CB Darius Slay Staying With Eagles, Signs Extension
Darius Slay is staying in Philadelphia after all. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Eagles have agreed to a new deal with the cornerback. It’s a two-year extension that will keep Slay in Philly through the 2025 season.
[RELATED: CB Darius Slay Staying In Philadelphia?]
Reports yesterday indicated that Slay was set to be released by the Eagles, mostly due to his lofty $26.1MM cap number. This reported transaction followed negotiations between the two sides on a new contract, and the front office also shopped the cornerback to CB-needy teams. Slay himself tweeted about his impending release, a move that would have opened $17.5MM in cap space but left $13MM in 2024 dead cap.
Not even 12 hours later, we heard the Eagles were having second thoughts about releasing the veteran. Reports indicated that the Eagles were having a “hard time” moving on from Slay and were hoping the two sides could come to some kind of compromise. Soon after, Slay took to Twitter and hinted that he may be returning to the Eagles after all.
Now, the new contract has been agreed to, keeping the defensive back with Philadelphia for the foreseeable future. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the three years on Slay’s contract (including the two new extension years) are worth $42MM, including $23MM in guaranteed money.
Philly gave Slay a three-year, $50MM extension upon trading for him three years ago, and Slay has produced during his time with the organization. Pro Football Focus graded Slay as its No. 21 overall corner last season, with the 32-year-old earning his second-straight Pro Bowl nod after compiling 55 tackles, three interceptions, and 14 passes defended.
The Eagles had to invest in the position this offseason when they inked James Bradberry to a sizable extension. This new contract was expected to end Slay’s tenure with the team, but instead, the secondary will only have to deal with the loss of starting safety Marcus Epps.
Raiders To Re-Sign OL Jermaine Eluemunor
The Raiders are bringing back Jermaine Eluemunor. The team has reached an agreement with the offensive lineman, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
A former fifth-round pick by Baltimore, Eluemunor bounced around the NFL a bit before landing in Las Vegas, spending time with the Ravens, Patriots, Dolphins, and Jaguars. He got an extended look in New England between 2019 and 2020, starting eight of his 22 appearances with the team.
He caught on with the Raiders for the 2021 campaign, starting three of his 14 games. The lineman then earned the starting right tackle gig heading into the 2022 campaign and proceeded to start all 17 games for the Raiders. Pro Football Focus ended up grading him 21st among 81 qualifying offensive tackles.
The Raiders also re-signed offensive tackle Brandon Parker earlier this offseason, but the two moves won’t preclude the organization from picking an offensive tackle in the draft, per Bonsignore. However, the return of their 2022 start will make that potential draft selection “less urgent.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/23
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: LS Nick Moore
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: CB C.J. Goodwin
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: S P.J. Locke
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: FB John Lovett
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: LS Joe Cardona
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, DT T.Y. McGill
There’s some long snapper news to pass along! Cardona will be returning to New England for his ninth season with the organization, making him the Patriots’ second-longest tenured player (behind Matthew Slater). Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), Cardona got a four-year deal with a $1MM signing bonus, with that latter value being “an important marker” for the veteran to clear.
Meanwhile, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that Moore will be getting a two-year, $2.5MM deal. The long snapper was non-tendered by Baltimore yesterday but ultimately re-upped with the team on a multiyear deal. Per Zrebiec, Moore received interest from other teams but wanted to stick around Baltimore. The 30-year-old has been with the Ravens since 2020 and earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2022.
Jets Sign OL Wes Schweitzer
The Jets have added some versatility to their offensive line. The team announced that they’ve agreed to a deal with offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer.
The former sixth-round pick has managed to put together a seven-year career thanks in part to that versatility. Schweitzer has played at least one career snap at every offensive line position, although the majority of his playing time has come at left guard and right guard.
Schweitzer started 36 of his 46 appearances for Atlanta between 2017 and 2019, and he started 13 games during his first season in Washington in 2020. He only started five of his 11 appearances in 2021 before returning to the starting lineup in 2022, starting six of his seven appearances thanks to an ankle injury that landed him on IR. He finished the season ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 27th center (among 36 qualifiers).
ESPN’s John Keim tweets that the Commanders were interested in retaining the free agent offensive lineman. Ultimately, the team determined that they already have several veterans who should be able to fill in for Schweitzer.
Schweitzer will enter the season as a backup, but his versatility obviously provides the Jets with some flexibility when an injury inevitably hits. The Jets have lost a bit of OL depth during the early days of free agency with Nate Herbig heading to the Steelers.
The Jets made another OL move today, re-signing Adam Pankey, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The 29-year-old has appeared in nine games since entering the NFL in 2017, although he didn’t make a single appearance in 2022 while sitting on the Jets’ practice squad.
Vikings Re-Sign OL Austin Schlottmann
The Vikings are bringing back Austin Schlottmann. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Vikings are re-signing the offensive lineman. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that Schlottmann will be signing a new one-year contract.
Schlottmann, a 2018 UDFA out of TCU, turned into a dependable backup lineman for the Broncos. He started seven of his 42 games for Denver between 2019 and 2021, and he also contributed a bit on special teams.
The lineman joined the Vikings last offseason and proceeded to appear in 16 games for his new squad, starting four. A broken fibula ended his season in Week 17 and kept him off the field for the postseason. He didn’t grade out all that well from Pro Football Focus, the third-straight season that he’s rated as a bottom-of-the-league lineman.
Apparently, the Vikings saw enough out of Schlottmann to keep him around for another year. Fellow Vikings offensive lineman Oli Udoh is also a free agent, but the team is otherwise looking to return much of their depth from 2022.
Saints Add OL Storm Norton, Re-Sign P Blake Gillikin
The Saints have added some depth on the offensive line. Storm Norton is signing a one-year deal with New Orleans, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter).
The 2017 undrafted free agent out of Toledo bounced between the Lions, Cardinals, and Vikings (plus a brief stint in the XFL) before finding a home in Los Angeles in 2020. After starting three of his six appearances in 2020, Norton started 15 of his 17 appearances in 2021.
He didn’t start any of his 12 performances this past year, and Pro Football Focus would have graded him as one of the league’s worst offensive tackles had he qualified. However, the site was a bit more bullish on his production in 2020 and 2021.
The Saints may return much of their offensive line depth in 2022, with Norton representing their first move on that unit. Ethan Greenidge, who appeared in 15 games for the Saints back in 2020, is the team’s lone OL free agent.
The Saints weren’t done making moves today. Nick Underhill tweets that the team has re-signed punter Blake Gillikin. The Penn State product joined the Saints in 2020 but didn’t see the field for the team until 2021. He’s appeared in all 34 games for New Orleans over the past two years, averaging 47 yards on his punts. Gillikin has also landed 61 of his 160 punts inside the 20 yard line.
Bears Sign DT Andrew Billings
The Bears are adding to their defensive line. Chicago is signing defensive tackle Andrew Billings, according to agency SportsTrust Advisors (on Twitter).
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Billings will be getting a one-year deal worth $3.5MM. The contract includes $2.4MM in guaranteed money.
Billings opted out of the 2020 season and got into only six games with the Browns in 2021 before getting cut loose. He caught on with the Raiders last offseason and had his strongest showing since 2019. The defensive lineman ultimately started all 14 of his appearances, compiling 39 tackles and one sack. Pro Football Focus gave him high marks for his 2022 performance, ranking him 16th among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
The likes of Justin Jones, Mike Pennel, and Angelo Blackson didn’t rank nearly as high among interior defenders, so Billings should provide a temporary upgrade. The Bears have been busy adding to their defense this offseason, signing linebacker T.J. Edwards, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, and defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker.
Bears To Sign TE Robert Tonyan
After spending six seasons with the Packers, Robert Tonyan is moving to a division rival. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the tight end is signing with the Bears.
After not catching on with the Lions as an undrafted free agent, Tonyan joined the Packers in 2017. He didn’t play as a rookie and most appeared on special teams as a sophomore, but the tight end started to get some work on offense in 2019.
He had his breakout season in 2020, hauling in 52 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was hit with a second-round tender (and a sizable pay raise) the following offseason, but he only got into eight games in 2021 before tearing his ACL. Tonyan managed to return and appear in all 17 games this past year, collecting a career-high 53 receptions for 470 yards and two touchdowns.
Pro Football Focus has never been a fan of Tonyan, but that’s partly due to his abysmal blocking score. He’ll probably be on the field for sets that call for a pair of tight ends, with the free agent acquisition pairing with 2022 starter Cole Kmet.
The Packers offense will look a whole lot different next season with Aaron Rodgers, Allen Lazard, and likely Randall Cobb out the door. Tight end Marcedes Lewis is also a free agent, potentially opening up snaps for former third-round pick Josiah Deguara.
Titans Re-Sign WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will be back in Tennessee next season. The team announced that they’ve re-signed the wide receiver.
Westbrook-Ikhine was non-tendered by the Titans earlier this week, making him an unrestricted free agent. Even the lowest, right-of-first-refusal tender would have attached the wideout to at least a $2.6MM salary, so the Titans presumably got a slight discount by temporarily letting him hit free agency.
The former undrafted free agent out of Indiana saw time in all 33 games (20 starts) for the Titans over the past two seasons. After hauling in 38 receptions for 476 yards and four touchdowns in 2021, Westbrook-Ikhine contributed another 25 receptions for 397 yards and three touchdowns in 2022.
Westbrook-Ikhine could be in store for an even bigger role in 2023. The Titans wide receivers room is currently in flux, with 2022 first-round pick Treylon Burks joining the likes of Kyle Philips and Racey McMath.
Bengals Sign OL Cody Ford
The Bengals continue to make additions to their offensive line. The team announced that they’ve signed offensive tackle Cody Ford to a one-year contract.
Ford was a second-round pick by the Bills, but he only lasted three seasons in Buffalo before getting dumped to Arizona. He continued serving in his standard reserve role with the Cardinals in 2022, starting three of his 11 appearances while seeing the field for 350 offensive snaps.
The 26-year-old has spent time at both guard positions and right tackle. Pro Football Focus hasn’t been particularly fond of his performance at any position, but his versatility should still come in handy for Cincinnati. There’s a chance La’el Collins sticks around as a backup lineman, but there’s a better chance the 2022 starter is cut or traded, opening a role for Ford as a top backup.
The Bengals made headlines yesterday when they inked Orlando Brown Jr. to a contract. According to Albert Breer of TheMMQB (via Twitter), the Bengals couldn’t deny the opportunity to acquire an elite blocker at a reasonable price ($16MM). One of Brown’s free agent demands was that he wanted to continue playing left tackle, and it looks like the Bengals will oblige. Per Breer, the team is planning to move 2022 LT starter Jonah Williams to right tackle, and they’ll make a decision on incumbent RT Collins “down the line.”