Saints Reach Deal With LB Demario Davis
Demario Davis will head to New Orleans after a solid contract year with the Jets. The Saints have reached an agreement to sign Davis, Diana Russini of ESPN.com tweets.
An off-ball linebacker, Davis will receive a significant raise compared to his last time on the market. The Saints have agreed to pay him $24MM over three years, per Russini, with $18MM coming in guarantees.
This completes a turnaround year for Davis, who saw the Browns trade him back to the Jets last offseason. He then accepted a pay cut from the previous $4MM-AAV salary the Jets re-signed him for in 2016. But after a strong season that saw him grade (per Pro Football Focus) as the No. 8 pure linebacker in the game, Davis will receive his reward sum.
The 29-year-old linebacker was targeting a deal worth $8-$10MM per year, but the Jets did not view him as a player worth that much. Gang Green saw Davis as more of a $3-$4MM-AAV performer, but with the cap rising to $177MM, most positions’ values are spiking. And Davis — who previously ranked as PFR’s No. 24 remaining UFA — was rewarded on the market.
While the Jets seemingly replaced Davis with a younger defender in Avery Williamson, the Saints will add a proven, durable starter to their second level. Davis has never missed a regular-season game in his six-year career and has been a full-time starter since 2013.
However, Davis has never played for a team that used a 4-3 scheme. He could be a fit at inside or outside linebacker, conceivably, on a Saints team that will surely find a starting spot for him given the contract authorized.
[RELATED: Saints Depth Chart]
Lions To Release Eric Ebron
Less than an hour before the new league year begins, the Lions are taking Eric Ebron‘s contract off their payroll.
The team attempted to find a trade partner for its longtime tight end, but after failing to do so, Ebron will be released, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Ebron’s fifth-year option of $8.25MM would have kicked in if he was still on the Lions once the 2018 league year officially started. Detroit now has that amount to spend, with fifth-year options being guaranteed for injury only. Ebron will venture into free agency.
The former North Carolina pass-catcher did not live up to the hype that came with his top-10 selection, and the Lions were listening to offers for him. While Ebron showed intermittent promise, he could not put it together for lengthy stretches. He finished last season with 53 receptions for 574 yards and four touchdowns.
While the Lions felt his production wasn’t worth the upcoming salary, Ebron — who will turn just 25 next month — could still encounter a decent market, based on what’s been happening with pass-catchers this week. PFR’s top two UFA tight ends have been signed, but Ebron will join the likes of Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Tyler Eifert as the top available players at this position.
The Lions will see their cap space jump up past $35MM as a result of this maneuver. Michael Roberts, as of now, would be in line to inherit Ebron’s old job. The second-year player, though, caught just four passes last season.
Bills To Sign LB Trent Murphy
The Bills will sign free agent edge rusher Trent Murphy, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’s a three-year, $21MM deal, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, while the total value can rise to $30MM, per Rapoport (Twitter link).
Murphy, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Redskins, drew plenty of free agent interest despite missing the entire 2017 campaign with a torn ACL and MCL. Both the Patriots and Buccaneers were reportedly in on Murphy, while Washington had offered him a contract to return to the nation’s capital.
The Bills plan to use Murphy at defensive end, not linebacker, as Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets. Buffalo already has two starting defensive ends in Jerry Hughes and Shaq Lawson, but Murphy will offer depth allow the Bills to play their edge rushers in a rotational capacity.
A former second-round pick, Murphy’s best season came in 2016 when he posted nine sacks. That potential was enough to get him a multi-year deal this year, but the 27-year-old certainly comes with risk attached. Not only can a dual ACL/MCL injury be tough to recover from, but Murphy was also suspended four games last season for performance-enhancing drug usage.
The Bills have been active this offseason, not only in trading away offensive starters such as Tyrod Taylor and Cordy Glenn, but in adding defensive talent such as Star Lotulelei and Rafael Bush.
Saints To Sign Patrick Robinson
Patrick Robinson is set to sign with the Saints, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal for the nickel cornerback.
Robinson, 30, is heading back to where it all began, as he was originally selected as a first-round pick by New Orleans in 2010. He’ll return after posting drastically better results with other clubs than he ever did with the Saints. Largely considered a bust until joining the Chargers in 2015, Robinson is now coming off arguably the best season of his career.
Signed to one-year contact for the veteran’s minimum, Robinson exceeded all expectations as the Eagles’ slot cornerback in 2017. On 853 defensive snaps, Robinson graded as the league’s No. 6 CB, per Pro Football Focus.
Philadelphia was expected to re-sign Robinson, but their small amount of cap space — which has already been used on players such as Michael Bennett, Haloti Ngata, and Nigel Bradham — made keeping him difficult. However, the Eagles actually offered Robinson more total money than the Saints, who gave Robinson more guaranteed cash, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com.
Speaking of exceeding expectations, the Saints’ pass defense did just that last season. With rookie Marshon Lattimore playing like a shutdown corner, New Orleans ranked fifth in pass defense. Robinson will likely stick in his slot role with the Saints, although it’s possible they also ask him to play on the outside.
Meanwhile, free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is no longer expected to visit the Saints after taking a meeting with the Redskins. That’s likely because both DRC and Robinson would have filled the same nickelback job in New Orleans.
[RELATED: Saints Depth Chart]
Browns’ Joe Thomas To Retire
This is the end of the line for Joe Thomas. After a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com that the Browns’ stalwart left tackle is more than likely retiring, the 33-year-old Thomas confirmed it himself.
He will not return for a 12th season.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, but the right one for me and my family,” Thomas said. “Playing in the NFL has taken a toll on my body and I can no longer physically compete at the level I need to.”
He will leave the game as one of the best players of his era and will be a near-lock for the Hall of Fame five years from now.
“From the moment I was drafted, the city embraced me in a way that I could never fully describe,” Thomas said. “I am proud to call Cleveland home. The loyalty and passion of the fans is unmatched and it was an honor to play in front of them from the past 11 years. I would like to thank all of the coaches, teammates, staff, fans and everyone who has shown me support throughout my career. Even though I will be hanging up my cleats, I will always be a Cleveland Brown.”
He will end his career as one of the best offensive linemen of his era and one of the greatest players in Browns history. Thomas’ run of 10 straight Pro Bowls from 2007-16 doubles as the only time in NFL history an offensive lineman has accomplished that in his first 10 seasons. Only Otto Graham and Jim Brown ended their careers with more first-team All-Pro honors than Thomas’ six, the last of which coming in 2015. From 2009-15, only once did the 6-foot-7 blocker not finish as an All-Pro.
A constant trade candidate in his 30s, Thomas continued to insist he wanted to stay in Cleveland rather than go try and win elsewhere as so many veterans before him did. And neither Ray Farmer nor Sashi Brown pulled the trigger on dealing him. Although, the Browns and Broncos came close to striking a deal in 2015 — months before a Denver team with a need at tackle celebrated a Super Bowl championship.
Perhaps most known for his ironman streak that spanned from his rookie year until midway through last season, Thomas never appeared in a playoff game but established an immense legacy in northeast Ohio.
The Wisconsin product started in 167 straight games (10,363 straight snaps), protecting 20 different quarterbacks and being the team’s cornerstone player through many rebuilding missions. The closest the Browns came to the postseason was in Thomas’ rookie year, when Derek Anderson piloted the team to a 10-6 record. They have not had a winning season since and have won more than five games just one other time in that span.
Thomas has spoken glowingly about the Browns’ prospects, but he is opting to step aside.
“I think the future is really bright,” he said recently. “Obviously, John Dorsey came here for a reason because there was a ton of cap space, a ton of money that you can spend under the salary cap on new players, and obviously the draft picks that we have are pretty impressive, really unprecedented to have the first, the fourth [overall selections] and a couple early picks in the second round. So although the talent hasn’t been there for the team the last few years, the cupboards are not bare because of what we have coming down the pike in the next few years. For me as a player and for you guys as fans, it’s a great time to be a Cleveland Brown.”
Earlier this week, Thomas indicated that the Browns’ moves over the past week won’t impact his decision. Those moves, of course, include the acquisitions of wide receiver Jarvis Landry, quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and cornerbacks Terrance Mitchell and Damarious Randall. They also added a pair of new offensive linemen Chris Hubbard and Donald Stephenson. The Browns were interested in Nate Solder as a Thomas replacement, but the Giants agreed to sign him.
Thomas has been an active member of the community in Cleveland, having been the only player to earn the Walter Payton Man of the Year award multiple times (2010, 2012 and 2016), and has launched the ThomaHawk Show, a podcast with former Browns and Bengals wide receiver Andrew Hawkins.
Cardinals Release Tyrann Mathieu
The Cardinals have released Tyrann Mathieu, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Cardinals asked Mathieu to accept a pay cut, but those talks did not result in a revised deal.
Had Mathieu remained on Arizona’s roster after today, he would have had a large chunk of his contract guaranteed. Unwilling to carry his $14.1MM cap hit in 2018, the Cardinals are releasing him in order to free up resources for free agency. The 25-year-old defender said he was willing to restructure his deal but balked at the notion of the pay cut.
The Cards are not making Mathieu a post-June 1 cut, instead opting to take on the $9.3MM dead-money hit all in 2018, per Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
“I’ve never made a secret that Tyrann has always had a special place in my heart and always will,” GM Steve Keim said. “While we all understand this is a part of the business, that certainly doesn’t make it any easier. We all wish Tyrann nothing but continued success in his career and beyond.”
Mathieu inked a five-year, $62.5MM extension with the Cardinals back in 2016. That deal came after an ACL tear ended his 2015 campaign early. In 2016, he suited up for just ten games. Last year, he played a full 16-game slate, but didn’t look like his usual self.
It wasn’t the best platform year for his free agency, but Mathieu will have a host of suitors due to his playmaking ability and versatility. The 25-year-old will join an impressive free agent safety class that also includes Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, and Tyvon Branch, but it’s difficult to argue Mathieu won’t be a more desirable option than any of those defensive backs.
The Jets, for one, would have made sense as a speculative destination for Mathieu given the presence of former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, but New York likely isn’t interested, tweets Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Gang Green, of course, drafted safeties with each of their first two 2017 picks. For what it’s worth, the Giants also employ a former Arizona DC in James Bettcher.
Ravens Release Jeremy Maclin
The Ravens are releasing Jeremy Maclin, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Maclin now joins an underwhelming crop of free agent wide receivers, which could help his cause as he looks for a new team. 
Maclin had 40 catches for 440 yards with three touchdowns last season. It was the lowest output in catches and receiving yards in his career. Maclin was selected to the Pro Bowl while with the Eagles in 2014, setting career highs in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,318).
The 29-year-old was in the second year of a two-year, $11MM deal signed with the Ravens last offseason after being cut by the Chiefs. He was set to have a $7.5MM cap hit toward this season. Maclin was due a $1MM bonus if he was still on the Ravens’ roster Friday.
The decision to cut Maclin comes a day after the Ravens agreed to deals with John Brown and Ryan Grant. Brown should help replace the speed threat presented by Mike Wallace, who’s an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Grant caught a career-best four touchdowns with the Redskins last year.
Along with Wallace, Michael Campanaro is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Ravens still have Chris Moore, Breshad Perriman, Quincy Adeboyejo, DeVier Posey and Tim White rostered at wide receiver
Maclin joins a wide receivers market that features Wallace, Jordy Nelson, Terrelle Pryor and Eric Decker. Maclin was a fairly reliable option through his first five years in the league, which came with the Eagles who drafted him 19th overall in 2009. He played in at least 15 games in four of those seasons and had 60-plus catches in four of the seasons as well before signing with the Chiefs in 2015.
Seahawks, Jaguars To Host Austin Seferian-Jenkins
The Seahawks and Jaguars both plan to meet with free agent tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Seattle will get the first shot at Seferian-Jenkins, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
ASJ is drawing plenty of interest on the open market, and while the Seahawks and Jaguars will host him in the coming days, they aren’t the only clubs targeting the former second-round pick. Both the Saints and Falcons have also been connected to Seferian-Jenkins, who spent the 2017 campaign with the Jets.
Seattle is on the lookout for a new tight end after losing veteran Jimmy Graham to the Packers on Tuesday. While the Seahawks still have Nick Vannett on their roster, the club could use an established starter. Jacksonville, meanwhile, recently exercised its 2018 option for Marcedes Lewis, but Seferian-Jenkins would offer an upgrade on the longtime Jaguar.
In 13 games (10 starts) a season ago, the 25-year-old Seferian-Jenkins posted 50 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns. While his 50 catches ranked 13th among tight ends in 2017, Seferian-Jenkins doesn’t offer much as a blocker, as Pro Football Focus ranked him as just the 35th-best run-blocker.
Pro Football Rumors currently ranks Seferian-Jenkins as the No. 4 available tight end and the No. 37 free agent overall.
Panthers To Re-Sign DE Julius Peppers
The Panthers have re-signed veteran defensive end Julius Peppers to a one-year, $5MM deal, according to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links).
The 2018 free agent edge defender class is extremely weak, so much so that PFR named Peppers as the best pass rusher on the market. That’s not to say Peppers isn’t still a talented player, but a 38-year-old isn’t often viewed as the best available free agent at his position.
Peppers, of course, spent the first eight years of his career with the Panthers before reuniting on a one-year pact for 2017. The veteran defensive end collected $3.5MM with Carolina a season ago, and he will now see a pay increase after a successful campaign.
And successful it was, as Peppers managed 11 sacks, his highest total 2012. Sacks can be fluky, of course, but Pro Football Focus graded Peppers as a league-average defensive end, ranking him 63rd among 110 qualifying edge defenders.
Peppers played 50% of Carolina’s defensive snaps in 2017, and he’ll likely continue in a rotational role during the upcoming season. He’ll play alongside other Panthers defensive linemen including Mario Addison, Wes Horton, and Daeshon Hall.
[RELATED: Panthers Depth Chart]
Jordy Nelson To Visit Seahawks, Saints
Jordy Nelson‘s free agent tour is underway. The former Packers wide receiver is set to meet with the Seahawks and Saints, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Nelson is already scheduled to visit the Raiders.
This will be the 32-year-old wide receiver’s first time in free agency. The Packers released Nelson on Tuesday, but he’s indicated he still wants to play. He’s heading into what would be his 11th NFL season, and based on where receiver contracts have gone this week, it’s logical there’s a big market for his services despite Nelson having gone through his least productive season.
Part of those struggles likely came because of Aaron Rodgers‘ injury. As recently as 2016, Nelson produced the fourth 1,000-plus-yard season of his career and caught 14 TD passes.
The Seahawks are losing Paul Richardson to the Redskins, and the Saints’ Michael Thomas supporting cast is uncertain. The latter has consistently found room for several producers beyond its No. 1 target, but Nelson would be one of the highest-profile receivers to come through New Orleans during Drew Brees‘ run. New Orleans already has an auxiliary wideout in his early 30s, however, in Ted Ginn.
The Seahawks have Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett representing their most notable pass-catchers, and Jimmy Graham is departing for Green Bay and will likely assume some of the red zone responsibilities Nelson enjoyed during his Packers run.
These suitors’ financial situations are fairly similar as free agency is set to start. All have between $25-$30MM, according to OverTheCap.