafted free agent in 2014 out of Ohio State.

The Giants and Cardinals had both been reported to have been in pursuit of Norwell and both have connections to the All-Pro offensive lineman. New Giants general manager Dave Gettleman originally signed Norwell as an undrafted free agent and new Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks worked with Norwell all four years of his career while on the Carolina coaching staff.

Bears Sign Allen Robinson

March 13th, 2018 at 8:15am CST by Zachary Links

Early Tuesday morning, the Bears and wide receiver Allen Robinson agreed to a three-year, $42MM deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal was made official Wednesday night. Robinson was arguably this year’s top available wide receiver, edging Sammy Watkins.

The Bears lost a major target last offseason when Alshon Jeffery left in free agency to sign with the Eagles. Now, he provided young quarterback Mitch Trubisky with a true high-end option.

Robinson had spent his entire career with the Jaguars until today. After a breakout 2015 campaign that saw him haul in 80 catches for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns, Robinson took a step back in 2016 with “only” 73 catches for 883 yards and six scores. Then, he tore his ACL during his team’s Week 1 contest against the Texans last season. Robinson believes he’ll be back at full strength this year and if that’s the case, he’ll be terrorizing the NFC North.

Despite suffering a serious knee injury, Robinson was still able to garner $14MM annually, a figure which will place him inside the top-10 among wide receiver contracts. While it remains to be seen how Robinson’s new deal is structured — it’s possible the Bears can escape the pact after a year, depending on how bonuses are allocated — the 24-year-old was able to cash in even with a injury on his ledger.

Chicago, for its part, was in desperate need of wide receiver additions. Both Dontrelle Inman and Kendall Wright are unrestricted free agents, while Cameron Meredith and Josh Bellamy are restricted free agents. The Bears used original round tenders on both Meredith and Bellamy, meaning other clubs can potentially poach them without compensation heading to Chicago. Meanwhile, former first-round pick Kevin White has struggled to stay healthy during his NFL tenure and is currently recovering from injury.

The Jaguars reportedly considered deploying the franchise tag on Robinson, which would have parked him in Jacksonville at a one-year cost of roughly $16MM. Instead, the Jags let Robinson hit the open market, and now boast a wide receiver corps topped by Allen Hurns (who is a candidate for release), Keelan Cole, and Dede Westbrook. Fellow pass-catcher Marqise Lee is also an unrestricted free agent.

[RELATED: Bears Depth Chart]

Chiefs To Sign Sammy Watkins

March 13th, 2018 at 8:10am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs and Sammy Watkins have agreed to a three-year, $48MM deal, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes $30MM fully guaranteed at signing.

The deal brings one of the biggest offensive weapons in this year’s free agent class to Kansas City. Watkins did not have the kind of year he wanted to in Los Angeles, but he is still potentially lethal, particularly if he can stay healthy. From 2014 to 2016, Watkins averaged 66 grabs for 1,063 yards and seven scores per 16 games – numbers that are a bit skewed since he missed 13 games between ’15 and ’16.

The Chiefs now boast a scary offense led by Watkins, Travis Kelce, Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill and dynamic quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Albert Wilson and De’Anthony Thomas are the only players in the team’s receiving corps that are due to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason.

Watkins — a former No. 4 overall pick in 2014 by the Bills — became the second major wide receiver free agent domino to fall over the last two days, with Allen Robinson agreeing to a deal with the Bears on Monday. Robinson’s deal with the Bears is expected to be in the range of three years, $42MM.

The Rams were reportedly intent on retaining Watkins but placing the franchise tag on Lamarcus Joyner made that a difficult proposition for them. The Rams have already added Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib to their secondary and have the likes of Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds and Pharoh Cooper at receiver. The Rams have already announced they plan to cut ties with Tavon Austin when the new league year begins Wednesday.

[RELATED: Chiefs Depth Chart]

Seahawks Place Second-Round Tender On Justin Coleman

March 12th, 2018 at 9:49pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks have placed a second-round tender on restricted free agent cornerback Justin Coleman, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The tender value is expected to be around $2.914MM.

Following a pair of seasons with the Patriots, Coleman was acquired by the Seahawks last September in exchange for a seventh-round pick. The former undrafted free agent ended up setting career-highs across the board in 2017, as he finished the campaign with 42 tackles, two interceptions, and two touchdowns in 16 games (five starts). Pro Football Focus was fond of Coleman’s performance last season, ranking him 37th among 120 eligible cornerback candidates.

After parting ways with Richard Sherman, the Seahawks may be counting on Coleman to play an even larger role in 2018. The team is currently rostering four other cornerbacks in Neiko Thorpe, Shaquill Griffin, DeAndre Elliott, and Alex Carter.