Panthers To Sign Teddy Bridgewater
The Panthers are expected to sign Teddy Bridgewater when the league year officially kicks off on Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter). The two sides are still ironing out the details, but it’ll be a three-year deal in the range of $60MM, Mort hears. 
On Tuesday morning, the Panthers announced that they have given Cam Newton permission to seek a trade. Interestingly, that news caught Newton off-guard – he accused the Panthers of “wordplay” to imply that he wanted out. Either way, Newton will be playing elsewhere in 2020 and Bridgewater will be the club’s starter moving forward.
Bridgewater, who is beloved by just about everyone in NFL circles, worked tirelessly to come back from what could have been a career-ending knee injury. Since moving on from the Vikings, he’s shown that he still has tons of talent to go along with his charisma and leadership.
Last year, he got five opportunities to start in Drew Brees‘ stead and he went undefeated. Now, heading into his age-28 season, the Panthers are hopeful that he can rekindle his early Minnesota magic.
Before the injury, Bridgewater averaged 3,075 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in his first two seasons. With the Saints, he sat for most of the 2018 season before leading the team to a 5-0 record in Brees’ absence last year. While Bridgewater ranked at or near the bottom in multiple Next Gen Stats focused on average air yards, he completed 67% of his passes in 2019.
This also represents an interesting move for a Panthers team that has been linked to a possible run at Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields in 2021. While Bridgewater will be tasked with taking over a team that has lost a lot of talent this year, he profiles as a quarterback talented enough to play Carolina out of the No. 1 or No. 2 draft slots — likely needed to secure Lawrence or Fields — next year.
Latest On Jets, Trent Williams
This hasn’t been a banner week for the Jets. After missing out on many of their top targets, many are wondering whether they’ll go for broke in order to land Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams. For now, they’re holding their ground. 
The Redskins still want a second-round pick and the Jets are still unwilling to cough one up, Connor J. Hughes of The Athletic (Twitter link) hears. He adds that there’s no real sense of urgency on the Redskins’ side, either. From their perspective, they might be able to get the best haul possible after the draft in April, when there will be at least a few teams who walk away without any of their targeted protectors. The Redskins’ logic is (gulp) fairly sound on this one, though a current-year draft pick would hold more value for them than a 2021 choice.
The Jets wanted to sign guard Graham Glasgow – who would have been a big help on the interior – but he went with the Broncos instead. Their whiffs have not been limited to the offensive line, either. They’ve also lost out on cornerbacks James Bradberry and Byron Jones, plus outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy.
Bills To Sign LB Tyler Matakevich
The Bills have agreed to sign linebacker Tyler Matakevich, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The former Steelers special teams ace is set to earn $9MM over the course of the two-year deal.
Matakevich isn’t a household name, but he was a key component of the Steelers’ third facet. The bigger blow, of course, came earlier this week when the Eagles agreed to sign defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to a three-year, $39MM deal with $29MM guaranteed. On the plus side, they’ve cuffed outside linebacker Bud Dupree via the tag.
Matakevich, a seventh-round pick in 2016, has spent his entire pro career to date with the Steelers.
Bears To Sign Robert Quinn, Cut Leonard Floyd
In one fell swoop, the Bears have revamped their pass rush. On Tuesday, the Bears agreed to a five-year, $70MM deal with Robert Quinn, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Meanwhile, they also released former first-round pick Leonard Floyd (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter).
Quinn’s deal includes $30MM fully guaranteed, giving him solid security over the course of the deal.
The Cowboys worked to keep Quinn, but the numbers crunch didn’t quite allow for that. Dallas, of course, came into the offseason with even bigger fish to fry, including negotiations with quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper. They already watched as cornerback Byron Jones left for the Dolphins, and now they’ll be losing another key member of their defense.
Quinn was the comeback kid in 2019, notching 11.5 sacks for Dallas. It was a resurgent year for the veteran, who had a rocky stretch following his last Pro Bowl appearance in 2014.
The 2011 first-round pick emerged as a serious force in 2012 and looked the part of a world-class defender in 2013 when he posted 19 sacks. He had a solid follow-up effort in 2014 (10.5 sacks), but he missed roughly half of 2015 and 2016 with the Rams. After spending the 2018 season with the Dolphins, Quinn was traded to the Cowboys last offseason.
There were high hopes for Floyd when the Bears selected him in the first-round of the 2016 Draft. The Georgia product had a productive rookie campaign, compiling seven sacks. While the linebacker put up solid numbers in the subsequent three years, his sack numbers have dropped each season. The 27-year-old finished the 2019 campaign with 40 tackles and three sacks.
Floyd was set to earn $13.2MM in what was his fifth-year option year.
Latest On Tom Brady Leaving Patriots
Tom Brady sent shockwaves through the football world on Tuesday morning when he announced that he will be leaving the Patriots in free agency. At this moment, no one knows where Brady will land – reportedly, that includes the quarterback himself. The Buccaneers and Chargers have reportedly made strong offers to the future Hall of Famer, but, at this stage, anything is possible. 
There was “no tangible effort” by the Patriots to retain their franchise star, Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports (Twitter link) hears. In fact, there were no negotiations – the Patriots felt that the onus was on Brady to let them know what he was looking for. Brady took offense to that stance and decided to move on.
Now, owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick will have the unenviable task of replacing him. After Brady’s announcement, they each issued statements to thank the NFL legend.
Robert Kraft:
“How do I possibly sum up the depth of my gratitude to Tom Brady for what he’s given us these past 20 years, or the sadness I feel knowing it’s ending? I love Tom like a son and I always will. He has brought so much happiness to me personally and to all of our fans. I had hoped this day would never come, but rather that Tom would end his remarkable career in a Patriots uniform after yet another Super Bowl championship. Unfortunately, the two sides were unable to reach an agreement to allow that dream to become a reality. While sad today, the overwhelming feeling I have is appreciation for his countless contributions to our team and community.
When Tom arrived in New England as an unheralded, sixth-round pick, no one could have imagined the fairytale story that would be written, the records that would be broken or the joy he would bring to an entire region. He leaves 20 years later as the winningest quarterback in NFL history with six Super Bowl victories, nine AFC titles and 17 division championships. He has been an exemplary teammate and leader. There simply will never be another Tom Brady. I now look forward to the day we can bring him back home to New England to celebrate his Patriots career, his endless achievements and his legacy as the greatest of all time. I love him very much.”
“Tom was not just a player who bought into our program. He was one of its original creators. Tom lived and perpetuated our culture. On a daily basis, he was a tone setter and a bar raiser. He won championships in three of his first four years on the field and in three of his final six seasons with us, while competing for championships in most every season in between. This is a credit to Tom’s consistency and what separates him. He didn’t just perform. He didn’t just win. He won championships over and over again.
Tom and I will always have a great relationship built on love, admiration, respect and appreciation. Tom’s success as a player and his character as a person are exceptional. Nothing about the end of Tom’s Patriots career changes how unfathomably spectacular it was. With his relentless competitiveness and longevity, he earned everyone’s adoration and will be celebrated forever. It has been a privilege to coach Tom Brady for 20 years.
Examples of Tom’s greatness are limitless, going back even before he was drafted. We witnessed how he prepared when he wasn’t playing, how he performed when he got his opportunity, what he did to continuously improve, his leadership, his mindset, the example he set, and, of course, the person he is. I am extremely grateful for what he did for our team and for me personally.
Sometimes in life, it takes some time to pass before truly appreciating something or someone but that has not been the case with Tom. He is a special person and the greatest quarterback of all-time.”
Bucs Still In Contact With Jameis Winston
The Bucs have been exploring their options under center, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll make a change. The Buccaneers are still in “close communication” with Jameis Winston, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
This jibes with what we heard yesterday as well – the Bucs, clearly, see an opportunity to upgrade from Winston and his endless stream of interceptions. However, they’ve let to find their solution. As of this writing, they seem intent on making a big play for Tom Brady. No one knows where Brady will go – not even Brady himself – but he won’t be back with the Patriots. The Chargers are also believed to be a leading suitor for TB and other teams could still get involved.
Ditto for fallback options like Teddy Bridgewater and Philip Rivers, so the game of musical chairs could very well lead the Bucs back to Winston. It’s impossible to forecast how it’ll all play out this week, but here’s a scenario that could lead to a reunion: Bridgewater to the Patriots, Rivers to the Colts, and Brady to the Chargers.
Cam Newton: I “Never Asked” For Panthers To Trade Me
The Panthers have granted Cam Newton permission to seek a trade. Newton, meanwhile, says he never requested one.
“Stop with the word play! I never asked for it,” Newton wrote in an Instagram reply to the Panthers in his signature mangled text. “There is no dodging this one: I love the Panthers to death and will always love you guys! Please do not try and play me, or manipulate the narrative and act like I wanted this. You forced me into this!”
Like it or not, Newton probably won’t be left with much choice. It sounds like the Panthers are already eyeing potential replacements, as the organization has been connected to veteran Teddy Bridgewater. If the front office misses out on a quarterback in free agency, they could turn their focus to the draft, where they own the seventh-overall pick.
While injuries have derailed Newton’s production in recent years, he’s still a former MVP, and he also led the Panthers to the Super Bowl. He’s slated to make just $18.6MM this season, making him a fairly affordable bridge option for a QB-needy team.
Newton was limited to only two games in 2019, but he did make 14 starts in 2018. That season, he connected on a career-high 67.9-percent of his passes for 3,395 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. While he’s not nearly as prolific in the running game as he once was, he still managed to compile 488 rushing yards and four scores on 101 attempts.
Seahawks Re-Sign Luke Willson
The Seahawks are holding on to Luke Willson. The tight end – with help from the Ultimate Warrior – confirmed that he’ll return to Seattle in 2020, via Twitter.
Willson, a 2013 fifth-round pick, spent the first five years of his career with the Seahawks. That streak was interrupted in 2018 when he spent one year with the Lions.
In Detroit, he saw time in 14 games and notched 13 catches for 87 yards. Then, in March of 2019, he had a cup of coffee with the Raiders before missing the final cut. In September of last year, he circled back to the Seahawks and went on to appear in eight games.
Willson finished out ’19 with eight catches for 79 yards. For his career, he has 110 grabs for 1,295 yards and eleven scores.
Giants To Sign TE Levine Toilolo
The Giants have agreed to sign former 49ers tight end Levine Toilolo, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Toilolo will help fill the void following the retirement of veteran Rhett Ellison. 
Toilolo, 29 in July, spent the first five years of his career with the Falcons and joined the Lions for his sixth season. Last year, he hooked on with the Niners on a one-year deal.
Like Ellison, Toilolo has built a rep for his blocking ability. He’s also flashed some catching ability in the past – with Atlanta in 2014, he hauled in 31 catches for 238 yards. And, in 2016, he stretched the field a bit with a 20.3 yards-per-catch average on a limited sample of receptions. In 2018, with the Lions, he had 21 catches for 263 yards.
The Giants have had a busy start to the week. Already, they’ve agreed to deals with former Packers linebacker Blake Martinez and ex-Panthers cornerback James Bradberry.
Patriots Interested In Teddy Bridgewater
The Patriots have shown interest in Saints free agent Teddy Bridgewater, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Pats, of course, are in the market for a quarterback after Tom Brady announced that he’ll be heading elsewhere in 2020. 
[RELATED: Tom Brady Bids Farewell To Patriots]
Bridgewater has started in just six games since January of 2016, but he’s also made a complete recovery from his devastating injury. Many believe that Bridgewater can thrive if given the opportunity to start. By extension, there are also many who are questioning the Saints’ decision to move forward with Taysom Hill as the main backup and heir apparent to Drew Brees instead of the proven vet.
Last year, Bridgewater went 5-0 as the Saints’ starter, filling in for Brees while he was sidelined. His performance has made him an appealing option for lots of teams – including the Panthers – so the Pats will have their work cut out for them.
Before the injury, Bridgewater started 28 games for the Vikings from 2014-15, averaging 3,075 yards, 14 touchdowns, and ten interceptions per season. Among the 30 QBs who attempted at least 500 passes in those two seasons, Bridgewater ranked 22nd in passer rating, 25th in adjusted net yards per attempt, and 29th in touchdown percentage.