Colts Sign S Sean Davis
The Colts have signed safety Sean Davis to a one-year deal, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Exact terms of the deal are not yet known. 
[RELATED: Retired Andrew Luck “Having The Time Of His Life”]
The Steelers drafted Davis in the second round in 2016, and he spent his first four years in Pittsburgh. That stretch included 31 starts between 2017-18, but he missed almost all of 2019 due to injury. In 2020, he inked a one-year deal worth $5MM with the Washington Football Team. Then, after cuts, he found his way back to Pittsburgh.
Davis was primarily used on special teams last season, but he may have an opportunity to get more traditional safety work, depending on how the rest of the offseason shakes out. Safety Malik Hooker, who is returning from an Achilles tear, is out of contract. The Colts have also lost Tavon Wilson from last year’s secondary — he recently joined up with the Niners.
With Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick playing in front of him, Davis finished 2020 with just 12 tackles and one pass defensed.
Colts’ T.Y. Hilton: Retired Andrew Luck “Having The Time Of His Life”
Andrew Luck is “having the time of his life” and he’s never felt like this before, longtime teammate T.Y. Hilton says (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of The Athletic). Hilton’s comments are just the latest indication that Luck will not be returning to the NFL, despite the constant speculation about his plans. 
Luck, who won’t turn 32 until the fall, shocked the world when he retired just before the start of the 2019 season. He was just 29 at the time, but he felt that he could no longer play through the pain of his injuries. Ever since, fans have been wondering if the former No. 1 overall pick could have a change of heart,
“He knows we would love to have him back,’’ owner Jim Irsay said earlier this year. “But only he can answer that question deep in his heart and his soul: ‘Hey, do I really want to come back and be a quarterback for the Colts again in the NFL?’ It’s easy for us. He knows how much we’d love to have him be our quarterback…He knows that he can come back anytime he wants, but at the same time we respect he’s made that decision.’’
Meanwhile, Hilton is on the verge of his 32nd birthday in April. He recently re-signed with the Colts on a one-year deal and acknowledges that it could be his last NFL contract.
“[I] probably need to stop talking to [Luck] so much,” Hilton said. “He might make me retire. He’s making me kind of jealous.”
Latest On Buccaneers, Antonio Brown
Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians recently said that the team is waiting to hear back on its latest offer to Antonio Brown. However, the two sides aren’t close to an agreement, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com. 
There’s still mutual interest, but the Bucs aren’t on board with Brown’s asking price. It’s not clear what Brown is seeking; nor is it clear whether Brown has offers from anyone but the Bucs. Between Brown’s lingering legal issues and his overall baggage, it’s hard to imagine him having a strong market in free agency. Jason Licht & Co. have offered the wide receiver something in the range of last year’s deal, which paid him $2MM for a half-season.
Earlier this offseason, we saw DeSean Jackson score a one-year, $4.5MM deal with the Rams. One could argue that Brown offers more upside than DJax, but every player’s market is dictated by demand. Right now, it doesn’t seem like there is a ton of demand for Brown outside of Tampa.
Brown, 33 this summer had 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns in eight games. Extrapolated for a full 16-game slate, that would have given him a 90/966/8 line.
Colts To Meet With Sean Davis
Free agent safety Sean Davis is meeting with the Colts today (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). This marks Davis’ second-known visit in the last week, following his trip to Buffalo.
Davis has only suited up for the Steelers over the last five years, but he was initially set to play for Washington last year. After a summer injury, WFT released him, leading him back to Pittsburgh. Davis mostly came off the bench for the Steelers last year, tallying 12 stops and one fumble recovery. For his career, Davis has 64 appearances (32 starts) to his credit with 259 tackles, five interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and 2.5 sacks.
The Colts could use some more bodies in their secondary with Tavon Wilson out of the picture and Malik Hooker in free agent limbo. As it stands, their secondary has little outside of Julian Blackmon, Khari Willis, and George Odum. If signed, Davis could see a decent number of snaps, as opposed to last year when he saw most of his time on special teams.
Colts To Sign Chris Reed
The Colts have agreed to sign Chris Reed to a one-year veteran benefit deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Reed, who started in 14 games for the Panthers last year, gives the Colts another experienced option on the offensive line. 
Reed joined the Panthers towards the end of the 2019 season, after he was dropped by the Panthers. He worked as Carolina’s left guard in 2020, earning a so-so 63.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus for his 892 snaps. He fared better in 2019 with a 70.3 grade, though that came in a very limited sample of 106 snaps.
Reed joins fellow vets Sam Tevi and Julien Davenport in Indianapolis, providing reinforcements to a group that was battered by injuries last year. Although their starters were among the best in the league, their reserves left something to be desired while tackles Anthony Castonzo and Braden Smith were sidelined. Now, they’re without Castonzo altogether following his January retirement.
NFL Draft Prospect Profile: LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase
With so much talk about this year’s top quarterbacks, this would be a good time to cast the spotlight on college football’s consensus No. 1 wide receiver. Playing from both the outside and the slot, LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase has shown that he can break tackles and ankles with ease. On April 29th, he figures to be one of the first names called in Cleveland. 
Chase opted out of the 2020 season, though his decision wasn’t entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, he was aiming to stay healthy in advance of the draft, but who could blame him? With a promising pro career ahead of him plus millions of dollars from his rookie contract alone, there was little sense in Chase risking an injury. The 6-foot, 208-pounder may have a little rust to shake, but evaluators aren’t too concerned.
In 2019, Chase set SEC single-season records in receiving yards (1,780) and receiving touchdowns (20). That same offense produced three skill positions players that went in the first round of the 2020 draft, including Justin Jefferson. As good as Jefferson was, Chase was even better, capturing the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore.
Based on talent alone, some have Chase slotted as the third-best player in this year’s class. Of course, quarterbacks always shift the early makeup of the board, and last week’s blockbuster trades may push Chase out of the top five. That’s just fine by the Dolphins, who have reportedly been eyeing the LSU Tiger since he was just a cub. After the Jaguars officially select Trevor Lawrence, it’s expected that Zach Wilson (Jets) and Trey Lance (49ers) will follow. If the Falcons and Bengals stay put, they’re likely to address other needs before delving into WRs.
Barring more trades or early-board surprises, Chase seems destined for South Beach. As the most pro-ready receiver in the draft, many believe that he’s on course for an even stronger career than his old teammate.
“I thought Chase was on a different level [than Justin Jefferson],” one scout told The Athletic’s Bob McGinn. “Watching what Jefferson did this year (with the Vikings), that just makes me say, ‘Good Lord.’ Honestly, I thought (Chase) was the best receiver in the class last year.”
Bills To Sign LB Tyrell Adams
The Bills have agreed to sign linebacker Tyrell Adams, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Exact terms of the deal are not yet known.
Adams spent much of his Texans tenure bouncing between the practice squad and the varsity squad. Last year, however, he made 12 starts for Houston. Like many of last year’s first-string defenders, he wasn’t brought back by the Texans, leading him to Buffalo.
Technically, this marks the veteran’s second time with the Bills. The first stint in 2017 lasted just a couple of hours — GM Brandon Beane claimed him and quickly cut him loose again due to injury.
Adams, 28, performed admirably in Benardrick McKinney‘s stead. In 2020, he notched a new career high of 125 tackles with two sacks and two forced fumbles (both FFs came on Thanksgiving against the Lions). In the interest of equal time — the advanced metrics Pro Football Focus didn’t reflect well on his performance, placing him outside of the league’s top 60.
Adams joins a solid LB group in Buffalo that also features Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, and A.J. Klein.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/31/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-Signed: WR Mathew Sexton
Seahawks To Extend Tyler Lockett
The Seahawks have locked up Tyler Lockett for the long haul. On Wednesday, the two sides agreed to a four-year, $69.2MM extension (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). The deal includes $37MM in guaranteed cash and likely tamps down his scheduled $14.95MM cap hit for 2021. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Strike New Deal With Jackson]
Lockett, 28, came to Seattle as a third-round pick in 2015. Ever since, he’s greatly outperformed his draft position with solid work out of the slot. Across the last six years, he has 376 grabs, 4,892 yards, and 37 touchdowns to his credit. He’s also coming off of a career-best 100 receptions (for 1,054 yards and ten touchdowns), though his 10.5 yards per catch average left much to be desired. Before 2020, Lockett was averaging 13.9 ypc, bolstered by his near 17-yard average in 2018.
Despite questionable depth at wide receiver, the Seahawks abstained from this year’s best available options. This new deal underscores their confidence in Lockett — not just for this year, but for many seasons to follow. For now, the Seahawks are set to enter 2021 with Lockett and D.K. Metcalf leading the charge with support from Freddie Swain, Cody Thompson, John Ursua, Darvin Kidsy, Aaron Fuller, and Penny Hart.
In addition to Lockett, the Seahawks have also re-upped guard Gabe Jackson with a three-year, $22.58MM extension. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, they moved on from defensive tackle Jarran Reed. With the 28-year-old out of the picture, their DL group will feature Kerry Hyder, Benson Mayowa, Carlos Dunlap, Poona Ford, and old pal Al Woods.
Bengals Re-Sign Amani Bledsoe
The Bengals have re-signed defensive end Amani Bledsoe on a one-year contract, per a club announcement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
[RELATED: Bengals Meet With Ryan Kerrigan]
Bledsoe started his career with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2019. The Oklahoma product spent that year on Tennessee’s practice squad, then joined the Bengals during 2020’s training camp. He went on to make the cut and see time in 14 games last year, including four starts. All in all, he tallied 17 tackles and two pass defenses.
The Bengals are expected to continue hunting for edge rushing help in the draft with Carl Lawson and Geno Atkins out of the picture. There’s also the second-wave of veteran free agents to consider. The Bengals weren’t able to land Sheldon Rankins (like Lawson, he chose the Jets instead) but they do have interest in Ryan Kerrigan. Washington’s all-time sack leader turns 33 in August, but he could likely be had on a low-cost, one-year deal. Other notable and available names like Kawann Short and Jurrell Casey could also appeal to Cincinnati.