Cardinals LB Jordan Hicks Takes Pay Cut
Jordan Hicks has taken a sizable pay cut to stay in Arizona. Veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer writes that the veteran linebacker has restructured the final two years of his contract.
Hicks was set to have a $9MM cap charge via a $5MM base salary, a $1MM roster bonus, and $3MM of his original signing bonus. The 28-year-old will now have a base salary of $2MM, and the team replaced the roster bonus with $1MM in per-game bonuses, thus leading to a reduced cap figure of $6MM.
Hicks also reduced his 2022 compensation — which were identical to his 2021 numbers — to a $4.25MM base salary, a $750K roster bonus, and $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. As Balzer explains, that roster bonus will likely be due at the beginning of the 2022 league year, at which point the Cardinals will have to decide whether they want to keep the veteran around.
The former third-rounder spent the first four seasons of his career with the Eagles before signing a four-year, $36MM deal ($20MM guaranteed) with the Cardinals in 2019. Hicks has started all 32 games for Arizona over the past two years, compiling 268 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Hicks will likely slide back into the starting lineup in 2021, although Isaiah Simmons, Tanner Vallejo, and/or Zeke Turner could push him for playing time.
Colts To Re-Sign DL Al-Quadin Muhammad
The Colts are bringing back one of their rotational defensive linemen. They agreed to terms with Al-Quadin Muhammad on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Muhammad’s second NFL contract will be worth $3.4MM, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus. He has played with the Colts for the past three seasons, after initially joining the team as a waiver claim in September 2018.
Part of the Saints’ standout 2017 draft haul, Muhammad played one season with New Orleans but has made his mark in Indianapolis. He played a career-high 56% of the Colts’ defensive snaps last season and has recorded five sacks over the past two years.
This move comes after Denico Autry‘s free agency defection to Tennessee. The Colts still have questions on their defensive front, with top edge rusher Justin Houston still unsigned and the team short on proven sack artists, Muhammad has been a key rotational presence throughout defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus‘ tenure.
Bills Sign LB Marquel Lee
After being out of football last season, Marquel Lee will receive another chance. The Bills agreed to terms with the veteran linebacker Wednesday.
A former Raiders fifth-round pick, Lee signed a one-year deal with the Bills. The Raiders waived Lee last August, and he did not catch on elsewhere for what would have been his fourth season. He will have a chance to play that fourth NFL season in Buffalo.
The Raiders used the Wake Forest alum as a starter in 19 games from 2017-19, deploying Lee as a primary first-stringer in 2018, but ankle issues landed him on injured reserve early in the 2019 season. Lee has played in two games since September 2019. In 2018, he made 68 tackles and broke up three passes.
Lee will join Tyrell Adams as offseason fliers at linebacker for a Bills team already fairly deep at the position. Adams, a Texans starter last year, also signed with the Bills on Wednesday. Buffalo re-signed Matt Milano and Tyler Matakevich this offseason and already rosters Tremaine Edmunds and A.J. Klein.
Bills To Sign LB Tyrell Adams
The Bills have agreed to sign linebacker Tyrell Adams, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Exact terms of the deal are not yet known.
Adams spent much of his Texans tenure bouncing between the practice squad and the varsity squad. Last year, however, he made 12 starts for Houston. Like many of last year’s first-string defenders, he wasn’t brought back by the Texans, leading him to Buffalo.
Technically, this marks the veteran’s second time with the Bills. The first stint in 2017 lasted just a couple of hours — GM Brandon Beane claimed him and quickly cut him loose again due to injury.
Adams, 28, performed admirably in Benardrick McKinney‘s stead. In 2020, he notched a new career high of 125 tackles with two sacks and two forced fumbles (both FFs came on Thanksgiving against the Lions). In the interest of equal time — the advanced metrics Pro Football Focus didn’t reflect well on his performance, placing him outside of the league’s top 60.
Adams joins a solid LB group in Buffalo that also features Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, and A.J. Klein.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/31/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-Signed: WR Mathew Sexton
Seahawks To Extend Tyler Lockett
The Seahawks have locked up Tyler Lockett for the long haul. On Wednesday, the two sides agreed to a four-year, $69.2MM extension (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). The deal includes $37MM in guaranteed cash and likely tamps down his scheduled $14.95MM cap hit for 2021. 
[RELATED: Seahawks Strike New Deal With Jackson]
Lockett, 28, came to Seattle as a third-round pick in 2015. Ever since, he’s greatly outperformed his draft position with solid work out of the slot. Across the last six years, he has 376 grabs, 4,892 yards, and 37 touchdowns to his credit. He’s also coming off of a career-best 100 receptions (for 1,054 yards and ten touchdowns), though his 10.5 yards per catch average left much to be desired. Before 2020, Lockett was averaging 13.9 ypc, bolstered by his near 17-yard average in 2018.
Despite questionable depth at wide receiver, the Seahawks abstained from this year’s best available options. This new deal underscores their confidence in Lockett — not just for this year, but for many seasons to follow. For now, the Seahawks are set to enter 2021 with Lockett and D.K. Metcalf leading the charge with support from Freddie Swain, Cody Thompson, John Ursua, Darvin Kidsy, Aaron Fuller, and Penny Hart.
In addition to Lockett, the Seahawks have also re-upped guard Gabe Jackson with a three-year, $22.58MM extension. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, they moved on from defensive tackle Jarran Reed. With the 28-year-old out of the picture, their DL group will feature Kerry Hyder, Benson Mayowa, Carlos Dunlap, Poona Ford, and old pal Al Woods.
Bengals Re-Sign Amani Bledsoe
The Bengals have re-signed defensive end Amani Bledsoe on a one-year contract, per a club announcement. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
[RELATED: Bengals Meet With Ryan Kerrigan]
Bledsoe started his career with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2019. The Oklahoma product spent that year on Tennessee’s practice squad, then joined the Bengals during 2020’s training camp. He went on to make the cut and see time in 14 games last year, including four starts. All in all, he tallied 17 tackles and two pass defenses.
The Bengals are expected to continue hunting for edge rushing help in the draft with Carl Lawson and Geno Atkins out of the picture. There’s also the second-wave of veteran free agents to consider. The Bengals weren’t able to land Sheldon Rankins (like Lawson, he chose the Jets instead) but they do have interest in Ryan Kerrigan. Washington’s all-time sack leader turns 33 in August, but he could likely be had on a low-cost, one-year deal. Other notable and available names like Kawann Short and Jurrell Casey could also appeal to Cincinnati.
Bengals To Re-Sign Mike Daniels
Mike Daniels isn’t going to be a one and done in Cincinnati. The veteran defensive tackle is re-upping on a new deal with the Bengals, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
It’s a one-year contract worth “up to” $2.5MM, Pelissero reports. A fourth-round pick of the Packers back in 2012, Daniels spent his first seven seasons in Green Bay and became a borderline star there. From 2013-17, he had at least four sacks in every season despite weighing over 300 pounds and being primarily a run defender. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 when he had five sacks and a forced fumble in 14 games.
He had an injury plagued 2018 campaign, and was released the following offseason due to a hefty contract. He was quickly scooped up on a one-year, $9MM deal from the Lions, but injuries limited him to nine games in 2019.
He signed with the Bengals in August of last year, and although he again missed five games, he started the other 11. He had no sacks while playing a less than full-time role. The Iowa product will turn 32 in May.
Cardinals To Sign Colt McCoy
We heard last week that the Cardinals would host Colt McCoy, and that visit apparently went well. Arizona will be signing the veteran signal-caller, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Financial terms weren’t immediately available, but Schefter reports it’s a one-year deal. McCoy has now reached true journeyman status, and will presumably hold Kyler Murray‘s clipboard in 2021. The Cards were apparently looking to upgrade the backup quarterback spot after former CFL player Chris Streveler mostly fell flat on his face in his only significant run in place of an injured Murray in Week 17 last year.
A college superstar at Texas, McCoy spent his first three pro seasons with the Browns, starting 21 games for Cleveland. After a one season stop with the 49ers, he went on to spend the next six years in Washington. He started seven games in spot duty across those six seasons.
He signed with the Giants in 2020, and started two games in place of an injured Daniel Jones. He completed 40 of 66 passes for 375 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He’s a competent backup, and the 34-year-old will also be a nice veteran mentor to Murray as he enters his third year.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/30/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Micah Simon
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: DL Tyler Lancaster
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Ryan Smith
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on reserve/retired list: TE Hale Hentges
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Cole Hikutini, DB Joshua Kalu, DB Christopher Milton
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Matthias Farley