Giants Sign Zach Fulton
The Giants have signed guard Zach Fulton, per a club announcement. Details of the deal were not disclosed. 
Fulton was cut by the Texans, just before he was set to collect a $1MM bonus on March 22. The veteran was in set to enter the final season of a four-year, $28MM deal. Before his release, Fulton started in at least 13 games across his three Texans seasons. This past year, he was first-string for all 16.
Fulton didn’t set the world on fire in Houston, but the Giants see him as an experienced hand who can help to fortify their offensive line. Last year, Pro Football Focus had him tied as the No. 42 guard in the NFL last year — good enough for a starter. And, in 2019, PFF ranked him as one of the best pass-blocking guards in the league, though his weak run-blocking marks brought down his overall score.
The former Chiefs sixth-round pick should have an opportunity to make an impact in New York that Kevin Zeitler is out the picture.
Cowboys’ Tyrone Crawford Retires From NFL
Tyrone Crawford has retired from the NFL, head coach Mike McCarthy announced. Crawford, still only 31, has been limited by serious hip injuries on both sides. 
[RELATED: Cowboys To Sign Kearse]
Crawford, a 2012 third-round pick, struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. He battled back from a 2013 Achilles tear to deliver a solid 2014 campaign. He notched 37 tackles, three sacks, and four tackles for loss that season, leading to a five-year, $45MM re-up. He kept up the solid work despite positional changes and shoulder injuries, but his damaged hips halted him after from 2019 onward.
Last year, Crawford appeared in all 16 games, but didn’t look like his old self. So, after 25 sacks across eight seasons, one of the Cowboys’ longest-tenured players is calling it a career. We here at PFR wish Crawford the best in retirement.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/25/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: TE Darrell Daniels, S Charles Washington
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: S DeAndre Houston-Carson
Chiefs Re-Sign Demarcus Robinson
The Chiefs have re-signed Demarcus Robinson, according to his agent (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The wide receiver will return to Kansas City on a one-year deal. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. Last time around, Robinson re-signed with the Chiefs for fully guaranteed $2.297MM that counted for just $1MM against the cap, per the veteran salary benefit.
Splitting WR3 duties with Mecole Hardman, Robinson finished the regular season with 45 grabs for 466 yards and three touchdowns. Now, he seems primed for a larger role with Sammy Watkins exploring other opportunities in free agency. His return gives the Chiefs a core group headlined by Tyreek Hill, Robinson, Hardman, and Byron Pringle.
The Chiefs did lots of shopping before circling back to Robinson. Just last week, they submitted the highest bid for JuJu Smith-Schuster, who ultimately re-signed with the Steelers for less money. T.Y. Hilton and Josh Reynolds were also among the names on their radar.
Cardinals Trade C Mason Cole To Vikings
The Cardinals have traded center Mason Cole to the Vikings, according to Mark Sanchez of ESPN (on Twitter). The news has also been confirmed by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter links), who adds that Cole may be shifted to one of the guard spots. 
In exchange for Cole, the Vikings will send a sixth-round pick to Arizona. It’ll be Minnesota’s compensatory pick at the end of the sixth round — the No. 223 overall choice.
Cole, a Michigan product, has appeared in 46 games with 32 starts for the Cardinals. The 2018 third-rounder was first-string 14 times last year, but the advanced metrics didn’t look fondly upon his work. Cole finished out with a 54.4 overall Pro Football Focus grade, ranking him 31st out of 36 qualified centers. After acquiring Rodney Hudson, the Cardinals were no longer in need of Cole’s services.
Cole is slated to make upwards of $2MM in 2021, the final season of his four-year rookie deal. That’s significantly cheaper than, say, Nick Easton, who doesn’t seem all that interested in a Vikings return.
Raiders Meet With Willie Snead
The Raiders hosted free agent wide receiver Willie Snead on Thursday (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). If all goes well, Snead could be the latest addition to Las Vegas’ new-look WR group.
[RELATED: Ravens Express Interest In Sammy Watkins]
The Ravens have been searching for solutions at receiver, but they have not expressed much — or any – interest in retaining Snead. Snead, who has spent the last three years in Baltimore, kicked off his tenure with 62 catches for 651 yards and a touchdown in 2018. However, his targets and production have roughly been cut in half ever since. Between the last two years, he has a combined stat line of 64/771, though he does have eight touchdowns to his credit in that span.
Snead started his career with the Saints and made his name as a slot receiver. He’d be an interesting fit for the Raiders, who have lost Tyrell Williams and Nelson Agholor. To help fill the void, they’ve signed John Brown and re-upped Zay Jones.
Bengals’ Giovani Bernard Drawing Trade Interest
Multiple teams have called on Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The Bengals are seeking a restructuring of Bernard’s contract, but if they can’t come to terms, Bernard could wind up in a different uniform this year.
[RELATED: Bengals To Sign Ricardo Allen]
Bernard, 30 in November, still profiles as one of the league’s best pass-catching tailbacks. Last year, he managed 47 catches for 355 yards and three receiving touchdowns — his best line since 2017. Since 2013, Bernard has reeled in 342 grabs for 2,867 yards, good for an 8.4 yards per catch average.
The Bengals recently re-upped Samaje Perine, a sign that Bernard could be pushed out by the only NFL team he’s ever known. Currently, Bernard has one year left on his deal with $3.7MM in base salary and a $4.76MM cap hit. By trading or releasing him, the Bengals would save $4.1MM against the cap versus $667K in dead money.
Bernard and his soft hands should draw plenty of interest, but the Bengals may want to get a deal done before suitors find an alternative, like free agent running back Duke Johnson.
Cardinals Sign Malcolm Butler
The Cardinals have signed Malcolm Butler, per a club announcement. The veteran cornerback heads to Arizona on a one-year deal, giving the Cardinals yet another big-name veteran. 
[RELATED: Cardinals Sign A.J. Green]
The Titans cut Butler earlier this month to save $10.2MM against the salary cap. Previous to that, they had just $1MM in breathing room. Butler, a one-time Super Bowl hero, spent three seasons with the Titans, but the remainder of his five-year, $61.25MM contract was too much for Tennessee.
Butler, 31, finished 2020 as Pro Football Focus’ No. 15 corner in the NFL. It was a strong return — he missed much of 2019, but he suited up for all 16 games last year while nabbing four interceptions and 100 total tackles (a new career high). All in all, he posted the lowest yards-per-completion and yards-per-target numbers of his Tennessee tenure.
The loss of Patrick Peterson prompted the Cardinals to seek out cornerback support. Butler should go a long way towards solidifying the position with Byron Murphy in the slot and Robert Alford (if healthy) as the CB2.
Marcus Mariota Has No-Trade Clause In New Raiders Deal
Marcus Mariota took a pay cut in order to stay with the Raiders. But, in exchange, the backup quarterback received a no-trade clause, according to a league source who spoke with Greg A. Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal (on Twitter).
Mariota was originally set to earn $10.725MM, a hefty price for a QB2. Rather than getting released or traded, he agreed to lower his salary to $3.5MM. Of course, Mariota’s new deal makes him much more attractive to teams in need of QB support, so Mariota insisted on maintaining some control over his future.
No-trade clauses are pretty rare in the NFL. As of late February, these were the only nine players in the NFL with veto power in their contracts:
- Drew Brees, QB (Saints)
- Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OL (Chiefs)
- Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (49ers
- Jimmy Graham, TE (Bears)
- DeAndre Hopkins, WR (Cardinals)
- Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs)
- Deshaun Watson, QB (Texans)
- J.J. Watt, DL (Cardinals)
- Russell Wilson, QB (Seahawks)
Now, Mariota is an unexpected member of the club, so any teams with interest in the former second overall pick may have to look elsewhere.
Details On T.Y. Hilton’s New Colts Contract
This week, the Colts kept T.Y. Hilton with a one-year deal worth up to $10MM. The deal includes $8MM guaranteed. To earn the full remaining $2MM, the veteran wide receiver will have to turn back the clock. 
[RELATED: Colts Re-Sign T.Y. Hilton]
According to PFT, Hilton will get $250K for each of the following milestones: 50 catches, 60 catches, 70 catches, and 80 catches. He’ll also get $250K for each of the following yardage milestones: 600 yards, 700 yards, 800 yards, and 900 yards. In other words, to make $10MM in 2021, Hilton needs 80 receptions for 900 yards receiving.
Hilton topped 80/900 in 2013, 2014, and 2016. He hasn’t done it since, but he did come awfully close in 2018 when he finished with 76 catches for 1,270 yards. After an injury-riddled 2019 and a 56/762/5 stat line in 2020, Hilton is hoping to get back to his old form this year.
Even though Hilton will turn 32 this year, he had plenty of interest elsewhere, including at least one offer that was reportedly stronger than Indy’s. The Chiefs were among the teams connected to Hilton, though they were not the club that beat the Colts’ offer.