Bills To Sign DT Star Lotulelei To Five-Year Deal
The Bills have agreed to a five-year deal with free agent defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Although he’s a former first-round pick, Lotulelei’s performance has slipped in every season since he entered the league in 2013. Last year, the 28-year-old appeared in all 16 games for the second consecutive season but managed only six tackles while grading as a bottom-15 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus.
Buffalo, meanwhile, clearly needs help on the interior of its defensive line after ranking just 21st in adjusted line yards a season ago. The Bills shipped malcontent defensive tackle Marcell Dareus to the Jaguars at midseason, while veteran Kyle Williams is now a free agent.
The Panthers, Lotulelei’s former squad, are already heavily invested at the defensive tackle position. Kawann Short is the NFL’s third-highest-paid defensive tackle with a $16.1MM annual salary, while the Panthers used a first-round pick on Vernon Butler in 2016. Veteran Kyle Loveis also under contract for the 2018 campaign.
Before signing with the Bills, Lotulelei also reportedly drew interest from the Chiefs and Texans. Lotulelei ranked as PFR’s No. 4 free agent interior defender.
Saints, Drew Brees Working On Two-Year Deal
The Saints and quarterback Drew Brees are working on a two-year deal that could be completed today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Brees’ current contract with New Orleans will void on March 14, the first day of the 2018 league year, and if no new deal is reached, the Saints will incur $18MM in dead money on their salary cap. By hammering out an extension, the Saints will keep that dead money total at a relatively manageable $6MM in 2018 while retaining their franchise quarterback.
South Notes: Texans, Watson, Titans, Bucs
Given that he tore his ACL in early November, Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is expected to be available for organized team activities, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). While losing a dynamic talent like Watson clearly cratered Houston’s 2017 campaign, the fact that he went down relatively early in the season does have a silver lining, as he’ll now be ready for offseason work. The Texans don’t have a first- or second-round pick in 2018, so they’ll rely on free agency and Watson returning to his excellent form in order to compete next year.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two South divisions:
- Although the Titans spoke with Erik Walden‘s agent at the scouting combine, the veteran edge defender is expected to test the open market, tweets Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com. Earlier this offseason, I noted that finding a young pass rusher should be at top priority for Tennessee, so the 32-year-old Walden may not be a fit. Walden managed four sacks as a rotational rusher during his first season with the Titans, but he posted 11 sacks as recently as 2016. Entering the free agent period, PFR ranked Walden as the 15th-best free agent edge defender.
- The Buccaneers are targeting free agent kicker Chandler Catanzaro, reports Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Tampa Bay has been atrocious at kicker for the better part of two years, as Roberto Aguayo, Nick Folk, and Patrick Murray have all struggled as the club’s primary kicker. Indeed, Football Outsiders ranked the Bucs 30th in the NFL with -13.2 points created on field goals and extra points. Catanzaro, who converted 83.3% of his field goals in 2017, isn’t the only kicker Tampa Bay is looking at, as the Redskins’ Dustin Hopkins is also on the team’s radar.
- Buccaneers free agent guard Kevin Pamphile is drawing interest from eight-to-ten teams, per Laine. Pamphile, 27, has been a full-time starter over the past two seasons, and last season played 70% of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps, third among Bucs offensive linemen. Additionally, while Pamphile is typically a guard, he does offer the ability to play all five positions along the offensive line. That versatility could be attractive to a number of clubs, as Pamphile could fill in at tackle or center if a need arises.
Dolphins Favorites For WR Albert Wilson
The Dolphins are now considered the favorites to land free agent wide receiver Albert Wilson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Miami still has a relatively deep wide receiver group even after trading the franchise-tagged Jarvis Landry to the Browns last week. Currently, the club’s depth chart is headlined by DeVante Parker and Kenny Stills, while Leonte Carroo, Jakeem Grant, and Rashawn Scott are among the other pass-catchers in South Beach. Wilson, though, would give the Dolphins another experienced option for Ryan Tannehill, or whomever Miami deploys at quarterback in 2017.
2017 marked the best overall campaign for Wilson, who entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2014. Last season, Wilson posted a career-high in receptions (42), yards (554), and touchdowns (three). Among receivers with fewer than 50 receptions, Wilson ranked eighth in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA, meaning he was extremely effective on a per-play basis despite his lack of volume.
The Dolphins aren’t the only club that has expressed interest in Wilson, as the Bears — who now employ Wilson’s former Kansas City coordinator Matt Nagy as head coach — have also been linked to the free agent wideout. PFR ranked Wilson as the No. 13 available wideout heading into free agency.
Jets Unlikely To Retain Austin Seferian-Jenkins
The Jets remain unlikely to re-sign free agent tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.
Thanks to his youth and his 2017 production, Seferian-Jenkins has unsurprisingly garnered early free agent interest. The Saints are reportedly eyeing the former second-round pick, while the Falcons and Seahawks have also been connected to ASJ. Coming off his rookie contract, Seferian-Jenkins is targeting a $7MM annual salary on the open market.
The Jets, however, have no intention of meeting that salary ask, per Cimini. Gang Green has reportedly offered Seferian-Jenkins $8MM total over two years, a far cry from his goal. New York may be disinclined to re-sign Seferian-Jenkins after he struggled in the second half of the season, while the club is also high on 2017 rookie Jordan Leggett, reports Cimini.
In 13 games (10 starts) a season ago, the 25-year-old Seferian-Jenkins posted 50 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns. While his 50 catches ranked 13th among tight ends in 2017, Seferian-Jenkins doesn’t offer much as a blocker, as Pro Football Focus ranked him as just the 35th-best run-blocker.
Pro Football Rumors currently ranks Seferian-Jenkins as the No. 4 available tight end and the No. 37 free agent overall.
Seahawks To Host RB DeMarco Murray
The Seahawks will host free agent running back DeMarco Murray after he meets with the Lions on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Seattle fielded one of the league’s worst running games in 2017, as the club ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in both yards per rush and rushing DVOA. While the Seahawks will return Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise, and J.D. McKissic in 2018, Eddie Lacy is an unrestricted free agent while Thomas Rawls and Mike Davis are restricted free agents.
Murray, whom the Titans released last week, is not only entering his age-30 campaign, but coming off the worst season of his career. While he appeared in 15 games, Murray ceded work to second-year back Derrick Henry, and tied a career-low with only 3.6 yards per carry.
It’s not all bad news for Murray, however, as he was still able to manage 39 receptions in the passing game. Additionally, Murray is only one season removed from a 1,200 yard season on the ground, and — even in down year — still ranked as a league-average back in DVOA, Football Outsiders‘ per-play value metric.
Latest On Vikings’ Joe Berger, Tom Johnson
While the Vikings have interest in re-signing offensive lineman Joe Berger, at least three other teams are also eyeing the veteran guard/center, tweets Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. Meanwhile, Minnesota is also open to reunion with defensive tackle Tom Johnson, but he’s expected to first test the market, reports Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Twitter link).
Berger will be 36 years old when the 2018 campaign gets underway, but he’s still an effective player. Capable of playing guard or center, Berger ranks as PFR’s No. 8 interior lineman heading into free agency. Berger had previously indicated that he’d likely retire following the 2017 season, but he’s since walked that back.
Like Berger, Johnson has long since reached veteran status, as he’s heading into his age-33 season. Last year, Johnson appeared in all 16 games and managed 23 pressures two sacks from the interior. He reportedly asked for a one-year, $4MM extension last season, but the Vikings refused, which could give an idea where Minnesota stands on Johnson’s value. He’s PFR’s No. 9 free agent defensive tackle.
Lions, Buccaneers In On DT Beau Allen
The Lions and Buccaneers are among the clubs with interest in free agent defensive tackle Beau Allen, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
This represents the first known interest in Allen, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Eagles. Allen, 26, was extremely durable that time, as the only game he missed during his Philadelphia was a meaningless Week 17 contest in 2017. Last year, Allen — a one-technique tackle by trade — appeared on roughly 41% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps. He’s PFR’s No. 6-ranked interior defender.
Detroit and Tampa Bay both ranked among the bottom half of the league in adjusted line yards, Football Outsiders‘ defensive line metric. The Lions could lose defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to either free agency or retirement, while the Buccaneers have already released fellow interior defender Chris Baker this offseason.
Dolphins, Ja’Wuan James Discussing Deal
The Dolphins are discussing a new deal with offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, who is currently scheduled to play the 2018 campaign under his fifth-year option at a cost of $9.341MM, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Miami clearly isn’t interested in retaining James at his current price, as the former first-round pick has been mentioned as both a a trade and release candidate this offseason. Instead, the Dolphins are offering a James a new deal — whether it’s an extension or just a pay cut is unclear — that would reduce his cap charge in 2018. If James doesn’t accept the proposal, he’s expected to be released, per Salguero.
Hitting the open market wouldn’t necessarily be the worst outcome for James, who was selected in the first round of the 2014 draft. The 2018 free agent tackle class is extremely weak, with Nate Solder and Justin Pugh appearing to be the only clear-cut starters. Thus, James must weigh the Dolphins’ offer against any prospective contracts he thinks he could land as an unrestricted free agent.
James, 25, graded as the league’s No. 17 offensive tackle last season, per Pro Football Focus, which assigned James the highest marks of his career. However, James only appeared in eight games in 2017 thanks to a groin injury, the second campaign of his career in which he played in eight contests or fewer.
Texans Interested In CB E.J. Gaines
The Texans have interest in free agent cornerback E.J. Gaines, who is “firmly” on the club’s radar, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
[RELATED: Texans Pursuing LT Nate Solder]
Houston is clearly attempting to upgrade its secondary this offseason, as the team is also reportedly eyeing free agent defensive back Malcolm Butler. That should come as no surprise given that the Texans struggled against the pass in 2017, finishing with a No. 25-rank in Football Outsiders‘ pass defense DVOA. Additionally, Houston has two cornerbacks — Johnathan Joseph and Marcus Williams — scheduled to hit the open market on Wednesday.
Gaines, 26, appeared in 11 games for the Bills a season ago after being traded as part of the Sammy Watkins deal. During that time, Gaines ranked 12th in Pro Football Focus‘ cornerback grades and ninth in FO’s success rate. For that effort, PFR ranked Gaines as the fourth-best corner on the market and the No. 18 free agent overall.
The Bills, for their part, haven’t ruled out a reunion with Gaines. Although they recently signed veteran cornerback Vontae Davis to pair with Tre’Davious White, Buffalo is still open to re-signing Gaines.