Bengals Release CB Trae Waynes
MARCH 21: The Bengals waited a while, but they have made the Waynes move. This cut will add more than $10MM to Cincinnati’s cap space. Waynes did not play any defensive snaps during the team’s four playoff games, wrapping a disappointing run for the ex-Vikings first-rounder in Cincinnati.
This transaction stands to bump the AFC champions’ cap space north of $23MM. The Bengals brought back Eli Apple, keeping their top three corners from 2021 — Apple, Awuzie and Hilton — together. Unfortunately, Waynes could not avoid more injury trouble, which ended up defining his Bengals tenure.
FEB. 27: This is hardly a surprise, but the Bengals are expected to cut cornerback Trae Waynes, per Jay Morrison of The Athletic (subscription required). Waynes signed a three-year, $42MM contract with Cincinnati in March 2020, and in Morrison’s estimation, he is the biggest free agency bust in club history.
It would be difficult to quibble with that assessment. Waynes missed the entire 2020 season with a pectoral injury, and he ultimately played in just five regular season games in 2021 due to a hamstring ailment. Although he appeared in all four of the Bengals’ postseason contests, he saw just 13 total snaps, and all of them came on special teams.
The reigning AFC champs are in a pretty good place in terms of the salary cap. As Morrison writes in a separate piece (subscription required), Cincinnati should have upwards of $70MM in cap space this offseason, including the $10.9MM the club will realize from the Waynes release. Of course, a good chunk of that money is likely to be invested in an offensive line that yielded a whopping 70 sacks throughout the regular season and playoffs.
But some of it will need to be reinvested into the secondary as well. In addition to a franchise tag or extension for safety Jessie Bates, the Bengals will need to sign a No. 2 corner. Indeed, other than Waynes, Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton, no cornerback who played a snap in 2021 is under contract for 2022.
For his part, Waynes will likely need to settle for a veteran minimum deal somewhere. His contract with the Bengals was inflated due to the premium that teams often have to pay for cornerbacks in free agency, as his 3+ years as a starter with the Vikings were solid enough, but never spectacular. Couple that with his recent injury history, and it stands to reason that he will be looking for a prove-it contract in 2022.
Chiefs Sign OT Geron Christian
The Chiefs have signed free agent OT Geron Christian, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (via Twitter). It’s a one-year, $1.187MM deal for Christian, with $1.04MM guaranteed, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
A third-round pick of Washington in 2018, Christian missed significant time due to injury in his rookie campaign and in 2020. Washington selected Samuel Cosmi in the second round of last year’s draft and signed Charles Leno shortly thereafter, and with those new blockers in place, the club subsequently released longtime right tackle Morgan Moses and waived Christian on the same day.
The Raiders and Dolphins put in claims for the Louisville product, but the Texans had higher waiver priority and therefore were awarded Christian for the last year of his rookie deal. He wound up appearing in 14 games (eight starts) in 2021, and while Pro Football Focus assigned him a below-average grade of 59.5, he did allow just one sack.
Given his draft pedigree and the interest he generated when Washington parted ways with him last year, it’s clear that talent evaluators see something in the 6-6, 315-pounder. In Kansas City, he will provide insurance in the event that complications should arise in Lucas Niang‘s recovery from a torn patellar tendon, and even if Niang is fully healthy, Christian could theoretically push him for playing time.
If nothing else, Christian represents a young swing tackle with upside on what is likely a low-cost pact.
CB Joe Haden Unlikely To Re-Sign With Steelers
After the Steelers re-signed CB Ahkello Witherspoon and added former Bills corner Levi Wallace, all signs have been pointing to Joe Haden leaving Pittsburgh in search of a new employer. Haden himself seemed to confirm as much in a tweet last night that read, “Steelernation we will always have memories!”
Indeed, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com says that Haden’s days with the Steelers are likely over (Twitter link). There has been no reported interest in him just yet, but following a successful five-year stint in the Steel City, he should be able to land a quality contract on the open market.
The Browns selected Haden with the No. 7 overall pick of the 2010 draft, and he earned two consecutive Pro Bowl bids from 2013-14. Injuries and a corresponding drop in performance led the Browns to request a pay cut in advance of the 2017 season, but the two sides could not come to terms in that regard, and Cleveland could not find any takers in a trade. The club therefore released Haden in August 2017, and the division-rival Steelers were quick to scoop him up.
The Florida product reestablished himself as a CB1 in Pittsburgh, notching 10 interceptions, 54 passes defensed, and his third career Pro Bowl selection during the last five seasons. However, in the eyes of Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, his play has started to decline a bit over the past two years, and his 63.4 grade in 2021 was his lowest mark since 2016. He also failed to record an interception in his 12 games.
Still, CB-needy teams could do much worse, and now that the first wave of free agency is in the books, we could start to hear Haden’s name more often on the rumor mill.
Panthers Pursuing LT Duane Brown
The free agent market for left tackles is starting to heat up. The Dolphins are reportedly chasing LT Terron Armstead, and the Panthers are pursuing the other top blindside blocker on the market, Duane Brown, as David Newton of ESPN.com tweets.
Brown, who will turn 37 in August, spent the first nine-plus years of his career with the Texans after Houston made him the No. 26 overall pick of the 2008 draft. That stint included three consecutive Pro Bowl selections (and a First Team All-Pro bid) from 2012-14, and he held out of the first seven contests of the 2017 campaign in search of a new contract. He ultimately suited up for one game for the Texans in 2017 before being shipped to the Seahawks in a pre-deadline swap in October of that year.
In July 2018, Brown secured a three-year, $36.5MM extension from the Seahawks, which kept him under club control through 2021. Last summer, he engaged in a “hold-in” in an effort to land another extension in advance of his platform season, and while he did not get it, Seattle did agree to convert some of his per game roster bonuses to guarantees while also offering an injury protection benefit for 2022. Ultimately, that restructuring did not matter too much, as Brown played in all 17 games en route to his fifth career Pro Bowl nod.
The Panthers have been aggressive in upgrading their offensive front this offseason, signing center Bradley Bozeman and guard Austin Corbett, but they are still in need of an LT. Carolina could ultimately upgrade that position in the draft, though the club may need to use its first-round selection on a QB since it missed out on Deshaun Watson.
Brown is obviously near the tail end of his career, but he has enjoyed perfect attendance in three of the last four years and has proven that he still has plenty left in the tank. Sam Darnold, or any other passer the Panthers put under center in 2022, would doubtlessly love to have him and Taylor Moton operating as bookends on the O-line.
It was reported at the end of February that the incumbent Seahawks were interested in re-signing Brown, but it’s unclear if a reunion is still in the cards. Of course, now that the ‘Hawks have traded QB Russell Wilson, it’s hard to say if Brown even wants to remain in the Emerald City. At the moment, though, Seattle’s Drew Lock-topped quarterback depth chart isn’t much less appealing (if at all) than Carolina’s Darnold-fronted crew, so Brown may wait to see what other options materialize unless the Panthers blow him away with the type of offer that he has been seeking for years.
Cowboys Interested In Jason Pierre-Paul
After DE Randy Gregory elected to sign with the Broncos and leave the Cowboys at the altar, Dallas suddenly had a major pass-rushing void to fill. The team’s Von Miller pursuit was unsuccessful, so it pivoted to Dante Fowler, agreeing to terms with the former No. 3 overall pick earlier this week.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, the Cowboys may not be done and may be considering multiple additions to their contingent of edge defenders (Twitter link). Specifically, Fowler reports that Dallas is interested in free agent Jason Pierre-Paul.
Now 33, JPP has long been one of the best pass rushers in the game. Selected by the Giants in the first round of the 2010 draft, he earned two Pro Bowl nods and a First Team All-Pro selection during his time with Big Blue, which shipped him to the Buccaneers in a March 2018 trade. Over his first three seasons in Tampa, Pierre-Paul averaged over 10 sacks per year, and he secured a third Pro Bowl berth in 2020, the Bucs’ championship-winning campaign.
The 2021 season, however, represented a step back for Pierre-Paul. Hampered by a broken finger and a torn rotator cuff that required offseason surgery, he managed just 31 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 12 contests. That was a disappointing platform year, and it could explain why this is the first time we have heard of interest in his services.
On the other hand, the addition of a player like Pierre-Paul to a group of QB hunters that also includes DeMarcus Lawrence — who recently agreed to a new contract — Fowler, and Micah Parsons would help to soften the blow of Gregory’s defection. However, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News cautions that nothing is imminent with respect to JPP at this time (Twitter link).
After Za’Darius Smith agreed to terms with the Ravens, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reported (via Twitter) that Dallas had discussions with Smith. Now that the two-time Pro Bowler pulled a Gregory and chose not to reunite with Baltimore, the Cowboys could circle back to him, but that is only speculation at this point.
More Details On Deshaun Watson Sweepstakes; Latest On Baker Mayfield
Though there were four finalists for QB Deshaun Watson before the Browns and Texans completed the blockbuster trade that sent Watson to Cleveland, as many as 10 teams were reportedly interested in Watson’s services. In remarks he made following the trade, Houston GM Nick Caserio would not say exactly how many teams made inquiries, but he did note that the interest went beyond the Browns, Saints, Panthers, and Falcons.
“I would say there was a fair amount of teams, but what we tried to do was bring the teams that had a legitimate interest, and that was based off the compensation that was presented,” Caserio said (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “I don’t want to get into the exact number, but there was a few more, however many teams than what everybody was reporting towards the end.”
Caserio’s comments confirm what had been reported all along: only clubs that were willing to meet the Texans’ steep asking price (three first-rounders and more) were granted permission to have an in-person meeting with Watson. While that seems like the only logical move in hindsight, it was quite a masterstroke by Caserio. Had he allowed Watson to meet with all interested clubs, regardless of proposed compensation, Watson may have decided to waive his no-trade clause for only one team, thereby undermining Caserio’s leverage. But as Florio observes, by having a “pre-qualifying” process, Caserio guaranteed that he would get what he wanted before Watson truly got a say in his next destination.
Per Florio, the Colts put feelers out to the Texans, but Caserio was not willing to deal Watson within his division. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports that the Eagles remained interested throughout the process, but Watson was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause for Philadelphia, largely because he is friends with Eagles QB Jalen Hurts and did not want to take away Hurts’ starting job. Wilson adds that the 49ers also placed a call to the Texans last year.
Caserio suggested that reports on the Texans’ being interested in players as well as picks in a Watson swap were at least somewhat overstated, saying, “I would say other than three first-round picks, I would say probably the rest of it was a little bit of speculation.” Still, Wilson reports that if Houston swung a deal with the Falcons, Atlanta CB AJ Terrell would have been intriguing to Caserio, and if the Saints had been able to acquire Watson, New Orleans OLs Erik McCoy and/or Cesar Ruiz might have been a part of the package heading back to the Texans.
In the end, the Browns, who were initially believed to be out of the running for Watson, were able to acquire the three-time Pro Bowler because they were willing to give him a contract — five years for a fully-guaranteed $230MM, which Wilson reports includes a $45MM signing bonus — that other teams were not comfortable matching. We heard at the time the Cleveland-Houston deal was consummated that the financial side of the equation became untenable for the Falcons and Panthers, and Wilson confirmed in a separate piece that Carolina was resistant to a fully-guaranteed pact.
Cleveland may have felt compelled to make such a bold strike because of an unsalvageable situation with Baker Mayfield. Mayfield requested a trade while the Browns’ courtship of Watson was ongoing, and when it appeared that Watson would not waive his no-trade clause to facilitate a move to northeast Ohio, the Browns indicated they would not accommodate the request. However, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes, Mayfield had no intentions of playing for the Browns in 2022 even if the club had not acquired Watson, and that reality could have forced Cleveland’s hand.
According to Cabot, the Browns had made it clear to Mayfield’s camp that they would pursue a top-flight QB this offseason, but that they were content to run it back with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft if such a pursuit were unsuccessful. Because it had been upfront with him about its intentions, the organization believed it could eventually smooth things over with Mayfield. As we heard last week, though, Mayfield declined owner Jimmy Haslam‘s offer to fly out to Mayfield’s home to discuss the situation, which was a clear indication that there was trouble in paradise.
Cabot further reports that the Watson situation and the team’s comments that it was looking for an “adult” at the quarterback position — thus implying that Mayfield is not, in fact, an adult — merely represented the final straw. Mayfield was said to have issues with HC Kevin Stefanski‘s play-calling and scheme, and as Stefanski will retain play-calling duties in 2022, Mayfield was prepared to skip the Browns’ offseason program and minicamp in an effort to force a trade to a team that has an offense more conducive to his skill-set. As Mayfield is eligible for free agency in 2023, the upcoming season is obviously critical for him, both from a financial and on-field perspective.
We recently learned that Mayfield would prefer to be traded to the Colts. Cabot suggests that, if Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard is interested, he may require the Browns to pay at least some of Mayfield’s $18.9MM salary, and since Cleveland has no choice but to deal Mayfield at this point, the team’s leverage in that regard and in terms of trade compensation is fairly limited.
Both Cabot and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times confirm that the Seahawks may be interested in Mayfield but are genuinely excited by Drew Lock, who recently came to Seattle in the trade that sent Russell Wilson to the Broncos. As for the Texans, Caserio was non-committal when asked if Davis Mills, who started 11 games as a rookie in 2021 and who showed marked improvement down the stretch, would remain Houston’s QB1. Nonetheless, Mills is expected to open the 2022 campaign as the starting signal-caller, despite Caserio’s comments that the team is “starting from scratch” at the most important position in sports.
Dolphins Pursuing LT Terron Armstead
We heard before free agency opened that the Dolphins would be aggressive in their efforts to upgrade their offensive line. The ‘Fins agreed to terms with free agent guard Connor Williams earlier this week, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears from two trusted sources that the club is pursuing free agent LT Terron Armstead (Twitter link).
As the Chiefs elected to place the franchise tag on Orlando Brown, Jr., Armstead is likely the top LT option on the open market (a case could be made for Duane Brown, but he is six years older than Armstead, who will turn 31 in July). Still, despite his three consecutive Pro Bowl bids from 2018-20, and despite a typically strong 75.9 overall score from Pro Football Focus in 2021, there has not been a great deal of reported interest in Armstead at this point.
Indeed, as of the time of this writing, only the Dolphins have been even speculatively linked to the lifelong Saint. Perhaps that is because he missed significant time with a knee injury last year, an injury that will require offseason surgery. Plus, Armstead may have been willing to return to New Orleans on a hometown discount if the Saints had been able to acquire former Texans QB Deshaun Watson via trade.
Now that Watson has been dealt to the Browns, Armstead may be turning his full attention to other suitors. In Spotrac’s estimation, the Arkansas-Pine Bluff product is worth a four-year, $95.8MM contract, and while that would obviously be a hefty investment for the Dolphins, Armstead’s presence should be well-worth such a commitment, assuming there are no complications with his knee surgery.
Just yesterday, Jackson reported that the Dolphins were “monitoring” the recently-released La’el Collins, but the Miami Herald scribe says the club is putting its Collins pursuit on pause while it tries to seal the deal with Armstead. Even if the Dolphins do sign Armstead, Jackson suggests they could subsequently try to acquire Collins to play right tackle.
Jets To Spend Big On Cornerback?
Jets GM Joe Douglas has stressed the importance of maintaining financial flexibility despite his club’s significant amount of cap space, and Brian Costello of the New York Post hears from several agents that Gang Green is unlikely to be a major player for this year’s top FAs. However, Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (subscription required) are hearing something a bit different.
The ESPN scribes expect Douglas — who needs to demonstrate tangible progress in his fourth year at the top of the Jets’ front office — to make a few high-profile signings. Graziano confirms earlier reports that New York is interested in center Ryan Jensen, and he adds that the Jets are in on 49ers DT D.J. Jones. Tight end and safety are also priorities.
Fowler, meanwhile, reports that the Jets are prepared to “spend big” on a premier cornerback. J.C. Jackson is generally viewed as the best CB available, though Costello says New York is not expected to be involved in the bidding for Jackson. Carlton Davis, whom Spotrac believes is in line for a five-year pact worth roughly $100MM, could be an option after the Bucs opted against putting the franchise tag on him.
The Jets believe that their young collection of corners, which includes recent Day 3 draftees like Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, and Michael Carter II, have plenty of promise, but they clearly need a true CB1 to anchor the group. Jackson and Davis certainly fit the bill, though signing either player will put a damper on the flexibility that Douglas covets. Plus, as Costello observes, the Jets’ two top-10 draft choices will receive significant upfront signing bonuses, which will further limit the cash that Douglas has to throw around.
The Jets appear to be at least a year away from true contention, but again, Douglas may need to show some improvement to keep his job. That does not mean that he will spend wildly, but it’s probably fair to expect a little more activity than his recent comments on the matter would suggest.
Colts Interested in Marcus Mariota, Kirk Cousins?
We have not heard much about free agent quarterback Marcus Mariota this offseason, save for some speculation based more on perceived fit than anything else. Now, however, we have something more concrete.
Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (subscription required) writes that Mariota is generating the most buzz as the Colts’ next QB now that Indianapolis has traded Carson Wentz to the Commanders. Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick of the Titans in the 2015 draft, showed some promise during his five years in Tennessee, including a 2016 campaign in which he threw for 26 TDs against nine interceptions and rushed for 349 yards and a pair of scores. But Ryan Tannehill supplanted Mariota as the Titans’ starter midway through the 2019 season, and Mariota has spent the last two years with the Raiders as Derek Carr‘s backup.
He garnered some trade interest last offseason, and it appears as if the structure of his Las Vegas contract was the only real obstacle to a deal. Quarterback-needy teams likely view him as at least a capable bridge starter to a younger prospect, and Graziano’s colleague, Jeremy Fowler, reports that Mariota is open to such a scenario.
The Colts have also been connected to the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo and the Eagles’ Gardner Minshew in recent days, though obviously signing Mariota would allow them to acquire a Wentz replacement without sacrificing any draft capital. Interestingly, Graziano also says some in the industry believe Indy could be a landing spot for Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Fowler reports that the Vikings are truly torn on what to do with Cousins. Extending him would mean committing more years and dollars to a player who has only led the team to one playoff berth in four seasons, but retaining him without an extension would mean carrying a $45MM cap charge for 2022, which hinders the rest of the club’s roster-building efforts. On the other hand, trading him leaves first-year HC Kevin O’Connell without a proven QB to work with.
Regardless of what the Vikings decide to do with Cousins, the Colts are clearly a key team to watch in the non-Deshaun Watson sector of the quarterback market.
Saints, Panthers Make Offers For Deshaun Watson
The Saints and Panthers have extended trade offers to the Texans for QB Deshaun Watson, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). Watson, who wants to make a fully-informed decision before waiving his no-trade clause, will meet with both teams in the near future (Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets that Houston will grant permission for those meetings).
After a grand jury decided against indicting Watson on Friday, trade rumors predictably picked up in a big way. Carolina has been seen as something of a frontrunner for the three-time Pro Bowler since the Dolphins bowed out of the race, but there are now up to 10 teams involved in the bidding.
So while the details of the Saints’ and Panthers’ offers are not yet known, Pelissero says Houston’s asking price — three first-round picks and more — has not changed, and multiple teams are now willing to pay that price. New Orleans and Carolina both have one first-round pick in the 2022 draft, with the Panthers’ No. 6 overall selection obviously quite a bit more valuable than the Saints’ No. 18 selection.
We have known that Panthers owner David Tepper has been willing to pull the trigger on a Watson deal despite the inevitable PR backlash, and Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com says the same is true of Saints ownership (Twitter link). That probably goes without saying in light of the fact that New Orleans has extended a trade offer, but it’s worth noting that, according to Duncan, the franchise has done “extensive background checks” on Watson and is comfortable with its findings.
With free agency opening this week, there is a sense of urgency to these proceedings, at least for some teams. While the Panthers have not been connected to any free agent passers or second-tier trade targets and may pivot to the draft if their Watson pursuit is unsuccessful, New Orleans is interested in re-signing Jameis Winston and doubtlessly wants to get some clarity on where things stand with Watson before Winston is eligible to sign elsewhere. But since Watson wants to take his time and meet with interested clubs, it looks like the process will take a little longer than certain organizations would like.
Texans GM Nick Caserio has been very methodical with respect to the Watson situation, and he is not going to rush things now that he has so much leverage. Soon enough, his patience will pay off in the form of a massive influx of draft capital to accelerate Houston’s rebuilding efforts.