HEADLINES

Month: March 2020

Chiefs To Sign Antonio Hamilton

March 20th, 2020 at 4:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Chiefs are finally making a move. The defending Super Bowl champions will sign cornerback Antonio Hamilton to a one-year deal, his agent Drew Rosenhaus told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Rosenhaus told Schefter that his client turned down more money from another team, so it sounds like competing for a championship was his priority. As Schefter points out, this is the first free agent the Chiefs have signed since the frenzy started a few days ago. Kansas City has already lost a few guys in free agency, including starting corner Kendall Fuller to the Redskins, so this move will help bolster the secondary.

The Chiefs’ pass defense improved greatly last year, and is one of the main reasons they won the Super Bowl. They’re very low on cap space at the moment, so they’ve got to find value deals like this. Hamilton entered the league as an UDFA back in 2016, and started two games for the Giants this past year. The South Carolina State product was also a key player on multiple special teams units.

Patriots To Sign Dan Vitale

March 20th, 2020 at 4:47pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Patriots continue to make smaller under the radar moves as they re-tool their team in the wake of Tom Brady‘s departure. New England is signing fullback Dan Vitale, his agent Chris Cabbott told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

The Pats and Bill Belichick like to use fullbacks a lot, so this is a significant move. This also could spell the end of the road for the Patriots’ longtime fullback James Develin. Develin signed with New England back in 2012 and has been their full-time fullback since 2013. He was limited to only two games in 2019 because of a neck injury, and his absence had a big impact on their running game.

We haven’t heard much about him since, and it’s possible that his neck injury is going to prevent him from playing. Either way, it looks like the Pats will be moving forward with Vitale. Vitale spent last year as the Packers’ fullback, catching seven passes for 97 yards while playing about 16 percent of the offensive snaps. In 2018, Develin was used on more than 35 percent of New England’s snaps.

 

Cowboys Won’t Sign Everson Griffen, Jadeveon Clowney

March 20th, 2020 at 2:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys are in need of help on the edge after losing Robert Quinn in free agency. However, they’re unlikely to pursue two of the biggest names left: Everson Griffen and Jadeveon Clowney, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com and Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram (Twitter links).

Griffen, we learned, won’t be back in Minnesota either. On Friday, his agent released a statement to share that the Vikings will not be re-signing him. On paper, he’d be a logical fit for the Cowboys – Griffen has a solid track record of generating pressure and he’s coming off of a strong comeback year. In 2019, the veteran notched eight sacks en route to his fourth career Pro Bowl nomination.

Clowney, meanwhile, is having trouble generating interest. Injuries are likely a factor, but the asking price is a bigger issue. At one point, we heard that the Seahawks free agent is seeking ~$20MM per season. Despite his pedigree as a former No. 1 overall pick and the ever-ballooning market for defensive ends, that’s probably an unrealistic ask.

The Cowboys – who still have multiple needs to address and limited room to fill them – appear poised to take a less splashy route as they look to replace Quinn.

Jets Re-Sign Neville Hewitt

March 20th, 2020 at 2:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Neville Hewitt will return to the Jets, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. He’ll sign a new one-year, $2MM deal to suit up for Gang Green in 2020.

Hewitt, 27 in April, spent most of 2017 on the Dolphins’ practice squad, but was promoted for the last six games of the regular season. He played only eleven snaps, but saw 66.5% playtime on special teams.

In 2018, he got a career break with the Jets. Over the last two years, he’s suited up in 16 games for them. There’s been a lot of turnover at the Meadowlands, but the new regime seems to like him as much as the old one.

Everson Griffen Won’t Re-Sign With Vikings

March 20th, 2020 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Everson Griffen and the Vikings are going their separate ways. On Friday, agent Brian Murphy released the following statement (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). 

“We have broken off talks with Minnesota because they have to spend their money elsewhere and we decided to now focus our attention on free agency,” said Murphy.

There has been mutual interest between the two sides, but the price tag proved to be prohibitive. One league source estimated that the 32-year-old is in line for a deal worth $8MM-$10MM, plus incentives.

His last deal – a four-year, $58MM extension signed in 2017 – was cut short when Griffen triggered his option to escape. But, had he stayed, there was no guarantee that the Vikings would have kept him. Given their current stance, it seems likely that he would have been released.

The former fourth-rounder has spent his entire career with the Vikings, earning four Pro Bowl nods in ten seasons. This past season, Griffen finished with 41 tackles, eight sacks, and an interception. Since 2011, he’s put up at least 5.5 sacks in every campaign.

Broncos To Sign Melvin Gordon

March 20th, 2020 at 12:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have agreed to sign running back Melvin Gordon, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The former Bolts standout will receive a two-year deal worth $16MM, with $13.5MM of that sum being guaranteed.

Gordon made headlines for his prolonged holdout with the Chargers. When he finally returned to the field, he delivered mixed results.

In 12 games, Gordon averaged 3.8 yards per carry, a far cry from the 5.1 yards per tote that gave him so much leverage in 2018. The two-time Pro Bowler made a name for himself as a touchdown machine, but he didn’t find paydirt all that often – he had eight rushing TDs and one receiving TD, a big dropoff from the previous year’s total of 14 total scores.

There were bright spots, however, giving the Broncos and other teams plenty of reason to still believe in his ability. In Week 9, for example, he torched the Raiders for 108 yards. He also gave the Broncos an up-close look at what he can do in Week 12 – he came one yard shy of the century mark in Denver.

Last year, Phillip Lindsay became the first UDFA in league history to open his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. While he fights for a pay day of his own, the Broncos will add one of the league’s most notable tailbacks.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/20

March 20th, 2020 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s running list of minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Released: P Ryan Allen (this is only a procedural move and Allen is expected to be re-signed shortly, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets.)

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Chicago Bears

Houston Texans

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ravens To Trade Chris Wormley To Steelers

March 20th, 2020 at 12:32pm CST by Zachary Links

We have yet another trade in the NFL. The latest swap is an intra-divisional one: The Steelers will send a 2021 fifth-round pick to the Ravens for defensive lineman Chris Wormley and a 2021 seventh-rounder, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Wormley, a third-round pick in 2017, was tapped to be a younger replacement for Timmy Jernigan after he was shipped to the Eagles. He didn’t pan out exactly as hoped, but he did provide the Ravens with 39 appearances, including 15 starts, over the course of three seasons.

Along the way, Wormley managed 2.5 sacks from the interior. Last year, he saw 482 snaps with a roughly even split between passing and running plays. Pro Football Focus assigned him a 65.6 overall score, slotting him as the No. 63 ranked defensive tackle in the NFL. A repeat performance would make him a great value for Pittsburgh, as he still has one year to go on his original rookie deal.

Steelers To Sign Eric Ebron

March 20th, 2020 at 12:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers are signing tight end Eric Ebron to a two-year deal worth $12MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). It’s a relatively low-risk pickup that could pay big dividends for Ben Roethlisberger & Co.

Ebron, a former first-round pick, struggled early on in his career with the Lions. In 2018, he caught his second wind with the Colts. However, the team decided against re-signing him this offseason.

In ’18, Ebron got the drops under control and managed a 13-touchdown season with 66 catches for 750 yards. But, without quarterback Andrew Luck, Ebron was far less productive in 2019. The soon-to-be 27-year-old had just 31 grabs for 375 yards and three scores before landing on IR in late November with an ankle injury.

Then, there was drama. The Colts said they were not aware of Ebron having a serious ankle problem. Ebron fired back and issued a statement saying that the team knew about his severe pain since the start of the season.

The fences weren’t mended, and Ebron is moving on to Pittsburgh.

Saints To Re-Sign Andrus Peat

March 20th, 2020 at 12:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Andrus Peat isn’t going anywhere. On Friday, the Saints announced a new five-year deal for the guard/tackle. 

The new five-year deal will pay him $57.5MM with $33MM guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). That contract will keep the 26-year-old (27 in November) in place through his prime years, helping to secure the Saints’ offensive line for Drew Brees and Taysom Hill.

Peat, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2015 draft, has been a Saints regular for the past five years with appearances at left tackle, left guard, right tackle, and even some snaps as an extra blocker/tight end. All in all, he’s got 60 starts under his belt at every O-Line spot, except for center. In that span, the Saints have ranked No. 1 in the league in points per game while surrendering only 124 sacks.

Peat played well in 2019, too. He earned a Pro Bowl nod for his work in an injury-shortened ten-game season.

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