RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/19
Today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions will be posted below:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Colts: S Corey Moore
- Ravens: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Browns Shopping Darren Fells, Jets Interested
The Browns have showed a strong willingness to make trades under new GM John Dorsey, most recently sending guard Kevin Zeitler to the Giants in exchange for defensive end Olivier Vernon. He isn’t done yet, as the team is shopping tight end Darren Fells in trade talks, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link).
Fells signed a three-year, $12MM deal with the Browns in March of last year, but they’re apparently looking to move on just one year into that pact. Fells has never offered much in the passing game, and is much more of a blocking tight end than anything else. He was an occasional redzone threat for the Browns last year, catching three touchdowns. He had just 11 receptions for 117 yards overall, although he did start 11 games.
With David Njoku the future at the position for Cleveland, the Browns don’t have too much of a need for an expensive blocking tight end. They can find a decent blocker on the open market for a cheaper price. Fells has only been in the league for five seasons, but he turns 33 in April. He never played college football, and made the leap to the NFL after playing professional basketball overseas for several seasons.
As for teams that might be interested, the Jets “have had internal discussions about trading for” Fells, sources told Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News (Twitter link). Mehta adds that New York “is in the market” for a blocking tight end. Fells did receive slightly above average marks from Pro Football Focus last year. If they can’t find a trade partner, it’s definitely possible the Browns could just release Fells outright.
Extra Points: Brown, Steelers, CBA, Draft, AAF
We heard yesterday that an Antonio Brown trade was “close” and that three teams were “still alive”, but over 24 hours later we still don’t have a deal. While we await an end to the saga, it’s worth examining why the Steelers are so willing to meet Brown’s demands and trade him, writes Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. Florio questions why the Steelers are seemingly “letting Brown dictate the terms of his employment,” and came up with a hypothesis based on his relationship with Ben Roethlisberger.
Brown has publicly gone after Roethlisberger in recent weeks, which could’ve solidified the Steelers’ resolve to ship him out. Florio theorizes that the feud between Brown and Roethlisberger isn’t just one-sided, and that Roethlisberger may be pushing for Brown to be gone behind the scenes. Florio thinks Roethlisberger may have given Pittsburgh’s management an ultimatum, and that could be why the team hasn’t tried to reconcile with Brown at all. It makes some sense, and if nothing else it’s an interesting theory.
Here’s more from around the league:
- There’s been a lot of talk about a potential work stoppage when it comes time to negotiate the next CBA between the owners and the players’ union. There will be intense battles over things like contract guarantees, but one area the league plans to cede ground is on the substance abuse policy. The NFL is poised “to make major concessions regarding the substance-abuse policy, especially as it relates to marijuana,” according to Florio. Florio cautions that the details haven’t been ironed out yet, but the new CBA could completely get rid of any mention of Marijuana, making it permissible for everyone in the league.
- There was a lot of talk about whether or not Kyler Murray made a bad impression in his combine interviews, but one player certainly did. Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite interviewed terrible, and his draft stock “is taking a massive tumble” as a result, according to Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Polite had been projected by many as a first round pick, but that now appears to be in serious jeopardy. Polite also performed poorly in the athletic testing portion of the combine, and later claimed an injury was responsible.
- The new startup football league, the AAF, has had a tumultuous start. There was a good amount of drama surrounding their finances after the first week, but things appear to have stabilized since then with a huge $250MM investment coming from NHL owner Tom Dundon. Now Bill Polian, the Hall of Fame former Colts GM and one of the founders of the AAF, is hopeful about a potential partnership with the NFL. Polian said in a recent conference call with reporters that talk about a formal partnership with the league “is ramping up” behind the scenes, according to Tom Krasovic of The San Diego Union Tribune. “Our hope would be that that would happen as quickly as it possibly can,” Polian added.
Carlos Hyde To Visit Chiefs
Carlos Hyde will visit with the Chiefs tomorrow, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The running back was released by the Jaguars earlier today, and isn’t wasting any time setting up a meeting before the free agency negotiating period opens on Monday.
As a player who was released before his contract expired, Hyde doesn’t have to wait for free agency to open and can sign whenever. The Chiefs left a huge hole in their backfield when they released Kareem Hunt in the midst of his scandal last season, so their interest makes some sense. Schefter notes that Hyde could be a nice complement to and share time with the Chiefs’ starting running back to end the season, Damien Williams.
Hyde signed a three-year, $15MM contract with the Browns last March, but he never worked out in Cleveland. The team quickly decided they wanted to give rookie Nick Chubb more carries, and decided to trade Hyde. They shipped Hyde off to the Jaguars mid-season, but Jacksonville soon fell out of playoff contention.
With the Jags no longer contending, they didn’t have much of a reason to play Hyde. Between Cleveland and Jacksonville, he carried the ball 172 times for 571 yards last season, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry. Hyde is still only 28, so he should have something left in the tank for whoever he signs with.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/19
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Second round tender:
- Bengals: OL Trey Hopkins
- Ravens: LB Patrick Onwuasor
Tendered at original-round level:
- Browns: WR Rashard Higgins
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: DT Trevon Coley, DB Jermaine Whitehead
- Colts: WR Marcus Johnson
- Buccaneers: S Isaiah Johnson, OL Mike Liedtke
- Packers: TE Robert Tonyan
- Cardinals: TE Ricky Seals-Jones
Extra Points: Brown, Bills, Steelers, Redskins, 49ers, Broncos
The Antonio Brown era with the Bills didn’t last long. Shortly after it was reported that Brown was headed to Buffalo, the report turned out not to be true. It was acknowledged by all parties that there were talks between the Steelers and Bills but we didn’t know many details of what exactly happened, until now. Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News came out with a story that delved into what happened, and talks apparently broke down because of Brown’s contract. Bills brass was going back and forth with Brown’s agent Drew Rosenhaus, and “discussed a potential renegotiation of the receiver’s contract,” according to Carucci.
Carucci noted that the more new money the Bills gave Brown, the less compensation they were willing to give the Steelers in a trade and vice versa. Carucci shot down reports that Brown was mortally opposed to playing in Buffalo, writing that the Bills were confident that “if they met his financial demand and were able to make the trade, Brown would have happily joined them.” In the end, renegotiating Brown’s contract proved too difficult and is what ultimately led to the breakdown in talks.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Speaking of Brown, the Bills weren’t the only team to withdraw over Brown’s contract. Another team pursuing Brown walked away because “it was communicated to them” that Brown wanted a new contract that would make him the highest-paid receiver in the NFL with any new team, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. It was previously thought that the Steelers’ demands for a first round pick might’ve been delaying this process, but it sounds like Brown’s contract is the biggest hurdle at the moment.
- While Brown still hasn’t been traded, Case Keenum has. Keenum was dealt to the Redskins yesterday in a surprising trade, and fans weren’t the only ones caught off guard by the move. Keenum apparently didn’t know it was coming either, and neither he nor his camp were involved in finding Washington as a landing spot, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post (Twitter link). Alex Smith is very likely to miss at least the entire 2019 season, and as of right now Keenum is likely to be the team’s starting quarterback next season.
- 49ers punter Bradley Pinion “has been telling those around him that he does not expect to be back” next year, Matt Barrows of The Athletic hears. Barrows points out that Pinion ranked 24th in net average and had 22 punts inside of the 20-yard line, putting him somewhere in the middle of the pack. He also handled kickoffs, so the Niners will have to find someone new to cover both roles assuming they move on. Pinion was a fifth round pick of San Francisco back in 2015, and is about to enter unrestricted free agency.
- Broncos offensive tackle Billy Turner had been discussing an extension with the team, but those talks have “broken off”, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport writes that Turner will now hit the open market, and that the Broncos will now be a “prime” candidate to sign a right tackle in free agency. Turner started 11 games for the Broncos last season, earning average marks from Pro Football Focus.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/19
Today’s minor moves from another busy day of action across the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: RB D.J. Foster
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: DT Daniel Ross
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: LS Carson Tinker
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: K Jonathan Brown
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: DB Akeem King
Cowboys Pick Up Options On C Joe Looney, LB Joe Thomas
The Cowboys picked up an option on receiver Allen Hurns earlier today, and that wasn’t the only one they exercised. The team is also picking up their options on center Joe Looney and linebacker Joe Thomas, a source told Calvin Watkins of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Looney has been with the Cowboys the past three seasons, and was a backup interior lineman the first two. After starter Travis Frederick missed the entire 2018 season, Looney ended up starting all 16 games. He signed a two-year deal with the team last March, but the second year was a team option that needed to be decided on by March 13th.
Looney will get paid a base salary of $1MM in 2019 with incentives worth up to $500k, according to Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan. Assuming Frederick is able to return in 2019, which looks to be the case, Looney should return to a reserve role. He received poor marks from Pro Football Focus last year, and was ranked the 32nd best center in the league by PFF.
Thomas played sparingly on defense last season, but was a contributor on special teams. He signed a two-year deal worth up to $3.6MM last March.
Steelers Close On A Deal To Trade Antonio Brown, Three Teams ‘Still Alive’
The Antonio Brown saga might be coming to an end soon, this time for real. The Steelers are “close to a deal to trade Antonio Brown,” a source told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Unfortunately, Dulac doesn’t speculate the team that Brown will be heading to, so we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out the details. In fact, Dulac says three teams are “still alive” in the process. Dulac doesn’t specify which three teams are still in the running. Brown was reported to be on his way to the Bills late last night, but that turned out not to be true.
Reports first indicated the Steelers were viewing today as a deadline to trade Brown by, but that was then walked back. All of the recent reporting has been that the Steelers continue to demand a first round pick in trade talks, and it’ll be very interesting to see what they end up getting back.
The Raiders have been one of the teams consistently mentioned as being interested, and they have plenty of draft assets to make it happen. Many teams have publicly removed themselves from the running, and the Steelers have seemingly been left without many options.
Sean Lee Will Return To Cowboys In 2019, Working On New Contract
We heard recently that the Cowboys were interested in bringing back linebacker Sean Lee for one more season, and now it’s official. Lee and the Cowboys have agreed to stick together for 2019, and are ironing out the details on what his contract will look like, sources told David Moore of The Dallas Morning News. 
Lee is a Cowboys legend, and it was looking for a while like his time with the team might be coming to an end toward the end of the 2018 season. But Lee expressed interest in playing again, and the team is willing to make it happen. Lee has been unable to stay on the field the past few years, as he’s dealt with recurring hamstring issues and other ailments.
Moore thinks the incentive-heavy deal the Cowboys just gave Jason Witten will “provide a template” for the deal Lee will get once his contract is restructured. Lee was schedule to make a non-guaranteed $7MM this season, which was always going to be untenable.
Lee saw his playing time scaled back dramatically this season even when he was healthy, as rookie Leighton Vander Esch emerged. Lee has spent all nine years of his career with Dallas, and will be making it a tenth now. He’ll likely function as somewhat of a player-coach in a veteran mentor role for the 2019 season.