Broncos, Justin Simmons Agree To Extension
The Broncos and Justin Simmons have agreed to terms on a long-term deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). It’ll be a four-year, $61MM deal with $35MM guaranteed, as Benjamin Allbright of KOA tweets. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) has also confirmed those figures.
The structure of the contract is pretty straightforward. Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), Simmons will take home a $15MM signing bonus, and his $2MM 2021 salary and $14.1MM 2022 salary are guaranteed at signing. He is due a $14.4MM salary in 2023, $2.9MM of which is guaranteed for injury at signing. All $14.4MM will become fully guaranteed if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2022 league year.
Simmons was tagged for the second-straight time this year, giving the two sides until mid-July to hammer out a multi-year agreement. There’s been strong mutual interest throughout the process, so it’s not a surprise to hear that they’re on the cusp of a fresh pact.
“Justin is one of our core guys. Our goal is to sign him to a long-term deal,” new GM George Paton said recently, with Simmons echoing that sentiment.
Since Simmons received an $11.4MM tag last year, his 2021 price currently sits at $13.7MM — a 20% hike. There are five safeties averaging at least $14MM on their respective long-term contracts, establishing a clear floor for Simmons. The Broncos already have plenty invested at safety, with Kareem Jackson entering the final year of an $11MM-AAV pact, but Simmons is squarely in his prime at 27. He is also coming off his first Pro Bowl season — during which he intercepted a career-high five passes and played every defensive snap for a third straight year. Jackson will be 33 next season.
The sides were not able to complete an extension before the 2020 summer deadline, but Simmons has since proved that he deserves top-five safety money. It’s a tremendous outcome for Simmons, of course, but his shiny new deal also bodes well for other top safeties looking for new contracts. Seahawks star Jamal Adams, for example, can now shoot for the moon in his next round of negotiations.
Bengals Release Geno Atkins
The Bengals released defensive tackle Geno Atkins, head coach Zac Taylor announced. Atkins was due $12.2MM in non-guaranteed money, so the Bengals took the opportunity to wipe that from the books. In addition, the Bengals are also cutting quarterback Ryan Finley and offensive tackle Bobby Hart (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). All together, the moves will save the Bengals roughly $30MM in cap space.
Atkins fought through a shoulder injury throughout the season. Towards the end, it proved to be too much to play with. He suited up for just eight games in total, and, even when he was healthy, he wasn’t happy about his playing time. His final tally: zero sacks and zero starts. It was a sharp drop from his pre-extension season in 2017, when he finished out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 ranked interior defender. The Bengals could have had the perennial Pro Bowler under contract through 2022, but his $14.8MM cap hit for 2021 was too much.
Last year, he watched his longtime counterpart Carlos Dunlap — the No. 1 all-time Bengals sack leader — get shipped to the Seahawks. It’s now the 33-year-old’s turn to exit. He leaves with eight Pro Bowls to his credit and the second-highest sack total in franchise history.
Hart, whose release will yield ~$6MM in savings, was long rumored to be a cap casualty. And, with Riley Reiff in the mix, his services were no longer needed.
Texans To Sign P Cam Johnston
The Texans have signed former Eagles punter Cameron Johnston, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Johnson’s three-year deal is worth $8MM in total and includes a $1MM signing bonus. 
[RELATED: Texans Sign WRs Donte Moncrief, Alex Erickson]
The Eagles opted against giving Johnston a restricted free agent tender this offseason, putting him on the open market this week. The first right of refusal tender would have cost just $2.133MM for the 2021 season. His new Texans deal tops that by a healthy margin on an average annual basis.
Johnston will replace fellow veteran Bryan Anger, who was released by the Texans on Thursday. He’ll look to rebound from a rough year — in 2020, he posted a career-low 41.2 net-yard average. The Eagles could now turn to future/reserve signee Arryn Siposs as his replacement.
Bengals To Sign Riley Reiff
The Bengals have agreed to sign former Vikings left tackle Riley Reiff, as Jay Morrison of The Athletic tweets. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
[RELATED: Bengals Sign DL Larry Ogunjobi]
Reiff has never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, but he’s been a solid starter for much of his career. The move to Cincinnati could force a change of positions — Jonah Williams is set to start at left tackle, so Reiff could wind up on the opposite side. He could also be kicked to the interior, which was rumored to be the plan at various times in Minnesota.
The Bengals started free agency with a defensive spending spree, but they’re also looking to fortify the front five. Reiff may help to keep Joe Burrow upright and healthy after his devastating ACL/MCL injury in 2020. There’s still more work to be done in that area — fortunately, the Bengals have plenty of draft capital to bolster the OL.
Colts To Sign DE Isaac Rochell
The Colts have agreed to sign Isaac Rochell (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). It’s a one-year, $2.5MM deal for the former Chargers defensive end that can reach $3MM via incentives.
[RELATED: Colts Re-Sign Marlon Mack]
Rochell, 26 in April, had a solid season for the Bolts, starting six games in place of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram while compiling 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His best season to date came in 2018 as a reserve. That year, he recorded a career-high five sacks and six tackles for loss. Still, the Chargers opted against cuffing him as a restricted free agent.
The tender would have paid Rochell less than his new Colts deal. Even at the right of first refusal rate, Rochell would have been looking at a $2.13MM salary. Ultimately, Rochell fell up. Now, he’ll look to build on his 9.5 career sacks in Indianapolis.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/21
Washington Signs LB David Mayo
David Mayo is staying in the NFC East. The Washington Football Team have signed the former Giants linebacker, per a club announcement. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 
The Giants gave Mayo a three-year extension one year ago, but he didn’t make it very far into that new deal. He had a breakout 2019 season where he started 13 games and graded out well, per Pro Football Focus. Then, he fell out of favor with the new coaching staff led by Joe Judge. In 2020, he started just twice. The Giants released him outright earlier this month, on the same day they cut Golden Tate.
Mayo, 27, came into the league in 2015 as a fifth-round pick of the Panthers. In total, he’s appeared in 89 games with 19 starts across the last six years. His 2020 stat line — 20 tackles, two tackles for loss ,and one forced fumble — doesn’t jump off the page, but he’s not far removed from his best work. In that aforementioned ’19 campaign, Mayo registered 82 tackles, two sacks, and two passes defended while playing as one of the best run-stuffing ‘backers in the NFL.
Patriots, C David Andrews Finalizing Deal
David Andrews is returning to New England after all. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports (via Twitter) that the free agent center is finalizing a deal with the Patriots. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that it’s a four-year deal for the offensive lineman.
While the team captain is beloved in the locker room, it was uncertain if Andrews would end up returning to New England in 2021. We learned Tuesday night that Andrews’ camp was pivoting to other suitors’ offers after negotiating with the Patriots for much of the day. The veteran had made it clear that he wished to return to New England, and it sounded like Bill Belichick was willing to let Andrews test his market before re-signing. At one point, the Patriots didn’t expect to bring Andrews back, per Doug Kyed of NESN (on Twitter), explaining why the team added Ted Karras.
Andrews had at least one suitor outside of New England. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins were in on Andrews’ services, even after the team inked Matt Skura to a deal.
Andrews joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2015, and he started 57 of his 60 appearances through his first four seasons in the NFL. He ended up missing the entire 2019 campaign after getting diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, but he managed to return in time for the 2020 season. He missed a handful of games with a thumb injury, ultimately appearing in 72-percent of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in 12 games.
There’s going to be a bit of change on the Patriots offensive line next season, as the team traded for offensive tackle Trent Brown before watching starting lineman Joe Thuney sign with the Chiefs. Andrews will certainly be relied on to provide veteran leadership and guidance to the offensive line in 2021.
Texans To Sign WRs Donte Moncrief, Alex Erickson
Donte Moncrief is joining the Texans. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the free agent wideout is signing a one-year deal with Houston.
Moncrief spent the first four seasons of his career with the Colts, including a 2015 campaign where he hauled in a career-high 733 yards. Since leaving for the Jaguars in 2018, the veteran has spent time with five different organizations.
He joined the Jets right before the start of the 2020 season, but he was released in October without having appeared in a game with the team. He ended up getting picked up by the Patriots, and he proceeded to appear in six games for New England, compiling 19 yards from scrimmage.
While there’s uncertainty surrounding who will be under center for the Texans, the team could have a similar grouping of receivers in 2021. Other than Will Fuller, the Texans are likely to return Brandin Cooks, Randall Cobb and Keke Coutee.
Moncrief isn’t the only wideout who’s joining the Texans on a one-year deal. Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston reports (via Twitter) that the team is also signing Alex Erickson. The 28-year-old had spent his entire career with the Bengals, including a 2020 campaign where he had 12 receptions for 139 yards. Erickson also has extensive experience as a return man, having returned 135 punts and 108 kickoffs.
Jaguars OL Cam Robinson Signs Franchise Tender
Cam Robinson is locked in on a one-year deal. The Jaguars offensive tackle has accepted his franchise tag, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The 2021 franchise value for offensive linemen is $13.754MM.
It was a bit of a surprise when the Jaguars slapped Robinson with the franchise tag earlier this month. The organization was expected to let the lineman test the open waters, but they changed course and decided to retain him at the top-five average for his position.
The 2017 second-round pick has spent his entire career with the Jaguars, starting each of his 37 games. He started 16 games for the first time in his career in 2020, appearing in a career-high 94 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. However, Pro Football Focus assigned him an overall grade of 61.7, which placed him in a tie for 59th in the NFL.
Considering the fact that Robinson is only 25, there’s a good chance that the Jaguars franchised the lineman based on potential, not production. Plus, the team may simply be looking for some continuity on the offensive line as they welcome in presumed number-one pick Trevor Lawrence under center.