2020 March - Pro Football Rumors

Bills To Sign OL Daryl Williams

March 26th, 2020 at 5:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Bills have agreed to sign offensive lineman Daryl Williams to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

In signing Williams, general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott — both former Panthers employees — will add yet another bullet point on the list of players who’ve headed from Carolina to Buffalo. Williams joins Josh Norman, Vernon Butler, Star Lotulelei, A.J. Klein, and Mario Addison as ex-Panthers now on the Bills’ roster.

Williams, 27, spent time all over Carolina’s front five last year; after playing tackle for most his career, he saw the majority of his action at guard in 2019, where Pro Football Focus graded him 57th positionally among 80 qualifiers. The former fourth-round pick was outstanding as the Panthers’ right tackle in 2017, but multiple knee injuries limited him to just one game the following season.

The Bills made a number of investments in their offensive line last offseason, signing Mitch Morse, Quinton Spain, Jon Feliciano, Spencer Long, and Ty Nsekhe to free agent pacts while selecting Cody Ford in the second round of the draft. Every member of that haul will return in 2020, meaning Williams may not have a shot to start. Given his versatility, he’ll add value as a utility lineman, but his best chance at significant playing time is likely at right guard, where he could compete with Feliciano and Long.

Williams looked poised to cash in following his excellent 2017 campaign, and even after injuries prevented him from seeing much action in 2018, many observers believed he’d still garner a hefty multi-year pact. Instead, he was forced to accept a one-year, $6MM deal as he re-signed with the Panthers. Given his health history, it’s perhaps unsurprising that he’s again inking a single-season pact.

Carolina perhaps signaled that it wasn’t interested in retaining Williams when it signed former Bengals guard John Miller to a one-year pact last week. Miller will take over at right guard for the Panthers, joining trade acquisition Russell Okung as a new addition to Carolina’s front five.

Cardinals Re-Sign T Marcus Gilbert

March 26th, 2020 at 4:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals have re-signed offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert to a one-year deal worth $3.75MM deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Arizona has since confirmed the transaction.

Arizona acquired Gilbert from the Steelers last spring in exchange for a sixth-round pick, and had been planning to install him as its full-time starter at right tackle. However, as has been so often the case during Gilbert’s NFL career, injuries prevented him from getting on the field.

A knee injury forced Gilbert to injured reserve in early September, and he didn’t end up playing a single down during the 2019 campaign. Gilbert, 32, appeared in only 12 total games from 2017-18, and hasn’t played a full 16-game slate since 2015.

While Gilbert certainly won’t give the Cardinals security at right tackle, he will give the club options. He’ll likely compete for time with Justin Murray, who started 12 games in Gilbert’s stead a season ago. With both Murray and Gilbert in tow, and blindside protector D.J. Humphries back on a three-year deal, Arizona may no longer view offensive tackle as a priority for the eighth overall selection.

Gilbert, a second-round pick in the 2011 draft, has appeared in 88 career games, all with the Steelers. While injuries have taken a toll on his overall production, he’s generally performed as an above-average tackle when able to take the field.

Colts, CB Xavier Rhodes Agree To Deal

March 26th, 2020 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts will add a longtime starter to their cornerback corps. Former Vikings standout Xavier Rhodes agreed to a deal to join the Colts, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Rhodes’ new contract is worth around $5MM, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).

A recent Vikings cap casualty, Rhodes secured a one-year Colts contract Thursday in a bid to re-establish his value. The seven-year veteran’s stock has dipped considerably since he signed a Minnesota extension in 2017. Rhodes, 30 in June, struggled for most of last season.

Despite cutting Rhodes with three seasons remaining on his contract, the Vikings tried to re-sign him, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Minnesota has now lost three former first-round corners, with Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander defecting to Cincinnati.

The Vikings, who used a 2013 first-round pick on Rhodes, gave their then-CB1 a five-year, $70MM pact in the summer of 2017. He earned first-team All-Pro acclaim that season, which came after a Pro Bowl 2016 when the Florida State product intercepted five passes.

Rhodes regressed fairly early over the course of his second contract, however. Despite being voted to the Pro Bowl as an alternate, Rhodes allowed a 127.8 passer rating last season. The Colts will aim to bring Rhodes closer to his top level next season.

This Rhodes addition comes less than a week after the Colts cut Pierre Desir a year after extending him. Rhodes will join a cornerback contingent that houses Rock Ya-Sin and standout slot man Kenny Moore.

Jaguars’ Darqueze Dennard Deal Off

March 26th, 2020 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars reached an apparent agreement to sign Darqueze Dennard last week, but the former first-round pick is heading back to free agency.

The team announced an agreement with Dennard could not ultimately be finalized, per Mark Long of the Associated Press (on Twitter). The veteran cornerback will return to unrestricted free agency.

No terms from the Jags’ Dennard agreement surfaced, and the team struck a deal with Rashaan Melvin earlier this week. Both of those developments make more sense now. Dennard is entering his age-29 season. He has spent his entire six-year career with the Bengals.

Jacksonville traded away each member of its top-tier cornerback duo over the past six months, and Dennard was viewed as one of the pieces that would help the team transition from the Jalen Ramsey–A.J. Bouye era. However, Dennard is primarily a slot cornerback. With slot defender D.J. Hayden residing as the Jaguars’ top incumbent corner, this was set to be an interesting fit. Hayden and Melvin are now the Jags’ two most proven corners. The draft figures to be a key avenue for the team upgrading at this position.

Trent Williams Not Asking For $20MM/Year?

March 26th, 2020 at 2:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

A quality back-and-forth battle between the Redskins and Trent Williams‘ camp has formed over the acclaimed left tackle’s asking price for what would be his third NFL contract. Team Williams insists it is not as high as what has been reported.

While Williams is believed to want a new contract post-trade, Williams’ agent, Vince Taylor, said — during an appearance on 106.7 The Fan — reports of his client wanting a $20MM-per-year deal are “totally false.”

Multiple reports this month linked Williams to seeking a tackle-record contract; SI.com’s Albert Breer reiterated this as an issue for teams during a Wednesday appearance on 106.7. Williams’ contract demands are believed to be a bigger impediment toward a deal than the Redskins’ asking price of a second-round pick.

However, Taylor said multiple teams called Washington’s asking price “outrageous.” He hopes the Redskins will release Williams, but a report earlier Thursday indicated that will not happen. One year and $12.5MM remains on the soon-to-be 32-year-old left tackle’s contract. Taylor added that a $16MM offer would not be out of step. With Williams having not played since 2018 and having run into injury trouble on a few fronts over the past few years, that price will probably be too high as well.

“If we could get to a point where we could talk about those numbers, that would not be a holdup for us,” Taylor said. “The contract has never been the holdup. The Redskins prior to the Combine put Trent on the trade market. They had him on [the trade block] maybe 10 days, and even through the Combine, which is the biggest business platform for teams looking to wheel and deal. Upon leaving the Combine, the Redskins had not gotten one offer that they could bring to Trent and I so that I could negotiate our side.”

The Browns, Jets and Vikings have been mentioned as interested parties, but it does not look like a deal is close at this point.

Giants To Sign DT Austin Johnson

March 26th, 2020 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

After franchise-tagging Leonard Williams, the Giants will add another piece to their defensive line. They agreed to terms with defensive tackle Austin Johnson on Thursday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets.

Johnson has spent his entire career with the Titans, who drafted him in the 2016 second round. The Penn State alum worked as a 13-game starter in Tennessee but played in every Titans game from 2017-19.

A clear connection helps explain the signing. One of Johnson’s defensive line coaches with the Nittany Lions is making the move to the NFL; Joe Judge hired Sean Spencer to coach the Giants’ D-line. Johnson played his final two seasons under Spencer with the Big Ten program.

Johnson played 29% of the Titans’ defensive snaps last season and 38% in 2018. The 6-foot-4, 314-pound run-stuffing lineman registered 23 tackles in 2019. He will join a Giants defensive line that is by far their defense’s deepest position. Williams, Dexter Lawrence, Dalvin Tomlinson and B.J. Hill reside up front for the Giants.

Likely set for a rotational role, Johnson will beef up a Giants defense that already ranked seventh in run-defense DVOA last season.

Dak Prescott To Become NFL’s Highest-Paid Player?

March 26th, 2020 at 1:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys have re-entered negotiations with their franchise quarterback, and Dak Prescott‘s patient strategy may be about to pay off.

A Prescott extension is not yet imminent, but a source informed ESPN.com’s Ed Werder the Cowboys quarterback will exit these talks as the NFL’s highest-paid player (Twitter link). These talks are not contentious, per Werder, who adds that since the NFL has postponed teams’ offseason programs, no team deadline exists to conclude these discussions.

Prescott turned down the Cowboys’ $33MM-per-year offer — one that came with $105MM guaranteed — and is now franchise-tagged for around $33MM. Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-AAV deal remains the NFL’s high-water mark. Wilson signed that deal last April. A Prescott price in the $35MM-AAV range surfaced Wednesday night.

The Cowboys have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement with Prescott. If the sides cannot finalize a deal by then, he will play under the exclusive tag. This process has gone on for over a year now. The Cowboys have extended both Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper, clearing the way for a Prescott tag.

While no one would logically argue Prescott is the NFL’s best quarterback, he has exerted leverage well over the past several months. Prescott bet on himself in a contract year, and he’s now negotiating under a new CBA. This and the NFL’s next round of TV deals are likely to produce bigger salary cap spikes in the coming years. The Cowboys’ price for Prescott would then set the market for Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, with the latter possessing the ability to reshape the quarterback salary spectrum when that time comes.

49ers Not Interested In OBJ Trade

March 26th, 2020 at 1:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

A year after Odell Beckham Jr. was traded by a team that insisted it was not interested in trading him, the star wide receiver popped up in trade rumors again a few months ago. While Beckham remains on the Browns, standing in Cleveland may not be too far from where it was in New York circa 2019.

The 49ers engaged in discussions with the Giants for Beckham last year, but things worked out pretty well for them despite OBJ being dealt to Cleveland. Although Emmanuel Sanders‘ defection to New Orleans leaves San Francisco again in need at wideout, Jay Glazer of The Athletic notes the 49ers will not pursue Beckham this offseason (subscription required).

While the 49ers indeed “loved” Beckham last year, Glazer adds that the team is now trying to add draft capital rather than trade it for veterans. San Francisco did this upon trading DeForest Buckner to Indianapolis, and the first-rounder acquired (No. 13 overall) could well be used on a wide receiver.

It became clear early last season that Jimmy Garoppolo needed more help, so the 49ers added Sanders. They had wanted to retain him but did not bid higher than the Saints’ two-year, $16MM offer. The 49ers will almost certainly add a receiver with one of their early-round picks to join their Deebo Samuel-led corps. San Francisco has used consecutive second-round picks on wideouts, with Samuel following 2018 acquisition Dante Pettis. The 49ers have not used a first-round pick on a receiver since their disappointing A.J. Jenkins selection in 2012.

Beckham and Baker Mayfield struggled to stay on the same page during Freddie Kitchens‘ one-and-done season. The Giants eating all the dead money in dealing Beckham to the Browns would make the 27-year-old talent an interesting trade chip, and OBJ surfaced in trade rumors late last season. While the three-time Pro Bowler’s long-term status in Cleveland probably isn’t stable, he remains in the Browns’ 2020 plans for the time being.

Bills To Bring Back CB E.J. Gaines

March 26th, 2020 at 12:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

E.J. Gaines has signed on for a third stint with the Bills. Buffalo and the veteran cornerback agreed to terms on a one-year deal Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The former Rams draft choice played for the Bills in 2017 and re-signed with Buffalo last year. But an injury derailed those plans, and the Bills reached an injury settlement with Gaines in August. He did not land with another team last season.

This signing comes a year and a day after the last time Gaines agreed to join the Bills for a second time. He is hoping to rebound after multiple injury-marred seasons. A midseason malady also cut his 2018 Browns stay short. This will be Gaines’ age-28 season, so if he’s healthy, he should have a decent chance to make the Bills’ regular-season roster and contribute.

Gaines will join Josh Norman as incoming Bills corners eyeing spots alongside Tre’Davious White. Youngsters Levi Wallace, Taron Johnson and Siran Neal will also be in that mix. The Bills lost Kevin Johnson to the Browns earlier in free agency.

Although he has only played in six games since his 2017 Bills run, Gaines started 11 games with Buffalo in his first stay there. Gaines suffered a concussion during his 2018 Cleveland season, which ended in November 2018.

NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Eagles, Williams

March 26th, 2020 at 11:40am CST by Sam Robinson

While the Cowboys have imported two of the 2019 Panthers’ three defensive line starters — in Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe — they are not looking to move on from Tyrone Crawford. The Cowboys have asked Crawford to yo-yo between defensive end and tackle in his career, and with the two high-profile veterans coming to Dallas, it is reasonable to wonder about their longtime lineman’s role. But as of now, it should be expected Crawford will be Dallas’ starting D-end opposite DeMarcus Lawrence, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News notes. Despite Crawford only playing in four games last season, the Cowboys are also not expected to ask the 30-year-old lineman to take a pay cut from the $8MM salary he is due in 2020, Moore adds. Crawford, whose contract is up after 2020, would be taking the place of Robert Quinn opposite Lawrence. Quinn signed a mega-deal with the Bears.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

The Eagles entered the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes, but the Cardinals’ offer of David Johnson and a second-round pick surprisingly won out. Howie Roseman said Thursday the deal the Texans offered him was different than what the Cardinals ended up agreeing to, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). It is not known what the Eagles offered, but this marks the most recent instance of them entering the pursuit of a high-profile AFC South player and not winning out. Roseman bowed out of the Jalen Ramsey sweepstakes last year. The lofty Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson cap numbers would have made a Hopkins extension interesting for Philly to navigate.
Despite the Cowboys signing both McCoy and Poe to help on their interior defensive line, they are not likely to look outside the organization to help on their interior O-line. Travis Frederick‘s successor will probably be an in-house move, Jon Machota of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Considering the Cowboys drafted Connor McGovern in the 2019 third round and re-signed Joe Looney — their 2018 replacement for Frederick — it should not surprise they will look internally at center. The Cowboys placed a second-round grade on McGovern last year, and even though he missed all of last season, the Penn State product should have a good shot at succeeding Frederick.
Although nearly half the league used a franchise or a transition tag this year, the Giants‘ Leonard Williams tag may have been the most interesting decision. New York’s Williams tag will cost at least $16.1MM (the defensive tackle price) and could run as much as $17.8MM (for defensive ends), but Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes the Giants are not likely to sign the former Jets first-rounder to a deal that averages $16MM per year. If that is the case, Williams should be expected to play 2020 on the tag.
The Cowboys gave Kai Forbath a one-year, $1.18MM deal, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). The veteran kicker, who succeeded Brett Maher last year, will receive a $137K signing bonus.
The Giants‘ deal for ex-Patriots special-teamer Nate Ebner is a one-year, $2MM pact, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Ebner will receive a $950K roster bonus and a $1.05MM base salary.