Steelers To Sign Eric Ebron
The Steelers are signing tight end Eric Ebron to a two-year deal worth $12MM, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). It’s a relatively low-risk pickup that could pay big dividends for Ben Roethlisberger & Co.
Ebron, a former first-round pick, struggled early on in his career with the Lions. In 2018, he caught his second wind with the Colts. However, the team decided against re-signing him this offseason.
In ’18, Ebron got the drops under control and managed a 13-touchdown season with 66 catches for 750 yards. But, without quarterback Andrew Luck, Ebron was far less productive in 2019. The soon-to-be 27-year-old had just 31 grabs for 375 yards and three scores before landing on IR in late November with an ankle injury.
Then, there was drama. The Colts said they were not aware of Ebron having a serious ankle problem. Ebron fired back and issued a statement saying that the team knew about his severe pain since the start of the season.
The fences weren’t mended, and Ebron is moving on to Pittsburgh.
Saints To Re-Sign Andrus Peat
Andrus Peat isn’t going anywhere. On Friday, the Saints announced a new five-year deal for the guard/tackle. 
The new five-year deal will pay him $57.5MM with $33MM guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). That contract will keep the 26-year-old (27 in November) in place through his prime years, helping to secure the Saints’ offensive line for Drew Brees and Taysom Hill.
Peat, the No. 13 overall pick in the 2015 draft, has been a Saints regular for the past five years with appearances at left tackle, left guard, right tackle, and even some snaps as an extra blocker/tight end. All in all, he’s got 60 starts under his belt at every O-Line spot, except for center. In that span, the Saints have ranked No. 1 in the league in points per game while surrendering only 124 sacks.
Peat played well in 2019, too. He earned a Pro Bowl nod for his work in an injury-shortened ten-game season.
Browns To Sign S Andrew Sendejo
Andrew Sendejo is going from the NFC North to the AFC North. On Friday, the Vikings agreed to sign the safety to a one-year, $2.25MM deal with the Browns, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Sendejo spent eight seasons with the Vikings up until March of last year when he hooked on with the Eagles. That union didn’t last long – the Birds dropped him in November, leading him back to Minnesota to close out the season.
Sendejo was a staple in the Vikings’ secondary up until 2018, when a groin injury put him on the sidelines. After that point, the Vikings’ D actually improved with Anthony Harris, George Iloka, and Jayron Kearse taking on a larger share of the workload.
In Cleveland, he’ll play alongside a cornerback group headlined by Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams with support from newcomer Kevin Johnson.
Buccaneers To Sign Joe Haeg
The Buccaneers will sign guard/tackle Joe Haeg, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The former fifth-round pick will help protect new quarterback Tom Brady, who finalized his deal earlier today. It’s a one-year pact worth $2.3MM that can inflate to $3.3MM if he hits incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
[RELATED: Bucs Make Tom Brady Deal Official]
Haeg, who just turned 27, appeared in all 16 games for the Colts last year. Over the last four years, he’s suited up for 55 games with 35 of those contests coming as starts. He was a full-time starter in 2016 and 2017, but operated as Indy’s backup reserve tackle last year due to the strength of their offensive line.
At 6’6″ and 298 pounds, Haeg offers valuable size and versatility. He’ll likely remain as a reserve in Tampa, but an important one that can be used on the outside and on the interior.
Cowboys To Sign Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is headed to Dallas. Early this morning, the safety’s agency announced that he has agreed to join the Cowboys. 
Clinton-Dix will receive a one-year, $4MM deal with $2.5MM guaranteed, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). The pact will reunite him with Mike McCarthy, his longtime coach in Green Bay.
Clinton-Dix, 27, started in every game for the Bears last year and finished out with 78 tackles and two interceptions. He wasn’t a top-tier defender like predecessor Adrian Amos, but he proved to be a solid value on his one-year, $3MM deal.
His Cowboys deal is similarly inexpensive and may also prove to be something of a bargain. Even if he doesn’t regain his Pro Bowl (2016) form, he’ll likely outperform Jeff Heath. Also, by taking a safety spot off the to-do list, the Cowboys will be able to focus on other areas in the third wave of free agency and the April draft.
Buccaneers Officially Sign Tom Brady
Tom Brady verbally agreed to sign with the Buccaneers on Tuesday. On Friday morning, the Bucs made it official: 
“Tom Brady is officially a Tampa Bay Buccaneer!,” the club tweeted.
Brady, like the rest of the league’s free agents, was unable to take a physical exam with team doctors due to the travel restrictions. On Thursday, there were rumblings of a possible hitch – Brady was willing to get poked and prodded in New York, but the two sides had to agree on the doctor. Haggling over the MD turned out to be NBD: Brady is officially a Buc.
The future Hall of Famer has agreed to a two-year deal with a maximum value of $59MM, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The deal includes $50MM fully guaranteed – a nice locked-in pay day for one of the sport’s all-time legends.
“Excited, humble and hungry …if there is one thing I have learned about football, it’s that nobody cares what you did last year or the year before that,” Brady wrote on Instagram. “You earn the trust and respect of those around through your commitment every single day. I’m starting a new football journey and thankful for the Buccaneers for giving me an opportunity to do what I love to do. I look forward to meeting all my new teammates and coaches and proving to them that they can believe and trust in me. I have always believed that well done is better than well said, so I’m not gonna say much more – I’m just gonna get to work!”
The Buccaneers, as you might expect, are also pretty excited about their new QB.
“Tom is a proven champion who has achieved greatness on the field because he demands the best out of himself and his teammates,” said GM Jason Licht in a press release. “I’ve known Tom since we drafted him in New England 20 years ago and through this process it became very clear that his desire to be a champion burns as strong today as it ever has. He possesses the type of rare natural leadership qualities that will immediately impact our entire organization.”
Falcons To Sign Todd Gurley
That didn’t take long. On Friday, the Falcons formally announced the signing of running back Todd Gurley. 
Gurley has agreed to a one-year deal with Atlanta, less than 24 hours after being let go by the Rams. One important thing to note: Gurley, who has been plagued by injuries, may still need to undergo a physical with the team before the deal is all legal eagle. Of course, that’s not possible at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the league’s restrictions on travel.
Soon after Gurley was cut loose, we heard that Gurley was interested in joining the Falcons or Dolphins. The Falcons were the perfect fit for Gurley, a University of Georgia product who can occupy the role once filled by Devonta Freeman. Backed by Ito Smith and Brian Hill, Gurley will try to get back to his old form in familiar surroundings.
Gurley was an NFL megastar just a couple of years ago. Between 2017 and 2018, Gurley racked up 40 touchdowns and roughly 4,000 yards from scrimmage. And, in 2018, he signed a four-year, $57.5MM extension with the Rams that rebooted the running back market.
Here’s the breakdown of his new deal, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Gurley will earn $11MM in total with $7.5MM coming from the Rams, $6MM on the Falcons’ books, and a $2.5MM offset. It all adds up to a one-year deal that keeps Gurley as one of the NFL’s three highest-paid running backs.
Unfortunately, the knee injury he suffered near the end of the ’18 campaign changed things and hasn’t looked like the same player since. Father Time is not kind to running backs; nor is the injury bug. Still, no one would be surprised if Gurley thrives with the Falcons in his age-26 season.
Steelers To Sign Stefen Wisniewski
The Steelers have agreed to a two-year deal with offensive lineman Stefen Wisniewski, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Pittsburgh had been searching for a new face at left guard, where Ramon Foster had been a linchpin since the 2009 campaign. Foster retired from the NFL earlier this week, leaving a massive hole along the Steelers’ front five. Now, Wisniewski will likely line up at guard in between left takcle Alejandro Villanueva and center Maurkice Pouncey.
Wisniewski, who turns 31 years old later this week, has played in 134 games since entering the NFL as a second-round Raiders draft pick in 2011. The Penn State alum appeared in 46 games with the Eagles from 2016-18 and won a Super Bowl, then joined the Chiefs last October for another Super Bowl run. Wisniewski started the final two games of the regular season for Kansas City before starting every game during the playoffs.
The Jets, whose interest in Wisniewski was reported earlier this week, made an “earnest effort” to sign the veteran guard, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. But Wisniewski, a Pittsburgh native, ultimately decided on a homecoming.
Saints Exercise 2021 Options On Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk
The Saints have exercised their 2021 fifth-year options on cornerback Marshon Lattimore and offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Lattimore and Ramczyk become the first members of the 2017 draft class to have their options picked up, and are also the first to have their options fully guaranteed. Under the terms of the new contractual bargaining agreement, fifth-year options — which are available for all first-round picks and had previously been guaranteed for injury only — are now guaranteed for injury, cap, and skill purposes.
Part of a 2017 Saints draft class that also included Alvin Kamara and Marcus Williams, Lattimore and Ramczyk have quickly become essential cogs for New Orleans. Lattimore has started 43 games and posted eight interceptions over his first three years in the NFL, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2017 and Pro Bowl nods in both 2017 and 2019.
Ramcyzk, meanwhile, has only missed one contest since entering the league and is arguably the NFL’s premier right tackle. Indeed, Pro Football Focus graded the former Wisconsin Badger as the league’s No. 1 offensive tackle — even including those that play on the blindside — in 2019. Both he and Lattimore should be in for hefty extensions in the near future.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/20
We’ll keep track of today’s “minor” moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Keith Kirkwood
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Torry McTyer
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: KR/PR Jojo Natson
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LB Justin March-Lillard
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: CB Will Redmond
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Adrian Colbert
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: WR Bryant Mitchell
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Logan Thomas