Anthony Barr Cancels Jets Deal, Re-Signs With Vikings
Anthony Barr won’t be signing with the Jets after all. The linebacker’s contract has been called off, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Instead, he’ll re-sign with the Vikings.
The Vikings gave Barr a five-year deal worth $67.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, with $33MM of this pact being guaranteed. Incentives can raise Barr’s earnings to $77MM. 
This is pretty shocking news, as the contract with New York was reported as having been a done deal last night. His deal with the Jets was reportedly going to pay Barr over $14MM annually, so it sounds like he took slightly less to stay in Minnesota.
Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News tweets that the Vikings sweetened their initial offer, which helped sway Barr to change his mind. Barr’s desire to remain in Minnesota helped make up for the slight disparity between the two proposals, Mehta adds (on Twitter).
As for the money Barr did receive, it will make him the second-highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the game. The Jets’ C.J. Mosley deal tops the list, by a considerable margin. Both of this week’s deals set a new high bar for what had been a stagnant market, with Jamie Collins‘ 2017 Browns deal being non-rush linebackers’ high-water mark for nearly two years — prior to Cleveland cutting Collins.
While it certainly caught the Jets by surprise, it might not end up being all that bad for New York. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that the Jets have taken some of the money they were going to pay Barr, and used it to make “a last and final big offer to Le’Veon Bell.”
Rapoport writes that it’s now “decision time” for Bell, as the Jets appear to have made their final offer. The Jets have been saying for months they were going to be aggressive in free agency, and they’ve certainly delivered on that promise. The Jets have been the team most consistently linked to Bell, and they seem to be the frontrunner for his services as of now.
Barr has spent his entire five-year career with the Vikings, earning four Pro Bowl nods along the way, and had always maintained that he wanted to stay a Viking. The former first-rounder had another standout season in 2018, finishing with 55 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble. The Vikings ultimately decided to pass on franchising Barr, a move that would have cost $15.9MM.
This represents another major Vikings investment in their homegrown core, with Barr joining numerous defensive starters in being signed to long-term deals. This also figures to scratch a possible move to more of an edge-rushing role. The Jets were planning to incorporate more of Barr’s college-years edge work into their scheme, but with the Vikings, the five-year veteran has consistently worked as an off-ball linebacker. It appears he is comfortable in this role and will not be leaving the Twin Cities.
Saints To Sign Latavius Murray
Alvin Kamara has a new understudy. The Saints have agreed to sign former Vikings running back Latavius Murray, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). It’s a four-year, $14.4MM deal, Schefter adds. 
Murray, 29, averaged 4.1 yards per carry last season, his best average since his rookie season with the Raiders. He no longer profiles as a top-end starter, but he could be a phenomenal fit as Kamara’s safety net and change of pace complement.
This time last year, Murray reworked his contract in order to stay with the Vikings. Initially, Murray was set to play out a three-year, $15MM deal through the 2019 season. But, in exchange for accepting a reduced base salary, the Vikings eliminated the ’19 season from his contract.
The unexpected signing likely means that Mark Ingram will not return to New Orleans. The Saints wanted to retain the veteran, but they were also unwilling to give him much more than the $4MM they paid him in 2018. Ingram became a two-time Pro Bowler and enjoyed his best season in 2017 when he amassed 1,540 yards from scrimmage and scored 12 touchdowns. Last year, he only rushed for 645 yards, but he averaged 4.7 per carry.
Packers To Release Nick Perry
The Packers will release outside linebacker Nick Perry, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The decision to cut Perry comes moments after the Packers agreed to sign linebacker Preston Smith and pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. 
Perry was set to make $11MM this season and had a $4.8MM roster bonus due on March 15. With tons of new firepower (and expenditures) in the front seven, there was little room left for Perry.
The Packers happily re-upped Perry on a five-year, $60MM extension in 2017, but he’s missed eleven games since then. His latest injury came in 2018 when he landed on IR with a knee ailment. Perry had a career-low 1.5 sacks last season and he was bracing himself for a release.
Previously, it was believed that the Packers could have interest in restructuring Perry’s deal, but there’s little need for him after the Packers’ free agent shopping bonanza. Perry won’t turn 29 until April and is healthy once again, so he shouldn’t have too much trouble finding work.
Per Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com, Perry was not designated as a post-June 1 cut, which means that the Packers will eat all of the dead money from the release ($11.1MM) this year. The club will still save roughly $3.3MM in cap space in 2019, but they could have saved nearly $11MM if they spread out the dead money into 2020.
49ers, Kyle Nelson Agree To Extension
The 49ers have signed long snapper Kyle Nelson to a four-year extension through 2022, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Nelson still has six games left on a ten-game suspension handed out last December, so he won’t actually play under the new deal until late October or early November.
Nelson was suspended ten games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances late last year. The length of the suspension indicates that it was the second PED ban of Nelson’s career.
The 32-year-old (33 in October) has spent the past five seasons in San Francisco, appearing in every single game for the organization. Before that, Nelson appeared in games for the Chargers and Redskins.
Packers To Sign OL Billy Turner
The Packers’ shopping spree isn’t over yet. On Tuesday morning, the Packers agreed to sign offensive lineman Billy Turner, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). Turner’s deal with Green Bay is for four years and $28MM, with a max value of $29.5MM, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets. The contract calls for him to receive $11MM in the first year.
Turner, 27, has spent the last two years and change with the Broncos. He was discussing a new deal with Denver this week, but the addition of Ja’Wuan James probably squeezed him out of Denver. Turner now turns his attention to the Packers, where he can offer help at both tackle and guard.
The former Dolphins third-round pick has 25 career starts to his credit, including 11 last year. After suffering a rash of injuries up front, the Packers can use all the help they can get in protecting Aaron Rodgers.
Of course, Turner’s signing isn’t the real attention grabber in Green Bay. On Tuesday, the Packers also agreed to sign safety Adrian Amos, linebacker Preston Smith, and pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. Given all of the expenditures, it seems unlikely that the Packers will be serious suitors for Le’Veon Bell.
Chargers To Sign Thomas Davis
The Chargers are set to sign linebacker Thomas Davis, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former Panther and three-time Pro Bowler also announced the news via social media (Twitter link). 
“Very happy that I’m going to be able to showcase my talents for the LA Chargers,” Davis tweeted. “Long way from home but I’m extremely excited about this opportunity!”
It’s a two-year, $10.5MM deal for the veteran, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) adds. The pact includes $5.25MM guaranteed for 2019 and a $1MM roster bonus due next March.
The 2019 season will be Davis’ 15th year in the league. The first 14 years of his career were all with Carolina. One of the league’s best linebackers for a handful of years, Davis will turn 36 in a couple of weeks and the Panthers thought it was time to move on.
Suspended for the first four games of last season, Davis started the final 12 games and had a very solid year. He received above average marks from Pro Football Focus, and graded out as their 19th-best linebacker overall. He’ll be joining an already very talented Chargers defense, and will provide an immediate boost.
The Chargers have playmakers on the defensive line and in the secondary, but were sorely lacking at linebacker last year. They recently re-signed Denzel Perryman, who has been hurt most of the past two years, and if he can stay healthy the Chargers will have a much-improved linebacking corp next season.
Davis, a first round pick all the way back in 2004, will fill a leadership role on a defense with a lot of young players. Davis struggled with injury issues earlier on in his career, but has been remarkably durable the last handful of years, which is what the oft-injured Chargers desperately need.
Saints To Re-Sign Teddy Bridgewater
The Saints are expected to re-sign quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, according to Jane Slater of NFL.com (on Twitter). Bridgewater had a better offer from the Dolphins, Slater hears, but Bridgewater re-upped with New Orleans because he values the club’s locker room culture and the prospect of one day becoming the Saints’ starting QB.
While Slater says the Dolphins made a better offer, a source told Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald that the Dolphins “were not big players” for Bridgewater’s services (Twitter link).Bridgewater was widely considered to be the second-best quarterback available in free agency this year, behind Nick Foles.
The former first-round pick somehow managed to come back from a gruesome leg injury in 2016, return to full health, and reestablish himself as a promising talent. His last significant action came with the Vikings in 2015, his second NFL season, and he spent last season as Drew Brees‘ clipboard holder. Still, the Saints have been extremely impressed by Bridgewater’s maturity, leadership, and talent displayed on the practice field.
Bridgewater got the start for New Orleans in Week 17 last year with Brees resting for the playoffs. The results were mixed, but Bridgewater was playing without most of the starters on offense. Bridgewater signed with the Jets last offseason, and after New York drafted Sam Darnold, they decided to trade him. Bridgewater looked impressive during the preseason, and the Saints then traded for him.
They gave up a third round pick for him, so they clearly believe in his potential. Still only 26, the Saints have plenty of time to wait and develop him. With Bridgewater off the market, the free agent quarterback market is now very thin. Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Fitzpatrick are now the two biggest names available, and they may have to settle for backup roles somewhere. Taylor has been linked to Miami recently as well.
Browns To Sign Sheldon Richardson
The Browns are signing former Vikings defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to a three-year, $36MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Browns’ D-Line now looks pretty fearsome with recent pickup Olivier Vernon and Myles Garrett on the bookends and Richardson occupying a space in between. 
Richardson, a longtime Jets standout, was shipped to the Seahawks days before the start of the 2017 season. Then, last year, he signed with a one-year, $8MM deal with the Vikings.
It was a disappointing year for the Vikes, but Richardson had a solid year on an individual level. He finished out with 4.5 sacks and 49 tackles and graded out as the No. 47 ranked interior defender in the league, per Pro Football Focus.
It’s a massive upgrade for Richardson compared to the relatively small deal he settled for last offseason, and his decision to re-enter free agency in 2019 paid off handsomely. The former first round pick had some off-field issues early in his career and face questions about his motivation with the Jets, but he’s mostly put those to rest the past couple of years.
It’s the first splashy free agency signing by the Browns so far, and it likely won’t be the last with all the cap space Cleveland is sitting on.With fellow defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, the Browns now have a very solid run-stuffing duo on the interior. The Browns are looking to build on the momentum they had toward the end of last season, and are focused on building up the defense.
Packers To Sign Adrian Amos, Za’Darius Smith
This year, the Packers were serious about making noise in free agency. On Tuesday morning, they agreed to sign safety Adrian Amos, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The club also agreed to terms with former Ravens edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, according to Rapoport (Twitter link). 
Amos is getting a four-year deal worth $37MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport notes that it’ll pay him $21MM over the first two years. He was reported to have been seeking between $9-10MM annually, so he got what he wanted.
Amos, 26 in April, enjoyed the best season of his career at the perfect time. Starting in all 16 games, Amos finished out with 73 tackles, two interceptions, nine passes defensed, a fumble recovery, and a sack in 2018. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus positioned Amos as the eighth-best safety in the NFL last year, though he placed even higher in 2017.
Smith has been an object of the Packers’ affection for some time now. A few years ago, they tried to trade for the former fourth-round pick. Years later, they got him, albeit at a bit of a premium. The 26-year-old (27 in September), also timed his breakout season well. Last year, the edge rusher finished out with 8.5 sacks and 45 tackles despite starting in only eight of his 16 games.
With these two signings, the Packers have managed to close the gap between themselves and the Lions, who spent some serious coin on Monday. They also stole Amos away from the rival Bears, who were hoping to retain him. Thanks to his link to new Broncos coach Vic Fangio, Amos had been heavily linked to Denver, but ultimately it was Green Bay who won the bidding. Amos was a bit unheralded coming out of college, and was a fifth round pick out of Penn State back in 2015. He became a near immediate starter, and this is a big loss for the Bears’ elite defense.
With the signing of Buster Skrine and the expected departure of Bryce Callahan, Chicago’s secondary will look quite a bit different next year. Smith is the latest in a series of departures from the Ravens’ defense, with linebackers C.J. Mosley and Terrell Suggs, along with safety Eric Weddle, all finding new homes.
Bills To Sign Frank Gore
Frank Gore just won’t quit. On Monday, the ageless running back agreed to sign with the Bills on a one-year, $2MM deal, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Gore, 36 in May, continues to defy the odds with productive season after productive season. Last year, Gore managed 4.6 yards per carry off of 156 attempts and added 12 catches for 124 yards. He no longer profiles as a workhorse back, but he’s still extremely effective when used in the right measure.
In addition to being extremely efficient last year, Gore also graded out as the Dolphins’ best pass-blocker, per Pro Football Focus. Football Outsiders’ metrics lauded Gore as well, as he ranked as a top-20 back in DYAR, DVOA, and success rate.
The Bills already have star LeSean McCoy leading the way with Chris Ivory in reserve, but Gore could be a change-of-pace option as the Bills move forward. The extra insurance can’t hurt, especially since McCoy averaged a career-low 3.2 yards per try in 2018.