Seahawks Sign First-Rounder L.J. Collier
The Seahawks have signed first-round pick L.J. Collier, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The No. 29 overall selection will earn $10.8MM on the four-year pact with a $5.9MM signing bonus. 
Collier only spent one full season as a full-time starter at TCU, but he could be asked to take on a major role in the Seahawks’ defense as a rookie following the trade of Frank Clark to the Chiefs that brought the No. 29 pick to Seattle. The Seahawks also signed Ziggy Ansah to help on the edge, but his shoulder might prevent him from taking the field to start the season.
Collier profiles as a power rusher, though his 6’2″, 283-pound frame could put him at a disadvantage against larger tackles. His snap reaction time also needs some work, but the Seahawks believe they can get him up to speed between now and September.
With Collier under contract, the Seahawks have only two unsigned rookies left: second-round wide receiver D.K. Metcalf and third-round linebacker Cody Barton.
Browns Sign Rookie Greedy Williams
It’s officially payday for Greedy Williams. On Tuesday, the Browns announced that they have signed the second-round cornerback to his rookie deal. 
Per the terms of Williams’ slot at No. 46 overall, he’ll earn $6.46MM over the course of his four-year deal. Because he was a second-round selection, the Browns will not be able to utilize the fifth-year option to automatically retain his rights following the 2022 season.
Heading into draft season, many pegged Williams as a potential first-round choice. However, the Giants were the only club to select a cornerback in the first-round, and that wasn’t until No. 30 when they tapped Georgia’s Deandre Baker. The cornerback run began in earnest with the second round, but Williams watched Byron Murphy, Rock Ya-Sin, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Trayvon Mullen, and Joejuan Williams all go off the board first.
The Browns, not wanting to let Williams get away, sacrificed a fifth-round choice to move up from No. 49 overall to get him. Williams says he plans to play with a chip on his shoulder and make the rest of the league regret passing on him.
Patriots’ Jared Veldheer Retires From NFL
Jared Veldheer signed with the Patriots just two weeks ago, but he’s had a change of heart. On Tuesday, the veteran offensive tackle informed the club that he plans to retire (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss). 
Veldheer was set to play out the 2019 season on a one-year, $3.5MM deal with a maximum value of $6.5MM. That’s significant money to leave on the table, so it’s possible that he is retiring for health reasons.
Veldheer started 12 games in Denver last season and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 58-rated tackle. The veteran, 32 in June, profiled a swing option for the Patriots. Instead, he’ll leave the game after nine seasons with the Raiders, Cardinals, and Broncos.
Meanwhile, the Patriots are expected to scour the offensive line market once again for front five depth.
Patriots, Julian Edelman Agree To Extension
Julian Edelman has agreed to a two-year extension with the Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The new pact will potentially take the wide receiver through the end of his career and allow him to retire in New England. It also comes with a pay bump – Edelman will receive $18MM in new money over the course of the two-year add on, giving him $21MM throughout his remaining three years, according to Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston.
The deal comes with $8MM signing bonus and $12MM guaranteed, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. All in all, Edelman will earn an average annual value of $7MM, which is a solid bargain for the Patriots. Even when calculating his extension via the “new money” average, Edelman’s $9MM puts him outside of the league’s top 20 highest-paid receivers.
Edelman, who turns 33 on Wednesday, had another productive season in 2018. After missing the first four games of the season due to a ban for PEDs, the veteran amassed 74 catches for 850 yards and six touchdowns. Had he produced at the same rate over the course of a full 16-game season, Edelman would have registered something close to a 93/1063/8 stat line, which is not far off from his best single season performances.
Edelman has spent his entire career with the Patriots since entering the league as a seventh-round pick (No. 232 overall) in 2009. He was quietly productive in his rookie season, but he truly broke out in 2013 with 105 grabs for 1,056 yards and six TDs. Over the years, Edelman has captured three Super Bowl rings with New England, including February’s 13-3 win over the Rams in which he took SB MVP honors.
Edelman’s career seemed to be in doubt just a couple of years ago – the wide receiver lost the entire 2017 season to a torn ACL and had to sit out the first month of the ’18 season due to his suspension. However, he came back strong and he now has a deal that should allow him to retire with the only NFL franchise he’s ever known.
Bills To Sign Jerry Hughes To Extension
The Bills have agreed to sign defensive end Jerry Hughes to a two-year extension worth up to $23MM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Of that sum, the deal includes a healthy $19.5MM guaranteed. 
Hughes disappointed in the early part of his career, but he has been solid for the Bills ever since coming over in a 2013 trade. The defensive end has not missed a single contest for Buffalo and has 47 sacks to his credit over the last six years. Last year, Hughes recorded seven sacks, a showing topped only by the ten sacks he put up in 2013 and 2014.
The Rams made a push to acquire Hughes before the trade deadline last year, but a deal could not be reached. Instead, the Rams pivoted towards Dante Fowler as a backup plan and Hughes finished out the year with Buffalo, where he impressed with seven sacks and three forced fumbles.
Prior to the extension, the former first-round pick was set to hit the open market after carrying a $10.4MM cap number in 2019. The new deal will keep him under contract through the 2021 season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/20/19
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Floyd Allen
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE John Phillips
- Released: CB Dontae Johnson
- Placed on reserve/retired list: LB Martrell Spaight
Buccaneers Release Gerald McCoy
Gerald McCoy‘s time in Buccaneers limbo will end with a release. The nine-year veteran has been informed he will be cut soon, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). The Bucs announced the release.
This has been a consideration for a while, but the team has finally decided on a course of action. The Bucs did not want to pay McCoy his $13MM 2019 salary, per Stroud, and did not find a trade partner. Trade talks commenced for two months, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The team did not ask McCoy to take a pay cut.
McCoy will become one of the most attractive free agents on the market. Although, being released in mid-May does not do the longtime Bucs stalwart any favors. He will join fellow 2010 top-five defensive tackle pick Ndamukong Suh as a top-caliber free agent.
Though McCoy failed to make the Pro Bowl last season — his first such omission since 2011 — he still recorded six sacks and rated as one of Pro Football Focus’ upper-echelon interior defenders. McCoy also has avoided serious injuries, the six-time Pro Bowler having played in at least 14 games in each of the past seven seasons.
The signing bonus-averse Bucs will create $13MM in cap space; McCoy had three years remaining on a seven-year, $95.2MM contract. The Bucs currently possess barely $1MM and needed to make a move in order to finish up signing draft picks.
Of course, a Tampa Bay defense that was one of the NFL’s worst in 2018 now will be without its top two pass rushers. Jason Pierre-Paul will be out for a while after sustaining a neck injury in a recent car accident, and McCoy (54.5 career sacks; at least six in six straight seasons) will almost certainly sign elsewhere soon in advance of his age-31 season.
The Bucs used a 2018 first-round pick on Vita Vea and are moving to a 3-4 look after using a 4-3 scheme throughout McCoy’s career. Still, this now profiles as one of the NFL’s most pass rush-needy teams.
Colts Sign Rock Ya-Sin, Parris Campbell
Nine of the 10 Colts draft picks are now signed. Two second-rounders — cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and wide receiver Parris Campbell — signed their rookie deals on Monday, the Colts announced.
This leaves only third-round linebacker Bobby Okereke unsigned. This is not atypical, due to the CBA’s vague language regarding third-rounders’ contracts. Many third-rounders remain unsigned around the league.
The Colts, who have made seven second-round picks over the past two years, traded out of the first round but stuck at their No. 34 slot to select Ya-Sin. The 6-foot cornerback played just one season of major college football, at Temple, after transferring from Presbyterian College after the university dropped football. Ya-Sin became a hot commodity during the pre-draft process and will be in the mix for immediate playing time.
Campbell led Ohio State in receiving yards (1,063) as a senior, becoming Dwayne Haskins‘ top target during the first-round pick’s lone season as the Buckeyes’ starter. Both Campbell and the Redskins’ Terry McLaurin (701 yards) were Day 2 picks, but Campbell’s 12 touchdown receptions led the team as well. Campbell’s 90 catches marked a single-season school record. Campbell will join Devin Funchess and 2018 sixth-rounder Deon Cain as new cogs for Andrew Luck, assuming Cain completes his recovery from an ACL tear.
Rams’ Cory Littleton Signs RFA Tender
As the Rams’ OTAs kicked off Monday, they will have their top off-ball linebacker back at work. Cory Littleton signed his RFA tender, according to Pro Football Talk.
The Rams placed a second-round tender on Littleton. If an extension is not reached, his 2019 salary will be $3.095MM.
A fourth-year UDFA, Littleton broke out for a 125-tackle, four-sack season in 2018 — his first as a full-time starter. Littleton also made the Pro Bowl and intercepted Tom Brady during Super Bowl LIII. He stands to be an unrestricted free agent in 2020, though the Rams have exclusive negotiating rights until the new league year begins.
The Rams did not address their inside ‘backer position this offseason until the seventh round of the draft. Texas Tech’s Dakota Allen represents the top outside investment the team made at inside linebacker. The Rams also released Mark Barron, placing more importance on Littleton’s return.
Jets To Waive TE Jordan Leggett
The Jets are waiving tight end Jordan Leggett, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This marks the second draft pick of Mike Maccagnan to be jettisoned from the roster, following the trade of linebacker Darron Lee to the Chiefs. 
Leggett showed promise after being selected in the fifth round of the 2017 draft and was slated to start the season at tight end while Austin Seferian-Jenkins served a two-game ban for a DUI. However, a preseason knee injury and subsequent surgery wound up shutting him down for the year. The Clemson product finally took the field last year, but finished out with just 14 catches for 114 yards and one touchdown.
Leggett was targeted frequently in Clemson’s offense over his final two seasons. He notched 46 catches for 736 yards and seven TDs as a senior, but has yet to impress at the pro level. It seems likely that Leggett will catch on elsewhere, but it’s not a given that he’ll be claimed on his current deal.