Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin Signs Tender
No surprise here. On Thursday, Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin signed his franchise tender (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). 
Godwin is now set to earn $15.9MM in 2021, though the two sides have until mid-July to work out a long-term deal. There’s mutual interest in a multi-year arrangement, though the Buccaneers have already committed significant dollars to top players in 2022 and beyond. It might be tough, but the Bucs clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to clever accounting.
Godwin, a former third-round pick, broke out in 2019 with 86 catches for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl nod. The stage was set for an even bigger year in 2020 — especially with Tom Brady on board — but he was eclipsed somewhat by Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown. Still, he finished with 65 catches for 840 yards and seven scores in 12 games, plus 16/232/1 in the playoffs.
Godwin was one of nine players to receive the tag this year, putting him in the same camp as Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, and Bears receiver Allen Robinson.
Broncos Rescind Phillip Lindsay’s Tender
Change of plans. On Thursday, the Broncos announced that Phillip Lindsay’s tender has been rescinded. 
[RELATED: Broncos Add Mike Boone]
The running back was originally assigned the low restricted free agency tender, giving the Broncos one more year of club control at a rate of $2.133MM. However, the Broncos found another tailback in Vikings free agent Mike Boone, which meant that Lindsay was no longer needed.
The 26-year-old broke out with 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018 en route to a Pro Bowl nod. He followed that up with another strong season in 2019, compiling 1,207 yards from scrimmage and seven scores. However, the 26-year-old was pushed down in the pecking order last year by Melvin Gordon. Lindsay wound up with just 502 rushing yards and one touchdown in eleven games, plus seven grabs for 28 yards. Gordon, meanwhile, finished out with 986 yards and nine scores.
With Gordon, Boone, Royce Freeman, Levante Bellamy, Jeremy Cox, and Damarea Crockett all under contract, there was little sense in keeping Lindsay. His reps recognized this too, so they’ve mutually decided to tear up the tender.
Giants To Sign QB Mike Glennon
The Giants have signed veteran quarterback Mike Glennon. A pal of Glennon’s, Brandon Bishop, first broke the news on Twitter. It has since been confirmed by several reporters, including NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). It’s a one-year deal worth $1.35MM, including $425K guaranteed, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic (on Twitter).
Glennon has started in just nine games since 2016, but remains a highly respected backup and mentor. In New York, he’ll backstop and quasi-coach youngster Daniel Jones who will look to rekindle his rookie year magic.
Glennon, 31, projects to replace Colt McCoy, who failed to impress last year. Meanwhile, Glennon’s five starts in Jacksonville didn’t go so great, either. All in all, he completed 62% of his throws for 1,072 yards and seven touchdowns against five interceptions.
Terms of Glennon’s deal are not yet known, but it’ll pale in comparison to the three-year, $45MM deal he inked with the Bears in 2017. In total, Glennon has earned roughly $30MM across his pro career.
Jets Eyeing JuJu Smith-Schuster
The Jets have been in talks with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Steelers free agent would join the newly-signed Corey Davis in the Jets’ WR group. 
While many of this year’s top free agents have already found lucrative deals, things have been fairly quiet around Smith-Schuster. He recently said that he’d like to stay in Pittsburgh, but it’s not clear whether a return is in the works.
“At the end of the day, I want to have my legacy in Pittsburgh and retire there,” Smith-Schuster said in February. “I don’t want to leave…I’m Pittsburgh for life.”
Smith-Schuster won’t turn 25 until November — it’s rare to see such a young and talented player available as an unrestricted free agent. In 2018, he was a revelation for the Steelers as he notched 1,426 receiving yards. But, this past season, he finished with just 831 yards. It’s possible that Smith-Schuster came into this week with outsized expectations, but the Jets could be willing to meet his asking price, which could be in the neighborhood of $15MM/year.
Patriots Cut Marqise Lee, Beau Allen
The Patriots’ spending spree has pushed a handful of veterans out the door. Wide receiver Marqise Lee and defensive tackle Beau Allen have been released, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 
[RELATED: Patriots’ Patrick Chung Retires]
Neither Allen nor Lee saw a regular season snap in New England. Lee signed with the Patriots in April on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum. The 29-year-old (30 in November) was expected to support a wide receiver group led by Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry. Between the opt-out and injuries, he’s a long way removed from his best work in 2016-17, when he totaled 1,551 receiving yards for the Jaguars. Instead of bringing him back, the Patriots will release him to save less than $800K.
Allen, 29, was supposed to replace Danny Shelton after he went to Detroit. Unfortunately, an undisclosed injury kept him on the shelf all year.
Patriots’ Patrick Chung Retires
Patrick Chung announced that he is retiring from the NFL (Instagram link). Chung opted out of the 2020 season but was said to be aiming for a 2021 return. 
The Patriots selected Chung in the second round of the 2009 draft, and he spent all but one year of his career with New England. In that time, he’s started in 112 regular season games and collected three Super Bowl rings. He was never been selected for a Pro Bowl, but was an important member of the Patriots’ D nonetheless.
In May of last year, the Patriots re-upped Chung on an extension that would allow him to earn up to $12.8MM over the next four seasons. In 2019, his last season on the field, Chung appeared in 13 games and registered 51 tackles, three passes defended, and one tackle for loss.
The Pats may go shopping for safety help, but they could also stand pat with their current group. Chung’s retirement leaves them with starters Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips, plus support from rising NFL sophomore Kyle Dugger. New arrival Jalen Mills could also pitch in at safety after agreeing to a four-year, $24MM free agent deal, though he’s likely ticketed for more work at corner.
49ers Sign C Alex Mack
Trent Williams isn’t the only notable lineman headed to San Francisco. Free agent center Alex Mack also agreed to join the 49ers in the wee hours of Wednesday morning (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
Mack’s deal is a one-year pact worth $5.5MM, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). 
It’s a return to sunny California for the UC Berkeley product. The deal also marks a reunion with 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. Mack previously played for Shanahan with the Browns and Falcons. Mack, 36 in November, comes with serious credentials — six Pro Bowls and a track record for durability. He’s played in and started in just about every possible game since 2009, save for his injury-plagued 2014.
The 49ers needed a quality middle-man in the worst way. While Williams turned in a stellar season, the interior line struggled to hold the line. That’s part of the reason why the Niners’ offense sagged and the club needed a new solution in the wake of Weston Richburg‘s retirement. Journeyman Ben Garland was given a chance to start, but the journeyman wound up with an injury of his own.
Mack, who made the NFL’s most recent all-decade team, can officially put pen to paper at 4pm ET today.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/21
Today’s “minor” moves:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: S Deon Bush
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: CB Tony Brown
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Tae Davis
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers (from Texans): DT Andrew Brown
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: DT Gabe Wright
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: OL Adam Pankey
- Signed: WR Robert Foster
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: DL Cody Davis
New York Jets
- Re-signed: RB Josh Adams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: RB Adrian Killins
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, TE Daniel Helm
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: TE Anthony Firkser
Patriots To Sign Ted Karras
Ted Karras is returning to the Patriots, as Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets. Once finalized, it’ll be a one-year, $4MM deal for the veteran center, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). 
Karras joined the Dolphins for the 2020 season. He started in all 16 games and played on all 1,067 of their offensive snaps. Before that, he spent the previous four years with the Patriots, winning a pair of Super Bowls in front of Tom Brady. Karras was a reserve for the early part of his New England tenure, starting only five games through his first three pro seasons. Then, in 2019, he was elevated to the first string for 15 games.
The return of Karras likely signals the departure of free agent David Andrews. The longtime starter missed the entire 2019 campaign after getting diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, but managed to return in time for the 2020 season. Held back by a much less serious thumb ailment, he appeared in 72% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in 12 games. Now, he could be moving on to another club.
Dolphins To Sign Adam Butler
Adam Butler will reunite with Brian Flores. The former Patriots defensive tackle has agreed to a two-year deal with the Dolphins (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The contract could be worth up to $9.5MM with bonuses. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the contract has a listed value of $7.5MM, including $3.75MM in guaranteed.
Last year, the Patriots kept Butler from the open market (and, likely, the waiting arms of Flores) with a second-round tender. This time around, the Patriots allowed Butler to walk amidst their own free agency spending spree.
The former Vanderbilt standout has spent his entire four-year career with New England, and he won a Super Bowl championship during his second year in the NFL. He’s missed just one a regular season game as a pro and he’s made an impact, despite making just six combined starts across the last two seasons. In 2019, he set a new career high with six sacks. Last year, he registered four sacks with a new watermark of 34 total stops.
Butler will be joined in the Miami front seven by fellow newcomer Benardrick McKinney. The Dolphins acquired the inside linebacker earlier this week by shipping OLB Shaq Lawson to the Texans.