Ravens To Extend DL Broderick Washington
AUGUST 12: Further details on the Washington extension are in, courtesy of Wilson (Twitter link). The guarantee total includes a $3MM signing bonus, and the 26-year-old’s base salaries (1.01MM in 2023, $5.99MM in 2024) are guaranteed in full. The deal also features a $3.3MM option bonus and $250K Pro Bowl incentives each year, giving Washington the ability to boost his earnings if his full-time starting role results in a step up in production.
AUGUST 9: Broderick Washington will not play out a contract year with the Ravens. The fourth-year defensive lineman agreed to terms on a three-year extension with the team Wednesday morning, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports (on Twitter).
The former fifth-round pick will stay in Baltimore beyond 2023 on a deal that Wilson adds will max out at $17.5MM and contains $10MM in total guarantees. In terms of base value, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes the pact checks in at $15.75MM. Washington emerged as a part-time starter last season, with more being expected of him this year. The Ravens will illustrate their commitment via this through-2026 deal.
This represents a nice payday for a player who had two starts on his resume through two seasons. A Texas Tech alum, Washington stepped in as a nine-game starter in 2022. The Ravens released Calais Campbell this offseason, leading him to the Falcons. In the D-line stalwart’s place, Washington is expected to step in on a full-time basis alongside Justin Madubuike and Michael Pierce.
Baltimore frequently lets role players leave in free agency in exchange for compensatory picks, but Washington will become an exception — even as the Ravens begin building around Lamar Jackson‘s $52MM-per-year contract. With Pierce going into his age-31 season and coming off an injury-shortened 2022, Baltimore has identified one of its future D-line pillars. This could certainly become a team-friendly extension, with the AAV outside 40 among interior defensive linemen.
Madubuike, who has started 30 games in his three-year career, remains unsigned beyond this season. As our Ely Allen pointed out earlier this summer, Madubuike (5.5 sacks last year) may be slightly pricier to extend.
Washington and Madubuike (Round 3, 2020) have seen their roles grow during a period in which the Ravens had seen some veterans go down with injuries or leave in free agency. Pierce missed 14 games last season, while Derek Wolfe‘s Ravens career came to an abrupt halt after re-signing in 2021. The team did not give longtime D-tackle bastion Brandon Williams a third contract after his second expired last year.
As the Ravens’ defense has gotten younger up front, Washington, 26, has steadily grown as a contributor. After playing 283 defensive snaps in 2021, he was on the field for 483 last season. The 304-pound D-lineman totaled 49 tackles and deflected six passes. Pro Football Focus placed Washington’s 2022 season 31st among interior D-linemen.
Entering training camp, the Ravens had cogs at every other defensive position signed long term. Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Williams and Roquan Smith are tied to big-ticket veteran extensions, while Kyle Hamilton, Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo are signed beyond 2023 on rookie deals. Baltimore’s defensive line, conversely, had been fairly unsettled. Pierce joins Madubuike in being unsigned beyond this season. This Washington deal will provide the AFC North franchise some clarity along its front.
Browns To Sign RB Jordan Wilkins
The Browns have are set to add experienced depth to their backfield. After working out with the team, Jordan Wilkins has agreed to a deal with Cleveland, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 (Twitter link). 
Nick Chubb is in place as the undisputed lead back for the Browns, but the losses of Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson have left a vacancy with respect to depth behind him. Second-year back Jerome Ford is likely to assume RB2 duties, but he is currently dealing with a hip injury which could threaten his Week 1 availability. Wilkins could represent a fill-in option if needed.
The 29-year-old has spent nearly all of his career with the Colts. Wilkins came to Indianapolis as a fifth-rounder in 2018, and he produced three consecutive seasons of consistent production to begin his career. He recorded 336, then 307 and 308 rushing yards while seeing more time on special teams than offense, then was waived midway through the 2021 campaign.
The Titans added him to their practice squad not long after, though he only made a single appearance in Tennessee. Wilkins returned to the Colts last season, playing in four games. The Ole Miss product will compete for a role alongside Demetric Felton, John Kelly and undrafted rookie Hassan Hall in the Browns’ backfield.
Cleveland has made a number of changes to their passing attack, which should help quarterback Deshaun Watson take a step forward in his first full season with the team. The ground game will still be a central element to the Browns’ offense, however, so running back depth will be crucial. Wilkins will look to find a home and playing time with his latest deal.
Patriots Sign RB C.J. Marable
The Patriots are adding a running back, but probably not the one you’re thinking of. New England has signed running back C.J. Marable, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston (via Twitter). Marable worked out for the team yesterday.
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Marable is a success story out of the USFL, where the running back won a pair of championships with the Birmingham Stallions. In his two seasons with the team, the running back rushed for 925 yards and eight touchdowns, and he added another 396 yards and two touchdowns on 48 receptions.
The running back was previously a standout at Coastal Carolina, where he collecting 3,394 yards from scrimmage across three seasons at the school. Following a 2019 campaign where he compiled 1,380 yards and 14 touchdowns, Marable earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors in 2020 after finishing with 1,115 yards and 19 touchdowns. He went undrafted during the 2021 draft and had a brief training camp stint with the Bears.
Rhamondre Stevenson is prime for a big season atop the Patriots RB depth chart, but with Damien Harris now out of the picture, the team lacks experienced depth. A pair of former draft picks, 2022 fourth-round pick Pierre Strong and 2022 sixth-round pick Kevin Harris, are the main candidates to serve as the RB2 along with former UDFA J.J. Taylor.
Due to that lack of depth, the Patriots have been connected to a number of free agent running backs. Most recently, the organization had Ezekiel Elliott in for a visit, and it sounds like the front office is still interested in adding the former Cowboys star. Considering Marable’s lack of NFL track record, today’s signing probably doesn’t impact the chances of an Elliott signing in New England.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/11/23
Here are the minor moves made around the league today:
Chicago Bears
- Claimed off waivers (from Lions): G Logan Stenberg
- Waived: WR Aron Cruickshank
Cleveland Browns
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: WR Daylen Baldwin
Indianapolis Colts
- Reverted to IR: TE La’Michael Pettway, S Michael Tutsie
New York Giants
- Released from IR with injury settlement: WR Jeff Smith
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Nate Brooks
Saints Cut WR Keke Coutee
Keke Coutee‘s brief stint with the Saints has come to an end. After signing with the organization in mid-June, the wide receiver has been released, according to Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football (via Twitter). Coutee was cut to make room for linebacker Jaylon Smith.
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Coutee was brought in two months ago to provide some experience to a crowded Saints receivers room. Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed are already written in atop the depth chart, leaving 10 other receivers to compete for two spots. That grouping includes five-year Saint Tre’Quan Smith and rookie sixth-round pick A.T. Perry, along with Lynn Bowden, Bryan Edwards, James Washington, Keith Kirkwood, Kawaan Baker, Jontre Kirklin, and rookie Shaquan Davis.
For the time being, Coutee proved to be the odd man out, even with Shaheed and Smith missing time during training camp. The release will provide the veteran some extra time to catch on with a new squad, and he’ll also have a chance to avoid the flood of free agents who will hit the market at the end of the preseason.
The 2018 fourth-round pick spent three seasons with the Texans to begin his career, hauling in 83 catches in 23 games. His best season came in 2020, when he caught 33 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns despite playing in only eight games (four starts). He was waived by the Texans at the end of the 2021 preseason and has spent the past two seasons with the Colts.
He got into 10 games during his time in Indy, although he only had two catches during his stint with the team. He also returned 17 punts for the Colts last season.
49ers To Sign DE Breeland Speaks
10:42am: To make room on their 90-man roster, the 49ers placed Anthony Averett on IR, per the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman (on Twitter). A former Ravens and Raiders starter, Averett made two trips to IR during his season with Las Vegas. The 49ers have now placed two veteran cornerbacks — Averett and Terrance Mitchell — on IR over the past several days.
9:51am: The 49ers have taken a few fliers on ex-high draft choices at defensive end in recent years. Their latest such effort will involve a former second-round pick who generated interest as a USFL standout.
Breeland Speaks is signing with the team, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). The former Chiefs draft choice worked out for the Broncos and Texans as well, but after a 49ers audition, he will attempt to become a depth piece in San Francisco.
While Speaks’ initial NFL run did not go as the Chiefs envisioned, he re-emerged on the radar with the Michigan Panthers. Speaks led the second-year league with nine sacks this year. He will join a 49ers roster that has seen more turnover among Nick Bosa‘s batch of D-end sidekicks. The 49ers lost Charles Omenihu and Samson Ebukam this offseason — to the Chiefs and Colts, respectively — and are currently without Bosa due to a holdout. Bosa is expected to land a monster extension soon, and the 49ers will have some new pieces in place alongside him.
The team added former No. 4 overall pick Clelin Ferrell and ex-Cowboys first-rounder Taco Charlton this offseason. This comes after well-regarded D-line coach Kris Kocurek helped the likes of Omenihu, Ebukam, Kerry Hyder and ex-Ferrell Raiders teammate Arden Key raise their values after recent free agency accords (Hyder remains with the 49ers). A Speaks reclamation project will seemingly be a longer-odds proposition, but the 49ers will kick the tires on the recent USFL success story.
Brett Veach‘s first draft choice as Chiefs GM, Speaks has not played in an NFL game since 2018. Speaks, 27, missed all of 2019 due to injury and could not make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster in 2020. The former No. 46 overall pick ended up with the Raiders, Cowboys, Giants and Bills — on practice squad agreements — through the end of the 2021 season. Speaks finished his rookie year with 1.5 sacks, starting four Chiefs games.
Raiders, RB Damien Williams Agree To Deal
Damien Williams‘ recent Raiders workout will lead to a mid-training camp agreement. The former Super Bowl starter agreed to terms with the team Friday, according to his agent (on Twitter).
Spending last year with the Falcons, Williams completed two auditions in the desert recently. The Cardinals went in another direction following Marlon Mack‘s injury, but Williams will end up with a Raiders team still without Josh Jacobs.
Staying away from the Raiders after the July franchise tag deadline came and went without an extension, Jacobs had left the Silver and Black without much at running back. The team has 2022 fourth-round pick Zamir White listed as its starter, and while Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden are still on the roster, neither profiles as a Jacobs fill-in. Williams would, though he has not seen extensive run since he last played for the Chiefs — back in 2019.
Williams, 31, joined Rex Burkhead in a recent Raiders workout. The Cardinals signed Stevie Scott following Mack’s Achilles tear, and Williams will attempt to crack another 53-man roster. While he has done so in each of the past two summers, Williams’ Falcons and Bears tenures did not involve extensive workloads. A lack of mileage has helped Williams stay active at 31. The former Dolphins UDFA has only 490 career touches on his resume.
The Falcons reached an injury settlement with Williams, who played just one game with the team after a 2022 deal. A rib injury sidelined Williams, who totaled only 56 touches during the 2021 season in Chicago. The Chiefs used Williams as their primary post-Kareem Hunt back but cut him following his 2020 opt-out decision.
Williams delivered dazzling playoff work in Kansas City between the 2018 and ’19 postseasons, totaling 10 touchdowns in five games during that span. The Hunt replacement amassed 540 scrimmage yards over those two postseasons. This included a 104-yard rushing performance in a two-touchdown Super Bowl LIV. Although Patrick Mahomes predictably edged Williams for MVP acclaim that night, the veteran back made important contributions to the Chiefs’ cause.
Due to his absence not technically qualifying as a holdout, Jacobs can stay away from the Raiders free of charge. But the reigning rushing champion will begin to miss out on game checks of $561K by remaining away from the team once the regular season begins. The Raiders can also rescind Jacobs’ $10.1MM tender, though that would be an extreme step — particularly as Josh McDaniels resides on a somewhat warmer seat in Year 2 at the helm.
Lions To Sign QB Teddy Bridgewater
AUGUST 11: Bridgewater agreed to terms with the Lions on a one-year deal that can max out at $5MM, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who adds the contract includes $2.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link). This marks a notable decrease from Bridgewater’s $6.5MM guaranteed with the Dolphins last year, but the 10th-year veteran is coming off an injury-plagued season.
AUGUST 7: After contract talks in the spring and the sides getting together for a recent meeting, the Lions and Teddy Bridgewater have a deal in place. The veteran quarterback is heading to Detroit, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).
The Lions had kept in contact with the former Vikings first-round pick since making him an offer by early April, hosting him on a visit in July. Bridgewater, 30, is now in place to become Jared Goff‘s backup. This will be the Louisville alum’s seventh NFL team. Dan Campbell was on the Saints’ staff during Bridgewater’s two-year New Orleans tenure, and the former tight ends coach will bring him into the fold at a rather pivotal point on the Lions’ timeline.
Bridgewater is coming off a disappointing season with his hometown team. The Dolphins added him on a one-year deal, and with Tua Tagovailoa sustaining multiple concussions, a door opened for the backup to help an improved team. But Bridgewater could not stay on the field, either. The league’s enhanced concussion protocol led to Bridgewater leaving a game against the Jets in October, and he suffered a dislocated pinkie when replacing Tagovailoa in Week 17. Bridgewater was not available for the Dolphins’ Week 18 game or their wild-card contest in Buffalo.
While Bridgewater is attempting to bounce back, he will give the Lions more security behind Goff. Prior to this signing, Nate Sudfeld was positioned as Detroit’s top backup. Campbell had said in June the team was content at quarterback; midway through training camp, that no longer appeared the case.
Hendon Hooker should be expected to grow into the QB2 role, but there is a real possibility the Lions give the third-round pick a true redshirt year after a torn ACL ended his Tennessee career. With Bridgewater having lapped Sudfeld for experience, he will be in place as a stopgap while Hooker recovers and learns the NFL game. Hooker currently resides on the Lions’ active/NFI list.
Injuries have obviously played a big role in Bridgewater’s NFL career. A severe leg malady halted his run as the Vikings’ starter back in 2016; that setback sidelined him for nearly two seasons. But Bridgewater did enjoy the opportunity to return as a starter for multiple teams — the Panthers and Broncos — during the 2020s. Twenty-nine of Bridgewater’s 65 career starts came with Carolina and Denver. The conservative passer did not exactly provide remarkable work in those seasons, but he was plenty capable when available during the 2020 and ’21 campaigns.
The Broncos went 7-7 in Bridgewater’s starts, with the 14th start involving a Drew Lock cameo sinking Denver in a close matchup with eventual AFC champion Cincinnati. Bridgewater threw 18 touchdown passes compared to just seven interceptions during his Broncos season. His 15-TD pass showing in Carolina produced a 17th-place QBR finish. The Panthers still jettisoned Bridgewater’s three-year, $63MM deal after that season. His earning power has diminished significantly in the years since, but the former starter remains a sought-after backup.
As Drew Brees‘ backup in New Orleans, Bridgewater went 5-1 when replacing the future Hall of Famer. Granted, those Saints rosters were among the NFL’s best at the time. But Campbell having been there during the 2018 and ’19 seasons bodes well for Bridgewater’s Detroit fit. Goff did not miss any time due to injury last season, but the former No. 1 overall pick did miss three games in 2021. The Lions lost each contest.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/10/23
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived/injured: WR Makai Polk
Chicago Bears
- Waived from IR: TE Chase Allen
Cleveland Browns
- Released: DT Michael Dwumfour
Denver Broncos
- Waived from IR: G Yasir Durant
Detroit Lions
- Waived: G Logan Stenberg
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived from IR: WR Ethan Fernea
Following the addition of Shelby Harris, the Browns decided to let go of another defensive lineman. Michael Dwumfour got into nine games with the Texans and 49ers last season, compiling eight tackles. He joined the Browns earlier this offseason.
Logan Stenberg was a fourth-round pick by the Lions back in 2020. He saw a larger role in each of his three seasons with the organization, culminating in a 2022 season where he got into 16 games with four starts. The lineman also had a role on special teams in three seasons in Detroit, so there’s a chance he finds another gig elsewhere.
Players waived or released from IR often agree to an injury settlement with their team. Their previous placement on IR would have prevented them from seeing the field during the 2023 campaign; now that they’ve been released, they can sign elsewhere and play this season.
Lions Sign RB Benny Snell; Justin Jackson Retires
The Lions have made a move affecting their backfield, spurred in part by a surprise retirement decision. The team announced on Thursday that Benny Snell has been signed, and that Justin Jackson has ended his career. 
Snell worked out with the Broncos and Colts this offseason, but he will ultimately head to Detroit to fill the vacancy left by Jackson’s retirement. The 25-year-old spent his first four seasons with the Steelers, but he was primarily used on special teams. Especially with Najee Harris in the fold for the past two years, Snell has seen limited touches on offense.
A depth role will again await him in Detroit, with free agent addition David Montgomery and first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs set to carry the load out of the backfield. A division of rushing and pass-catching duties is in the team’s plans, and Snell should operate as a fill-in option on offense while maintaining a steady presence on special teams.
Jackson was unable to establish anything more than a complimentary role with the Chargers over the course of his four years with the team. He joined the Lions last offseason, but his playing situation remained the same. Buried behind D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams on the depth chart, he logged only 54 touches. The 27-year-old was a key special teamer, though, and he missed only one game in his debut Lions campaign.
That led to a new deal being worked out less than three weeks ago, making today’s news rather surprising. Jackson battled injuries in 2019 and ’20 in particular, but a healthy season last year made the decision to retain him an easy one from the Lions’ perspective. Now, the team will move forward with an significantly different RB contingent than last season.
Jackson signed for the veteran minimum on his second Lions pact, one which did not include any guaranteed money. The Northwestern alum will hang up his cleats with $3.7MM in career earnings after five seasons played.