Raiders Trade C Rodney Hudson To Cardinals
The Raiders found a taker for Rodney Hudson. A day after the Pro Bowl center surfaced as a cap casualty, the Raiders sought to trade him. The Cardinals will acquire the veteran snapper.
Hudson will be shipped to Arizona in a pick-swap deal, per Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This will represent a significant upgrade at the center spot for the Cardinals while giving the Raiders something in return for a player they appeared prepared to cut. The Cards announced the move.
Instead of releasing Hudson, the Raiders are set to receive a Day 2 pick in a trade. The Cardinals will send a third-round pick for Hudson and a seventh-rounder, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Cards were rumored to be targeting centers. They will now acquire one of the best in the business.
Initially a 2015 signee, Hudson broke out with the Raiders. The former Chiefs third-round pick has made the Pro Bowl three times and paved the way for three 1,000-yard rushing seasons while with the Raiders. He operated as the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s better offensive lines. He will now join the likes of D.J. Humphries and Justin Pugh in Arizona; the Cards also brought back right tackle Kelvin Beachum on Wednesday.
Pro Football Focus graded Hudson as its No. 8 overall center last season; Cardinals primary snapper Mason Cole came in at 31st. The 2021 season will be Hudson’s age-32 campaign.
The 10-year veteran will remain attached to the extension the Raiders signed him to in 2019; that deal runs through 2022. Las Vegas will be tagged with some dead money, upwards of $7MM, but a trade will be an obviously preferable scenario on the financial and compensation front for the Silver and Black. That said, the Raiders will have some big shoes to fill at this position.
Patriots Place Second-Round Tender On J.C. Jackson
The Patriots waited until the last minute, but they’re tendering J.C. Jackson. New England has placed the second-round tender on the restricted free agent cornerback, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
This one is interesting since many people had expected the Pats to place the first-round tender on Jackson. The second-round tender is worth around $3.4MM in 2021 while the first-round tender is worth around $4.8MM. Rapoport writes that Jackson “could see action in the RFA market,” which as he notes is pretty rare. But Jackson isn’t any old restricted free agent.
He played like one of the league’s better corners this past season, so Bill Belichick took a bit of a gamble here. If any team does decide to sign Jackson to an offer sheet, the Patriots would either match it, or let him walk and collect a second-round pick from that team. A first-round tender would’ve ensured he’s back in New England in 2021, but it’s not totally out of the question that a team would be willing to forfeit a second-rounder for him.
An UDFA out of Maryland in 2018, Jackson has been Belichick’s latest diamond in the rough find. He started five games as a rookie, and has shown tremendous ballhawking skills.
In 2018 he picked off three passes while only playing less than 38 percent of the defensive snaps. In 2019 he picked off five while only playing 68 percent. This past season he played 84 percent of the snaps, and intercepted a whopping nine passes, the second-most in the league. He also had 14 passes defended and three fumble recoveries.
Buccaneers To Re-Sign Aaron Stinnie
Aaron Stinnie stepped up in a big way when the Buccaneers needed him most, and now he’s getting rewarded. Tampa Bay has re-signed the guard, the team announced on Wednesday.
Terms of the deal weren’t immediately available, although it’s safe to assume it wasn’t a massive payday or anything. Stinnie was set to become a restricted free agent, but rather than deal with the tendering process the team just inked him to a new deal. Few around the league were familiar with Stinnie a few months ago, but he was suddenly thrust to prominence when he began starting during the Bucs’ Super Bowl run.
Stinnie started Tampa’s final three games, including the Super Bowl, after normal starter Alex Cappa went down in the Wild Card round. Incredibly, they were the first starts of Stinnie’s NFL career, but the moment wasn’t too big for him and he performed solidly.
An UDFA in 2018 out of James Madison, Stinnie originally signed with the Titans. After a year and a half in Tennessee, he was cut and claimed off waivers by the Bucs in November of 2019. It was a really cool story during the playoffs, and it’s nice to see him get brought back.
Titans To Bring Back LB Jayon Brown
The Titans will retain a key defensive piece for the 2021 season. They are re-signing linebacker Jayon Brown on a one-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
Brown turned down other offers to return to the Titans, per Pelissero, who notes the four-year Titan contributor will stay for $5.25MM. A three-year starter with Tennessee, Brown represents a key retention move for a team that is making a considerable effort to improve defensively.
Although Brown’s 2020 season did not end well, with the former fifth-round pick suffering a major elbow injury, he expressed a desire to stay in Nashville. The Titans pounced, and Brown will reprise his role as a starter alongside Rashaan Evans at inside linebacker. Evans is under contract through the 2021 season but can be retained through 2022 by the Titans picking up his fifth-year option. It would cost them a fully guaranteed $9.74MM to do so.
As for Brown, he has played well since being elevated into the Titans’ starting lineup in 2018. Brown broke out that year, delivering a versatile performance — 97 tackles, six sacks, 10 QB hits — and followed that up with a 105-tackle slate in 2019. Tennessee’s defense struggled across the board last season, but Pro Football Focus has rated Brown as a top-20 linebacker in each of the past three seasons. The UCLA alum has also excelled in coverage, a facet that makes it a bit surprising this midlevel contract was the best he could do in free agency.
But Brown is, as of now, in position to have another crack at cashing in next year. And an elbow specialist just cleared Brown to return to full football activities, Pelissero tweets. Brown figures to be joined by UFA additions Bud Dupree and Denico Autry in Tennessee’s starting lineup next season.
Raiders Expected To Re-Sign WR Zay Jones
Acquired nearly two years ago via in-season trade, Zay Jones will stay with the Raiders. The former second-round pick will stay in Las Vegas on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
With Nelson Agholor impressing on a low-end contract last season, Jones did not have much of a role on offense. The ex-Bills draftee caught just 14 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. This came after a 20-reception, 147-yard debut slate in Oakland two seasons ago. But Jones will be back to team with the likes of Hunter Renfrow and 2020 draft picks Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards.
John Brown‘s arrival, however, figures to relegate Jones to largely a special teams role. Brown’s Bills signing in 2019 helped lead Jones to Oakland, with Buffalo shipping the former starter west early in the 2019 season. The East Carolina product caught 56 passes for 652 yards and seven touchdowns during Josh Allen‘s 2018 debut season but has been quiet on the receiving front since.
Agholor agreed to terms with the Patriots on the first day of free agency, but Jones’ return along with his three younger receiver mates will bring the most continuity to this group since Jon Gruden returned to the Raiders. The team has shuffled up its aerial corps consistently during Gruden’s tenure. As of now, the Raiders look to feature a familiar receiving crew next season.
Raiders To Re-Sign Denzelle Good
The Raiders are the busiest team so far on Wednesday move. They’re re-signing another one of their own guys, this time locking up offensive lineman Denzelle Good, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.
It’s a two-year deal for Good, Fowler reports. The deal is worth $8.36MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Good will see $3.19MM in guarantees.
Good signed a one-year deal with the Raiders for $1.7MM in 2019. Then he signed a one-year deal for $2.3MM last offseason. After becoming essentially a full-time starter for Las Vegas this past year, he finally gets the multi-year deal. A seventh-round pick of the Colts in 2015, Good spent his first three-plus seasons in Indy.
He started at least a handful of games each season, but was cut by the Colts late in 2018 and promptly claimed off waivers by the Raiders. He started five games in 2019, but started 14 this past year after Richie Incognito missed most of the season. Las Vegas has done a ton of shuffling to their offensive line this month. Of the Raiders’ Week 1 starting O-line from last season, only Kolton Miller remains with the team
Las Vegas has already cut guards Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito and traded tackle Trent Brown to New England. Incognito is apparently still a candidate to return, but it sounds like the team views Good as one of their starters for 2021.
Cardinals To Sign A.J. Green
The Cardinals’ already impressive receiving corp just added another big name. Arizona has agreed to terms on a deal with A.J. Green, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Green had been expected to leave Cincinnati all along. It’s a one-year deal worth “up to” $8.5MM with $6MM of that being guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The base value is $6MM with incentives that can push it higher, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. While Cardinals fans might be quick to get excited about this news, it could also indicate that fellow free agent Larry Fitzgerald is unlikely to return. Fitzgerald, 37, could decide to hang up his cleats or even continue playing with another team.
Green is now the second first-round pick from the 2011 draft the Cards have added this offseason after they already signed J.J. Watt. If they bring back Patrick Peterson, they’ll have three of the top 11 picks from that draft on the roster. Once one of the best receivers in the game, injuries limited Green to just nine contests in 2018 and he then missed the entire 2019 season.
He returned this past year to appear in all 16 games, but his role was greatly reduced in new coach Zac Taylor’s offense. He finished with just 47 catches for 523 yards, easily the lowest total of his career, including the nine-game campaign. His 694 yards in nine 2018 games would’ve projected out to 1,233 yards for a full season, so there are reasons to believe he’s still got something in the tank.
While it ended on a bad note, the fourth overall pick of the 2011 draft had an incredible run in Cincy. He set all sorts of franchise records while making seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. He didn’t seem to see eye to eye with the new Bengals management, and there was even some speculation back in October that he wanted to be traded although the wideout denied it.
Green will turn 33 in July, and he certainly won’t be the number one option in an offense that features DeAndre Hopkins. But he’s got a chip on his shoulder, and perhaps Hopkins’ presence will free things up for him. Here’s to hoping he rejuvenates his career in the desert.
Rams Trade Michael Brockers To Lions For Seventh-Round Pick
Early Wednesday, the Lions acquired defensive lineman Michael Brockers from the Rams. The cost? A 2023 seventh-round pick, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 
Lions GM Brad Holmes kicked off his new responsibilities by shipping Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles in a blockbuster trade. This week, he went back to the Rams’ well for Brockers, a 2012 first-round pick who was a bit too pricey for L.A., even though he’s been productive. Last year, Brockers notched five sacks and 51 total stops in 15 games (all stars).
The Rams re-upped Brockers last year on a three-year, $24MM deal after his would-be Ravens agreement fell through. Brockers was a good bet to get cut, saving $6.17MM against the cap with $3.67MM in dead money. Instead, they got something in exchange for him — even if it’s not all that much.
Brockers will join Trey Flowers and newly re-signed edge rusher Romeo Okwara in the Lions’ front seven. Meanwhile, last year’s top nose tackle Danny Shelton is out of the picture following his release.
Jaguars Cut Rashaan Melvin
The Jaguars are releasing Rashaan Melvin (Twitter link via PFT). The veteran cornerback opted out of last season, so he’ll look to suit up for the first time since 2019. 
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Melvin has spent time with eight different NFL teams. He joined the Jaguars in free agency after spending 2019 with the Lions. His one-year deal – worth $2.25MM – tolled into 2021, before it was shredded.
The former UDFA started 12 games for Detroit in 2019. The Jaguars could have used him last year to support D.J. Hayden and first-round pick C.J. Henderson. This year, they’ve got ex-Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin to bolster the secondary.
Melvin’s best seasons came with the Colts. After his breakout year in 2016, Melvin delivered 36 tackles, three interceptions, and 13 passes defended. Pro Football Focus ranked him 17th among 120 eligible cornerbacks that year, but he’s now years removed from his best work, or even suiting up.
Dolphins To Sign Justin Coleman
Former Lions cornerback Justin Coleman has agreed to terms with the Dolphins (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). He’ll receive a one-year deal worth up to $2.75MM. The actual base value of the deal is not yet known.
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The Lions signed Coleman to a four-year, $36MM pact back in 2019, but he only ended up making it halfway through that deal. His contract made him one of the highest-paid slot cornerbacks in the league, but he wasn’t able to perform at that level. A hamstring injury capped his 2020 season at just eleven games and he registered only one pass defended.
Still, in 2019, Coleman turned in a 16-game slate with 54 tackles, three forced fumbles, 13 passes defended, and an interception. Now, the Dolphins have him for a fraction of his would-be $8.9MM for this coming year.