HEADLINES

Month: March 2018

Redskins Re-Sign S Deshazor Everett

March 6th, 2018 at 4:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have re-signed safety Deshazor Everett to a multi-year deal, per a team announcement. Everett was scheduled to be a restricted free agent. 

Everett stepped up into a larger role for the Redskins this year amidst injuries in the secondary. Appearing in 14 games (eight starts), Everett set new career highs in tackles (52), passes defensed (5), and forced fumbles (1).

This year, the original round tender is set at $1.907MM. The Redskins feasibly could have applied the tender to Everett to have the first right of refusal, though they would not have received any draft compensation for the former UDFA if he signed elsewhere.

In related moves, running backs Dare Ogunbowale and Kenny Hilliard and tackle Kevin Bowen have been waived.

Franchise Tag Deadline Recap

March 6th, 2018 at 4:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The 2018 NFL franchise tag deadline has come and gone. Five players received the franchise tag before 4pm ET/3pm CT and one player was hit with the less frequently used transition tag.

Franchise tagged players:

Transition tagged players:

Several high-profile players that were in the mix for the tag did not receive the designation. Among those to escape the tag were top free agent wide receivers Sammy Watkins of the Rams and Allen Robinson of the Jaguars, although both teams are reported to have interest in retaining them. We’ve known for a while that the Vikings would not tag quarterback Case Keenum and they indeed will allow him to reach free agency as they evaluate other options under center. There was some chatter about the Redskins tagging Kirk Cousins, but they came to their senses and, finally, allowed him to test the open waters.

The odds were always against the Patriots and 49ers using the costly $11.866MM tag for running backs on Dion Lewis and Carlos Hyde, respectively, but we now know that for sure. Both players are on course for free agency on Wednesday, March 14, barring an extension in the next eight days.

Eagles’ Brent Celek Wants To Keep Playing

March 6th, 2018 at 4:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles likely won’t be able to re-sign Trey Burton, but they’ll have the opportunity to retain another tight end. Veteran Brent Celek plans to continue playing, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 

[RELATED: Eagles Working To Keep DE Vinny Curry]

Celek, 33, is on the books for $5MM in 2018. The Eagles can save $1MM by releasing him, but they may look to restructure his contract instead, as they did in 2017. With Burton out of the picture, Celek could theoretically return as the team’s TE2, behind Zach Ertz.

Celek appeared in every game for the Eagles, both in the regular season and the playoffs. In the regular season, he caught 13 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown while largely eclipsed by Ertz and Burton. Celek has not been a big factor in the passing game in recent seasons, but he remains valuable as a blocker and mentor.

With eleven years in Philadelphia, Celek is the team’s longest-tenured player.

Packers To Meet With Muhammad Wilkerson

March 6th, 2018 at 3:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Muhammad Wilkerson will take his first free agent with the Packers on Wednesday, Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter) hears. Wilkerson was formally released by the Jets on Monday, freeing him up to meet with interested clubs.

Wilkerson was once one of the league’s most imposing defensive ends before he imploded in New York. Green Bay apparently believes that new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine – who overlapped with Wilkerson in New York in 2011 and 2012 – can help get him back on track.

Before signing an ill-fated five-year, $86MM extension with Gang Green, Wilkerson enjoyed his best season as a pro in 2015, racking up a career-high 12 sacks and forcing three fumbles, to go along with 64 tackles. Wilkerson’s work ethic dropped off significantly after he cashed in and he was late to team functions on a number of occasions, but the Temple product still harbors serious talent.

The Packers and other teams will be drawn to Wilkerson due to his ability and the dearth of quality defensive linemen on this year’s market. There’s also another major plus to Wilkerson for Green Bay – because he is being released by the Jets, he would not count against the Packers’ compensatory pick formula.

Patriots To Drop DT Alan Branch

March 6th, 2018 at 3:10pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have exercised Kenny Britt‘s option for 2018, but they won’t be retaining defensive lineman Alan Branch. The Patriots are parting ways with Branch, a source tells Doug Kyed of NESN (on Twitter), allowing him to become a free agent. 

Branch was one of the Patriots’ top defensive performers in 2016, but he was hardly a factor in 2017. The Patriots made him a healthy scratch for an October game against the Bucs and he finished the season on the sidelines thanks to a meniscus tear. Given all of that, the Patriots were not expected to bring Branch back with a cap number of $4.55MM.

Kyed reports that the Patriots are declining Branch’s option, but Branch’s contract was previously reported as a straight-up two-year deal. In any event, it appears that the Pats will save $3.55MM by dumping Branch with just $1MM in residual dead money.

In 2016, Branch tallied a career-high 49 tackles to go along with 1.5 sacks. He ranked 25th in overall performance among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior defensive linemen that season, but this year he ranked just 98th.

Patriots Exercise Kenny Britt’s Option

March 6th, 2018 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Kenny Britt is staying in New England. The Patriots informed the wide receiver that they will be exercising his option for the 2018 season.

This time last year, the Browns signed Britt to a four-year, $32.5MM deal. That contract turned out to be an absolute disaster as he had just 18 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns for Cleveland. When John Dorsey replaced Sashi Brown as the Browns’ top exec, his very first move was to release Britt, even though it meant eating the guaranteed portion of his contract. Britt went unclaimed on waivers, but the Pats quickly scooped him up.

The Patriots paid Britt the prorated portion of the veteran minimum ($900K) in the first year of his deal with an option for $2018 worth $1.5MM with a chance to reach $2MM. Given that Britt is not far removed from his 1,000+ yard campaign with the Rams, his contract could turn into one of the league’s most tremendous values.

Britt saw time in only three games for New England and did not suit up for the playoffs. With a full offseason to acclimate to the Pats’ offense, he may be in position for a significant role this season. His presence may also allow the Pats to allow Danny Amendola to leave in free agency, should his asking price climb too high.

Steelers Apply Franchise Tag To Le’Veon Bell

March 6th, 2018 at 1:53pm CST by Zachary Links

As expected, the Steelers have hit Le’Veon Bell with the franchise tag. The move will prevent the running back from exploring unrestricted free agency while giving the two parties until July to hammer out a long-term deal. 

On Monday, Bell indicated that he was still far apart with the Steelers on contract negotiations. He also said that his threat of retirement from January was legitimate and still in play.

The Steelers, ostensibly, are willing to make Bell the league’s highest-paid running back with a deal that tops Devonta Freeman‘s $8.25MM average yearly salary. Bell, meanwhile, wants a contract that reflects his value not only as a rusher, but as a receiver.

Bell certainly has a case. In 2017, he had 85 catches and 655 yards with two receiving touchdowns. That didn’t detract much from his rushing totals, either. Bell racked up 1,291 yards and nine rushing TDs off of a league-high 321 carries in 2017.

The Steelers now find themselves in a very similar position as last season. They have cuffed Bell with a one-year placeholder, this time at a 20% increase, amounting to $14.544MM. Bell did not take kindly to the move last summer and waited until just before the season to ink his tender. The 26-year-old could do the same this year or even ramp up the retirement talk.

If Bell holds out, the Steelers will not be without leverage. If Bell plays games, the Steelers could threaten to relinquish the tag late in the offseason and leave him on the curb after most of the league’s cap room has already been spoken for.

Bears Use Transition Tag On Kyle Fuller

March 6th, 2018 at 1:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bears are going to apply the transition tag to cornerback Kyle Fuller, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The transition tag will enable the Bears to match any offer presented to Fuller, though they will not receive draft compensation in the event that they do not match. 

With ample cap room, the Bears will pretty much have the ability to retain Fuller regardless of the offer sheet he signs. That doesn’t mean that the Bears will match any contract, but they have the means to retain one of their top defenders.

The transition tag for cornerbacks this year is $12.971MM. The non-exclusive franchise tag, which would have entitled the Bears to draft compensation if Fuller signed an offer sheet elsewhere, would have cost the team $14.975MM. There is one key advantage to the transition tag over the franchise tag – the Bears can negotiate a long-term deal with Fuller beyond the July deadline for franchised players.

The move comes as something of a surprise, though Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported earlier in the week that the transition tag was still a possibility for Fuller. There is reportedly interest on both sides in moving forward together, so a long-term deal seems possible.

In 2017, Fuller totaled 68 tackles and ranked as PFF’s No. 22 ranked cornerback over the likes of Ronald Darby, Byron Maxwell, Jason McCourty, Richard Sherman, and other notables. However, he had a bit of an up-and-down track record in the three previous years. The former No. 14 overall pick did well as a rookie in 2014 and followed that up with a decent showing in 2015, but his entire 2016 season was lost due to a knee injury. The Bears declined Fuller’s fifth-year option, but in hindsight, they wish they had him under contract for 2018 at the much cheaper rate of $8.526MM.

Fuller is no longer an unrestricted free agent, but other quality unencumbered cornerbacks remain. Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler, Bashaud Breeland, E.J. Gaines, and Morris Claiborne currently headline this year’s CB class.

Ravens Re-Sign DE Brent Urban

March 6th, 2018 at 1:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are keeping at least one of their free agents. On Tuesday afternoon, the Ravens announced a new one-year deal for defensive end Brent Urban. 

Urban was slated to start in 2017, but a Lisfranc injury shut him down after just three games. Injuries, of course, were a common theme for Baltimore in 2017. At the time, Urban became the 17th Ravens player to hit the injured reserve list. The injuries continued to pile up from there, but the Ravens still nearly made the playoffs and finished out with a 9-7 record.

The Ravens have other free agents to address in the coming days, including wide receiver Mike Wallace, tight end Benjamin Watson, and running back Terrance West. Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome has indicated that the team will shake up its WR group, which may not bode well for Wallace’s future in Baltimore.

Panthers Re-Sign K Graham Gano

March 6th, 2018 at 12:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers won’t be using the franchise tag on Graham Gano. Carolina has locked up the kicker with a four-year deal worth $17MM, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The pact includes $9MM guaranteed.

Heading into the offseason, outsiders assumed that the Panthers’ primary franchise tag candidate would be guard Andrew Norwell with an outside possibility that defensive tackle Star Lotulelei could be hit with the one-year placeholder. Instead, Gano was reportedly the only player in the mix for the tag. This year, the NFL set the tag for kickers at $4.939MM. That’s significantly cheaper than the offensive line tag ($14.077MM) and the defensive tackle tag ($13.939MM).

In theory, the Panthers can now use their franchise tag on another player now that Gano has been re-signed. However, everything we’ve heard up until this point indicates that the Panthers will allow both Norwell and Lotulelei to explore the open market.

Last year, Gano led the league in field goal percentage as he nailed 96.7% of his attempts en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance. He also led the league in touchbacks with 84.8% of his kickoffs resulting in the opposing team starting from the 20-yard line.

In terms of total value, Gano’s deal ranks fourth behind Dan Bailey, Ryan Succop, and Stephen Gostkowski amongst kickers. However, his average annual value of $4.25MM makes him the second-highest paid kicker in the NFL, trailing only Gostkowski. His total guarantee of $9MM puts him third in that category behind Justin Tucker and Gostkowski and just ahead of Succop.

After a shaky 2016, a lucrative long-term deal did not seem possible for Gano. Two seasons ago, Gano made just 30 of 38 field goal attempts and used a draft pick on Harrison Butker to open up a kicking competition. Today, Gano stands as one of the highest-paid players at his position.

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