Minor NFL Transactions: 3/3/20
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Washington Redskins
- Signed: TE Marcus Baugh
Giants Exercise Alex Tanney’s Option
The Giants have exercised their option on Alex Tanney‘s contract, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). With that, he’ll be in the mix to serve as Daniel Jones’ QB2 this year. 
Tanney, 33 in November, has bounced around the league throughout his career. He had stops with the Chiefs, Cowboys, Browns, Buccaneers, Titans, Bills, Colts, and Titans (again) before joining the Giants in May of 2018. Meanwhile, he’s thrown just 15 passes in the NFL between two games.
Despite his lack of live action, coaches see Tanney as a quick study and a solid influence in the locker room. Keepin the Monmouth product isn’t an expensive proposition, either. If he sticks, he’ll earn just $950K in base salary with a $1.012MM cap hit. If he doesn’t make the cut, the Giants won’t be on the hook for much: the dead money hit would be less than $38K.
Earlier this offseason, there were some rumblings that the Giants could consider Tom Brady, but we heard recently that they will not be in pursuit of the future Hall of Famer. Instead, they’ll stay the course with youngster Daniel Jones who showed flashes of promise after taking over for Eli Manning.
Falcons Release OL John Wetzel
The Falcons announced today that they released offensive lineman John Wetzel.
The 28-year-old had six separate stints with the Falcons last season, but the organization continued to turn to him whenever they had a need on the offensive line. The Boston College product ultimately got into a pair of games for Atlanta in 2019. The offensive guard previously started 19 of his 32 games for the Cardinals between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, but he was limited to only eight games (five starts) in 2018.
The organization clearly sees value in Wetzel, so it wouldn’t be a shock if the veteran landed back with the Falcons at some point. It’s worth noting that the lineman was able to sneak in a workout with the Texans between one of his runs in Atlanta.
This will likely be one of many minor moves that the Falcons make as they scrounge around for extra cap. The team’s currently sitting with around $5MM in space, although they could move on from someone like Devonta Freeman to clear up even more room.
Jaguars’ Yannick Ngakoue Wants Out
The Jaguars will use their franchise tag on Yannick Ngakoue, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Meanwhile, the pass rusher took to Twitter on Monday morning to announce that he is not interested in a long-term deal with the club. 
“The Jaguars are aware I no longer have interest in signing a long term contract in Jacksonville,” Ngakoue tweeted. “Duval, I love you and gave you guys everything I got. I’m thankful for the journey and look forward to continuing my career elsewhere.”
At this point, it seems like the Jaguars will wind up having to tag-and-trade the standout defensive end. They’ll find plenty of interest in him if that’s the case – over the last four years, Ngakoue has notched 37.5 sacks for the Jaguars and 14 forced fumbles (fourth in the NFL in that span, behind only Khalil Mack, Chandler Jones, and T.J. Watt. He’s been durable as well; he never missed a game until last year.
The soon-to-be 25-year-old had another standout campaign in 2019, finishing with 41 tackles, eight sacks, six passes defended, and four forced fumbles. The former third-rounder discussed an extension with the team last offseason, but those talks did not lead to a deal and it seems that he is not long for Jacksonville.
The franchise tag for defensive ends is expected to cost upwards of $19MM for 2020.
Chiefs To Decline Cameron Erving’s Option
Cameron Erving is set to hit free agency. Yahoo’s Terez A. Paylor reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs won’t be exercising their 2020 option on the offensive lineman. The move will create $3.2MM in space for Kansas City.
The Chiefs traded a fifth-rounder to the Browns for Erving back in 2017, and the lineman proceeded to appear in 13 games (four starts) for his new squad. After starting 13 of his 14 appearances in 2018, Erving inked a two-year deal with the Chiefs.
The 27-year-old saw a reduced role towards the end of the 2019 season, but he still managed to make an appearance in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory.
Erving’s versatility proved to be useful during his tenure with the Chiefs, but the front office clearly valued the extra wiggle room over the rotational lineman. With less than $20MM in cap room, the team will use some of their newfound space to accommodate defensive tackle Chris Jones‘ franchise tag.
Chiefs To Franchise Tag DT Chris Jones
No surprises here, but the Chiefs are going to put the franchise tag on star DT Chris Jones, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was first to report (via Twitter). We had previously heard that KC was going to use the tag on Jones if the two sides could not come to terms on a long-term pact prior to the deadline to use the tag, but the Chiefs acted quickly to make sure Jones will not hit the open market (today is the first day teams can officially use the franchise and transition tags).
Of course, Kansas City wants to keep Jones in the fold for the long haul, and Jones obviously wants the security of a long-term pact, so player and team will continue negotiating. In 2019, the Mississippi State product continued to excel at getting to the quarterback, recording nine sacks in just 13 games. He was not quite as effective in terms of stopping the run, but his pass rush abilities more than make up for that.
The franchise tag value for defensive linemen is $16.1MM, but last year, Jones held out in hopes of securing a deal north of $20MM per year, and as he is coming off his first Pro Bowl campaign, his price tag won’t be dropping. He abilities and youth — he will turn 26 in July — make him one of the most attractive DTs in the game.
But the Chiefs are already paying Frank Clark over $20MM per year, and they are planning to sign QB Patrick Mahomes to a record-setting extension this offseason. As such, Jones could become a part of a tag-and-trade, though that sounds like more of a last resort at this point.
However, other players currently on the Super Bowl champions’ roster could be on the trade block. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says that the Chiefs are looking to slash salary and the scuttlebutt at the scouting combine is that they are open for business (Twitter link).
Vikings Plan To Keep Everson Griffen
Last week, Everson Griffen opted out of the remainder of his contract. He’s now set for free agency in March, but head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters on Wednesday that he still expects to keep him (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin).
Griffen earned the right to turn down the last three years of his pact by hitting a pair of statistical benchmarks. The rest of the deal would have paid him nicely, but there was no guarantee that the Vikings would have kept him at the same rate. By opting out, Griffen simply opened up his options – he says he’d like to stay in Minnesota, but he can also gauge the market for other offers.
The Vikings met with the veteran defensive end’s agent on Tuesday night, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team also stood by him after he spent time away because of a mental health issue during the 2018 season. Griffen missed more than a month of action that season but bounced back in 2019. The 10-year veteran registered eight sacks and 24 quarterback hits. He will enter the 2020 season as the franchise’s fourth all-time leading sacker (since 1982).
Griffen returning will also continue a pattern for the Vikings. They have opted to keep their defensive core together for years, doing so despite annually being up against the cap. Minnesota’s $1.3MM in cap space ranks last in the league. While it cannot be ruled out Griffen departs, the Vikings have established continuity on defense for years now and have managed to maintain it while paying out Kirk Cousins‘ three-year, fully guaranteed contract.
Danny Amendola Re-Signs With Lions
Danny Amendola will be sticking around Detroit. FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager reports (via Twitter) that the veteran wideout is re-signing with the Lions. It’ll be a one-year deal.
Amendola was released by the Dolphins last March, and he ended up inking a one-year, $4.5MM deal with the Lions. The 34-year-old ultimately put up some of the best numbers of his career, hauling in 62 receptions for 678 receiving yards and one touchdown. He also continued to contribute on special teams, returning 10 punts.
The new one-year deal is worth $5MM with $4.5MM guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). He can max out at $6MM with incentives and he’ll cash in at around ~$5.5MM if he matches last year’s work.
In parts of 11 seasons, Amendola has spent time with the Rams, Patriots, Dolphins, and Lions. He earned a pair of Super Bowl rings during his time in New England.
With Amendola back in the fold, Matthew Stafford will be plenty familiar with his targets next season. Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones will continue to lead the depth chart in 2020.
Giants Release Alec Ogletree, Kareem Martin
The Giants have released linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin, per a club announcement. By cutting the two veterans, the Giants will save roughly $10MM against the 2020 salary cap. 
The Giants acquired Ogletree via trade with the Rams in 2018. Despite his experience and soft hands (he has a dozen interceptions to his credit), the savings were too good to pass up. Ogletree appeared in 26 games for the G-Men in his two seasons and led the team with 173 stops in that span. He also set the franchise record for INTs by an LB in 2018 with five picks – two of which were brought back for touchdowns.
Martin joined the Giants on the same week as Ogletree. In his first campaign, Martin had perfect attendance with seven starts at linebacker and notched a career-high 48 tackles with 1.5 sacks. Last year, a Week 1 knee injury pretty much wiped out his season. He played in just five contests and logged a grand total of six tackles. He had one more year to go on his deal, but few expected him to see that final season.
By dropping Ogletree and Martin, the Giants will head into March with approximately $70MM in breathing room.
Panthers Pick Up Chris Reed’s Option
The Panthers have exercised Chris Reed‘s option for the 2020 season, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Reed figures to provide depth along the interior line, addressing a lower priority item on the Panthers’ offseason checklist.
Reed, 28 in July, was with the Dolphins up until his late-season release. The Panthers claimed him in December and put him on the field for three games down the stretch.
His play got them curious enough to see what he can do in camp. By exercising the option, the Panthers will have Reed under contract for one more season at $1.425MM. The sum is non-guaranteed, however, so the Panthers aren’t necessarily bound to him. Reed will occupy a spot on the 90-man roster and aim for making the 53-man cut in September.
Earlier this week, the Panthers declined the option for wide receiver Jarius Wright, which will free up a few extra dollars in mid-March. Meanwhile, they seem intent on keeping former MVP Cam Newton as their starting quarterback.