Bills Re-Sign TE Jason Croom
Jason Croom is re-signing with the Bills. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the tight end is inking a new one-year deal with Buffalo. Croom was an exclusive rights free agent.
Croom joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2017. After bouncing between the practice squad and active roster during his rookie campaign, Croom finally had a chance to contribute in 2018. He ultimately led all Bills tight ends with 22 receptions, 259 yards, and one touchdown (he also had a pair of fumbles).
Croom dealt with a hamstring injury for much of last year’s offseason workouts, and the injury ultimately forced him to be placed on the injured reserve. As a result, the 26-year-old didn’t end up getting into a single game last season.
Croom will be re-joining a relatively deep tight ends corps in Buffalo. The current depth chart is led by the likes of Dawson Knox, Tyler Kroft, and Lee Smith.
Ravens Re-Sign De’Anthony Thomas
De’Anthony Thomas is sticking in Baltimore for at least one more season. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the receiver/returner has re-signed with the Ravens. It’s a one-year deal for the 27-year-old.
The 2014 fourth-round pick spent the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Chiefs, and he earned a spot on the Pro Football Writers Association’s All-Rookie Team following his first year in the league. That rookie campaign proved to be Thomas’s best season in the NFL both offensively and in the return game.
Thomas re-signed with the Chiefs last offseason, but he was placed on the reserve list after violating the league’s policy on substance abuse. He was activated in mid-September, but he was released by the organization about a month later.
The wideout ended up catching on with the Ravens, and he proceeded to appear in eight games for his new team. While he really didn’t do anything offensively, he had 23 combined kick and punt returns, including three kick returns of 20+ yards.
Patriots Sign Matthew Slater To Two-Year Extension
The extensions keep coming as the start of free agency gets closer. This time it’s the Patriots locking up one of their own as New England has signed special teams ace Matthew Slater to a two-year extension, sources told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Slater is technically a receiver, but he plays almost exclusively on special teams. This past year he played only 21 total offensive snaps while playing 73 percent of the special teams snaps across multiple units. Yates doesn’t have the exact terms of the new deal, but he writes that it is “similar to his last,” which averaged $2.6MM annually. Slater had been set to become an unrestricted free agent next week.
He’s always been the epitome of a team player, doing whatever is asked of him. He has even occasionally contributed on defense over the years, starting three games at safety in 2011. Slater has become prominent for being a leader in the locker room, and is a team captain.
A favorite of Bill Belichick, Slater has made the Pro Bowl eight times as a special teamer. He’s won three Super Bowls since joining the Patriots as a fifth-round pick out of UCLA back in 2008. The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jackie Slater, he has often said he doesn’t see himself playing anywhere besides New England. He turned 34 in September.
Giants Sign David Mayo To Three-Year Extension
The Giants are locking up one of their own shortly before the start of free agency. New York has signed linebacker David Mayo to a three-year extension, according to Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post (Twitter link). Dan Duggan of The Athletic was the first to report the news (Twitter link).
Terms of the deal weren’t immediately available, but we’ll pass those along to you as soon as we get word. 2019 was Mayo’s first year with New York, and he enjoyed a breakout season. He appeared in all 16 games and started 13, receiving very strong marks from Pro Football Focus for his work. Now, he’s being rewarded with what is presumably a nice payday. He finished last season with 82 tackles, two sacks, and two passes defended, serving mostly as a run-stuffer.
All told, he played a hair under 57 percent of the defensive snaps. A Texas State product, Mayo entered the league as a fifth-round pick of the Panthers back in 2015. He barely played on defense his first couple of years in the league, before earning a small role his last two seasons in Carolina.
He was mostly a special teams player with the Panthers, and signed a two-year deal with the 49ers last offseason. San Francisco released him at final cuts, and the Giants didn’t even sign him until September 2nd. It was a pretty late pickup that ended up paying major dividends, and turning into a nice diamond in the rough find.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/20
Today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: LB Tyrell Adams
Minnesota Vikings
- Released with failed physical designation: TE David Morgan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed exclusive rights free agent: TE Tanner Hudson
Chargers LB Denzel Perryman Restructures Contract
The Chargers have been busy today. So far they’ve franchise-tagged Hunter Henry, released Brandon Mebane and Thomas Davis, and now they’ve also adjusted a contract. 
Los Angeles agreed to a restructure with linebacker Denzel Perryman that will keep him with the team for the 2020 season, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Originally set to make a little over $6MM in the final year of his current deal, he’ll now need to hit some incentives to reach that figure, Rapoport reports. Perryman was due a $1.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the new league year, and there had been some speculation that the Chargers might move on.
The hard-hitting inside linebacker has been a big part of their defense the past handful of years when healthy, but he’s had some trouble staying on the field. He appeared in only seven games in 2017, only nine the following year, and has never played in more than 14. Linebacker has been a weak spot for the Chargers’ otherwise talented defense, and with the release of Davis it’s a position they’ll certainly be addressing further this offseason.
Perryman was drafted 48th overall out of Miami back in 2015. He also got in a bit of trouble with head coach Anthony Lynn last year, as he was sent home before the team’s game against Jacksonville after missing a team meeting.
Lions Release T Ricky Wagner
The Lions will make a major change along their offensive line. They are releasing veteran right tackle Ricky Wagner.
Wagner spent three seasons in this role with Detroit, but his release will provide the Lions with $6.1MM in cap space. Going into his eighth season, Wagner was set to make $9MM. Two years remained on Wagner’s Detroit deal.
Detroit signed Wagner to a five-year, $47.5MM deal in 2017. He started all 40 games in which he appeared and, over the first two years of the contract, produced a positive Pro Football Focus review. This past season, however, the 30-year-old blocker graded as PFF’s No. 61 overall tackle. This will mean the Lions are set to lose two starters from their past three O-lines, with guard Graham Glasgow on track to be a coveted free agent.
With this move, the Lions will move back north of $50MM in cap space. They stand to possess at least $53MM, though other cuts could surely follow the Wagner decision. Wagner now heads to a marketplace that will feature a few newly available tackles, including Jason Peters, Trent Williams and Cordy Glenn.
Titans Release Delanie Walker
Delanie Walker‘s lengthy Titans tenure will end after seven seasons. The team announced the release of its longtime tight end.
The 35-year-old target had battled injuries in recent seasons but wraps up his Tennessee stay with three Pro Bowls on his resume. Injuries limited Walker to just eight games over the past two seasons, however, and it’s fair to wonder if this will be it for the 14-year veteran. For what it’s worth, Walker said in December he planned to play a 15th season in 2020.
While Walker’s work decreased in recent years, he was one of the league’s premier tight ends for an extended stretch. After leaving his post as Vernon Davis‘ backup in San Francisco, Walker thrived after signing with Tennessee. From 2014-17, he posted four straight 800-plus-yard seasons.
Tennessee used Jonnu Smith as its primary receiving tight end last season and received some contributions from Anthony Firkser as well. They combined for more than 600 yards and look to be the players tasked with succeeding Walker going into the 2020s.
This move will create more than $6MM in cap space for the Titans, who opened $2MM earlier Friday by releasing Ryan Succop. Tennessee has not re-signed Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry or Jack Conklin. The Titans are running out of time but are now north of $66MM in cap space. Only a handful of teams possess more.
Vikings Cut Xavier Rhodes, Linval Joseph
Three seasons remained on Xavier Rhodes‘ five-year, $70.1MM contract. Instead, the Vikings will remove that deal from their books in an effort to create cap space.
Minnesota made its expected move Friday, cutting Rhodes, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Vikings, however, are also releasing defensive tackle Linval Joseph. The former enjoyed a seven-season Twin Cities tenure, while the latter spent six seasons in the middle of Minnesota’s defensive line.
These cuts will create over $18MM in cap space for the Vikings, who entered the day barely $1MM below the projected salary ceiling. This also marks a major shift for the Vikings, who spent years crafting extensions and adding to Mike Zimmer‘s veteran defense. But the team’s payroll, headlined by a fully guaranteed quarterback contract, became flooded with veteran contracts in recent years.
Rhodes’ play had declined considerably, although Joseph remained one of the league’s better interior defenders. The Vikings will need to fill holes at these spots, likely with cheaper and younger cogs. Minnesota has Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander as free agents as well, so the franchise that has drafted three first-round cornerbacks since 2013 will need to have a plan at this priority position.
Joseph, 31, and Rhodes, 29, were two of the best players at their respective positions as recently as 2017. Both made the 2016 and ’17 Pro Bowls, and Joseph graded as one of Pro Football Focus’ top players in both 2015 and ’17. They will head to free agency, with Joseph joining a strong defensive line group.
Bengals To Release Cordy Glenn
After failed attempts to trade Cordy Glenn, the Bengals will release him Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Bengals efforts to move Glenn surfaced last week, but predictably, Cincinnati could not find a taker for the tackle’s contract.
When the Bills traded Glenn to the Bengals in 2018, he was still attached to the deal he signed in 2016 after being franchise-tagged. While Glenn was only set to make $7.5MM in 2020 base salary, he missed most of last season and has seen his value drop in recent years.
The Bengals’ 2019 first-round selection of Jonah Williams prompted the team to move Glenn to guard. However, that became a short-term transition. Williams’ season-nullifying injury slid Glenn back to left tackle. But Glenn did not end up taking his place in the Bengals’ starting lineup until November. A severe concussion that led to a lengthy Glenn absence preceded a disagreement between player and team over the handling of the head injury. Glenn’s argument with a Bengals coach led to the team suspending him for a game.
Cincinnati will attempt to move on with Williams at left tackle. This will mark a reboot, with Williams likely set to protect Joe Burrow next season. Glenn, 30, will join a suddenly populated contingent of available left tackles. Both Jason Peters and Trent Williams are now on the market, via free agency or trade. Glenn was once a highly regarded tackle in Buffalo and would seemingly be a candidate for a prove-it deal.