Raiders To Re-Sign TE Lee Smith
Veteran tight end Lee Smith is re-signing with the Raiders, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known. It’s a three-year deal for Smith, reports Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Smith, our No. 11 ranked tight end, doesn’t have gaudy stat lines on his resume, but he is a solid blocker. Back in February, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com cautioned that he could make more than expected.
The Raiders should now be set at tight end for the 2018 campaign, as they had already signed free agent Derek Carrier on Tuesday. Smith and Carrier will join starter Jared Cook to give Oakland a diverse group at the tight end position.
Smith, 30, has never been an offensive force, as his career-high in season receptions sits at 12. However, he will essentially act as a sixth offensive lineman when on the field, as Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 13th-best pass-blocking tight end in the league.
Latest On CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie may have found his next home. After meeting with the Redskins, DRC says he’s “not taking anymore visits,” according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Initially, the cornerback was slated to meet with the Saints after his meeting with the Redskins. His change in plans could indicate that a deal with D.C. is in the works.
Last year, Rodgers-Cromartie turned in what was arguably the worst season of his career to date. His clashing with Giants coaches also didn’t help matters. He was suspended indefinitely after an argument with then-head coach Ben McAdoo and wound up missing one game.
Rodgers-Cromartie had a 77.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus last season, which was his lowest since 2012. He graded out the No. 58 cornerback in the league, which would indicate he’s on the fringe of starter value.
The Redskins could use DRC, particularly after dealing slot corner Kendall Fuller to the Chiefs in the Alex Smith trade. They’ll also be losing Bashaud Breeland, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Panthers on Tuesday. They still have Josh Norman and Quinton Dunbar atop their depth chart at cornerback.
The Saints have already added to their secondary this offseason, signing former Panthers safety Kurt Coleman to a three-year, $16.35MM deal. Fellow safety Kenny Vaccaro is an unrestricted free agent.
The Giants had hoped to move Rodgers-Cromartie to safety and asked him to take a pay cut before eventually releasing him. Rodgers-Cromartie was due to make $6.48MM with the Giants next season with a cap hit of $8.5MM.
Five Teams In On DE Adrian Clayborn
Defensive end Adrian Clayborn is drawing interest from a number of teams. The Patriots, Colts, Bucs, Browns, and the incumbent Falcons are all in the mix, a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Clayborn led the Falcons with 9.5 sacks last season, a career high, and entered free agency as one of our top 50 free agents available. Nearly two-thirds of that total came against the Cowboys when Tyron Smith was sidelined. With more than half of that list spoken for, he now stands as one of the best edge rushers available.
Clayborn graded out as PFF’s No. 19 ranked edge defender in 2017. Each of these teams utilize a 4-3 scheme, a setup in which Clayborn has spent his entire NFL career.
A Bucs reunion is in play. Tampa Bay, which let Clayborn walk in 2015 after an injury-riddled run in south Florida, has Robert Ayers and William Gholston penciled in as starters. The Colts hold more than $7oMM in cap space and have yet to make much of a splash thus far on the market. They are converting to a 4-3 look and could use proven linemen. The Browns have already added rotational cog Chris Smith and also have Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib as Myles Garrett complements. New England skated by without much depth at end last season but has Trey Flowers back and some unproven young cogs as well.
Cardinals Release Tyrann Mathieu
The Cardinals have released Tyrann Mathieu, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Cardinals asked Mathieu to accept a pay cut, but those talks did not result in a revised deal.
Had Mathieu remained on Arizona’s roster after today, he would have had a large chunk of his contract guaranteed. Unwilling to carry his $14.1MM cap hit in 2018, the Cardinals are releasing him in order to free up resources for free agency. The 25-year-old defender said he was willing to restructure his deal but balked at the notion of the pay cut.
The Cards are not making Mathieu a post-June 1 cut, instead opting to take on the $9.3MM dead-money hit all in 2018, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
“I’ve never made a secret that Tyrann has always had a special place in my heart and always will,” GM Steve Keim said. “While we all understand this is a part of the business, that certainly doesn’t make it any easier. We all wish Tyrann nothing but continued success in his career and beyond.”
Mathieu inked a five-year, $62.5MM extension with the Cardinals back in 2016. That deal came after an ACL tear ended his 2015 campaign early. In 2016, he suited up for just ten games. Last year, he played a full 16-game slate, but didn’t look like his usual self.
It wasn’t the best platform year for his free agency, but Mathieu will have a host of suitors due to his playmaking ability and versatility. The 25-year-old will join an impressive free agent safety class that also includes Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, and Tyvon Branch, but it’s difficult to argue Mathieu won’t be a more desirable option than any of those defensive backs.
The Jets, for one, would have made sense as a speculative destination for Mathieu given the presence of former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, but New York likely isn’t interested, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Gang Green, of course, drafted safeties with each of their first two 2017 picks. For what it’s worth, the Giants also employ a former Arizona DC in James Bettcher.
Ravens Release Jeremy Maclin
The Ravens are releasing Jeremy Maclin, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Maclin now joins an underwhelming crop of free agent wide receivers, which could help his cause as he looks for a new team. 
Maclin had 40 catches for 440 yards with three touchdowns last season. It was the lowest output in catches and receiving yards in his career. Maclin was selected to the Pro Bowl while with the Eagles in 2014, setting career highs in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,318).
The 29-year-old was in the second year of a two-year, $11MM deal signed with the Ravens last offseason after being cut by the Chiefs. He was set to have a $7.5MM cap hit toward this season. Maclin was due a $1MM bonus if he was still on the Ravens’ roster Friday.
The decision to cut Maclin comes a day after the Ravens agreed to deals with John Brown and Ryan Grant. Brown should help replace the speed threat presented by Mike Wallace, who’s an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Grant caught a career-best four touchdowns with the Redskins last year.
Along with Wallace, Michael Campanaro is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Ravens still have Chris Moore, Breshad Perriman, Quincy Adeboyejo, DeVier Posey and Tim White rostered at wide receiver
Maclin joins a wide receivers market that features Wallace, Jordy Nelson, Terrelle Pryor and Eric Decker. Maclin was a fairly reliable option through his first five years in the league, which came with the Eagles who drafted him 19th overall in 2009. He played in at least 15 games in four of those seasons and had 60-plus catches in four of the seasons as well before signing with the Chiefs in 2015.
Broncos Sign CB Tramaine Brock
The Broncos and cornerback Tramaine Brock have agreed to a deal, according to Mike Klis of 9News. It will be a one-year, $4MM pact, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Denver has officially announced the deal.
Brock is coming off of a strange 2017. In April, the 49ers released him on the heels of a domestic violence arrest. After that charge was dropped in August, the Seahawks scooped him. Then, before the start of the season, Seattle shipped Brock to Minnesota for a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick.
Brock, who had started 31 games for San Francisco from 2015-16, barely played in a stacked Vikings secondary. The 29-year-old saw action on just 5% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps, playing behind Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, and Terence Newman. Brock did contribute on special teams, however, playing on nearly 40% of the Vikings’ ST snaps.
The Broncos are clearly trying to add an affordable corner after trading veteran Aqib Talib to the Rams earlier this offseason. Denver reportedly also has interest in former Raiders CB T.J. Carrie. Brock will likely play in nickel packages alongside Chris Harris and Bradley Roby.
Bills Trade Cordy Glenn To Bengals
The Bengals are trading for Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deal will see the Bills move up in the first round, according to Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Bills will acquire the No. 12 pick in the draft, while the Bengals will go down to No. 21 overall. The two teams will also swap fifth- and sixth-round picks. Precisely, the Bills will trade picks 21 and 158 for picks 12 and 187, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets.
Glenn was a durable player for the Bills prior to signing a massive extension with the Bills in 2016. Since then, he has been banged up and not quite worth the money for Buffalo. With a lofty $14.45MM cap number in 2018 and a $6.5MM roster bonus on the horizon, the Bills have decided to move on.
Glenn drew interest from teams at last year’s trade deadline, including the Seahawks, so the Bills knew there was at least some market for him, despite his health concerns and hefty contract. Glenn has three years and roughly $30MM remaining on his contract.
Glenn, 29 in September, appeared in just six games (275 snaps) for Buffalo last season before being placed on IR. He also missed five games of action in 2016. Before that, Glenn played a full 16-game slate in three consecutive seasons.
From 2013-2016, Glenn graded out as roughly a top-20 tackle, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. He did not fare nearly as well in his limited and injury-plagued sample last season.
The Bengals, who saw longtime left tackle Andrew Whitworth defect to the Rams in free agency last March, badly needed to upgrade their offensive line. They have done just that by acquiring Glenn. If healthy, Glenn easily profiles as an above-average starter at left tackle. Given his injury history, the Bengals will want to shore up the bench in the even that he misses time.
The Bills, meanwhile, have greatly improved their standing in the draft. They also hold the No. 22 overall selection, thanks to last year’s Patrick Mahomes trade, and five of the draft’s first 65 choices. Buffalo now figures to let Dion Dawkins, who filled in for Glenn last season when he was ailing, move into the role of its full-time left tackle.
Considering their stock of early-round picks, you can only wonder if the Bills are preparing to make a run at one of the top quarterbacks in the draft. Buffalo may be emulating the strategy the Eagles took several years ago to select Carson Wentz, when Philly started with No. 13, moved up to No. 8, and ultimately traded for the second-overall pick. Of course, the Bills could also be eyeing free agent quarterbacks, as reports from earlier today indicated that they had interest in former Vikings signal-callers Sam Bradford and Case Keenum.
[RELATED: Bengals Depth Chart]
Saints Interested In QB Tom Savage
After losing Chase Daniel to the Bears, the Saints are in the market for a backup quarterback. That search could lead them to Tom Savage, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. 
Savage, our 15th ranked QB in free agency, began the season as the Texans’ starting quarterback but got the hook in favor of Deshaun Watson in the early in the year. When Watson was lost to a torn ACL, Savage regained the starting job only to suffer a season-ending concussion in Week 14. All in all, Savage played in eight games and started seven, going 1-6 in those starts.
Savage, a former fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh, finished the year with 1,412 yards and five touchdowns against six interceptions. He also completed just 56% of his passes.
The Saints and other interested teams will want to take a close look at Savage’s medicals in the wake of his scary concussion last year which left him shaking on the field. Savage, somehow, was allowed to re-enter the game afterwards.
Bears Interested In P Kevin Huber
We have punter news. The Bears have spoken to Bengals free agent Kevin Huber, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Bears’ own punter, Pat O’Donnell, is a pending free agent. It’s unclear whether O’Donnell is still in their plans, or if they are just safeguarding themselves in the event of O’Donnell’s departure.
Huber has been the Bengals’ punter ever since entering the league in 2009. In 2014, he earned his first and only Pro Bowl selection. Last year, he set a new career watermark with 46.6 yards per boot.
Jets, Falcons Interested In Broncos QB Trevor Siemian?
The Broncos are fielding calls on Trevor Siemian and at least two teams are in the mix. The Jets and Falcons are interested in the signal caller, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post (on Twitter).
It would be surprising, to say the least, if the Jets still have interest in Siemian after re-signing Josh McCown and adding Teddy Bridgewater in free agency. Popular thought has been that the Jets would explore QB options in the draft, perhaps at No. 6 overall, in order to groom a younger player for the position behind the two veterans. It’s possible that the Jets would prefer to go with a deeper depth chart of three established QBs while using their top pick to bolster another department.
The Falcons would also make for an odd destination for Siemian given that they recently inked backup Matt Schaub to a two-year extension. While Atlanta could get out of Schuab’s deal with relative ease, the club wouldn’t have made the move to keep Schaub unless it was comfortable with him as Matt Ryan‘s No. 2. Siemian could potentially serve as the Falcons’ third-stringer, but many teams like to keep that spot open for a developmental arm.
Siemian offered league-average production in 14 games as the Broncos’ starter in 2016, as the former seventh-round pick completed 59.5% of his passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Last season, however, Siemian struggled mightily, and Denver ultimately turned to Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch under center.
Siemian could conceivably attract interest from any number of teams as a backup quarterback, especially given his price tag. He’ll earn just $1.907MM in 2018 (a raise over his scheduled base salary, thanks to the proven performance escalator), an entirely palatable figure for a No. 2 signal-caller.