2022 March - Pro Football Rumors

Browns To Sign Jakeem Grant

March 16th, 2022 at 8:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have agreed to sign return man/wide receiver Jakeem Grant (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). His three-year deal — to be finalized later today —could be worth up to $13.8MM.

Grant, a 2016 sixth-round pick of the Dolphins, proved to be serviceable on offense during his time in Miami. In 2020, for example, he managed 36 receptions for 373 yards. He truly started earning league-wide recognition for his special teams prowess, however. That year, he returned 29 punts for 330 yards and one touchdown.

He was acquired by the Bears midway through the 2021 season in exchange for a sixth-round pick. In total, he got into 17 games between Miami and Chicago last year, finishing with 309 punt return yards, including a franchise-record 97-yard punt return against the Packers. Grant also earned his first career Pro Bowl appearance in 2021.

Now, he’ll go from the NFC North to the AFC North with the Browns. He should give Cleveland a big upgrade on punt returns as he replaces Demetric Felton (7.1 ypr).

Jets To Re-Sign Dan Feeney

March 16th, 2022 at 8:31am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have agreed to re-sign offensive lineman Dan Feeney (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post). Financial terms are not yet known, but it’ll be a one-year deal for the Indiana product.

Feeney was a was a third-round pick of the Chargers back in 2017. The Jets signed him last spring as their Plan B for missing out on guard Joe Thuney.

Feeney started nine games as a rookie with the Bolts, followed by a full 16 in each of the next three years. The Jets made him a first-stringer just five times last year, but he still suited up in 16 games, missing only one contest in the NFL’s newly-expanded season.

Feeney signed a one-year deal with the team last year after spending three seasons as a starter with the Chargers. He appeared in 16 games, but only made five starts for the AFC East club.

The Jets will ask Feeney to serve as a backup once again, after adding guard Laken Tomlinson and re-upping Conor McDermott last week.

Raiders To Sign DT Bilal Nichols

March 16th, 2022 at 8:26am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have agreed to sign defensive tackle Bilal Nichols (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The former Bear will receive a two-year, $11MM deal with $9MM guaranteed.

[RELATED: Bears To Sign Ogunjobi]

Nichols, a 2018 fifth-round pick, had the best year of his career at the best possible time. In 2021, Nichols suited up for all 17 games (15 starts) and registered 51 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, two fumble recoveries, and nine QB hits. He appeared in 64% of the Bears’ snaps as well, leading all defensive linemen on the team.

The Bears didn’t have much room for Nichols after the addition of Bengals defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. The Raiders, meanwhile, can use the 25-year-old as a three-technique tackle who can generate pressure against the pass. Nichols has done a solid job of that so far in his young career, having notched 62 pressures over the last two years.

Bears To Sign OL Lucas Patrick

March 15th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears have added a starting offensive lineman. Chicago is signing former Packers interior lineman Lucas Patrick, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a two-year, $8MM deal ($4MM guaranteed), according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).

Patrick was an undrafted free agent out of Duke in 2016, and he carved out a nice role for himself in Green Bay. The lineman served mostly as a backup through his first four seasons in the NFL, but he found himself starting in 2020.

Patrick started 15 games for the Packers in 2020 and 13 games in 2021. He saw time in 82 percent of his team’s offensive snaps this past season, and he continued to contribute on special teams.

The 28-year-old’s ability to play both offensive guard and center should make him a valuable asset in Chicago. The Bears saw lineman James Daniels leave for Pittsburgh earlier today, but they’re replacing him with a player who has some familiarity with the system. Patrick played under Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy when the two were in Green Bay.

Saints To Sign S Marcus Maye

March 15th, 2022 at 9:40pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints have added a big-name free agent to their secondary. New Orleans is signing safety Marcus Maye, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).

Maye got a three-year, $28.5MM deal from New Orleans, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The deal contains $15MM in guaranteed money.

Maye’s 2021 did not go especially well. A DUI arrest came shortly after tense negotiations with the Jets, who did not finalize a long-term extension by the July deadline. Maye played the season on the franchise tag but suffered an Achilles tear, limiting him to only six games. The former second-round pick started 32 games for New York between the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

It was only a few hours ago that we heard the Jets were keeping an eye on their free agent. Connor Hughes of The Athletic confirms (on Twitter) that the Jets were interested in re-signing the safety, but Maye ended up taking the better offer.

The Saints, meanwhile, watched as safety Marcus Williams left for Baltimore earlier today. The defensive back got a whopping five-year, $70MM deal from the Ravens, so New Orleans certainly got a discount by pivoting to Maye.

LB Nicholas Morrow To Sign With Bears

March 15th, 2022 at 9:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Following five seasons with the Raiders, Nicholas Morrow is heading to Chicago. The Bears are signing the linebacker, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter).

Fowler transformed from an undrafted free agent into a serviceable linebacker during his time with the Raiders organization. Morrow ultimately spent five years with the organization, seeing time in 62 games (29 starts).

Morrow re-signed with the Raiders last offseason, but he landed on injured reserve before the regular season with a foot injury. There were some whispers that he could be activated in time for the playoffs, but the linebacker ended up sitting out the entire 2021 campaign.

That means 2020 was the last time Morrow saw the field, but he was plenty productive during that campaign. He saw time in 14 games (11 starts) that season, collecting 78 tackles, three sacks, and nine passes defended.

Ravens, T Morgan Moses Agree To Deal

March 15th, 2022 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens are adding a veteran right tackle to the mix. They agreed to terms with Morgan Moses on Tuesday night, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets.

Formerly with Washington and the Jets, Moses will join the Ravens on a three-year deal worth $15MM. This marks a bump for Moses, who found himself a cap casualty midway through the 2021 offseason. He previously played for $3.6MM with the Jets.

Previously a rock in Washington, Moses started every game for the franchise from 2015-20. The Jets enjoyed the set-it-and-forget-it pattern with Moses, starting him in 16 games last season. Following Mekhi Becton‘s Week 1 injury, the Jets used Moses and George Fant at tackle throughout the season. Moses has not missed a game since his rookie 2014 season.

Moses, 31, will come to a Ravens team that has seen some instability disrupt what was one of the NFL’s best tackle tandems. Baltimore traded Orlando Brown Jr. to Kansas City and saw Ronnie Stanley go down with another significant injury. While Stanley is expected to be back to man the Ravens’ left tackle spot, the team just saw Alejandro Villanueva retire.

Moses stands to be a pivotal piece for the next Ravens O-line, which will likely feature the eight-year veteran as its starting right tackle. Patrick Mekari played there primarily for Baltimore in 2021, and although he signed a Ravens extension, the team could move the versatile blocker back inside. The former center may be a candidate there, with Bradley Bozeman a free agent. The Ravens also have Ja’Wuan James, a veteran and injury-prone right tackle whom they stashed as a rehab project last year, as an option. But Moses should be considered the favorite to start opposite Stanley.

The Jets expressed interest in retaining Moses, whose new Ravens contract does not match the five-year, $40MM extension he signed with Washington back in 2017. Gang Green has some options, one being moving Fant to right tackle — his position to start the 2021 season — and trying Becton again on the left side. Becton’s stock has freefallen since his promising rookie season, however. The Jets, who hold the Nos. 4 and 10 picks in next month’s draft, are also a candidate to take a tackle in Round 1.

Saints Rework CB Bradley Roby’s Deal

March 15th, 2022 at 8:22pm CST by Ben Levine

Bradley Roby is staying in New Orleans. The Saints have agreed to a new deal with the cornerback, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). This move will help the Saints open up some cap space while also assuring that Roby stays with the organization.

After reworking his contract last offseason, Roby’s cap hit was set at $10.169MM in 2022. Roby also has void years in 2023, 2024, 2025 at $25MM per year.

Roby is still playing out a three-year, $36MM deal he signed with the Texans in 2020. He was traded to New Orleans a year later for a third- and sixth-round pick, and he ended up seeing time in 14 games (one start) for his new team. Roby’s first season with the Saints saw him collect 23 tackles, one sack, five passes defended, and one interception.

The Saints were one of the most cash-strapped teams in the NFL, but they’ve already done some work to get under the cap. Of course, the organization is also in the hunt for Deshaun Watson, so it’s not surprising that the front office continues to look for ways to clear money from their books.

Broncos To Add TE Eric Tomlinson

March 15th, 2022 at 8:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last week’s Russell Wilson trade left the Broncos down a tight end, with Noah Fant going to the Seahawks. While Eric Tomlinson does not project as Fant’s replacement, the Broncos are adding the veteran to be part of the equation.

Tomlinson agreed to terms with the Broncos on Tuesday night, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. They will be Tomlinson’s sixth NFL team since debuting in 2016. This move comes after Tomlinson played all 17 games for the Ravens in 2021.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pound blocking tight end only has 18 career catches — including just one last season — but he played 35% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps and was a frequent on-field presence with the Jets’ offense in the late 2010s. Tomlinson has also played for the Patriots, Raiders and Giants.

Denver now has Tomlinson and fellow blocking tight end/fullback Andrew Beck, whom the team tendered as an RFA. Albert Okwuegbunam resides as the team’s clear-cut top tight end, though it would not surprise to see the Broncos pair the third-year player with another veteran.

Cardinals To Meet With CB Jeff Gladney

March 15th, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Ben Levine

After getting acquitted by a jury on assault charges, Jeff Gladney is starting to generate some interest around the NFL. According to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson (via Twitter), the former first-round pick will meet with the Cardinals tonight.

The cornerback was released by the Vikings last August following an indictment for domestic violence. Gladney was accused of choking, punching, and shoving a woman during an incident in April, 2021.

The TCU product was selected in the first round of the 2020 draft by the Vikings. He got into 16 games (15 starts) as a rookie, finishing with 81 tackles and three passes defended.

The Cardinals are one of nine teams that have yet to agree to terms with an outside free agent. We’ll see if Gladney ends up being the first.