Eagles Re-Sign Nate Sudfeld
The Eagles have re-signed Nate Sudfeld, per a team announcement. With that, the quarterback will return in 2020 to backstop starter Carson Wentz.
[RELATED: Eagles Sign NT Javon Hargrave]
Sudfeld missed all of 2019 thanks to a broken wrist. After that, they lured Josh McCown out of retirement late in the offseason. This time around, it’s not clear if McCown is interested in continuing his career, or if his surgically-repaired hamstring would allow to play. Sudfeld, who has appeared in four games (including playoff contests) for the Eagles, is now set to serve as the team’s QB2.
In light of Wentz‘s own injury history, the No. 2 QB spot in Philly is an important one. It stands to reason that the Eagles will still explore QBs in free agency and the draft, even after re-upping the former sixth-round pick.
WR Amari Cooper To Re-Sign With Cowboys
Amari Cooper is about to get paid. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the star wideout intends to re-sign with the Cowboys on a five-year, $100MM deal. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the deal contains a whopping $60MM in guaranteed money.
While Cooper hasn’t necessarily established himself as one of the league’s top-tier receivers, it always seemed like he was heading towards a contract that would pay him $20MM per season. Wideouts of Cooper’s caliber or age rarely reach free agency, so it was clear that the Cowboys would have to come close to Julio Jones’ $22MM-per-year deal. Ultimately, Cooper’s $20MM average annual value will rank second at the position, bumping Michael Thomas‘ $19.25MM-AAV to the third spot.
A number of teams have been loosely connected to Cooper throughout the offseason, but Schefter tweets that one rival was pushing hard for the receiver’s services: the Washington Redskins. As Schefter notes, the Redskins pursued Cooper today and tried “to pry him away” from their divisional rival. The Broncos were also recently mentioned as a potential suitor.
Cooper earned his fourth career Pro Bowl nod following another productive season in 2019. In 16 games, the 25-year-old hauled in 79 catches for a career-high 1,189 receiving yards and a career-high eight receiving touchdowns. Cooper joined the Cowboys midway through the 2018 season following a trade with the Raiders.
Now, the Cowboys can focus on extending Dak Prescott to a new contract. Earlier today, we learned that the organization was placing the exclusive franchise tag on their Pro Bowl quarterback. At the same time, the organization watched as cornerback Byron Jones inked a lucrative deal with the Dolphins. Considering the cap constraints, it’s not surprising that ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the front office restructured the deals of both running back Ezekiel Elliott and offensive tackle La’el Collins earlier today.
Vikings Trade WR Stefon Diggs To Bills
We’ve got our second major wide receiver trade of the day. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reports (via Twitter) that the Vikings are trading star wideout Stefon Diggs to the Bills. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has full details on the swap (Twitter link):
- To Minnesota: 2020 1st-round pick, 2020 5th-round pick, 2020 6th-round pick, 2021 4th-round pick
- To Buffalo: Diggs, 2020 7th-round pick
A Diggs trade has felt inevitable for some time, as the wideout has bounced in and out of trade rumors. In fact, earlier today, the wideout hinted that “somethings going to happen” and “it’s time for a new beginning.” That led to whispers that the Seahawks and Vikings were discussing a trade. Well, after months of social media hints, it appears that the receiver finally got his wish.
During each of his five years in the NFL, Diggs has hauled in at least 50 receptions and at least 700 receiving yards. He finished the 2019 campaign with a career-high 1,130 receiving yards and six scores on 63 receptions. The 26-year-old still has four seasons remaining on his contract with a base value of $45.1MM (per ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter).
The Bills have been hunting for a big-name wide receiver to pair with quarterback Josh Allen for more than a year. Last offseason, it sounded like the team was set to acquire Antonio Brown, but the star ended up squashing that deal. Instead, the organization watched as John Brown reemerged into a 1,000-yard receiver, and Brown will team up with Diggs to form one of the top receiver duos in the league.
The Vikings will open up a chunk of cap space, which is (ironically) relevant after the team extended quarterback Kirk Cousins earlier today. The team will now move forward with Adam Thielen as their clear-cut, number-one wideout in 2020.
Earlier today, the Texans shocked the NFL when they sent star wideout DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals. In exchange, Houston received a package highlighted by running back David Johnson and a second-rounder.
Chiefs Re-Sign QB Chad Henne
9:25pm: The two sides have agreed to a two-year deal, according to Paylor (via Twitter).
8:24pm: After spending the past two years in Kansas City, Chad Henne and the Chiefs could be heading towards another contract. Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo reports (via Twitter) that the organization is interested in re-signing the veteran quarterback.
Henne hasn’t started an NFL game since the 2014 season, but he’s embraced his gig as Patrick Mahomes‘ backup. The 34-year-old didn’t get into a single game during the Super Bowl-winning 2019 season, and he appeared in only a single game during the 2018 campaign. In fact, since 2015, he’s only seen the field for four games.
In total, the veteran has appeared in 68 games during his career, connecting on 59.3-percent of his passes for 12,960 yards, 58 touchdowns, and 63 interceptions.
Other than Mahomes, the Chiefs are also retaining quarterback Kyle Shurmur on their offseason roster.
Seahawks Re-Sign DT Jarran Reed
Jarran Reed will be back in Seattle next season. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the defensive tackle has re-signed with the Seahawks. It’s a two-year pact worth $23MM.
The 2016 second-round pick has spent his entire career with the Seahawks. Following a pair of forgettable seasons to start his career, Reed absolutely broke out during the 2018 campaign. He finished that season having compiled 50 tackles and 10.5 sacks in 16 games (16 starts).
Reed was suspended for the first six games of the 2019 season after violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, but he still managed to get into 10 games for Seattle. In total, the 27-year-old finished the season with 27 tackles and one forced fumble.
It’s been a relatively quiet day in Seattle. Besides placing tendering a handful of players (including tight end Jacob Hollister), this is their first reported move.
Bills Sign LB A.J. Klein
A.J. Klein is heading to Buffalo. The former Saints linebacker is inking a three-year, $18MM deal with the Bills, according to SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). The deal contains $9.7MM in guaranteed money.
Klein spent the first four seasons of his career with the Panthers, where he worked under current Bills head coach Sean McDermott (who was serving as defensive coordinator at the time). Klein signed a three-year deal with the Saints prior to the 2017 season, and he evolved into a full-time starter during his stint in New Orleans.
The 28-year-old continued to produce during his three seasons with the Saints, including a 2019 campaign where he compiled 69 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interceptions,and one forced fumble.
Earlier today, Caplan had tweeted that the Bills continued to look for a starting linebacker to pair with Matt Milano. The team apparently found their target in Klein, meaning they won’t have to dedicate valuable draft assets towards the position.
LB Jamie Collins Signs With Lions
Jamie Collins is reuniting with Matt Patricia. The free agent linebacker has signed with the Lions, reports Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter). It’s a three-year deal worth $30MM, including $18MM guaranteed, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).
Following a two-plus year stint with the Browns, Collins reunited with the Patriots last offseason on a one-year deal. The 30-year-old ended up setting a career-high with seven sacks to go along with 81 tackles, three interceptions and three forced fumbles. Collins played under Patricia during his first stint in New England.
We’ve heard several times (including earlier tonight) that the Saints were pursuing the veteran linebacker. The Patriots were also hoping to retain their former second-round pick. Ultimately, Collins presumably decided to take the money and the opportunity to team up with his former coordinator.
The Lions were busy this morning, handing out a massive contract to former Eagles offensive tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Tonight, they’ve clearly shifted their focus to the defensive side of the ball.
Raiders Agree To Terms With QB Marcus Mariota
Marcus Mariota is indeed heading to Vegas. The Raiders have agreed to terms with the free agent quarterback, reports Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review Journal (via Twitter).
As we passed along earlier tonight, Raiders starter Derek Carr isn’t going anywhere, as Mariota is expected to serve as the backup in 2020. There had been whispers for some time that the organization was eyeing the former second-overall pick, with the front office shifting priorities from a top-tier starter like Tom Brady to a solid backup who could push Carr.
The Titans traded for Ryan Tannehill last offseason, insisting that he was going to be Mariota’s backup. Of course after Mariota struggled to start the year he was quickly benched in favor of Tannehill, who ended up leading Tennessee to the AFC Championship Game and earning a massive extension. In total, Mariota finished the year having completed a career-low 59.4-percent of his passes for 1,203 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions.
While Mariota will temporarily be slotted in as the backup in Las Vegas, he could eventually push Carr for the full-time gig if the incumbent starter struggles. Mariota has shown flashes throughout his career, including a 2016 season when he tossed 26 touchdowns and ran for a pair of touchdowns. The 26-year-old has also started a pair of playoff games during his career, throwing for four touchdowns vs. only one interception.
QB A.J. McCarron To Re-Sign With Texans
The Texans offense will look a whole lot different next year, but at least fans will be familiar with their quarterbacks. Backup A.J. McCarron announced on Instagram that he’s re-signing with Houston (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter).
McCarron signed a one-year deal with the Texans last offseason, and he earned his first start since 2015 during Houston’s regular season finale. In that contest, the 29-year-old completed 21 of his 36 pass attempts for 225 yards and one interception. He also had a rushing touchdown to go along with four sacks.
The former fifth-rounder out of Alabama has made 15 appearances during his career. He earned three starts with the Bengals back in 2015, throwing six touchdowns vs. only two interceptions. He also started for Cincy in the playoffs that year, tossing a touchdown in the Bengals loss to the Steelers.
In Houston, he’ll continue serving as the backup to Deshaun Watson. Earlier today, the organization stole headlines when they traded star wideout DeAndre Hopkins for running back David Johnson.
Jets Sign OT George Fant
The Jets have added some reinforcement to their offensive line. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that offensive tackle George Fant has inked a three-year deal with the Jets. The contract is worth $30MM, including $13.7MM guaranteed.
Fant made a name for himself when he switched from the Western Kentucky basketball team to the Western Kentucky football team. Despite only appearing in two collegiate games as a tight end, Fant still got a gig from the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
In his four years with the organization, Fant evolved into one of Seattle’s top rotational lineman. While his 2017 season was lost thanks to a torn ACL, he’s otherwise appeared in 46 games (24 starts) during his three healthy seasons.
There’s uncertainty throughout the entire Jets offensive line, so this probably won’t be their last notable move. With Sam Darnold entering a critical third season in the NFL, the front office will surely look to put him in every position to succeed.