HEADLINES

Month: March 2018

Browns Trade For Packers CB Damarious Randall

March 9th, 2018 at 5:16pm CST by Micah Powell

Before the dust is settled from one deal, the Browns move on to the next. Just minutes after executing a trade for Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the team was at it again by striking a deal for Packers cornerback Damarious Randall, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Details of what the Browns were sending back to the Packers were not immediately available. With the deal, the Packers cleared $1.4 MM in cap space. The Browns will have a fifth-year option on the cornerback they will have to declare by May 3, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein reports (Twitter link).

A first-round selection (No. 30 overall) in 2015, Randall has appeared in 39 games with 30 starts in Green Bay and has made 10 interceptions. In 2017, the cornerback registered four interceptions and returned one for a touchdown in 12 starts.

Browns Trade For Tyrod Taylor

March 9th, 2018 at 5:04pm CST by Micah Powell

The Browns’ busy day isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. After pulling off a deal for Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry, the team has now struck another blockbuster deal by acquiring Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor for a third-round draft pick (No. 65), ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. 

With the move, the Browns locked in their veteran quarterback for the 2018 season while maintaining all their first- and second-round selections and without spending big money on a veteran like Case Keenum or A.J. McCarron. The Bills now are in the market for a quarterback and could potentially package the third-round pick it just picked up in an effort to move up to grab one of the top signal-callers in the upcoming draft.

In his third season as the starter in Buffalo, Taylor continued to limit turnovers while being able to make plays down the field and with his legs. He threw for 14 touchdowns with only four interceptions and added 427 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. In Cleveland, Taylor will be outfitted with his most impressive receiver corps in his stint as a starter with Landry, Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman out wide.

The acquisition of Taylor presumably gives the Browns a stopgap under center, allowing the team to use one its first-round picks (No. 1 and 4) to tab a quarterback in the upcoming draft. Taylor is signed through the 2018 season at a cap number of $18 MM — $10 MM of which is guaranteed.

The move of Taylor away from Buffalo shouldn’t come as a shock. The team had refused to commit to the Virginia Tech product and it was reported in February the quarterback refused to take a pay cut after taking one the year before. Due a $6 MM roster bonus at the beginning of the new league year, it only made sense for the Bills to move on.

If the Bills do not attempt to package picks to move up in the draft, the team will enter the 2018 campaign with Nathan Peterman as its starter, barring any m0ves in free agency.

[RELATED: Browns Depth Chart]

 

Packers CB Demetri Goodson Will Not Be UFA

March 9th, 2018 at 4:51pm CST by Micah Powell

The contract for Packers cornerback Demetri Goodson has tolled, meaning he will not be an unrestricted free agent in 2018, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Michael Cohen tweets.

As Cohen notes, a contract tolls when a player in the last year of his deal is on the physically unable to perform list past the sixth game of the season. The contract is pushed back a year, giving the team an extra year of control.

The 2014 sixth-round selection missed the entire 2017 season recovering from tearing both his ACL and MCL vs. the Redskins in 2016. Goodson returned to practice in November but did not see the field.

Before the injury, Goodson made three starts in six games in 2016. During his career, the Baylor product has appeared in 26 and registered 25 tackles.

Dolphins Trade WR Jarvis Landry To Browns

March 9th, 2018 at 3:37pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have acquired wide receiver Jarvis Landry from the Dolphins, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Miami will receive a fourth-round pick in 2018 (No. 123) and a seventh-round pick in 2019, the MMQB’s Albert Breer tweets.

The Dolphins used the franchise tag on Landry in February with the sole intent of trading him instead of losing him for nothing. The Dolphins did not want to give Landry a contract that would put him near the top of the wide receiver market, but the Browns apparently do not have reservations about giving him a monster deal.

For the time being, the Browns will assume Landry at the cost of his one-year placeholder, worth nearly $16MM. Presumably, terms of a long-term pact have already been hammered out between the two sides, and that deal should come with an average annual value of no less than $13MM per season. Landry, 25, was rumored to be seeking a $14MM annual salary and $30MM in guarantees during his talks with the ‘Fins.

The Bears and Ravens were also linked to Landry, but the Browns – who count wide receiver amongst their many positional needs this offseason – have stepped up to acquire the dangerous slot target. As of this writing, Landry is the highest-paid player on the roster for 2018.

Over the last four years, Landry has hauled in 400 passes for 4,038 yards and 22 touchdowns for Miami. Landry finished the 2017 season with 987 receiving yards, though his yards per catch average dipped to a career low 8.8 per catch. The Browns still have to figure out their quarterback situation, but they have a lethal 1-2 at wide receiver in Landry and Josh Gordon. Former first round pick Corey Coleman is also in the mix and the Browns are hoping that he can take a step forward with a more talented QB throwing to him.

[RELATED: Browns Depth Chart]

Rams Release RB Lance Dunbar

March 9th, 2018 at 3:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Rams have released running back Lance Dunbar, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Dunbar, 28, was already due to reach free agency on Wednesday.

Dunbar played sparingly in his first and only season with the Rams, appearing in just four games and attempting 11 carries. For what it’s worth, he averaged 4.6 yards per tote in that extremely limited sample. He also had a rushing touchdown and a receiving TD.

Dunbar spent the first five seasons of his career with the Cowboys and played mostly in a reserve role. He lost the bulk of the 2015 season to an ACL tear and sat out most of 2017 with knee pain.

Seahawks Release CB Richard Sherman

March 9th, 2018 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have officially released cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman will be free to explore free agency and his seven-year run with the Seahawks may come to an end. 

[RELATED: Seahawks Trade Michael Bennett To Eagles]

Interestingly, Sherman says that the door to a return is not completely closed.

“They are gonna let me explore free agency with the hope that I can return,” Sherman told ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). “They just wanted the financial flexibility.”

By cutting Sherman, the Seahawks will save $11MM for the coming year. He stands as one of the best free agents cornerbacks available, along with Trumaine Johnson and Malcolm Butler.

Sherman’s offseason departure from Seattle has been a rumored possibility for months, though the Seahawks probably tried to talk Sherman into taking a pay cut. Since Sherman should be able to come close to his $11MM salary in free agency, a substantial pay cut didn’t make much sense for him. The Seahawks also dangled Sherman in trade talks, but they apparently did not find a deal to their liking. There was also a question of whether Sherman would actually be able to be traded before passing a physical.

Given that Sherman should still find a competitive market for his services, it’s hard to envision him re-signing with the Seahawks. In order for that to happen, Sherman would probably have to give Seattle some degree of a hometown discount.

Sherman is still rehabbing from surgery to fix a torn Achilles as well as a minor surgery to remove a bone spur. By his own estimation, he expects to be able to resume training by June. His medical issues may limit his market somewhat, but teams will still line up to try and sign one of the league’s most impactful cornerbacks.

Sherman has three First-Team All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl nods to his credit and was a driving force behind the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory to cap the 2013 season. The cornerback is in a rare class of athletes for Seattle fans and his release is sure to upset many. Ultimately, cutting Sherman was not something the Seahawks wanted to do, but something they basically had to do in order to address other needs for the upcoming season. Heading into this week, the Seahawks were in the bottom third of the league in cap space and trailed every other team in the NFC West in flexibility. Between the trades of Michael Bennett and the release of Sherman, they have a bit more room to work with.

We heard last week that Sherman would be receptive to joining the Patriots, so that’s a team to watch as he explores the market.

49ers Decline Elvis Dumervil’s Option

March 9th, 2018 at 3:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers announced that they will not pick up defensive end/linebacker Elvis Dumervil’s contract option for 2018. Meanwhile, they are exercising the option of linebacker Dekoda Watson and have tendered a one-year contract to exclusive rights free agent running back Raheem Mostert.

The Niners have a good amount of cap space, but Dumervil’s $4.25MM cap hit (and $500K option bonus) was still too high for the Niners’ liking. Dumervil led the Niners’ D with 6.5 sacks in 2017, but the team is intent on moving forward with younger options including Eli Harold, Cassius Marsh, and Pita Taumoepenu. No other SF player had more than three sacks last year.

Dumervil is on the backend of his career at the age of 34, but he still has plenty to offer teams. He offers a wealth of experience as an edge rusher, not to mention 105.5 career sacks across eleven seasons with the Broncos, Ravens, and Niners.

Watson appeared in 14 games for the 49ers last season, primarily as a special teamer. He’s now slated to count against the cap for $1.633MM in 2018.

Buccaneers To Sign Mike Evans To Extension

March 9th, 2018 at 2:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has agreed to a five-year, $82.5MM extension that includes $55MM in overall guarantees, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Evans is now under contract with the Bucs through the 2023 season. The deal also includes incentives that can push the deal’s overall value to nearly $96MM, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora. Evans gets $38.3MM in full guarantees at signing, per The MMQB’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). 

Before the deal, Evans was slated to reach the open market after the 2018 season. The new deal ensures that Evans will be part of the team for years to come while also making him one of the league’s highest-paid players at his position.

We’ll have to wait for the complete breakdown of the contract before stacking it up against the league’s other top-paid WRs, but here’s what we do know: Evans is now second amongst all receivers in terms of average annual value, trailing only Antonio Brown ($17MM/year). In terms of total value, Evans is the new king with a deal that just edges DeAndre Hopkins‘ five-year, $81MM deal with the Texans from last summer.

Evans also takes the top spot amongst all WRs in full guarantees. His $38.3MM guaranteed at signing bests Hopkins ($36.5MM), Julio Jones ($35.5MM), and Demaryius Thomas ($35MM).

According to La Canfora, Evans will get $55MM in injury guarantees, which bests Calvin Johnson‘s deal to become a new all-time high for WRs. He also has $38.3MM in guarantees over the first two years, per JLC. The deal includes a $1.5MM bonus in the final year that will force the Bucs to decide on his future prior to the start of the 2023 season.

Of course, the deal bodes well for other wide receivers waiting for their paydays, including Giants superstar Odell Beckham Jr. ODB is reportedly seeking a deal in excess of $100MM and he is expected to top Evans despite missing the bulk of the 2017 season.

Extra Points: Lions, Ebron, Ravens, Bailey

March 9th, 2018 at 2:48pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions met with tight end Eric Ebron on Thursday to discuss his future, Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. Team officials let him know that they are are open to dealing him and didn’t not guarantee that he’ll be back with the team for 2018.

Ebron, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 draft, has had an up-and-down career in Detroit. On the plus side, he had less issues with dropped passes in 2017 than in years past.

There’s reason to believe that Ebron, who doesn’t turn 25 until April, can grow from here. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 57 catches for 642 yards and it’s possible that a change of scenery can help him reach the next level.

Here’s more from around the NFL on a busy Friday:

Raiders, Justin Ellis Agree To Extension

March 9th, 2018 at 2:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Raiders defensive tackle Justin Ellis has agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth more than $15MM, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes more than $6MM in guaranteed cash. 

Ellis was scheduled to reach free agency on Wednesday and ranked as one of PFR’s ten best available interior linemen. Ellis, 27, has been a staple on the Raiders’ defensive line for the last four seasons. Last year, he appeared in every game for Oakland and started in 14 of those contests.

Ellis doesn’t have gaudy stat lines on his resume, but he is a valuable run stuffer at nose tackle. Last season was his best campaign to date, according to Pro Football Focus, as he ranked 45th amongst interior defensive linemen.

In other Raiders news, coach Jon Gruden met with running back Doug Martin this week and came away impressed. Whether the Martin meeting results in a deal or not, it’s probably not a great sign for Marshawn Lynch‘s future with the team.

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