Breshad Perriman Wants To Back Out Of Browns Deal
The Browns re-signed Breshad Perriman earlier today in a deal that was just slightly overshadowed by the team’s acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr. But now that OBJ is in the fold, Perriman apparently doesn’t believe there will be enough passes to go around.
Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Perriman wants to back out of the one-year, $4MM pact he agreed to. One would think that Perriman, who displayed the deep threat ability that once made him a first-round pick of the Ravens after he signed with Cleveland last season, would still have the opportunity to show off that speed in 2019 to some degree.
But it is true that Cleveland looks absolutely loaded at the skill positions, and OBJ is going to command well over 100 targets, so it’s understandable Perriman would prefer to go to a team that can offer him more chances.
Perriman’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was not immediately available for comment.
Titans To Re-Sign Kevin Pamphile
The Titans are re-signing offensive lineman Kevin Pamphile, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
The 28-year-old lineman signed with Tennessee last March, but his season ended early, as he was placed on IR in September. Still, he is one year removed from being a full-time starter with the Bucs, and his ability to line up at tackle or guard does make him an appealing depth option if nothing else.
Pamphile started two games at tackle for the Titans last season before succumbing to injury.
Brett Hundley To Sign With Cardinals
The Cardinals are planning to sign quarterback Brett Hundley, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it will be a one-year, $2MM pact, with a maximum value of $3MM. Hundley will presumably operate as the backup to second-year signal-caller Josh Rosen, or, depending on how this year’s draft goes, he could be backing up Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray.
As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, the Seahawks could turn to Paxton Lynch to back up Russell Wilson after Hundley served as Wilson’s clipboard holder in 2018. That would not be much comfort to Seattle fans, as Lynch, who signed with the Seahawks in January, has busted in a big way since the Broncos made him a first-round pick in 2016.
The Packers drafted Hundley in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. He didn’t see a lot of action at first, but he was called upon in 2017 when Aaron Rodgers was lost to injury. In nine starts, Hundley went 3-6 and threw for 1,836 yards with nine touchdowns against 12 interceptions. The Packers traded him to Seattle last August in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
Hundley will likely never fulfill the potential he exhibited at UCLA, but he may able to churn out a career as a serviceable backup. He did not see any action last year, as Wilson continued his record of perfect attendance.
Chiefs To Sign Damien Wilson
The Chiefs will sign former Cowboys linebacker Damien Wilson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Dallas selected Wilson in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, but he has been used somewhat sparingly on the defensive side of the ball. He played in roughly 28% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2018, which is in line with his usage during the 2016-17 campaigns. He has had a much bigger role as a special teamer.
Wilson has started a total of 22 games in his career, though he has appeared in all 64 possible games since his rookie season. He will serve as a worthwhile piece of Kansas City’s linebacker rotation, especially since it is converting to a 4-3 scheme under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (Wilson operated under a 4-3 with the Cowboys).
For his career, Wilson has 103 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Browns Re-Sign Carl Davis
The Browns have re-signed defensive lineman Carl Davis, the team announced. Davis appeared in just five games for Cleveland last year and recorded one assisted tackle.
Davis has generally disappointed in his brief NFL career. The Ravens drafted him out of Iowa in the third round of the 2015 draft, which seemed like a steal at the time. He performed reasonably well in his rookie campaign but missed all of the 2016 season with an ankle injury. In 2017, he started nine games for Baltimore, but he did not show enough to prevent the Ravens from waiving him during final roster cuts last season.
Still, four teams submitted a waiver claim on him, and he was awarded to the Browns, who had No. 1 waiver priority. He could not crack Cleveland’s D-line rotation, but his draft pedigree and raw ability have earned him another shot with the club.
Buccaneers Sign Bradley Pinion, Release Bryan Anger
The Buccaneers will release punter Bryan Anger, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Anger was the fourth highest-paid punter in the league and was due $3MM in 2019. There was no guaranteed money left on the five-year extension he signed at the end of 2016, so Tampa Bay will shave the full $3MM from its cap.
Tampa Bay will replace Anger with Bradley Pinion, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Pinion spent the first four years of his career with the 49ers after being selected by San Francisco in the fifth round of the 2015 draft.
Both Pinion and Anger were near the bottom of the league in terms of net yards per punt in 2018. Pinion was marginally more effective in pinning opponents inside their 20, but not demonstrably so. Neither player has received a Pro Bowl nod in their careers.
Giants To Re-Sign Zak DeOssie
Zak DeOssie and the Giants can’t seem to get enough of each other. Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com tweets that Big Blue is re-signing its long-time long snapper, though he does not pass along any other contract details.
DeOssie has been with the Giants since New York selected him in the fourth round of the 2007 draft, which makes him the second-longest-tenured member of the roster (behind only Eli Manning). He has been named to the Pro Bowl twice (in 2008 and 2010) and has only missed four games in his career, all in the 2015 season.
The 34-year-old Ivy Leaguer just finished a two-year pact worth $2.315MM.
Jaguars To Sign Nick Foles
This has felt like a foregone conclusion for over a week, but the Jaguars will sign free agent quarterback Nick Foles, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). And it is a huge deal, as RapSheet tweets that the former Super Bowl MVP will land a four-year, $88MM pact from Jacksonville. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network adds that the deal maxes out at a whopping $102MM (Twitter link), but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that “only” $50.125MM is guaranteed.
After months of discussion as to how the Eagles would handle Foles’ contract, Philadelphia elected to not hit him with the franchise tag once he bought his way into free agency. Teams like Jacksonville who were interested in Foles did not really engage the Eagles in trade talks prior to that decision, as they never expected Philly to tag him in the first place.
The Giants were also rumored to have some interest in their former division rival, but the Jags seemed to be the clear favorites all along. Jacksonville’s quarterback situation has long been a hot topic of conversation, especially after the Blake Bortles extension predictably backfired. And in case you couldn’t hear it over all of the rejoicing in Florida, we just learned that Bortles has been cut.
Foles, 30, spent the bulk of his career as a backup, but wound up as the Super Bowl MVP following the 2017 season in one of the best feel-good stories of the century. He was once again called upon in 2018 as Carson Wentz was sidelined by injury. He went 4-1 in his five starts and completed 72.3% of his passes, his highest mark in any of his NFL seasons. He also threw for seven touchdowns against four interceptions.
He is not perfect by any means, but he should be an improvement over Bortles, and despite a recent batch of cost-cutting moves, the Jags hope that their core is strong enough to make another run at the playoffs after a disappointing 2018 campaign.
Contract Details: Brown, Boyle, Harrison
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts from around the NFL:
- Trent Brown , T (Raiders): Four years, $66MM, $36.75MM guaranteed. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, Brown will earn $15MM in 2019 but $21.5MM in 2020, when the Raiders move to Las Vegas (there’s no income tax in Nevada). That’s a smart move on Brown’s part, obviously. But as Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal observes (via Twitter), there is no guaranteed money left on the deal after 2020, so the Raiders can cut bait with no dead money ramifications at the end of the 2020 season. Essentially, then, it is a two-year, $36.75MM pact.
- Nick Boyle, TE (Ravens): Three years, $18MM. $10MM fully guaranteed ($7MM signing bonus, $1MM guaranteed salary in 2019, $2MM of $4.5MM guaranteed in 2020). Twitter link via NFL Insider Adam Caplan.
- Jonotthan Harrison, OL (Jets): Re-signed on March 9. Two years, maximum of $6MM. Twitter link via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- Angelo Blackson, DE (Texans): Three years, $12MM. $3.5MM guaranteed. Salaries of $2MM (guaranteed), $3.5MM, and $3.5MM. $1.5MM 2019 roster bonus. $31,250 per game 46-man roster bonus. Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- Ben Braunecker, TE (Bears): Two-year deal. Total value of $2.7MM. $300K signing bonus. $6,250 per game 46-man roster bonus. Twitter links via Wilson.
Texans Tender Ka’imi Fairbairn, Brennan Scarlett; Re-Sign Joel Heath
In a day full of big headlines, the Texans took care of some less conspicuous business. Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the club tendered RFA kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn at the second-round level ($3.095MM). That was a no-brainer for Houston, as Fairbairn turned in an excellent season in 2018, nailing 88.1% of his field goals and sinking all of his attempts of less than 40 yards. He also made 39 of 41 extra point tries and led the NFL with 150 points.
The Texans also retained RFA linebacker Brennan Scarlett with a $2.025MM original round tender. Scarlett started three games for the club last year, compiling 18 tackles to go along with a forced fumble and an interception.
Houston did not tender defensive end Joel Heath, another RFA, but they did re-sign him to a one-year deal worth less than the $2.025MM original round tender. Heath appeared in five games last year but did not record a sack as he saw his usage decrease considerably from 2017.
None of these moves come as a surprise, as the Texans were expected to retain all of their restricted free agents. Houston also re-signed DE Angelo Blackson earlier today.