Titans Meet With Jordan Matthews
The Titans will meet with wide receiver Jordan Matthews, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Matthews previously visited with the Packers and Patriots and, at least at one point, had an offer from the Cardinals. 
The former Bills and Eagles receiver made a name for himself at Vanderbilt, which is a stone’s throw away from Nissan Stadium, so a return to Tennessee could hold appeal for him. The Titans would also give him an opportunity to shine with alongside Rishard Matthews and 2017 first-round pick Corey Davis.
From 2014-16, Matthews averaged 75 receptions for 891 yards and six touchdowns for the Eagles. Last year, however, he had only 25 catches in ten games for the Bills last year thanks to knee and ankle injuries. A one-year deal would make sense for him since he could restore his value with a big 2018.
Last year, the Titans posted the eighth-fewest receiving yards in the NFL and they’re looking to improve on that figure in the fall. With dynamic rusher Derrick Henry keeping defenses honest, that won’t be hard to do with the right personnel at wide receiver.
Contract Details: Texans, Weeden, Bills
A deeper look at some recent free agent deals:
- Quarterback Brandon Weeden‘s contract with the Texans is for one year at a rate of $880K. The deal includes $230K in guaranteed cash between $140K of his base being assured and a $90K signing bonus. Weeden has not seen the field since 2015 when he appeared in four games for Dallas and two for the Texans. The 34-year-old (35 in October) has a career 6-19 record.
- Linebacker Will Compton’s one-year deal with the Titans can be worth up to $2MM, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. The deal included a $250K signing bonus. As Keim notes, that’s a solid contract for Compton considering that shoulder and Lisfranc injuries held him back in 2017. With the Titans, he’ll have an opportunity to reassert himself and potentially start.
- The Bills’ contracts signed last week with cornerback Phillip Gaines and wide receiver/punt returner Kaelin Clay were both for one year at minimum salaries, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. Gaines is not well regarded by the advanced metrics, but he was a pivotal reserve for Kansas City from 2014-2017 and started some games last year due to Steven Nelson‘s injury.
Patriots To Meet With WR Jordan Matthews
Former Bills wide receiver Jordan Matthews will meet with the Patriots on Monday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cardinals free agent tight end Troy Niklas is also meeting with the Pats, Yates adds. 
Matthews met with the Packers and Cardinals in March, but left both visits without signing a deal. This time last year, the 25-year-old (26 in July) projected to be a high-end commodity in this year’s free agent market. Unfortunately, he had only 25 catches in ten games for the Bills last year thanks to knee and ankle injuries, so he’s probably looking at a one-year deal to restore his value.
From 2014-16, Matthews averaged 75 receptions for 891 yards and six touchdowns for the Eagles. He says he’s healthy now, so he could prove to be a valuable pickup for the Pats as they look to replace Danny Amendola‘s production.
Niklas, 26 in September, saw time in 414 snaps for the Cardinals last year and served primarily as a blocker. He hasn’t exactly lived up to his second-round draft status, but the Patriots may see potential in the athletic Notre Dame product.
Baker Mayfield To Meet With Seven Teams
Baker Mayfield‘s April figures to be busy. The Oklahoma signal caller will meet with the Browns, Bills, Jets, Giants, Dolphins, Broncos, and Cardinals, Robert Klemko of The MMQB reports. 
The Giants will sit down with Mayfield before the Jets, Manish Mehta of the Daily News adds. He’ll meet with the G-Men on April 8 and 9 before continuing his pre-draft tour with the Jets on April 9 and 10. The Jets conducted a private workout with Mayfield in Oklahoma on March 24, fueling speculation that he could be among the QBs in consideration for them at No. 3 overall.
Mayfield was last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, but some evaluators question whether he has the height to succeed at the next level. There are also some character concerns thanks to his actions during games against Ohio State and Kansas and a public intoxication arrest.
Most of the teams in this bunch were expected to show interest in Mayfield, but the Dolphins and Broncos are not obvious fits for him given the presence of Ryan Tannehill and Case Keenum, respectively. The Cardinals make more sense for Mayfield since Sam Bradford is not necessarily a long-term answer under center and the Bills are also a logical fit since they are not completely locked in on A.J. McCarron as their starter for 2018. Unlike the Dolphins and Cardinals, the Bills have ample ammo to move up for Mayfield with the Nos. 12 and No 22 picks in their possession.
Josh Rosen To Meet With Seven Teams
UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is set to meet with the Browns, Jets, Giants, Cards, Broncos, Bills, and Chargers in the coming weeks, according to Peter King of The MMQB. Cleveland gets the first crack at Rosen with a visit lined up for this week. 
[RELATED: Josh Rosen Will Play For Whoever Drafts Him]
King suspects that the Browns will ask Rosen about recent comments made by his former head coach, Jim Mora, in which he advocated for USC Sam Darnold go to No. 1 overall.
“Because of fit, I would take Sam Darnold if I were the Cleveland Browns. I think that blue collar, gritty attitude, I think his teammates will love him, I think the city will love him. He’ll say the right things. He will come in and he will represent well. I think he kind of represents what Cleveland is. And if I was one of the New York teams, I would take Josh *snap* just like that. I think they will both be great in the pros.”
In his conversation with King, Mora expounded on those thoughts a bit, but didn’t exactly backtrack.
“He needs to be challenged intellectually so he doesn’t get bored,” Mora said, while reemphasizing the angle of Rosen needing the proper “fit.” “He’s a millennial. He wants to know why. Millennials, once they know why, they’re good. Josh has a lot of interests in life. If you can hold his concentration level and focus only on football for a few years, he will set the world on fire. He has so much ability, and he’s a really good kid.”
Mora’s comments may be a topic of discussion for interested teams, but it would be shocking to see Rosen fall any further than the Jets at No. 3.
Might The Bills Trade Up In The Draft?
- In his latest mock draft, Peter Schrager of NFL Network projects the Bills to trade up for the Colts’ No. 6 pick in the draft and select Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Bills currently hold the 12th and 22nd overall picks in the draft.
Bills Sign CB Phillip Gaines
The Bills announced that they have signed cornerback Phillip Gaines. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Gaines spent the past three seasons with the Chiefs, operating primarily as a reserve. He did start three games in 2017, however, as Steven Nelson missed the start of the year with a core muscle injury. All in all, Gaines had 30 tackles and three pass breakups last season.
The former third-round pick was in the Chiefs’ rotation throughout the year, but he did not grade out well according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. Gaines was the league’s second-worst qualified CB, per PFF, and has not earned a positive grade since his rookie season in 2014.
With the Bills, Gaines will provide depth behind starters Vontae Davis and Tre’Davious White. It seems as though he’ll take over for Leonard Johnson, who appeared in 15 games last year for Buffalo as a nickel corner but remains unsigned.
Bills To Sign WR/PR Kaelin Clay
The Bills have signed wide receiver and return specialist Kaelin Clay, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Clay spent part of last season with the Bills before being waived and picked up by the Panthers.
Buffalo announced the signing Thursday afternoon.
The Utah alum was drafted by the Buccanneers in the sixth round of the 2015 draft but was released in September of that season. He spent time on the Lions’ practice squad before latching on with the Ravens toward the end of his rookie season. He helped turn some heads by collecting an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown in his first game with the Ravens.
Clay, 26, spent 2016 on injured reserve and was signed to a one-year deal by the Panthers prior to the 2017 season. He was then traded to the Bills for cornerback Kevon Seymour before eventually ending up back in Carolina. In nine appearances with the Panthers last season, Clay returned another punt for a touchdown and also had five catches for 56 yards receiving.
The Bills are currently projected to have Micah Hyde return punts next season. They also have Marcus Murphy projected to return kickoffs. Clay’s addition also adds depth to the team’s receiving corps with the status of Zay Jones to open the season uncertain following an arrest earlier this month on suspicion of felony vandalism.
Bills Rumors: Draft, Beane, Jones
Bills GM Brandon Beane addressed reporters on Monday morning and discussed the team’s mindset heading into the draft as well as the status of wide receiver Zay Jones. Here’s a look at the highlights:
- When asked if he would give up a first-round pick in 2019 to trade up in the 2018 draft, Beane said, “If it makes us a lot better, and if it’s a player that would be worthy of that, yes. We’ll do anything we can to make our roster better. I’m not locked in that I would or I wouldn’t. It would have to make sense and be a player that we really felt strongly about to do that,” (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Don’t expect an intra-divisional trade between the Jets and Bills. At least, that’s what Beane says. “I don’t think [No.] 3 would be available if we were ever going to move up. I’m sure the Jets are happy there. Again, we’re just focused on 12. I don’t know the motivation for their move. You would have to ask them. Our focus is on 12 right now, and all the other picks we have, we’re excited about what we’re going to be able to get done,” (Twitter link via Rodak).
- Beane said Zay Jones’ future with the Bills will not be by his bizarre incident from earlier this month (Twitter link via Rodak). In a strange event caught on camera, Jones was fully naked and acting erratically while his brother —Cayleb Jones of the Vikings — attempted to restrain him. Eventually, Jones kicked a hole through a glass window in Cayleb’s girlfriend’s apartment. The receiver was arrested, but the Los Angeles district attorney does not plan to file vandalism charges.
Bills To Host CB Phillip Gaines
The Bills will host free-agent cornerback Phillip Gaines at some point next week, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (on Twitter). Gaines visited with the Colts last week and Garafolo believes his time with the Chiefs, who took him in the third round of the 2014 draft, is coming to an end. 
Buffalo recently lost out on cornerback E.J. Gaines, who signed with the Browns on Friday. At the moment, the Bills are set to role with Vontae Davis and TreDavious White at cornerback. Even if signed, Phillip Gaines would likely serve in a nickel or reserve capacity with the Bills. He could help fill the role of Leonard Johnson, who appeared in 15 games last year for the Bills mostly as a nickel cornerback and remains unsigned as an unrestricted free agent.
The Chiefs signaled that they were likely moving on from Phillip Gaines, who was ranked as the second-worst cornerback in the league in 2016, per Pro Football Focus, after signing David Amerson and Kendall Fuller.
Phillip Gaines, 26, appeared in 41 games in four seasons with the Chiefs, making 16 starts. He ended last season on the injured reserve due to an elbow injury and missed the team’s playoff loss to the Titans.

