Packers Sign LB Korey Toomer
It didn’t take long for Korey Toomer to find a new job, as the veteran linebacker is signing with the Packers according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Toomer signed a one-year deal with the 49ers back in April, but was released Saturday as part of final cuts. Toomer has earned journeyman status over the past couple years, spending time with the Seahawks, Cowboys, Rams, Raiders, Chargers, and 49ers across his relatively short career.
Toomer, a Super Bowl XLVIII champion with the Seahawks, was drafted by Seattle in the fifth round back in 2012. Toomer will provide depth and experience to a Packers linebacking corp that’s been plagued by injuries this offseason. Starter Jake Ryan was lost for the season with a torn ACL, and projected starter Oren Burks will miss at least a couple weeks with a shoulder injury.
Toomer played mostly on special teams earlier in his career, but began to make a big impact on defense with the Chargers. He started eight games each of the past two seasons, and was serviceable. For his career, the former Idaho Vandal has 130 tackles, two sacks, and five passes defended.
In a corresponding roster move, the team placed wide receiver Jake Kumerow on injured reserve.
Jets Likely To Sign Dan Bailey
Yesterday it was announced that recently released kicker Dan Bailey would be traveling to New York for a workout with the Jets, and now it appears likely that the team will sign the former Cowboy.
“Barring an unexpected poor workout, NYJ will offer Bailey a deal to sign and replace Jason Myers” sources to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Bailey, the second most accurate kicker in NFL history in terms of field goal percentage, was shockingly released by Dallas at final cuts.
Bailey had been with the Cowboys since 2011, and besides an injury plagued 2017, had been one of the best kickers in the league. Myers appeared to have won the battle to be the Jets’ kicker but looks like he’ll now find himself out of a job once again.
The Jets have cycled through kickers since Nick Folk left after the 2016 season, and could finally find some stability with Bailey. Whatever Bailey signs for, it will likely pay him top of the kicker market type money. It would be a nice upgrade this late in the proceedings for the Jets, and if New York fails to sign him several other teams will surely come calling.
Lions, Quandre Diggs Agree To Extension
The Lions are locking up safety Quandre Diggs, signing him to a three-year extension according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Diggs played just five games at safety last season, but Rapoport says “Detroit really liked what they saw” in those five games. The extension is worth $20.4MM. Starting his career as a cornerback, Diggs was taken in the sixth round out of Texas back in 2015 and was heading into the final year of his rookie contract.
Diggs started four games in each of his first two seasons before starting 11 last year. He’s received solid marks from Pro Football Focus throughout his career, and apparently impressed new coach Matt Patricia during their short time together.
The Lions were busy this morning, also signing former Patriot Marquis Flowers. Flowers will now be reunited with Patricia. Flowers was a reserve in New England but ended up making a couple of starts down the stretch in 2017. He was originally drafted by the Bengals in 2014 before being traded to the Patriots.
NFC North Notes: Packers, Vikings, Bears
A much anticipated domino finally fell earlier this week when Aaron Rodgers and the Packers agreed to terms on his mega-extension. The deal made Rodgers the highest paid player in league history, and has reset the market for the next crop of signal callers looking to sign deals.
Former NFL agent Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at the extension, and what it might mean for several other top quarterbacks. In a way only an expert could, he completely broke down all the cap implications the deal will have for the Packers over the coming years.
Corry notes that Rodgers’ annual salary of $33.5MM is an 11.67% increase over what Matt Ryan got on his record-setting deal, noting that it’s the “biggest increase over the previous benchmark under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.” The whole piece is worth a read, as few understand contracts as well as Corry.
Here’s more from the NFC North:
- Brett Jones, acquired in a trade with the Giants just last week, is the “leading candidate” to start at center for the Vikings in Week 1 according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Coaches “have raved about how quickly” Jones picked up the offense, writes Tomasson.
- The Bears will likely “survey [the] cornerback market” according to Brad Briggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Briggs also expects Chicago to add a defensive lineman in the coming days.
- Bears tight end Adam Shaheen will be placed on injured reserve, but “could potentially return later in season” according to the team’s GM Ryan Pace (Twitter link via the Bears’ official account). Shaheen, last year’s second round pick, is suffering from both ankle and foot injuries.
Steelers Re-Sign Nat Berhe
The Steelers are re-signing safety Nat Berhe after cutting him yesterday, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN (Twitter link).
The San Diego State product was drafted in the fifth round by the Giants back in 2014, and spent the first four years of his career in New York. He signed with Pittsburgh back in April, but failed to make the initial 53. Fowler writes that Berhe is “a valuable special teamer.”
Fowler notes the Steelers must now make a corresponding roster move, and that sending someone to injured reserve is a strong possibility. The Steelers have a few guys that are banged up, and now that rosters have been set players can be sent to injured reserve and later re-activated.
Berhe never played a ton on defense for the Giants, but did start two games back in 2016 and could fill in at safety in a pinch. For his career he has 26 tackles across 38 games.
Texans Re-Sign QB Joe Webb
Just one day after being cut, the Texans are resigning quarterback Joe Webb, according to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL (Twitter link).
Webb is unique in the sense that he has the ability to contribute both as a signal caller as well as on special teams. He’ll now slide back in behind Brandon Weeden on the depth chart as the Texans’ third quarterback.
With DeShaun Watson coming off a torn ACL, it makes sense why Houston would want to have plenty of depth at the position.Webb spent 2017 with the Bills and signed a one-year deal with the Texans back in April.
When he checked in at quarterback for Buffalo during last year’s infamous snow game against the Colts, it was the first time Webb attempted a regular season pass since 2011. He had spent the previous three seasons as a core special-teamer with the Panthers.
49ers Tried Trading For Khalil Mack
Add one more team to the list of those who tried trading for superstar defensive end Khalil Mack before he was ultimately dealt to the Bears. The 49ers tried acquiring the All-Pro pass-rusher, according to Cam Inman of the Mercury News.
49ers GM John Lynch talked about the team’s pursuit of Mack earlier, saying “we would have been foolish not to” go after him. Lynch added that the team moved “aggressively” for Mack, but ultimately came up just short in the negotiations.
In the same article, Inman writes that coach Kyle Shanahan hasn’t ruled out adding a different pass-rusher. Mack would’ve joined forces with last year’s number three overall pick Solomon Thomas, and would’ve greatly bolstered the 49ers’ defense.
Clearly, the Raiders had a host of suitors for Mack and a number of trade offers to choose from. Nobody was able to beat the Bears’ offer, and Lynch made clear that the team established “parameters” as to what they were willing to include in trade talks.
Jets Bring In DE Jeremiah Attaochu For Visit
The Jets brought in former Chargers and 49ers defensive end Jeremiah Attaochu for a visit, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).
Attaochu, who was released by the 49ers yesterday during final cuts, was a second round pick by the Chargers back in 2014. The Jets have made clear all offseason that they aren’t satisfied with their current group of pass-rushers, so it makes sense they’d look to some recently released veterans for help.
Attaochu signed a one-year deal with San Francisco back in March, but apparently didn’t show enough to stick. While he never lived up to his draft status and has struggled with injuries at various points, he’s shown he can be a fairly productive pass-rusher when given the chance.
Back in 2015, he started 12 games for the Chargers and notched six sacks, a career high. Given the state of the Jets’ current edge rushers, it wouldn’t be surprising if Attaochu lands in New York.
Saints Sign RB Mike Gillislee
The Saints are adding a running back, signing veteran Mike Gillislee according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Rapsheet reports that it’s a one-year deal for Gillislee. The Saints were looking for running back help with Mark Ingram suspended for the first four games of the season. Saints coach Sean Payton has emphasized over and over that the team wants to avoid putting too much wear on Alvin Kamara, so Gillislee could play a significant role on early downs.
Gillislee was cut by the Patriots as they trimmed their roster to 53 yesterday. New England was very high on Gillislee when they signed him away from the Bills as a restricted free agent before the 2017 season. He scored three touchdowns in week one of last year, but his role gradually decreased as the season went on and he was a healthy scratch down the stretch.
The writing was on the wall for Gillislee when the Patriots signed Jeremy Hill in free agency and drafted Sony Michel in the first round of this year’s draft. He now finds a new home in New Orleans after the Saints surprisingly cut preseason star Jonathan Williams yesterday. They wasted no time bringing in Gillislee, and he should stick with the team the entire season.
Jaguars Trim Roster To 53
The Jaguars were the latest team to announce their full slate of roster cuts, getting down to the required 53 players. Here are the moves:
Released:
Waived:
- OL Tony Adams
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CB Bryce Canady
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RB Tim Cook
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CB Dee Delaney
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LB Nick DeLuca
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OL Michael Dunn
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LB Reggie Hunter
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LB Deon King
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WR Allen Lazard
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QB Tanner Lee
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OL K.C. McDermott
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CB Charlie Miller
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WR Dorren Miller
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CB Jalen Myrick
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CB C.J. Reavis
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WR Shane Wynn
Waived/injured:
- TE DeAndre Goolsby
- LB Manase Hungalu
- TE Ben Koyack
Placed on injured reserve: