49ers To Sign LB Nathan Gerry
Nathan Gerry is heading west. The veteran linebacker is signing with the 49ers, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia was first with the news (via Twitter).
The 2017 fifth-round pick out of Nebraska had spent his entire career with the Eagles, appearing in 46 regular-season games and six postseason games (including three during Philly’s 2017 run to a Super Bowl championship). After serving as mostly a backup during his first two years in the pros, Gerry started 12 of his 16 contests in 2019, finishing with 78 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions (including a pick-six), and five QB hits.
The 26-year-old started each of his seven games in 2020, collecting 57 tackles, one sack, and four tackles for loss. He was placed on injured reserve in late October with an ankle injury, ending his season.
The 49ers seem set at linebacker with Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair, so Gerry will likely have to settle into a backup role on defense. He’ll probably play a bigger role on special teams; he logged 834 special teams snaps for the Eagles over his four years with the team.
Vikings To Sign S Xavier Woods
The Vikings continue to add to their secondary. This time, they’ve added former Cowboys safety Xavier Woods, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It will be a one-year deal worth $2.25MM.
Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the deal includes a $1.25MM base salary, a $500K signing bonus, and $500K in incentives, leading to a $1.75MM cap charge. Tomasson adds that the Vikings tried to get Woods on a minimum deal, but when the veteran rejected the offer, the organization made some moves to clear up money.
The 25-year-old had spent his entire career in Dallas, evolving from a little-known sixth-rounder into a consistent starter on defense. Woods started each of his 44 games for the Cowboys over the past three seasons,averaging more than 46 tackles, five passes defended, and more than one interception per season over that span. He also started a pair of playoff games for Dallas during the 2018 season.
Woods started each of his 15 games this past year, appearing in 89 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. However, the safety didn’t endear himself to Cowboys fans when he admitted that he didn’t play “full speed for 70 plays” following an October loss to the Browns, comments that proved to be the beginning of the end for Woods in Dallas.
The Vikings have been busy adding to their secondary this offseason, especially at cornerback. The team has added both Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander to pair with Mike Hughes and 2020 draftees Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler.
49ers To Sign WR Mohamed Sanu
Mohamed Sanu is heading back to San Francisco. The veteran wide receiver is signing a one-year deal with the 49ers, agent Mike McCartney announced on Twitter.
Sanu played in three games for the 49ers during the 2020 campaign, hauling in a single nine-yard catch. He was released in early October and ultimately caught on with the Lions. After earning a promotion from the practice squad in late November, Sanu proceeded to appear in seven games (four starts) for Detroit, catching 16 passes for 178 yards and one score.
While the veteran will be 32 by the start of the 2021 campaign, he’s still only two years removed from a career year in Atlanta. During that 2018 season, Sanu finished with 66 receptions for 838 yards and four touchdowns. He was traded to the Patriots for a second-rounder during the 2019 season, but did little during his half-season stint in New England.
Following the 49ers blockbuster trade yesterday, it’s uncertain whether a rookie or Jimmy Garoppolo will be under center for the 49ers next season. Regardless, Sanu should provide the team with some nice depth at receiver behind 2020 first-rounder Brandon Aiyuk and 2019 second-rounder Deebo Samuel. Sanu will compete with the likes of Richie James Jr., Jalen Hurd, Jauan Jennings, and veteran Travis Benjamin for playing time.
This Date In Transactions History: Titans Extend GM Jon Robinson
Three years ago, the Titans organization showed their faith in general manager Jon Robinson. Fast forward to today, and ownership must be happy that they committed to the executive.
On March 27, 2018, the team announced that they had signed general manager Robinson to a contract extension that would last through the 2022 season.
At the time of the signing, Robinson’s numbers didn’t necessarily pop off the page. The Titans went 18-14 during his first two years at the helm, and the team collected a lone playoff victory. Context is important, though. Tennessee had compiled only five wins in the two years that preceded Robinson’s hiring, and the executive had done an excellent job of rebuilding the roster and guiding the Titans towards back-to-back winning seasons. Many of his veteran signings may have gone unheralded at the time, but additions like DeMarco Murray, Rishard Matthews, and Logan Ryan (along with draft pick Kevin Byard) were big reasons why the team returned to the playoffs in 2017.
A few months before signing his extension, Robinson may have made his biggest move of all: he hired Mike Vrabel to be his new head coach. While the team missed the playoffs during Vrabel’s first season in Tennessee, they still finished with nine wins. Following a 2019 campaign that saw the Titans make it to the AFC Championship Game, they collected 11 wins in 2020, their most victories since 2008.
While Vrabel’s hiring obviously played a huge role in Tennessee’s organizational turnaround, that success should also be attributed to Robinson. Besides adding a new head coach, the executive has continued to make big moves. He inked cornerback Malcolm Butler during the 2018 offseason, with the defensive back providing 36 starts in three years with the team. The Titans made a trade for Ryan Tannehill in 2019 and watched as the quarterback evolved into a Pro Bowler, and the team saw one of Robinson’s first draft picks, running back Derrick Henry, emerge as one of the top running backs in the NFL.
While the likes of Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, and Jonnu Smith left town this offseason, Robinson decided to reinvest on the defense, adding pass rusher Bud Dupree and cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Will these moves help the Titans take another step forward in 2021? Obviously, time will tell. However, one thing’s certain: assuming the wheels don’t suddenly fall off in Tennessee, their 45-year-old general manager will likely be inking another extension before long.
LB K.J. Wright Interested In Playing For Cowboys
It’s been relatively quiet on the K.J. Wright front, but that could be because the free agent linebacker is eyeing one particular team. The veteran told Mike Fisher of Sports Illustrated that he wants to play for the Cowboys.
“Dallas has certainly always been on my list of ‘dream teams,”’ Wright said. “With coach Dan Quinn there, and with other aspects of that team and that defense, I do think it’s one of the teams I fit in with.”
The connection makes sense. As Wright pointed out, new Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn held the same role in Seattle in 2013 and 2014, with Wright starting 29 games for the Seahawks during that span. Further, Dallas could use some reinforcement at linebacker. Sean Lee has missed 16 games over the past three years, and Leighton Vander Esch was limited to only 10 games in 2020.
Even though Wright will be 32 years old by the start of the 2021 campaign, he’d still provide Dallas with a reliable and consistent option at the position. Wright graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall off-ball linebacker last season; he was the only player to post double-digit totals in tackles for loss (11) and passes defensed (10). He has started 140 of the 144 career games he has played since the Seahawks drafted him in the 2011 fourth round.
Back in February, the veteran linebacker revealed that he wouldn’t be taking a discount to stick around Seattle, but it’s uncertain if that sentiment would apply to the Cowboys.
“I do way too much on the football field to take a discount,” Wright said. “It makes absolutely no sense. If you want to win all these championships and look good on Sundays, you’ve got to compensate your guys that are making plays.”
Giants Re-Sign LB Devante Downs
Devante Downs will be back in New York for the 2021 season. The Giants announced today that they’ve re-signed the linebacker.
The former seventh-round pick played a limited role with the Vikings during his first season-plus in the NFL, and he only saw a handful of special teams snaps after joining the Giants during the 2019 season. However, he took on a significantly larger role in 2020. The 25-year-old ultimately saw time in 16 games (eight starts), compiling 33 tackles. He saw time on 21-percent of New York’s defensive snaps.
Downs was set to hit restricted free agency following the 2020 season, but he was non-tendered by the organization. These contract machinations didn’t end up meaning all that much, as Downs ultimately landed back in New York.
Downs will surely see a special teams role in 2021, and he’ll compete with the likes of Tae Crowder, Reggie Ragland, and T.J. Brunson for the playing time alongside starting linebacker Blake Martinez.
Seahawks To Re-Sign OL Cedric Ogbuehi
Cedric Ogbuehi is heading back to Seattle. The offensive tackle is re-signing with the Seahawks, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (on Twitter).
When Ogbuehi joined the Seahawks last offseason, he was expected to play a backup role for the team. However, an injury to Brandon Shell led to Ogbuehi garnering his first starts since 2017. The 28-year-old ended up seeing time in eight games (four starts) for Seattle, appearing in 26-percent of his team’s offensive snaps.
The 2015 first-round pick out of Texas A&M spent his first four seasons with the Bengals, starting 25 of his 35 games. After having his fifth-year option declined, Ogbuehi only got into two games with Cincy in 2018, and he ended up moving on to the Jaguars for the 2019 campaign.
Quarterback Russell Wilson has been clamoring for reinforcement along the offensive line, and the Seahawks have somewhat been obliging. Bob Condotta of the The Seattle Times reports (via Twitter) that Ogbuehi is now the 12th offensive lineman under contract for next season.
Cowboys To Sign S Jayron Kearse
The Cowboys held auditions for safeties today, and it sounds like at least one of the auditionees will be joining the team. Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) that the team will be signing safety Jayron Kearse to a one-year deal.
Kearse signed a one-year, $2.75MM deal with the Lions last offseason and proceeded to have a career year. He was suspended for the first three games of the 2020 campaign for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, but he ultimately finished the year with a career-high 59 tackles in 11 games (seven starts). He was waived by the Lions late in the season and spent the rest of the season on the Ravens practice squad.
Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee were also among the safeties who were visiting the Cowboys today, and Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets that the Kearse signing doesn’t preclude the team from adding another player at the position. In fact, Gehlken adds that the Cowboys are “engaged in contract negotiations” with Kazee’s camp, but the sides haven’t agreed on a deal.
The Cowboys have been busy revamping their safeties corps. The team is set to add Keanu Neal, adding the veteran to a core that includes 2020 starter Donovan Wilson.
Saints To Sign TE Nick Vannett
It didn’t take long for Nick Vannett to find a new home. The free agent tight end is signing with the Saints, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). Vannett got a three-year deal from New Orleans.
The 28-year-old tight end spent the first three-plus seasons of his career with the Seahawks, including a 2018 campaign where he put up some of the best offensive numbers of his career. That season, Vannett finished with 29 receptions for 269 yards and three touchdowns.
He was traded to the Steelers during the 2019 season, and he signed a two-year deal with the Broncos last offseason. Over the past two years, Vannett has mostly served as a blocking tight end, and he finished this past year with 95 yards from scrimmage and one score. Denver moved on from the veteran yesterday, saving the team $2.68MM against the salary cap with $875K left in dead money.
The Saints tight ends room will look different in 2021. The team released Jared Cook earlier this month, and they saw Josh Hill join his former positions coach (and current Lions head coach), Dan Campbell. 2020 third-rounder Adam Trautman is currently atop the team’s depth chart.
Latest On FA OL Isaiah Wilson
Things aren’t looking up for Isaiah Wilson. We learned today that the embattled lineman was arrested back in January following “a high-speed car chase” in Georgia (via ESPN’s Turron Davenport).
According to the police report, an officer witnessed a car driving at speeds of 123 mph, leading to a pursuit. The chase was eventually called off when speeds exceeded 140 mph. The car ultimately crashed, and after observing Wilson emerge from the car’s sunroof, an ICE officer placed the player under arrest. A female was also in the vehicle and was arrested after police found a metal grinder filled with marijuana.
Per Davenport, Wilson was charged with “felony fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, speeding in a construction zone, reckless driving, reckless conduct, possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana, and possession and use of drug-related objects.”
The 29th overall pick of last year’s draft, Wilson was traded from the Titans to Miami earlier this month. It didn’t take him long to fall out of favor with his new team, as he allegedly “refused team efforts to help him to get his life on track.” The Dolphins decided to cut bait with the lineman this past weekend, and the 22-year0old passed through waivers unclaimed. According to Davenport, the Dolphins were aware of Wilson’s arrest prior to making the trade.
The offensive lineman from Georgia appeared in just one game as a rookie, playing only three offensive snaps, and was also suspended at one point for a violation of team rules. Considering his age and draft pedigree, Wilson will probably get a final chance from another organization, but continued off-the-field issues won’t help his case.