Raiders Release Donald Penn
Donald Penn‘s run with the Raiders will end after five seasons. Days after signing Trent Brown, the Raiders are planning to release Penn, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets. The Raiders and Penn confirmed the move.
Penn’s Twitter post about his Raiders exit indicates he does not plan to retire. It also appears to state, through some additional capitalized letters, a desire to return to left tackle in 2019.
Involved in contract issues with the Raiders in each of the past two summers, Penn nevertheless retained his spot on their starting offensive line. Jon Gruden moved him from left to right tackle last season. The Raiders drafted tackles with their first two 2018 picks and authorized a tackle-record deal for Brown earlier this week. This pretty well indicated Penn’s time in Oakland was ending.
The soon-to-be 36-year-old blocker had $7.2MM coming his way this season. The Raiders will save $5.5MM by making this move. Penn’s redone contract guaranteed him $1.75MM in 2019, but he will have to continue his career elsewhere. For the Raiders, this bumps them back above $35MM in cap space.
Penn’s Raiders tenure included two Pro Bowls, in 2016 and ’17, but ended with an early-season injury in 2018. He started just four games last season, the injury leading second-round pick Brandon Parker into the starting lineup. Parker may now be set for a swing role, with Brown and Kolton Miller seemingly entrenched as the Silver and Black’s starters.
A longtime Buccaneers blocker, Penn arrived in Oakland in 2014 and was soon part of a top-tier offensive line. The Raiders in 2016-17 deployed three Pro Bowlers — Penn, Kelechi Osemele and Rodney Hudson — and in ’16 featured higher-end right-side blockers in Gabe Jackson and Austin Howard.
Penn, who also caught two touchdown passes as a Raider, started 66 games during his five-season run in Oakland. After this move and Osemele being traded to the Jets, only Hudson and Jackson remain from the Raiders’ 2016 playoff line.
Saints C Max Unger To Retire
The Saints’ starting center for the past four years, Max Unger will call it quits. The 10-year veteran will announce his retirement, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Unger now resides on the reserve/retired list, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Unger made the Pro Bowl this past season and had one year remaining on his contract. The soon-to-be 33-year-old blocker had only missed one game during his Saints tenure.
Traded from Seattle to New Orleans in the Jimmy Graham-headlined deal four years ago, Unger became one of the Saints’ constants. His 2018 Pro Bowl was the third of his career, with the other two such honors having come when he was a Seahawk.
A 2009 second-round pick, Unger started all 130 games in which he played. He was a key part of the Saints’ revitalized running game, helping Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram form one of the league’s best backfield tandems in years. The Saints still have the other four members of their past two starting offensive lines under contract — Terron Armstead, Larry Warford, Andrus Peat and Ryan Ramczyk — but now have a need at center. This comes after Peat’s fifth-year option salary ($9.6MM) became fully guaranteed earlier this week.
The Saints appear to have known about this for a bit, considering the team hosted free agent interior lineman Nick Easton on a visit. Easton, who has played center and guard, has yet to decide on his next home. However, the Vikings submitted an offer late this week.
Unger’s retirement stands to free up $6.95MM in cap space. In the final season of a four-year, $24.9MM contract, Unger was to count $8.7MM against New Orleans’ cap.
Cameron Tom and Will Clapp, a 2017 UDFA and a 2018 seventh-round pick, respectively, reside as the other centers on the Saints’ roster. They have a combined two games’ worth of starting experience. Though, turning to one of these two (or a to-be-determined rookie) would help the two-time reigning NFC South champions devote some additional resources elsewhere, with their line still housing two veteran salaries and now a fifth-year option price tag.
Broncos To Sign CB Bryce Callahan
The Broncos are signing slot cornerback Bryce Callahan, Benjamin Allbright was the first to report (Twitter link). It’s a three-year deal, tweets James Palmer of NFL.com. The pact is worth $21MM in total and contains $10MM guaranteed, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Callahan will now reunite with new Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, who coached Callahan as the Bears’ defensive coordinator.A broken foot ended Callahan’s strong contract year, but Fangio coached the slot corner in all four of his NFL seasons. While Callahan will be a natural fit for Fangio’s defense in Denver, his injury and the makeup of the Broncos’ secondary will complicate it.
Chris Harris has handled the Broncos’ slot duties for most of this decade and has become one of this era’s top corners, being most identified for his inside coverage skills. While Harris plays outside in base sets, the Broncos use the veteran corner often in the slot. Harris, though, has requested at multiple junctures to be a full-time boundary corner, so Callahan being brought in may appease the incumbent.
Callahan, 27, finished his abbreviated season as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 overall corner — just four spots behind Harris — and intercepted two passes in each of the past two seasons. The 5-foot-9 defender coming to Denver will, however, add another short corner to the Broncos’ secondary. Harris and Kareem Jackson stand 5-10.
The Broncos added Jackson on an $11MM-AAV deal earlier this week. Having played both corner and safety in Houston, though mostly corner, Jackson brings hybrid potential for the Broncos. However, Denver lost Bradley Roby and does not plan to re-sign Tramaine Brock, creating a need for two new cornerbacks. Callahan would potentially complete that trio.
The Jets were the only other team linked to Callahan this offseason, with the Bears not expected to pursue him. But the Jets signed former Falcons slot man Brian Poole, taking them out of the running.
Eagles Re-Sign CB Ronald Darby
Ronald Darby is returning to Philly. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old cornerback is re-signing with the Eagles. It will be a one-year deal for Darby worth $8.5MM (via Rapoport on Twitter).
The cornerback had additional suitors, including the Chiefs, with whom he met this week. Other teams were interested in Darby as well, with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweeting he discussed one-year and multiyear deals as well.
However, Darby decided to opt for a one-year deal with a familiar franchise as he works his way back from an ACL tear. The former second-rounder underwent surgery in November, so there’s a chance that he won’t be ready for the start of the regular season.
Darby started all nine of his appearances in 2018, compiling 43 tackles, 12 passes defended, and one interception. However, an ACL tear ended his season prematurely, forcing him to sit out the second half of the campaign. Despite his injury, Darby still earned high marks from Pro Football Focus; the site ultimately ranked him 39th among 112 eligible cornerbacks.
If Darby is forced to miss any time, the Eagles have enough depth to get by. Rasul Douglas and Jalen Mills are currently projected as the team’s starters, while the team is also rostering Sidney Jones, Cre’Von LeBlanc, and Chandon Sullivan.
Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill Under Investigation
Chiefs star Tyreek Hill is under investigation for allegations of battery, as Steve Vockrodt and Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star write. The police report indicates that a juvenile was a victim of an assault perpetrated by Hill. Hill’s fiancee, Crystal Espinal, is listed under “others involved.” 
“The club is aware of the investigation involving Tyreek Hill,” the Chiefs said in a statement. “We’re in the process of gathering information and have been in contact with the league and local authorities. We’ll have no further comment at this time.”
The allegations are especially troubling in light of Hill’s history. Hill reportedly punched and choked Espinal, who was then eight weeks pregnant with their son, in 2014. He pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation in 2015 and, in 2016, the Chiefs made the controversial decision to draft him in the fifth round of the 2016 draft.
From a football perspective, it was a brilliant selection. Hill immediately made a huge impact with his absurd speed and led the league as a rookie with 15.2 yards per punt return. As an NFL sophomore, he nearly tallied 1,200 receiving yards with seven touchdowns. Then, last year, he set new career highs with 87 catches for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Recently, the Chiefs began discussing an extension with Hill that could make him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. Presumably, those talks will be put on hold while Hill’s situation plays out.
Dolphins Trade Ryan Tannehill To Titans
The Titans have a new quarterback. On Friday, the Titans acquired Ryan Tannehill in a trade with the Dolphins, according to a tweet from Tannehill’s agents. ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe tweets that Miami will be receiving a 2019 seventh-rounder (presumably No. 233) and a 2020 fourth-rounder. Meanwhile, the Titans will be getting Tannehill and a 2019 sixth-rounder (presumably No. 188).
As a part of the deal, the Titans have also restructured Tannehill’s contract for the 2019 season. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that it’s effectively a one-year deal worth $7MM guaranteed. There are playing-time incentives that could boost that total to $12MM. Either way, Tannehill will be one of the highest-paid backup quarterbacks in the NFL. Furthermore, it’s not as significant of an investment for the Titans thanks to the Dolphins; Miami ultimately paid $5MM of that $7MM guarantee via a signing bonus, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
With Marcus Mariota under center in Tennessee, Tannehill will be eyeing a backup role from the onset. However, the veteran could end up working his way into the lineup; Mariota has missed at least one regular season game in each of his four seasons, including two in 2018. With Tannehill, the Titans at least have reliable insurance in case their starter does go down.
The 30-year-old finished last season having completed 64.2-percent of his passes for 1,979 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 11 starts. He led the Dolphins to a 5-6 record during his outings. While these numbers aren’t outstanding, they’re probably significantly better than what the Titans incumbent backup, Blaine Gabbert, would be able to put up.
The Dolphins have been dangling Tannehill for some time and had little interest in keeping him under the terms of his contract. Tannehill was scheduled to carry a $26.6MM cap hit for Miami in 2019 with a roughly even split in dead money and cap savings in the event of a release.
This week, the Dolphins tried – and failed – to land Tyrod Taylor and Teddy Bridgewater. With few free agent difference-makers remaining, the organization may be forced to shift their focus to the draft. At the very least, it’s unlikely the Dolphins roll into the regular season with their current quarterbacks depth chart, a grouping that consists of Luke Falk and Jake Rudock.
Browns RB Kareem Hunt Suspended Eight Games
The NFL has suspended Browns running back Kareem Hunt eight games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
“I want to again apologize for my actions last year,” Hunt said in a statement (via USA Today’s Mike Jones on Twitter). “I know that my behavior hurt a lot of people, and I again apologize to them. I respect the league’s decision on discipline, and I appreciate the time I spent with Commissioner Goodell last week. I’m grateful for my time with the Browns over the last month and thankful to all the people in the organization that have welcome me. I also appreciate all of the support I received from my union through this process. My commitment to earning the trust of the league, my teammates, the organization, and this community through my actions will continue, and I understand there is a lot of work ahead of me before I’m able to fully return to playing the game I love.”
The eight-game suspension is about on-par with expectations, as Hunt was expected to receive at least a six-game ban. NFL Network’s James Palmer tweets that the running back did not appeal the ban. Now that the suspension has been assessed, the running back is allowed to attend Browns offseason activities (and, subsequently, training camp).
The 23-year-old is under investigation for three separate 2018 events — most notably the incident captured on video that showed him shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel/apartment complex in February of last year. After that video surfaced, Hunt was placed on the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt, and the Chiefs soon waived the Pro Bowl running back.
After going unclaimed on waivers, Hunt was connected to multiple teams before landing with the Browns. The running back signed a one-year deal that included a base salary of $645K, a $25K per-game roster bonus for each game that he is active, and a $55K offseason workout bonus. Hunt will ultimately give up around $303K of that $645K base salary, and he’ll have a chance to earn around $200K in per-game bonuses upon his return (via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter). He would have earned $678K via his rookie contract in Kansas City.
The 2017 third-round pick broke onto the scene as a rookie, compiling 1,782 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense. He continued that production in 2018, as he collected 14 touchdowns through 11 games.
When the running back eventually returns from his suspension, he’ll be joining a talented Cleveland offense. While Hunt is out, the team can lean on 2018 second-rounder Nick Chubb and pass-catcher Duke Johnson Jr., while the passing game will revolve around quarterback Baker Mayfield and wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.
Saints Re-Sign Teddy Bridgewater
The Saints have re-signed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, the team announced. The news was first reported by Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It’s a one-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $7.25MM for Bridgewater, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The pact has a maximum value of $12.5MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The Dolphins were also interested in Bridgewater, and met with him when the free agent period opened on Wednesday. Miami likely could have offered Bridgewater a starting role, but he only would have joined the Dolphins for “life-changing money,” tweets Russini. Bridgewater may see himself as Drew Brees‘ heir apparent, although Brees has shown no signs of slowing down, and Bridgewater’s pact will only keep him with the Saints for a single season.
Bridgewater, of course, suffered a gruesome leg injury in 2016 that knocked him out of action for the following two seasons. He inked a one-year deal with the Jets last offseason, but was eventually dealt to the Saints for a third-round pick. Bridgewater started New Orleans’ final regular season game, completing 14-of-22 passes for 118 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Bridgewater started 28 games for the Vikings from 2014-15, averaging 3,075 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions during that time. Among the 30 quarterbacks who attempted at least 500 passes in those two seasons, Bridgewater ranked 22nd in passer rating, 25th in adjusted net yards per attempt, and 29th in touchdown percentage
Chiefs To Sign DE Alex Okafor
After two major subtractions to their pass rush, the Chiefs are trying to add some reinforcements. The club is expected to sign former Saints defensive end Alex Okafor to a three-year deal, $18MM deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Through incentives, the pact can reach up to $24MM. 
Okafor was having a strong year in 2017 before tearing his Achilles and then re-upped on a cheap deal with the Saints before the 2018 season started. Now fully healthy, Okafor is moving on to KC.
Just days ago, the Chiefs shipped Dee Ford to the Niners in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick. In need of ammo to bolster the pass rush, they’ve added Okafor, a younger and cheaper substitute. Ford’s franchise tag would have called for a $15MM+ salary in 2019. Okafor, meanwhile, stands to earn a $6MM average annual value on his new deal, sans incentives.
Okafor, 27, broke out with eight sacks in his second NFL season. Since then, he’s been productive, but has yet to revisit that mark. Last year, he put up four sacks for the Saints across 16 games (all starts), giving him 22 for his career.
Raiders Release Jordy Nelson
The Raiders are doing some early spring cleaning today. The club has released veteran wideout Jordy Nelson, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic (via Twitter).
The release itself isn’t that surprising after the club traded for Antonio Brown and signed top free agent wideout Tyrell Williams, but the circumstances surrounding it are a bit odd. At the end of December, head coach Jon Gruden announced that Nelson would be back in 2019 to finish out the two-year pact he signed last offseason, and they even moved up a $3.6MM roster bonus to be paid at the time of the announcement. Essentially, then, the Raiders gave Nelson $3.6MM for no real reason.
Of course, they did not know at the time that they would be adding two top wideouts to their club, and they still create some cap savings with the move. And, as Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets, the door is not closed on a Nelson return.
Nelson, though, may find a better opportunity on the free agent market. Even though he will turn 34 in May, he showed he still has a little something left in the tank in 2018, bumping his yards-per-catch average from a career-low 9.1 (in the largely Aaron Rodgers-less ’17 Packers slate) to 12.2 with Derek Carr.
He ended the 2018 season with 63 catches for 739 yards and three scores, and he played particularly well down the stretch.