2022 March - Pro Football Rumors

Bengals To Sign Alex Cappa

March 14th, 2022 at 11:17am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have agreed to sign Alex Cappa (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The former Buccaneers guard scores a four-year deal, helping to solidify Cincinnati’s offensive line.

Cappa’s contract maxes out at $40MM, but Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets it is actually a four-year, $35MM pact. The ex-Bucs blocker will collect $20MM over the deal’s first two years, with $1MM in Pro Bowl incentives being the escalators that would drive the pact toward its max value.

The Bengals have long been searching for solutions on their front five. Now, they’ve got a proven veteran that can stop the interior rush and open up rushing lanes. They’ll likely continue to target offensive line help over the next few weeks, however, taking extra steps to protect quarterback Joe Burrow.

Some had speculated that Tom Brady‘s un-retirement would help sway Cappa to stay. That wasn’t the case, and it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to tug at the heartstrings of fellow lineman Ali Marpet. Between Cappa and Marpet — who still intends to retire at the age of 28 — the Bucs have some serious holes to fill in free agency. On the plus side, they have successfully retained center Ryan Jensen with a three-year, $39MM deal.

A third-round pick in 2018, Cappa did not miss a regular-season game during Brady’s two Tampa seasons, but he did miss Super Bowl LV after suffering a fractured ankle. Cappa rebounded to play all 19 Bucs games last season. For his career, Cappa has suited up for 52 games (46 starts) across the last four years.

Dolphins To Re-Sign Emmanuel Ogbah

March 14th, 2022 at 11:12am CST by Adam La Rose

The top pending free agent for the Dolphins will be staying in Miami. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the pass rusher is signing a four-year, $65.4MM deal (Twitter link). The deal includes $32.7MM in guarantees, Pelissero adds (via Twitter).

What the team would do with Ogbah, 28, was one of the biggest remaining questions for the Dolphins. As expected, they placed the franchise tag on tight end Mike Gesicki rather than Ogbah – something which was far less expensive.

That led many to believe the former second rounder would test the open market, where he would have landed a similarly lucrative deal. Instead, the Dolphins have secured their top pass rusher for less than what the franchise tag would have cost ($16.25MM annual average as opposed to $17.859MM on the tag).

Ogbah has proven his worth during his time with the Dolphins. With nine sacks in each of the previous two campaigns, he established himself as the team’s top pass rusher and an integral part of the defensive unit as a whole. It also earned him a significant raise from the $15MM he made in total after signing in Miami.

While this deal will eat up a significant portion of the Dolphins’ cap space, the team will still comfortably be under the limit. That flexibility will give them the option to make at least one significant signing when free agency opens later this week, as many expect them to.

Panthers To Cut Morgan Fox

March 14th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers are set to release defensive lineman Morgan Fox (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Fox was previously set to play on the backend of his two-year, $8.1MM deal.

Fox, 27, joined the Rams as a UDFA in 2016. His entire 2018 campaign was wiped out by an ACL tear, but in 2017, 2019, and 2020, he worked as a situational pass rusher and performed reasonably well in that role. The Panthers picked him up last year with the intention of putting him opposite of fellow newcomer Haason Reddick. Fox went on to appear in all 17 regular season games with nine starts, recording 1.5 sacks and 34 total tackles along the way.

Ultimately, he wasn’t able to repeat his finest work from 2020. That year, he appeared in 39% of the Rams’ defensive snaps and notched six sacks, both career highs.

The Panthers finished in the bottom fourth of the league in 2020 with just 29 team sacks. In 2021, they improved slightly with 39 total sacks — albeit with an extra game — to place in the middle of the NFL’s pack.

Rams To Re-Sign Joe Noteboom

March 14th, 2022 at 11:03am CST by Zachary Links

The Rams have agreed to re-sign offensive lineman Joe Noteboom (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The new three-year deal carries a base value of $40MM with $25MM guaranteed. Plus, through incentives, Noteboom could earn up to $47.5MM over the life of the contract.

Noteboom has served as Andrew Whitworth‘s backup for the past two seasons. He stepped in for the 40-year-old left tackle starter against the Bucs, but did not play in the NFC championship game due to a chest injury. Fortunately, he’s healthy now and ready to pick up where he left off.

The 2018 third-round pick was set to be a free agent this week, but the Rams didn’t want to let him get away. His presence could be extra critical in 2022, as Whitworth continues to contemplate retirement. Some have wondered whether Tom Brady‘s recent flip-flop could inspire the 40-year-old (41 in December) to come back for at least one more dance, but that remains to be seen.

Noteboom also offers experience at right tackle and on the interior, so he’ll be a key contributor regardless of what Whitworth decides. We should know where Whitworth stands sometime in the next couple of days as the Rams prepare for the official start of free agency.

Bills Extend C Mitch Morse

March 14th, 2022 at 10:28am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bills continue to make moves along their offensive line. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the team is extending center Mitch Morse on a two-year, $19.5MM deal (Twitter link). Of that figure, $12MM is guaranteed.

As a result of the new pact, Morse is now under contract for three more seasons. Garafolo adds that his 2022 compensation will increase from $8.5MM to $11.25MM, though the deal will also lower his cap number (which was also slated to be $11.25MM prior to this news) to $9MM.

Morse, who will be 30 at the start of next season, signed with the Bills in 2019. With the four-year deal being worth over $11MM per year on average, it made him the league’s highest-paid center. However, he took a pay cut two years later to remain with the team.

2021 saw the former second rounder play 1,167 snaps as he played in all 17 games. That continues a career-long trend of durability for him, as he has played (and started) in 96 of a possible 113 contests. According to PFF, the veteran earned an overall grade of 63.4, with five penalties committed and two sacks allowed. That is on par with his metrics in recent years.

With a consistent piece of their offensive line in place for the foreseeable future, the Bills have another important piece of business done in the build-up to free agency.

Packers Release Za’Darius Smith

March 14th, 2022 at 9:54am CST by Adam La Rose

In an expected move, the Packers are moving on from their other Smith-named pass rusher. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Green Bay has released Za’Darius Smith (Twitter link).

ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that the Packers were willing to keep Smith, 29 at the owed cash amount for the 2022 season, which was $15.75MM. However, this seems to be a mutual parting of ways for both parties, as the Packers get much-needed cap relief and Smith gets to hit the open market for the second time in his career.

While injuries limited him to a single game in 2021, Smith proved his worth to the Packers the previous two seasons he was there. After coming to Green Bay following his time in Baltimore, the former fourth rounder totalled 26 sacks in 2019 and 2020, earning Pro Bowl nods along the way both times. Given that production, as well as his age, he will likely command a lucrative third deal this offseason.

Since he was released prior to the beginning of the league year, Smith will not gain the Packers a compensatory pick when he signs elsewhere. That will add to the number of teams interested in his services, putting Smith at or near the top of a free agent edge rusher class which already includes other established sack artists like Von Miller and Chandler Jones.

In related news, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the Packers are releasing right tackle Billy Turner. The 30-year-old had spent the past three seasons in Green Bay, but he will likewise begin the search for a new home.

With these two moves, the Packers have trimmed roughly $18.5MM off of their cap. The team has more work to be done to become cap compliant, but the bulk of that effort is now finished.

Lions To Re-Sign Tim Boyle

March 14th, 2022 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

Tim Boyle is back. On Monday, the Lions agreed to a new one-year deal with the backup quarterback, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter).

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise given Boyle’s standing with the team. The new deal could pay him up to $2.5MM with $1.75MM guaranteed, providing the Lions with an experienced backstop behind starter Jared Goff.

“I’ve built a lot of special relationships here,” Boyle said recently. “I love the area. The fans have been awesome to me. And, yeah, I don’t get paid to make those decisions, but hopefully I put myself in an enough of a position to have them consider me back because I’d love to come back.”

Boyle made three starts in Goff’s stead in 2021. In that limited sample, he completed 64.9% of his throws with three touchdowns against six interceptions. Of course, the Lions are hoping for a healthy, productive season out of Goff, which will mean limited action from Boyle.

Falcons, Jake Matthews Agree To Extension

March 14th, 2022 at 9:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons and Jake Matthews have agreed to terms on a three-year extension (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The new pact furnishes the left tackle with $52.5MM over the first three years with an average of $18.5MM per annum.

The deal makes sense for both sides. Matthews picks up additional dollars and security while the Falcons gain some much-needed cap space. It’s a big step up for Matthews, who previously played on a five-year, $75MM contract. At the time, that deal made Matthews one of the three highest paid left tackles in the league. Now that the market has advanced, Matthews had to be taken to the next tier.

Matthews has a perfect attendance record across eight NFL seasons, save for one missed game as a rookie. Last year, the Texas A&M product finished with a 71.4 overall grade, per the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. However, in years past, he’s placed as one of the top-ranked LTs in the league.

The Falcons also gained some breathing room last week by restructuring Matt Ryan‘s contract. With help from their longtime quarterback, Atlanta gained an extra $12MM in cap space for 2022.

Cardinals Rework Justin Pugh’s Deal

March 14th, 2022 at 9:21am CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have restructured Justin Pugh‘s contract, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. The new deal will trim Pugh’s base salary from $9.8MM to $5.5MM, freeing up a nice chunk of change for Arizona heading into free agency.

It’s a substantial pay cut for the veteran offensive guard, though he can still recoup $1.5MM via incentives. The 31-year-old (32 in August) joined the Cardinals on a five-year, $45MM deal in 2018, though he has forfeited a good chunk of change since then. Last year, Pugh took a pay cut that dropped his base salary from $7.75MM to $5MM.

The former first-round pick has stabilized his career while working mostly at left guard over the past three seasons. After injuries derailed his 2017 and ’18 seasons, Pugh has started 44 games since Kyler Murray‘s 2019 arrival.

Despite the contract adjustments, Pugh remains signed through the 2022 season. He’ll now have an opportunity to reclaim some of his value in his walk year.

Commanders Extend OC Scott Turner

March 14th, 2022 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

Scott Turner is staying put. This week, the Commanders agreed to a multi-year contract extension with their offensive coordinator, according to J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (on Twitter).

The new deal will keep him in place through 2024 as he guides an offense led by Carson Wentz. Turner has history with Commanders coach Ron Rivera, dating back to the Panthers where he served as a quality control coach (2011, 2012) and quarterbacks coach (2018, 2019).

They work well together, though they’ve yet to see real results in D.C. Washington has ranked just 28th in total yards over the last two years with Turner at the helm. The acquisition of Wentz, they hope, will change that. The Commanders have churned through a number of quarterbacks since 2020, but Wentz and his ninth-ranked QBR should help to steady things.

Before dealing for Wentz, the Commanders reportedly offered three first-round picks for Russell Wilson. Ultimately, they were topped by the Broncos, but Wentz should still provide Turner with a significant upgrade under center.