49ers To Sign LB Nathan Gerry
Nathan Gerry is heading west. The veteran linebacker is signing with the 49ers, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia was first with the news (via Twitter).
The 2017 fifth-round pick out of Nebraska had spent his entire career with the Eagles, appearing in 46 regular-season games and six postseason games (including three during Philly’s 2017 run to a Super Bowl championship). After serving as mostly a backup during his first two years in the pros, Gerry started 12 of his 16 contests in 2019, finishing with 78 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions (including a pick-six), and five QB hits.
The 26-year-old started each of his seven games in 2020, collecting 57 tackles, one sack, and four tackles for loss. He was placed on injured reserve in late October with an ankle injury, ending his season.
The 49ers seem set at linebacker with Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair, so Gerry will likely have to settle into a backup role on defense. He’ll probably play a bigger role on special teams; he logged 834 special teams snaps for the Eagles over his four years with the team.
Vikings To Sign S Xavier Woods
The Vikings continue to add to their secondary. This time, they’ve added former Cowboys safety Xavier Woods, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It will be a one-year deal worth $2.25MM.
Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that the deal includes a $1.25MM base salary, a $500K signing bonus, and $500K in incentives, leading to a $1.75MM cap charge. Tomasson adds that the Vikings tried to get Woods on a minimum deal, but when the veteran rejected the offer, the organization made some moves to clear up money.
The 25-year-old had spent his entire career in Dallas, evolving from a little-known sixth-rounder into a consistent starter on defense. Woods started each of his 44 games for the Cowboys over the past three seasons,averaging more than 46 tackles, five passes defended, and more than one interception per season over that span. He also started a pair of playoff games for Dallas during the 2018 season.
Woods started each of his 15 games this past year, appearing in 89 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. However, the safety didn’t endear himself to Cowboys fans when he admitted that he didn’t play “full speed for 70 plays” following an October loss to the Browns, comments that proved to be the beginning of the end for Woods in Dallas.
The Vikings have been busy adding to their secondary this offseason, especially at cornerback. The team has added both Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander to pair with Mike Hughes and 2020 draftees Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler.
49ers To Sign WR Mohamed Sanu
Mohamed Sanu is heading back to San Francisco. The veteran wide receiver is signing a one-year deal with the 49ers, agent Mike McCartney announced on Twitter.
Sanu played in three games for the 49ers during the 2020 campaign, hauling in a single nine-yard catch. He was released in early October and ultimately caught on with the Lions. After earning a promotion from the practice squad in late November, Sanu proceeded to appear in seven games (four starts) for Detroit, catching 16 passes for 178 yards and one score.
While the veteran will be 32 by the start of the 2021 campaign, he’s still only two years removed from a career year in Atlanta. During that 2018 season, Sanu finished with 66 receptions for 838 yards and four touchdowns. He was traded to the Patriots for a second-rounder during the 2019 season, but did little during his half-season stint in New England.
Following the 49ers blockbuster trade yesterday, it’s uncertain whether a rookie or Jimmy Garoppolo will be under center for the 49ers next season. Regardless, Sanu should provide the team with some nice depth at receiver behind 2020 first-rounder Brandon Aiyuk and 2019 second-rounder Deebo Samuel. Sanu will compete with the likes of Richie James Jr., Jalen Hurd, Jauan Jennings, and veteran Travis Benjamin for playing time.
Ravens To Sign WR Sammy Watkins
After making multiple offers to big-name wide receivers, the Ravens will soon have one under contract. Sammy Watkins agreed to terms with the Ravens on Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The former Bills, Rams and Chiefs wideout will sign a one-year deal worth $6MM, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com noting (via Twitter) the deal will include $5MM fully guaranteed. This will signal a major shift for Watkins, earnings- and scheme-wise.
Baltimore has been hunting high-profile wideouts for a bit now. The Ravens offered more money to JuJu Smith-Schuster and T.Y. Hilton, only to see those players opt to re-sign with the Steelers and Colts, respectively. Kenny Golladay also landed on the Ravens’ radar, but the ex-Lions target received a big-ticket offer from the Giants and committed to New York. The Ravens hosted Watkins on a visit, and the talented but injury-prone pass catcher will head to Baltimore to join an offense in need of aerial help.
Watkins will pair with Marquise Brown on the NFL’s run-heaviest offense. It will certainly represent a change for the former No. 4 overall pick, who operated as the No. 2 receiver on one of the most explosive passing attacks in NFL history. The Chiefs were interested in keeping Watkins, but it did not sound like re-signing him was a must for the two-time reigning AFC champions. Watkins signed a monster accord with the Chiefs in 2018 — a three-year, $48MM deal that affected the NFL’s wideout market — and delivered in spurts, even though he did not end up living up to that lofty contract.
The Chiefs received some crucial Watkins contributions in the playoffs, with the former Clemson star surpassing 75 receiving yards in four of the six postseason games he played with Kansas City. However, Watkins also missed time due to injury in each of his three seasons in Missouri, sitting out 14 regular-season games as a Chief. He missed two playoff games this past season as well and has not topped 700 receiving yards in a season since 2015, when he compiled a career-high 1,047 — in a Bills run-heavy offense featuring Tyrod Taylor.
Still, Watkins is only heading into his age-28 season and will provide a high-end talent for a Ravens offense that has been limited at receiver since Lamar Jackson took the reins in 2018. It should not be ruled out Baltimore will further address the position in the draft, but after the team struck out on acquiring veteran starters, Watkins will lessen the burden on the front office to land a proven receiver.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/26/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Brandon Powell
Washington Football Team
- Signed: CB Darryl Roberts
Chargers, Chase Daniel Agree To Deal
Chase Daniel will make his way to Los Angeles to mentor the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Chargers agreed to terms with the veteran backup on Friday night, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year agreement.
Recently released by the Lions, Daniel will move to his sixth NFL team and work as Justin Herbert‘s backup. Daniel was with the Bears during Brandon Staley‘s final season in Chicago (2018). Being quite well traveled, Daniel also has a history with new Bolts OC Joe Lombardi. Daniel worked with Lombardi during both his Saints stints.
The University of Missouri product has been one of the most financially successful backup quarterbacks ever, and despite being set for his age-35 season, Daniel has remained a coveted QB2. The Lions signed him to a three-year, $13.1MM accord in 2020 and used him at points. The Lions attempted to trade their backup but ended up releasing him. Now, Daniel and Matthew Stafford are each L.A.-bound.
Daniel has remained a viable passer despite having never started more than two games in a season. The former Heisman finalist has only started two games in just one of his 12 NFL seasons (2018, when a Mitchell Trubisky injury thrust his backup into action). Over his career, Daniel is a 68% passer. But that total has come on just 261 attempts.
He will step into the role Tyrod Taylor vacated. Brought in to be Philip Rivers‘ backup in 2019, Taylor entered the 2020 season as the Chargers’ starter. However, a pregame injection mishap began the Herbert era in Week 2 of last season. Taylor has since signed with the Texans.
Vikings To Bring Back Mackensie Alexander
After a season in Cincinnati, Mackensie Alexander will return to the Twin Cities. The veteran cornerback agreed to terms with the Vikings on Friday night, according to his agent (Twitter link).
Alexander joined Trae Waynes in moving from the Vikings to the Bengals last year but will return to the team that drafted him in the 2016 second round. The Vikings made Alexander an offer during the legal tampering period; 10 days later, the slot corner committed to come back to Minnesota.
It’s a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com tweets, marking a considerable reduction from Alexander’s 2020 salary.
Although the Clemson product will wear a familiar uniform next season, he will mostly have new teammates in Minnesota’s secondary. Waynes is still under contract with the Bengals, who gave him a long-term deal while agreeing with Alexander on a one-year pact worth $4MM last March, and Xavier Rhodes will return to the Colts. The Vikings still have Mike Hughes, but their cornerback corps now features recent acquisition Patrick Peterson and 2020 draftees Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler.
Following the Vikings’ defense falling to a Mike Zimmer-era low point, their coverage corps will feature more experience in 2021. Alexander, 27, worked as a nickel cog under Zimmer during his first Minnesota stint. Last season, Alexander started a career-high 13 games with the Bengals; Pro Football Focus graded the five-year vet as a middle-of-the-pack cornerback. He will be back in a familiar scheme next season.
Jaguars To Re-Sign S Josh Jones
A starter for the Jaguars last season, Josh Jones will return to the team despite its regime change. The veteran safety agreed to terms to stay with Jacksonville on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Jones started 13 games for the Jags last season, his most frequent first-string work since going off the 2017 draft board in Round 2. He will be back in the mix under Urban Meyer and defensive coordinator Joe Cullen.
The Packers chose Jones 61st overall in 2017 but cut him ahead of the 2019 season. Jones, who started 12 games as a Packer from 2017-18, landed with the Cowboys but did not see much action in 2019. The Jaguars claimed Jones off waivers in December 2019 and turned to him during a grim 2020 season. The North Carolina State alum made 83 tackles and intercepted a pass in his lone Jags slate; Pro Football Focus graded Jones 89th overall among qualified safeties last season.
Jacksonville signed Rayshawn Jenkins from the Chargers but otherwise returns most of its safety group from last season.
Seahawks To Bring Back DT Al Woods
Al Woods opted out of the 2020 season, and the Jaguars released him last week. But the veteran defensive tackle will land on his feet in a familiar place.
The Seahawks are signing Woods, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Despite missing last season and being a part-time starter in his previous Seattle stay, Woods agreed to a one-year, $3MM deal. The Seahawks will guarantee $750K to the veteran D-tackle, who turned 34 on Thursday. This marks a slight bump from the Jaguars contract Woods inked last year (one year, $2.75MM).
This will be a third Seattle stint for Woods, who has played for five teams and been affiliated with six. He was most recently with the Seahawks in 2019, when he worked as a starter in place of the suspended Jarran Reed. Woods returned to the bench after Reed’s ban ended, but Reed is no longer in the picture for the Seahawks. The team notified the five-year starter of his release.
Woods also spent the 2011 season in Seattle but played only two games. He then spent time with the Steelers, Titans (his longest NFL stay, at three years) and Colts before returning in 2019. Pro Football Focus has graded the 10-year veteran as a plus run defender in his 30s. The Seahawks already ranked fifth against the run last season.
This continues a busy week for the Seahawks’ defensive line. In addition to releasing Reed and reacquiring Woods, Seattle re-signed both Carlos Dunlap and Benson Mayowa and acquired veteran defensive end Kerry Hyder. They re-signed defensive tackle Poona Ford to a two-year deal last week.
Seahawks Release Jarran Reed
The Seahawks have released defensive tackle Jarran Reed. As NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) noted this afternoon, this was the expected move after the club was unable to find a suitable trade. 
By cutting Reed, the Seahawks will gain $8.5MM in cap space with a $5MM dead cap hit. The Seahawks signed Kerry Hyder earlier this month and brought back Benson Mayowa along with defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Seattle also re-signed defensive tackle Poona Ford this month.
Ultimately, there wasn’t enough room for Reed, and the league’s other 31 teams recognized that. Although no one was willing to give up draft capital while taking on Reed’s old contract, plenty of clubs will be interested in adding him as a free agent.
This move comes just a year after the Seahawks retained Reed via two-year, $23MM extension. The former second-round pick broke out in 2018, registering 10.5 sacks and 24 quarterback hits, but saw a suspension derail his 2019 season. Reed missed the first six games of the ’19 campaign, which ended with him collecting just two sacks and eight QB hits. Last season, Reed bounced back with 6.5 sacks to help the Seahawks to their third straight playoff berth.
At 28, and having been a starter since his rookie season, Reed should generate interest on the market — even if no trade materialized. Given the juncture of his Seattle departure and the salary cap reduction, Reed may need to accept a one-year deal at a lower rate and aim for a subsequent extension with his new team or a 2022 free agency payday.