Redskins Re-Sign Brian Quick
Brian Quick is back with the Redskins, according to an announcement from his agent. The Redskins released Quick in November of last year, but they want to take another look at him for depth at wide receiver. 
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Currently, the Redskins are pretty thin at wideout and the status of Paul Richardson and Robert Davis is uncertain as they rebound from serious injuries. There are also ankle injuries to Cam Sims and Trey Quinn to consider, so Quick at least has a path to making the final cut. Then again, a whole lot will change between now and September, so nothing is guaranteed for the veteran.
Quick, 30 in June, spent the first five years of his career with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams. In 2017, he hooked on with the Redskins, but injuries prevented him from ascending the depth chart. With the Rams, Quick had some promising moments, including a 41/564/3 line in his 2016 platform year.
Bengals Release Vontaze Burfict
It’s the end of an era in Cincinnati. On Monday, the Bengals released linebacker Vontaze Burfict. 
Burfict, one of the league’s most controversial players, has been a pillar of the Bengals’ defense throughout his seven year career.
Over the years, Burfict has helped to anchor the Bengals’ front seven with his hard-hitting style. Unfortunately, his aggression blurred the line when it comes to rules and safety regulations. In seven seasons, Burfict racked up whopping 14 total fines and/or suspensions from the league office, including three times in 2018. Last year, his sanctions resulted from PEDs and hits on Antonio Brown, James Conner, and Andy Janovich. All in all, Burfict lost $4.2MM and ten games for his violations.
By releasing Burfict before the final year of his contract, the Bengals will take on $1.8M in dead money. However, they’ll save $5.5M on this year’s cap. Meanwhile, Burfict should find a decent market for his services, though you can expect teams like the Steelers to pass on him given their history together.
Burfict, 29 in September, went undrafted in 2012 thanks to a bad showing at the combine and rumors of a failed drug test. Quickly, Burfict proved that belonged in the NFL. As a rookie, he compiled 127 stops in 16 games (14 starts) and followed up with a Pro Bowl nod and a league-leading 177 tackles in his second pro season.
When on the field, Burfict is a bonafide difference maker as a middle linebacker. But, because of his issues, Burfict may not garner offers with guarantees beyond 2019 like many of his MLB counterparts have this offseason.
Chiefs To Sign Bashaud Breeland
Former Packers cornerback Bashaud Breeland is signing with the Chiefs, a source tells ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter). It’s a one-year, incentive-laden deal that can be worth a max value of $5MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). 
Last year, Breeland had a bizarre journey through free agency. He entered March as one of the top cornerbacks available and the Panthers pounced quickly to sign the Redskins free agent to a three-year, $24MM deal. Unfortunately, the Panthers 86’d that deal after they discovered an infection in Breeland’s foot resulting from an off-the-field injury. Towards the end of September, the Packers inked Breeland to a minimum salary deal.
All in all, Breeland was on the field for just seven games (five starts), but he definitely made his presence known. Breeland had two picks and a fumble recovery in his short GB run.
Breeland should provide the Chiefs with additional firepower in the secondary after the release of Eric Berry. As it stands, Breeland projects to step into the starting lineup to replace Steven Nelson, who signed with the Steelers in free agency.
The Chiefs flirted with Breeland last season before he joined up with the Packers and they got their man less than a year later. He also has an old friend in Kendall Fuller, his ex-teammate in Washington.
Eagles’ Haloti Ngata Retires From NFL
After 13 years in the NFL, Haloti Ngata is calling it a career. On Monday morning, Ngata took to Instagram to bid farewell to the Eagles and the game he loves. 
“Just a man standing on top of the world with a heart full of gratitude,” Ngata wrote. “Thank you Lord for letting me play the game I love for 13 unforgettable years. I’m retiring on top. I might be finished playing football, but I’m holding tight to the friendships, memories and wisdom I’ve gained along the way.”
Ngata 35, enjoyed a long run as one of the league’s most feared defensive linemen. Over the course of his 13-year career, Ngata earned five Pro Bowl nods, two First-Team All-Pro selections, and captured a Super Bowl ring with the Ravens.
Last year, Ngata was initially set for a fill-in role with Philly, but he wound up seeing more snaps than expected while Tim Jernigan was sidelined. His final year ended with 17 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. He ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 55th best interior defender – a respectable placement for an aging veteran.
Ngata will be missed by the Eagles, though the recent addition of Malik Jackson and the continued presence of Fletcher Cox should offset the loss. It’s also likely that the Eagles will target defensive tackle help in the draft.
Giants To Re-Sign WR Cody Latimer
The Giants’ receiving corps will look quite different in 2019, but part of the previous group looks to be staying in the fold.
Cody Latimer revealed (via Instagram) he will be back with the Giants next season. Residing as a free agent after inking a one-year deal to join the Giants last season, Latimer is now in line to be part of the post-Odell Beckham Jr. Giants receiving corps.
This is likely another low-cost agreement for the Giants, who are thin on answers beyond Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate. Both Russell Shepard and Bennie Fowler previously joined Latimer as free agents. The Giants are bringing back RFA Corey Coleman, however. Latimer figures to join Coleman as depth.
A hamstring injury limited Latimer to six games last season, but despite the Giants being out of playoff contention during the season’s second half, they made him an IR-return candidate. Primarily known for his special teams work with the Broncos, the physically imposing target caught 11 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown during his Giants debut — which also came under former Broncos wideouts coach Tyke Tolbert.
A former second-round pick, Latimer has not panned out as a pass-catcher, having hauled in just 46 receptions for 635 yards in five seasons. This deal may not guarantee he makes the Giants’ roster, but it’s clear the organization likes what it saw during a limited sample last season.
Saints To Sign Nick Easton
The Saints are acting fast in their effort to replace Max Unger. They made the winning offer to sign Nick Easton, according to the lineman’s agent (Twitter link).
Easton will sign a four-year, $24MM deal with the Saints, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM Radio reports (on Twitter). Easton had been considering the Saints, Vikings and another team and had hoped to sign by Monday. While the NFL originally disapproved Easton’s deal with New Orleans over a minor incentive issue, the league has since officially announced the transaction.
Indeed, the Saints will install Easton at center, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Easton played both center and guard with the Vikings, his most recent season coming at guard. Easton missed all of 2018 with an injury. This $6MM-per-year pact represents a strong deal for a player who has not suited up since December 2017. A fractured ankle ended Easton’s 2017 season early, and a neck injury sidelined him throughout 2018.
This will add another veteran contract to New Orleans’ offensive line payroll. Easton Terron Armstead and Larry Warford up front for the Saints, and Andrus Peat is due to make more than $9MM this season on his fifth-year option. With 2017 first-rounder Ryan Ramczyk in place at right tackle, the Easton deal continues the franchise’s significant investment on its offensive front.
That has paid off in the recent past, however, given what Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram have achieved. Set for his age-27 season, Easton will now be involved in blocking for Kamara and former teammate Latavius Murray. While the Saints have been high on backup Cameron Tom, per The Athletic’s Larry Holder (via Twitter), a near-future promotion does not appear to be in order. Tom will likely stay on as a reserve option next season.
The Vikings submitted an offer to keep Easton in Minnesota, and the interior lineman’s defection is a blow to a less acclaimed offensive line. A UDFA out of Harvard, Easton started five games at center for the 2016 Vikings and was a 12-game starter in ’17.
Minnesota has not made any additions up front yet, despite this area being a major problem for last season’s underwhelming team. The contracts of Mike Remmers, Tom Compton and Brett Jones expired after last season, thinning out Minnesota’s guard options considerably. Josh Kline, however, recently appeared on the Vikings’ radar.
Steelers To Sign LB Mark Barron
The Steelers have agreed to sign linebacker Mark Barron to a two-year, $12MM deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Barron, 29, was released by the Rams earlier this month in a move that saved Los Angeles $6.5MM in cap space. He was due a $5MM base salary and a $3MM roster bonus in 2019, so Barron won’t recoup his single-season earnings under his new contact with the Steelers.
A former safety, Barron was traded from the Buccaneers to the Rams during the 2014 campaign. In each of his first two full seasons with Los Angeles, Barron posted at least 100 tackles, and compiled 16 tackles for loss in 2016. The No. 7 overall selection in the 2012 draft, Barron has 104 appearances and 93 starts under his belt.
Pittsburgh is in need of help at inside linebacker, as neither Vince Williams nor Jonathan Bostic graded as a top-40 LB league-wide in 2018, per Pro Football Focus. Specifically, the Steelers needed to reinforce their second-level pass defense after ranking 31st in DVOA against opposing tight ends and 15th against running backs, according to Football Outsiders.
The Steelers have only ~$6.8MM in cap space, so Barron’s deal — even if it likely has a cheap cap charge in 2019 — will push them closer to the brink. Given that he was cut, Barron won’t factor into Pittsburgh’s compensatory pick formula.
Dolphins Sign QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
The Dolphins have signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s a two-year, $11MM deal that could reach $17-20MM via incentives, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.
Miami traded former starter Ryan Tannehill and a 2019 seventh-round pick to the Titans on Friday, acquiring a 2019 sixth-rounder and a 2020 fourth-round pick while absorbing $5MM of Tannehill’s $7MM 2019 base salary. That left the Dolphins will only two quarterbacks on its roster: former sixth-rounders Jake Rudock and Luke Falk, who have combined to attempt five passes in the NFL (all by Rudock).
Fitzpatrick was the best signal-caller still available on the open market, especially after the Dolphins reportedly tried — and failed — to land both Tyrod Taylor and Teddy Bridgewater. Taylor opted to sign a two-year to backup Philip Rivers with the Chargers, while Bridgewater decided to return to New Orleans on a one-year, fully guaranteed $7.25MM contract.
Fitzpatrick excelled — at times — with the Buccaneers in 2018, but after what was an uneven overall campaign, Tampa Bay indicated it would deploy Jameis Winston as its full-time starter for the upcoming season. Ever mercurial, Fitzpatrick started the first three games of the year while Winston was on suspension, and tossed 11 touchdowns against four interceptions while completing more than 70% of his passes.
Things unraveled against a league-best Bears defense in Week 4, and Fitzpatrick lost his job to Winston. The 36-year-old Fitzpatrick relieved a struggling Winston in Week 7 versus the Bengals and threw four touchdowns the following week, but after five total interceptions in Weeks 9-10, Fitzpatrick was permanently demoted. All told, Fitzpatrick finished the year having completed 66.7% of his passes for 2,366 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 12 picks.
The addition of Fitzpatrick shouldn’t preclude the Dolphins from selecting a quarterback early in the 2019 draft, but it’s unclear if they plan to do so. Miami is embarking on a full-scale rebuild, so the club may attempt to bottom out this season in an effort to compile more long-term assets.
Raiders Release Donald Penn
Donald Penn‘s run with the Raiders will end after five seasons. Days after signing Trent Brown, the Raiders are planning to release Penn, Vic Tafur of The Athletic tweets. The Raiders and Penn confirmed the move.
Penn’s Twitter post about his Raiders exit indicates he does not plan to retire. It also appears to state, through some additional capitalized letters, a desire to return to left tackle in 2019.
Involved in contract issues with the Raiders in each of the past two summers, Penn nevertheless retained his spot on their starting offensive line. Jon Gruden moved him from left to right tackle last season. The Raiders drafted tackles with their first two 2018 picks and authorized a tackle-record deal for Brown earlier this week. This pretty well indicated Penn’s time in Oakland was ending.
The soon-to-be 36-year-old blocker had $7.2MM coming his way this season. The Raiders will save $5.5MM by making this move. Penn’s redone contract guaranteed him $1.75MM in 2019, but he will have to continue his career elsewhere. For the Raiders, this bumps them back above $35MM in cap space.
Penn’s Raiders tenure included two Pro Bowls, in 2016 and ’17, but ended with an early-season injury in 2018. He started just four games last season, the injury leading second-round pick Brandon Parker into the starting lineup. Parker may now be set for a swing role, with Brown and Kolton Miller seemingly entrenched as the Silver and Black’s starters.
A longtime Buccaneers blocker, Penn arrived in Oakland in 2014 and was soon part of a top-tier offensive line. The Raiders in 2016-17 deployed three Pro Bowlers — Penn, Kelechi Osemele and Rodney Hudson — and in ’16 featured higher-end right-side blockers in Gabe Jackson and Austin Howard.
Penn, who also caught two touchdown passes as a Raider, started 66 games during his five-season run in Oakland. After this move and Osemele being traded to the Jets, only Hudson and Jackson remain from the Raiders’ 2016 playoff line.
Saints C Max Unger To Retire
The Saints’ starting center for the past four years, Max Unger will call it quits. The 10-year veteran will announce his retirement, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Unger now resides on the reserve/retired list, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Unger made the Pro Bowl this past season and had one year remaining on his contract. The soon-to-be 33-year-old blocker had only missed one game during his Saints tenure.
Traded from Seattle to New Orleans in the Jimmy Graham-headlined deal four years ago, Unger became one of the Saints’ constants. His 2018 Pro Bowl was the third of his career, with the other two such honors having come when he was a Seahawk.
A 2009 second-round pick, Unger started all 130 games in which he played. He was a key part of the Saints’ revitalized running game, helping Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram form one of the league’s best backfield tandems in years. The Saints still have the other four members of their past two starting offensive lines under contract — Terron Armstead, Larry Warford, Andrus Peat and Ryan Ramczyk — but now have a need at center. This comes after Peat’s fifth-year option salary ($9.6MM) became fully guaranteed earlier this week.
The Saints appear to have known about this for a bit, considering the team hosted free agent interior lineman Nick Easton on a visit. Easton, who has played center and guard, has yet to decide on his next home. However, the Vikings submitted an offer late this week.
Unger’s retirement stands to free up $6.95MM in cap space. In the final season of a four-year, $24.9MM contract, Unger was to count $8.7MM against New Orleans’ cap.
Cameron Tom and Will Clapp, a 2017 UDFA and a 2018 seventh-round pick, respectively, reside as the other centers on the Saints’ roster. They have a combined two games’ worth of starting experience. Though, turning to one of these two (or a to-be-determined rookie) would help the two-time reigning NFC South champions devote some additional resources elsewhere, with their line still housing two veteran salaries and now a fifth-year option price tag.