Kayvon Webster To Visit Rams
Newly minted Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips might reunite in Los Angeles with one of his former Denver cornerbacks. Phillips’ Rams have interest in free agent Kayvon Webster and will visit with him, according to Troy Renck of Denver7 (Twitter links). The Eagles and Dolphins have also eyed the 26-year-old this week.
Webster entered the NFL as Denver’s third-round pick in 2013 and produced 59 tackles during his first two seasons. Phillips then came aboard in 2015, and Webster’s playing time dwindled during the coordinator’s two seasons at the helm of an excellent Broncos defense. Stuck behind Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby, among others, Webster played a meager 58 defensive snaps in 13 games last year. He saw far more action on special teams, where he participated in 253 snaps.
Despite Webster’s limited track record as a defender, teammates in Denver believe he’s capable of starting, notes Renck. At the very least, he’d find more playing time in Los Angeles. The Rams have a couple quality corners in the franchise-tagged Trumaine Johnson and slot man Lamarcus Joyner, though the former is a prime trade candidate. Even with those two in the fold, LA finished 2016 just 20th in the league in DVOA against the pass.
Browns Wanted To Keep Terrelle Pryor
Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor signed with the Redskins on Friday, which came after he insisted throughout last season that he wanted to remain with the Browns. However, after Washington offered Pryor a one-year deal worth up to $8MM, he never went back to the Browns to see if they’d match it, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The Browns likely would have done so had he given them the opportunity, per Cabot.
Fresh off a breakout 2016, his first full season as a receiver after converting from the quarterback position, the expectation was that Pryor would sign a far richer deal. He had designs on a pact worth up to $15MM per annum, according to Cabot, who adds that Cleveland’s original proposal was worth $8MM to $9MM annually. While Cabot doesn’t specify the length of the offer, Tony Grossi of ESPN.com writes that the Browns were willing to give Pryor $17MM in guarantees. One could surmise, then, that the Browns had a four-year offer on the table. After all, they handed fellow free agent wideout Kenny Britt $17MM in guarantees Thursday on a four-year, $32.5MM accord.
Going forward, a quality showing for Pryor in 2017 – his age-28 season – should lead to a much better payday by next March. Despite having to catch passes from five less-than-ideal quarterback options last year, Pryor hauled in 77 receptions for 1,004 yards and four touchdowns. The Redskins, meanwhile, have an established signal-caller, Kirk Cousins, who’s coming off a near-5,000-yard season. Cousins is among the NFL’s most prolific gunslingers, and if the Redskins don’t trade the franchise-tagged passer by next season, Pryor shouldn’t have difficulty producing in Washington’s offense and making his case for a multiyear deal in the process.
Bennie Logan Visiting Redskins
After spending the first four years of his career in Philadelphia, free agent defensive tackle Bennie Logan is drawing serious interest from NFC East rival Washington. Logan is visiting with the Redskins tonight and tomorrow, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reports that he’s in the market for a one-year deal (Twitter link).
The Redskins’ interest in Logan, 27, dates back until at least January, though he has obviously been on their radar for longer as a division rival. Washington finished last year 25th in DVOA against the run and has since lost lineman Chris Baker to Tampa Bay, so the fact that it’s pursuing Logan isn’t surprising. The 309-pound Logan is a well-regarded run defender, and while Pro Football Focus assigned him poor grades last season, his most recent work came in a 4-3 defense. The Redskins run a 3-4, for which Logan is better suited.
Logan, a third-round pick in 2013, has missed five games since entering the league – all in the past two seasons – and totaled 51 starts and 5.5 sacks. He’s coming off the third straight year in which he started in each of his appearances, and he notched personal bests in sacks (2.5) and forced fumbles (two).
AFC Contract Details: Gilmore, Kirkpatrick
The latest contract details from the AFC (all Twitter links):
- Cornerback Stephon Gilmore‘s five-year, $65MM accord with the Patriots includes an $18MM signing bonus, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. The arrangement comes with a fully guaranteed $31MM through 2018 and $9MM guaranteed for injury only in 2019. It contains up to $500K in per-game roster bonuses each year, as well (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).
- Fellow corner Dre Kirkpatrick‘s Bengals deal, worth $52.5MM over a five years, includes $15MM in 2017, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The contract features another $2.5MM in incentives. It’s essentially a pay-as-you agreement after 2018, notes CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who adds that Kirkpatrick got $7MM to sign, $12MM in guarantees, and will make $23.2MM during the first two years of the contract.
- Guard Ronald Leary‘s pact with the Broncos is worth $36MM over four years and will receive $18.75MM guaranteed, writes Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Leary will collect a $3.5MM signing bonus.
- Newly re-upped Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills landed a $7MM signing bonus, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
- Fullback Patrick DiMarco‘s four-year deal with the Bills features $4.8MM in guarantees, more than the originally reported $4MM, per Wilson. It also comes with a $2MM bonus and an annual workout bonus worth $59K.
- Safety Nate Allen‘s contract with the Dolphins is for one year and $3.4MM, relays Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
- The Titans gave linebacker Nate Palmer $2.3MM over two years, writes Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. He also received a signing bonus worth $850K.
- Tight end David Johnson‘s agreement with the Steelers is worth $2.05MM over two years, per Wilson. It includes a $235K signing bonus and a $915K roster bonus.
Patriots Acquire Brandin Cooks
The Patriots have acquired wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round pick in 2017 from the Saints in exchange for first- and third-round picks this year, tweets Dianna Russini of ESPN. New England will receive the 118th selection, while Nos. 32 and 103 will go to New Orleans.
The Titans were also involved in the Cooks sweepstakes, but he’ll join the reigning Super Bowl champions instead. New England will now assume responsibility for the $781,599 bonus Cooks is due Monday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).
As of Thursday, the Patriots were reportedly considering sending cornerback Malcolm Butler to the Saints in exchange for Cooks. It’s still possible Butler will end up in New Orleans in a separate trade, according to Schefter, while Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes that Butler couldn’t be a part of this deal because the restricted free agent is without a contract at the moment (Twitter link).
Still only 23 years old, Cooks was eminently productive in New Orleans during the first three seasons of his career and will now team with Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, among others, in a loaded group of targets for Pats quarterback Tom Brady. Cooks is coming off his second straight 16-game, 1,100-yard campaign. The 5-foot-10, 189-pounder also combined for 162 catches and seven touchdowns over the past two seasons.
Cooks will come with a modest $1.56MM price tag in 2017, but after a fifth-year option season at approximately $8.5MM, it’s possible he’ll enter eight-figure-per-year territory on his next contract. Barring an extension before then, the Patriots will have an opportunity to see how Cooks fares in their offense before deciding on his long-term future. New Orleans, meanwhile, still has a pair of high-end receivers in Willie Snead and Michael Thomas, thereby rendering Cooks expendable in the club’s estimation. The likelihood is the Saints will look to strengthen their defense with their newly acquired first-rounder.
Chargers Re-Sign Damion Square
The Chargers have re-signed nose tackle Damion Square, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It’s a two-year deal.
An undrafted free agent from Alabama in 2013, Square had brief stints with the Eagles and Chiefs before joining the Chargers in 2014. He made his debut with the Bolts in 2015 and has since logged 17 appearances and eight starts. Career highs in games (11) and starts (seven) came in 2016 for Square, who played 362 defensive snaps and posted personal bests in tackles (13) and sacks (2.5). His performance last year ranked a decent 58th among Pro Football Focus’ 127 qualified interior D-linemen.
Now that he’s staying with the Chargers, the 28-year-old Square will continue to function as depth behind Brandon Mebane and Corey Liuget. His emergence last season came after Mebane suffered a biceps injury.
Panthers To Sign Captain Munnerlyn
The Panthers have agreed to sign cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s a four-year deal, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link). 
The newest member of the Panthers, wide receiver Charles Johnson, revealed Friday that he bumped into Munnerlyn at the team’s facilities, per David Newton of ESPN.com. Munnerlyn told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) earlier today that he’d probably sign a new deal by the end of Friday.
Munnerlyn is now signed up for his second stint with the organization. The Panthers selected Munnerlyn in the seventh round of the 2009 draft, and he stuck with them through the 2013 season. Munnerlyn spent the previous three seasons as Johnson’s teammate in Minnesota.
Munnerlyn, who ranked as PFR’s No. 11 free agent corner, is strictly a slot man, but he’s an excellent one. Carolina finished 11th in pass defense DVOA last year even after losing Josh Norman, and Munnerlyn will now team with James Bradberry and Daryl Worley in a rapidly improving unit. The Panthers already addressed their secondary earlier today, agreeing to terms with veteran safety Mike Adams.
Panthers Sign WR Charles Johnson
The Panthers have cornered the market on NFLers named Charles Johnson. After re-signing the defensive end earlier this week, the team has announced a deal with the wide receiver of the same name. The latter will earn $2.2MM on a one-year pact, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
A seventh-round pick of the Packers in 2013, the wideout debuted with the Vikings a year later and posted 31 receptions, 475 yards and two touchdowns on 59 targets as a rookie. He wasn’t able to match that production in either of the previous two seasons in Minnesota, though, and is now coming off a scoreless, 20-catch campaign. Johnson did set career highs in appearances (16) and starts (seven) in 2016, however.
With the additions of Johnson and Russell Shepard, the Panthers have signed two receivers Friday. They’ll join Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess, among others, in a Carolina receiving corps that lost Ted Ginn to the Saints on Thursday.
Jets Sign Chandler Catanzaro
The Jets have announced the signing of free agent kicker Chandler Catanzaro. He’s in line to take over for Nick Folk, whom the Jets released in February.
The 26-year-old Catanzaro spent the first three years of his career in Arizona, where he enjoyed quality 2014 and ’15 campaigns before his performance dropped off in 2016. Catanzaro converted just 75 percent of his 28 field goal attempts last season and missed four of his 47 extra point tries. All told, he hit on a respectable 84.8 percent of 92 field goals as a Cardinal. Catanzaro has also made 96 of 105 PATs since the NFL lengthened the extra point in 2015.
The Jets ranked 31st in special teams DVOA last year, though most of that lackluster production admittedly came in the punting game.
Cowboys To Sign Stephen Paea
The Cowboys have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent defensive tackle Stephen Paea, reports Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
Dallas will be the fifth NFL organization for the 28-year-old Paea, who entered the league as a second-round pick in 2011 and has since played with the Bears, Redskins and Browns. Chicago heavily relied on Paea, who started double-digit games in three of his four seasons with the club, but he served as a reserve in Washington and Cleveland over the past two years. Paea started just one game apiece for those teams, and he’s coming off a 13-appearance, 12-tackle campaign. Despite his less-than-gaudy numbers, he ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 40th-best interior D-lineman among 127 qualifiers in 2016.
As a member of the Cowboys, Paea will attempt to replace the departed Terrell McClain, who signed with NFC East rival Washington on Thursday. Paea is slated to join Cedric Thornton and Maliek Collins as the Cowboys’ top interior options.