Raiders Trade OL Gabe Jackson To Seahawks
Gabe Jackson‘s stint with the Raiders has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders are trading the offensive lineman to the Seahawks for a 2021 draft pick. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the Raiders will receive a fifth-round pick.
It seemed inevitable that Jackson was on his way out of Vegas; we’ve heard for several months that the team was planning to cut the offensive guard. However, we learned earlier today that the Raiders were still shopping the veteran, and it sounded like the organization had a handful of potential trade partners.
Jackson has two years left on the five-year, $56MM extension he signed with the Raiders in 2017. A third-round pick in 2014, Jackson has spent all seven of his pro seasons with the Raiders. He’s been a full-time starter since his rookie year, and has only missed more than three games once, in 2019 when he missed five.
Jackson has always been a solid but not spectacular starter, but Jon Gruden felt he could no longer justify the double digit million AAV of his contract. They shopped him around this time last year, but nothing got done and he started all 16 games for Gruden in 2020.
The Raiders offensive line has already seen a bit of turnover this offseason. The team ended up trading center Rodney Hudson earlier this week, a move that reportedly “freaked out” Raiders target Kyle Long (who ended up signing with the Chiefs).
The Seahawks had been in the market for some offensive line help this offseason, although they struck out on a pair of targets in Kevin Zeitler and Joe Thuney. This trade leaves Seattle with only three picks in this year’s draft.
Texans Sign CB Tavierre Thomas
Tavierre Thomas is off to Houston. The Texans have signed the cornerback/special teamer to a two-year deal, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). The deal is worth $4MM, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
The 25-year-old had spent the majority of his three-year career with the Browns. After serving in mostly a special teams role in 2018 and 2019, Thomas took on more of a defensive role in 2020. The defensive back ultimately appeared in 19 percent of Cleveland’s defensive snaps this past season, finishing with a career-high 30 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
The Texans have been busy adding to their secondary this week. The team signed Terrance Mitchell to a two-year deal, and they also added cornerback Tremon Smith and safety Terrence Brooks. The team has also added a handful of notable special teamers, including Andre Roberts.
Washington To Sign WR Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel has found his new home. The free agent wideout and former Panther is signing with Washington, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report (via Twitter). Samuel received a three-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), and Joseph Person of The Athletic tweets that Samuel can earn up to $35.25MM, with $24.5MM guaranteed.
Washington has been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Samuel throughout the offseason. After all, WFT head coach and former Panthers HC Ron Rivera has shown a propensity for recruiting players from his old team, and Rapoport notes that Rivera actually tried to trade for Samuel last season (Twitter link). Washington struggled to find a second receiver to pair with top wideout Terry McLaurin in 2020, but now, the offense will feature two of the most dynamic receivers in the NFL, both of whom were members of Ohio State’s 2014 recruiting class.
Samuel, a 2017 second-round pick, has progressively improved his numbers during each of his four NFL seasons. That culminated in a 2020 campaign where he finished with a career-high 1,051 yards from scrimmage to go along with five touchdowns. Samuel also garnered a career-high 41 rushing attempts, showcasing his ability to serve as a Swiss Army Knife-type weapon.
WFT is still on the lookout for a long-term answer at quarterback — the agelessness of new signee Ryan Fitzpatrick notwithstanding — but the club is quietly assembling a strong foundation of skill-position talent. McLaurin, Samuel, and recent draftees Kelvin Harmon and Antonio Gandy-Golden give Washington an intriguing young WR group, while 2020 third-round running back Antonio Gibson demonstrated plenty of promise in his rookie campaign.
The Panthers, meanwhile, have spent the early days of free agency fortifying their offensive and defensive fronts. Carolina remains in hot pursuit of Deshaun Watson, and even with Samuel no longer in the mix, the team still has a fair amount of skill position talent with the likes of Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Robby Anderson.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Bengals To Re-Sign RB Samaje Perine
Samaje Perine is returning to Cincinnati. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the running back is signing a two-year deal with the Bengals.
Perine showed promise as a rookie with Washington in 2017, finishing with 785 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. However, he was limited to only five games in 2018, and he was waived prior to the start of the 2019 season. Perine later had a brief stint with the Bengals, and he ended that season of the Dolphins roster.
Perine ended up rejoining the Bengals last offseason, and he had a bounce-back season in Cincy. With the Bengals dealing with injuries to Joe Mixon, Perine ended up seeing time in all 16 games, including one start. He finished the season having compiled 367 yards from scrimmage and a career-high three touchdowns.
Eagles Release DT Malik Jackson
Malik Jackson‘s stint with the Eagles has officially come to an end. The team announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve released the defensive tackle.
This move doesn’t come as a huge surprise; we learned back in January that the veteran was likely on his way out of Philly. The front office had adjusted Jackson’s contract to accommodate the impending transaction, a move that also saved the organization a chunk of cash.
The Eagles signed Jackson to a three-year, $30MM pact in March of 2019, and it was immediately derailed when he suffered a foot injury in the first game of that season that knocked him out for the entire year. He returned to play in 15 games this year, but only played around half the defensive snaps and not at a high enough level to warrant his hefty salary.
The 2012 fifth-round pick of the Broncos had a few really good years with the Jaguars and is still only 30, so there will be interest. While he’s far removed from his 2017 Pro Bowl campaign, the veteran still seems like he’s good for around three sacks per season.
Bills To Re-Sign CB Levi Wallace
Levi Wallace is sticking around Buffalo after all. The Bills announced that they’ve agreed to terms with the cornerback on a one-year deal.
It was a bit of a surprise when the Bills non-tendered the 25-year-old earlier this week. After all, Wallace had started 28 games for Buffalo over the past two seasons, including a 2020 campaign where he finished with 48 tackles, eight passes defended, and two interceptions. Wallace also started each of Buffalo’s three playoff games, collecting 12 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Despite being non-tendered, Wallace wanted to stay in Buffalo. The young corner did not consider any outside interest, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).
In total, Wallace has started each of his 35 career games, compiling 161 tackles, 20 passes defended, and four interceptions.
While the Bills have been busy adding players on the offensive side of the ball, they’ve mostly focused on retaining their defensive free agents. Specifically, the team re-signed linebacker Matt Milano to a four-year deal earlier this week.
Chiefs Were Close To Signing OL Trent Williams
Trent Williams was *this* close to signing with Kansas City before he signed his massive deal with the 49ers. Matt Barrows of the Athletic tweets that the Chiefs “were the runners up in the Trent Williams negotiations,” noting that the veteran was very close to signing with the defending AFC champions.
This is a fine consolation for the Chiefs front office considering the giant contract that Williams ultimately got from San Francisco. The eight-time Pro Bowler inked a six-year, $138.06MM deal with the 49ers, including $55.1MM guaranteed and a $30.1MM signing bonus. The contract made Williams the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league.
The 32-year-old blocker graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 overall offensive tackle in 2020 despite sitting out the entire 2019 campaign. The 32-year-old was widely regarded as the best available free agent in this year’s class, regardless of position.
The Chiefs are committed to revamping Patrick Mahomes‘ offensive line this offseason. While they may have struck out with Williams, they’ve managed to still add some reinforcement. The team inked Joe Thuney to a five-year deal, and we learned earlier today that the team had signed Kyle Long out of retirement.
Chiefs To Sign OL Kyle Long
Kyle Long‘s comeback tour will see him joining the defending AFC champs. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the veteran offensive lineman is signing with the Chiefs. Long is signing a one-year deal worth up to $5MM.
The 2013 first-round pick had spent his entire seven-year career with the Bears, earning three Pro Bowl appearances and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2014. However, the offensive guard dealt with a long list of injuries between 2016 and 2019, averaging only 7.5 games per season over that four-year span. After being limited to only four games in 2019, Long announced his retirement last offseason. The Bears subsequently declined his option.
We learned earlier this month that the 32-year-old was eyeing a return to the NFL. If he can stay healthy, Long has a good chance of contributing with his new squad. The Chiefs have made revamping Patrick Mahomes‘ offensive line a priority this offseason, and they proved that by giving Joe Thuney a hulking five-year contract. The team was also mentioned as a potential suitor for Trent Williams before he re-signed with the 49ers.
The Raiders were also a suitor for Long’s services, a logical landing spot considering the player’s father, Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long, played his entire 13-year career with the Raiders. However, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets that Long’s visit with the organization didn’t necessarily go as planned. Some sources told the reporter that Long’s workout “didn’t go that well,” while others told Tafur that the free agent was “freaked out” by the organization’s decision to dump center Rodney Hudson.
Raiders To Sign DL Solomon Thomas
Solomon Thomas is heading south. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the free agent defensive lineman is signing with the Raiders. It will be a one-year deal worth up to $5MM.
The 2017 third-overall pick out of Stanford never lived up to his draft billing during his four years with the 49ers. He started 25 games through his first two seasons in the NFL, collecting 13 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, and four sacks. However, he settled into more of a backup role in 2019, finishing the year with two sacks in 16 games (three starts). Thomas also appeared in each of the 49ers three playoff games that season, compiling four tackles and one sack.
The 49ers declined Thomas’s fifth-year option last offseason, paving the way for a potential contract-year breakout in 2020. Thomas started each of San Francisco’s first two games, but he was limited to only a pair of tackles. He tore his ACL during the 49ers’ Week 2 win over the Jets, ending his season early.
The Raiders have been busy adding to their defense this week, agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with linebacker Yannick Ngakoue, re-signing defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and re-signing linebacker Nicholas Morrow. We learned earlier today that the team was also set to host free agent defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson.
Chiefs Place Second-Round Tender On CB Charvarius Ward
Charvarius Ward will hit restricted free agency. Earlier today, the Chiefs slapped a second-round tender on the young cornerback. The second-round tender is worth around $3.4MM in 2021.
Ward joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee in 2018. After seeing time in 13 games as a rookie, Ward ended up starting 16 games in 2019 for the eventual Super Bowl champs. Ward finished that season with 74 tackles, 10 passes defended, and two interceptions, and he added another nine tackles in three postseason games.
The 24-year-old started 13 of his 14 games in 2020, finishing the year with 51 tackles, one sack, and six passes defended. He also started each of Kansas City’s three playoff games, collecting 18 tackles.
Ward would certainly be an intriguing target for other front offices, although he may have some competition in restricted free agency. Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson, who finished 2020 with nine interceptions, was also slapped with a second-round tender.