Minor NFL Transactions: 3/28/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DL Moubarak Djeri
New York Jets
- Re-signed: C Jonotthan Harrison
NFC West Rumors: Seahawks, Cardinals, OBJ
The Seahawks are now without stars Richard Sherman, Michael Bennett, Jimmy Graham, and Sheldon Richardson as well as up-and-coming wide receiver Paul Richardson, but GM John Schneider is insistent that the team is not in rebuilding mode.
“It’s just always very, very hard to make those decisions to move on from people, but that’s what we have to do in order to be a consistent championship-caliber football team,’’ Schneider said (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). “We don’t want to be having these major rebuilding years. We want to be able to have little re-sets, if you will.”
Last year, the Seahawks went 9-7 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011. It certainly feels like there’s a changing of the guard in the NFC West thanks to the Rams, but Seattle will push to get back on top this year, despite the cap crunch.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Cardinals’ head coach Steve Wilks said he expects doctors to clear running back David Johnson (wrist) in time to be ready for OTAs (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Johnson was arguably the league’s best offensive player in 2016 as he posted more than 2,100 yards from scrimmage and scored 20 total touchdowns.
- The Cardinals don’t have any interest in Odell Beckham Jr., according to Mike Jurecki of 98.7 FM (on Twitter). As good as OBJ is, the Cardinals are wary of his contract situation. The wide receiver is slated to earn about $8.5MM in 2018, but he’s pushing for a new deal that would put him at the top of the market for his position. That may mean a salary of $17MM per year or more.
Titans Sign QB Blaine Gabbert
The Titans have agreed to sign quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the team announced. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Gabbert spent the last season with the Cardinals and wound up starting five games after injuries took Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton out of action. All in all, he completed just 55.6% of his passes for 1,006 yards with six touchdowns against six interceptions. He’ll now serve as Marcus Mariota‘s backstop in Tennessee.
The Titans released Matt Cassel earlier this month, putting them in the market for a reserve QB. Mariota has dealt with a broken leg and a hamstring issue in the last two seasons, so the Titans wanted an experienced insurance policy in the event that he goes down.
The Titans now roster three QBs in Mariota, Gabbert, and 2017 undrafted free agent Tyler Ferguson. In theory, they seem set at the position, but they could bring in some competition for the third spot on the QB depth chart between now and training camp.
Brice Butler To Meet With Four Teams
Brice Butler‘s market is starting to heat up. In the next two weeks, the Cowboys free agent wide receiver Brice Butler will visit with the Seahawks, Bears, Jaguars, and Cardinals (Twitter link via Jane Slater of NFL.com). 
The 28-year-old has been vocal about wanting the opportunity to do more in 2018. Last year, Butler finished out with just 15 catches for 317 yards and three touchdowns. After the season, he opined that he could have outperformed teammate Dez Bryant if he had the same number of targets.
“100 percent,” said Butler. “Because I’m ready. It’s my time, I’ve been there for three years. I feel like me and Dak [Prescott] have a really good relationship. We work on routes. There’s times that we might not have completed a square-out throw in practice, and we’re taking that time out in practice to actually work on it. So I think that’s why when you saw us in the game, he tried to come to me, and most of the times we produced.“
Bryant underwhelmed for Dallas last year, but still had 69 receptions for 838 yards and six TDs. For now, Bryant remains part of the Cowboys’ plan with Butler likely moving on following the addition of Allen Hurns.
“With Dallas, the situation has to be right for me to go back,” Butler said earlier this year. “I have to be a starter. If I’m not starting, I’m not going back,” Butler said.
Wherever Butler lands, he’ll be in for a pay raise. Butler earned just $1.1MM on a one year deal in 2017.
Could Cardinals Target CB Robert McClain?
- Mike Jurecki of Arizona Sports Station 98.7 FM believes that free-agent Robert McClain could be an option for the Cardinals at slot cornerback (on Twitter). McClain has experience playing under new Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks during two separate stints with the Panthers. Jurecki went on to say that the Cardinals are looking forward to working with third-year cornerback Brandon Williams and the team also plans to address the position in the draft.
Cardinals Acquire 6th-Round Pick For Jared Veldheer
The Broncos have announced the acquisition of Cardinals offensive lineman Jared Veldheer in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the upcoming draft (on Twitter). Troy Renck of Denver 7, ABC, first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal involving Veldheer and a late-round pick (on Twitter).
Veldheer started 13 games for the Cardinals last season before being placed on injured reserve with a broken ankle. He’s appeared in 106 games over an eight-year career, making 101 starts. The Raiders originally selected Veldheer in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Hillsdale. He’s spent the bulk of his career at left tackle before shifting to the right side of the line last season.
The veteran offensive lineman is set to enter the final season of a five-year, $35MM deal signed with the Cardinals and is slated to have a cap hit of $10.16MM for the upcoming season. The Broncos entered the day with $21.28MM in available cap space, which ranked No. 12 in the NFL.
The deal creates $3.25MM in dead cap space for the Cardinals but does open up $6.9MM in available space. Newly-signed Andre Smith will likely take over at right tackle for the Cardinals with John Wetzel taking over as the team’s starting swing tackle. The Cardinals also helped beef up their offensive line this offseason by adding right guard Justin Pugh in free agency.
Cardinals Sign CB Bene Benwikere To 1-Year Deal
The Cardinals added a bit of depth to their secondary Friday by signing cornerback Bene Benwikere to a one-year deal, per the team’s official website. Benwikere is familiar with new Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks. The Panthers selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft and he spent the first three seasons of his career in Carolina. 
Benwikere, 26, appeared in 12 games for the Cowboys last season. He also spent time on the practice squads for the Bengals, Dolphins and Packers after the Panthers released him early in the 2016 season.
The Cardinals have plenty of holes to fill in their secondary this offseason, with Tramon Williams and Tyrann Mathieu off the roster and Tyvon Branch and Justin Bethel still unsigned as unrestricted free agents. The team also still has interest in free-agent cornerback Marcus Cooper, according to Mike Jurecki of Arizona Sports Station 98.7 FM (on Twitter). Cooper played with the Cardinals in 2016 and was cut by the Bears last week.
In three seasons with the Panthers, Benwikere appeared in 27 games and made 14 starts, along with two starts in the 2014 postseason. The Panthers cut ties with Benwikere after Julio Jones collected 300 receiving yards in a game against the Panthers in October 2016.
Cardinals To Host CB Marcus Cooper
The Cardinals will host free agent cornerback Marcus Cooper on Friday, as first reported by John Gambadoro of ArizonaSports.com (Twitter link).
Cooper should be familiar to Arizona management after spending the 2016 campaign in the desert. That season still marks the 28-year-old Cooper’s only season as a full-time starter, as he lined up opposite Patrick Peterson for 13 games. While saw 83% playtime, Cooper wasn’t all that successful, as he ranked just 62nd among 84 qualifiers in Football Outsiders‘ success rate.
Despite that lackluster performance, Cooper garnered a three-year, $16MM deal from the Bears last spring. Expected to be a starter, Cooper only played on a quarter of Chicago’s defensive snaps (fourth-most among Bears CBs), collecting 15 tackles and three passes defensed during that time. He was released last week, and hasn’t generated any other known interest at this point.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, are (once again) in need of a corner to play next to Peterson, as veteran Tramon Williams — who played exceedingly well in 2017 — signed a two-year deal with the Packers on Thursday. Justin Bethel, and C.J. Goodwin are both unrestricted free agents, leaving former third-rounder Brandon Williams, who played just a single defensive snap last year, as Arizona’s projected No. 2 cornerback.
Cardinals To Host CB Robert McClain
Free agent cornerback Robert McClain will meet with the Cardinals on Thursday, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle first reported Arizona’s interest in McClain.
McClain would be a natural fit with the Cardinals for several reasons, with coaching familiarity being a primary factor. McClain played for the Panthers in 2015-16 when now-Arizona head coach Steve Wilks served as Carolina’s defensive backs coach. Additionally, the Cardinals are in need of defensive back depth after releasing Tyrann Mathieu and losing Tramon Williams to the Packers. Tyvon Branch, Justin Bethel, and C.J. Goodwin, meanwhile, are still on the open market.
Typically a slot corner, McClain saw the most playing time of his career in 2017, as he was on the field for 75% of the Buccaneers’ defensive snaps. In 14 games (nine starts), the 29-year-old McClain posted a career-high three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown against now-Cardinals quarterback Mike Glennon.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed off waivers: WR Cobi Hamilton
- Re-signed: OL Daniel Munyer
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Ramik Wilson
Oakland Raiders
- Re-signed: LB Shilique Calhoun (ERFA)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: DT Daniel McCullers