Raiders To Sign LB Brandon Marshall
The Raiders have reached an agreement on a deal with linebacker Brandon Marshall, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Marshall will receive a one-year deal worth up to $4.1MM. 
Marshall met with the Raiders on Thursday and, like Isaiah Crowell, quickly agreed to a deal with the club. There’s no word on his guarantees just yet, but Marshall has some decent upside in his contract with the Raiders.
Marshall, who compiled 102 tackles and three sacks in 2017, would help a linebacker group that recently added Vontaze Burfict on a low-cost deal. And, like Burfict, he could be a solid value for Oakland. Marshall battled through injuries during the 2018 season and appeared in just eleven games.
Marshall finished out 2018 with only 42 tackles, his lowest total since he became a starter during the 2014 season. Still, the former fifth-rounder proved that he can be a difference maker when he’s at full strength – Marshall finished with at least 100 tackles in each of his three healthiest seasons.
Eagles Re-Sign TE Richard Rodgers
The Eagles are bringing back tight end Richard Rodgers. On Thursday, the club announced a new two-year deal for the 27-year-old. 
[RELATED: Eagles Wanted To Keep Nick Foles Away From Giants, Redskins]
Rodgers, a former third-round pick of the Packers, inked a one-year deal with the Eagles last year. Unfortunately, a knee injury cut his first season in Philly short. After recording just one catch for seven yards, Rodgers is eager to show what he can do in green and white.
Rodgers’ best season to date came in 2015, when he hauled in 58 receptions for 510 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had a quietly productive 30/271/2 stat line in 2016. He never quite lived up to expectations in Green Bay, but he could make for a fine supporting TE behind Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert if healthy.
In other Eagles news, the club plans to keep Brandon Graham at defensive end, despite sometimes using him on the inside last year. The Eagles are also looking to extend Carson Wentz, despite his troubling injury history.
Raiders To Sign RB Isaiah Crowell
The Raiders are set to sign former Jets running back Isaiah Crowell, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). When finalized, it’ll be a one-year deal worth up to $2.5MM. 
Crowell visited the Raiders on Thursday and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. Crowell now has an opportunity to take over as the Raiders’ top running back with Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin both in free agent limbo.
Head coach Jon Gruden has indicated that he would like to retain both Lynch and Martin, but he also said the same of tight end Jared Cook, who has since left to join the Saints. There’s also the draft to consider, so the returns of those two vets are far from guaranteed.
The Jets released Crowell earlier this offseason after his first and only campaign with the club. Crowell did well on a per-carry basis in New York, matching his career high with 4.8 yards per carry. But, the Jets gave the 2018 free agent acquisition a career-low 143 carries. Crowell, 26, finished with 685 yards and the Jets replaced him with Le’Veon Bell.
Crowell has 27 career rushing touchdowns and surpassed 850 ground yards in his final two Browns seasons, doing so despite the team often trailing in a 1-31 stretch. He might not be the sexiest name out there, but he could help to fortify the Raiders’ running game.
Cowboys Trade For Dolphins’ Robert Quinn
The Cowboys are set to acquire pass-rusher Robert Quinn from the Dolphins, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Dolphins will receive a 2020 sixth-rounder in return, tweets ESPN’s Todd Archer. 
The Saints also showed interest in Quinn, but he’ll take his talents to Dallas instead. He’ll receive a new one-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Calvin Watkins of The Athletic tweets that the deal will reduce Quinn’s salary from $11.1MM to $8MM. The Dolphins also picked up the veteran’s $1.12MM roster bonus, according to Albert Breer (via Twitter).
The Cowboys tagged Demarcus Lawrence earlier this month, but the star edge defender has said in the past that he will not sign a one-year tender. Lawrence also recently upped his asking price, which further complicates matters. Meanwhile, Randy Gregory and David Irving have both been hit with indefinite suspensions, so the Cowboys badly needed someone like Quinn on the D-Line.
In 2013, Quinn earned All-Pro acclaim with 19 sacks and seven forced fumbles. He hasn’t matched that level of production in recent years, though Quinn still has a respectable 15 sacks combined over the last two seasons. He did his best work in a 4-3 scheme, so there’s reason to believe that he can thrive in Dallas.
Quinn’s 6.5 sacks in 2018 weren’t a head-turner, but he did tie for 20th among DEs with 24 quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, assigned Quinn the 19th-highest pass-rush grade among 103 qualifying edge rushers. Quinn is still only entering his age-29 campaign, so he’s a player that could be in the Cowboys’ plans for years to come.
Panthers Re-Sign Cameron Artis-Payne
The Panthers have re-signed running back Cameron Artis-Payne, according to his agents at Element Sports Group. Artis-Payne will provide support on the Panthers’ RB depth chart, behind starter Christian McCaffrey. 
Artis-Payne has had some success running the ball in limited snaps with the Panthers. In 2015, his first NFL season, Payne averaged 4.1 yards per carry off of 45 tries. His reps fell off from there, but he still boasts a respectable 4.2 yards per tote average.
He might not get a ton of opportunities in 2019 either, given the way McCaffrey performed last year. As an NFL sophomore, McCaffrey nearly totaled 1,110 yards on the ground with seven touchdowns. He also added 107 catches, 867 yards, and six receiving touchdowns, positioning him as the Panthers’ bell cow.
After Kenjon Barner left for the Falcons, the Panthers have just two other RBs under contract in Elijah Hood and Reggie Bonnafon.
Jordy Nelson Retires From NFL
Jordy Nelson is calling it a career. The longtime Packers standout wide receiver is retiring from football, according to former teammate James Jones (on Twitter). 
Nelson leaves the sport with more than 8,500 receiving yards, 72 touchdowns, and a Super Bowl ring.He spent the majority of his career with the Packers – from 2008-2017 – before hooking on with the Raiders last year. He didn’t look like his old self in Oakland, however, as he finished out with just 63 catches and 739 yards with one score. He also had a down year in 2017 (53/482/6), though most of his passes were thrown by quarterbacks other than Aaron Rodgers in his final year with the Packers.
The former second-round pick and Super Bowl hero caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 TDs during his last full season with Rodgers. But, as he approaches his 34th birthday in May, Nelson wants to move on to other endeavors.
The Raiders dropped Nelson on March 14, despite a late-December proclamation that he would return to the club. In fact, the Raiders even gave him his $3.6MM roster bonus early, a seemingly sure sign that he would be on the roster this year. However, things changed in March after the Raiders acquired Antonio Brown and signed slot weapon Tyrell Williams in free agency.
We here at PFR wish Nelson the best in retirement.
Colts Sign Justin Houston
The Colts have reached agreement on a deal with former Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a two-year, $24MM deal, Schefter adds (Twitter link). 
The deal includes $18.5MM in total guarantees, according to Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter). That’s a larger-than-expected guarantee for Houston, who did not have a ton of suitors following his release from Kansas City.
The Chiefs tried to trade Houston this offseason, but no club was willing to take on his $15.25MM base salary. On March 10, they released him outright. By cutting Houston, the Chiefs saved $14MM in cap space while absorbing $7.1MM in dead money.
Houston led the NFL with 22 sacks in 2014, but his free agent market has been eerily quiet over the last couple of weeks. Now, he’ll join the Colts as he enters his age-30 campaign.
The Colts recently explored a trade for Dee Ford, Schefter notes (on Twitter), but they ultimately held on to their draft picks and landed his former Chiefs teammate.
Houston can still be an effective player, as evidenced by his 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s 14th-best edge defender last year, and his presence should go a long way towards bolstering the Colts’ lackluster pass rush. And, while a 4-3 scheme might not be a perfect fit for Houston, he can still be a disruptor in Matt Eberflus‘ system.
The addition of Houston may also alter the Colts’ draft plans. The Colts may still look for a young edge rusher in April, but having Houston on the roster may allow them to stand pat at No. 26 rather than trading up for an upper-echelon prospect.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/26/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Damiere Byrd
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers from Chiefs: T Dillon Gordon
Bills Release Chris Ivory
The Bills have released running back Chris Ivory, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ivory was no longer needed in Buffalo after the club signed Frank Gore this offseason to support LeSean McCoy. 
Ivory, 31, amassed just 385 yards and one touchdown last year with an average of 3.3 yards per carry. Given the presence of Gore and Ivory’s scheduled $2.9MM cap hit, this was pretty much a no-brainer for the Bills. By releasing Ivory, the Bills will save $2.156MM against just $750K in dead money.
The Bills have upwards of $35MM in cap space after releasing the veteran, putting them in the same tier as the Browns, Titans, Jets, and Raiders, who are all hovering around ~$30MM in room. The Colts, Texans, and 49ers currently lead the way, though there’s a big gap between Indy and everyone else. The Colts have a projected $74.5MM in cash to work with after sitting on their cash stockpile in the early stretch of free agency.
Saints To Sign Jared Cook
The Saints are close to a deal with free agent tight end Jared Cook, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). When the deal is inked on Tuesday, it’ll be a two-year contract worth $15.5MM, including $8MM fully guaranteed in Year 1, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With incentives, Cook can earn up to $19MM between now and the end of the 2020 season.
Cook, 31, just wrapped up the best season of his NFL career, leading the Raiders in receptions (68), receiving yardage (896), and receiving touchdowns (6). Cook ranked as a top-five tight end league-wide in all three of those categories, while Pro Football Focus grades him ninth at his position. Additionally, Cook finished fifth among NFL tight ends in Football Outsiders’ DYAR — which measures value over a replacement level player — and 11th in DVOA, which quantifies value on a per-play basis.
The Saints are losing Ben Watson to retirement, but still have Josh Hill, Garrett Griffin, and Dan Arnold at tight end. Cook, clearly, would represent an upgrade over any of those options, and would project to see the majority of snaps and targets at the position in New Orleans.
A number of free agent tight ends — Jesse James, Tyler Kroft, and Nick Boyle among them — received multi-year deals worth $6-7MM annually, and Cook managed to top figures. Heading into free agency, he was widely viewed as the top tight end available on the open market.
New Orleans originally hosted Cook when the free agent market opened last Wednesday. At the time, both the incumbent Raiders and the Patriots were believed to be “monitoring” Cook’s market. There was some speculation that the Patriots would circle back to Cook in the wake of Rob Gronkowski’s retirement, but Cook kept his word and remained committed to the Saints.