Colts Re-Sign J’Marcus Webb
The Colts re-signed tackle J’Marcus Webb, according to a club announcement. Details on the deal are not yet known.
Webb hooked on with the Colts in July of last year after a rash of injuries decimated their offensive line. Webb wound up as the club’s Week 1 starter, but a hamstring injury suffered in that game brought his season to an early end.
Despite injuries to Webb, Denzelle Good, Anthony Castonzo, and others, the Colts’ offensive line turned in a brilliant season. The Colts allowed just 18 sacks in 2018, the fewest in the league. They also had an impressive streak of allowing zero sacks on Andrew Luck 239 consecutive snaps, spanning across five games.
Webb, 31 in August, has 65 career starts to his credit between stops with the Bears, Vikings, Raiders, Seahawks, and Colts.
Browns To Sign Morgan Burnett
The Browns are set to sign former Packers and Steelers safety Morgan Burnett, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets. The veteran was not happy with the way he was used in Pittsburgh last year, but he’ll now have an opportunity to compete for the club’s starting job at strong safety. Burnett will receive a two-year deal that can max out at roughly $9MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The Browns’ filled a need at wide receiver when they acquired Odell Beckham Jr. from the Giants, but they also created a need at strong safety by giving up Jabrill Peppers in the deal. They got even more thin at safety recently when they released Derrick Kindred, so Burnett should have an opportunity to shine in Cleveland. He’ll duke it out with Eric Murray, who just came over in the Emmanuel Ogbah deal with the Chiefs, for the right to play opposite of free safety Damarious Randall, his former Packers teammate.
The club also plans to sign former AAF quarterback Garrett Gilbert, Cabot adds (Twitter link). Before he was displaced by the spring league’s abrupt stoppage, Gilbert spent time with the Rams, Patriots, Lions, Raiders, and Panthers. He has just three career passes in the NFL, but evaluators regarded him as one of the best QBs in the AAF.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/4/19
Today’s minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB De’Vante Bausby (AAF)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OL Dakota Dozier
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Nick Thurman
Bengals OL Trey Hopkins Signs RFA Tender
Bengals offensive lineman Trey Hopkins has signed his second-round restricted free agent tender, the club announced today. Hopkins will now be paid 3.095MM for the 2019 season.
Hopkins was one of 15 NFL restricted free agents to be tender at the second-round level, and he’s the fourth — following Steelers guard B.J. Finney, Broncos defensive tackle Shelby Harris, and Raiders cornerback Daryl Worley — to officially sign his tender. There was no rush for Hopkins to ink his tender, as RFAs have until April 19 to work out offer sheets with other clubs. However, it was always unlikely that any NFL team would have been willing to sacrifice a second-round pick in order to land Hopkins.
Hopkins joined the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2014, but didn’t see regular action until the 2017 campaign. That year, Hopkins started 12 games at right guard that ranked among the NFL’s bottom-12 teams in both run- and pass-blocking, per Football Outsiders. He initially lost his starting job at the outset of the 2018 season, but eventually played nearly 60% of Cincinnati’s offensive snaps while seeing action all along the interior offensive line.
Although he earned a better grade from Pro Football Focus than rookie first-round center Billy Price, Hopkins isn’t expected to take over at the pivot in 2019. In fact, with Clint Boling installed at left guard and free agent addition John Miller taking over on the right side, Hopkins won’t have a starting role at all. Instead, he’ll serve as a valuable depth on a front five that will be tasked with protecting Andy Dalton and clearing lanes for Joe Mixon next season.
Seahawks Sign DE Nate Orchard
The Seahawks have agreed to sign defensive end Nate Orchard, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
Orchard was part of an early-week workout session that also included defensive lineman Courtney Upshaw and cornerback Davon House, but — so far — he’s the only member of that group to land a contract. He’s the second defensive end Seattle has signed today, joining former 49er Cassius Marsh.
Orchard comes with pedigree, as the Browns selected him 51st overall in the 2015 draft. An 11-game starter during his rookie campaign, Orchard has started only two contests since 2015. His last significant action came in 2017, when he played on 40% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps while grading as the NFL’s No. 68 edge defender among 123 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Last year, despite a valiant effort on HBO’s Hard Knocks, Orchard was waived by the Browns and final cutdowns, and subsequently spent time with the Bills and Chiefs.
Seattle has a history of taking chances on former early-round defenders (Barkevious Mingo, Dion Jordan), and Orchard probably didn’t receive much — if any — guaranteed money. He’ll have to fight for special teams snaps in order to make the Seahawks’ roster.
Jaguars Sign OL Leonard Wester
The Jaguars have signed free agent offensive lineman Leonard Wester, the club announced today.
Wester spent the past three seasons with the Buccaneers before being non-tendered as a restricted free agent, and he’ll reunite with former Tampa Bay offensive line coach George Warhop, who now holds the same title in Jacksonville. While the Jaguars are set at left tackle with Cam Robinson, the club has a wide open slot on the right side following the release of Jermey Parnell, so Wester could compete for a starting job.
Wester, 26, went undrafted out of Missouri Western State in 2016. He’s appeared in 27 NFL games (all with the Buccaneers), but hasn’t been asked to play much of a significant role, as he’s made only one start during his career. In 2018, Wester played 116 offensive snaps, which marked a career-high, but Pro Football Focus assigned him a poor grade of 46.6 for his performance.
Before signing with the Jaguars, Wester also worked out for the Lions, Chiefs, and Falcons, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (Twitter links).
First Two AAF Players Sign NFL Deals
That didn’t take long. Just a few hours after the AAF announced it would allow players to start signing NFL contracts effective immediately, two players have already inked deals. 
The Chiefs are signing cornerback Keith Reaser, while the Panthers have added receiver Rashad Ross, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links). In a separate tweet, Schefter notes that Reaser is getting $100K upfront guaranteed in the form of various bonuses. That’s a significant chunk of change, and indicates Kansas City likely had competition for Reaser’s services.
Reaser comes from the Orlando Apollos, the team coached by Steve Spurrier that had the best regular season record before the AAF suspended operations. Ross comes from the Arizona Hotshots, and was one of the best players in the league before it shut down. He had multiple huge games, and was dominating AAF defenses.
Reaser spent parts of the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Chiefs, so there’s some familiarity there. He was originally drafted by the 49ers in the fifth round back in 2014. He spent most of the 2017 season on the practice squad, and was released with an injury settlement early last season. Ross was a 2013 undrafted free agent, who received his most run with the Redskins back in 2015 when he returned kicks and caught eight passes for 184 yards. The Arizona State product was with the Cardinals for part of last offseason, but hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since 2016.
The two are likely the first of many who will sign NFL contracts in the coming days and weeks. While the league was ultimately unsuccessful, it clearly was helpful to a good number of players in getting them back on NFL radars. Reaser has already landed more than an AAF salary, and there will surely be more to follow.
Seahawks Sign Cassius Marsh
Cassius Marsh is heading back to the team that drafted him. On Thursday, Marsh agreed to a one-year deal with the Seahawks, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com writes. 
Marsh was displaced in March when the 49ers acquired Dee Ford. By cutting the left outside linebacker, the Niners saved $4.7MM against the cap with just $900K left over in dead money.
Marsh, who turns 27 in July, will help to fill one of the Seahawks’ biggest needs. Last year, Marsh amassed 5.5 sacks, bringing his career total to 11.5 across 68 games. He also saw action on roughly 50% of the 49ers’ special teams plays a year ago, and has nearly reached the 80% ST threshold in prior seasons.
Marsh was unhappy during his nine-game stint with the Patriots and didn’t win much with the Niners last year, but he now has an opportunity to thrive opposite of Frank Clark.
Josh Sitton Retires From NFL
Josh Sitton is calling it a career. On Thursday, the four-time Pro Bowl guard announced his retirement from the NFL. 
In an interview on ESPN Wisconsin, Sitton dropped a double dose of major news. First, he announced the birth of his son. Then, he told the radio hosts that he was done with football.
Sitton, an 11-year vet, spent the first eight years of his career with the Packers. That run came to an end just before the 2016 season when the Packers made the surprising decision to release him. The next day, he inked a three-year, $21.75MM deal with the rival Bears. That deal was terminated after two seasons, leading to him signing with the Dolphins last year as a free agent.
Throughout his Packers tenure, Sitton was known for his toughness and durability. However, injuries have held him back in recent seasons. With the Bears, he still managed to play at a high level, but he missed six games across his two seasons in Chicago. Then, last year, he suffered a shoulder injury in Week 1 that sidelined him for the rest of the year.
Sitton is the fourth former Packers Pro Bowler to retire this offseason, joining fellow guard T.J. Lang, receiver Jordy Nelson and fullback John Kuhn. We here at PFR wish Sitton the best in retirement.
Chargers LB Kyle Emanuel Retires From NFL
Chargers free agent Kyle Emanuel won’t be signing with any club this offseason. On Thursday, the linebacker announced his retirement from the NFL via social media. 
“There is no specific reason why I came to this decision, but as I contemplated it this offseason, something told me it was time to walk away,” Emanuel wrote. “Although it wasn’t the sole reason, the injuries have started to pile up and I had to take my long-term health into consideration. I have no idea what will come next, which is scary and exciting at the same time, but I can’t wait to get started on whatever it is.”
Emanuel likely had opportunities to sign, so he’s not leaving the game for a lack of opportunity. The Raiders had interest in Kyle Emanuel early in free agency, as Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal tweets, and Lions came to the table with a stronger offer. Ultimately, he passed on both offers (and, potentially, an opportunity with the Saints) to focus on other endeavors.
Over four seasons with the Bolts, Emanuel appeared in 63 games with 33 starts. Last year, he finished out with 30 tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery.
We here at PFR wish Emanuel the best in retirement.