2022 March - Pro Football Rumors

The Jets are signing edge rusher Jacob Martin (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Martin will head to New York a three-year, $13.5MM deal with $6MM guaranteed and the potential to earn even more via incentives.

Martin, a sixth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2018, was part of the trade that sent Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle. Over his three years in Houston, Martin quietly turned himself into a key defensive cog. The Texans wanted to keep him, but the Jets ultimately came away with the highest bid.

In 2021, Martin made 14 starts and appeared in 61% of the Texans’ defensive snaps, both of which were new personal watermarks. While he posted only four sacks, Martin’s peripherals suggest that there was consistent pressure with room for continued growth.

Part of his success came from playing as a true 4-3 DE and Jets head coach Robert Saleh will keep him on that same track. Martin might not be as accomplished as other edge rushers they were chasing (like Chandler Jones), but he still offers lots of upside for Gang Green.

Restructured Contracts: Saints, Floyd, Hyde, Barrett

March 16th, 2022 at 10:42pm CST by Ben Levine

While teams are currently focused on adding free agents, some front offices are looking to carve out some extra cap space. We’ve collected some of today’s restructured deals below:

The Saints opened up some extra cap space earlier today. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the team restructured the contracts of defensive tackle David Onyemata and offensive tackle James Hurst. The moves saved the team an extra $7.015MM. Onyemata inked a three-year, $27MM deal with the Saints in 2020, and he already reworked his contract last offseason. A year ago yesterday, Hurst inked a three-year, $9MM extension with New Orleans.
The Rams opened up $12MM in cap space by reworking Leonard Floyd‘s contract, according to Yates (on Twitter). Floyd signed a four-year, $64MM extension with the organization last year. In two years with the Rams, the edge rusher has collected 20 sacks, and he’s added another four in six playoff games.
The Bills converted $5.68MM of safety Micah Hyde’s contract into a signing bonus, opening $4.54MM in cap space, per Yates (on Twitter). The veteran signed a two-year, $19.25MM extension with Buffalo last offseason. Hyde has spent the past five seasons in Buffalo, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods while only missing a pair of regular season games.
The Buccaneers restructured Shaq Barrett’s contract, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move should open up just under $10MM in cap space, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter). After playing the 2020 season under the franchise tag, Barrett inked a four-year, $72MM deal ($36MM guaranteed) with the Buccaneers last offseason.

Buccaneers Sign WR Chris Godwin To Three-Year Extension

March 16th, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Chris Godwin and the Buccaneers have agreed to a long-term deal. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Buccaneers are signing their star receiver to a three-year $60MM deal. The contract includes $40MM in guaranteed money due at signing.

The Buccaneers had to slap the franchise tag on Godwin when the two sides couldn’t agree to an extension by the tag deadline, but there was always optimism that the two sides would eventually agree to a long-term deal. We’ve heard in recent weeks that the two sides were continuing to work towards a new contract.

The franchise tag’s value would have been at $19.2MM, so Godwin ended up passing that total with his AAV. Tampa Bay got to clear up some much-needed space via the multiyear deal; ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweets that Godwin’s first-year cap hit is only $5MM, so the Bucs carved $14MM off their 2022 cap. If the contract looks familiar, it’s actually the exact same terms that Mike Williams got on his new deal with the Chargers.

A third rounder in 2017, Godwin has certainly outperformed his draft status during his time in Tampa Bay. His 2019 Pro Bowl season showcased his ability even without a quarterback the caliber of Tom Brady in the picture. His 2021 season with the future Hall of Famer (98 catches, 1,103 yards, five touchdowns) confirmed his talent level.

Brady is sticking around in 2022, and the Buccaneers offense looks as loaded as ever. Godwin and fellow top wideout Mike Evans will both be back, and Russell Gage was brought in to replace Antonio Brown on the depth chart. The team also re-signed veteran WR Breshad Perriman. We’ll still have to see whether Rob Gronkowski or any of the Buccaneers RBs return (Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones, and Giovani Bernard are all FAs), but Brady’s main targets will be sticking around Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future.

Broncos Plan To Sign OL Tom Compton

March 16th, 2022 at 8:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers’ Mike McGlinchey replacement last season, Tom Compton will head elsewhere after his run as a starter. The Broncos are planning to sign the veteran offensive lineman, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post tweets.

It’s expected to be a one-year deal for Compton, who is going into his 10th NFL season. The Broncos will be Compton’s seventh team. He spent the past two seasons with the 49ers, starting 10 games. Minnesota, however, resided among the stops during Compton’s career. Broncos GM George Paton was with the Vikings at that point; Compton started 14 games for the Vikes in 2018.

McGlinchey suffering a torn quad in November brought Compton into the lineup at right tackle. He started San Francisco’s final seven regular-season games and each of the wild-card squad’s playoff tilts. Pro Football Focus reviewed his work well, giving him one of the top grades for right tackles last season. While Compton would be an atypical fix for a team needing a right tackle as badly as the Broncos do, he has started 44 games as a pro.

The Broncos’ issues staffing their right tackle spot predate their QB struggles. They have used a different Week 1 right tackle in each season since 2013. Their 2021 option, Bobby Massie, is not expected to return.

Chargers Sign LS Josh Harris

March 16th, 2022 at 8:31pm CST by Ben Levine

After spending 10 seasons in Atlanta, Josh Harris is moving on. The veteran long snapper is signing with the Chargers, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

Harris will sign a four-year deal worth $5.6MM, including $1.92MM in guaranteed money.

The Auburn product joined the Falcons after going undrafted in the 2012 draft, and he proceeded to spend 10 seasons with the organization. He only missed five games during his decade in Atlanta. He finally got some recognition in 2021, earning a Pro Bowl nod and All-Pro recognition.

In total, Harris has appeared in 156 career games, collecting 28 tackles.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/22

March 16th, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Re-signed: WR Brandon Zylstra

Cincinnati Bengals

Re-signed: LS Clark Harris

Houston Texans

Acquired via trade (from Jets): LB Blake Cashman
Signed: TE Scott Quessenberry

Jacksonville Jaguars

Re-signed: OL Will Richardson

Las Vegas Raiders

Signed: FB Jakob Johnson

Minnesota Vikings

Re-signed: P Jordan Berry
Signed: TE Johnny Mundt, OL Austin Schlottmann

New York Giants

Re-signed: LS Casey Kreiter

San Francisco 49ers

Signed: DT Hassan Ridgeway

Tennessee Titans

Signed: RB Trenton Cannon

Texans Sign QB Kyle Allen

March 16th, 2022 at 8:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Houston is still awaiting a resolution on the Deshaun Watson situation, but that won’t stop them from making changes to their quarterbacks room. The Texans are signing QB Kyle Allen, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post (on Twitter).

Allen is inking a one-year, $2.5MM deal, including $2.25MM in guaranteed money.

Allen spent the first two seasons of his career in Carolina, including a 2019 campaign where he went 5-7 as a starter while tossing 17 touchdowns (vs. 16 interceptions). He was traded to Washington prior to the 2020 season, and he ended up appearing in six games (four starts) during his two seasons with the organization. In total, Allen has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 4,318 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions in 21 games (17 starts).

The Texans reportedly aren’t interested in receiving a QB in a Watson trade, and the team is content to move forward with Davis Mills as the starting QB. Allen will join a depth chart that also includes Jeff Driskel.

Vikings Shopping DE Danielle Hunter

March 16th, 2022 at 8:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Danielle Hunter‘s days with the Vikings appear numbered. The accomplished defensive end has an $18MM roster bonus due Sunday, and Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the Vikings are trying to trade him (Twitter link).

A 2021 restructure implemented this bonus, and it does not look like the Vikings intend to pay it. Minnesota has changed regimes and defensive schemes, and Hunter’s $25.8MM cap number is a clear target to create additional funds.

Cutting or trading Hunter would save the Vikes $14MM-plus in cap space. The team began the 2022 league year up against the cap. Hunter’s second straight injury-marred season has reduced his value to the point it is difficult to envision another team paying that bonus. That said, Hunter was the youngest player in NFL history to reach the 50-sack plateau. The two-time Pro Bowler is still just 27.

Hunter joining Za’Darius Smith as an NFC North edge rusher cap casualty would generate interest. Smith collected a four-year, $35MM deal from the Ravens, doing so despite missing 16 games last season because of a back injury. Hunter missed all of the 2020 season with a neck injury and missed the second half of last season after tearing a pectoral muscle.

The former third-round pick has three seasons with at least 12 sacks, including 14.5-sack seasons in 2018 and ’19, and was a key part of the Vikings advancing in the playoffs in both the 2017 and ’19 seasons. Minnesota would lose a pass-rushing staple by dealing or cutting Hunter, who has been with the team since 2015. The Vikings brought back Everson Griffen last season, but after another in-season hiatus, the veteran should not be expected back. D.J. Wonnum was the only player whose sack total (eight) topped Hunter’s seven-game sample (six) last season.

Giants Sign TE Ricky Seals-Jones

March 16th, 2022 at 8:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Ricky Seals-Jones is staying in the NFC East. The tight end is signing with the Giants, reports ESPN’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter).

Seals-Jones has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2017, spending time with the Cardinals, Browns, Chiefs, and Washington. His best season came in 2018 with Arizona when he had 34 receptions for 343 yards and one touchdown.

The tight end spent the 2021 season in Washington, seeing time in 13 games (six starts). He had 30 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Seals-Jones also spent time on special teams.

In New York, he’ll be joining a depth chart that has a giant hole after Evan Engram left for the Jaguars. The Giants are also rostering tight ends Jake Hausmann, Chris Myarick, and Rysen John.