Antonio Brown’s Bucs Deal Still Pending Physical
The Buccaneers may have agreed to terms with Antonio Brown, but it’s not a done deal just yet. Brown’s contract is still pending a physical following a recent knee procedure, head coach Bruce Arians says. 
“He has to pass the physical,” Arians said (via Pewter Report). “Hopefully we’ll have a scope on Tuesday, he’s getting his knee cleaned out, and everything will work out fine. It’s just a matter of a physical.”
In late April, Brown reportedly agreed to a new one-year deal with the defending champs. Assuming the deal holds up, Brown can earn up to $6.25MM with $3.1MM fully guaranteed and a $2MM signing bonus. The remaining half of the $6.25MM could be achieved via incentives.
Brown was dealing with knee issues throughout the playoffs but, for one reason or another, he held off on the surgery. The Bucs may be scratching their heads about Brown’s chosen timetable, but Arians still seems enthusiastic about another go ’round with Brown.
“We wanted AB back,” Arians said. “He was a model citizen the whole time he’s been here. We wanted him back and he’s never had surgery in his life. It’s just a matter of physical done. I wanted him back the whole time.”
In eight regular season games last year, Brown notched 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, 20 of those 45 grabs came in the final three weeks of the regular season, a sign that AB could have some monster games in store this year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: K Jake Verity
- Waived: LS Brian Khoury
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Julian Stanford
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: OL William Sweet
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Damion Willis
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed (from Vikings): WR Austin Proehl
New England Patriots
- Waived: OL Najee Toran
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on reserve/retired list: OL Alex Hoffman
- Re-signed: S Eric Burrell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OT Casey Tucker
Washington Football Team
- Claimed (from Cardinals): S Chris Miller
WFT Gives Morgan Moses Permission To Seek Trade
The Washington Football Team is ready to move on from Morgan Moses. This week, the front office granted the longtime starting tackle permission to seek a trade (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
Moses is currently slated to earn $7.75MM in 2021. That’s not an unreasonable sum, but it’s more than WFT will pay Charles Leno on his brand new one-year, $5MM pact. Leno, 29, is now the leader to man Washington’s left tackle spot with second-round pick Samuel Cosmi positioned to take over in the long run. Now, Washington may look to slot Cosmi in as the RT starter while turning Moses into a bit of future draft capital.
“It gives us more depth,” head coach Ron Rivera told reporters after signing the ex-Bears starter. “It gives us more opportunity to fill some of the other basic needs we have and having another guy that’s been a very durable, veteran player. I just don’t think you can have enough quality offensive line depth.”
Moses hasn’t been a world-beater. But, to his credit, he hasn’t missed a start since his rookie year. He did so while playing through some painful injuries over the last few seasons. Moses’ medical chart includes ankle and Lisfranc surgeries, plus pectoral tears.
Colts’ Darius Leonard: “You Know What You Deserve”
The Colts expect to hammer out an extension with Darius Leonard sometime soon. There’s mutual interest between the team and Leonard, but the linebacker isn’t looking to give a deep hometown discount. 
“You know what you’ve done, and you know what you deserve,” Leonard said (Twitter link via Zak Keefer of The Athletic). “Hopefully, they see as much value as I see.”
Taken with the No. 36 overall pick in 2018, Leonard was an instant difference maker for the Colts. He’s proven to be a great second-round value, though his slot did not provide Indy with a fifth-year option. As a result, he’s currently on course for free agency in the spring of 2022.
Leonard made an All-Pro team in each of his first three seasons, including his first year when he also captured the Defensive Rookie of the Year trophy. He’s now aiming for top-of-the-market inside linebacker money and it’s a safe bet that he’ll get it. You could say that Leonard has been very solid but shy of spectacular, but he’s still young — he won’t turn 26 until July.
For the Colts, that could mean a deal worth about $20MM per year. Meanwhile, they’ll also work to lock up the No. 37 pick in the ’18 class, starting right tackle Braden Smith.
Bengals’ Joe Burrow On Track For Week 1
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is on track to suit up for the season opener. The former No. 1 overall pick is “all systems go” for Sept. 12 against the Vikings, per Dr. Neal ElAttrache (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). 
That’s welcome news for the second-year quarterback who is returning from severe knee injuries suffered in late November. The damage, which included ACL and MCL tears, put Burrow in a nine-month rehab program.
“I’m very optimistic about where I’m at and also where the team’s at,” Burrow said back in April (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby). “Rehab is going very, very well. Lifting is going very, very well. I’m in great shape. Legs feel good. Knee feels good…There’s still opportunities for setbacks. But the way I’m feeling right now, I’m very optimistic that I’ll be ready Game 1.”
The former Heisman Trophy winner finished his injury-shorted season with 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just five interceptions through nine-plus games. Burrow did it all in spite of his patchwork offensive line — Bengals coaches say they’ll do a better job of protecting him this year.
The Bengals re-signed Brandon Allen this offseason, but the hope is that he’ll be holding the clipboard throughout 2021. Beyond Allen, the Bengals also have Kyle Shurmur, Collin Hill, and Eric Dungey on the offseason roster.
Bengals Sign Second-Rounder Jackson Carman
The Bengals have signed rookie offensive lineman Jackson Carman, per a club announcement. With Carman in the fold, the Bengals now have eight players signed from their ten-man class.
Carman, taken in Round 2 with the No. 46 overall pick, made his mark as Clemson’s starting left tackle. But, as a pro, the Bengals will shift him over to guard. It’s new territory for Carman, but it’s his best bet to see the field as Jonah Willaims and Riley Reiff man the outside.
Standing at 6’5″ and weighing 335 pounds, Carman already has an NFL build. Some scouts were unsure about his ability to play LT at the next level, but few could knock his natural ability. As a five-star prospect coming out of high school, he was was nationally known before he even arrived on campus.
With the fierce blocker under contract, the Bengals will move on to inking first-round wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and third-round edge rusher Joseph Ossai.
Browns Sign Rookie James Hudson III
The Browns have another one in the books. On Tuesday, the Browns formally inked fourth-round pick James Hudson III, per a club announcement. Per the terms of his slot, the offensive tackle will earn $4.16MM over the course of four years, including a $677K signing bonus.
The Cincinnati product began his college career as a defensive tackle. Then, the Bearcats asked Hudson to switch sides. In his lone year as the team’s left tackle, Hudson allowed zero sacks and only six quarterback pressures. Now, the No. 110 overall pick will aim to take his game to the next level behind starters Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin.
In addition to Hudson, the Browns have already signed fellow rookies Demetric Felton (RB, sixth-round), Richard LeCounte III (S, fifth-round) and Tony Fields II (LB, fifth-round). They still have four rookies to go, including first-round cornerback Greg Newsome II and second-round linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramaoh.
Jaguars Trade CB Josiah Scott To Eagles
The Jaguars have agreed to trade cornerback Josiah Scott to the Eagles (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). In exchange, the Eagles will send fellow cornerback Jameson Houston to Jacksonville, along with a 2023 sixth-round pick. 
[RELATED: Jaguars To Sign Tebow?]
Scott will help to solidify the Eagles’ CB group, although it’s a less splashy than their reported interest in veteran Steven Nelson. The ex-Chief/Steeler has been a solid starter in the league, ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 cornerback over the last two years. Scott, meanwhile, is heading into his second year after appearing in six games as a rookie reserve. The 2020 fourth-round pick finished last year with a grand total of eleven tackles, including one tackle for a loss.
Houston, meanwhile, went undrafted last year. Then, he got a mini-tour around the country by signing deals with the Browns, Panthers and Eagles. The 5’11” corner saw his first live action with Birds, suiting up for three games down the stretch. The bulk of his time came in Week 16, when he was on the field for 35% of the snaps against Washington.
Falcons’ Matt Ryan: Lots Of “Good Football” Left
Father Time is undefeated, but Matt Ryan is undeterred. On Tuesday, the Falcons’ quarterback told reporters that he has no plans of slowing down or calling it quits as he enters his age-36 season. 
[RELATED: Falcons “Have To Listen” To Julio Jones Offers]
“If you play well long enough you know these things come up,” Ryan said of the speculation regarding his job security (Twitter link via Tori McElhaney of The Athletic). “I still believe I am playing really well and have a lot of good football in front of me.”
Many believed that the Falcons would select Ryan’s eventual replacement at No. 4 overall. Instead, they invested in Ryan’s offense by drafting Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. For Ryan, it was a clear vote of confidence. Now, the veteran will wait to see if longtime partner Julio Jones will remain by his side.
“He’s probably impacted my career more significantly than any other player,” said the QB (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein).
Pitts, Calvin Ridley, and Hayden Hurst would still stand as capable targets, but no one has a track record to match Jones. Since 2011, Jones has racked up seven Pro Bowl nods with 848 catches, 12,896 yards, and 60 career touchdowns.
While Ryan can’t imagine the Falcons without Jones, new GM Terry Fontenot says they “have to listen” to offers for him.
This Date In Transactions History: Bills Sign Tre’Davious White
On this date in 2017, the Bills inked cornerback Tre’Davious White to his first NFL contract. Per the terms of his slot, his four-year deal was worth $10.1MM, including a $5.48MM signing bonus.
Of course, the Bills were not initially set to for the backend of the first round. They originally held the No. 10 overall selection, but moved down after the Chiefs agreed to send the No. 27 pick, a third-round pick, and their 2018 first-round selection. With that No. 27 pick, the Bills selected White. And, at No. 10, the Chiefs took a quarterback named Patrick Mahomes.
That’s a factoid that will forever be attached to White. However, that’s not exactly fair to the LSU product. White immediately stepped into a primetime role after Stephon Gilmore‘s departure. The Bills had also moved on from slot specialist Nickell Robey-Coleman that year — White showed his skills and promise right off the bat.
After notching six interceptions in his first two seasons, White doubled his total with a stellar 2019. His six picks led the league that year, earning him Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors. In 2020, the Bills happily re-upped White on a four-year, $69MM extension with $55MM guaranteed.
Consider this: White allowed just five touchdowns in his first three seasons and led all cornerbacks during that time with a 60.6 passer rating. Fans can keep talking about Mahomes if they want, but White is one heck of a consolation prize.