Raiders, Bills Interested In Tom Johnson
The Bills and Raiders have expressed interest in Vikings free agent defensive tackle Tom Johnson, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter). Johnson, 33, is seeking a two-year deal “for the highest salary he can get since it might be his last big contract,” Tomasson adds.
Last year, Johnson appeared in all 16 games and managed 23 pressures two sacks from the interior. He reportedly asked for a one-year, $4MM extension last season, but the Vikings refused, which could give an idea where Minnesota stands on Johnson’s value.
Heading into free agency, Johnson ranked PFR’s No. 9 free agent defensive tackle.
Dolphins To Sign WR Danny Amendola
Danny Amendola is staying in the AFC East, but he’ll do so with a different team. The Patriots free agent has agreed to sign with the Dolphins, according to NFL Network’s Dan Hellie (on Twitter). Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (on Twitter) has confirmed the news. It’s a two-year deal worth $12MM with $8.25MM guaranteed, according to Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter). Schrager notes that the deal includes incentives, but it’s not immediately clear if those incentives are factored into the $12MM figure.
Amendola was vocal about his desire to stay with the Patriots, but New England’s cap crunch has led him to sign elsewhere. He’ll now face his old friends twice per season and he might make the Pats regret the decision to let him leave.
Amendola accepted several pay cuts in order to stick on the Patriots’ roster in recent years, but the offers were too good this time around for the wide receiver to stay put. The veteran earned roughly $6MM over the last three years with the Patriots and he’ll earn more than that in guarantees alone with Miami.
After a down season in 2016, Amendola racked up 61 receptions, 659 yards, and two touchdowns during the 2017 regular season before stepping up with a 26/348/2 line in the postseason. Amendola has never topped 700 yards receiving in a single season, but he is a strong weapon in today’s quick passing game.
The Dolphins jumped at the chance to land Amendola after parting ways with Jarvis Landry this offseason. They used the franchise tag on Landry, an excellent slot receiver, to keep him with a one-year, ~$16MM placeholder before shipping him to the Browns. Amendola will step into Landry’s role and while he might not offer the same production, he comes at a much better value.
This has proven to be a seller’s market for this year’s top free agent wideouts. Already, Allen Robinson, Sammy Watkins, and Paul Richardson have landed lucrative multi-year deals. Amendola joins that group with a solid pay day of his own.
[RELATED: Dolphins Depth Chart]
Talks Stall For Saints, Jimmy Graham
Hold the phone on the Saints/Jimmy Graham reunion. The two sides have been seriously discussing a deal, but talks have stalled in recent hours, sources tell Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Discussions aren’t dead, however, as both sides are still hoping to reach agreement. 
Graham has a strong market in free agency with the Packers and other teams hoping to sign him. The Ravens are also hoping to get involved, but their cap situation may hinder them.
Trey Burton‘s new four-year, $32MM deal with the Bears will only help to push Graham’s market and that may be a roadblock in his talks with the Saints. The 49ers and Lions were said to have interest in Burton and they could get in the mix for Graham now that the younger TE is off the board.
This offseason marks Graham’s first experience as an unrestricted free agent. Last season, he caught ten touchdowns for the Seahawks. Graham remains a serious red zone threat, but his career-low 9.1 yards per catch underscores that he’s not the same player as he was during his prime in New Orleans.
Drew Brees Turned Down Better Offer To Stay With Saints?
As expected, Drew Brees has re-signed with the Saints on a new deal. The contract — worth $50MM and containing $27MM in guarantees — isn’t exactly chump change, but Brees may have had better offers elsewhere.
At least one other team was willing to give Brees $60MM guaranteed over two years, according to Jeff Triplett of ESPN.com. However, there’s some conflicting word on that front. A league source tells Mike Florio of PFT that simply never happened.
The Vikings were among the teams to reach out to Brees, but they are reportedly on the verge of signing Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed three-year deal.
If the $60MM guaranteed offer is true, one has to wonder if it came from the Jets. Although luring Brees away from New Orleans was a Hail Mary, the Jets had to give it a shot given the uninspiring lot of backup options.
Since losing out on the top QBs in this year’s market, the Jets have re-upped Josh McCown and may still be eyeing Teddy Bridgewater. Brees, meanwhile, is back in New Orleans and ready to take another run at a Super Bowl ring.
Eagles Release TE Brent Celek
The Eagles announced that they have released tight end Brent Celek. The veteran was scheduled to carry a $5MM cap hit for 2018. By releasing him, the Eagles will save an estimated $4MM. 
This is the latest move by the Eagles to free up cap space, following the restructuring of Lane Johnson‘s contract. With their extra cap room, the Eagles have added accomplished defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to the mix. The Eagles are also hoping to hold on to Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, though they might be willing to trade him for a substantial haul in draft compensation.
The defending champs have not rested on their laurels this week. In addition to the aforementioned Ngata signing, they have shipped wide receiver Torrey Smith to the Panthers and they have a deal in place to retain nickel cornerback Patrick Robinson.
Celek, for his part, wants to continue playing.
Dolphins To Keep Ja’Wuan James?
Ja’Wuan James was rumored to be on the block, but it sounds like the Dolphins are intent on keeping him. The Broncos called the Dolphins to inquire the right tackle but were informed that he will be staying put, a source tells Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). 
On Monday, we heard that the Dolphins were working with James on a new contract, which is consistent with the latest word on him. The former first-round pick has been mentioned as both a trade and release candidate given his bloated cap charge, but it seems more likely that he’ll remain with the team under a lesser deal.
Given the lack of quality tackles on the open market, James has some leverage in talks. Nate Solder and Justin Pugh are the only clear-cut starters available, though Austin Howard could be added to that group now that his option has been declined by the Ravens.
Bucs Interested In RB Jerick McKinnon
The Buccaneers have interest in running back Jerick McKinnon, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McKinnon could be a fit for Tampa Bay’s backfield following the release of Doug Martin. 
On Tuesday morning, the Bucs re-signed exclusive rights free agent Peyton Barber, who also figures to be a key component in the running game. McKinnon may not have the build to carry the ball 17 times per game, but he could combine with Barber to make a formidable combo at running back.
Heading into free agency, I ranked McKinnon as one of the 50 best players available and ranked him third amongst all running backs based on ability.
A return to Minnesota has not been officially ruled out for McKinnon, but he has been vocal about his desire for a larger role.
Broncos Eyeing CB T.J. Carrie
The Broncos have interest in cornerback T.J. Carrie, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). Carrie entered free agency as one of PFR’s ten best cornerbacks available and one of the 50 best free agents overall.
Carrie has said that he doesn’t want to leave the Raiders, but it’s not clear whether new head coach Jon Gruden has him in their plans. Carrie did meet with the Raiders’ new staff, however. Ultimately, his market value could drive him away from Oakland and into the arms of a divisional rival.
The Broncos are in search of a No. 3 cornerback after agreeing to trade Aqib Talib to the Rams. Talib, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby formed probably the league’s best corner trio over the past four years, and Harris and Roby remain. But despite drafting Brendan Langley in last year’s third round, the franchise was said to be searching the veteran market for a cheaper option than Talib.
Carrie qualifies, but after a strong contract year where he proved to be a clear slot upgrade on D.J. Hayden, it’s unclear how cheap he will come. Both Harris and Roby are going to earn north of $8MM in 2018, so any Carrie deal would place the Broncos toward the top of the league in cornerback spending.
A perennial Pro Bowler, Harris has functioned as probably the game’s best slot cornerback over the past several years. But he recently expressed a desire to play more on the outside. His flexibility as a boundary corner in base sets and slot cover man in Denver’s nickel would allow the team to target a slot player or outside defender in free agency.
Redskins To Sign WR Paul Richardson
The Redskins are expected to sign wide receiver Paul Richardson to a five-year, $40MM deal, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes $20MM in guarantees. Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter) first reported that a deal could be on the horizon.
Richardson has reportedly been on the Redskins’ radar for a while. 
The Redskins were also targeting Allen Robinson, but this year’s top free agent wide receiver has agreed to terms with the Bears. There aren’t a ton of quality WRs available in this year’s crop, but Richardson is among the best.
Richardson stepped into a larger role last year after the Seahawks shipped Jermaine Kearse to the Jets. Richardson, who doesn’t turn 26 until April, averaged 16 yards per grab for Seattle.
The Redskins have been looking for a speedy complement to Josh Doctson and Richardson would fit the bill. With Richardson in the fold, it seems unlikely that they will roll the dice on Terrelle Pryor for another season.
Free agency doesn’t technically begin until Wednesday, but things are already off to a rollicking start for this year’s available wide receivers.
Sammy Watkins has agreed to a three-year, $48MM deal with the Chiefs, and the Bears have agreed to a three-year, $42MM deal with Allen Robinson. Richardson, who was ranked as our sixth-best wide receiver heading into free agency, has matched the $8MM average annual value of Kenny Britt‘s free agent deal from last offseason while adding another year and nearly doubling his guarantees.
This is a nice haul for Richardson, who had not put together much of relevance until his contract year. Having torn an ACL in the playoffs as a rookie, Richardson then played in just one game in 2015. After serving as a lower-level supporting-cast cog in 2016, the former second-round pick broke out last year in averaging 16.0 yards per catch and gaining 703 air yards. He scored six touchdowns in what turned out to be a critical year in his career.
Richardson will be a key piece of a revamped Redskins offense, joining Alex Smith. Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed will again be expected to play big roles, with Chris Thompson doing so as well, assuming he returns from his season-ending injury.
Dolphins Re-Sign Walt Aikens
Walt Aikens is re-signing with the Dolphins on a two-year deal, a league source tells Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). The defensive back is now under contract with Miami through the 2019 season.
Aikens played in all 16 games last season in a backup role and tallied a forced fumble and two tackles without an interception. Aikens was the only member of the Dolphins’ cornerbacks group that was set to become an unrestricted free agent. The 26-year-old still has the likes of Cordrea Tankersley, Reshad Jones, Bobby McCain and Trae Elston in front of him on the depth chart and under contract for next season.
The Dolphins took Aikens in the fourth round of the 2014 draft out of Liberty and he’s missed just two games over his four-year career while making five starts — all coming in 2016. Miami still has a need to address at safety as Nate Allen is due to become a free agent this offseason.
While the Dolphins’ secondary looks like it will remain intact for the most part, the same can’t be said for the team’s front seven. That starts with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who was released Monday, and linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who’s expected to be cut before the new league year begins Wednesday. Middle linebacker Koa Misi is also set to become an unrestricted free agent.