Five Teams Interested In Phillip Dorsett
Free-agent wideout Phillip Dorsett tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson that the Jets, Seahawks, Chargers, 49ers, and Raiders have all shown preliminary interest in his services. Dorsett added, “I just want to come in and have a great opportunity to play and showcase how I can really flourish as a player.”
While Dorsett has never lived up to the expectations placed upon a first-round pick (the Colts selected Dorsett with the 29th overall pick in 2015), he has consistently been a healthy pass-catching depth option over his five-year career.
Dorsett was most productive in 2016. Appearing in 15 games with a career-high 7 starts, Dorsett caught 33 receptions for 528 yards and 2 touchdowns with the Colts. Indianapolis shipped Dorsett to the Patriots the following offseason in a trade for quarterback Jacoby Brissett. In New England over the past three seasons, Dorsett was a decently productive depth piece, accruing 73 receptions for 881 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Of course, the Patriots struggles to find legitimate options at wide receiver over the past few seasons have been well documented. Yet even amidst the dire straights, Dorsett was never able to emerge as a top option. Still, given his long history as a sturdy player, it’s no surprise that many teams remain interested in his services.
Raiders To Sign LB Cory Littleton
The Raiders are set to sign Cory Littleton, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). When the league year opens on Wednesday, Littleton will ink a three-year deal worth up to $36MM. The deal includes $22MM guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter).
The Rams wanted to keep Littleton, but their budget was stretched. This offseason, the Rams put a greater focus on retaining players like Andrew Whitworth, Austin Blythe, Michael Brockers, and Dante Fowler, leaving little room to retain the 26-year-old (27 in November).
Littleton, a University of Washington product, went from part-timer to starter in 2018 and wound up earning his first career Pro Bowl nod. Last year, he kept up the good work – in the two seasons combined, he tallied 7.5 sacks, even though much of his attention was focused on coverage. He has graded as one of the league’s best coverage linebackers in each of the past two seasons and will profile as a three-down defender for the Raiders.
The Raiders have been on the hunt for new linebackers, especially after cutting Tahir Whitehead last week. Now, between Littleton and new addition Nick Kwiatkoski, they’re in pretty good shape.
Last year, the Raiders opted for low-cost veterans Vontaze Burfict and Brandon Marshall but saw the latter struggle with injury and end up not making the team and the former suspended for most of the season. But in Jon Gruden‘s third year, he’s leaving less to chance at the linebacker spot. Las Vegas has shelled out cash to shore up a position the franchise has not allocated much in the way of resources toward in many years.
Raiders Agree To Terms With QB Marcus Mariota
Marcus Mariota is indeed heading to Vegas. The Raiders have agreed to terms with the free agent quarterback, reports Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review Journal (via Twitter).
As we passed along earlier tonight, Raiders starter Derek Carr isn’t going anywhere, as Mariota is expected to serve as the backup in 2020. There had been whispers for some time that the organization was eyeing the former second-overall pick, with the front office shifting priorities from a top-tier starter like Tom Brady to a solid backup who could push Carr.
The Titans traded for Ryan Tannehill last offseason, insisting that he was going to be Mariota’s backup. Of course after Mariota struggled to start the year he was quickly benched in favor of Tannehill, who ended up leading Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game and earning a massive extension. In total, Mariota finished the year having completed a career-low 59.4-percent of his passes for 1,203 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions.
While Mariota will temporarily be slotted in as the backup in Las Vegas, he could eventually push Carr for the full-time gig if the incumbent starter struggles. Mariota has shown flashes throughout his career, including a 2016 season when he tossed 26 touchdowns and ran for a pair of touchdowns. The 26-year-old has also started a pair of playoff games during his career, throwing for four touchdowns vs. only one interception.
Raiders Close With Marcus Mariota
Well this is certainly going to raise a lot of eyebrows around the league. The Raiders are “pushing to close out a deal” with free agent quarterback Marcus Mariota, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
While Mariota is a high profile addition, this doesn’t mean the end is near for Derek Carr, as Sirius XM NFL Radio insider Adam Caplan tweets that Mariota has been their top choice to backup Carr. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted that Vegas has had eyes on Mariota for a long time, and that’s what we heard a couple weeks ago. The thinking at the time was that the Raiders had shifted from pursuing a top-tier starter like Tom Brady to pursuing a solid backup who can push Carr.
This all but certainly removes the Raiders from the Brady sweepstakes. While head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock will likely insist for the time being that Carr remains the starter, they likely wouldn’t be making this move if they were completely sold on him as the long-term answer under center.
Mayock has hedged all offseason when asked about Carr, and it’s been tough to get a read on how Gruden truly feels about him. We heard last month there was a “growing sense” that teams would inquire about trading for Carr. Interestingly enough, Mariota might find himself in a situation very similar to the one he was in last year, just on the opposite end.
The Titans traded for Ryan Tannehill last offseason, insisting that he was going to be Mariota’s backup. Of course after Mariota struggled to start the year he was quickly benched in favor of Tannehill, who ended up leading Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game and earning a massive extension. Now, Mariota might get the chance to do the same thing to Carr. As Garafolo points out Mayock had Mariota as his top-rated quarterback in the 2015 draft class, ahead of Jameis Winston who went first overall.
Raiders Still In On Tom Brady, Not The Favorite
Over the past couple of days, the options available to free-agent quarterback Tom Brady have become clearer. After reports emerged that the 49ers are not pursuing Brady and the Titans resigned Ryan Tannehill, two of the most speculated destinations are no longer on the table. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders are not totally out of the Brady sweepstakes but are behind the Buccaneers in their pursuit.
Of course, it remains unknown how Brady feels about a reunion with the only organization he has ever played for. Brady has already etched himself into football’s Mt. Rushmore over his 20-year career with the Patriots. If the Patriots, Bucs, and Raiders are the only suitors for Brady, the Patriots are the only team that made the playoffs last season and would seem to clearly be the best option for Brady if he is prioritizing winning.
Still, Brady’s priorities (and sentiments towards the Patriots organization) remain a mystery. While the Buccaneers quarterback last season, Jameis Winston, like Brady, is a free-agent, the move would be a bit more complicated for the Raiders who have Derek Carr under contract through 2022 with a $21.5MM cap hit. However, Carr’s deal has plenty of cap flexibility and could easily be moved for assets if Brady did choose the Raiders.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/20
Monday’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions will be posted below. Deals will be updated throughout the day.
RFAs
Tendered at original-round level:
- Bengals: TE Cethan Carter, G Alex Redmond, DT Josh Tupou, S Brandon Wilson
- Broncos: WR Tim Patrick
- Dolphins: LB Vince Biegel, P Matt Haack
- Raiders: QB Nathan Peterman, LB Nicholas Morrow
- Seahawks: WR David Moore, C Joey Hunt, DE Branden Jackson
Non-tendered:
- Bills: WR Isaiah McKenzie
- Dolphins: S Adrian Colbert, LB Deon Lacey
- Eagles: RB Corey Clement
- Giants: C Jon Halapio
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Broncos: S Trey Marshall, WR Diontae Spencer, CB Shakial Taylor
- Browns: Pharaoh Brown, RB Dontrell Hilliard, WR KhaDarel Hodge
- Chiefs: G Andrew Wylie
- Colts: DB Rolan Milligan
- Lions: CB Dee Virgin
- Ravens: RB Gus Edwards
Non-tendered:
- Chiefs: TE David Wells
Raiders To Sign Nick Kwiatkoski
The Raiders have agreed to sign former Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Kwiatkoski has also personally confirmed the news, tweeting out a picture of the Raiders’ new stadium.
It’s a three-year deal for the free agent defender, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The longtime Bears backup/part-time starter will receive $21MM in this deal, with $13.5MM guaranteed, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Giants were also in the mix for the four-year veteran, per Garafolo (on Twitter).
Kwiatkoski will make $6.75MM in base salary this season, and Albert Breer of SI.com tweets the linebacker has a $3.4MM roster bonus that is essentially guaranteed at signing. He will receive that payment in five days.
The Bears watched Kwiatkoski progress into a legitimate contributor since he was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. However, after signing fellow linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year extension, the Bears decided to let Kwiatkoski walk via free agency. Jon Gruden, who has been eager to fortify his front seven, was happy to take him on.
Kwiatkoski, 27 in May, had perfect attendance for his last two seasons and started in half of his contests last year. In 2019, he logged 76 stops, three sacks, one interception, and four passes defensed.
Kwiatkoski, a well-respected run-stuffer, also stepped up his pass-rush pressure last year. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus gave him an 81.8 grade in that category, showing that he’s trending towards even better things. The Broncos and Giants were among the clubs that were connected to him – at least, speculatively – before the deal with Las Vegas.
CB Rumors: Harris, Bills, Jones, Dolphins, Trufant, Jets
The latest on key cornerbacks from around the NFL:
- The Jets remain zeroed in on James Bradberry, but they’re also in the hunt for a second free agent cornerback. That search could lead them to Desmond Trufant, Connor Hughes of The Athletic tweets. Trufant will be cut loose by at Atlanta this week.
- The Dolphins are among the clubs that have discussed impending Dallas free agent Byron Jones, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. You can add Miami to the list of previously reported suitors for Jones, which includes the Jets, Raiders, and Eagles.
- More from Anderson (via Twitter), who notes that the Bills are now in on veteran Chris Harris. They join the Cowboys, Bills, Jets, Raiders, and other clubs in search of the experienced secondary help that Harris would provide.
Raiders, Redskins, Seahawks Interested In Damarious Randall
Damarious Randall views the Raiders, Redskins, and Seahawks as the most compelling suitors for his services, ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter) hears. The Browns safety is set to reach free agency on Wednesday and is currently in talks with teams as the “legal tampering” period gets underway.
Randall, 28 in August, was limited to just eleven games last year. Still, he notched 2.5 sacks – the first sacks of his pro career – while logging 61 total tackles and six passes defensed. Over the course of five years with the Packers and Browns, he’s appeared in 65 games with 56 starts and come away with 14 interceptions in that span.
For what it’s worth, Randall clashed with head coach Freddie Kitchens at times in 2019. However, he was far from the only player to butt heads with Kitchens, who has since been fired and replaced with Kevin Stefanski.
Raiders, Packers Interested In Cory Littleton
The Raiders and Packers “are going to be all over” Cory Littleton this week, Vic Tafur of The Athletic (on Twitter) hears. The legal tampering window opens today and both teams will find even more company if they make an aggressive play for the Rams linebacker.
[RELATED: Raiders Eyeing Early-Round QBs?]
Littleton, 27 in November, is coming off of a solid season in which he registered 3.5 sacks and 134 total stops. In 2018, he turned in a similarly strong year en route to his first ever Pro Bowl selection.
It’s not clear whether the Packers’ recent addition of Christian Kirksey will impact their pursuit of Littleton. On Monday morning, the Packers agreed to sign the former Browns standout to a two-year, $16MM deal.
The Raiders, meanwhile, are armed with lots of cap room and they should have the ability to outbid the Rams, Packers, or any other club if they want him badly enough. The former UDFA is a proven playmaker and would be a significant upgrade for the Raiders’ D – especially since he offers quality coverage ability for a linebacker.