Chiefs, Tyrann Mathieu Agree To Deal
Connected to high-profile safeties at last year’s trade deadline, the Chiefs are continuing their pursuit months later. They are close to a deal with Tyrann Mathieu, Terez Paylor of Yahoo.com tweets.
It looks like a contract will be agreed upon, and it is quite the deal. The Chiefs are signing Mathieu for three years and $42MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The average annual value would match that of Landon Collins‘ Redskins pact. The 26-year-old Mathieu profiled as the Chiefs’ top offseason target, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link), and the contract certainly reflects that.
Mathieu signed a one-year, $7MM deal with the Texans last season; he is on the verge of doubling that a year later, illustrating the safety market’s rapid resurgence.
The Texans have been discussing a contract with Mathieu for a while, but the sides have not come to terms. This is considerably north of the proposal the Texans reportedly made, with Houston’s offer being for $9.5MM per year.
This is interesting, given the Texans’ favorable amount of cap space when compared to the Chiefs’. But Kansas City has needs across its defense and will be allocating a considerable amount of money to a position that recently saw its value stagnate.
The Chiefs still have Eric Berry‘s $13MM-AAV contract on their books but have an opening opposite the All-Pro. Berry, 30, is not a reasonable cut candidate this year. It would cost the Chiefs more than $14MM in dead money to jettison the three-time All-Pro. But Kansas City is now heavily invested at a position that has seen its value reignite in a matter of hours.
With the Legion of Boom having disbanded, no team comes close to matching what Kansas City will have allotted to its safety position. But the Chiefs had considerable issues in pass coverage last season, including at pivotal points during their AFC championship game loss, and Mathieu helped rebuild his stock in 2018. The Chiefs were connected to Collins and the still-unattached Earl Thomas early last season but opted to stand pat. While they were agonizingly close to a Super Bowl without making a move, the team is addressing a need area now.
Coming off some disappointing seasons in Arizona, following the Cardinals signing Mathieu to a then-record safety deal (five years, $62.5MM), Mathieu made the most of his one-year Texans pact. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 21 safety last season.
It appears Houston will need to look for another safety. While the market still has some key players, two of the top targets are no longer available.
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.
Bills To Sign Mitch Morse
The Bills just keep on rolling. After landing Frank Gore, Kevin Johnson, and Tyler Kroft, Buffalo is making another big move. Center Mitch Morse has agreed to terms with the Bills, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
This will come with a major pay raise. Morse is expected to receive a contract that will pay him more than $11MM on average, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal, per Yahoo.com’s Terez Paylor (on Twitter). This coming to fruition would make him the NFL’s highest-paid center.
Morse is coming to Buffalo from Kansas City, where he’s spent the past four seasons. The Chiefs took Morse in the second round of the 2015 draft, and he’s been a starter with them ever since. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy the past couple of seasons, which might’ve played into the Chiefs’ decision to let him walk.
Morse appeared in 11 games last year, and just seven the year before that. Morse has dealt with concussion and foot issues the past couple of seasons, but has been an effective player when on the field. In his 11 starts last season, he graded out as the 13th-best center in the league, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics.
No terms of the deal have been announced at the moment, and it’ll be very interesting to see what Morse gets. The Bills have been very generous with their spending so far, so it’s safe to assume Morse got a fairly big contract. The Chiefs signed Austin Reiter to an extension back in December, and he could become the team’s full-time starting center if they don’t sign or draft anyone else.
Before signing Morse, the Bills were in on Broncos center Matt Paradis, a source told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). Vacchiano thinks that could help the Jets’ chances of signing Paradis.
Cardinals Expected To Sign Terrell Suggs
This is moving fast. Mentioned as a possible landing spot for Terrell Suggs, the Cardinals are going to land the free agent pass rusher, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
An agreement will send the 16-year Ravens veteran, who told the team he will not be returning to Baltimore next season, back to Arizona. The contract for Suggs is a one-year, $7MM deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The somewhat hefty sum indicates the Cardinals still view Suggs as a full-time player.
Before going in the 2003 first round and becoming an all-time Ravens great, Suggs played his college ball at Arizona State. Suggs also spent his teenage years in Arizona.
One of the best players in Ravens history, Suggs will leave as the team’s sack leader (Suggs’ 132.5 sacks are 62.5 more than second-place Peter Boulware) and the Ravens’ games-played leader. A seven-time Pro Bowler and the 2011 defensive player of the year, Suggs surpassed Ray Lewis to become the Ravens’ games-played leader, suiting up for his 229th career regular-season contest in Week 17. The 36-year-old started all 16 games for a second-straight season in 2018, compiling 34 tackles and seven sacks.
Suggs will easily slide right into Arizona’s linebacker depth chart. The team really only has former first-rounder Haason Reddick slotted into the starting lineup, with Tanner Vallejo also projected to start.
Titans To Sign Adam Humphries
The Titans have agreed to terms with receiver Adam Humphries, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). The receiver market is moving quickly, with Humphries being the latest wideout to sign.
Humphries isn’t a household name, but we’ve been hearing for a while now he was about to get paid big-time. All the reporting has been that Humphries was seeking around $10MM annually, and he came pretty close. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets that the deal is worth $36MM over four years. The Titans weren’t alone in bidding for Humphries’ services, as they faced stiff competition from the Patriots, a source told Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Russini writes that the Titans were in a bidding war “all day” with the Patriots before they eventually landed him.
In fact, Doug Kyed of NESN.com tweets that the Patriots upped their offer even after Humphries agreed to sign with Tennessee, and that the offer included a higher average annual value and more guaranteed money than Humphries will get from the Titans. However, Humphries never wavered in his decision to head to Nashville.
The slot receiver has been buried behind a ton of talented skill position players in Tampa Bay, but has shown plenty of flashes the past few years.He had the best year of his career last season, catching 76 passes for 816 yards and five touchdowns. The move makes a lot of sense for the Titans, who have been starved for receiver help. Tennessee has Corey Davis, but not much of note behind him in their receiving corp.
Humphries will be a huge asset for Marcus Mariota, and as Pelissero notes in his tweet, Humphries was one of the best receivers in the league on third down last year. The Clemson product went undrafted in 2015, but quickly proved all the evaluators wrong. He should have a chance to surpass his 816 yards from last year with a larger target-share in Tennessee.
Terrell Suggs To Depart Ravens
It no longer looks like the Ravens will bring back Terrell Suggs. The decorated edge defender informed the team he will be signing elsewhere, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
This comes shortly after a La Canfora report indicated the 16-year veteran will have options outside of Baltimore. It appears Suggs is ready to exercise them and become a true free agent. The 2003 first-round pick played out his four-year extension.
One of the best players in Ravens history, Suggs will leave as the team’s sack leader (Suggs’ 132.5 sacks are 62.5 more than second-place Peter Boulware) and the Ravens’ games-played leader. A seven-time Pro Bowler and the 2011 defensive player of the year, Suggs surpassed Ray Lewis to become the Ravens’ games-played leader, suiting up for his 229th career regular-season contest in Week 17.
As for where the 36-year-old defender may end up, some of Suggs’ teammates have mentioned the Cardinals as a landing spot, per JLC. The Cardinals employ Chandler Jones, but with Markus Golden hitting free agency and having not been especially effective since his ACL tear, Arizona has a need opposite Jones as it moves back to a 3-4 defense.
The Ravens have been trying to work out a deal for C.J. Mosley, but they are battling suitors with more cap space on that front. Suggs will not cost nearly what the linebacker stalwart will, but it appears he will be able to collect more money elsewhere.
Baltimore holds $26MM-plus in cap space but could face the prospect of seeing its three most accomplished defenders depart in one offseason, with Eric Weddle having been released last week. The Ravens led the NFL in total defense in 2018, with that unit being an essential part of the team’s first division title since 2012.
Bucs To Trade DeSean Jackson To Eagles
It looks like DeSean Jackson will return to the Eagles. They have reached an agreement with the Buccaneers to bring him back, Sirius XM’s Adam Caplan reports (on Twitter).
This comes shortly after Jackson indicated he would be headed elsewhere in 2019. The Eagles were the veteran deep threat’s return destination. The Bucs will receive a 2019 sixth-round pick for Jackson and will send the Eagles a 2020 seventh-rounder in the deal, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com.
Jackson played six seasons in Philadelphia, and it was the best stretch of his career. The 2008 second-round pick made three Pro Bowls as an Eagle, and although he performed well with the Redskins, he has not made a Pro Bowl since. This will be a major addition to the Eagles’ receiving corps, though, one that obviously looks quite different from the one he left. Zach Ertz remains, though, with a far bigger role than he had when Jackson was last in Philly.
One season remains on Jackson’s Bucs contract, at $10MM. The Eagles made several moves to create cap space in recent days, but that number is still high. It is possible an extension could bring that down, and Jeff McLane of Philly.com tweets an extension may well be in the cards.
Either way, this will be an upgrade for the Eagles, who have now acquired a new player for their deep-threat role in each of the past three offseasons, with Jackson following moves to land Torrey Smith (2017) and Mike Wallace. Even at 32, Jackson remains a more dangerous weapon than the Eagles’ recent two long-range targets.
Jackson did not click with Jameis Winston, his first Bucs season producing a career-low 13.4 yards per catch, but did do well with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Last season, D-Jax’s YPC figure ballooned back up to 18.9 — an NFL-best mark. Carson Wentz will now be throwing him passes, with the Eagles continuing to make splash moves to bolster their receiving corps.
This deprives Bruce Arians of a player he wanted back, though the Bucs are up against the cap. This trade does create $10MM in Bucs cap space. Tampa Bay still has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and tight ends O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate. But the team may be set to lose Adam Humphries as well. With Jackson also gone, the formidable Bucs aerial corps may need an addition at wideout after two years of having arguably the league’s deepest receiving corps.
Jaguars To Sign Nick Foles
This has felt like a foregone conclusion for over a week, but the Jaguars will sign free agent quarterback Nick Foles, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). And it is a huge deal, as RapSheet tweets that the former Super Bowl MVP will land a four-year, $88MM pact from Jacksonville. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network adds that the deal maxes out at a whopping $102MM (Twitter link), but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that “only” $50.125MM is guaranteed.
After months of discussion as to how the Eagles would handle Foles’ contract, Philadelphia elected to not hit him with the franchise tag once he bought his way into free agency. Teams like Jacksonville who were interested in Foles did not really engage the Eagles in trade talks prior to that decision, as they never expected Philly to tag him in the first place.
The Giants were also rumored to have some interest in their former division rival, but the Jags seemed to be the clear favorites all along. Jacksonville’s quarterback situation has long been a hot topic of conversation, especially after the Blake Bortles extension predictably backfired. And in case you couldn’t hear it over all of the rejoicing in Florida, we just learned that Bortles has been cut.
Foles, 30, spent the bulk of his career as a backup, but wound up as the Super Bowl MVP following the 2017 season in one of the best feel-good stories of the century. He was once again called upon in 2018 as Carson Wentz was sidelined by injury. He went 4-1 in his five starts and completed 72.3% of his passes, his highest mark in any of his NFL seasons. He also threw for seven touchdowns against four interceptions.
He is not perfect by any means, but he should be an improvement over Bortles, and despite a recent batch of cost-cutting moves, the Jags hope that their core is strong enough to make another run at the playoffs after a disappointing 2018 campaign.
Bills To Sign Frank Gore
Frank Gore just won’t quit. On Monday, the ageless running back agreed to sign with the Bills on a one-year, $2MM deal, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
Gore, 36 in May, continues to defy the odds with productive season after productive season. Last year, Gore managed 4.6 yards per carry off of 156 attempts and added 12 catches for 124 yards. He no longer profiles as a workhorse back, but he’s still extremely effective when used in the right measure.
In addition to being extremely efficient last year, Gore also graded out as the Dolphins’ best pass-blocker, per Pro Football Focus. Football Outsiders’ metrics lauded Gore as well, as he ranked as a top-20 back in DYAR, DVOA, and success rate.
The Bills already have star LeSean McCoy leading the way with Chris Ivory in reserve, but Gore could be a change-of-pace option as the Bills move forward. The extra insurance can’t hurt, especially since McCoy averaged a career-low 3.2 yards per try in 2018.
Titans To Re-Sign Kenny Vaccaro
It appears the safety market is back on track. A key member from 2018’s mysterious market will receive a big raise.
The Titans and Kenny Vaccaro have reached an agreement to keep the former first-round pick in Tennessee long-term, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s a four-year, $26MM deal, per RapSheet, who adds this will come with $11.5MM guaranteed.
Vaccaro joined Tre Boston and Eric Reid, the latter being the centerpiece of last year’s slowdown, in having to wait months to land deals in 2018. The Titans swooped in and signed Vaccaro on the cheap before training camp, and with Reid having already re-signed to stay in Carolina, Vaccaro’s second team took similar action. Vaccaro’s deal comes in just north of Reid’s.
The former Saints five-year secondary piece started 13 games with the Titans last season. The safety/slot defender will be a part of Tennessee secondaries going forward, and while Landon Collins‘ Redskins deal will grab justified headlines, the seventh-year veteran’s re-up is a good sign for this year’s safety market.