Jaguars’ Rashaan Melvin Opts Out
Jaguars cornerback Rashaan Melvin has opted out of the 2020 season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With three hours to go before the NFL’s deadline, more than 60 players have opted out.
Melvin, a veteran who has spent time with eight different teams, joined the Jaguars in free agency after spending 2019 with the Lions. His one-year deal – worth $2.25MM – will toll in 2021.
The former UDFA started 12 games for Detroit last year. In Jacksonville, he was set to start opposite of D.J. Hayden in the club’s new-look secondary. With Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye playing elsewhere, the Jaguars will need first-round pick C.J. Henderson to get up to speed fast.
Melvin’s best season came with the Colts in 2017 and some weren’t sold on the Jaguars’ signing of him in March. Still, they’ll be worse off without him, and they only have a matter of weeks to explore out-of-house options.
Chiefs Rookie Lucas Niang To Opt Out
Chiefs offensive tackle Lucas Niang will opt out of the 2020 season, according to a source who spoke with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). With hours to go before the deadline, the third-round pick becomes the 61st player to make the call.
[RELATED: PFR’s 2020 Opt Out Tracker]
It’s yet another blow to the Chiefs’ offensive line, following guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif‘s opt out decision. As of this writing, the Chiefs are down three players in total between Niang, LDT, and running back Damien Williams.
Niang was set to support starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. The TCU product is green, but the Chiefs saw big potential for the 6’6″, 315-pound lineman. Heading into his senior year, Niang was widely projected as a first-round pick, but a torn labrum brought his final collegiate campaign to an early end. In turn, his stock tumbled, bringing the Chiefs a potential mid-round steal.
For the full list of opt out decisions around the NFL, check out PFR’s 2020 Opt Out Tracker.
2020 NFL Opt Out Tracker
Per an agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, players with COVID-19 health concerns can opt out of the 2020 season. Initially, the deadline was believed to be Tuesday, August 4. Talks between the league and the union have pushed it to August 6.
Chiefs guard and medical school graduate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was the first player to officially opt out. Scores of players followed.
Here’s the rundown, so far:
Baltimore Ravens
- OT Andre Smith (story)
- WR De’Anthony Thomas (story)
Buffalo Bills
- CB E.J. Gaines (story)
- DT Star Lotulelei (story)
Carolina Panthers
- LB Jordan Mack
- LB Christian Miller
Chicago Bears
- DT Eddie Goldman (story)
- S Jordan Lucas
Cincinnati Bengals
- T Isaiah Prince (story)
- DT Josh Tupou (story)
Cleveland Browns
- DT Andrew Billings
- T Drake Dorbeck
- G Colby Gossett
- G Drew Forbes
- G Malcolm Pridgedon
Dallas Cowboys
- CB Maurice Canady (story)
- WR Stephen Guidry
- FB Jamize Olawale
Denver Broncos
- DT Joel Heath
- DT Kyle Peko
Detroit Lions
- WR Geronimo Allison (story)
- DT John Atkins
- C Russell Bodine (story)
Green Bay Packers
- WR Devin Funchess (story)
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
- DB Rolan Milligan
- LB Skai Moore
- DB Marvell Tell
Jacksonville Jaguars
- DE Lerentee McCray
- CB Rashaan Melvin (story)
- DT Al Woods (story)
Kansas City Chiefs
- G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (story)
- T Lucas Niang (story)
- RB Damien Williams (story)
Las Vegas Raiders
- LB Ukeme Eligwe
- CB D.J. Killings
- DE Jeremiah Valoaga
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
- WR Allen Hurns (story)
- WR Albert Wilson (story)
Minnesota Vikings
- NT Michael Pierce (story)
New England Patriots
- RB Brandon Bolden (story)
- T Marcus Cannon (story)
- S Patrick Chung (story)
- LB Dont’a Hightower (story)
- WR Marqise Lee (story)
- OL Najee Toran
- FB Danny Vitale (story)
New Orleans Saints
- TE Jason Vander Laan
- TE Cole Wick
New York Giants
- CB Sam Beal
- WR Da’Mari Scott
- T Nate Solder (story)
- CB Shakial Taylor
New York Jets
- WR Josh Doctson
- OL Leo Koloamatangi
- LB C.J. Mosley (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
- WR Travis Benjamin (story)
- OL Jake Brendel
- T Shon Coleman
Seattle Seahawks
- G Chance Warmack (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- T Brad Seaton
Tennessee Titans
- OL Anthony McKinney
Washington Football Team
Free agents
- G Larry Warford (story)
Latest On Titans’ Vic Beasley
In March, the Titans signed Vic Beasley to fortify their edge rush. In August, they’re just hoping to see him sometime soon. Beasley has yet to report, and the team hasn’t had “a lot of conversation with him,” head coach Mike Vrabel says (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the team website). 
Beasley has been MIA throughout the offseason and he didn’t speak with anyone from the team until late last month. His absence, GM Jon Robinson says, is unexcused. The team hasn’t offered much clarity on Beasley’s situation and neither has his camp.
A former first-round pick of the Falcons, Beasley broke out in 2016, his second NFL season. He managed 15.5 sacks that year, but things cooled off after that – he notched five sacks in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Beasley finished out with eight sacks, though that number was bolstered by a disproportionately strong home stretch.
Beasley is under contract for this year only. His one-year, $9.5MM deal is fully guaranteed, however. The Titans signed the former top-10 pick to fill a need opposite Harold Landry, who largely represented their only strong edge presence last season. If Beasley ends up a no-show, that would be quite the development. It would also seemingly strengthen Tennessee’s motivation to chase Jadeveon Clowney. The Titans have been on the fringe of that situation for months.
Bills’ Tre’Davious White Considering Opt Out
Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White is giving some thought to opting out of the 2020 season (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Kim Jones). The star of Buffalo’s secondary has until 4pm ET/3pm CT to submit his decision in writing.
Roughly 60 NFL players have opted out of the season so far, including notables like Patriots inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower and Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. The Bills have already watched cornerback E.J. Gaines and defensive tackle Star Lotulelei opt out – losing White would be the most devastating of the bunch.
Arriving in the trade that gave the Chiefs Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 draft, White has become one of the NFL’s premier defenders. The 2017 No. 27 overall selection picked off a league-high six passes last season, giving him a dozen interceptions through three seasons.
In April, the Bills picked up White’s fifth-year option, cuffing him through 2021 on a ~$10MM salary. If White backs out of playing this year, his low-cost 2020 salary will toll into 2021. Then, his $10MM salary will apply to 2022. Ultimately, it would be an expensive move for White, one that would delay extension talks and put him another year further from free agency.
When it comes time for White to negotiate his new deal, he’ll likely command something in the neighborhood of Byron Jones‘ $16.5MM average annual value. Right now, he’s got bigger fish to fry, and he only has a few hours to make his big decision.
49ers To Sign Dion Jordan
The 49ers are expected to sign Dion Jordan, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
[RELATED: 49ers Meet With Ziggy Ansah]
Jordan’s NFL career has taken some odd turns, to say the least. After being selected No. 3 overall by the Dolphins, Jordan did little to justify his pre-draft hype. After some underwhelming seasons, missed seasons, and a number of suspensions, Jordan found his way to the Seahawks in 2017. In 2018, he showed some promise as a rotational piece, and he parlayed that into a one-year deal with the Raiders. Now, instead of moving to Vegas, he’ll stay in California and switch conferences.
Jordan met with the Niners on Tuesday and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. The league has largely discouraged teams from meetings and workouts during the pandemic, so most visits in recent weeks have led to deals.
Jordan, who registered a pair of sacks in seven games last year, will slot behind Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa in SF’s edge rushing corps.
Dolphins’ Albert Wilson Opts Out
The Dolphins are down another wide receiver. One day after Allen Hurns opted out of the 2020 season, teammate Albert Wilson has made the same call.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Opt Out Tracker]
“It was a very tough choice,” said Wilson in a statement (Twitter link). “I will stand by my teammates and brothers to support them 100% throughout the season and will be counting the days until I can join them again.”
Wilson joined the Dolphins on a three-year, $24MM deal in 2018. He got off to a good start with his new team, catching 26 passes for 391 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. Two of those touchdown grabs were from at least 70 yards out, and he even threw a 52-yard TD pass. Unfortunately, he was derailed by a serious hip injury in October of that year. He returned in 2019, but couldn’t reprise that performance – he finished out with 43 catches for just 351 yards in 13 games, averaging out to 8.2 yards per catch.
This year, Wilson agreed to drop his base salary to $3MM, plus $1MM in incentives. Now, that deal will be pushed into next year.
49ers’ Travis Benjamin Opts Out
49ers wide receiver Travis Benjamin will opt out of the 2020 season. Benjamin joined the Niners on a one-year deal earlier this year, but he’ll have to wait until 2021 to make his SF debut.
[RELATED: 2020 NFL Opt Out Tracker]
“First, I would like to thank the 49ers organization for their continued support,” Benjamin wrote in a statement. “After much consideration and discussion with my family I have decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL season as I feel this is the best decision for my family. I will continue to support my teammates and many friends around the league this season. As we continue to navigate this pandemic I wish that everyone stays safe.”
The defending NFC champs lost Emmanuel Sanders in free agency and picked up Benjamin to help soften the blow. Previously, Benjamin split his eight-year NFL career with the Browns and the Chargers. He missed most of the 2019 season and missed four games in 2018 – by the time he returns next year, he’ll have missed 31 games across three seasons.
The 49ers’ wide receiver group is led by Deebo Samuel, Kendrick Bourne, rookie Brandon Aiyuk, and slot receiver Trent Taylor. However, they’ll likely be without Samuel for a bit while he recovers from a foot fracture.
As of this writing, more than 55 players have opted out of the 2020 season, as shown in our tracker. Players have until 4pm ET/3pm CT today to make the call.
Raiders Waive P.J. Hall After Trade To Vikings Falls Through
TUESDAY, 4:23pm CT: Hall has indeed been waived, per today’s transactions wire.
TUESDAY, 3:57pm CT: Hold the phone. The trade was nullified after Hall failed his physical with Minnesota. He’ll now revert to the Raiders, who are expected to waive him.
MONDAY, 2:59pm CT: The Raiders are trading defensive tackle P.J. Hall to the Vikings, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In exchange, the Vikings will send a conditional seventh-round choice to the Raiders.
Hall was supposed to be waived before the end of the business day. Instead, the Vikings swooped in with a trade offer. Instead of crossing their fingers and waiting to see if Hall slipped on the waiver wire, they pulled off a deal. The pick will only change hands if Hall is on the roster for a certain number of games, so it’s essentially a low-cost, no-risk pickup for the Vikes.
Hall, a 2018 second-round pick, was pushed out of the starting lineup by the addition of Maliek Collins. Then, he lost his spot on the team, despite his reasonable rookie contract.
Hall started in 12 of his 16 games last year, finishing out with 26 tackles and 1.5 sacks from the interior. The Vikings will assume the remainder of his contract and have him under club control through 2021.
Cardinals’ Marcus Gilbert Opts Out
Add Marcus Gilbert to the growing list of opt outs. The Cardinals tackle has decided against playing in 2020, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
The Cardinals acquired Gilbert from the Steelers via trade in 2019, with the intention of installing him as their starting right tackle. Unfortunately, a knee injury forced Gilbert to injured reserve in early September. Gilbert has yet to play a down for the Cardinals, and his next opportunity to suit up won’t come until 2021. The veteran lineman appeared in just 12 total games from 2017-18 and he hasn’t played a full 16-game slate since 2015.
With Gilbert off the roster, the Cardinals could turn to Justin Murray or third-round rookie Josh Jones as their new first-string RT. Whoever wins that competition will play opposite of D.J. Humphries on the front line.
As of this writing, Gilbert is the 52nd player to opt out. NFL players have until Thursday afternoon to make the call, after which point the decision is irrevocable.