Vikings Sign Sheldon Richardson
The Vikings have now landed premier free agents on both sides of the ball. Sheldon Richardson has agreed to a one-year deal with Minnesota, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Richardson’s deal includes an $8MM base salary and $3MM more in available incentives.
The Vikings were the only team known to have met with Richardson and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. The Vikings wined and dined Richardson a bit on Friday and pitched him with new quarterback Kirk Cousins in tow.
The Vikings used much of their cap space on Cousins, but they still had enough left to sign one of the most talented defensive linemen in this year’s free agent crop, thanks in part to the restructuring of Latavius Murray‘s deal. The 27-year-old (28 in November) had just one sack last season, but the advanced metrics showed that he was still starting caliber, even in a down year.
Richardson did his best work with the Jets, particularly in 2014 when he racked up eight sacks. His production was a bit up-and-down as he was moved at times from defensive tackle to the outside and even to linebacker, but he was a consistent threat.
Richardson, presumably, was after a multi-year deal, but the one-year pact with Minnesota will give him a chance to rebuild his value and potentially cash in next March. He joins an already stacked Vikings D and will pair with Linval Joseph in the middle. Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen will serve as the starting bookends with Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, and Ben Gedeon filling out the front seven.
The Seahawks have now lost two high-profile defensive linemen in Richardson and Michael Bennett (via trade with the Eagles), but Richardson’s departure should at least net them some return in compensatory picks.
[RELATED: Vikings Depth Chart]
Eagles Cut DL Vinny Curry
The Eagles are releasing defensive lineman Vinny Curry, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Eagles were hoping to retain him, but the two sides were unable to agree to terms on a pay cut. Curry would have locked in $5MM of his $9MM base salary had he remained on the roster on Sunday. 
Curry appeared ticketed for release when the Eagles acquired Michael Bennett in a March trade with the Seahawks. He is now out of Philly and so is his $11MM cap hit. The Eagles will be left with $6MM in dead money after releasing Curry, but they’ll save $5MM.
Curry, 30 in June, totaled 42 tackles and three sacks last season for the Eagles. He tallied 22 sacks for the Eagles between 2013 and 2017.
At this point in free agency, Curry profiles as one of the very best free agent defensive linemen available. The Seahawks may have interest in Curry since they have dealt Bennett and are may be on the verge of losing Sheldon Richardson to free agency.
Panthers Cancel Bashaud Breeland Deal
Cornerback Bashaud Breeland won’t be joining the Panthers after all. The team announced that Breeland failed his physical and will not be signing with the club. 
Breeland was set to sign a three-year, $24M deal with Carolina. Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears that a “non-football incident” is to blame for the scuttled agreement. Breeland cut his foot and it got infected, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears, adding that Breeland “is now a few months away from being able to pass a physical.”
Breeland was on the Browns’ radar, but it’s not clear if they still have interest after signing T.J. Carrie and Terrance Mitchell. The team thinks very highly of the other cornerbacks on the roster as well. When GM John Dorsey announced Jason McCourty‘s departure, he said that he was uncertain about whether the veteran would make the Browns’ final cut.
Breeland, 26, appeared in all but one of the Redskins’ games last season, so his non-football injury must have occurred in the offseason. He tallied 47 tackles and one interception, which was returned 96 yards for a touchdown against the Chargers.
The Panthers will continue their search for a cornerback, but many of this year’s top free agents are already off the board. Some of the best available options include Bills free agent E.J Gaines, Colts free agent Rashaan Melvin, and former Giants corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. There’s also Kyle Fuller of the Bears, though Chicago can match any offer thanks to the transition tag.
This marks the second notable free agent to have his deal ripped up over a bad physical this week. The Ravens backed out of their four-year deal worth $29MM deal with former Redskins wide receiver Ryan Grant when an issue with his ankle drew a red flag.
Bengals’ Vontaze Burfict Facing Suspension
Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Performance Enhancing Drug policy, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’ll presumably appeal, though no hearing date has been set as of this writing. 
Burfict is no stranger to suspensions, but this marks his first potential ban for PEDs. In the past, Burfict has been sidelined for violations of league safety rules.
In the 2016 playoffs, Burfict was penalized for an illegal hit to the head on Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, which led to a suspension to start the 2016 season. In 2017, he was handed a five-game ban for a hit made on Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman in the preseason. That suspension was later reduced to three games.
Between injuries and suspensions, Burfict has missed 28 regular season games over the past four years. Still, he is among the very best at his position. Last year, Burfict managed 69 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his partial season.
If Burfict loses his appeal, the guarantees in his three-year, $33MM contract will void, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) notes. If that $11.3MM guarantee is wiped out, the Bengals will have the ability to move on from Burfict – if they want to – without fiscal penalty.
Bengals Sign LB Preston Brown
The Bengals have signed linebacker Preston Brown, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the Cincinnati native. 
Brown was hoping to re-sign with the Bills on a multi-year deal, Jim Owczarski of the Enquirer writes, but that never materialized. Earlier this month, we heard that the Patriots had interest in Brown, but it’s not clear if that ever came close to happening.
Brown, 26 in October, led the league in tackles in 2017 while playing the third-most defensive snaps (1,180) of any linebacker in the NFL. The former third-round pick has started nearly every possible game (62 of 64) during his four-year career and has never missed a contest due to injury. I had Brown ranked as one of the 50 best free agents available heading into this week.
Brown projects to start at middle linebacker, which will allow Vontaze Burfict to remain at outside linebacker.
The Bengals haven’t had the flashiest offseason in the NFL, but they’ve made some moves of note. This week, they traded for Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn and re-signed tight end Tyler Eifert.
[RELATED: Bengals Depth Chart]
Panthers’ Greg Olsen Auditions For ESPN
Could Greg Olsen transition to the broadcast booth? The Panthers tight end is auditioning to be an analyst on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post (Twitter links). Marchand adds that he could also be in the mix for FOX’s Thursday Night Football, if Peyton Manning turns down the job. 
While Olsen was sidelined last season, he called a game for FOX and did well. His performance during the Nov. 19 game between the Rams and Vikings led many to think that Olsen could have a future in TV someday. Few thought that Olsen could consider the transition now, however.
For what it’s worth, Panthers officials are aware that Olsen is in Bristol, Connecticut (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s David Newton). However, they believe this is more about planning for the future and that Olsen plans to play this season.
Olsen, 33, pushed the Panthers for a new contract last season. Ultimately, he agreed to continue on his deal, though the team added $2MM in incentives to his pact for 2017. If Olsen is on the fence between suiting up in 2018 or beginning his broadcasting career, the Panthers may have to sweeten the pot yet again.
Jets Re-Sign CB Morris Claiborne
The Jets have re-signed cornerback Morris Claiborne to a one-year, $7MM deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Gang Green entered the free agent period hoping to acquire two starting corners, and the club has now accomplished that goal. General manager Mike Maccagnan inked Trumaine Johnson to a five-year deal on Wednesday, and he’ll now retain Claiborne, whose first season in New York was considered a success.
Claiborne is a former top-10 draft pick, and although he’s generally been effective when on the field, injuries have been an issue. During the first five seasons of his career, all of which came with the Cowboys, Claiborne managed to play in more than 12 games only once, and that was during his rookie campaign.
Things were different in 2017, however, as Claiborne managed to stay healthy for 15 contests. During that time, he served as the Jets’ No. 1 cornerback, managing eight passes defensed and one interception. Pro Football Focus wasn’t fond of Claiborne’s work, though, as he graded as a bottom-20 corner among 121 qualifiers.
Entering free agency, PFR ranked Claiborne as the fifth-best available corner. Of the four CBs that placed above Claiborne, only E.J. Gaines has yet to land a new deal.
[RELATED: Jets Depth Chart]
Rams To Retain WR Tavon Austin
The Rams will retain wide receiver Tavon Austin following a contract restructure, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Although Los Angeles had reportedly been set on trading or releasing Austin, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported (via Twitter) the club was “intent” on keeping the small-statured wideout.
The Rams could have released Austin immediately and save $3MM against their salary cap, although they would’ve incurred $5MM in dead money. Austin would have seen his $3MM base salary become fully guaranteed on Friday, setting a deadline for a potential transaction.
That $3MM figure is now attainable through incentives, tweets Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com, but those incentives appear to be classified as “likely to be earned,” per Bonsignore (Twitter link). As such, the Rams aren’t likely to see any cap relief in 2018, although they could get a credit in 2019.
Despite the Rams reigniting their offense under Sean McVay after finishing as the league’s worst passing attack a year earlier, Austin managed just 13 receptions for 47 yards last season. However, the gadget weapon did rush for 270 yards and a score.
Los Angeles lost pass-catcher Sammy Watkins to the Chiefs on Wednesday, and while Austin could conceivably help replace Watkins, the Rams are likely to turn to fellow wideouts Josh Reynolnds and Mike Thomas, instead.
Buccaneers Re-Sign DE Will Clarke
The Buccaneers have re-signed defensive end Will Clarke, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). It’s a minimum benefit salary pact, and Clarke will receive a $700K base salary and a signing bonus of $90K.
The Bengals selected Clarke in the third round of the 2014 draft, but he never lived up to that billing. Cincinnati waived Clarke after he failed to start a game with the club, and the Buccaneers picked him up prior to the 2017 campaign.
Clarke, 26, didn’t make much on an impact in Tampa Bay, either. While he played on roughly a third of the Bucs’ defensive snaps, Clarke posted only 2.5 sacks and graded as the No. 84 edge defender among 106 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Clarke also chipped in on special teams, where he saw nearly 50% playtime.
Titans To Meet With Ndamukong Suh
The Titans plan to host free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). We learned earlier today that the 31-year-old was set to meet with the Saints, and Rapoport notes that Suh is expected to take more visits, as well.
Suh was released on Wednesday, clearing the way for teams to sign him. The defensive tackle was in the midst of a six-year, $114MM contract before he was let go by Miami. The free agent has already generated plenty of interest on the open market. Besides the Titans and Saints, the Cowboys and Seahawks have also expressed interested in Suh.
The 31-year-old may be getting older, but he’s still plenty productive. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 interior defensive lineman in the NFL in 2017. The 31-year-old had a another impressive campaign numbers-wise, as he finished the season with 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Suh would presumably slide into the team’s starting lineup, displacing projected starter Sylvester Williams. The team could use some depth at the position, as Antwaun Woods is the only other defensive tackle on the roster.