Patriots Sign Shea McClellin
FRIDAY, 7:35pm: McClellin’s three-year contract is worth $12MM, including $3.5MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets.
4:03pm: The Patriots have officially signed McClellin, the team announced in a press release.
WEDNESDAY, 9:08pm: After agreeing to acquire tight end Martellus Bennett from the Bears on Wednesday, the Patriots will add another ex-Chicago player. The Pats have reached an agreement on a three-year accord with free agent linebacker Shea McClellin, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (Twitter links). Financial details are not yet available.
In landing McClellin, the Pats have kept him from the AFC East rival Jets, who visited with the 26-year-old last week. McClellin 
was the Bears’ first-round pick in 2012, but he never lived up to his draft status, totaling just 161 tackles and 7.5 sacks in four years. As a result of his disappointing play, the Bears declined his fifth-year option for 2016 last offseason. McClellin responded by notching a career-best 81 tackles in 12 games. Eleven of those 12 appearances were starts, giving him 31 overall. Pro Football Focus wasn’t impressed with McClellin’s output last season, though, grading him 88th among 97 qualifying linebackers.
With the Patriots, he’ll join a linebacking corps that features two stars – Jamie Collins and Dont’a Hightower – as well as Jonathan Freeny. The Patriots liked McClellin prior to the 2012 draft, notes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (on Twitter), and he has shown versatility by taking snaps along the defensive line and as both an inside and outside linebacker during his career.
The addition of McClellin is the latest move in a week of seemingly nonstop transactions by the Pats. The club has added (unofficially in some cases) receiver Chris Hogan, guard Jonathan Cooper, defensive end Chris Long, Bennett and McClellin since March 11.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ravens’ Tray Walker Dies
Ravens cornerback Tray Walker has died as a result of serious injuries sustained in a Thursday night motorcycle accident, according to his agent, Ron Butler (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun). Walker was 23 years old.
According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, Walker was headed westbound on Northwest 75th 
Street on a dirt bike when he collided with a Ford Escape heading southbound on Northwest 21st Avenue. Police said Walker’s bike didn’t have lights and that he was wearing dark clothing.
Walker was in critical condition as of Thursday night at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital. He was reportedly in surgery all night and spent Friday “fighting for his life” after suffering serious head injuries, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Walker, a former Texas Southern standout, was a fourth-round pick last spring. He played sparingly for the Ravens during his rookie season, seeing some time on special teams but appearing in just eight defensive snaps. As Luke Jones of WNST.net tweets, Walker had dedicated his rookie year to his father, who passed away in November of 2014.
”He loved his college, his teammates, coaches. He was big in terms of giving back,” Butler said (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh echoed Butler’s statement.
“Tray was a young man with a good and kind heart,” said Harbaugh. “He was humble and loved everything about being part of the Ravens’ team.”
Added quarterback Joe Flacco, “Tray was a young man who was full of energy and promise. This is very hard to wrap my head around, and I am devastated” (link via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley).
The Ravens organization and many of its players took to Twitter after the news of Walker’s passing to express their sadness.
“We are grieving the loss of a special young man. #RIPTrayWalker,” the club tweeted.
“I just heard the news.. I can’t believe it. I was just with him two weeks ago. That was like my little bro. RIP Tray Walker,” said receiver Marlon Brown.
“Hate we lost our brother and teammate! #ripTray #25,” added linebacker C.J. Mosley.
PFR sends its condolences and best wishes to Walker’s family and friends.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/16
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL…
- The Dolphins announced on Twitter that they’ve signed receiver Griff Whalen, who spent the first three years of his career in Indianapolis. Whalen totaled 19 receptions, 205 yards and a touchdown in 14 games last season. His best output came in 2013, when he amassed career highs in catches (24), targets (40), yards (259) and scores (two) in just nine games.
- The Colts have signed running back Jordan Todman, they announced via press release. The Colts are the fifth organization for Todman, a sixth-round pick in 2011 who was most recently with the Steelers. After combining for 147 touches (108 rushes, 39 receptions) from 2013-14, he totaled a mere four last season.
- The Chiefs tweeted the signing of linebacker Tautvydas Kieras, a native of Lithuania who attended Mississippi State. Kieras didn’t play college football there, however, instead starring in track and field. He set the school record in the discus.
- The Vikings have signed tight end Brian Leonhardt to a one-year, $600K deal, per ESPN’s Ben Goessling (on Twitter). Leonhardt has appeared in seven career games with the Raiders and 49ers since entering the NFL in 2014. He has seven catches and a touchdown to his name.
Patriots Acquire Martellus Bennett From Bears
THURSDAY, 11:08am: The Patriots (press release) and Bears (press release) have both officially announced the trade, confirming the terms as reported below.
WEDNESDAY, 6:16pm: A day after sending defensive end Chandler Jones to Arizona, the Patriots have agreed to another trade. This time, New England will receive tight end Martellus Bennett from the Bears in exchange for draft-pick compensation, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
The Patriots will give up a fourth-round selection and get a sixth-rounder back, according to Tom Curran of CSNNE (Twitter link). Specifically, the Bears will receive the 127th choice this year in exchange for No. 204, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
In acquiring Bennett, the Patriots will add another major threat at the tight end position to accompany superstar Rob Gronkowski. Bennett, 29, has been a prolific pass catcher throughout his eight-year career, having hauled in 348 receptions and 23 touchdowns. The 6-foot-6, 273-pounder, like the 6-6, 265-pound Gronkowski, possesses great size. Bennett also has a positive track record of production, having eclipsed the 50-catch mark in four straight seasons. He added personal highs in receptions (90), yardage (916) and touchdowns (six) in 2014 en route to his only Pro Bowl trip.
Bennett’s numbers declined last season to 53 grabs, a paltry 8.3 yards-per-catch average and three TDs in 11 games. But he’ll nonetheless serve as an upgrade over the Pats’ previous second tight end, Scott Chandler, and give them their most talented TE duo since the Gronkowski-Aaron Hernandez tandem. Chandler, whom New England released earlier this winter, was due to count upward of $3MM on its cap in 2016 after a 23-catch season. Bennett carries a cap charge of over $5MM next season, the last year of his contract. The Pats are also responsible for his $100K workout bonus.
Trading Bennett will leave Chicago with $1.125MM in dead money, but the fact that the team is moving on from him comes as no surprise. As of earlier this month, the Bears were said to be working on dealing Bennett. Further, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), they had been trying to trade Bennett for 18 months. In the wake of his Pro Bowl season, Bennett skipped the Bears’ voluntary OTAs last spring in hopes of landing a raise and an extension. That didn’t work, however, and the emergence of Zach Miller in the Bears’ offense last season made Bennett even more expendable to Chicago. The Bears re-signed Miller to a two-year, $6MM deal earlier this week, further sealing Bennett’s fate in the Windy City.
Meanwhile, after a quiet start to the offseason, the Patriots have had an action-packed week. Prior to acquiring Bennett, they signed receiver Chris Hogan, landed a second-round pick and guard Jonathan Cooper in the Jones trade, and came to terms with defensive end Chris Long on a low-cost deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Chancellor, Cardinals, Draft, Jets
Four-time Pro Bowl Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor hasn’t been shy about voicing his disenchantment with his current contract, going so far as to sit out all of last summer and then the first two games of the season in an effort to land a better one. Though that gambit backfired, he’s in no hurry to leave Seattle. Chancellor took to Instagram on Wednesday and posted a picture with the message: “I’m not going anywhere.” The 27-year-old also wrote, “Seattle is my Second home. I don’t plan on going anywhere unless some higher power places me elsewhere.” Chancellor has two years remaining on his deal.
More from around the NFL as we wrap up Wednesday…
- The right side of the Cardinals’ offensive line will consist of newly signed Evan Mathis (guard) and D.J. Humphries (tackle), while A.Q. Shipley is the current starter at center, according to general manager Steve Keim (Twitter link via Darren Urban of the team’s website).
- On the other side of the ball, newly acquired pass rusher Chandler Jones will shift from defensive end – where he played in New England – to outside linebacker for the Cardinals, per Keim. The deal to land Jones took about three days to execute, the GM added (Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe). It’s worth mentioning that defensive ends cost more to franchise tag than linebackers ($15.701MM to $14.129MM this year), which could impact Jones – who will be a free agent next offseason.
- Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple has lined up visits with more than 16 teams, including the Rams, Buccaneers, Dolphins and Jaguars, per Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter).
- Baylor defensive tackle Andrew Billings has met with the Buccaneers, Steelers, 49ers and Lions, he told James Palmer of NFL Network (Twitter link).
- Receiver/returner Jordan Norwood will join linebacker Courtney Upshaw in visiting the Jets on Thursday, reports Mike Klis of 9News (Twitter link). Norwood, 29, has played sporadically with three different teams since entering the league in 2009. He spent last season with the champion Broncos, amassing 22 receptions and 11 returns, and set the record for the longest Super Bowl punt return (61 yards).
FA Rumors: Upshaw, Cowboys, Hall, Dansby, Mays
Free agent linebacker Courtney Upshaw will meet with the Jets on Thursday, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Upshaw has made 64 straight regular-season appearances (51 starts) since Baltimore took him in the second round of the 2012 draft. The 26-year-old recorded 51 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles last season. In terms of overall performance, Pro Football Focus ranked Upshaw 84th out of 110 qualifying edge defenders for his work during the 2015-16 campaign. He was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.
The latest on some other unsigned players around the NFL:
- Linebacker Karlos Dansby, whom the Browns released Wednesday, would like to join the Cardinals, Bengals or Packers, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Yeah, I think the Bengals are licking their chops right now,” he said. “I hope they are. We’ll see what it is.” Notably, Dansby started his career in Arizona as a second-round pick in 2004 and piled up 25.5 sacks before leaving at the close of the 2009 season.
- The Cowboys aren’t working toward a deal with Wednesday visitor Leon Hall, per Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link). The veteran cornerback has thus far spent his entire career with the Bengals since they chose him in the first round of the 2007 draft. Hall started in four of 14 appearances last season, picked off two passes, and graded as Pro Football Focus’ 33rd-best corner (111 qualifiers). Like Upshaw, Hall also earned an honorable mention from PFR before free agency.
- Even though Hall to the Cowboys doesn’t exactly appear imminent, they are working on a deal with restricted free agent Benson Mayowa, tweets Rand Getlin of NFL.com. The Raiders gave Mayowa, a defensive end, an original-round tender. As a former undrafted free agent, that means they won’t get any compensation for him if they decide against matching a hypothetical offer. Mayowa, 25 in August, has accrued 30 appearances (three starts) and two sacks during his three-year career.
- The Bengals “have made good progress” on a contract with Taylor Mays, writes Geoff Hobson of their official website. Mays is scheduled to miss the first four games of next season because of a suspension. Nevertheless, Cincinnati wants him back as a nickel linebacker to replace Emmanuel Lamur – who signed with the Vikings – Hobson notes. Mays spent 2011-14 with the Bengals before joining the Raiders last season.
- Linebacker O’Brien Schofield took to social media Wednesday to discuss his future. “By no means have I counted the Falcons out but I’m waiting for the right opportunity for my family and I. It’s a business so I’m patient,” Schofield tweeted. The 28-year-old signed with Atlanta last offseason and then made 30 tackles and two sacks in 16 appearances (11 starts). Schofield said last week that he and the Falcons “aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on a contract.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/16
Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
- The Falcons announced the signings of linebacker LaRoy Reynolds and offensive tackle Tom Compton (link via their website). Reynolds has spent time with the Jags and Bears since entering the league in 2013, totaling 43 appearances and four starts. Compton, Washington’s sixth-round pick in 2012, has 44 appearances and 11 starts under his belt. He amassed career highs in both categories (16 and nine, respectively) in 2014.
- The Raiders have signed safety Brynden Trawick, according to their website. Trawick appeared in 38 games with Baltimore from 2013-15 and made one start.
- The Bears have signed long snapper Aaron Brewer to a one-year deal, per their Twitter account. Brewer was the Broncos’ long snapper from 2012-15.
- Seahawks linebacker Eric Pinkins signed his exclusive rights tender, according to Dov Kleiman of RantSports (Twitter link). Pinkins, a sixth-rounder in 2014, logged his first six appearances last season.
- While the Seahawks will keep Pinkins, the same isn’t true for long snapper Clint Gresham. The club has released him, Kleiman tweets. Gresham had been Seattle’s snapper since 2010.
- Browns safety Don Jones signed his restricted free agent tender, per Kleiman (on Twitter). Jones joined the Browns last season after spending time with three other organizations since Miami took him in the seventh round of the 2013 draft.
Dolphins Sign Andre Branch To One-Year Deal
6:51pm: The Dolphins have announced the signing, ESPN’s James Walker tweets. Branch will get a fully guaranteed $3MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
6:09pm: The Dolphins have agreed to a one-year deal with defensive end Andre Branch, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Financial details aren’t yet available.
Branch, a second-round pick in 2012, spent the first four years of his career in Jacksonville, where he amassed 14 sacks in 51 
appearances (13 starts). He logged a career-best 10 starts in 13 appearances last season, totaling 24 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles. Overall, Branch graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 76th-best edge defender (110 qualifiers).
The 26-year-old Branch will now head to a Miami team that has undergone notable changes at defensive end in recent weeks. Olivier Vernon left to sign a mega-deal with the Giants, while Derrick Shelby departed for the Falcons. Ex-Bill Mario Williams signed with the Dolphins to help replace the departed pair, and Branch will join him and Cameron Wake as the club’s primary edge rushers next season.
Prior to agreeing to a deal with the Dolphins, Branch drew interest from Washington.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bengals Re-Sign Adam Jones To Three-Year Deal
MARCH 15, 8:09am: Nearly a week after it was agreed upon, the deal between Jones and the Bengals has been signed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that the two sides had to finalize certain language and payout dates. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweeted last week that Jones’ three-year deal is worth $24MM, including $16MM paid out in the first two years.
MARCH 9, 7:11pm: Jones’ deal is worth upward of $20MM, per Jim Owczarski of the Enquirer (Twitter link).
MARCH 9, 5:56pm: The Bengals will keep cornerback Adam Jones in the fold, according to FOX Sports’ Mike Garafolo, who tweets that the two sides have agreed to a three-year contract. Financial details are not yet available.
Jones, 32, generated plenty of interest entering free agency, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio identifying the Ravens, Browns, Dolphins, Raiders, Cowboys and Vikings as potential suitors for the 32-year-old. However, he will remain a Bengal 
instead of joining the likes of Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Reggie Nelson on the way out of Cincinnati. Sanu and Nelson have not yet reached agreements with other teams, but don’t appear likely to return to Cincinnati.
Since joining the Bengals in 2010, Jones has appeared in 75 regular-season games and recorded 43 starts. He started all 14 games he suited up for in 2015-16 and amassed three interceptions, giving him 14 in nine seasons. His overall performance earned him the No. 15 position among 111 qualifying corners at Pro Football Focus. He also finished with the fifth-best quarterback rating against, per PFF (Twitter link), and made his first Pro Bowl.
As successful as Jones’ regular season was, a crucial playoff mistake somewhat overshadowed it, as the 15-yard penalty he took when he bumped into an official while jawing with Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter helped set up a chip-shot field goal for Pittsburgh. Chris Boswell converted the 35-yard kick to seal an 18-16 win and knock Cincy from the wild-card round for the fifth straight year.
The Bengals have clearly forgiven Jones, though, and will now retain a quality defender and return man on a day otherwise defined by key losses for the club. Before free agency began, PFR’s Luke Adams ranked Jones as the 36th-best player available.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
49ers Sign Phil Dawson To One-Year Deal
MARCH 14, 3:19pm: The 49ers have officially re-signed Dawson, the team announced today in a press release.
MARCH 11, 8:48pm: Dawson and the 49ers have agreed to a one-year deal, reports Janie McCauley of The Associated Press. He’ll get a fully guaranteed base salary of $3.134MM, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
7:18pm: The 49ers are making progress toward a new deal with free agent kicker Phil Dawson and look poised to bring him back for his age-41 season, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). Dawson would be the second over-40 kicker to ink 
a contract this offseason, joining the Colts’ Adam Vinatieri (43).
Despite his age, Dawson didn’t show any obvious signs of decline last season. The 17-year veteran hit an impressive 24 of 27 field goals, good for an 88.9% success rate (10th in the NFL). He also connected on all three of his attempts over 50 yards and nailed 20 of 21 extra points. Dawson hasn’t converted worse than 80% of his field goal tries since 2006, when he made only 72.4% of attempts as a member of the Browns.
As of now, Dawson, Josh Brown and Greg Zuerlein are among a thin class of established kickers who haven’t signed contracts. Dawson’s previous deal was a two-year pact worth $6.13M, including $3.5MM in guarantees. Earlier this month, Vinatieri landed two years, $6MM and $1MM in guarantees, which should be the neighborhood in which Dawson’s next accord resides.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.