Contract Details: Williams, Webb, Verrett
Here are the latest particulars in recently agreed-upon contracts, courtesy of the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (unless otherwise noted).
- Tyrell Williams, WR (Raiders): Four years, $44.3MM. $22MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Wilson).
- B.W. Webb, CB (Bengals): Two years, $10.5MM. $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Jeff Heuerman, TE (Broncos): Two years, $9MM. $2MM fully guaranteed, per Mike Klis of 9News.
- Mike Davis, RB (Bears): Two years, $6MM. $3MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- D.J. Fluker, OL (Seahawks): Two years, $6MM. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Jason Verrett, CB (49ers): One year, $3.6MM. $1MM guaranteed. $400K signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Markus Golden, OLB (Giants): One year, $3.75MM. $2.25MM guaranteed (Twitter link).
- Brian Poole, CB (Jets): One year, $2MM. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link).
- Marcedes Lewis, TE (Packers): One year, $2.1MM. $500K signing bonus, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
- Bruce Ellington, WR (Patriots): One year, $895K. $25K signing bonus (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, on Twitter).
Contract Details: Funchess, LaCosse, Golden
Some assorted contract notes from around the NFL:
- Devin Funchess, WR (Colts): One year, $10MM. $7MM guaranteed via roster bonus. $3MM base salary. $3MM in incentives for receptions, receiving yards, TDs, Pro Bowl, All-Pro. Twitter link via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star.
- Tyrann Mathieu, S (Chiefs): Three years, $42MM. $26.8MM guaranteed, $14.8MM signing bonus. Base salaries: $850K (2019), $1.15MM (2020), $14.5MM (2021, nonguaranteed). Details via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
- K.J. Wright, LB (Seahawks): Two years, up to $15MM (original story). $8MM in 2019, including $5MM signing bonus, $1.5MM base salary, $1.5MM roster bonus. Second year isn’t guaranteed. Twitter link via ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
- Matt LaCosse, TE (Patriots): Two years, $2MM, $500K guaranteed for 2019 (original story). Base salaries: $700K (2019), $1MM (2020). $300K signing bonus, $25K per-game bonus. $500K in playing time/receptions incentives. Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate.
- Markus Golden, LB (Giants): One year. Worth up to $4.75MM, $2.225MM guaranteed. Twitter link via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
- Cameron Fleming, OT (Cowboys): Two years, $8.5MM. 2019: $1MM base salary, $1.5MM signing bonus, $2.25MM cap number. $300K for 60-percent playing time, $600K for 70-percent. Twitter link via ESPN’s Todd Archer.
- Bruce Ellington, WR (Patriots): One year, $25K guaranteed. Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
Patriots Release Adrian Clayborn
The Patriots cut Adrian Clayborn on Friday. The defensive end broke the news himself on Twitter and indicated that he requested his own release.
“Thank you Patriots for my time with the organization,” Clayborn wrote “I gained so much respect for how you do things and win championships. It’s done the right way through hard work. Thank you for granting my release. I’m ready for this next chapter.”
The Patriots used Clayborn as a pass-rushing specialist and employed him in 14 regular season games. All in all, he played in 30% of the team’s defensive snaps last year, but he was a healthy scratch in the final two contests of the season. Following a 9.5-sack campaign with the Falcons in 2017, the veteran’s counting stats took a step back in 2018. Clayborn ultimately finished the season with 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
By releasing Clayborn, the Pats will save roughly $4MM against the 2019 cap. The move will leave New England with $2MM in dead money.
Contract Details: McCourty, Williams, Lewis
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts:
- Jason McCourty, CB (Patriots): Two years, $10MM. Maximum value of $11MM. $6MM paid out in 2019 (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). $5.5MM guaranteed. Team option for 2020; roster bonus of $500K due if option exercised (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of the Advocate).
- Daryl Williams, T (Panthers): One year, $6MM. $3MM signing bonus. $2.25MM base salary. $750K in per-game roster bonuses. Can earn $500K by making the Pro Bowl (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic).
- Marcedes Lewis, TE (Packers): One year, $2.1MM. Maximum value of $2.35MM (per Pelissero).
- Brandon Mebane, DT (Chargers): Two years, $9.3MM. $5.25MM guaranteed (per Pelissero).
- Kevin Johnson, CB (Bills): One year, $3MM. $400K signing bonus. $2MM base salary. Per-game roster bonus and workout bonus of $300K each (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Bradley Pinion, P (Buccaneers): Four years, $11MM. $3.6MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Greg Auman of The Athletic).
- Zach Zenner, RB (Lions): One year, $805K. $250K guaranteed. $150K signing bonus (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com).
Bennie Logan Visits The Patriots
Veteran defensive tackle Bennie Logan visited with the Patriots on Thursday, ESPN’s Mike Reiss tweets.
Logan spent the 2018 campaign with the Titans and appeared in 15 games. It was the first season in the defensive tackle’s career that he didn’t operate primarily as a starter. Logan played on 288 snaps, roughly 21 percent of the team’s defensive plays.
Before his one-year run in Tennessee, Logan spent a season in Kansas City where he started 12 games, and opened his career with a four-year stay in Philadelphia, where he started 51 of his 59 games.
The Patriots defensive line depth has thinned so far this offseason with the departures of Malcom Brown and Trey Flowers to the Saints and Lions, respectively.
Patriots To Sign Mike Pennel, Matt LaCosse
While some teams are splurging, the Patriots are spreading the wealth. On Thursday afternoon, the Pats agreed to sign former Jets defensive lineman Mike Pennel and former Broncos tight end Matt LaCosse, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a two-year deal for Pennel, per his agent (Twitter link).
Pennel was a staple of the Jets’ defense in recent years, appearing in every game over the last two seasons. His Jets stint, which included ten starts, yielded an average of 31 tackles per season with zero sacks. His traditional stats did not jump off of the page, but the advanced metrics were very high on his work in 2018. Pennel was tied as the 14th best defensive tackle in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus, though his 358 snaps were the lowest sum of anyone in the top 40. Earlier this month, the Jets turned down his option.
LaCosse had 24 catches and 250 yards while filling in as the Broncos’ starting tight end for a period last year, but Denver non-tendered him this offseason. With Rob Gronkowski‘s status for next year still up in the air, LaCosse could be an option to help fill the gap, albeit one with less star power.
Patriots To Sign WR Maurice Harris
On Thursday morning, the Patriots met with Redskins free agent Maurice Harris and fellow free agent wide receiver Bruce Ellington. After agreeing to sign Ellington, they said, “Why choose?” 
The Patriots have agreed to sign Harris, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known.
Harris had 28 catches for 304 yards last season, but the Redskins opted against tendering him as a restricted free agent. The Patriots, in need of wide receiver help, have moved to add two solid options in one day. Of course, they aimed higher earlier in the week, but pursuits of Golden Tate, Cole Beasley, and Adam Humphries came up short.
Currently, the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart is topped by Julian Edelman, Ellington, and Harris. With the draft and the second wave of free agency still ahead, you can expect that to change.
Patriots To Sign Terrence Brooks
Free agent safety Terrence Brooks has signed a two-year deal with the Patriots, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Brooks spent the last two seasons with the rival Jets.
The Jets had Brooks under control for 2019, but opted against exercising his option for the coming year. The move helped them preserve flexibility and cap space, and while they will miss his special teams acumen, he hardly saw any time on the defensive side of the ball.
Brooks came to the Jets before the 2017 season in a trade with the Eagles that saw cornerback Dexter McDougle to go Philly. Since then, Brooks he has been a special teams staple for Gang Green. Last year, Brooks appeared in a team-high 79% of the Jets’ special teams plays while appearing in just 6% of the defensive snaps.
He will be a quality addition to New England’s special teams unit while also providing experienced depth behind Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty at the safety position.
Patriots Were In On Cole Beasley
The Patriots have been trying to upgrade their wide receiver corps this offseason, and they are reportedly interested in Golden Tate, who is the best free agent wideout on the market. However, the club was also in on another slot receiver, Cole Beasley, who ultimately signed with the Bills.
At his introductory press conference, Beasley said his final decision came down to the Cowboys (his original club), the Bills, and the Patriots (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW). He is the type of sure-handed, quality route-runner that has made hay in New England’s Tom Brady-led offense in the past, and he likely would have had plenty of opportunities in the club’s aerial attack in 2019. As of right now, the Pats’ wide receiver depth chart is currently topped by Julian Edelman and Bruce Ellington, who just signed today.
Phillip Dorsett, whom the club re-signed yesterday, is back in the fold but is far from a sure thing. And Beasley turned down the Pats before either Ellington or Dorsett were under contract, opting to head to upstate New York on a four-year, $29MM pact.
That will leave the Pats searching for another pass-catcher or two in free agency and/or the draft, though the team always seems to find a way to make the most out of what they have.
Patriots To Sign WR Bruce Ellington
Bruce Ellington is signing a one-year deal with the Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Pats met with Ellington and a few other players on Thursday morning. It did not take long for a deal to come together. 
Last year, Ellington had 23 catches for 132 yards in just four games for the Lions, showing what he could do when healthy. Earlier in the season he caught eight balls for 92 yards and a touchdown in less than three full games with the Texans, before Houston waived him with an injury settlement. He latched on in Detroit, but unfortunately the hamstring injury that hampered him in Houston re-emerged while he was with the Lions, landing Ellington on IR in December.