2018 NFL Trades
We’ve already seen a few trades consummated since the 2018 league year began on March 14th, and with the draft not too far off, several more deals figure to be completed this spring. We’ll track those moves – and the rest of the year’s trades, right up until the fall deadline – in this space.
Here’s a breakdown of 2018’s trades to date, in reverse chronological order:
Post-Draft
- Redskins acquired S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
- Packers acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick.
- Rams acquired DE Dante Fowler.
- Jaguars acquired a 2019 third-round pick and a 2020 fifth-round pick.
- Third-round pick will be Los Angeles’ highest compensatory selection if it receives one in 2019. If not, pick will be Rams’ assigned third-rounder.
- Ravens acquired RB Ty Montgomery.
- Packers acquired a 2020 seventh-round pick.
- Eagles acquired WR Golden Tate.
- Lions acquired a 2019 third-round pick.
- Texans acquired WR Demaryius Thomas and a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Broncos acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick and a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Lions acquired DT Damon Harrison.
- Giants acquired a conditional 2019 fifth-round pick.
- Saints acquired CB Eli Apple.
- Giants acquired a 2019 fourth-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
- Cowboys acquired WR Amari Cooper.
- Raiders acquired a 2019 first-round pick.
- Jaguars acquired RB Carlos Hyde.
- Browns acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick.
- Panthers acquired T Marshall Newhouse.
- Bills acquired a 2021 conditional seventh-round pick.
- Patriots acquired WR Josh Gordon and a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Browns acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick.
- Eagles acquired DB Deiondre’ Hall.
- Bears acquired a conditional 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Browns acquired DL Devaroe Lawrence.
- Saints acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Raiders acquired QB A.J. McCarron.
- Bills acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick.
- Colts acquired WR Marcus Johnson.
- Seahawks acquired TE Darrell Daniels.
- Seahawks acquired S Shalom Luani.
- Raiders acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Panthers acquired T Corey Robinson.
- Lions acquired a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick.
- Bears acquired LB Khalil Mack, a 2020 second-round pick, and a conditional 2020 fifth-round pick.
- Raiders acquired a 2019 first-round pick, 2019 sixth-round pick, a 2020 first-round pick, and a 2020 third-round pick. .
- 49ers acquired T Shon Coleman.
- Browns acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Chiefs acquired S Jordan Lucas.
- Dolphins acquired a 2020 seventh-round pick.
- Falcons acquired S Jordan Richards.
- Patriots acquired a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick.
- Cowboys acquired OL Parker Ehinger.
- Chiefs acquired CB Charvarius Ward.
- Saints acquired QB Teddy Bridgewater and a 2019 sixth-round pick.
- Jets acquired a 2019 third-round pick.
- Seahawks acquired QB Brett Hundley.
- Packers acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick.
- Titans acquired LB Kamalei Correa.
- Ravens acquired a 2019 sixth-round pick.
- Steelers acquired WR Ryan Switzer and a 2019 sixth-round pick.
- Raiders acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick.
- Vikings acquired C Brett Jones.
- Giants acquired a conditional 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Packers acquired LB Antonio Morrison.
- Colts acquired CB Lenzy Pipkins.
- Lions acquired LB Eli Harold.
- 49ers acquired a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick.
- 49ers will acquire 2020 pick if Harold is on Lions’ roster for four weeks.
- Bills acquired WR Corey Coleman.
- Browns acquired a 2020 seventh-round pick.
- Raiders acquired QB Christian Hackenberg.
- Jets acquired a conditional 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Cardinals acquired CB Jamar Taylor.
- Browns acquired a 2020 sixth-round pick.
- Dolphins acquired DT Akeem Spence.
- Lions acquired a 2019 seventh-round pick.
During Draft
- Raiders acquired WR Ryan Switzer.
- Cowboys acquired DL Jihad Ward.
- Eagles acquired a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 233; OL Jordan Mailata).
- Patriots acquired a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 250; TE Ryan Izzo) and a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Redskins acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 197; LB Shaun Dion Hamilton) and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 256; WR Trey Quinn.).
- Rams acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 205; LB Trevon Young) and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 231; LB Travin Howard).
- Chiefs acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 198; DT Kahlil McKenzie).
- Patriots acquired a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 233) and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 243; CB Keion Crossen).
- Falcons acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 194; WR Russell Gage).
- Rams acquired a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 244; DE Justin Lawler) and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 256).
- Jets acquired DL Henry Anderson.
- Colts acquired a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 235; LB Zaire Franklin).
- Vikings acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 167; K Daniel Carlson) and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 225; CB Devante Downs).
- Jets acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 180; DT Folorunso Fatukasi) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 204; RB Trenton Cannon).
- Rams acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 160; Ogbonnia Okoronkwo).
- Broncos acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 183; G Sam Jones) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 217; LB Keishawn Bierria).
- Vikings acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 157; TE Tyler Conklin).
- Jets acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 167) and a 2018 seventh-round pick.
- Cowboys acquired WR Tavon Austin.
- Rams acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 192; T Jamil Denby).
- Titans acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 152; CB Dane Cruikshank).
- Ravens acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 162; WR Jordan Lasley) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 215; C Bradley Bozeman).
- Seahawks acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 149; P Michael Dickson).
- Broncos acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 156; TE Troy Fumagalli) and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 226; RB David Williams).
- Raiders acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 140; DT Maurice Hurst).
- Colts acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 159; WR Daurice Fountain) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 185; WR Deon Cain).
- Panthers acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 136; WR Jaleel Scott).
- Rams acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 147; LB Micah Kiser) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 197).
- Lions acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 114; DL Da’Shawn Hand).
- Patriots acquired a 2019 third-round pick.
- Browns acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 105; WR Antonio Callaway).
- Patriots acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 114) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 178; LB Christian Sam).
- Buccaneers acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 94; OL Alex Cappa).
- Vikings acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 102; DE Jalyn Holmes) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 180).
- Packers acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 88; LB Oren Burks).
- Panthers acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 101; TE Ian Thomas) and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 147).
- Raiders acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 87; DE Arden Key).
- Rams acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 89; Joseph Noteboom) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 217).
- Steelers acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 76; QB Mason Rudolph).
- Seahawks acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 79; DE Rasheem Green) and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 220; QB Alex McGough).
- Chiefs acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 75; DL Derrick Nnadi).
- Ravens acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 86; TE Mark Andrews) and a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 122; LB Kenny Young).
- Raiders acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 65; OL Brandon Parker).
- Ravens acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 75), a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 152), and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 212; T Greg Senat).
- Colts acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 64; DE Tyquan Lewis).
- Browns acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 67; DE Chad Thomas) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 178).
- Patriots acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 56; CB Duke Dawson).
- Buccaneers acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 63; CB Carlton Davis), and a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 117; S Jordan Whitehead).
- Bears acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 51; WR Anthony Miller).
- Patriots acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 105) and a 2019 second-round pick.
- Eagles acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 49; TE Dallas Goedert).
- Colts acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 52; DE Kemoko Turay) and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 169; RB Jordan Wilkins).
- Chiefs acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 46; DE Breeland Speaks) and a 2018 third-round pick (No. 100; LB Dorian O’Daniel).
- Bengals acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 54; S Jessie Bates) and a 2018 third-round pick (No. 78; LB Malik Jefferson).
- 49ers acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 44; WR Dante Pettis) and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 142; CB D.J. Reed).
- Redskins acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 59; RB Derrius Guice) and a 2018 third-round pick (No. 74; T Geron Christian).
- Lions acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 43; RB Kerryon Johnson).
- Patriots acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 51) and a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 117).
- Titans acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 41; LB Rashaan Evans).
- Raiders acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 57; DT P.J. Hall) and a 2019 third-round pick (No. 89).
- Patriots acquired T Trent Brown and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 143; LB Ja’Whaun Bentley).
- 49ers acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 95; S Tarvarius Moore).
- Ravens acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 32; QB Lamar Jackson) and a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 132; WR Jaleel Scott).
- Eagles acquired a 2018 second-round pick (No. 52), a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 125; CB Avonte Maddox), and a 2019 second-round pick.
- Titans acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 22; LB Rashaan Evans) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 215).
- Ravens acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 25; TE Hayden Hurst) and a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 125).
- Raiders acquired WR Martavis Bryant.
- Steelers acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 79).
- Packers acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 18; CB Jaire Alexander) and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 248; LB Kendall Donnerson).
- Seahawks acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 27; RB Rashaad Penny), a 2018 third-round pick (No. 76), and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 186; LB Jacob Martin).
- Bills acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 16; LB Tremaine Edmunds) and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 154; S Siran Neal).
- Ravens acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 22) and a 2018 third-round pick (No. 65).
- Saints acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 14; DE Marcus Davenport).
- Packers acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 27), a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 147), and a 2019 first-round pick.
- Cardinals acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 10; QB Josh Rosen).
- Raiders acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 15; T Kolton Miller), a 2018 third-round pick (No. 79), and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 152).
- Bills acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 7; QB Josh Allen).
- Buccaneers acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 12; DT Vita Vea), a 2018 second-round pick (No. 53; CB M.J. Stewart), a 2018 second-round pick (No. 56), and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 255).
Pre-Draft
- Giants acquired P Riley Dixon.
- Broncos acquired a conditional 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Redskins acquired QB Kevin Hogan and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 205).
- Browns acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 188).
- Rams acquired WR Brandin Cooks and a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 136).
- Patriots acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 23) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 198).
- Jaguars acquired QB Cody Kessler.
- Browns acquired a conditional 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Browns will acquire 2019 pick if Kessler is on Jaguars’ active 46-man roster for six games in 2018.
- Broncos acquired S Su’a Cravens, a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 113), and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 149).
- Redskins acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 109), a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 142), and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 163), and a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick.
- Redskins will acquire 2020 pick if Cravens appears in a playoff game for the Broncos.
- Broncos acquired T Jared Veldheer.
- Cardinals acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 182).
- Buccaneers acquired DE Jason Pierre-Paul and a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 102).
- Giants acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 69) and a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 108).
- Cowboys acquired FB Jamize Olawale and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 192).
- Raiders acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 173).
- Patriots acquired WR Cordarrelle Patterson and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 210).
- Raiders acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 159).
- Jets acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 3 overall).
- Colts acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 6 overall), a 2018 second-round pick (No. 37), a 2018 second-round pick (No. 49), and a 2019 second-round pick.
- Patriots acquired CB Jason McCourty and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 219).
- Browns acquired a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 205).
- Dolphins acquired C Daniel Kilgore and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 227).
- 49ers acquired a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 223).
- Vikings acquired QB Trevor Siemian and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 225).
- Broncos acquired a 2019 fifth-round pick.
- Bengals acquired T Cordy Glenn, a 2018 first-round pick (No. 21), and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 158).
- Bills acquired a 2018 first-round pick (No. 12) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 187).
- Patriots acquired DT Danny Shelton and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 159).
- Browns acquired a 2019 third-round pick.
- Packers acquired QB DeShone Kizer, a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 101), and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 138).
- Browns acquired DB Damarious Randall, a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 114), and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 150).
- Browns acquired QB Tyrod Taylor.
- Bills acquired a 2018 third-round pick (No. 65).
- Browns acquired WR Jarvis Landry.
- Dolphins acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 123) and a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Panthers acquired WR Torrey Smith.
- Eagles acquired CB Daryl Worley.
- Rams acquired CB Aqib Talib.
- Broncos acquired a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 160).
- Giants acquired LB Alec Ogletree and a 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Rams acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 135) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 176).
- Eagles acquired DE Michael Bennett and a 2018 seventh-round pick (No. 250).
- Seahawks acquired WR Marcus Johnson and a 2018 fifth-round pick (No. 156).
- Dolphins acquired DE Robert Quinn and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 209)
- Rams acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 111) and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 183).
- Rams acquired CB Marcus Peters and a 2018 sixth-round pick (No. 209).
- Chiefs acquired a 2018 fourth-round pick (No. 120) and a 2019 second-round pick.
- Redskins acquired QB Alex Smith.
- Chiefs acquired CB Kendall Fuller and a 2018 third-round pick (No. 78).
Extra Points: Boldin, Burfict, Mathieu, Saints
Anquan Boldin may not be done playing in the NFL, as he said today that he hasn’t made a decision on the future of his career, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Boldin signed a one-year deal with the Bills last August, but retired just two weeks later. The 37-year-old expressed some interest in returning during the 2017 season, but the Bills had no intention of releasing him. Buffalo has now done so, as it cut Boldin from the reserve/retired list this week. For what it’s worth, the Patriots and Boldin reportedly had mutual interest last September.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is expected to argue that his four-game performance-enhancing drug suspension should be overturned given that he was using prescription medications to recover from injury after he’d already been ruled out for the season, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. If Burfict’s ban is upheld, the remaining $11.3MM guarantee on his contract will void, meaning Cincinnati could potentially move on without any financial consequences. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Burfict is hoping an arcane section of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement will save him, but the league is unlikely to overturn his suspension.
- Former All Pro defensive back Tyrann Mathieu had an offer to return to the Cardinals at an $8MM salary, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. The 25-year-old Mathieu declined the overture, and instead signed with the Texans for one year and $7MM. the Mathieu was a Pro Bowler and one of the NFL’s best defensive backs as recently as 2015, but he’s struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness over the past two seasons. Last year, Mathieu managed to start all 16 games, but only graded as the league’s No. 61 cornerback among 121 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
- Although the Saints received a salary cap credit as a result of their Nick Fairley grievance, the grievance itself has not been settled, per Josh Katzenstein of the New Orleans Times-Picayune (Twitter link). That $3MM credit was only related to Fairley’s signing bonus, so the Saints are presumably trying to recoup a portion of Fairley’s base salary after he was forced to sit out the 2017 campaign with a heart condition. For what it’s worth, Fairley hopes to play during the upcoming season, but it’s difficult to imagine any team medically clearing him.
- The Steelers curiously signed restricted free agent punter Jordan Berry to a one-year extension with a similar salary to the RFA tender, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com has explained the club’s rationale. Berry, a native Australian, would have been considered unemployed if he returned to his home country without an RFA tender in place, meaning his work authorization paperwork could have taken extra time. Given that he’s getting married this year, Berry didn’t want to deal with any confusion, so Pittsburgh obliged him by giving him a one-year deal, the value of which has sent been altered to match the original round tender figure of $1.907MM.
Contract Details/Restructures: 3/17/18
Let’s take a look at the most recent new contracts and restructures around the NFL:
New Contracts
- Allen Robinson, WR (Bears): Three years, $42MM. $25.2MM guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Teddy Bridgewater, QB (Jets): One year, $6MM. $1MM guaranteed. $9MM available via playtime incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com).
- Chad Henne, QB (Chiefs): Two years, $6.7MM. $3.1MM signing bonus. Performance incentives and escalators available (Twitter link via Jason Wolf of the Tennessean).
Restructures
- Cardinals: Created $500K in 2018 cap space by converting S Antoine Bethea‘s roster bouns into a signing bonus (Twitter link via Pelissero).
- Vikings: Created $1.15MM in 2018 cap space by reducing RB Latavius Murray‘s base salary from $5.15MM to $3.65M; his roster bonus from $500K to $250K; and his incentives from $2.3MM to $1MM (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).
Raiders Meet With DT Clinton McDonald
The Raiders have met with free agent defensive tackle Clinton McDonald, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link).
McDonald, who is now entering his age-32 campaign, has spent the past four seasons as a rotational lineman with the Buccaneers. In 2017, McDonald split time with high-profile free agent addition Chris Baker, managing five sacks and 18 tackles from the interior. However, Pro Football Focus graded McDonald as a bottom-10 defensive tackle among 121 qualifiers.
Oakland has made a flurry of free agent signings this week, and the club’s defensive line was not forgotten. Defensive tackle Justin Ellis was re-signed on a three-year deal, while former 49ers end Tank Carradine was also added. The Raiders did lose Denico Autry, however, so McDonald could help fill out the club’s interior.
Lions Host DT Shamar Stephen
The Lions are looking at a defensive rival’s castoff for defensive help, as the club has met with former Vikings defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, tweets veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer.
While Detroit has been active in revamping its defense through free agency, it’s mostly focused on linebackers and defensive backs. The Lions have signed veterans such as Devon Kennard, Christian Jones, and DeShawn Shead over the past week, but they’ve yet to address their front four even after losing defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to the Eagles.
Stephen, 27, started all 16 games for the Vikings as recently as 2016, but his snap percentage drop by 15% in 2017. In 15 appearances, Stephen posted nine tackles and one sack, also saw action on roughly a third of Minnesota’s special teams snaps. Unlikely to return to the Vikings given that they’ve signed Sheldon Richardson, Stephen would join A’Shawn Robinson and Akeem Spence on Detroit’s defensive line.
Bills Meet With LB Will Compton
The Bills plan to host free agent linebacker Will Compton, reports John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Buffalo is seeking to replace Preston Brown, who inked a one-year deal with the Bengals earlier this week. Brown had played nearly every defensive snap for the Bills during his four-year run with the club, so general manager Brandon Beane is now dealing with a massive vacancy at the second level of his defense.
While the Bills signed former Jets linebacker Julian Stanford this week, he’s been primarily a special teams player throughout his career. Buffalo could still re-sign veteran Ramon Humber, but the team’s linebacker depth chart is currently fronted by Lorenzo Alexander, Matt Milano, and Tanner Vallejo.
Compton, for his part, was a regular for the Redskins from 2015-16, but a Lisranc injury ended his 2017 campaign in November. While he’s never earned positive marks from Pro Football Focus, the 28-year-old Compton would add experience to a Bills linebacking corps that desperately needs it. Buffalo has already added one ex-Redskins defender this week by signing Trent Murphy to a three-year pact.
Lions Host TE Luke Willson
The Lions have completed a free agent visit with tight end Luke Willson, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
Detroit has released Eric Ebron and witnessed Darren Fells sign with the Browns over the past week, so the club is clearly in need of a new tight end. The Lions were reportedly interested in Trey Burton before he signed with the division-rival Bears, while they also met with veteran Brent Celek after he was released by the Eagles.
Willson has been busy in his own right, as the former Seahawk has been hosted by the Jaguars and Panthers this week. The 28-year-old has never been much of an offensive force, but his usage took a serious hit when Seattle acquired fellow tight end Jimmy Graham in 2015. Willson failed to top 200 yards receiving in either of the past two seasons, but he did grade as the league’s No. 26 run-blocking tight end among 69 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.
At present, the Lions’ tight end depth chart is comprised of Michael Roberts, Hakeem Valles, and Brandon Barnes.
Jets To Sign LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
The Jets are finalizing a two-year, $6MM deal with linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis, according to NFL Draft Diamonds (Twitter link). The signing has since been confirmed by Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter links).
Pierre-Louis had essentially been a linebacker in name only until 2017, as special teams had been his primary area of focus. But the former fourth-round pick saw a career-high 25% playtime on defense, managing 25 tackles during that time. The Chiefs picked up KPL in a trade with the Seahawks last July that sent fellow ‘backer D.J. Alexanderto Seattle.
With the Jets, Pierre-Louis would likely revert to his natural special teams role. New York signed former Titan Avery Williamson on Wednesday, and plan to deploy him at inside linebacker alongside former first-round pick Darron Lee.
Before signing with New York, Pierre-Louis also took a visit with the Bears.
Raiders To Host WR Ryan Grant
The Raiders are the next team up on receiver Ryan Grant‘s free agent tour, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Grant agreed to a four-year deal with the Ravens on the first day of the free agent period, but that contract was voided due to a failed physical. Baltimore immediately signed fellow free agent pass-catcher Michael Crabtree, leading to speculation that the Ravens aren’t being fully truthful about their assessment of Grant’s health.
Oakland cut Crabtree from its roster earlier this week, but added veteran wideout Jordy Nelson on a two-year deal. Fellow receiver Seth Roberts is also going to stick around in Oakland, as he received a $2MM roster bonus and saw his entire 2018 base salary become guaranteed today, tweets Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal. Grant would join Crabtree, Roberts, Amari Cooper, Cordarrelle Patterson, and others in a suddenly crowded Raiders receiver room.
Grant, a former fifth-round pick, broke out with 45 receptions for 573 yards and four touchdowns with Washington in 2017. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked Grant 57th among 116 NFL wide receivers. The Redskins had previously expressed interest in retaining Grant, so it’s possible a reunion can be forged, while Grant has also met with the Colts.
Redskins To Host DT Johnathan Hankins
The Redskins plan to meet with defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, who was released by the Colts earlier today, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The visit will take place on Sunday, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
[RELATED: Redskins To Host Orlando Scandrick]
Washington apparently isn’t interested in spending much money on its defensive line, per Keim, but if the club does invest a sum on its front four, it would be on a youthful option. Hankins fits that bill, as he’s only entering his age-26 campaign despite having already played five NFL seasons. The Redskins reportedly had some level of free agent interest in Hankins at this time a year ago, so it makes sense that they’re now circling back to the veteran.
The Colts’ switch back to a 4-3 defense reason was provided as the primary reason for Hankins’ release, but he’d played in a 4-3 look his entire career before signing with Indianapolis. Hankins did play well in Indy’s 3-4 front last season, grading as the No. 20 interior defender among 122 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus, so he should fit in with Washington defensive coordinator Greg Manusky‘s 3-4 scheme.
The Redskins signed free agents Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain last offesason, but neither was very effective as Washington ranked 29th in rush defense DVOA and dead last in adjusted line yards. Hankins would play alongside former first-round pick Jonathan Allen if signed, and his addition could potentially place McGee and/or McClain on the Redskins’ roster bubble.