Titans To Sign Antwon Blake
The Titans have agreed to sign cornerback Antwon Blake, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com.
Blake started 16 games for the Steelers in 2015 and recorded a career-high 76 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, and a defensive touchdown. Blake also snagged an interception in Pittsburgh’s postseason win over the Bengals. The 25-year-old also drew interest from the Patriots and his agent recently stated that he was in talks with four other teams besides the Titans and Pats.
In other Titans news, the team also re-signed offensive lineman Byron Bell on Thursday.
Cowboys To Re-Sign Lance Dunbar
The Cowboys will re-sign Lance Dunbar, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It will be a one-year deal worth $1.75MM. 
Dunbar, 26, was on the verge of becoming a legit weapon out of the backfield for the Cowboys last season, racking up 21 receptions in just three full games, including 10 catches for 100 yards in Week 3 against the Falcons. However, in his fourth game, Dunbar suffered a torn ACL that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
The tailback earned a career-high 47 touches in 2014, carrying the ball 29 times and adding 18 receptions. Over the years, the North Texas product had also contributed on special teams and returned the occasional kick for the Cowboys.
Before re-signing with the Cowboys, Dunbar also had visits with the Bears, Seahawks, and 49ers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Broncos Sign Russell Okung
4:24pm: The Broncos have officially announced the signing.
4:17pm: Okung’s deal with Denver is essentially two contracts in one, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. For 2016, he’ll get $5MM guaranteed in 2016 with a chance to make up to $8MM in incentives. Then, after that (link), Denver has a window after the season in which they can pick up an option for a four-year deal worth $12MM per year with $20.5MM guaranteed.
Overall, the deal can be worth up to $10.6MM per year if he can stay healthy, La Canfora tweets. He adds that Okung also had a one-year offer on the table from the Lions.
The Seahawks did not have an offer out to Okung at the end of his negotiations, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
3:13pm: Teams are interested in a deal for Clady, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets.
3:03pm: The Broncos have reached agreement on a deal with Russell Okung, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The two sides are finalizing a five-year pact that will pay the standout tackle $10.6MM per year. The deal could pay up to $12MM/year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Recently, it was reported that Okung had offers in hand from the Steelers, Lions, and Giants. When the Steelers agreed to sign Ryan Harris, that trimmed down the veteran’s market somewhat. However, that signing left the Broncos with a little extra cash and a desire to reinforce their offensive line, leading them to the Okung deal today.
As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes, the signing of Okung could allow the Broncos to trade fellow tackle Ryan Clady. The team has been attempting to negotiate a pay cut with Clady, who missed the entire 2015 campaign due to injury. Now, Denver can conceivably roll with Okung and rid themselves of Clady’s deal, while taking back something in the way of compensation.
The 28-year-old had two interesting wrinkles to his free agency situation. One is that Okung underwent surgery on his injured shoulder in January. The tackle was also representing himself, which is rather rare in the NFL. Okung’s decision to act as his own agent hampered him in at least one regard as he was barred from talking to every team except for the Seahawks during the legal tampering period. At the end of the day, however, he has scored himself a sizable deal.
The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Okung as the No. 31 tackle in the NFL last year with an overall grade of 72.1.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Cardinals Re-Sign Chris Johnson
3:51pm: Johnson’s one-year deal will be worth up to $3MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He adds that the veteran tailback turned down nearly double the money from another team.
2:47pm: The Cardinals will re-sign Chris Johnson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It will be a one-year deal for the veteran running back. The team has confirmed the deal via press release.
Johnson was said to be deciding between the Dolphins and the Cardinals. His visit with Miami wrapped earlier this afternoon and, apparently, the Fins didn’t do enough to woo him.
Johnson, who turns 31 in September, had a bounce-back season of sorts in 2015 with the Cardinals. While his average of 4.2 yards per carry was actually a slight step down from his production with the Jets, the former first-round pick saw more playing time and got more touches in Arizona, racking up 814 rushing yards in just 11 games.
Unfortunately for Johnson, a fractured tibia suffered in the second half of the season sidelined him for the stretch run. Having been placed on IR with the designation to return, the veteran back would have been eligible to return to action if the Cardinals made the Super Bowl, but the team fell just short, losing to the Panthers in the NFC championship game.
Johnson will now return to the Cardinals, even though Arizona has David Johnson penciled in for the starting role,with Andre Ellington still on the depth chart as a change of pace back. With the Dolphins, Johnson may have had an opportunity to carry a heavier load, since second-year back Jay Ajayi currently sits atop the depth chart.
The Dolphins saw Lamar Miller depart in free agency, signing a four-year deal with the Texans. Miami then attempted to land restricted free agent C.J. Anderson, but the Broncos ultimately decided to match Anderson’s four-year, $18MM offer sheet from the Fins. Now, they’ve whiffed on CJ2K.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jaguars Sign Kelvin Beachum
THURSDAY, 3:47pm: Beachum’s pact is a one-year, $4.5MM deal plus a four-year option worth $40MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a creative deal for the left tackle who is coming off of an ACL injury.
WEDNESDAY, 2:44pm: The Jaguars have officially signed Beachum, per John Oehser of Jaguars.com (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 4:23pm: The Jaguars have agreed to sign offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Exact terms of the deal are not yet known.
Beachum, 26, was on his way to becoming one of the more reliable left tackles in the NFL before a torn ACL wiped out most of his 2015 season. The fact that he hasn’t fully recovered from that injury could have put a damper on his market, but teams apparently were confident that he would return to 100% health. Few offensive linemen on the market had as much upside as Beachum, who didn’t miss a game in 2014 as the Steelers’ left tackle.
In addition to the Jaguars and the incumbent Steelers, Beachum also drew interest from the Jets and Seahawks. The Jaguars, however, appeared to be his most fervent suitor. On Monday, it was reported that the Jags tried to convince the free agent not to board his flight going from Jacksonville to Pittsburgh. The Jaguars, ostensibly, did not want the lineman to leave without inking a contract, but the doors on the flight were already shut by the time the team reached him.
The Steelers, meanwhile, addressed their tackle situation on Tuesday afternoon by signing former Broncos lineman Ryan Harris. Once the Steelers moved on, the decision probably became a lot easier for Beachum.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Raiders Re-Sign Donald Penn
THURSDAY, 2:08pm: The Raiders formally announced the signing.
WEDNESDAY, 10:40am: Penn gets a two-year, $14MM deal from the Raiders, according to Rapoport, who tweets that the first year – worth approximately $7MM – is guaranteed.
7:54am: The Raiders will re-sign left tackle Donald Penn to a new contract today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). As Rapoport explains, Penn had been scheduled to make a visit to the Giants this week, but he won’t end up getting on a plane to make that trip, having struck a deal with the Raiders instead.
Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported overnight (via Twitter) that Penn and the Raiders were finalizing a new contract, with Scott Bair of CSNCalifornia.com confirming (via Twitter) that the two sides had made “significant progress” toward a deal.
Penn has been one of the more reliable and consistent left tackles in the NFL over the past two seasons for the Raiders. In 2015, he ranked 11th at the position, according to Pro Football Focus — PFF assigned him an especially strong grade as a pass blocker. The Utah State product will turn 33 in April, so he’s unlikely to land a lucrative, long-term contract, but he should be in line for a raise on his last deal, which paid him a little more than $10MM in total over two years.
With Penn back in the fold, the Raiders will be able to play newly-signed Kelechi Osemele at guard, rather than asking him to replace Penn at left tackle. While that means that Osemele will be making left tackle money (nearly $12MM per year) to play an interior line spot, it should strengthen Oakland’s line as a whole, with the team taking advantage of its excess of cap room.
Penn’s agreement with the Raiders is the latest in a string of deals for offensive tackles. In the last 24 hours, we’ve seen Ryan Harris agree to sign with the Steelers, Kelvin Beachum strike a deal with the Jaguars, and Chris Hairston agree to re-sign with the Chargers. Russell Okung and Andre Smith are among the noteworthy free agent tackles still on the board. Now that they’re no longer getting a visit from Penn, it will be interesting to see if the Giants make a more aggressive push to land Okung.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Rumors: Upshaw, Pats, CJ2K
Linebacker Courtney Upshaw remains on the open market here in mid-March, but his field of suitors could soon grow a little bit larger. A league source tells Mike Florio of PFT that the 49ers and Patriots could jump into the mix for the Ravens free agent linebacker. The former second-round pick, who is visiting with the Jets today,was an honorable mention on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.
Here are the latest free agent rumors from around the league:
- The Dolphins announced that Chris Johnson has wrapped up his free agent visit. That announcement infers that there is no deal – at least, not yet – between CJ2K and Miami. Johnson is said to be deciding between the Dolphins and the incumbent Cardinals.
- Before putting pen-to-paper with the Ravens, the Cowboys stood as the other finalist for Eric Weddle, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes. The safety had a multitude of offers and before he was down to two clubs, Weddle weeded out proposals from teams that were not positioned to in 2016. One of those teams, according to agent David Canter, made Weddle the most lucrative offer of any suitor.
- Former Ravens linebacker Daryl Smith is visiting the Buccaneers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Ravens cut Smith earlier this month in order to save roughly $2.6MM against the 2016 cap. Smith, who joined the Ravens for the 2013 season after spending nine years in Jacksonville, hasn’t missed a game in his three years in Baltimore, starting the last 48 regular-season games for the club. In 2015, he racked up 121 tackles to go along with three sacks and an interception.
Seahawks Re-Sign Christine Michael
The Seahawks have announced the re-signing of running back Christine Michael, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets. Michael was a restricted free agent this offseason but the Seahawks opted against tendering him a contract earlier this month. 
Michael bounced around this year before returning to Seattle where he enjoyed some success. Michael averaged 4.9 yards per carry with the Seahawks, a big improvement over his flat 3.4 per rush with the Cowboys this season.
Prior to the start of the 2015 season, the Seahawks decided to move on from Michael, who had been one of Marshawn Lynch‘s primary backups in 2013 and 2014. Seattle shipped the former second-round pick to the Cowboys, but Dallas cut him in November, starting his mini-tour around the country. Now, he has come full circle with Seattle and he’ll look to break camp with the team this summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Colin Kaepernick
Earlier this week, we heard that the Broncos have suggested to the 49ers that quarterback Colin Kaepernick is only worth a fourth-round selection. The 49ers, unsurprisingly, want more for the signal caller who was once regarded as the face of their franchise. The Jets and Browns have also been connected to the QB, but there hasn’t been a ton of movement on that front, either.
What’s next for the 49ers and Kaepernick? Here’s the latest:
- The 49ers will not look to release Kaepernick, Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com hears. “There’s a good chance he’s still on the team the way things look now,” one source said. The Broncos, Jets, and Browns have not shown any real urgency in trying to get a deal done for No. 7 and San Francisco is standing its ground. It’s not totally clear what the asking price is, but Maiocco writes that their trade demand is “believed to be a second- or early third-round” draft choice. On April 1st, Kaepernick’s base salary of $11.9MM will become fully guaranteed. Until then, his salary is guaranteed for injury only.
- 49ers coach Chip Kelly was upbeat when asked about Kaepernick, though he acknowledged that it’s possible that he might not be with the team come next month. “If he’s here on April 4 we’re going to coach the heck out of him, and he’s going to work his (tail) off,” Kelly said at San Jose State’s pro day, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. Kelly also added that he has exchanged texts with the quarterback, a development that should not be overlooked as there reportedly hasn’t been much communication between the two men this offseason.
- Recently, on PFR’s Instagram, we asked readers to weigh in on what the Broncos should do at quarterback. Featured options included Kaepernick, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Hoyer. Click here to follow us on Instagram (@ProFootballRumors).
2016 NFL Trades
Although the NFL isn’t typically considered a trade-happy league, that reputation has been earned due to a lack of major trade-deadline activity, and doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story. In the NFL’s offseasons, big-name players and early-round draft picks change hands with greater frequency, as trades serve as a key tool for teams looking to upgrade their rosters or accelerate a rebuild.
We’ve already seen plenty of trades consummated since the 2016 league year began on March 9th, and with the draft not too far off, several more deals figure to be completed this spring. We’ll track those moves – and the rest of the year’s trades, right up until the fall deadline – in this space. You can find this page, our 2016 NFL trade tracker, on our right-hand sidebar under the “PFR Features” menu at any time.
Here’s a breakdown of 2016’s trades to date, in reverse chronological order:
After Draft:
- Lions acquire CB Johnthan Banks.
- Buccaneers acquire a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick.
- Browns acquire LB Jamie Collins.
- Patriots acquire a conditional 2017 compensatory third-round pick.
- Broncos acquire TE A.J. Derby.
- Patriots acquire a 2017 fifth-round pick.
- Patriots acquire LB Kyle Van Noy and a 2017 seventh-round pick.
- Lions acquire a 2017 sixth-round pick.
- Packers acquire RB Knile Davis.
- Chiefs acquire a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick.
- Patriots acquire CB Eric Rowe.
- Eagles acquire a conditional 2018 fourth-round pick.
- Pick becomes third-rounder if Rowe plays 50% of snaps in either 2016 or 2017.
- 49ers acquire WR Rod Streater and a conditional 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Chiefs acquire a conditional 2019 seventh-round pick.
- Seahawks acquire S Dewey McDonald.
- Raiders acquire a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick.
- Vikings acquire QB Sam Bradford.
- Eagles acquire a 2017 first-round pick and a conditional 2018 fourth-round pick.
- Fourth-round pick becomes third-rounder if Vikings make NFC Championship Game, and becomes second-rounder if Vikings win Super Bowl.
- Cardinals acquire CB Marcus Cooper.
- Chiefs acquire a 2018 seventh-round pick.
- Bills acquire LB Lerentee McCray.
- Packers acquire a conditional 2018 seventh round pick.
- Saints acquire LB/DE Chris McCain.
- Dolphins acquire a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick.
- Panthers acquire P Andy Lee and a 2017 seventh-round pick.
- Browns acquire Kasey Redfern and a 2018 fourth-round pick.
- 49ers acquire WR Jeremy Kerley.
- Lions acquire OL Brandon Thomas.
- Chiefs acquire CB Kenneth Acker.
- 49ers acquire a 2018 seventh-round pick.
- Patriots acquire LB Barkevious Mingo.
- Browns acquire a 2017 fifth-round pick.
- Eagles acquire WR Dorial Green-Beckham.
- Titans acquire OL Dennis Kelly.
- Lions acquire LB Jon Bostic.
- Patriots acquire a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick.
During Draft:
- Browns acquire CB Jamar Taylor and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 250; LB Scooby Wright).
- Dolphins acquire a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 223; QB Brandon Doughty).
- Vikings acquire a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 188; TE David Morgan).
- Eagles acquire a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 196; DB Blake Countess) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 240; DE Alex McCalister).
- Dolphins acquire a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 186; WR Jakeem Grant)
- Vikings acquire a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 196) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 227; LB Stephen Weatherly).
- Jets acquire a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 158; T Brandon Shell).
- Washington acquires a 2017 fourth-round pick.
- Titans acquire a 2015 fifth-round pick (No. 157; CB LeShaun Sims) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 253; DB Kalan Reed).
- Broncos acquire a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 176; FB Andy Janovich) and a 2017 sixth-round pick.
- Seahawks acquire a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 147; T Caleb Benenoch).
- Patriots acquire a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 225; WR Devin Lucien) and a 2017 fourth-round pick.
- Patriots acquire a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 147).
- Dolphins acquire two sixth-round picks (Nos. 196 and 204; DB Jordan Lucas) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 250).
- Saints acquire a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 120).
- Washington acquires a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 152) and a 2017 fifth-round pick.
- Bears acquire a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 113; LB Nick Kwiatkoski).
- Rams acquire a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 117; WR Pharoh Cooper) and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 206; WR Mike Thomas).
- Raiders acquire a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 100; QB Connor Cook).
- Browns acquire a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 114; WR Ricardo Louis) and a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 154; WR Jordan Payton).
- Dolphins acquire a 2016 third-round pick (No. 86; WR Leonte Carroo).
- Vikings acquire a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 186), a 2017 third-round pick, and a 2017 fourth-round pick.
- 2017 fourth-rounder acquired by Vikings will be a compensatory pick if Dolphins receive one.
- Panthers acquire a 2016 third-round pick (No. 77; DB Daryl Worley) and a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 141; CB Zack Sanchez).
- Browns acquire a 2016 third-round pick (No. 93; QB Cody Kessler), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 129; S Derrick Kindred), and a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 168; OL Spencer Drango).
- Saints acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 61; S Vonn Bell).
- Patriots acquire a 2016 third-round pick (No. 78; OL Joe Thuney) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 112; WR Malcolm Mitchell).
- Buccaneers acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 59; K Roberto Aguayo).
- Chiefs acquire a 2016 third-round pick (No. 74; DB KeiVarae Russell) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 106; CB Eric Murray).
- Texans acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 50; C Nick Martin).
- Falcons acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 52; LB Deion Jones) and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 195; OL Wes Schweitzer).
- Seahawks acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 49; DT Jarran Reed).
- Bears acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 56; G Cody Whitehair) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 124; DB Deon Bush).
- Packers acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 48; T Jason Spriggs).
- Colts acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 57; S T.J. Green), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 125; LB Antonio Morrison), and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 248; C Austin Blythe).
- Bills acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 41; LB Reggie Ragland).
- Bears acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 49), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 117), and a 2017 fourth-round pick.
- Dolphins acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 38; CB Xavien Howard).
- Ravens acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 42; DE/OLB Kamalei Correa) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 107; WR Chris Moore).
- Jaguars acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 36; LB Myles Jack).
- Ravens acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 38) and a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 146; DE Matt Judon).
- 49ers acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 28; G Joshua Garnett) and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 249; DB Prince Charles Iworah).
- Chiefs acquire a 2016 second-round pick (No. 37; DT Chris Jones), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 105; G Parker Ehinger), and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 178; CB D.J. White).
- Broncos acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 26; QB Paxton Lynch).
- Seahawks acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 31; T Germain Ifedi) and a 2016 third-round pick (No. 94; TE Nick Vannett).
- Texans acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 21: WR Will Fuller).
- Washington acquires a 2016 first-round pick (No. 22; WR Josh Doctson) and a 2017 sixth-round pick.
- Bears acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 9; OLB Leonard Floyd).
- Buccaneers acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 11; CB Vernon Hargreaves) and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 106).
- Titans acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 8; T Jack Conklin) and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 176).
- Browns acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 15; WR Corey Coleman), a 2016 third-round pick (No. 76; T Shon Coleman), and a 2017 third-round pick.
Pre-Draft:
- Eagles acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 2; QB Carson Wentz) and a 2017 fourth-round pick.
- Browns acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 8), a 2016 third-round pick (No. 77), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 100), a 2017 first-round pick, and a 2018 second-round pick.
- Rams acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 1; QB Jared Goff), a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 113), and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 177; TE Temarrick Hemingway).
- Titans acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 15), two 2016 second-round picks (Nos. 43 and 45; DL Austin Johnson and RB Derrick Henry), a 2016 third-round pick (No. 76), a 2017 first-round pick, and a 2017 third-round pick.
- Rams will also acquire a 2017 seventh-round pick if they send their own 2017 third-rounder to the Titans, rather than a third-round comp pick.
- Jets acquire T Ryan Clady and a 2016 seventh-round pick (No. 235; P Lachlan Edwards).
- Broncos acquire a 2016 fifth-round pick (No. 157).
- Patriots acquire TE Martellus Bennett and a 2016 sixth-round pick (No. 204).
- Bears acquire a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 127; DB Deiondre’ Hall).
- Cardinals acquire OLB Chandler Jones.
- Patriots acquire C/G Jonathan Cooper and a 2016 second-round pick (No. 61).
- Broncos acquire QB Mark Sanchez.
- Eagles acquire a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick.
- Titans acquire RB DeMarco Murray and a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 113).
- Eagles acquire a 2016 fourth-round pick (No. 100).
- Dolphins acquire CB Byron Maxwell, LB Kiko Alonso, and a 2016 first-round pick (No. 13; T Laremy Tunsil).
- Eagles acquire a 2016 first-round pick (No. 8).