Chiefs To Sign Sammy Watkins
The Chiefs and Sammy Watkins have agreed to a three-year, $48MM deal, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes $30MM fully guaranteed at signing.
The deal brings one of the biggest offensive weapons in this year’s free agent class to Kansas City. Watkins did not have the kind of year he wanted to in Los Angeles, but he is still potentially lethal, particularly if he can stay healthy. From 2014 to 2016, Watkins averaged 66 grabs for 1,063 yards and seven scores per 16 games – numbers that are a bit skewed since he missed 13 games between ’15 and ’16.
The Chiefs now boast a scary offense led by Watkins, Travis Kelce, Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill and dynamic quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Albert Wilson and De’Anthony Thomas are the only players in the team’s receiving corps that are due to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Watkins — a former No. 4 overall pick in 2014 by the Bills — became the second major wide receiver free agent domino to fall over the last two days, with Allen Robinson agreeing to a deal with the Bears on Monday. Robinson’s deal with the Bears is expected to be in the range of three years, $42MM.
The Rams were reportedly intent on retaining Watkins but placing the franchise tag on Lamarcus Joyner made that a difficult proposition for them. The Rams have already added Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib to their secondary and have the likes of Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds and Pharoh Cooper at receiver. The Rams have already announced they plan to cut ties with Tavon Austin when the new league year begins Wednesday.
[RELATED: Chiefs Depth Chart]
Vikings Reach Out To Drew Brees
The Vikings have called on Drew Brees, a league source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Brees, of course, is widely expected to re-sign with the Saints, but he is technically available and Minnesota plans to leave no stone unturned. Other QB-needy teams have also reached out to Brees, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Vikings’ top target in free agency is reportedly Kirk Cousins. But, with several other teams after him, including the cash-flush Jets, the Vikings are exploring backup plans. Realistically, their best Plan B may be their own free agent, Case Keenum, but they may prefer to have Brees if possible.
At least two teams in pursuit of Cousins are reportedly willing to give him a three-year, fully guaranteed contract. It’s unclear as to whether the Vikings are one of those clubs. If they’re not willing to give him that unprecedented deal, then they may have to settle for other QB options. “Settling” for Brees would not be a bad outcome for the Vikings at all as he is arguably the better QB for the here and now.
Brees is 39, but he’s coming off of another spectacular season. In 2017, Brees completed a league-leading 72% of his passes with 4,334 yards and 23 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. You don’t need advanced metrics to gauge his value, but Brees graded out as the second-best quarterback in the NFL last season, behind only Tom Brady.
49ers Sign P Jeff Locke
The 49ers have signed punter Jeff Locke, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter).
Locke spent the early part of 2017 with the Lions as he filled in for Sam Martin. He was released in October when Martin made his way back to the roster and did not hook on with another team, despite auditioning for a few.
The 49ers have relied on Bradley Pinion, a former fifth-round pick, as their punter for the last three seasons. It’s not clear whether Pinion will be a part of a competition with Locke or if he will be out of the picture altogether.
Last year, Locke averaged a career-high 45.3 yards per punt in a limited sample.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
New York Giants
- Re-signed: OG Jon Halapio, LB Mark Herzlich
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed to two-year deals: LB Nick Dzubnar, WR Geremy Davis
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: WR Griff Whalen
Latest On Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski
We’re still waiting on Rob Gronkowski to decide on his football future, but the latest word is promising for the Patriots. Gronkowski’s has been working out at the TB12 Sports Therapy Center at Gillette in recent days, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Late last month, Rapoport reported that Gronkowski was expected to continue playing. So far, agent Drew Rosenhaus has stayed mum on the subject, though Gronk is known to be wrestling with the decision in the wake of a concussion he suffered during the postseason.
Gronkowski, a mainstream star, may have other lucrative opportunities waiting for him outside of football. There has been talk of an acting career and the WWE may be interested in bringing him into the world of sports entertainment. Right now, one has to imagine that Gronkowski will put the silver screen and the squared circle on the back burner.
Last season, No. 87 caught 69 passes for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns for the Pats.
Keenum Might Not Wait For Cousins To Sign
Popular thought has been that Case Keenum would have to wait for Kirk Cousins to sign with a team before inking a contract of his own. That’s not the case, at least in Keenum’s mind. If Keenum receives a strong offer right out of the gate, he is prepared to take it, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). 
Of course, the call is not up to just Keenum. There figures to be a good amount of overlap between his market and Cousins’ with Keenum as the Plan B – or even Plan C – behind this year’s top free agent. But, it’s notable that Keenum does not intend on waiting for Cousins to set the market. Instead, Keenum likely figures that Cousins’ contract will not have a great deal of bearing on his own.
To a large degree, that is true. Cousins is expected to become the league’s highest-paid player of all-time on a yearly basis with a deal that many have an unprecedented amount of guaranteed cash. Keenum, meanwhile, should garner more than $20MM per season, but nothing close to Cousins.
Buccaneers To Use Second-Round Tender On Adam Humphries
The Buccaneers are expected to place a second-round tender on restricted free agent wide receiver Adam Humphries, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The tender this year is expected to be worth about $2.914MM.
The second-round tender has been more popular than ever this year with scores of players already having it assigned. It makes sense that teams are retaining lots of RFAs at a cost of less than $3MM given the abundance of cap room around the league.
Humphries, 25 in June, hit new career highs with 61 catches and 631 receiving yards last season. In three years with Tampa Bay, Humphries has amassed 143 grabs for 1,513 yards with four touchdowns.
Extra Points: Sherman, 49ers, Talib, 49ers, Bucs, Greco
Richard Sherman has taken some flack for his one-year deal with the 49ers, but he has no regrets about acting as his own agent.
“I don’t think any agent in the business could have done a better job of negotiating this contract,” Sherman told Peter King of The MMQB. “As long as I’m content with what I’m making, nothing else matters to me. Once I make a Pro Bowl, $8MM the next year is guaranteed for me. It gives me the ability to control my destiny. The 49ers have skin in the game. I have skin in the game. In my former contract, no matter what I did this year, nothing would be guaranteed to me next year. I couldn’t feel secure in my contract. Now, if I play the way I know I’m capable of playing, I know I’m going to get paid.”
Sherman’s deal is a three-year, $39MM pact, but a deeper look shows that the real base value is just $21.15MM with another $18MM coming in the form of bonuses. In order to earn the full $39MM, Sherman must play in every regular season game, be on the field for 90% of snaps, and earn Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in each season. In other words, it’s unlikely that Sherman will actually see the full value of the deal. Still, Sherman is content with how things played out and intimated that he wanted the opportunity to face his old team twice per year.
- Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (on Twitter) had more on the 49ers’ proposed trade for cornerback Aqib Talib from the Broncos, which Talib rejected. The 49ers were going to send a fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft in exchange for the services of the five-time Pro Bowler. In the end, the Broncos traded Talib to the Rams for a fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft.
- The Buccanneers looked to shore up their kicking woes of late by attempting to land former Florida State kicker Dustin Hopkins before he re-signed with the Redskins, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine. The Bucs cut former second-round pick Roberto Aguayo prior to last season and Nick Folk was cut last month after missing a majority of last season on injured reserve with a minor-injury designation. Free-agent addition Patrick Murray hit 82.6% of his kicks with Tampa Bay last year in 23 attempts, with a long of 50 yards.
- The Giants and offensive lineman John Greco agreed to a one-year deal last month and Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (on Twitter) that his salary for 2018 will be $1.02MM. Greco appeared in six games for the Giants last season after spending the previous six seasons as a mainstay within the interior of the Browns’ offensive line.
Lions Interested In TE Trey Burton
The Lions are among the teams with interest in free agent tight end Trey Burton, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). With about “half a dozen serious suitors,” in the mix for Burton, they’ll have some steep competition for his services. 
Burton emerged as a real talent for the Eagles in 2017, but they do not have the space necessary to retain him. The 49ers are reportedly among the clubs with interest in signing him and they certainly have the room to pull it off.
Over the past two seasons, Burton has averaged just 30 catches, 288 yards, and three touchdowns per campaign, but he’s been very efficient. Football Outsiders ranked Burton third in DVOA among tight ends a season ago, underscoring his value on a per-play basis.
Last week, I ranked Burton as the No. 19 free agent available based on expected contract value.
While the Lions as of now have a starting tight end in Eric Ebron, the team is listening to offers on the fifth-year tight end. The Lions picked up Ebron’s fifth-year option last May, and that’s worth $8.25MM. It’s possible Detroit could cut Ebron, however, and pursue another tight end. That decision could come down to the wire, with the option becoming guaranteed on Wednesday.
Buccaneers Re-Sign Adarius Glanton
The Buccaneers have agreed to re-sign Adarius Glanton, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The linebacker will receive a $250K signing bonus as a part of his new deal. Full terms of the pact have yet to be disclosed. 
Glanton was scheduled for restricted free agency this year, but the Bucs opted against using a tender on him. Glanton is coming off of a broken leg which cost him the final weeks of the 2017 season.
Glanton has appeared in 35 games for the Bucs over the past three years, and started four contests in 2017. During that time, Glanton managed 19 tackles and one sack while playing nearly as many snaps on special teams (213) as he did on defense (284). Pro Football Focus was down on Glanton’s play in 2017, assigning him poor grades of 47.4 in run defense and 48.6 in pass coverage.