Cowboys Re-Sign DT Carlos Watkins
The Cowboys are re-signing players from both sides of the ball. According to Clarence Hill Jr. (on Twitter), Dallas has re-signed defensive tackle Carlos Watkins and tight end Jeremy Sprinkle.
After spending the first four seasons of his career in Houston, Watkins joined the Cowboys last offseason. He ended up starting 14 of his 15 games last year, collecting 32 tackles, one sack, and one highlight-worthy pick-six.
In total, the 28-year-old has seen time in 57 career games, collecting five sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
Sprinkle also joined the Cowboys last offseason following four seasons with Washington. The tight end ended up starting four of his 17 games, hauling in three receptions for 31 yards. Sprinkle also had a consistent role on special teams. His best offensive season came in 2019 when he hauled in 26 receptions for 241 yards and one touchdown.
Giants Sign DT Justin Ellis
Justin Ellis is heading to the NFC. The defensive tackle is signing with the Giants, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). Ellis is inking a one-year deal.
The 2014 fourth-round pick spent the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Raiders, earning All-Rookie Team honors in 2014. Ellis found himself in and out of the starting lineup during his stint with the Raiders, as he started 42 of his 66 games. This included a 2017 campaign where he started 14 of his 16 games and finished with 48 tackles and 0.5 sacks.
Ellis joined the Ravens in 2019 and ended up inking three separate contracts with the team. During his three seasons in Baltimore, the defensive lineman compiled 41 tackles while starting eight of his 34 games.
He’ll already have some familiarity with New York’s defensive system. Ellis played under current Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale when the two were in Baltimore.
Panthers Re-Sign DB Rashaan Melvin
Rashaan Melvin will be back in Carolina next season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the defensive back is re-signing with the Panthers.
Melvin had transformed into a true NFL journeyman, and a two-year stint with a team is a rarity. The 32-year-old will have a chance to make it two-straight years with the Panthers following a 2021 campaign where he collected 16 tackles in 10 games (two starts).
Since going undrafted out of Northern Illinois in 2013, the linebacker has also had stints with Buccaneers, Dolphins (two stints), Ravens, Patriots, Colts, Raiders, Lions, and Jaguars. Melvin started a pair of playoff games for Baltimore in 2014.
The defensive back sat out the 2020 campaign, but he actually had a career year as recently as 2019. Melvin finished that season with 12 starts in 13 games, collecting a career-high 68 tackles to go along with 11 passes defended.
Texans Sign FB Andy Janovich
Andy Janovich is off to Houston. The Texans are signing the veteran fullback, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Janovich is inking a one-year deal.
Janovich has appeared in 77 career games for the Broncos and Browns over the last six years. This year, he just missed the cut as a Pro Bowler, winding up as an alternate for the game. With his 29th birthday just around the bend in May, Janovich is regarded as one of the league’s best fullbacks.
However, in an attempt to save some extra cash, the Browns declined the 28-year-old’s option. The move made Janovich a free agent. This is the first known interest in Janovich, but it can be assumed that multiple teams reached out on the fullback.
With some NFL teams shying away from utilizing traditional fullbacks, it will be interesting to see what kind of deal Janovich commands. The fullback inked a three-year, $5.7MM extension with the Broncos in 2019 before getting traded to Cleveland five months later.
49ers Re-Sign RB Jeff Wilson
Jeff Wilson is sticking around San Francisco for at least another season. The running back announced on Instagram that he’s re-signing with the 49ers.
“We got business to handle,” Wilson wrote. “When you got something to prove it hit different! Last year was honestly the toughest time of life but through those times it has built and molded me to what you’ll see! Ready to slide with my guys.”
Following a breakout 2020 campaign that saw him finish with 733 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns, Wilson had a delayed start to the 2021 season after suffering a summer foot injury. The running back returned to the field in November and ended up seeing time in nine games (four starts) for the 49ers, collecting 325 yards from scrimmage and two scores. He didn’t get a touch in two playoff games.
Elijah Mitchell exploded as a rookie in 2021, and he’ll likely lead the depth chart heading into his sophomore season. The 49ers are also rostering fellow 2021 draft pick Trey Sermon along with JaMycal Hasty.
Chiefs Host WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, RB Ronald Jones
Following the sudden trade of Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs are eyeing some offensive reinforcement. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs hosted wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The reporter cautions that a deal is not imminent.
[RELATED: Chiefs Trade Tyreek Hill To Dolphins]
Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com writes that running back Ronald Jones also visited Kansas City today.
Valdes-Scantling was a fifth-round pick by the Packers in 2018, and he didn’t miss a single regular season game during his first three seasons in the NFL, culminating in a 2020 campaign where he finished with a career-high 703 yards from scrimmage and a league-leading 20.9 yards per reception. The receiver had a stint on the IR in 2021 that limited him to only 11 games, and he finished the season with 430 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Jones was also a 2018 draft pick, with the second-round RB getting selected by the Buccaneers. Jones saw an inconsistent role during his first four seasons in the NFL; he had more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in both 2019 and 2020, but he was limited to only 492 yards from scrimmage in 2021 while playing second fiddle to Leonard Fournette.
LB Bobby Wagner Visiting Rams
The Super Bowl champs are eyeing one of the best remaining free agents. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that linebacker Bobby Wagner is visiting with the Rams. There is “mutual interest” in a deal.
It was only yesterday that GM Les Snead admitted that the Rams “talked about” adding the veteran linebacker, and the executive met with his defensive coaching staff to determine if Wagner was a fit. That wasn’t the first time we’ve heard the Rams connected to Wagner; all of the NFC West teams were mentioned as suitors after the linebacker was let go by the Seahawks. The Broncos and Cowboys have also been connected to the 31-year-old.
Wagner started all three playoff games during the Seahawks Super Bowl-winning 2013 campaign, and he then proceeded to go on an eight-year run of Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. During that stretch, Wagner averaged 145 tackles per season, and he left the organization as the Seahawks’ all-time leader in tackles. The 31-year-old was still productive in 2021, compiling a career-high 170 tackles to go along with three tackles for loss and three QB hits.
Wagner would be a huge get for a Rams defense that recently lost a pass rusher in Von Miller. Wagner wouldn’t necessarily play the same role, but he’d surely provide an upgrade over Ernest Jones, Travin Howard, and Christian Rozeboom at inside linebacker.
Falcons Re-Sign DB Erik Harris
Erik Harris is returning to Atlanta for another season. The safety is re-signing with the Falcons, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Harris is inking a one-year deal.
Harris signed a one-year deal with the Falcons last offseason and ended up starting all 12 of his games. Harris ended up collecting 64 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and eight passes defended while appearing in 84 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. The 31-year-old’s season ended early after he suffered a torn pectoral.
Following a brief stint with the Saints to start his NFL career, Harris had a four-year stint with the Raiders, starting 30 games. He had five interceptions between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
The Falcons have been busy dealing with their secondary this offseason. The team has already signed Casey Hayward and re-signed Isaiah Oliver.
Chiefs Rework OL Joe Thuney’s Contract
The Chiefs have opened a significant chunk of cap space. The team restructured the contract of offensive lineman Joe Thuney, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
Specifically, the Chiefs converted $12.86MM of Thuney‘s base salary into a signing bonus. The move created $9.6MM in cap space.
Thuney spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Patriots, earning two Super Bowl rings and a second-team All-Pro nod.The former third-round pick ended up starting all 80 of his games during his time in New England.
The lineman inked a five-year, $80MM contract with the Chiefs last offseason, and he proceeded to see time in all 17 games for his new team, appearing in 99 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. Thuney also started all three of Kansas City’s playoff games.
Raiders Sign DT Kyle Peko
Kyle Peko is back in the AFC West. The Raiders announced that they have signed the defensive tackle.
Peko joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and the defensive lineman ended up spending two-plus seasons with the organization. He had stops with the Bills and Colts before rejoining the Broncos for parts of the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The 28-year-old spent the 2021 season in Tennessee, where he saw time in eight games, including his first three NFL starts. Peko finished the campaign with 10 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble while appearing in a third of his team’s defensive snaps.
This is the second defensive lineman that the Raiders added today. This afternoon, we learned that the team was signing former first-round defensive tackle Vernon Butler.