Titans Expected To Re-Sign OL Josh Kline
The Titans are closing in on a new deal with free agent guard Josh Kline, and the pact should be signed before free agency opens on Wednesday, per Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s a four-year, $26MM with $12MM guaranteed with the potential to make up to $27M (Twitter link).
Tennessee claimed Kline off waivers prior to the 2016 campaign, and he proceeded to start 30 games for the club over the next two seasons. Kline, who spent the first three years of his career in New England, graded as the NFL’s No. 22 guard among 77 qualifiers in 2017, per Pro Football Focus.
As a unit, the Titans’ offensive line took a step backward last year, as they slipped from fifth to 23rd in adjusted line yards. Kline will now be re-signed, but fellow starting guard Quinton Spain is a restricted free agent. Tennessee used an original round tender on Spain, so it won’t reap any draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere on an un-matched offer sheet.
Kline had been scheduled to join a free agent guard class that also includes Andrew Norwell, Josh Sitton, Jack Mewhort, Matt Slauson, Zach Fulton, and Senio Kelemete, among others. PFR’s Zach Links recently ranked Kline as the fourth-best option among free agent interior lineman, behind Norwell (who has already landed a massive deal with the Jaguars), Sitton, and Mewhort.
Jets To Sign LB Avery Williamson
The Jets are expected to sign linebacker Avery Williamson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Williamson will earn $22.5MM over three years with $16MM guaranteed, per Rapoport (Twitter link).
Gang Green will continue its spending spree on the eve of the free agent period, as the club has already arguably the premier defensive player on the board — cornerback Trumaine Johnson — plus two quarterbacks in Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater. Given that New York ranked in the top-five in available cap space heading into this week, it should come as no surprise that general manager Mike Maccagnan is flexing financial muscle.
The Jets were first linked to Williamson, who spent the first four years of his career with the Titans, on Tuesday. Williamson reportedly turned down a four-year, $12MM deal to remain in Tennessee. In New York, he’ll stick in a 3-4 scheme and play alongside former first-round pick Darron Lee. The Jets’ signing of Williamson should prevent the return of fellow linebacker Demario Davis, who started all 16 games for New York a season ago.
Williamson, 26, has been an extremely durable player since entering the league as fifth-round pick in 2015, as he’s missed only a single contest during that time. Last season, Williamson started all 16 games for the Titans while racking up 52 tackles, three sacks, and graded as the NFL’s No. 10 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.
PFR ranked Williamson as the eighth-best free agent linebacker, but among those we listed above him, only Anthony Hitchens has landed a new deal, while Paul Posluszny announced his retirement.
[RELATED: Jets Depth Chart]
Bears To Re-Sign CB Prince Amukamara
The Bears are re-signing cornerback Prince Amukamara, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Amukamara will collect $27MM over a three-year term, while roughly $18MM is guaranteed, per Graziano (Twitter links).
Amukamara has long been a starting-caliber NFL cornerback, but teams have thus far been reluctant to commit to the 28-year-old. After beginning his career with the Giants, Amukamara inked a series of successive one-year deals with the Jaguars and Bears in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Once considered an injury risk, Amukamara has dealt with minor ailments over the past two seasons but has appeared in 28 of 32 possible games during that time. Although he hasn’t posted an interception since 2015, Amukamara graded as the No. 41 corner among 141 qualifiers a season ago, per Pro Football Focus. Football Outsiders wasn’t as fond of the former first-round pick’s work, as Amukamara ranked as bottom-10 CB in success rate.
Chicago’s pass defense was a strength in 2017, as the unit ranked 14th in DVOA. As such, the Bears have shown a willingness to bring much of their secondary back for another run. Not only have they re-upped Amukamara, but No. 1 cornerback Kyle Fuller was assigned the transition tag, which could be enough to ward off potential suitors.
Most of the work the Bears have done on the first day of free agency has come on the other side of the ball, however. Chicago has landed wide receivers Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel, plus tight end Trey Burton, in an effort to upgrade quarterback Mitch Trubisky‘s weaponry.
Packers To Sign Muhammad Wilkerson
The Packers have agreed to terms with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s a one-year deal, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link), and Wilkerson will collect $5MM with the chance to earn $3MM via incentives, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Green Bay was the first free agent stop for Wilkerson following his release from the Jets, but the Packers were hardly the only club interested in the former All-Pro. The Chiefs, Saints, and Redskins all took visits with Wilkerson, while the Raiders were reportedly also eyeing Wilkerson.
With the Packers, Wilkerson will reunite with former Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who now holds the same title in Green Bay. He’ll also be sticking in a 3-4 scheme, and will play his familiar defensive end position alongside Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels, and the rest of the Packers’ defensive line.
Wilkerson, of course, was once one of the premier defensive players in the NFL, but he hasn’t been the same since inking a massive extension with the Jets in 2016. Not only has Wilkerson reportedly had problems with effort, tardiness, and coaches, put his play has slipped, as well. Last year, the 28-year-old appeared in 13 games but graded as just the 50th-best interior defender in the league, per Pro Football Focus. While that was an improvement from his dismal 2016 campaign, Wilkerson was still a far cry from his 2011-15 heyday.
The Packers have now signed two free agents — Wilkerson and tight end Jimmy Graham — before the market even officially opens. That’s a new approach from Green Bay’s front office, which is now headed by Brian Gutekunst, who is apparently more willing than former GM Ted Thompson to engage in the first wave of free agent activity.
Heading into the free agent period, Wilkerson ranked as PFR’s No. 3 interior defensive lineman and No. 16 overall free agent.
Jets To Sign Teddy Bridgewater To One-Year Deal
The Jets will sign free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a one-year deal, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bridgewater will earn approximately $5MM on his new pact, tweets Dianna Russini of ESPN.com, while the pact also contains incentives, per Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link).
Earlier today, reports indicated that Bridgewater was working on a contract with the Jets, but he apparently had other options on the table. Since then, we’ve learned Gang Green has promised its starting job to fellow quarterback Josh McCown, so Bridgewater will presumably join New York as a backup. McCown, however, isn’t exactly a picture of health, so it won’t be surprising if Bridgewater sees significant playing time.
Bridgewater, of course, comes with significant health question marks of his own. The former first-round pick infamously suffered a gruesome knee injury prior to the 2016 campaign, and while he’s remarkably worked his way back into form, Bridgewater has attempted just two passes since 2015.
The Jets’ quarterback situation is extremely fluid, as they could still use the sixth overall pick on a young signal-caller. If they do, it’s possible Bridgewater is relegated to third-string duty. But if New York goes another direction in the first round, Bridgewater could see playing time as the season progresses, possibly setting himself up for a payday in 2019.
During his two years as the Vikings’ starting quarterback, Bridgewater was competent but not a world-beater. In 28 starts, Bridgewater completed 65% of his passes and averaged 3,075 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. While those are respectable numbers, they’re probably not enough for a club to not pursue an upgrade.
Latest On Nate Solder’s Market
Left tackle Nate Solder is one of just three of PFR’s top 10 free agents that has yet to find a new contract, and his market appears fluid. Two teams that are reportedly in pursuit of Solder — the Browns and the Texans — have signed other offensive tackles today, but both clubs still appear to be in play for Solder.
Cleveland inked former Steelers swing tackle Chris Hubbard to a five-year deal, but the Browns are still interested in Solder, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Franchise icon Joe Thomas hasn’t given Cleveland an indication as to whether he’ll retire, so it’s unclear exactly how many tackles the team needs. But Hubbard’s ability to play several positions means the Browns could land Solder to play left tackle and deploy Hubbard elsewhere, likely at right tackle.
Houston, meanwhile, signed Seantrel Henderson and are expected to give him a chance to win a starting job. But the Texans are still in on Solder, as well, tweets John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. Like Hubbard, Henderson can play right tackle, and given Houston’s porous offensive line, there is plenty of room for improvement.
Solder is not expected to take any free agent visits, according to Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link), meaning he could conceivably sign at any time. The Giants are also reportedly targeting Solder, who has spent his entire career with the Patriots.
Steelers Rework Alejando Villanueva’s Deal
The Steelers have created a bit of extra salary cap space by restructuring left tackle Alejandro Villanueva‘s contract, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Villanueva had been scheduled to collect a $3MM base salary and a $3MM roster bonus in 2018, but the majority of that money has now been converted into a signing bonus. Given that Villanueva’s roster bonus was due on Saturday, the third day of the 2018 league year, Pittsburgh had to act now to avoid that figure hitting their cap immediately. All told, the Steelers will create nearly $4MM in cap room, per Fowler.
Villanueva, who has been the Steelers’ left tackle for the better part of three seasons, inked a four-year, $24MM extension last summer, so he’s under contract through the 2020 campaign. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, had been projected to be over the cap in 2018, but they’ve since reworked Antonio Brown‘s deal and will release Mike Mitchell and William Gay in other cost-cutting measures.
Ravens To Sign WR John Brown
The Ravens have agreed to terms with free agent wideout John Brown, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Baltimore was reportedly in advanced talks with Brown, a former Arizona Cardinal, as of earlier today.
Brown will receive a one-year deal, per Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter links). The base value of his new contract is $5MM, but he’ll have the chance to max out at $6.5MM via incentives.
Baltimore is in dire need of wide receivers, as Mike Wallace is a free agent while fellow veteran Jeremy Maclin has been mentioned as a candidate for release. With limited cap space, however, the Ravens were forced to sit and watch as top-tier pass-catchers such as Allen Robinson, Sammy Watkins, and Marqise Lee came off the board.
Brown is coming off the worst season of his NFL tenure, as injuries limited him to just ten games. During that time, Brown managed only 21 receptions for 299 yards and two scores. As recently as 2015, however, the now 27-year-old Brown put up 65 catches for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, and he’s reportedly healthy.
Heading into free agency, PFR ranked Brown as the 10th-best available wide receiver. He reportedly generated interest from at least seven clubs before inking his pact with the Ravens.
Falcons Re-Sign OL Austin Pasztor, CB Leon McFadden
The Falcons have inked offensive lineman Austin Pasztor and cornerback Leon McFadden to one-year extensions through the 2018 season, the club announced today.
Pasztor, 27, was excellent as the Browns’ right tackle in 2016, but he surprisingly hasn’t garnered any interest as a starter since that season. Last year, he didn’t land a free agent contract until August, and went on to appear in only seven games as a reserve for the Falcons. Capable of playing both tackle and guard, Pasztor will likely continue as a backup in 2018, although he could compete to start at guard.
McFadden, a former third-round pick, signed with the Falcons in December but never played in a contest with the club. He’ll offer depth in the secondary, but his primary role will be on special teams if he makes the roster.
Browns Tender Contract To WR Josh Gordon
The Browns have tendered wide receiver Josh Gordon as an exclusive rights free agent, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). He’ll earn $790K for the upcoming season.
Gordon should have been an unrestricted free agent by now, but multiple suspensions have caused his contract to toll. As such, he didn’t have any options this offseason, as the Browns control his rights and he’s not allowed to speak to other clubs.
Gordon, 26, appeared in five games for Cleveland a season ago. In that time, he posted 18 receptions for 335 yards and one touchdown. He’ll play alongside Corey Coleman and the newly-acquired Jarvis Landry in 2018.