Texans To Sign LB Jordan Jenkins
Jordan Jenkins is leaving the Jets. The free agent pass rusher is signing with the Texans, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a two-year, $6MM deal for Jenkins, and the veteran has the potential to earn up to $8MM.
The 2016 third-round pick had spent his entire five-year career with the Jets, missing only eight of the team’s games over that span. The veteran has compiled 22.5 sacks throughout his career, including 15 sacks between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
He took a bit of a step back in 2020. Jenkins started all 12 of his appearances, but he finished with career-lows in tackles (32) and sacks (2). He also compiled six QB hits. The 26-year-old’s season ended on the injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
As Field Yates notes on Twitter, the Jets roster has seen a complete makeover under GM Joe Douglas. Safety Marcus Maye, the team’s second-round pick in 2017, is now New York’s longest-tenured player.
DE Melvin Ingram To Visit Chiefs
Melvin Ingram has his first reported visit. The veteran pass-rusher is set to visit the Chiefs, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
The 18th-overall pick of the 2012 draft had spent his entire career with the Chargers, earning three-straight Pro Bowl nods between 2017 and 2019. Ingram collected at least seven sacks per season between 2015 and 2019, and his 49 career sacks ranks fourth on the team’s all-time leader board.
However, after missing three regular season games in 2019, Ingram missed nine games in 2020 thanks to a nagging knee injury. He started the seven games he did appear in, but he didn’t show his normal burst, finishing with only 10 tackles and zero sacks. He ultimately appeared in only 35 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, his lowest percentage since an injury-riddled 2013 campaign.
The Chiefs make sense as a landing spot for the 31-year-old. The team’s currently eyeing a depleted depth chart with defensive ends Alex Okafor and Tanoh Kpassagnon sitting on the open market
Dolphins Cut OL Isaiah Wilson
Isaiah Wilson‘s stint with the Dolphins has ended before it really began. Miami has cut the embattled offensive lineman, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
According to Beasley, the Dolphins tried to help the struggling offensive lineman following his trade to the organization. However, the player “refused team efforts to help him to get his life on track.” Wilson reportedly showed up late for his physical, was late for his orientation with the organization, and skipped a pair of workouts that he had committed to. Beasley adds that the player also recently posted videos to social media that showed him “inhaling a vape and dancing shirtless on a car.” The Dolphins decision to cut the lineman came before those videos were posted.
The 2020 first-round pick played just four snaps as a rookie, running into multifront trouble last year. He was issued a trespass warning for attending a party at Tennessee State University last summer. That preceded a September DUI arrest. The Titans suspended Wilson in December and ended his season by placing him on the reserve/NFI list days later. Wilson voiced a desire to leave the Titans, in a since-deleted tweet, earlier this year.
That led to Wilson’s trade to Miami earlier this month. The Dolphins didn’t give up a whole lot for the lineman’s services; the team sent a 2021 seventh-round pick to the Titans in exchange for Wilson and a 2022 seventh-rounder.
Now, the lineman will hit waivers, but considering both the Titans’ and Dolphins’ willingness to bail on the highly-touted prospect, there’s a good chance he’ll hit free agency.
Draft Pick Updates: Vikings, Saints, Raiders, Patriots
The Vikings are down a draft pick. Per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (on Twitter), the Vikings have forfeited a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft (No. 242).
“A mistake was made, we take responsibility and we respect the league’s decision and will move forward,” general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement.
Per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com, the punishment is regarding an infraction from 2019. There was some kind of violation of a practice squad player’s contract, but it’s uncertain who the player was or what the violation was.
Three Vikings executives were also fined $10K each, per Smith.
Some more draft notes from around the NFL:
- Neither the Saints nor Raiders will lose a draft due to violations of the COVID-19 policies, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. “They are not forfeiting them,” McCarthy said. “Neither team will lose those picks.” According to the reporter, there were rumblings that New Orleans would lose a seventh-round pick following a “mask-less locker room celebration,” and the Raiders were expected to lose a sixth-rounder due to multiple violations. While the NFL didn’t provide any context on their decision, Florio assumes both organizations appealed their penalties and were successful.
- When the NFL announced the compensatory picks for the 2021 draft, the Patriots did not have a fifth-round pick. However, a source confirmed to PFT that New England had indeed received a fifth-rounder in the upcoming draft. According to Smith, the NFL “realized a mistake in its calculation of the complex formula for determining compensatory picks,” leading to the extra Patriots selection.
- Thanks to the aforementioned compensatory-pick audit by the NFL, the Falcons are also moving two slots in the fifth round, according to Smith. Further, while the NFL only allows the addition of 32 compensatory picks each year, they’ve made an exception this time around. Thanks to the additional Patriots draft pick, the Bears normally wouldn’t have received that final compensatory pick; the NFL and NFL Players Association allowed Chicago to ultimately keep that selection.
Patriots, C David Andrews Finalizing Deal
David Andrews is returning to New England after all. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports (via Twitter) that the free agent center is finalizing a deal with the Patriots. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that it’s a four-year deal for the offensive lineman.
While the team captain is beloved in the locker room, it was uncertain if Andrews would end up returning to New England in 2021. We learned Tuesday night that Andrews’ camp was pivoting to other suitors’ offers after negotiating with the Patriots for much of the day. The veteran had made it clear that he wished to return to New England, and it sounded like Bill Belichick was willing to let Andrews test his market before re-signing. At one point, the Patriots didn’t expect to bring Andrews back, per Doug Kyed of NESN (on Twitter), explaining why the team added Ted Karras.
Andrews had at least one suitor outside of New England. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins were in on Andrews’ services, even after the team inked Matt Skura to a deal.
Andrews joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2015, and he started 57 of his 60 appearances through his first four seasons in the NFL. He ended up missing the entire 2019 campaign after getting diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, but he managed to return in time for the 2020 season. He missed a handful of games with a thumb injury, ultimately appearing in 72-percent of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in 12 games.
There’s going to be a bit of change on the Patriots offensive line next season, as the team traded for offensive tackle Trent Brown before watching starting lineman Joe Thuney sign with the Chiefs. Andrews will certainly be relied on to provide veteran leadership and guidance to the offensive line in 2021.
Texans To Sign WRs Donte Moncrief, Alex Erickson
Donte Moncrief is joining the Texans. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the free agent wideout is signing a one-year deal with Houston.
Moncrief spent the first four seasons of his career with the Colts, including a 2015 campaign where he hauled in a career-high 733 yards. Since leaving for the Jaguars in 2018, the veteran has spent time with five different organizations.
He joined the Jets right before the start of the 2020 season, but he was released in October without having appeared in a game with the team. He ended up getting picked up by the Patriots, and he proceeded to appear in six games for New England, compiling 19 yards from scrimmage.
While there’s uncertainty surrounding who will be under center for the Texans, the team could have a similar grouping of receivers in 2021. Other than Will Fuller, the Texans are likely to return Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb and Keke Coutee.
Moncrief isn’t the only wideout who’s joining the Texans on a one-year deal. Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston reports (via Twitter) that the team is also signing Alex Erickson. The 28-year-old had spent his entire career with the Bengals, including a 2020 campaign where he had 12 receptions for 139 yards. Erickson also has extensive experience as a return man, having returned 135 punts and 108 kickoffs.
Jaguars OL Cam Robinson Signs Franchise Tender
Cam Robinson is locked in on a one-year deal. The Jaguars offensive tackle has accepted his franchise tag, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The 2021 franchise value for offensive linemen is $13.754MM.
It was a bit of a surprise when the Jaguars slapped Robinson with the franchise tag earlier this month. The organization was expected to let the lineman test the open waters, but they changed course and decided to retain him at the top-five average for his position.
The 2017 second-round pick has spent his entire career with the Jaguars, starting each of his 37 games. He started 16 games for the first time in his career in 2020, appearing in a career-high 94 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. However, Pro Football Focus assigned him an overall grade of 61.7, which placed him in a tie for 59th in the NFL.
Considering the fact that Robinson is only 25, there’s a good chance that the Jaguars franchised the lineman based on potential, not production. Plus, the team may simply be looking for some continuity on the offensive line as they welcome in presumed number-one pick Trevor Lawrence under center.
Jets To Sign DB Lamarcus Joyner
Lamarcus Joyner is heading to New York. The veteran safety is signing with the Jets, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The reporter adds that it’s a one-year deal worth $4.5MM.
The Jets have been searching for some reinforcement at safety over the past week. Outside of Marcus Maye and Ashtyn Davis, the Jets had no depth at the position, so Joyner will certainly contribute with his new team. As Rapoport notes, Joyner seemingly made it a priority to find a team that would let him play safety. The veteran spent the 2020 campaign playing nickel with the Raiders.
Joyner ultimately spent two seasons with the Raider, starting 16 of his 28 games. He finished the 2020 season 66 tackles and five passes defended in 14 games (six starts). He appeared in 62 percent of his team’s defensive snaps last season.
The 2014 second-round pick spent the first five seasons of his career with the Rams organization, hauling in four interceptions in 27 starts between the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Giants To Sign LB Reggie Ragland
Reggie Ragland will be entering his fifth NFL season in 2021, and he’ll be in uniform for his fourth NFL team. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the free agent linebacker is signing with the Giants. It’s a one-year deal for the 27-year-old.
The 2016 second-round pick out of Alabama missed his entire rookie campaign due to a torn ACL, and he found himself buried on the Bills depth chart during the 2017 preseason. He was ultimately traded to the Chiefs for a fourth-round pick, and the linebacker proceeded to start 10 games for his new team. Ragland started 22 more games for Kansas City in 2018 and 2019, and he earned a ring after appearing in three playoff games (one start) with the Chiefs during his final season with the organization.
He signed with the Lions last offseason and saw inconsistent playing time throughout the 2020 campaign. He ended up starting six of his 16 games, collecting 52 tackles, four tackles for loss, and three QB hits. However, he only finished with a single sack in 562 defensive snaps.
The Giants’ interest in free agent linebackers isn’t anything new. We learned earlier today that the team was set to host free agent linebacker Brandon Copeland.
Bears Give DL Akiem Hicks Permission To Seek Trade
After releasing Kyle Fuller earlier tonight, the Bears are now looking to move on from another veteran defender. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes that the Bears have given defensive lineman Akiem Hicks permission to seek a trade.
Hicks is entering the final year of a four-year, $48MM extension he signed with Chicago in 2017. The 31-year-old is set to earn $10.MM in 2021, and Biggs writes that the defensive lineman would want a “substantial raise” if he’s to be traded. Biggs also notes that the requested extension is “unlikely” to materialize.
Hicks spent the first three-plus seasons of his career with the Saints before getting traded to the Patriots in 2015. He joined the Bears on a two-year deal the following offseason, and he quickly established himself as a starter on Chicago’s defensive line. Hicks compiled 23 sacks for the Bears between the 2016 and 2018 seasons, earning a Pro Bowl nod during that latter campaign.
The veteran was limited to only five games in 2019 after suffering an elbow injury, but he managed to start all 15 of his appearances in 2020. He ultimately finished the campaign having collected 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 21 QB hits.
Following the signings of quarterback Andy Dalton and offensive lineman Germain Ifedi (and Allen Robinson‘s decision to opt for the franchise tender), the Bears have been looking for ways to carve out cap space. The team moved on from former All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller earlier today.