Raiders To Sign DL Solomon Thomas
Solomon Thomas is heading south. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the free agent defensive lineman is signing with the Raiders. It will be a one-year deal worth up to $5MM.
The 2017 third-overall pick out of Stanford never lived up to his draft billing during his four years with the 49ers. He started 25 games through his first two seasons in the NFL, collecting 13 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits, and four sacks. However, he settled into more of a backup role in 2019, finishing the year with two sacks in 16 games (three starts). Thomas also appeared in each of the 49ers three playoff games that season, compiling four tackles and one sack.
The 49ers declined Thomas’s fifth-year option last offseason, paving the way for a potential contract-year breakout in 2020. Thomas started each of San Francisco’s first two games, but he was limited to only a pair of tackles. He tore his ACL during the 49ers’ Week 2 win over the Jets, ending his season early.
The Raiders have been busy adding to their defense this week, agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with linebacker Yannick Ngakoue, re-signing defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and re-signing linebacker Nicholas Morrow. We learned earlier today that the team was also set to host free agent defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson.
Chiefs Place Second-Round Tender On CB Charvarius Ward
Charvarius Ward will hit restricted free agency. Earlier today, the Chiefs slapped a second-round tender on the young cornerback. The second-round tender is worth around $3.4MM in 2021.
Ward joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee in 2018. After seeing time in 13 games as a rookie, Ward ended up starting 16 games in 2019 for the eventual Super Bowl champs. Ward finished that season with 74 tackles, 10 passes defended, and two interceptions, and he added another nine tackles in three postseason games.
The 24-year-old started 13 of his 14 games in 2020, finishing the year with 51 tackles, one sack, and six passes defended. He also started each of Kansas City’s three playoff games, collecting 18 tackles.
Ward would certainly be an intriguing target for other front offices, although he may have some competition in restricted free agency. Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson, who finished 2020 with nine interceptions, was also slapped with a second-round tender.
Panthers To Sign LB Haason Reddick
Haason Reddick will reunite with his former college coach soon. The four-year Cardinals linebacker intends to sign with the Panthers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Years after coaching Reddick at Temple, Matt Rhule will bring the linebacker to Carolina on a one-year, $8MM deal. The contract will max out at $8MM but contain a base value of $6MM, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).
While Reddick indicated earlier this offseason he wanted to stay in Arizona, the Cardinals’ $14MM-per-year deal for J.J. Watt complicated that path. Instead, he will join ex-Temple teammate Robby Anderson in committing to play for Rhule again.
The Panthers will take a midlevel flier on Reddick, who was viewed as a first-round bust before a contract-year breakout. Said emergence did not take place until Chandler Jones‘ injury finally prompted the Cardinals to turn to the former Temple pass rusher. The Cards continued to shift Reddick around the formation, primarily slotting the college pass rusher off the ball from 2017-19. He struggled in that capacity, being benched on multiple occasions. But the former first-round pick put it together last season, registering 12.5 sacks despite only becoming a first-string pass rusher midway through the year.
Reddick figures to join Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos as edge rushers in Carolina. While Reddick does have extensive experience now as a pure linebacker, his performance in that role would certainly not generate much interest. In his senior season at Temple, which also doubled as Rhule’s last with the Owls, Reddick registered 9.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss.
Titans To Sign LS Morgan Cox
It’s been a busy past couple of days, but we’ve still got to make some time for our beloved long snappers. Most snappers might find themselves in our ‘minor moves‘ posts, but not this one.
The Titans will be signing long snapper Morgan Cox, a source tells Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cox is more notable than your typical specialist since his peers regard him as one of the league’s best. Not only did he make the Pro Bowl this past year, he was also a first-team All-Pro for the Ravens.
It’s a homecoming for Cox, who grew up in Tennessee and played for the Volunteers in college. He signed with Baltimore as an UDFA in 2010, and spent the next 11 seasons with the team. He’s a Super Bowl XLVII champion, and has made the Pro Bowl in four of the past six seasons.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/21
Today’s “minor” moves:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: S Deon Bush
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: CB Tony Brown
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Tae Davis
Indianapolis Colts
- Claimed off waivers (from Texans): DT Andrew Brown
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: DT Gabe Wright
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: OL Adam Pankey
- Signed: WR Robert Foster
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: DL Cody Davis
New York Jets
- Re-signed: RB Josh Adams
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: RB Adrian Killins
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, TE Daniel Helm
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: TE Anthony Firkser
49ers To Re-Sign DT D.J. Jones
The 49ers have been locking up a lot of their own guys so far in free agency, and they can check another one of the list. San Francisco is re-signing defensive tackle D.J. Jones, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
Financial terms weren’t immediately available, although Rapoport reports it’s a one-year deal for the big man in the middle. A sixth-round pick back in 2017, Jones just wrapped up his rookie contract. The Ole Miss product played rotationally his first two seasons before becoming a full-time starter in the last two.
He started all 25 games that he appeared in over the past two years, racking up five sacks in those games while mostly being counted on to clog up running lanes. San Francisco’s vaunted defensive front was decimated by injuries last year, and the team is hoping Jones will be a big part of the unit’s bounce back in 2021.
Texans Release Zach Fulton
Houston is clearing some more cap space. The Texans have released veteran offensive lineman Zach Fulton, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Fulton had been due a $1MM bonus on March 22nd, which explains the timing of this move. He had a $3.75MM cap charge for 2021. That’s not very much for a starting guard, but apparently Houston wasn’t too happy with his play. The Tennessee product originally entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Chiefs back in 2014.
He started all 16 games as a rookie, and after riding out his rookie contract in Kansas City he signed a four-year, $28MM contract with the Texans in 2018. He started at least 13 games in all three of his seasons in Houston, including all 16 this past year.
The release clears about $3MM in cap space for this season, numerous beat writers tweeted. Pro Football Focus graded Fulton acceptable enough and considering he has NFL starting experience at both center and guard there should be suitors. The 29-year-old has started 90 career games.
Browns To Re-Sign LB Malcolm Smith
Having bounced around the league in recent years, Malcolm Smith nevertheless generated some attention on the market after a notable showing in Cleveland last season. But he will stay in northeast Ohio.
The Browns are expected to re-sign the veteran linebacker, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The Panthers also expressed interest in Smith, but he will return to the Browns.
Cleveland acquired the former Super Bowl MVP just before last season. He played 52% of the Browns’ defensive snaps — his highest usage rate since his 2016 season with the Raiders — and made 72 tackles. The 31-year-old defender will now have a full offseason to work in Joe Woods’ scheme. Pro Football Focus graded Smith as the Browns’ best linebacker in 2020, slotting he and Sione Takitaki 15th and 16th among qualified off-ball ‘backers, respectively.
Since his four-year Seahawks run ended after the 2014 season, Smith has played for the Raiders, 49ers, Cowboys, Jaguars and Browns. The Dallas and Jacksonville stays did not last long, but Smith signed lucrative deals with both Bay Area teams. He used the Cleveland stay to revive his value to some degree, and the Browns will keep the veteran in place among a young group of linebackers.
Lavonte David hovered on Cleveland’s radar, but the standout talent opted to stay in Tampa. The Browns moved on, and Smith appears to have represented a proven fallback option. The Panthers have since agreed to terms with ex-Charger Denzel Perryman.
49ers To Release Marquise Goodwin
Marquise Goodwin‘s return trip to San Francisco didn’t last long. The 49ers have released the receiver, a source told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports (Twitter link).
In a bizarre transaction, we heard yesterday that Goodwin was reverting back to the 49ers from the Eagles per the terms of the trade they completed last year. At the time we heard Goodwin wasn’t long for the 49ers, and that turned out to be an understatement. Goodwin was dealt to Philly in a late-round pick swap last year, but opted out of the 2020 season and never played a down for the Eagles.
Goodwin had a breakout 2017 season with the 49ers after four years in Buffalo, when he erupted for 962 yards on only 56 catches for a 17.2 yards/reception average. That earned him a three-year, $20.3MM extension the following offseason, but things went downhill quickly after that.
He struggled with injuries the next two seasons, and was a disappointment when on the field, quickly getting buried on the depth chart. The Texas product with blazing speed turned 30 in November and will now hit a free agent market that hasn’t been too kind to wideouts so far.
Raiders Expected To Bring Back Richie Incognito
The Raiders are taking over the NFL’s Wednesday headlines, with their offensive line being the key focus. While they are retooling up front, the team is now expected to have potentially three starters back.
Richie Incognito indicated he will return to the Raiders, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. When the Raiders cut the veteran guard earlier this month, he was rumored to be a candidate to re-sign.
Going into his age-38 season, Incognito will rejoin left tackle Kolton Miller and fellow guard Denzelle Good, whom the Raiders also agreed to re-sign Wednesday. Incognito had previously signed a Raiders extension, but after missing 14 games last season due to injury, the team shed that contract. It is likely the polarizing veteran’s latest accord comes in at a lower rate.
While Incognito has missed two full seasons, largely because of off-field issues, he has played well when available. Pro Football Focus has graded the journeyman blocker as a top-25 guard in each of the seasons he has played since 2010. Incognito was 3-for-3 in Pro Bowls with the Bills and helped the Raiders assemble one of the NFL’s best lines upon signing with Oakland in 2019. Despite missing extensive time last year and undergoing a late-season foot surgery, Incognito is believed to be healthy ahead of the Raiders’ offseason program.
Interestingly, Incognito doubled as perhaps the Raiders’ top signing in 2019. The initial Jon Gruden–Mike Mayock offseason brought Trent Brown, Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams and Lamarcus Joyner. None remain with the team.
Incognito will return to a new-look O-line. The Raiders have traded both Trent Brown and Rodney Hudson and are trying to trade Gabe Jackson. If the Raiders cannot unload Jackson, who was acquired before the second Gruden regime began, it is likely he will be released.