Browns Rework RT Chris Hubbard’s Deal
Chris Hubbard looks like he will be staying in the fold for the Browns next season. Rumored as a departure candidate, the right tackle agreed to a new deal with the team.
The Browns and Hubbard agreed to a reworked contract, with Field Yates of ESPN.com reporting (via Twitter) the sides now have a two-year deal in place. Hubbard was previously signed through the 2022 season; this revised contract has him signed only through 2021.
Hubbard’s 2020 base salary will drop to $2.15MM, and Yates adds only $1MM of that is guaranteed. A $1MM signing bonus is included in this new deal, though. Hubbard previously did not have any guaranteed money coming his way in 2020, but his base salary was to be $6.15MM. Hubbard still has a chance to hit $5MM in 2020 base salary, but Yates notes that is now a max-value figure rather than a base salary.
While this will create some cap space for the Browns, that was not previously an issue. Cleveland’s $46MM-plus in cap room entering Thursday led the NFL by a wide margin.
If Hubbard plays 90% of the Browns’ snaps, Yates adds that the 2021 year of his contract would void. This would put him on track for free agency in a year. It looked like Hubbard would be a 2020 cut candidate, having not lived up to the five-year, $36.5MM deal he agreed to during John Dorsey‘s first offseason as Browns GM. The Andrew Berry regime, however, will keep the right tackle around for the time being.
This will be Hubbard’s age-29 season; the ex-Steeler has started 29 games for the Browns since coming to Cleveland in 2018. Hubbard graded as a bottom-10 tackle last season, per Pro Football Focus. The Browns have yet to replace either of their starting tackles, having indicated they are moving on from Greg Robinson. They have been linked to Trent Williams but also loom as a candidate to draft a tackle in the first round.
Browns Notes: Williams, Harris
The Browns have long been mentioned as the primary suitor for Redskins left tackle Trent Williams, and while no trade is on the immediate horizon, Williams does remain an option for Cleveland, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. At the moment, Washington is asking for too much in trade compensation, while Williams is demanding too expensive an extension. If either of those prices drops, the Browns could make a move for a (much-needed) new blindside protector.
- While the Browns are still considering Williams, Vikings safety Anthony Harris –= whom Cleveland has reportedly considered in trade — is no longer an option for the Browns, per Cabot. Minnesota apparently wants at least a third-round pick in order to part with Harris, while the 28-year-old defensive back would want a new deal to supersede his franchise tag. Instead of pursuing Harris, the Browns signed free agent safeties Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/21/20
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns:
- Signed: CB Donovan Olumba
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: LB Joseph Jones
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-signed: RB Rod Smith
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE MyCole Pruitt
Browns To Sign S Andrew Sendejo
Andrew Sendejo is going from the NFC North to the AFC North. On Friday, the Vikings agreed to sign the safety to a one-year, $2.25MM deal with the Browns, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Sendejo spent eight seasons with the Vikings up until March of last year when he hooked on with the Eagles. That union didn’t last long – the Birds dropped him in November, leading him back to Minnesota to close out the season.
Sendejo was a staple in the Vikings’ secondary up until 2018, when a groin injury put him on the sidelines. After that point, the Vikings’ D actually improved with Anthony Harris, George Iloka, and Jayron Kearse taking on a larger share of the workload.
In Cleveland, he’ll play alongside a cornerback group headlined by Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams with support from newcomer Kevin Johnson.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/20
We’ll keep track of today’s “minor” moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Keith Kirkwood
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Torry McTyer
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: KR/PR Jojo Natson
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LB Justin March-Lillard
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: CB Will Redmond
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Adrian Colbert
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: WR Bryant Mitchell
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Logan Thomas
Browns To Sign CB Kevin Johnson
The Browns are adding another former first-round defensive back on a one year deal. After signing safety Karl Joseph on Wednesday night, they have agreed to terms with former Round 1 cornerback Kevin Johnson.
Johnson and the Browns agreed on a one-year, $3.5MM deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Incentives could spike the contract’s value to $6MM, Schefter adds.
The Texans backed out of Johnson’s fifth-year option in 2019, a move the new CBA will no longer allow teams to execute free of charge, and he wound up with the Bills. The 2015 first-round pick played in all 16 games as a role player in Buffalo’s secondary, recording 36 tackles and posting five passes defensed.
Despite being an off-the-bench contributor, Johnson stayed healthy in 2019. That proved to be pivotal for a cornerback that saw injuries derail his time in Houston. Johnson, 27, missed 10 games in 2016 and 15 in 2018. A severe concussion kept him out of action in ’18. He will join a Browns cornerback crew headed by Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams.
Browns To Sign DT Andrew Billings
The Browns are about to get more of Andrew Billings in their lives. The former Bengals defensive tackle has agreed to sign with Cincy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Billings will ink a one-year deal worth $3.5MM fully guaranteed. The structure could be indicative of the current climate and reflective of player concerns during this period of uncertainty. Either way, it’s a solid deal for both sides. The Browns get a former starter on the cheap who can push opposing lineman thanks to his 328-pound frame. Billings, meanwhile, has security and a chance to cash in if he performs.
Billings, 25, has appeared in 47 games with 37 starts for the Bengals over the last three years. He came into the league as a fourth-round pick in 2016, but saw his entire season wiped out by a knee injury.
Browns To Add S Karl Joseph
Former first-round pick Karl Joseph will be heading east. The Browns will add the four-year Raiders safety on a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Raiders did not pick up Joseph’s fifth-year option in 2019, making him a 2020 free agent. After suffering a season-ending injury last year, Joseph will attempt to re-establish his value in Cleveland.
While the Raiders were open to a Joseph re-up, that was many months ago. And Las Vegas has been busy on defense this week, with one of those additions being safety Jeff Heath.
The Browns, however, have been active on the market as well. Joseph joins B.J. Goodson, Jack Conklin, Austin Hooper and Case Keenum as Cleveland-bound talents thus far in free agency. The Browns were discussing a potential tag-and-trade deal with the Vikings for Anthony Harris as well. Joseph may not interfere with those talks, but he has extensive starting experience and may be tabbed for one of Cleveland’s first-string spots. The Browns have already lost Eric Murray in free agency, and Damarious Randall is now on the market as well.
The No. 14 overall pick out of West Virginia in 2016, Joseph started 41 games as a Raider. He has never been a prolific ball hawk, intercepting four passes in four seasons, but has fared better in the box. Pro Football Focus has graded Joseph as a top-35 safety in each of the past two seasons, rating him as one of last season’s top run-defending safeties.
Browns To Sign LB B.J. Goodson
The Browns have come to an agreement with linebacker B.J. Goodson, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Cleveland has already lost linebackers Christian Kirksey and Joe Schobert in free agency so Goodson should immediately slot into the starting lineup.
Still just 26 years old, Goodson has accumulated 160 tackles in 53 games (29 starts) since entering the league in 2016. A fourth-round pick by the Giants, Goodson spent his first three seasons in New York before a trade last September sent him to Green Bay where he immediately entered the team’s rotation.
Last season, Goodson graded similarly to both Schobert and Kirksey, ranking as the 54th highest graded linebacker out of 89 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus.
Browns Exploring Trade For Vikings S Anthony Harris
The Browns are exploring a trade for Vikings safety Anthony Harris, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. It would take at least a third-rounder to get a deal done, “and probably a second.”
The 28-year-old was slapped with the franchise tag on Monday, but there were whispers that the Vikings were going to try to tag-and-trade the defensive back. Harris is set to make $11.44MM next season. As Cabot points out, the Browns have the ammo to get a deal done. The team currently owns one second-rounder (#41) and a pair of thirds (#74, #97).
Harris has a natural connection to Cleveland, as he played under Browns pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Jeff Howard in Minnesota. Browns head coach (and former Vikings offensive coordinator) Kevin Stefanski is also familiar with the long-time Vikings safety.
The former undrafted free agent has evolved into a starter in Minnesota, as he started a career-high 14 games in 2019. He finished the campaign with 60 tackles, 11 passes defended, and six interceptions.