Rams To Sign OT Andrew Whitworth
Former Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth is expected to sign with the Rams today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In terms of talent, I had the veteran ranked as the top tackle on the open market. 
It’s a three-year, $36MM deal with $15MM guaranteed, Schefter tweets. That also includes $2.5MM guaranteed for year two of the deal. The cash flow seems favorable as Whitworth is ticketed for $24.5MM through the first two years, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
This will result in former No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson sliding inside to guard, Rapoport tweets. Under interim coach John Fassel, the Rams were exploring this idea. They’ll now follow through with it under Sean McVay in what seems like a last-ditch move to try and salvage Robinson’s career with the franchise.
Reportedly, the Bengals front office tried to convince teams at the scouting combine they’d ultimately re-sign the veteran.Whitworth’s camp, meanwhile, told potential suitors that a return to Cincinnati was not locked down. Whitworth’s crew wasn’t lying – he’s leaving.
Whitworth spent some time at guard last season but he’s likely going to play on the outside in L.A. Offensive line was one of the Rams’ major areas of need this offseason and they have found themselves a major piece to group with Rodger Saffold and Rob Havenstein. Now, rising sophomore quarterback Jared Goff should have much better pocket protection. Whitworth’s 92.5 score for pass blocking on Pro Football Focus led all tackles last season.
Whitworth, 35, spent his entire 11-year career in Cincinnati until now. He’s been remarkably durable, missing only two games since the start of the 2009 season. In 2016, PFF rated him as the second-best tackle in the entire NFL and he’s been a Top 5/Top 10 guy for the last five years in a row.
The former first-rounder has started 71 games during his five-year career.
Patriots To Sign CB Stephon Gilmore
The Patriots are making big moves this week. New England will sign cornerback Stephon Gilmore, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal is expected to come in at more than $14MM/year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, but the length of the pact is not yet clear. 
This deal spells the end of free agent Logan Ryan‘s time with the team, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. In theory, Gilmore and Ryan could have formed one of league’s premier CB duos, but that would have been extremely costly for the Pats. I have Ryan ranked No. 6 on my Top 50 Free Agents list, which ranks players in terms of projected earning power. Gilmore was not far behind at No. 10.
Malcolm Butler, on the other hand, should still be returning to New England. This week, the Pats applied the first-round tender to the cornerback. In theory, another club could sign him to an offer sheet and forfeit a first-round choice if the Pats choose not to match. We’re not so sure Butler will be worth all of that for interested clubs.
The Bears made a strong push for Gilmore this week and the Bills were also working to re-sign him. Buffalo could have retained Gilmore with the franchise tag, but the team felt that the one-year tender for corners was too pricey. They allowed Gilmore to test the open market and they may or may not regret that decision today.
Gilmore did not play up to his ability in 2016 and some have speculated that he was playing it safe in his contract year. Others have wondered if Gilmore simply slipped as the Bills’ entire defense slumped.
The former first-rounder has started 66 games since entering the league in 2012. This year, he had a career-high five interceptions, but Pro Football Focus ranked him only 61st among 112 qualifying corners. Despite the so-so year, Gilmore still ranked as our third-best available free agent cornerback.
Buccaneers To Sign DeSean Jackson
Wide receiver DeSean Jackson expects to sign with Tampa assuming no breakdown in the final negotiations, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Facebook link). He should provide Jameis Winston with the deep threat he has been seeking. 
Jackson led the NFL in yards per reception for the second time in his career last season and showed that he hasn’t lost a bit of his blazing speed. He was also linked to the Patriots and the incumbent Redskins, but the Buccaneers have been in pursuit of him for days now (perhaps even before the start of the legal tampering period).
Jackson will now pair with Mike Evans at the top of the Bucs’ wide receiver depth chart. Adam Humphries and Josh Huff are also there, but the Bucs might look to add an additional receiver via free agency or the draft. Vincent Jackson, Cecil Shorts III, and Russell Shepard are all unrestricted free agents this week. The competition for Shepard is apparently heating up, so he might not be back. V. Jackson won’t be retiring, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be back in Tampa either.
Following an underwhelming 2015 campaign, Jackson bounced back in 2016. In 15 games, the veteran hauled in 56 receptions for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns. In nine NFL seasons, the wideout has averaged 55 receptions, 980 yards, and five touchdowns in 14 games per season.
Jackson rated as PFR’s No. 26 free agent based on projected earning power. He was our No. 5 ranked wide receiver based on ability, behind Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor, Kenny Stills, and Kenny Britt.
Packers To Re-Sign LB Nick Perry
The Packers are re-signing outside linebacker Nick Perry, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Perry’s third Packers contract will be worth $60MM over five years, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Perry will receive and $18.5MM signing bonus. In terms of AAV, Perry’s deal will fall into fifth place among 3-4 outside linebackers in terms of per-year dollars. The Packers now employ two of the top-five players here, with Clay Matthews‘ $13.2MM-per-year deal ranking third in that hierarchy.
The first three years of this deal will be quite player-friendly. Perry’s total cash flow in 2018 will hit $20.8MM, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). For the first three years, that figure jumps to $39MM.
[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers To Push For New Deal?]
Last year, Perry had career highs in starts (12), sacks (11) and tackles (52). Perry entered the year with only 16 starts and 12.5 sacks across 46 appearances. He entered free agency at just the right time and picked up interest from multiple clubs in need of a difference-maker in the front seven. The Falcons, Colts, and Jets were among the teams in the mix for him.
After Chandler Jones, Melvin Ingram, and Jason Pierre-Paul came off the board, Perry stood as our No. 1 edge defender on the open market. On my Top 50 list, which rates players by earning power, he was No. 18 overall.
The Packers still have free agents of their own to address, including Eddie Lacy, Julius Peppers, James Starks, T.J. Lang, J.C. Tretter, Jared Cook, and Micah Hyde. Green Bay entered today with $37MM-plus in cap space, so retaining multiple other members of this group isn’t out of the question for this build-from-within franchise. Hyde, though, is expected to depart.
This comes a year after Perry re-signed to stay in Green Bay after tepid interest elsewhere, but after a standout season that came in what amounted to a second contract year, the soon-to-be 27-year-old edge player won’t come nearly as cheap. This continues the Packers’ pattern of prioritizing their own, following re-signings of Perry in 2016 and keeping the likes of Randall Cobb and Bryan Bulaga a year prior once they became UFAs. Perry will miss officially hitting the open market by a few hours.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
Panthers Sign Matt Kalil
Former Minnesota offensive tackle Matt Kalil has signed with the Panthers, per a club announcement. The deal was first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Now, Matt will play on the same offensive line as his brother, Ryan Kalil.
It’s a five-year, $55.5MM deal for Kalil, who will receive $24MM guaranteed, Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer writes. However, that doesn’t quite tell the whole story. The deal is effectively a one-year pact with an option for more, based on what one source tells Mike Florio of PFT.
The Panthers have to decide between the first and fifth day of the 2018 league year whether to exercise a $10MM option bonus for 2021, with a $10MM non-exercise fee for 2018. The Panthers can avoid escape the option bonus by releasing or trading him prior to that deadline. Ultimately, this all measures out to a one-year, $13MM deal with a $1MM guarantee for 2018. Cutting ties with Kalil after one year would be costly, but it wouldn’t be out of the question if he underperforms.
The Vikings took Kalil No. 4 overall in 2012 draft and watched him enjoy a stellar rookie campaign. However, he’s been unable to replicate that success. Last year, he appeared in just two games due to injury. Hopefully, he’ll be able to turn in a 16-game season this year, like he did from 2012-2015.
There was mutual interest in a reunion between the Vikings and the 27-year-old (28 this summer), but Kalil was likely drawn to Carolina by the chance to play with his brother. Now, he’ll go to the Panthers and fill one of the team’s major offseason needs. Michael Oher was slated to be the team’s left tackle for 2017, but concussion issues have put his status in question.
Bears, Mike Glennon Agree To $45MM Deal
It won’t be official until later today, but it sounds like Mike Glennon and the Bears have agreed to terms. When it’s all final, Glennon’s pact is expected to be a three-year deal at an average salary of $14.5MM per year, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears it will be a three-year, $45MM deal that includes $19MM guaranteed. 
The Bears paid a pretty penny to get their man and it’s not immediately clear who they were bidding against. The Jets reported interest in him, we learned, was apparently overstated, and the 49ers were not in the mix either. Regardless, talk of Glennon getting $14-$15MM per year has come to fruition. At the same time, the average annual salary puts him 23rd amongst quarterbacks, so it’s not that ludicrous of a paycheck if the Bears believe he can be their starter.
The length of the deal can also be advantageous for both sides. The Bears do not have to commit to Glennon beyond the 2019 season, and that’s probably the safe way to go considering that he has thrown just eleven passes in the last two seasons as Jameis Winston’s understudy. At the same time, Glennon will be able to hit the open market again before his age-30 season.
As a rookie in 2013, Glennon started 13 games, completing 59.4% of his passes for 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. All in all, he’s 5-13 as a starting quarterback, but one could hardly blame him for all of the Bucs’ problems in 2013 and 2014.
In addition to signing the former Bucs signal caller, Rapoport adds that the Bears still plan on drafting a quarterback in April. It’s not immediately clear whether that means taking a quarterback with their No. 3 overall pick. If that’s the case, top QB prospects like Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson, and Patrick Mahomes could be in play. Other quarterbacks like DeShone Kizer, Brad Kaaya (who was once said to be a Chicago target), and Davis Webb could potentially be on the board beyond the first round.
Photo courtesy of PFR on Instagram.
49ers To Sign Brian Hoyer
The 49ers will sign Brian Hoyer, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Hoyer’s role is not immediately clear, but it’s at least possible that he may be San Francisco’s starter in 2017. It’s a two-year deal, tweets Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. The pact contains base salaries of $6MM in each season and $10MM in guarantees, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. With potential incentives factored in, Hoyer could make up to $9MM per year (Twitter link). 
The Jets also had interest in Hoyer, but it seems that his relationship with coach Kyle Shanahan helped push him to San Francisco. The incumbent Bears and the Bills also had some level of interest in him. The Bears probably backed off as their pursuit of Mike Glennon gained steam and the Bills came off the board when they worked out a restructured deal with Tyrod Taylor.
Hoyer and Shanahan worked together on the 2014 Browns, who finished with the moribund franchise’s best record since 2007. Hoyer’s per-pass numbers were better with the Texans and Bears, respectively, but his longest audition as a starter came for a Cleveland team that didn’t have Josh Gordon‘s services, for the most part. The Cleveland-area native threw for more than 3,000 yards for the only time in his career and tossed 12 touchdown passes.
In Chicago, Hoyer threw four 300-yard games last season before suffering a season-ending injury, and he guided the Texans to the playoffs in 2015 despite being embroiled in a strange quarterback controversy with Ryan Mallett for part of the year. His arrival in San Francisco could signal the 49ers leaning toward taking a quarterback in the draft. Numerous passers — headlined by Kirk Cousins — were believed to be on the 49ers’ radar, but Hoyer looks to be a bridge starter in the meantime. Washington slapped the exclusive franchise tag on Cousins, so a trade would be the only scenario in which San Francisco could acquire him this year. But Cousins could be a 2018 UFA, and a Hoyer deal would line up with a possible Shanahan pursuit of another former pupil next year.
Hoyer went 1-4 in five Bears starts last year but 5-4 with the ’15 Texans and guided the Browns to all seven of their wins a year prior.
49ers To Sign WR Marquise Goodwin
Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin is signing with the 49ers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The speedster should be a strong fit for Kyle Shanahan‘s offense in San Francisco, and he could make up to $8MM on a two-year deal, per Rapoport (Twitter link).
Goodwin, a former track and field Olympian, spent the last four years in Buffalo. With the Bills, he totaled 49 catches and six touchdowns in 39 games. Goodwin set career highs last year with 15 appearances, 29 catches, 68 targets and 431 yards. He also matched a personal watermark with three touchdowns.
Our own Dallas Robinson suggested that the 49ers should pursue some new offensive weapons this offseason, and they’ve done that so far. The team signed fellow free agent wideout Pierre Garcon earlier today, and the duo should team up nicely with new quarterback Brian Hoyer.
Besides the two additions, the 49ers also have a number of other wideouts on the roster, including Jeremy Kerley, Aaron Burbridge, Bruce Ellington, and Chris Harper.
Redskins, McCloughan Likely To Part Ways
It sure sounds like Scot McCloughan will be ousted in D.C. The Redskins have been “entertaining” new general manager options for “quite some time,” numerous league sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Apparently, the team has internally discussed names and La Canfora writes says they have “essentially have begun the process.” Unsurprisingly, then, a parting of ways is “inevitable” – perhaps in the form of a buyout – multiple sources tell Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
If team president Bruce Allen looks for a successor to McCloughan, one name that has surfaced is former Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik, who has a history with Allen. La Canfora also suggests a possible promotion for executive Alex Santos, though the team has never promoted from within to fill the GM role, while Jones adds that ex-Redskins quarterback Doug Williams and former Chargers GM A.J. Smith are possibilities.
As for McCloughan himself, La Canfora hears the GM is not in rehab (he has dealt with alcohol-related issues) and has not been in rehab during his hiatus from the team. However, he has not stopped drinking since joining the Redskins in 2015, per Jones, who writes that McCloughan’s peers don’t believe that has negatively affected his work. McCloughan and Allen have been at loggerheads over several matters, details Jones, and it looks as if their inability to coexist will lead to a divorce.
Reportedly, the chaos in Washington is making the representatives of free agents question the team’s stability.
Bills Keep Tyrod Taylor
This is a bit of a surprise, but the Bills will be keeping Tyrod Taylor after all. The team announced that the quarterback will remain in Buffalo on a restructured deal. The new deal will cover five year, and it will become a “year-to-year agreement” following the first two years, per Vic Carrucci of the Buffalo News. Taylor’s cap charge will decrease from $16MM to just under $10MM in 2017, according to Carrucci.
This offseason, the Bills held an option on Taylor worth $27.5MM option, due March 11th. That number was unpalatable for Buffalo management and Taylor’s reps were holding firm, telling the organization that it was an “all or nothing” proposition if they wanted to keep him off the open market. Ultimately, Taylor caved a bit in order to stay put.
Based on recent word out of Buffalo, it seems that top decision makers like GM Doug Whaley, senior VP of football administration Jim Overdorf, and team president Russ Brandon were against bringing Taylor back. However, new head coach Sean McDermott advocated for Taylor’s return, citing a lack of quality options in free agency.
“I’ve gotten a chance to know Tyrod and study him over the past several weeks and he is both a great person and competitor,” McDermott said today (via Carucci on Twitter). “Doug (Whaley) and I are confident this was best move for the Bills at this time.”
After spending the first four seasons of his career in Baltimore, the former ACC Player of the Year signed a three-year, $3.35MM deal with the Bills in 2015. Taylor ended up earning the starting gig in Buffalo, and he went on to make the Pro Bowl that season.
The third year of that contract was voided since Taylor ended up playing more than 50-percent of the team’s snaps in 2015. As a result, the Bills extended the quarterback for six years and $92MM. The 27-year-old ultimately completed 61.7-percent of his passes for 3,023 yards, 17 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2016. He also added another 580 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Of course, those numbers were compiled in “only” 15 games. Taylor was inactive for the team’s season finale as the Bills looked to slide out of his 2017 guaranteed salary.
The Jets, 49ers, Browns, and Cardinals were among the team’s reportedly eying the Taylor situation.