Chargers LB Denzel Perryman Restructures Contract
The Chargers have been busy today. So far they’ve franchise-tagged Hunter Henry, released Brandon Mebane and Thomas Davis, and now they’ve also adjusted a contract. 
Los Angeles agreed to a restructure with linebacker Denzel Perryman that will keep him with the team for the 2020 season, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Originally set to make a little over $6MM in the final year of his current deal, he’ll now need to hit some incentives to reach that figure, Rapoport reports. Perryman was due a $1.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the new league year, and there had been some speculation that the Chargers might move on.
The hard-hitting inside linebacker has been a big part of their defense the past handful of years when healthy, but he’s had some trouble staying on the field. He appeared in only seven games in 2017, only nine the following year, and has never played in more than 14. Linebacker has been a weak spot for the Chargers’ otherwise talented defense, and with the release of Davis it’s a position they’ll certainly be addressing further this offseason.
Perryman was drafted 48th overall out of Miami back in 2015. He also got in a bit of trouble with head coach Anthony Lynn last year, as he was sent home before the team’s game against Jacksonville after missing a team meeting.
Jets Release S Blake Countess
The Jets are moving on from Blake Countess. New York has released the reserve safety, they announced in a press release Wednesday afternoon.
Originally drafted by the Eagles in the sixth-round back in 2016, he was waived at final cuts during his rookie season. He latched on with the Rams, and was soon promoted to the active roster after initially signing with the practice squad. He slowly carved out a role for himself, and became an important player during the Rams’ breakout 2017 season. He played over 15 percent of the defensive snaps that year in a rotational role, notching 25 tackles and an interception.
He also was one of their most utilized players on special teams. In 2018 he appeared in all 16 games for the Rams, starting one, and again being a core special-teamer. Los Angeles tendered him a contract as a restricted free agent, but ended up releasing him later last offseason after he refused to take a pay cut from his projected $2MM salary. He caught on with the Jets in October, and appeared in six games for them. Only 26, the Auburn product should be able to latch on elsewhere and attempt to crack a different team’s 53.
Lions To Let Graham Glasgow Walk?
It looks like the Lions are going to be making a significant change to their offensive line. Guard Graham Glasgow doesn’t expect to be back in Detroit next season and it appears the team is going to let him walk in free agency, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. 
“I’m bummed that I’m not able to stay cause I love Michigan and I love the Detroit area,” Glasgow told Birkett. “But you don’t play football forever, so I think that being able to go somewhere else and make some money is an exciting thing,” he added. Birkett notes that he spent five years in college at Michigan and then the first four years of his pro career in Detroit, so he has deep ties to the area. Glasgow said he hadn’t “really heard too much from the Lions,” so it sounds like they didn’t even make an effort to keep him.
The Lions drafted him in the third-round back in 2016, and he became a near-instant starter. He’s been a consistent presence on the offensive line, starting at least 15 games in each of the past three seasons. His versatility will help him on the open market, as he spent 2018 at center before moving to right guard last year.
Glasgow received very strong marks from Pro Football Focus last year, and Birkett writes that the Lions’ “decision to let him walk is largely financially motivated.” Glasgow is going to land a big contract, and Detroit doesn’t want to pay up. Birkett clearly isn’t a fan of the decision, writing that it’s “baffling” and a “head-scratcher” for a team that has had inconsistent offensive line play to let him move on.
He should receive a good amount of interest when the tampering period opens up next week, and we’ve already got word of at least one potential suitor. The Jets are one of a handful of teams to keep an eye on in regard to Glasgow, Sirius XM NFL reporter Adam Caplan tweets. The Jets have already been linked to some other high profile offensive linemen, so their interest certainly isn’t surprising.
Extra Points: Tagovailoa, CBA, Chris Harris
One of the biggest stories of the 2020 draft is the health of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa of course suffered a brutal hip injury toward the end of the college football season that threatened to derail his pro career. Fortunately everything has gone smoothly with his recovery up until now, and he got another solid update recently. Tagovailoa had his four-month scans on the hip, something that was always considered a very important marker in the process, and everything went well, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Sources told Rapoport that the scans came back “very good with no concerns” and that they were “as positive as possible.” Rapoport notes that with this scan out of the way, Tagavailoa will now be able to ramp up his physical activity. It’s unclear when exactly he’ll be able to play again, but at the very least he’ll miss a good portion of the offseason program of whatever team drafts him. Despite the concerns over his hip, he still seems very likely to be off the board early in the first round, and potentially within the first few picks. Here’s to hoping everything continues to progress nicely and we see him back on the field soon.
Here’s more from around the football universe:
- Another under the radar concession the players got in the new proposed CBA is a significant increase in offseason pay. Starting in 2021 the rates players are paid for minicamp and the preseason will go from $2K a week to $2.9K a week for veterans, and from $1.15K a week to $1.7K a week for rookies, according to Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link). Klis also reports that every other year those numbers will increase an additional $300 per week for veterans and $150 per week for rookies. Many undrafted rookies who are part of the offseason 90-man roster but don’t stand any chance of making the team barely get anything for their efforts, so this will at least put a little additional cash in their pockets during training camp.
- Chris Harris is looking for a big payday this offseason, and it looks like the cornerback won’t be back with the Broncos next year. In preparation for his first testing of the open market, the veteran fired his agent Fred Lyles and signed with a bigger firm, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Ironically Jhabvala notes that Lyles also represents cornerback A.J. Bouye, who Denver just traded for to essentially replace Harris. Harris has always been a top corner but he’s now on the wrong side of 30, so it’ll be very interesting to see what his market looks like. He turned down an extension offer of $12MM annually from the Broncos last year.
- In case you missed it, the NFL pushed back the franchise tag deadline as CBA talks continue to drag on.
Texans’ Laremy Tunsil Undergoes Surgery, Fires Agent
Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil is looking for a new contract, and he’s also recovering from a significant injury. Tunsil recently underwent shoulder surgery for a torn labrum, sources told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
We heard last week that Tunsil and the Texans had begun preliminary talks on an extension at the combine, and that he was seeking around $20MM annually. Sources also told Wilson that Tunsil fired his agents at CAA, and is now weighing his options. He’s apparently considering operating as his own agent like fellow left tackle Russell Okung has, and also is considering signing with the NFL division of NBA super-agent Rich Paul’s Klutch Sports.
The meeting at the combine came with CAA people before Tunsil fired his agents Wilson reports, so it sounds like things are back to square one. If Tunsil gets what he’s seeking, he’ll become the league’s highest-paid offensive linemen. He made the Pro Bowl last year, and the Texans want him blocking Deshaun Watson‘s blind side for the foreseeable future. Wilson notes that he’s expected to be ready to return to action by training camp, although he’ll presumably miss a good chunk of the offseason program.
Houston gave up a huge bounty to land Tunsil in a trade with the Dolphins last year, so they are going to be under a ton of pressure to get a deal done. They gave up two first-round picks and a second-rounder for the Ole Miss product, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
Titans Were Interested In Texans DC Anthony Weaver
The Texans made a move at defensive coordinator this offseason, sidelining longtime veteran coach Romeo Crennel in favor of Anthony Weaver. Now we have more context on that decision, via Sarah Bishop of ESPN.com.
According to Bishop the move was made at least partially out of necessity, as the Titans were showing interest in Weaver for their defensive coordinator vacancy. Tennessee’s defensive coordinator Dean Pees retired after the season. Houston later announced that they’d keep Crennel on staff, but his title was given to Weaver to help prevent him from getting poached. This isn’t the first time the Texans have gone through this exact situation, and funnily enough it happened with current Titans coach Mike Vrabel just a few years ago.
Vrabel was an assistant in Houston under Bill O’Brien when the team had Crennel step down to make room for Vrabel to become defensive coordinator in 2017. After Vrabel was then hired away by Tennessee the following season, Crennel was given his old job back. Weaver spent a handful of years in the NFL in the early 2000’s after entering the league as a second-round pick in 2002. He’s spent the past four years as O’Brien’s defensive line coach.
Redskins Want Ereck Flowers Back
Ereck Flowers has had a bumpy journey in the pros, but it looks like he might’ve found a permanent home. The Redskins want to bring back the impending free agent, new head coach Ron Rivera told Larry Michael on Redskins Nation, via JP Finlay of NBC Sports.
We heard recently that the ‘Skins were planning on franchise-tagging right guard Brandon Scherff, and Rivera confirmed that he wants both of the guards back. The Giants drafted Flowers ninth overall back in 2015, and it wasn’t long before he was labeled a bust. After starting at least 15 games in each of his first three seasons with very poor results at both tackle positions, Flowers was released midway through his fourth.
He latched on with the Jaguars and started seven games with them in 2018, again struggling mightily. Then he signed a one-year deal with Washington last offseason, and the team moved him to guard during training camp. He thrived in the new position, and started all 16 games.
As for what it will take to re-sign Flowers, Finlay writes that it will probably be more than double the $3.25MM he earned last season. Rivera seemed to be pretty confident about a deal getting worked out and the state of his offensive line, saying “once we get that situation figured out, we will have four of the five (starters) that we know what’s going to happen” with. The one question mark in that scenario, of course, would be left tackle Trent Williams, who was recently given permission to pursue a trade.
AFC West Notes: Mahomes, Broncos, Raiders
Everyone has known for a while now that when Patrick Mahomes signs his first contract extension, it’s going to involve some eye-popping numbers. The Chiefs are expected to pursue an extension sometime after the draft, and there has been a lot of chatter about Mahomes becoming the first player to eclipse $40MM in annual salary. While he wouldn’t get into specifics about negotiations, Mahomes made it clear in a recent interview with Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports that he’s in Kansas City for the long haul. “I want to make sure I do it the smart way and do it the right way, and so I don’t know exactly which way that is, yet. I know that my people and the Chiefs’ people will talk about it, and will do it at the right time and for the betterment for the team. But I’m excited to be a Kansas City Chief for a very long time, and I know that’s going to be handled the right way because of the people the Kansas City Chiefs have in their organization,” he explained.
There has been some speculation the Chiefs will try to get him on somewhat of a team-friendly deal in order to spread their cap resources around, similarly to what the Patriots have done with Tom Brady. Mahomes is going to get paid big-time either way, but he did seem to indicate that keeping their core together is a priority for him. “Whichever way possible, we’re going to do it and we’re gonna try to keep as many people on this team as we possibly can that won the Super Bowl this year so we can run it back again next year,” he said.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- Speaking of the Chiefs, they made a couple of assistant coaching moves today. Quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka has been given the additional title of passing game coordinator, and the team hired Andy Hill as a special teams assistant. The Eagles were interested in Kafka for their offensive coordinator vacancy, but Kansas City was ultimately able to retain him. All the way back in October we heard that Kafka was well-respected in the league and considered by some to be a future head coach. The former backup quarterback is the latest in a long line of Andy Reid assistants to get buzz.
- The Broncos have a crowded backfield, but it’s about to get a little thinner. Both Devontae Booker and Theo Riddick will be allowed to walk in free agency, sources told Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link). Booker was drafted by Denver in the fourth-round back in 2016, and had an up and down career with the team. He was the team’s starter for some of his rookie season, and he often played a big role on passing downs. At the same time, he was often relegated to the bench for extended stretches. 27 now, it’ll be interesting to see how his market develops. Riddick is another passing-downs specialist who signed with Denver this past summer after a productive six-year run with the Lions. He ended up missing the entire season with a shoulder injury, although Klis notes that he is healthy now and has been medically cleared. He’s 28 now, and will likely have a tough time finding much guaranteed money coming off the injury.
- The Raiders are believed to be interested in signing linebacker Nick Vigil, sources told Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio and Insidethebirds.com. Vigil, an impending free agent, spent the first four years of his career with the Bengals. He started all 16 games for Cincy this past season, racking up 111 tackles and five passes defended. Vigil will likely be seeking a decent-sized contract, and he should have a relatively strong market. Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther coached Vigil in Cincinnati, so there’s a lot of familiarity between the two sides.
NFC Notes: Seahawks, Redskins, Prescott
The Seahawks could be adding to their backfield soon. Seattle is still interested in veteran running back Alex Collins, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Seahawks worked out Collins back in January, but didn’t end up signing him at the time. Of course there is plenty of familiarity here, as Collins started his career with the Seahawks back in 2016. A fifth-round pick out of Arkansas, Collins was waived after a rookie season where he played sparingly. He signed with Baltimore, and ended up having a breakout 2017 season with the Ravens.
He became their full-time starter, racking up 973 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. He again operated as their starter for much of the 2018 season, but a foot injury cut his year short. He was arrested in March of last year and waived by the Ravens shortly after. He received a three-game suspension from the league, and spent all of 2019 out of football. Still only 25 he should resurface somewhere for 2020, and it sounds like there’s a good chance it’s with the Seahawks.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Jets are going to have some competition for Trent Williams. Earlier today we heard New York was targeting the left tackle after the Redskins said they would allow him to seek a trade, and they aren’t the only ones. Multiple teams have inquired about Williams since the news broke, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s unclear which teams, although the Browns are apparently thinking about making another run at him. Whoever trades for Williams better be prepared to pay up, as he’s reportedly looking to become the league’s highest-paid tackle on a new contract.
- Things continue to inch forward with the Cowboys and their pair of superstar impending free agents. The Cowboys met with Dak Prescott‘s agent for the first time since the start of the 2019 season last week, and they met for a second time this past week, a source told Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. While there appears to be some momentum gathering, it also doesn’t sound like anything is particularly close, as Watkins writes everything is in a “holding pattern” as both sides await a resolution on the new CBA. Watkins writes that Dallas also met with receiver Amari Cooper‘s reps for a second time. Watkins reiterated his earlier report that the Cowboys have offered Prescott an annual salary of $33MM with $105MM in guarantees. It’s likely going to take a lot more than that to get a deal done.
- The Buccaneers have made a minor addition to Bruce Arians’ coaching staff. Tampa has hired Keith Tandy as their new special teams assistant, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter link). As Auman points out it’s a familiar name, since Tandy spent six years with the Bucs as a player from 2012-17. The former safety from West Virginia spent some time with the Falcons in 2018 before hanging up his cleats.
Colts Won’t Tender Marcus Johnson
An interesting young receiver is about to hit the open market. The Colts won’t tender restricted free agent wideout Marcus Johnson, so he’ll be entering unrestricted free agency later this month, according to Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). In a separate tweet, Erickson noted he was surprised by the move.
Erickson writes that the Texas product is “expected to get a lot of interest” from other teams now that he’ll be free to sign wherever. Johnson originally signed with the Eagles as an UDFA in 2016 and spent the first two years of his career in Philly, winning Super Bowl LII with the team. He was then traded to the Seahawks as part of the Michael Bennett deal, before Seattle traded him to Indy prior to the 2018 season.
Johnson was injured for the first half of last season, but he took on a prominent role down the stretch. He ended up starting six games and even had a 105-yard game against Tampa Bay, which is why it’s a bit surprising that the Colts are letting him walk. Overall he finished with 277 yards and two touchdowns in only eight games. Still only 25, it’ll be interesting to see where he latches on next.