HEADLINES

Month: March 2022

Lions To Sign DJ Chark

March 15th, 2022 at 8:25am CST by Adam La Rose

Another free agent wide receiver is set to be on the move. DJ Chark is signing a one-year deal with the Lions, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 

In a follow-up tweet, he adds that the deal has a maximum value of $12MM. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that Chark will receive $10MM in guaranteed money (Twitter link). The news comes not long after it had been reported new Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson wanted to keep the 25-year-old.

On the other hand, it comes one day after Jacksonville was the busiest team in terms of reaching agreements with some of the biggest names on the open market, especially on the offensive side of the ball. That included two contracts for new wideouts, most notably a sizeable deal for Christian Kirk. The money committed to the former Cardinal, along with Evan Engram and Zay Jones, left Chark on the lookout for a new home.

A second round pick of Jacksonville in 2018, Chark’s best season came in 2019. That year, he totalled 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. Injuries have become a concern since then, as he has played 17 total games in the last two seasons. Still, he will provide a boost to the Lions’ WR room, which retained Josh Reynolds earlier this month. Between those two, along with Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end T.J. Hockenson, Detroit figures to have an improved pass-catching corps in 2022.

49ers To Sign CB Charvarius Ward

March 14th, 2022 at 11:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Charvarius Ward is signing with the 49ers, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The cornerback confirmed the news on Twitter.

It’s a three-year deal worth $42MM, including $26.7MM in guaranteed money.

Ward joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee in 2018. After seeing time in 13 games as a rookie, Ward ended up starting 16 games in 2019 for the eventual Super Bowl champs. Ward finished that season with 74 tackles, ten passes defended, and two interceptions. He also added another nine tackles in three postseason games.

The 25-year-old started 13 of his 14 games in 2020, finishing the year with 51 tackles, one sack, and six passes defended. Then, he started in each of Kansas City’s three playoff games, collecting 18 tackles. He ended up inking his second-round tender with the organization last offseason, and he proceeded to start 12 of his 13 games in 2021, collecting 67 tackles, 10 passes defended, and two interceptions. He also got into all three playoff games.

Patriots To Re-Sign K Nick Folk

March 14th, 2022 at 10:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Nick Folk is sticking around New England. The Patriots are re-signing the veteran kicker, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

Folk signed a two-year extension worth $5MM, including $2.19MM in guaranteed money. The deal can max out at $5.6MM with incentives.

After spending 2018 out of the NFL, Folk caught on with the Patriots for a brief stint in 2019. He ended up sticking around for the 2020 season, and he’s appeared in each of New England’s games since that time. During his two-plus seasons with the organization, Folk has connected on 90.5 percent of his field goals and 91.3 percent of his extra point tries.

Folk started his career with the Cowboys, earning a Pro Bowl trip as a rookie in 2007. He had a seven-year stint with the Jets before a dreadful 2017 campaign with the Buccaneers.

Vikings To Release DT Michael Pierce

March 14th, 2022 at 10:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Michael Pierce‘s stint with the Vikings is about to come to an end. Minnesota is planning to cut the the veteran defensive tackle, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

According to the reporter, the Vikings tried to convince Pierce to take a “moderate pay cut,” but the player clearly refused. The team also tried working out a trade, but despite “some feelers,” a deal never materialized. While the wording of Rapoport’s tweet seems to indicate that the Vikings are holding out hope for a deal, a release still seems imminent.

Pierce signed a three-year, $27MM deal with the Vikings in 2020, but that deal was pushed to 2021 after Pierce opted out of the 2020 campaign. The 29-year-old was attached to a $10.5MM cap hit in 2022, and his release will leave behind $4MM in dead cap.

Pierce made his Vikings debut in 2021, collecting 20 tackles and three sacks in eight starts. He suffered an elbow injury that forced him to miss the middle chunk of the season. The Stanford product spent the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens, starting 30 of his 60 games.

Frank Clark Reworks Contract, Staying With Chiefs

March 14th, 2022 at 10:23pm CST by Ben Levine

Frank Clark will be sticking around Kansas City after all. The Chiefs have reworked the defensive end’s contract to keep him in Kansas City, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

Clark inked a new two-year pact worth $29MM with upside of $36MM. This will greatly reduce Clark’s cap numbers, which were set at $26MM in 2022 and $27MM in 2023.

Considering those pricey charges, Clark was mentioned as a cut candidate heading into the offseason. Cutting Clark before June 1st would have saved the Chiefs $12.7MM, and that number would have climbed to $19.5MM after that date. Instead, Clark was willing to take a significant pay cut to stick with the team.

Clark has earned three Pro Bowl nods during his three seasons in Kansas City, but his numbers have continued to decline. After totaling eight sacks during his first season with the Chiefs, he’s collected 10.5 sacks over his past two seasons (29 games).

 

Chiefs To Sign S Justin Reid

March 14th, 2022 at 9:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Justin Reid is leaving Houston. The veteran safety is signing with the Chiefs, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a three-year deal worth $31.5MM, including $20MM in guaranteed money (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).

The younger brother of Eric Reid, Justin Reid was a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2018. He spent his entire four year career with the Texans, snagging seven interceptions and collecting 23 passes defended. This included a 2021 campaign where Reid started all 13 games and collected 66 tackles and two picks.

Both Reid and the Texans were interested in a reunion, but it sounds like Reid may have ultimately priced himself out of Houston. We heard previously that the market for Reid could be so robust that it’d be “financially inadvisable” for the player to stick around Houston, indicating that the Texans had a limit to what they’d offer.

In addition to the Texans, the Bears, Eagles, and Ravens were mentioned as potential suitors. Instead, the 25-year-old will be heading to one of the top teams in the AFC. This move would seemingly confirm that Tyrann Mathieu will indeed be playing elsewhere in 2022.

RFA Tender Decisions: 3/14/22

March 14th, 2022 at 9:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Tendered:

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/22

March 14th, 2022 at 9:14pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a busy day around the NFL. We’ve compiled today’s minor moves below:

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Broncos To Sign DL D.J. Jones

March 14th, 2022 at 8:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos made last week’s biggest splash but went through a dormant Monday. They are making a move tonight, however, in signing former 49ers defensive lineman D.J. Jones.

Jones agreed to a three-year, $30MM deal with Denver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Breaking through during his contract year, Jones will collect a nice payday. The Broncos are giving the interior D-lineman a fully guaranteed $20MM.

The sixth-year D-lineman will essentially take the place of Shelby Harris, whom the Broncos included in their Russell Wilson trade. Harris, a Bronco from 2017-21, was attached to a $9MM-per-year deal.

A former sixth-round pick, Jones displayed considerable promise during his contract year. The Ole Miss alum started 17 games for San Francisco, registered 10 tackles for loss and forced two fumbles. The 49ers used Jones as a 46-game starter over the past three seasons, during which time the inside defender recorded seven sacks and 21 TFLs. Jones added a sack, during the 49ers’ five-sack game against the Cowboys, in the playoffs earlier this year.

At 27, D.J. Jones is nearly four years younger than Harris. He will team with Dre’Mont Jones, who is going into a contract year, and nose tackle Mike Purcell on the Broncos’ D-line. D.J. Jones is the only projected starter acquired or extended during George Paton‘s GM tenure.

Texans To Sign OL A.J. Cann

March 14th, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The Texans continue adding to their offensive line. The team has signed A.J. Cann, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a two-year, $8.5MM deal ($10.5MM max, $4.5MM guaranteed) for Cann, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Texans To Re-Sign C Justin Britt]

Cann was a third-round pick by the Jaguars in 2015, and he spent the next seven seasons in Jacksonville. The lineman started 94 of his 95 games during his stint with the Jaguars, and he inked a three-year, $15MM extension with the organization in 2019.

The 30-year-old was limited to only four games in 2021 after suffering an MCL injury. He appeared in 78 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in those four contests.

While we’re uncertain who will be under center for the Texans next season, that hasn’t stopped the team from adding to their offensive line. We heard moments ago that the team inked center Justin Britt to a new contract.

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