2020 March - Pro Football Rumors

49ers, OL Tom Compton Agree To Deal

March 19th, 2020 at 1:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after the 49ers moved on from multiyear starting guard Mike Person, they agreed to terms with Tom Compton. The defending NFC champions will add Compton on a one-year, $3MM deal, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets.

The 49ers will be Compton’s fifth team in five years. Following four years with the Redskins, the veteran offensive lineman has become one of the league’s most available journeymen. Compton, 30, has played in at least 11 games with different teams over the past four seasons — the Falcons, Bears, Vikings and Jets.

At two of his previous career stops, however, Compton worked with 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan. The ex-Washington and Atlanta OC may have designs on plugging him into Person’s role opposite Laken Tomlinson or placing him in a competition with another familiar blocker. The 49ers now have Compton and 31-year-old swing man Ben Garland in the fold; each has played for Shanahan in multiple cities. Garland and Compton were teammates with the ’16 Falcons as well.

A former sixth-round pick out of South Dakota, Compton has spent most of his career as a backup. His lone season as a full-time starter came with the 2018 Vikings, whose offensive line was not exactly a celebrated unit. Compton played 363 snaps last season with the Jets, starting five games for an embattled unit, and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 67 overall guard.

Titans’ Logan Ryan Holding Out For $10MM/Year

March 19th, 2020 at 12:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Titans free agent defensive back Logan Ryan stands as one of the best players still on the market. With that in mind, he’s not about to leap at any offer thrown his way.

Ryan is entertaining all offers and he’s willing to consider a short-term deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears from someone close to him. However, he’s unwilling to accept anything less than the ~$10MM salary he earned in 2019.

Ryan joined the Titans on a three-year, $30MM contract prior to the 2017 season. He’s been a fixture in the starting lineup ever since. Last year, Ryan finished out with 113 tackles and 4.5 sacks. With a proven track record and the ability to move around the secondary, Ryan figures to find a solid payday in the coming days.

Cardinals To Sign De’Vondre Campbell

March 19th, 2020 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Another day, another pay day for a Drew Rosenhaus client. On Thursday, the Cardinals agreed to sign former Falcons linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to a one-year deal worth up to $8.5MM, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

The exact terms of the deal are not yet known, so it will be interesting to see how much Campbell has secured in the form of guaranteed dollars and base pay. The real dollar amount is likely to be favorable for him – last year, he led the Falcons in tackles for the second straight year and turned in a perfect attendance record for the third straight season.

Campbell is a top-end run-stopper who took a major leap forward in 2019. In a perfect world, the Falcons would have liked to keep him, but the numbers crunch has forced them to make some tough choices in March.

Campbell drew trade interest before the deadline in October, but the Falcons opted to hold on to him. After a disappointing season, the Falcons might regret passing up the opportunity to get something in return for him. On the plus side, Campbell may factor into their compensatory pick formula.

Browns To Sign DT Andrew Billings

March 19th, 2020 at 12:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are about to get more of Andrew Billings in their lives. The former Bengals defensive tackle has agreed to sign with Cincy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Billings will ink a one-year deal worth $3.5MM fully guaranteed. The structure could be indicative of the current climate and reflective of player concerns during this period of uncertainty. Either way, it’s a solid deal for both sides. The Browns get a former starter on the cheap who can push opposing lineman thanks to his 328-pound frame. Billings, meanwhile, has security and a chance to cash in if he performs.

Billings, 25, has appeared in 47 games with 37 starts for the Bengals over the last three years. He came into the league as a fourth-round pick in 2016, but saw his entire season wiped out by a knee injury.

49ers To Cut Mike Person

March 19th, 2020 at 12:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers are moving on from Michael Person. The starting guard will be released on Thursday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Person, 32 in June, has spent the last two years with the Niners. Last year, they kept him from free agency with a three-year, $9MM pact including $3MM in guarantees. It was a low-cost deal with little in the way of locked-down money, so it wasn’t tough for SF to shed him.

At the time of the deal, it looked like a major win for the 49ers. As the 49ers’ starting right guard in 2018, Person graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 18 ranked guard in the NFL out of 71 qualified players.

This year, he started in all 14 of his regular season contests at multiple offensive line spots. Despite his experience and versatility, the 49ers have opted against keeping him as they’re tight against the cap.

Broncos To Waive Joe Flacco

March 19th, 2020 at 11:49am CST by Zachary Links

The Joe Flacco era in Denver is over. The Broncos will waive the quarterback with a failed physical designation, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Flacco will join a crowded quarterback market after a rocky stretch with the Broncos. Injuries have hampered Flacco throughout his career and its only gotten worse as of late.

The former Super-Bowl MVP missed time in 2015 and 2018 and also played through back pain in 2017, but his latest neck injury was especially serious. In early November, the Broncos shut the signal caller down for the second half of the season. Up to that point of the campaign, Flacco had completed 65.3% of his passes. While that was an impressive number, he also threw just six touchdown passes against five interceptions.

Now 35, Flacco is set to enter his 13th NFL season. To date, he’s played in 171 games with 218 touchdowns vs. 141 interceptions. The memed “elite” debate aside, he’s accomplished a ton, including 15 career playoff starts and a Super Bowl victory.

Flacco and Jameis Winston are among the high-profile QBs still available in free agency. Meanwhile, Andy Dalton and Cam Newton are on the trading block.

Rams Shopping Brandin Cooks

March 19th, 2020 at 10:54am CST by Zachary Links

Brandin Cooks could be on the move. Again. The Rams have made the wide receiver available via trade, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic (on Twitter). Meanwhile, they’re also shopping star running back Todd Gurley.

The Rams are looking to shed Cooks’ salary while recouping some draft capital. Despite his past accomplishments, it could be tough for them to find the right deal. Last year, Cooks had just 42 grabs for 583 yards and two touchdowns. Contrasted with his four straight seasons of 65/1,082/5, his trade value ain’t what it used to be.

If a deal comes together, it’ll likely happen in the next 24 hours. On Friday, Cooks is slated to lock in a guaranteed $5MM roster bonus. All in all, his contract takes him through 2023 with an upcoming cap hit of $16.8MM. A trade would lessen the blow, but still leave the Rams with a dead money charge.

Josh Gordon Wants To Play In 2020

March 19th, 2020 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

Josh Gordon is hoping to break out of NFL limbo. Currently under an indefinite suspension, the wide receiver wants to play in 2020, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler.

Gordon spent last year with the Patriots and Seahawks. In December, he was slapped with an indefinite suspension for his latest violation of the league’s policy on substances of abuse. The league also flagged him for performance-enhancing substances. This was Gordon’s sixth’s suspension from the league office, so he could be facing an uphill battle.

The new CBA, with eased language against recreational drugs, could work in his favor. If Gordon can convince Roger Goodell to give him another chance, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Last year, Gordon had seven catches for 139 yards in five games for the Seahawks. Coach Pete Carroll has been a huge supporter of Gordon and the wide receiver recently hinted that he’d be interested in a return, so that’s a situation worth monitoring.

Patriots’ Joe Thuney Signs Franchise Tender

March 19th, 2020 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

Done deal. On Thursday, offensive lineman Joe Thuney inked his one-year franchise tag tender with the Patriots, according to agent Mike McCartney (on Twitter).

For weeks, we heard that the Patriots were unlikely to retain Thuney. Then, this week, they threw everyone a curveball by assigning him the franchise tag. Initially, many speculated that Thuney would be a tag-and-trade candidate, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The Patriots are already discussing a long-term deal with the 27-year-old, so it sounds like he’s in their plans for 2020 and beyond.

With the deal signed, Thuney is slated to earn $14.8MM in 2020. The two sides can continue talks on a potential extension up until the summer deadline for franchise tagged players. If they can’t reach an accord by then, they’ll have to wait until after the 2020 season to pick things up again.

Bengals To Sign Mackensie Alexander

March 19th, 2020 at 10:16am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have agreed to sign former Vikings cornerback Mackensie Alexander, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. He’ll get a one-year, $4MM deal from the club – a pact that could prove to be a solid value for Cincy.

Alexander had his meniscus trimmed in January, a procedure that probably impacted his market. But, before that, he was enjoying a productive season. Alexander registered 38 tackles and five passes defensed in 13 games. Unfortunately, the injury kept him out of the Vikings’ postseason.

The Vikings secondary will look totally different in 2020. This month, they’ve lost Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Jayron Kearse in addition to Alexander. Meanwhile, we’re waiting to see how things shake out with Anthony Harris.