Jets To Sign Pierre Desir
One day after being released by the Colts, CB Pierre Desir has a new home. The Jets have agreed to sign Desir to a one-year deal, per Connor Hughes of The Athletic (via Twitter).
The Jets were connected to some of the top free agent corners this offseason, but GM Joe Douglas, unlike his predecessor, has shown a great deal of restraint when it comes to doling out FA contracts. Gang Green did not overbid on players like James Bradberry and Byron Jones, so as of right now, Desir is slated to line up opposite Brian Poole in a new-look secondary.
Of course, the club will continue to monitor the FA market and could add a CB or two in the draft, but Desir may turn out to be a solid addition, especially since he’s joining the team on a short-term pact. He graded out as the league’s 18th-best corner in 2018 per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, and even if that was not an entirely accurate portrayal of his effectiveness, there’s reason to believe he can be a decent starter.
The 2014 fourth-rounder has seen regular season action with the Browns, Seahawks, and Colts. Thanks to his strong 2018 showing, he earned a three-year extension with Indianapolis last March, but he only made it through the first year of that deal. He finished the 2019 season with 50 tackles, 11 passes defended, and a career-high three interceptions.
Cardinals Re-Sign Brett Hundley, Chris Banjo
The Cardinals are re-signing QB Brett Hundley, the team announced. Hundley joined Arizona last March after serving as Russell Wilson‘s clipboard holder in Seattle in 2018.
Hundley, who at one time was viewed as a potential starter, has settled in as a QB2. He was drafted by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2015 draft and saw his most extended action in 2017, when Aaron Rodgers was lost to injury. Hundley went 3-6 in his nine starts for Green Bay that year, and the Packers traded him to the Seahawks in August 2018 in exchange for a sixth-round selection.
The former UCLA standout was Kyler Murray‘s backup for Murrary’s rookie campaign in 2019, and Arizona apparently likes the current layout of its quarterback room. Like Murray, one of Hundley’s best assets is his legs, so the team would not need to alter its offense too much if something should happen to Murray.
The Cardinals will also re-sign safety Chris Banjo, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Banjo has long been respected for his work as a special teams ace, and he will reprise that role with Arizona in 2020.
The former UDFA spent the first three-plus years of his career with the Packers, and he caught on with the Saints in November 2016. New Orleans actually agreed to a three-year extension with Banjo last March, but he surprisingly did not survive final roster cuts. He went on a few workouts after being cut by New Orleans and ultimately signed with the Cards.
Broncos, Bryce Callahan Agree To Restructure
The Broncos and cornerback Bryce Callahan have agreed to a paycut/restructure, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Twitter). Callahan is now scheduled to earn $5MM in 2020 and can earn another $2MM in playing time incentives. The move will free up $1.8MM in cap space for 2020.
Denver signed Callahan last March with the hope that his strong play as a slot CB with the Bears would carry over to Mile High. But Callahan suffered a broken foot towards the end of his tenure in Chicago, and he re-aggravated the injury during his first training camp with the Broncos. He ultimately underwent stem cell treatment on the foot and missed the entire 2019 campaign.
Still, the Broncos will likely be relying on Callahan to start in 2020. The club traded for A.J. Bouye earlier this month but saw Chris Harris depart in free agency, so Callahan will be a key part of a remade secondary. Denver is also reportedly interested in adding another CB via free agency or the draft.
In other Broncos news, Troy Renck of Denver7 reports that the team has shown no interest in retaining free agent DE Derek Wolfe, who is still in search of a new team.
Saints Re-Sign D.J. Swearinger
The Saints have re-signed safety D.J. Swearinger to a one-year deal, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle was first to report (via Twitter). The club picked up Swearinger towards the end of the 2019 campaign, and he played in New Orleans’ regular season finale.
Of course, the Saints made a more notable safety signing when they inked Malcolm Jenkins to a four-year pact earlier this week, but free agent Vonn Bell appears likely to sign elsewhere, so Swearinger could provide useful veteran depth and special teams work.
The Saints are Swearinger’s sixth team in his seven-year pro career. He has been a starter for most of that time, but he has a reputation for being a difficult locker room presence, which has led to something of a nomadic life for the former second-rounder. Still, he is just 28 years old and is not too far removed from providing solid, starter-level play, so it’s a worthwhile signing for the Saints.
And New Orleans is not taking too much of a financial gamble. Swearinger’s contract is worth $1.1MM, which, as Katherine Terrell of The Athletic tweets, makes him eligible for the veteran salary benefit under the new CBA. That means his cap hit will be just $800K.
Bucs Restructure TE Cameron Brate’s Contract
The Buccaneers have restructured the contract of tight end Cameron Brate, per Greg Auman of The Athletic (via Twitter). Earlier this month, Brate was rumored as a trade or release candidate, but Brate’s presence could prove critical for newly-minted QB Tom Brady.
Details of the restructure are not yet known, but it’s worth noting that $4MM of Brate’s $6MM 2020 salary was due to become guaranteed today. He will team with O.J. Howard to form a potentially formidable TE tandem for Brady, who will have a lot more weapons to work with in 2020 than he did in his last year with New England.
Brate, who will turn 29 in July, signed a six-year, $41MM deal ($18MM guaranteed) with the Bucs in March 2018. Over the prior two seasons, he averaged 52 catches for 625 yards and seven TDs, but the 2018-19 campaigns were not as kind to him. He underwent hip surgery last January, and his per-season averages dipped to 33/300/5.
But if nothing else, the former UDFA out of Harvard profiles as a reliable red zone threat, and he could become more with Brady under center.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/21/20
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns:
- Signed: CB Donovan Olumba
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: LB Joseph Jones
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-signed: RB Rod Smith
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE MyCole Pruitt
Jets Exercise 2021 Option On Ryan Griffin
The Jets want Ryan Griffin to stay around. New York has exercised their 2021 option on the tight end, a source told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Originally a sixth-round pick of the Texans in 2013, Griffin spent his first six years in Houston. He showed some flashes and had 442 yards in 2016, which earned him a three-year extension the following year. He played a little bit smaller role the next two seasons and was released in May of last year not long after he was arrested for punching a hotel window. The Jets scooped him up last summer, and he turned into a pleasant surprise for the team.
He ended up starting all 13 games that he appeared in for Gang Green, catching 34 passes for 320 yards and five touchdowns. The Jets were impressed enough to give him a three-year, $10.8MM extension in November of last year, which included this option year. Overall, he’s under team control through 2022. He’ll try to fend off third-year player Chris Herndon for the starting job in training camp.
Jets To Sign Greg Van Roten
The Jets continue to bolster their offensive line. New York has agreed to terms with guard Greg Van Roten, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It’s a three-year deal for Van Roten according to a tweet from Connor Hughes of The Athletic, who notes that New York has had their eye on him since before free agency opened. We heard a handful of days ago that the Jets had turned their attention to Van Roten and other second-tier interior linemen after whiffing on their attempt to sign Graham Glasgow, and now they’ve got their guy.
Van Roten was one of the top linemen left on the market, and the available pool just got that much thinner for teams still looking for O-line help. Van Roten has had an unusual path to prominence, as he entered the league as an UDFA back in 2012 but didn’t start a game until 2018. He then became a full-time starter for the Panthers the past two seasons, earning reasonably strong marks from Pro Football Focus.
The Jets have been remaking their unit, and they signed Connor McGovern to a big deal to be their center earlier this week. Jets beat writers seem to expect Van Roten to start at right guard with Alex Lewis at left. This could mean the end of the line for guard Brian Winters in New York, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. The Jets could save a little over $7MM by cutting him. They also signed new left tackle George Fant in free agency, so this offensive line is going to look completely different in 2020.
Raiders To Add TE Nick O’Leary
The Raiders have agreed to terms with a second tight end this week. Days after their Jason Witten commitment, the Raiders are signing Nick O’Leary, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
Tight ends currently on the Raider roster: Darren Waller, Witten, Derek Carrier, Foster Moreau and now O’Leary. It would appear Carrier’s roster spot is in jeopardy.
O’Leary spent last season with the Jaguars and Dolphins. Initially a 2015 fifth-round pick, O’Leary spent three seasons with the Bills. He topped out with 22 receptions for 322 yards and two touchdowns on the 2017 Bills but spent the 2018 season on Adam Gase‘s final Dolphins squad.
While O’Leary is not a prolific receiver, he will certainly not be asked to do that much in Las Vegas given the Waller-Witten tandem’s presence. O’Leary graded as the NFL’s best tight end in a somewhat obscure skill last year, however. He rated as significantly ahead of the next-closest player in pass protection among tight ends. He played 320 snaps with Miami and Jacksonville in 2019.
Chiefs To Sign T Mike Remmers
Mike Remmers will have a shot to contribute to a seventh NFL team in nine seasons, and the free agent tackle will be joining the defending Super Bowl champions.
The veteran tackle signed with the Chiefs, the team announced. This will be a one-year deal, according to Remmers’ agent, Brett Tessler (Twitter link).
While the Chiefs do not have a starting job available, with Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz locked up long-term, Remmers figures to compete to be Kansas City’s swing man. Although Schwartz is one of the NFL’s most durable players, Fisher missed eight games last season.
This will mark a pace change for the 30-year-old blocker. Remmers has started 78 of the 79 games he’s played in his eight-year career. He caught on with the Giants last year and was the Vikings’ right tackle starter over the previous two seasons. Prior to that, Remmers spent two-plus seasons operating as the Panthers’ starting right tackle — a tenure that included a Super Bowl start and a tough matchup against Von Miller.
Despite the Giants opting not to re-sign Remmers, he graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 48 overall tackle last season. The Chiefs’ swing man in 2019, Cameron Erving, came in at 80th on that hierarchy in a tough stretch filling in for the injured Fisher.