HEADLINES

Month: March 2022

Jets To Sign S Jordan Whitehead

March 15th, 2022 at 2:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following Alex Cappa‘s defection to the Bengals, another Buccaneers starter is leaving. The Jets are signing Jordan Whitehead, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a two-year agreement, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com tweets.

A veteran safety, Whitehead joins cornerback D.J. Reed in a Jets secondary that has added two starters Tuesday afternoon. Whitehead worked as a starter throughout his four-year Bucs career, helping the team mount its run to Super Bowl LV. The soon-to-be 25-year-old DB is signing for $14.5MM, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets.

[RELATED: Jets Re-Sign DB Lamarcus Joyner]

Tampa Bay drafted Whitehead in the 2018 fourth round, and he started 55 games for the team over the course of his rookie contract. The Bucs gave Carlton Davis a new deal but have opted to let Whitehead and M.J. Stewart leave from their homegrown secondary. Two years remain on Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s rookie pact.

Whitehead, a Pitt alum, forced two fumbles during the 2020 playoffs and stood out during the Bucs’ Round 1 win over the Eagles this past season. In 2021, Whitehead allowed a career-low 62.6 passer rating when targeted and yielded a career-low (by far) 8.6 yards per completion.

The Jets ranked last in both points and yards allowed in 2021, giving Robert Saleh a long way to go as he aims to elevate the team’s capabilities on this side of the ball. Reed and Whitehead represent nice steps here. The Jets have long been expected to part ways with Marcus Maye, who is a free agent after suffering an injury during his franchise tag season.

Lions To Re-Sign Kalif Raymond

March 15th, 2022 at 2:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kalif Raymond‘s first season in Detroit was the most productive of his career, and it appears to have earned him an extended stint with the team. The Lions are re-signing the receiver/returner, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Lions To Sign DJ Chark]

Raymond, 27, signed in Detroit last year. That came after the Titans elected not to tender him as a restricted free agent. The move surprised some, given that he had established himself as one of the best returners in the league. He had averaged nine yards per punt return in his lone season in Nashville, a figure he improved upon with the Lions.

Raymond turned 21 punt returns into 236 yards in 2021, good for an average of 11.2 yards per runback. The more notable aspect of his inaugural season in the Motor City, though, was his career year as a receiver. He posted 48 catches for 576 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers stand in stark contrast to what he had done previously, as he totalled only 19 receptions prior to last season.

With Raymond staying in Detroit, the Lions’ WR corps continues to take shape. The team is set to add former Jaguar DJ Chark, in addition to the recently re-signed Josh Reynolds. Those two, along with Amon-Ra St. Brown, should give the team an improved passing attack in 2022.

Von Miller Interested In Joining Cowboys

March 15th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Von Miller-to-Denver smoke did not end up producing a deal, with the Broncos poaching a younger pass rusher — Randy Gregory — away from the Cowboys. Dallas appears to have an opportunity to add Denver’s all-time sack leader.

Miller has a “very strong interest” in joining the Cowboys, Jane Slater of NFL.com tweets. Dallas’ agreement with Gregory falling through points to the organization being prepared to spend money on an edge rusher opposite DeMarcus Lawrence. The Cowboys are open to adding Miller, Slater tweets. This is certainly a situation to monitor, with Miller being one of the top players available.

A Dallas-area native, Miller has a home near the Cowboys’ facility. The Texas A&M alum was previously connected to the Chargers and Broncos, but both have filled their edge slots. The Rams entered the tampering period interested in re-signing Miller. It appears they have company.

The Cowboys hold far more cap space than the Rams, who are over the cap presently. Dallas gave Lawrence a new deal to drop his cap figure by more than $10MM this year, opening a door for an addition on the other edge.

Miller will turn 33 later this month but has been one of this era’s best players. The future Hall of Famer bolstered his credentials with a strong playoff run, completing a stretch of nine sacks in the Rams’ final eight games.

Chargers To Re-Sign QB Chase Daniel

March 15th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chargers have made it clear they are going all-in during Justin Herbert‘s rookie contract. One of the smaller moves they have made during free agency is retaining his backup QB. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team is re-signing Chase Daniel to a one-year, 2.25MM deal (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Chargers To Sign CB J.C. Jackson]

The 35-year-old signed in L.A. last year, making the Chargers his sixth NFL team. The career backup had spent time with the Saints, Chiefs, Eagles, Bears and Lions previously. He appeared in a single game in 2021, but did not attempt any passes.

The former Missouri Tiger originally signed a three-year deal with Detroit, but the team ended up releasing him after they were unable to find a trade partner. In Los Angeles, he reunited with both head coach Brandon Staley and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

While he wasn’t needed on the field, Daniel obviously made a good impression with the Bolts. He took over Tyrod Taylor‘s role of mentoring Herbert while providing experienced depth, something which will now continue for at least one more campaign. If the Chargers’ major moves made already pay off as they hope, he may even find himself getting a Super Bowl ring for the first time in his career.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/22

March 15th, 2022 at 2:11pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep tabs on today’s minor moves here:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Commanders To Re-Sign Bobby McCain

March 15th, 2022 at 1:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

Washington has retained a veteran piece of their secondary. The team is re-signing defensive back Bobby McCain, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The deal is for two years, and $11MM total. 

[RELATED: Commanders To Cut Landon Collins]

The 28-year-old was cut by the Dolphins last May. That brought an end to his six-year tenure there, where he started 55 of 87 games he played in. The former fifth round pick totalled seven interceptions and 30 pass breakups during his time in Miami.

He came to Washington on a one-year deal last offseason. In 17 games (including 16 starts), he racked up 63 tackles, four picks and nine pass deflections. That performance showed he could still perform at a high level, and earned him a raise over the roughly $1.4MM he played for in 2021. The $6.5MM average on this new pact is close to what he was earning on a per-year basis during his most lucrative time with the Dolphins.

With the new contract, the Commanders will use up a portion of the salary cap savings generated by the release of Landon Collins. However, they should still have the flexibility to make at least smaller moves for the rest of free agency. With McCain in place, they can focus on trying to improve the team’s underwhelming pass defense from last year.

Jets To Sign CB D.J. Reed

March 15th, 2022 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

After bypassing a dire need at cornerback last year, the Jets are diving in early. They are signing D.J. Reed, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

Reed will come over from the Seahawks — on a three-year deal worth $33MM (including $21MM guaranteed, per Jordan Schultz on Twitter) — but has experience with Robert Saleh. The 49ers drafted Reed in the 2018 fifth round. He played two seasons in San Francisco, providing some system intel as he rejoins Saleh in New York.

A torn pectoral muscle sustained in early August 2020 led Reed from the Bay Area to the Pacific Northwest. The 49ers waived Reed with an injury designation, and the Seahawks claimed him. Reed elevated his profile in Seattle, starting 22 games over the past two seasons in a similar defensive system to the one Saleh deployed with the 49ers. The 5-foot-9 corner intercepted four passes during his Seahawks stay and allowed a career-low 67.8 passer rating when targeted last season.

The Seahawks hoped to re-sign Reed, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets, but did not want to go to the $11MM-per-year level to do so. Gang Green also had Darious Williams and Donte Jackson on its radar, but Rich Cimini of ESPN.com adds Stephon Gilmore was not (Twitter link).

As of now, Reed stands to step in as the Jets’ No. 1 cornerback. They used Bryce Hall and Brandin Echols as their primary starters last season, one in which Saleh’s defense ranked 32nd in both points and yards allowed.

Texans To Sign S M.J. Stewart

March 15th, 2022 at 1:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans may have found their Justin Reid replacement. The team has signed safety M.J. Stewart to a one-year, $3MM deal (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network).

[RELATED: Texans To Re-Sign Maliek Collins]

Stewart, 26, was a second round pick of the Buccaneers in 2018. He only played two seasons in Tampa Bay, however, and was waived in August 2020. Injuries played a role in the decision to move on from the former Tar Heel, who had originally been drafted as a corner.

The Browns claimed Stewart off waivers, where he played in 29 games, including three starts. He totalled 69 tackles, two interceptions and seven passes defensed in Cleveland, while also seeing significant special teams duties. More notably, however, was the improvement he showed in pass coverage compared to his time in Tampa. Stewart had a career year in that regard in 2021; he allowed a completion percentage of 63%, and a passer rating of 84.7.

In large part due to his newfound effectiveness defending the pass, Stewart received an impressive PFF grade of 83.8. That outweighs Reid’s evaluation by a considerable margin, which gives this deal the potential to be one of the more valuable under-the-radar deals of the offseason. At a minimum, the Texans will have some experienced depth on the back end.

Broncos To Re-Sign LB Josey Jewell

March 15th, 2022 at 1:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos continue to fill starting spots along their defense. They are bringing back multiyear linebacker starter Josey Jewell, Mike Klis of 9News reports.

Jewell is staying in Denver on a two-year deal worth $11MM. This comes a few weeks after the Broncos were connected to another Jewell contract. Denver had both its long-term linebacker starters — Jewell and Alexander Johnson — on track for free agency.

Both Jewell and Johnson missed most of last season; the former went down in Week 2 with a torn pectoral muscle. Denver selected Jewell in the 2018 fourth round and continued to use the Iowa product in a prominent role, giving him 30 starts in four seasons on his rookie deal. Jewell, 27, made 113 tackles in 16 starts during the 2020 season.

While Johnson was the slightly higher-regarded linebacker during the duo’s time together in Denver, he is three years older. Denver is not expected to re-sign Johnson, per Klis, who adds 2021 third-round pick Baron Browning is ticketed to play alongside Jewell as an off-ball linebacker starter. Jewell also stands to be a relatively low-cost signing, given his recent injury. The Broncos now have Jewell, D.J. Jones and Randy Gregory in the fold on their front seven.

Buccaneers To Add WR Russell Gage

March 15th, 2022 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite rostering Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Buccaneers have agreed to terms with Russell Gage. The ex-Falcons wideout will join the Bucs’ deep receiving stable, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

It’s a three-year deal worth $30MM, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). The deal contains $20MM in guaranteed money.

Coming off back-to-back 700-yard seasons, Gage looks set to step into Tampa Bay’s WR3 role — one vacated by Antonio Brown — behind the two Pro Bowlers. This move arms the Bucs with a proven complementary weapon while further depleting a Falcons receiving corps that has seen its crew decimated over the past several months.

Since June 2021, the Falcons have seen their Gage-Julio Jones–Calvin Ridley trio gutted by the Jones trade, Ridley’s in-season exit and subsequent gambling suspension and now this impending transaction. Atlanta has some critical work to do at the receiver position this offseason. Gage’s 770 receiving yards — in just 14 games — were by far the most among Falcons wideouts last season.

The Bucs used their franchise tag on Godwin for the second straight year, keeping their younger Pro Bowl receiver in the fold for Tom Brady‘s third season with the team. While Brady famously advocated for Brown, constant turmoil notwithstanding, the mercurial standout burned the Bucs for that faith late last season. Gage is now set to step into a much higher-profile NFC South role.

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