Eagles To Sign Vinny Curry
Vinny Curry is on his way back to Philadelphia. The Eagles are nearing a deal with the defensive end, as Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. It’s a one-year deal worth $2.25M with an additional $1.25M of upside based on incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (via Twitter).
Up until last year, Curry spent his whole career (2012-2017) with the Eagles. Last year, he joined the Bucs on three-year deal, but that contract was terminated when he became a cap casualty in February.
Last year, Curry tallied 21 tackles, 2.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, and five tackles for a loss, numbers that don’t exactly jump off of the page. However, he was effective at generating pressure with the Eagles in 2017 and started in every game, including the team’s Super Bowl victory, so he could be a difference-maker in Philly.
This time around, Curry projects to come off of the bench in support of starters Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett. He’ll be especially important to the rotation if Chris Long opts to retire.
Before agreeing to sign with the Eagles, Curry visited the Bengals and drew interest from the Giants.
Saints’ Cameron Meredith Takes Pay Cut
Saints wide receiver Cameron Meredith has agreed to a pay cut, reducing his base salary from $3.4MM to $1.3MM for 2019, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Meredith missed ten games due to a knee issue last season, so it was a logical move for both sides. 
With that, Meredith’s cap number will decrease from $6.45MM to $4.15M, creating additional cap room for New Orleans. This will, in part, help to offset the expense of adding tight end Jared Cook.
Meredith was not involved in the Saints’ offense outside of Weeks 3-5 last year, though he dressed in the weeks leading up to his injury. When he was on the field, Meredith had nine catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in total.
Meredith, 27 in September, exploded in 2016 with 66 catches for 888 yards and four touchdowns. He was primed for an even bigger 2017 with the Bears, but a torn ACL and MCL in the preseason wiped out the entire year. The Saints still saw plenty of upside in Meredith, however, and inked him to a two-year offer sheet as a restricted free agent.
Drew Brees tends to spread the ball around, but Meredith will have an opportunity to assert himself in one of the league’s most potent offenses in 2019. If he can stay healthy and produce, he’ll have an opportunity to cash in next March as an unrestricted free agent.
Vikings To Sign Josh Kline
The Vikings seem to have found their replacement for Nick Easton. On Wednesday, the team agreed to sign offensive lineman Josh Kline, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin (on Twitter). It’ll be a three-year, $15.75MM deal when all is said and done. 
[RELATED: Vikings Re-Sign Dan Bailey]
Kline signed a four-year, $26MM deal ($12MM guaranteed) with the Titans last offseason, but the team moved on from him after he rejected a pay cut earlier this month. The lineman started all 16 games in 2018, although the advanced metrics imply that he took a step back from his previous seasons. After rating as a fringe top-20 guard in 2017, Pro Football Focus graded Kline 50th among 77 eligible guards in 2018.
The Vikings need some reinforcement on the offensive line, which is exactly what Kline can provide. At the moment, it appears that he’ll be in line to serve as the team’s starting right guard.
Interestingly, his new deal gives him a comparable average annual value to his previous deal, so he probably made the right call by rejecting the Titans’ push for a pay cut.
Saints, Nick Easton Hit Snag
Center/guard Nick Easton is set to join the Saints’ offensive line – unless he isn’t. On Wednesday, Easton’s contract was “disapproved,” according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears that it’s a minor issue and that everything is still on track for Easton to play for the Saints.
Reading between the lines, it sounds like the contract was turned down by the league office, but the reason behind it is unclear. Typically, if a contract is rejected by NFL execs in New York, it signals a salary cap issue or language-related snafu.
The Saints agreed to sign Easton earlier this week after losing Max Unger to retirement. The plan was for Easton to man the center position, filling a major void in the front five.
As far as we know, that’s still the plan in New Orleans, though there are other options for the Saints to explore if worst comes to worst.
East Notes: Cowboys, Crawford, Jets, Bills
The latest from the AFC and NFC East divisions:
- Cowboys defensive lineman Tyrone Crawford was caught on camera brawling inside of a Florida bar, as TMZ details. The 6’4″, 280-pound lineman is shown fighting off four bouncers at once and holding his own. Then, the fight spilled outside, where Crawford got tangled up with multiple cops. Interestingly, Crawford was not arrested and has not been charged with a crime. However, the NFL might have something to say about the incident. After losing Randy Gregory and David Irving to indefinite bans, the Cowboys can ill afford to lose anyone else on the D-Line for the start of the 2019 season.
- Center was a major need for the Jets this offseason, but they did not make offers to Mitch Morse or Matt Paradis, the top two centers in this year’s free agent class (via Manish Mehta of the Daily News). Instead, they re-upped Jonotthan Harrison on a two-year deal with the hope that he can compete with other versatile interior line additions to come. Brett Jones, who has drawn interest from the Jets and a quintet of other clubs, could be added to the mix.
- Seahawks free agent Maurice Alexander, a longtime starter for the Rams, will visit the Bills on Thursday and Friday, a source tells NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Jets To Sign QB Trevor Siemian
The Jets have agreed to sign quarterback Trevor Siemian, according to a tweet from agent Mike McCartney. Siemian’s one-year deal is worth $2MM and could reach up to $3MM with incentives, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press adds (on Twitter).
Gang Green met with Siemian earlier today and the two sides quickly hammered out a deal. The Vikings were interested in retaining him as their backup QB, but, for one reason or another, Siemian jumped at the Jets offer. It’s possible that the cash-flush Jets offered Siemian more money. It’s also possible that Siemian felt that he had a better path to seeing the field as the backup to Sam Darnold rather than supporting Kirk Cousins. Siemian did not appear in a Vikings game last season as Cousins took every snap for Minnesota.
The Jets have been connected to Siemian for a while now – he was on their radar a year ago, with the team connected to the then-Broncos quarterback via trade. New York had already re-signed Josh McCown and added Teddy Bridgewater, leading to Minnesota’s trade acquisition. In 2017, when some brief Tony Romo-to-Denver smoke surfaced, rumors of Jets-Siemian interested emerged. But, Siemian returned as the Broncos’ 2017 starter.
Siemian, 27, fared reasonably well as the 2016 Broncos’ starter, leading the team to a 9-7 record and throwing 18 touchdown passes against ten interceptions. In 2017, he rated as one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks, prompting the Broncos to change course.
AFC North Notes: Ravens, Mosley, Steelers
Here’s a quick look at the AFC North:
- The Jets landed linebacker C.J. Mosley in free agency, but the Ravens went as high as $14MM/year to keep him in Baltimore, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter link). Mosley’s new Jets deal, meanwhile, will pay him an average of $17MM/year with $51MM guaranteed.
- The Steelers restructured the contract of inside linebacker Vince Williams, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The move clears $2.8MM in 2019 cap space for Pittsburgh, but Williams is still due $5.1MM for the coming year. Just last summer, Williams re-upped with the Steelers on a three-year add-on worth upwards of $20MM. In 2018, Williams finished out with 4.5 sacks, 76 tackles, and one interception.
- Former Jaguars tight end James O’Shaughnessy visited the Steelers this week, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Steelers recently lost Jesse James in free agency, so O’Shaughnessy could be a depth option behind starter Vance McDonald. O’Shaughnessy, 27, set new career highs with 24 catches for 214 yards last season. He still only has one touchdown catch in his four NFL seasons, a 2017 TD against the 49ers.
49ers To Meet With Nick Bosa
The 49ers are set to have a dinner date with defensive end Nick Bosa on Wednesday night, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter link). With the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, the Niners may be in position to snag Bosa, who is regarded by many as the best overall talent in this year’s class. 
Of course, the Niners’ chances of having Bosa on the board hinges on the Cardinals’ plans at No. 1 . It has been widely reported that the Cardinals have set their sights on Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, though their plans could still be in flux with five weeks to go before taking the podium.
The Niners already made major upgrades to their defense by acquiring edge rusher Dee Ford and Kwon Alexander earlier this month. Putting Bosa at one of the bookends would give the 49ers a massively improved front seven and a D to be reckoned with.
Despite playing in only three games last year, Bosa looks the part of a game-changer in the NFL, similar to older brother Joey Bosa. As a sophomore, Bosa registered 8.5 sacks and 16 total tackles for a loss and was named a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection. Even in his injury-shortened junior season, Bosa managed four sacks and six tackles for a loss.
Robert Kraft To Reject Plea Deal
This week, Florida prosecutors presented Patriots owner Robert Kraft and others implicated in the now famous sex sting with a plea deal. Kraft, however, will not accept the plea, according to CNN. 
Kraft, 77, has been accused of twice visiting the Orchids of Asia Day Spa. Authorities say they have video footage of him receiving “paid acts,” which would represent clear evidence of solicitation. However, the Patriots owner maintains his innocence, and the proposed plea deal would require Kraft to admit that he would have been proven guilty if the case went to trial. Soon after the story broke, Kraft’s camp indicated that he would not be admitting fault:
“We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.”
Kraft has also filed a motion to prevent the release of the surveillance video, according to TMZ. For now, Kraft is set for a March 28 arraignment. He is being charged with second-degree misdemeanors, which generally do not carry more than a two-month sentence in county jail.
Lions Meet With Manti Te’o
The Lions hosted Saints free agent linebacker Manti Te’o on a visit, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Te’o, who also recently met with the Raiders, could be set to move on from New Orleans. 
The seem fairly well set at middle linebacker with Alex Anzalone, Craig Robertson, and Darnell Sankey in the fold, so the Saints might only be willing to go so far to retain the 28-year-old Te’o. Te’o, meanwhile, would probably prefer a situation that offers more playing time.
Te’o just finished a two-year pact that he signed with the Saints in 2017 and saw action in just five contests (two starts) last year, compiling 18 total tackles. However, in 2017, he started in eleven games and played reasonably well.
For his career, Te’o has started in 47 contests, though he’s lost a good deal of time to injuries since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2013. If he signs with Detroit, he may have a path to more playing time, provided that he can stay on the field.