Contract Details: Amos, Patterson, Carpenter, Brown
Let’s take a look at the details of a few freshly-signed contracts:
- Adrian Amos, S (Packers): Four years, $37MM. $12MM fully guaranteed. $11MM signing bonus. Roster bonuses and Pro Bowl escalators beginning 2020 (Twitter link via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times).
- Justin Coleman, CB (Lions): Four years, $36MM. $16MM fully guaranteed. $10.1MM signing bonus.
- Steven Nelson, CB (Steelers): Three years, $25MM. $7.5MM signing bonus. $3MM roster bonus in 2020 (Twitter link via Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports).
- Cordarrelle Patterson, WR (Bears): Two years, $10MM. $5MM fully guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus. Per-game roster bonuses available in 2019-20 (Twitter link via Jahns).
- James Carpenter, G (Falcons): Four years, $21MM. $7.25MM fully guaranteed. $9MM overall guarantee (Twitter links via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com).
- Jamon Brown, G (Falcons): Three years, $18.75MM. $12.75MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Rapoport).
- Preston Brown, LB (Bengals): Three years, max value of $21MM (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com).
Cordarrelle Patterson To Sign With Bears
Cordarrelle Patterson has a found a new home. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the wideout/returner is set to join the Bears. It will be a two-year deal worth $5MM per season.
Patterson continued to be his versatile self during his lone season in New England. The 27-year-old hauled in 21 receptions for 247 yards and three scores, and he also returned 23 kicks for the Patriots.
Patterson actually took on an additional role during the 2018 campaign, as the team used him as a running back for several weeks. Patterson ultimately finished the season with a career-high 42 carries for 228 rushing yards and one touchdown.
In Chicago, Patterson will presumably continue to play the role he’s had throughout his career. The team relied on a variety of kick returners in 2018, including Benny Cunningham, Taquan Mizzell, Anthony Miller, and Tarik Cohen. At the very least, Patterson will allow Chicago to solidify that role on their squad.
Latest On Le’Veon Bell
The market for Le’Veon Bell may not actually be all that robust. Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets that the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Texans and Bills “haven’t really been in it” for the All-Pro running back.
This is particularly notable following reports from earlier today that six teams were in the running for Bell: the Jets, Colts, Ravens, Packers, Texans, and Bills. With four of those teams out of the running (along with the Bears), that would seemingly mean that New York and Green Bay are going head-to-head for the running back’s services. The Raiders have also been mentioned as a potential suitor for Bell.
Breer notes that the market’s been tough for the former Steelers offensive weapon, and he adds that more teams may enter the bidding if the asking price drops. As of right now, there’s a feeling that Bell could be secured for a deal that will pay him between $11MM and $12MM per season.
Regardless of who’s in and who’s out of the bidding, we may get a resolution sooner than later. We learned earlier today that the Jets have given Bell a deadline to make a decision. If the Jets don’t hear back by that unreported time, they’ll likely move on to other free agent targets.
Bears Restructure Khalil Mack’s Contract
The Bears are freeing up some cap space. Chicago is restructuring defensive end Khalil Mack‘s contract, a source told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Yates writes that the move will create $11MM of cap space “by converting $13M of Khalil Mack’s base salary & roster bonus into a signing bonus.” It’s a win-win as Mack will get more money upfront, while the team will have some added flexibility. The $13MM will now be spread out over the course of Mack’s contract for cap purposes .
Yates also notes that the Bears are positioning themselves to make more moves in free agency. They signed cornerback Buster Skrine and made a couple of other minor moves like signing running back Mike Davis and re-signing tight end Ben Braunecker, but it sounds like they’re still looking to make a big splash.
So far the story of Chicago’s offseason has been departures rather than acquisitions. Safety Adrian Amos left for the division rival Packers, while cornerback Bryce Callahan is expected to sign elsewhere. It’ll be very interesting to see what the Bears decide to do with this extra cash.
Extra Points: Mathieu, Texans, Bucs, Bennett, Bears
It sounds like the Texans tried to keep Tyrann Mathieu before he ultimately signed with the Chiefs. Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo tweets that Houston offered the safety a long-term deal that would have paid him around $9.5MM per season.
The reporter notes that the Texans and Chiefs were bidding for Mathieu until the end, and Houston’s final offer was close to Kansas City’s. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle writes that the organization was (and, presumably, is) “willing to spend liberally” on a veteran safety, and both general manager Brian Gaine and coach Bill O’Brien wanted to keep Mathieu.
The safety ended up inking a three years worth $42MM with the Chiefs. The Texans have reportedly shifted their focus to other safeties, including Earl Thomas.
Let’s take a look at some additional notes from around the NFL…
- Besides a safety, McClain notes that the Texans are also hunting for a pass-rushing “inside player.” The team could ultimately look towards the draft if nothing solidifies during free agency.
- The Buccaneers reached out to linebacker Deone Bucannon, reports Greg Auman of The Athletic (via Twitter). The 26-year-old had spent his entire career with the Cardinals, and he started all of his 41 games between 2015 and 2017. He took a bit of a step back in 2018, compiling 38 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in 13 games (six starts). The linebacker played with new Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians during their stints in Arizona.
- Following the Patriots‘ acquisition of Michael Bennett, there were some rumblings that his brother, tight end Martellus Bennett, would come out of retirement and return to New England. However, the Patriots’ new acquisition poured some water on the rumors this evening, saying that the whispers of Martellus coming out of retirement were “fake news” (via Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com). After winning a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2016, the tight end split the 2017 season between New England and Green Bay.
- The Bears are expecting a pair of defensive backs to go elsewhere this offseason. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes that safety Adrian Amos is “close to having a deal in place elsewhere,” and it sounds like the team is already eyeing potential replacements. Meanwhile, Biggs notes that cornerback Bryce Callahan won’t be back with the Bears after they signed veteran Buster Skrine.
- Before agreeing to a deal with the Broncos, safety Kareem Jackson was hoping he’d be back in Houston. However, the veteran didn’t receive a whole lot of interest from the Texans, leading to the player feeling “a little disrespected.” “They didn’t even approach me with an offer or any type of deal,” Jackson told Mark Berman of KRIV (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). “Obviously, they didn’t want me back or whatever the case may be. I’m not really sure. My agent was never approached by anybody from the Texans organization, so I wasn’t offered a deal of any sort. I kind of feel a little disrespected to be honest about it. At the end of the day, no hard feelings. I had a great nine years here. This will always be home for me. I definitely appreciate all the memories and all the opportunities. I appreciate the fans and everything I was able to build here. I’ll always have love for Houston.”
Bears To Sign Buster Skrine
Moments after agreeing to terms with running back Mike Davis, the Bears are making another signing. Chicago is adding cornerback Buster Skrine, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network added in a tweet that it’ll be a three-year deal worth $16.5MM. $8.5MM of it will be guaranteed. Garafolo writes that the news “surely means Bryce Callahan is gone from Chicago.” Skrine comes to the Bears from the Jets, after spending the past four seasons in New York.
Skrine signed a four-year $25MM deal with the Jets back in 2015, and had an up and down tenure in New York. He came close to getting cut several times, and his play has fluctuated greatly. A fifth round pick of the Browns back in 2011, Skrine is still only 29. He’s a slot cornerback, and will slight right into the hole presumably left by Callahan.
Skrine received average marks from Pro Football Focus for his work last year, which is a pretty big downgrade from Callahan, but the move should save the Bears a decent amount of money. In 14 games and 11 starts last year, Skrine had 58 tackles and eight passes defended.
Bears To Sign RB Mike Davis
The Bears are adding a running back. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the team has reached an agreement to sign Mike Davis.
This will be the first significant payday for the 26-year-old, who languished for two years in San Francisco before finding a home with the Seahawks. The deal is for two years and worth $6MM, per Rapoport (on Twitter). This pact carries a max value of $7MM. Davis hit free agency last offseason but decided to stick with the Seahawks.
After starting six games with Seattle in 2017, Davis established career-highs across the board in 2018. In 15 games, the running back ran for 514 yards and four touchdowns on 112 carries. He also showed some pass-catching prowess, hauling in 34 receptions for 214 yards and one score.
His role in Chicago is a bit uncertain considering the presence of both Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. Davis is versatile enough to serve as insurance for both of those players, and he’s a better option than both Taquan Mizzell and Ryan Nall. However, barring a trade, it’s unlikely Davis will end up playing an overly-significant role for his new team.
Contract Details: Brown, Boyle, Harrison
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts from around the NFL:
- Trent Brown , T (Raiders): Four years, $66MM, $36.75MM guaranteed. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, Brown will earn $15MM in 2019 but $21.5MM in 2020, when the Raiders move to Las Vegas (there’s no income tax in Nevada). That’s a smart move on Brown’s part, obviously. But as Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal observes (via Twitter), there is no guaranteed money left on the deal after 2020, so the Raiders can cut bait with no dead money ramifications at the end of the 2020 season. Essentially, then, it is a two-year, $36.75MM pact.
- Nick Boyle, TE (Ravens): Three years, $18MM. $10MM fully guaranteed ($7MM signing bonus, $1MM guaranteed salary in 2019, $2MM of $4.5MM guaranteed in 2020). Twitter link via NFL Insider Adam Caplan.
- Jonotthan Harrison, OL (Jets): Re-signed on March 9. Two years, maximum of $6MM. Twitter link via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
- Angelo Blackson, DE (Texans): Three years, $12MM. $3.5MM guaranteed. Salaries of $2MM (guaranteed), $3.5MM, and $3.5MM. $1.5MM 2019 roster bonus. $31,250 per game 46-man roster bonus. Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- Ben Braunecker, TE (Bears): Two-year deal. Total value of $2.7MM. $300K signing bonus. $6,250 per game 46-man roster bonus. Twitter links via Wilson.
Bears Re-Sign Ben Braunecker
The Bears and tight end Ben Braunecker agreed to a two-year deal, according to a source who spoke with Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Bears did not tender Braunecker as a restricted free agent, but found a way to retain him nonetheless.
Meanwhile, the Bears carved out some additional cap space in advance of free agency, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Defensive tackle Eddie Goldman had a $3MM roster bonus coming to him, but the Bears have converted it into a signing bonus, giving them an extra $2.25MM in breathing room. Heading into Monday, the Bears had less than $20MM in cap room, putting them in the bottom third of the NFL. The Goldman adjustment won’t put them in the same league as cash-flush teams like the Jets, Colts, and Browns, but it will give them some extra flexibility.
Meanwhile, the Bears are reportedly discussing trades for Jordan Howard, which could give them some additional draft capital to work with.
Brad Childress Expected To Rejoin Bears
- Brad Childress may be ready to circle back to the Bears. Affiliated with Matt Nagy‘s first Bears staff briefly, Childress then bolted for the Alliance of American Football. But he did not last until the AAF’s opener. However, Childress looks set to rejoin Nagy in Chicago, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweeting the former Vikings HC is expected to serve in an offensive consulting role under Nagy. Childress and Nagy worked together with the Chiefs. Childress also retired after the 2017 season, but that turned out to be quite short-lived.