Steelers Trying To Trade S Morgan Burnett
The Steelers are going to have another high profile departure. Pittsburgh plans to release safety Morgan Burnett sometime before April 1st, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
Pittsburgh is still attempting to trade Burnett, as general manager Kevin Colbert explained to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette (Twitter link). But if the Steelers aren’t able to find a trade partner willing to take on Burnett, Colbert confirmed the club will release the veteran defensive back.
According to Burnett’s agent, the safety requested the move. A source told Fowler that “the team and player discussed trade possibilities before the release.” We heard a couple of months ago that Burnett was unhappy and wanted to be released, and now he’s getting his wish, although a bit later than he had hoped.
The safety market has been very active and was crowded to begin with, and there are still some big names available like Tre Boston and Eric Berry. As such, Burnett might have to wait a little while before finding a new home. Burnett apparently wanted to be released because he didn’t like that the Steelers were playing him at linebacker at times, and wanted to go to a team where he could be a full-time safety again.
When the move becomes official, Burnett will have made it just one year into the three-year, $14.5MM pact he signed last March. Burnett is 30 now, and not the player he once was with the Packers. He also missed five games with injury last year, and four games the year before that. Th 2010 third round pick had six passes defended and 30 tackles last year in his part-time role, although he did still receive slightly above average marks from Pro Football Focus.
Malcolm Mitchell Announces Retirement
Malcolm Mitchell is calling it a career. The 25-year-old wideout announced atTedxUGA (via RedandBlack.com) that he’s decided to retire.
The former Georgia standout joined the Patriots as a fourth-round pick during the 2016 draft. He proceeded to appear in 14 games (six starts) that season, hauling in 32 receptions for 401 yards and four touchdowns. He was also a standout during Super Bowl LI, catching six passes for 70 yards.
During that monumental comeback victory, Mitchell snared five fourth-quarter receptions, four of which going for first downs. But injuries did not allow him to build on that standout performance.
Mitchell missed the entire 2017 season after suffering a knee injury and underwent a knee procedure last July. The Patriots ultimately waived him in August, and the receiver hadn’t generated much interest since being a free agent.
Seahawks To Re-Sign DB Neiko Thorpe
Although Neiko Thorpe trekked to Buffalo for a Bills free agency visit this week, he will opt to stay with the Seahawks.
The veteran special-teamer agreed to terms to stay in Seattle on Saturday, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. This will mark the defensive back’s fourth season with the Seahawks.
A former Raiders contributor on defense, Thorpe has been a key presence on the Seahawks’ specialty units since joining the team in 2016. He was a Seahawks special teams captain in 2018.
There are now seven cornerbacks on the Seahawks’ roster. At 29, Thorpe is the oldest. He has made 19 tackles during his three seasons as a Seahawk, recovering a fumble in each campaign. This figures to be purely a special teams-related signing; Thorpe played 30 defensive snaps last season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/19
Today’s minor moves will be posted here:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Bryan Witzmann
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Andrew Donnal
Lions To Sign Rashaan Melvin
The Lions have been active in free agency, and they’re making another move. Detroit is signing cornerback Rashaan Melvin to a one-year deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Lions brought Melvin in for a visit on Wednesday, and apparently liked what they saw. Per Schefter, the deal will pay Melvin $3.5MM. Melvin comes to the Lions after spending the 2018 season with the Raiders. He began the year as a starter, but didn’t play well and was benched. He ended up making 14 appearances for Oakland, with seven starts.
His down year with the Raiders was somewhat surprising, since he was coming off a couple of strong years with the Colts. In 2017 he appeared in ten games, starting all ten, and had three interceptions with 13 passes defended. He got $5.5MM from the Raiders last offseason, so his most recent campaign clearly hurt his market value.
The Northern Illinois product will now get a much-needed fresh start. Overall, it’s a nice low-risk signing for a Lions team that is in the middle of rebuilding their defense in Matt Patricia’s vision. If Melvin can get back to his pre-2018 form, he could be a nice addition to Detroit’s secondary alongside Darius Slay.
Texans Sign Matt Kalil
The Texans signed free agent tackle Matt Kalil, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s likely to be a low-cost contract for Houston. 
The Panthers cut Kalil last week to save roughly $7MM, though they’ll eat $5MM in 2019 and $9MM in 2020 by designating him as a post-June 1 cut. The Panthers, apparently, viewed it as a necessary move after Kalil underperformed in his first year with the club and spent all of 2018 on injured reserve. Even under the best of circumstances, many thought it was unlikely that the veteran would ever live up to his five-year, $55MM deal.
Kalil started all 16 games in 2017 in his first year with the Panthers, but knee troubles cost him all of last year. It was never made clear exactly what the issue with Kalil’s knee was, but he’s apparently healthy enough to play now.
Kalil was a star at USC, and the Vikings took him fourth overall in the 2012 draft. He was a reliable starter his first few years, starting all 16 games in each of his first four seasons. But then Kalil played in just two games in 2016 while dealing with a hip injury, which made the Panthers’ decision to give him the massive deal even more puzzling. The Texans need all the offensive line help they can get, and Kalil is still only 29, so he could prove to be a nice reclamation project in Houston.
Bills To Sign Maurice Alexander
Maurice Alexander is trading the rain for the snow. On Friday, the former Seahawks safety inked a free agent deal with the Bills. It’s a one-year pact worth $1.375MM, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak (Twitter link). 
Interestingly, the Bills’ press release on Alexander lists him as a linebacker as opposed to a safety. That could be an indication that Alexander is slotted to be the backup weakside linebacker behind Matt Milano, if he is able to edge Corey Thompson for a roster spot. Ultimately, Alexander’s primary role may come on special teams, but time will tell.
Alexander, 28, started at strong safety and free safety for the Rams in 2016 and ’17. His best season came at strong safety in ’16 when he registered 50 tackles, four pass breakups, two interceptions, and a sack.
Raiders Sign Mike Glennon
The Raiders have signed quarterback Mike Glennon, per a club announcement. Terms of the deal are not yet known, but Glennon now appears primed to serve as the backup to starter Derek Carr. 
There has been a lot of talk about the Raiders targeting a top quarterback in the draft, but they now have a pretty full room with Derek Carr, Glennon, and Nathan Peterman on the depth chart. Now, perhaps, the Raiders will shift their attention to Day 3 QBs.
Glennon, entering his seventh year in the league, was originally a third-round selection of the Bucs in 2013. After signing a lucrative, yet ill-fated, free agent deal with the Bears in 2017, he hooked on with the Cardinals in 2018. For his career, Glennon owns a 6-16 record as a starter and was not a first-stringer for any of his appearances last year. Still, coaches have always had a soft spot for the 29-year-old, in part due to his 6’6″ frame.
So, for now, Glennon is set to be the No. 2 QB in Oakland. Of course, much can change between now and September, and some remain unconvinced that Carr will be the team’s starter in Week 1.
Bengals To Sign Kerry Wynn
Kerry Wynn is signing a one-year deal with the Bengals, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Giants hoped to keep the defensive lineman, but he’ll ply his craft in Cincinnati instead. 
Wynn spent five years with the Giants and totaled 4.5 sacks in that span. He’s not a household name, but he has the ability to play multiple spots in the defensive line and offers strong special teams help. After tying for second on the Giants with eight special teams stops in ’18, he figures to be an asset for the Bengals in the third facet of the game.
Meanwhile, the Giants will have to look elsewhere for defensive line help after losing out on Wynn and whiffing on Vinny Curry, who returned to the Eagles on Thursday.
Bills To Sign Jake Fisher
The Bills are making another move to help their offense. Buffalo is signing Jake Fisher to a one-year deal, according to his agent (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).
He worked out as a tight end for the Bills yesterday, and they apparently liked what they saw. Fisher had a workout with the Texans last week, but didn’t sign. Fisher spent the first four years of his career with the Bengals as an offensive tackle, and is now attempting to make the conversion to tight end.
Drafted in the second round out of Oregon back in 2015, Fisher never lived up to his draft status. He struggled in pass protection, and could never cement himself as a full-time starter. He started seven games in 2017, and just one game last year in 11 appearances.
We heard a few weeks ago that Fisher had begun running a few routes with NFL quarterbacks, and that he’d be attempting to reinvent himself as a blocking tight end. He finished last season on injured reserve with a back injury, but appears to be back to full health now.