Details On Dont’a Hightower’s Deal
Sometimes, when agents are the first to leak details to the press, the initial reported value of free agent deals winds up being a bit inflated. It’s a natural part of the NFL these days but, fortunately, the truth quickly comes to light. 
With that in mind, we’ve learned today that Dont’a Hightower‘s four-year, $43.5MM deal is actually worth less than that (via Albert Breer of The MMQB on Twitter). The true base value of the deal is $32MM. In each season, there are $875K worth of per-game roster bonuses, so $3.5MM of the deal will be contingent on Hightower’s health. Then, to satisfy the remaining $8MM gap and reach the full $43.5MM, Hightower would have to nail all of his playtime, Pro Bowl, and First-Team All-Pro incentives each year.
After word of sincere interest from the Jets and Steelers, it sounds like Hightower took a hometown discount to remain with the Patriots. Hightower entered March with hopes of fetching $12MM per year or more. Instead, he has a deal that is really worth somewhere between $8MM-$9MM on average with the potential to exceed $10MM, but only if he is recognized by the league as a megastar.
As a non-rush linebacker, Hightower doesn’t get the sacks and, in turn, doesn’t get the glory. Despite being an elite player for years, Hightower just received his first Pro Bowl nod in 2016 and has never been given First-Team All-Pro honors. Hightower could certainly hit those markers multiple times over the next four seasons, but he’s at a bit of a disadvantage. The $43.5MM value can’t be classified as “not likely to be earned,” but it’s also far from a slam dunk.
Jaguars Sign LB Josh McNary
The Jaguars signed linebacker Josh McNary, according to a team announcement. McNary, formerly with the Colts, was non-tendered this offseason.
McNary, an Army product, appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Colts last season. He has been largely a special teams guy for Indianapolis over the last four years and that’s likely the role he’ll continue to play in with Jacksonville. His career sack total is 0.5 and he had just 13 total tackles in 2016. Still, he is a tough player who is willing to do the dirty work in the third facet of the game.
In other Jaguars news, the team recently hosted defensive tackle Dontari Poe on a visit. Poe, unsurprisingly, is among PFR’s best interior linemen remaining in free agency.
Bears, Colts To Meet With John Jenkins
Seahawks free agent defensive lineman John Jenkins is visiting the Bears on Thursday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). If he doesn’t immediately sign in Chicago, he’ll visit the Colts on Friday. 
[RELATED: Top 2017 Defensive Free Agents By Position]
Jenkins, a true nose tackle, would be a logical fit for both the Bears and Colts as they run a 3-4 scheme. Right now, the Bears have three nose tackles under contract, all of whom were drafted by the team: Eddie Goldman, Will Sutton, and Ego Ferguson.
The Colts picked up defensive tackle Al Woods on Thursday morning, but he is more of a three-technique player than a straight-up nose tackle like Jenkins. In the last week, the Colts have already imported three free agent defensive linemen in Woods, Jabaal Sheard, and Margus Hunt.
We have Jenkins ranked as one of the 15 best free agent interior defenders left in free agency.
Colts Sign DT Al Woods
Al Woods is going from the Titans to a division rival. The Colts are signing the defensive tackle, according to his agents at SportsTrust (on Twitter). It’s a two-year contract worth $5MM in total, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Woods was released by the Titans earlier this month before a $1.25MM portion of his base salary would have become fully guaranteed. By dumping Woods, the Titans saved a little over $2MM against the cap versus $1.5MM in dead money. Now, they’ll have to face him multiple times in 2017.
Woods was a part-time starter for the Titans in his three years there. Before that, he spent time with the Bucs, Seahawks, and Steelers. Last year, he was limited to just 245 snaps thanks to a calf injury. This year, if he stays healthy, he should see considerably more playing time for the Colts in a similar role to what Zach Kerr filled in 2016. Kerr was not tendered an offer and left to sign with Denver earlier this week. He appeared in nearly a third of Indy’s defensive snaps.
Vikings Sign RB Latavius Murray
The Vikings announced early Thursday morning that they have signed free agent running back Latavius Murray. Murray’s deal with Minnesota is for three years, but can be voided after one season, Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This means Murray could have a shot at free agency again in 2018 and that could be very lucrative for him if he gets back on track.
If the deal doesn’t void out, it’ll be a three-year deal worth roughly $15MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Over the three year period, the deal includes $8.5MM in guaranteed cash, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets. 
The arrival of Murray could spell the end of Adrian Peterson‘s time in Minnesota. Peterson remains in free agent limbo, but it’s hard to see either Peterson or Murray agreeing to a timeshare with one another. Peterson, of course, is a prideful guy and is out to prove that he can still play like a star even after his latest setback. Murray, meanwhile, signed a deal with a one-year escape hatch. In order for him to maximize his value for next spring, he’ll have to get the majority of the carries in Minnesota. I would speculate that Murray’s reps asked the Vikings if they intended on re-signing Peterson. If they had said yes, Murray probably would have sought out this one-year, prove-it situation elsewhere.
Murray averaged 4.0 yards per carry in each of his two seasons as the Raiders’ primary starter. He rushed for 12 touchdowns in 2016, but young upstarts Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington started cutting into his workload. He surpassed 1,000 yards in 2015 but rushed for only 788 last season. The Raiders reportedly had interest in bringing Murray back after he explored the open market, but we haven’t heard much on that front in the last seven days.
This offseason, we’ve seen two players sign multi-year deals with performance-driven clauses that can allow them to escape after one year: Murray and Cordarrelle Patterson. The two offensive standouts switched teams this month with Patterson joining the Raiders and Murray going to Minnesota.
Rams To Sign RB Lance Dunbar
The Rams and running back Lance Dunbar agreed to a one-year deal, a source told Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The contract could pay him up to $3MM, Caplan adds. It’s presently unclear how much Dunbar gets in guarantees and base pay. 
Dunbar was third on the Cowboys’ depth chart last season behind star Ezekiel Elliott and veteran Alfred Morris. Morris remains under contract in Dallas, so there wasn’t much of an opportunity for Dunbar to get playing time there in 2017. The Cowboys either didn’t make a strong effort to retain Dunbar or, at minimum, any push to keep him didn’t make it to the press.
In 2016, Dunbar had just nine carries and 16 receptions. Now, in sunny Los Angeles, he could be the clear-cut No. 2 running back, depending on what the team does between now and training camp. Todd Gurley will be the starter but the only other tailbacks on the roster are former undrafted free agents Malcolm Brown and Aaron Green. With his pass-catching skill, he could play a role similar to Chris Thompson in Sean McVay‘s former Redskins offense.
Bills Make Offer To WR Andre Holmes
4:53pm: A Bills spokesperson also says that Holmes has not signed (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
It seems that the Bills offered Holes a three-year, $4.5MM deal and the NFLPA accidentally documented it as a done deal rather than an offer. Now, the entire football world knows the exact terms of the Bills’ offer to Holmes, which could be detrimental to both sides. The deal could still go down, but as of right now, Holmes remains a free agent.
3:40pm: Hold up. Holmes took to Twitter to say that any reports of him signing with any team at this time are false. This is a strange development, particularly since ESPN’s report cites NFLPA documents.
3:29pm: It’s rare that NFL free agent deals become official before leaking out, but that’s exactly what happened with the Bills and wide receiver Andre Holmes. Holmes inked a three-year, $4.5MM deal with the Bills, according to NFLPA documents obtained by Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The deal includes $2.425MM guaranteed. 
Wide receiver was a big need for the Bills coming into free agency and the Holmes pickup doesn’t totally check that box. He can be a valuable supporting cast member behind star Sammy Watkins, but it would be a bit underwhelming to see the Bills go into the season with Watkins, Holmes, Dezmin Lewis, and free agent pickups Philly Brown and Jeremy Butler as their top five wide receivers. Walt Powell and Kolby Listenbee are also under contract, giving the team seven receivers in total.
Holmes, 28, spent the past four seasons in Oakland. The former undrafted free agent was a large part of the Raiders’ offense as recently as two years ago, as he posted 47 receptions for nearly 700 yards and four touchdowns during the 2014 campaign. In 2016, however, Holmes had only 14 catches with a larger emphasis on special teams.
Titans, Wesley Woodyard Agree To Extension
The Titans have signed linebacker Wesley Woodyard to a two-year extension, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The new pact will keep him in place through the 2019 season. He can earn up to $12.75MM over the next three years.
Woodyard, 31 in July, has not missed a single regular season game in his three years with the Titans. He was an every-game starter for Tennesee in his first year there (2014), but he has seen his role downsized a bit in each of the last three seasons. Still, he’s a valuable piece of the defense and he’ll now be tied down for an additional two years.
Woodyard’s old deal called for him to hit the open market after the 2017 season. While he was slated for a $5.5MM cap number with a $4.25MM base salary, Woodyard has agreed to accept a paycut as part of the extension, per Yates. Woodyard will now earn a base salary of $2.2MM, a $1MM roster bonus (already paid out), and have the chance to earn $300K in per-game roster bonuses.
Ravens Trade C Jeremy Zuttah To 49ers
The Ravens have traded center Jeremy Zuttah to the 49ers, according to a team announcement. In the deal, the two teams will swap sixth-round picks. The Ravens will move up 12 picks late in the draft. The Ravens get pick No. 186 from the 49ers and San Francisco takes Baltimore’s pick No. 198. 
The Ravens initially planned to release Zuttah, but the Ravens were able to work out a trade instead. This happens from time to time in the NFL – a team notifies a player of his release, word leaks out, and a team receives a phone call from an interested club before the transaction becomes official. Now, the 49ers get Zuttah without having to compete with other interested teams.
Zuttah is not a superstar, but he is a solid center with starting experience. The Rutgers product has been a starter for Baltimore for the last three seasons. In 2016, the advanced numbers Pro Football Focus placed Zuttah as the 13th best center in the league. His 82.7 score was his best showing since his rookie campaign.
Buccaneers Re-Sign C Joe Hawley
The Bucs announced that they’ve re-signed center Joe Hawley. It’s a two-year deal. 
Hawley was ranked as one of our top 15 centers on the open market heading into free agency. He’ll now return to Tampa Bay and likely continue as the starting center. Hawley has been the Bucs’ No. 1 man in the middle since 2015.
The Buccaneers did have a couple of free agent options left to survey at center if they wanted to move on from Hawley. Former Jet Nick Mangold remains on the board and ex-Bucs center Jeremy Zuttah became a late addition when the Ravens cut him on Wednesday. However, Tampa Bay did not want to lose the 28-year-old (29 in October).
As Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter) notes, Hawley is the seventh free agent to re-sign with Bucs, joining Bryan Anger, William Gholston, Jacquizz Rodgers, Chris Conte, Josh Robinson and Sealver Siliga.