RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/19
Here are Tuesday’s moves involving restricted and exclusive-rights free agents:
ERFA
Non-tendered:
- Jaguars: WR Jaydon Mickens (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
RFA
Non-tendered:
- Dolphins: LB Mike Hull (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald)
WR Breshad Perriman Backs Out Of Browns Deal, Will Sign With Buccaneers
It sounds like Breshad Perriman has gotten his wish. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Browns general manager John Dorsey and agent Drew Rosenhaus “mutually agreed to not to follow through on verbal agreement.” Perriman will now sign a one-year, $4MM deal with the Buccaneers.
Perriman was set to re-sign with Cleveland on a one-year, $4MM deal. However, his role naturally changed following the Browns’s acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr., and subsequent reports indicated that the 25-year-old wanted out of his verbal commitment. The Browns apparently granted his wish, and the wideout will now be heading to Florida.
The former first-rounder disappointed during his tenure with the Ravens, but he showed some intrigue during his stint with the Browns. Perriman proceeded to play in 10 games (two starts) for Cleveland after joining the organization in October, hauling in 16 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns.
While targets may have been limited in Cleveland, Perriman should have an opportunity to establish a role in Tampa Bay. After trading DeSean Jackson and watching Adam Humphries sign with the Titans, the Bucs now lack depth behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Cairo Santos To Re-Sign With Buccaneers
Cairo Santos will re-sign with the Buccaneers, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Greg Auman of The Athletic first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal, and Auman added that it is expected to be a one-year pact. (Twitter link).
The 27-year-old has bounced around the NFL since being waived by the Chiefs in 2017. Over the past year, Santos has had separate stints with the Jets, Rams, and Buccaneers. He joined Tampa in November following the release of Chandler Catanzaro, and the veteran proceeded to be a solid addition for his new squad.
In seven games, Santos connected on nine of his 12 field goal attempts, and he converted all 17 of his extra point tries. Santos completed at least 80-percent of his field goal attempts during his first three seasons in the NFL, and some stability may allow him to return to that level.
Buccaneers To Re-Sign Kevin Minter
The Buccaneers will re-sign linebacker Kevin Minter, as Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets. Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports that it’s a one-year deal for the seventh-year pro.
Minter joined the Bucs last October, and like fellow Tampa Bay signee Deone Bucannon, he will be reunited with head coach Bruce Arians. Minter played for Arians’ Cardinals from 2013-16 (Minter’s first four years in the league), and he had 175 total tackles during the 2015-16 seasons as a full-time starter.
Playing time has been more difficult to come by since then, but he may get a chance to fill the void left by Kwon Alexander, who agreed to sign with the 49ers.
Browns To Re-Sign LB Ray-Ray Armstrong
Ray-Ray Armstrong is heading back to Cleveland. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets that the linebacker is set to re-sign with the Browns. It will be a one-year deal worth $2.25MM.
Armstrong has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Miami in 2013. After spending about a season with the Giants, the linebacker was released by New York back in October. He ended up landing in Cleveland, and he proceeded to compile six tackles in nine games with this new club.
Armstrong is only one season removed from a 2017 campaign where he collected 64 tackles, one sacks, two passes defended, and two picks in 15 games with the 49ers and Giants. He’s lacked consistency throughout his career, but some stability could help him build off that 2017 season.
The Browns could certainly use some depth at linebacker. The team is currently only rostering five ‘backers in Genard Avery, Joe Schobert, Christian Kirksey, D’Juan Hines, and Xavier Woodson-Luster. While Armstrong shouldn’t be relied on as a starter, he’ll provide the team with some solid depth in 2019.
Colts Re-Sign Chris Milton
The Colts have re-signed special-teamer Christopher Milton, per Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).
It’s a one-year, $1.75MM pact for Milton, who is a cornerback by trade. Milton played just 55 defensive snaps last season but was in on over 60% of Indianapolis’ special teams snaps.
The former UDFA out of Georgia Tech spent part of his 2016 rookie campaign on the practice squad before being promoted. He has now established himself as a worthy ST contributor and can still provide depth in the secondary if needed.
Steelers To Re-Sign LB Anthony Chickillo
Anthony Chickillo is sticking around Pittsburgh. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Steelers are re-signing the linebacker. It’s a two-year deal worth $8MM. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets that the Patriots were also in on Chickillo, and extended him a similar offer, but Chickillo wanted to win with Pittsburgh. He said, “it’s funny everybody’s counting us out. You still have to play the games.”
The 26-year-old has spent his entire four-year career with the Steelers. After being selected in the sixth-round of the 2015 draft, the Miami product has developed into a reliable backup linebacker.
In 2018, Chickillo appeared in 16 games for a second-straight season, compiling 24 tackles and two passes defended. Pro Football Focus ranked him 40th among 103 eligible edge defenders.
With Chickillo back on board, the Steelers will have the ability to turn to him or Olasunkanmi Adeniyi to back up starters Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt. Fellow linebacker L.J. Fort is also a free agent, and there have been some rumblings that Pittsburgh could look to bring him back.
49ers, Chiefs Agree To Dee Ford Trade
The Chiefs will send Dee Ford to San Francisco. The 49ers have agreed to send their 2020 second-round pick to the Chiefs for the franchise-tagged pass rusher, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. We heard earlier tonight that the two sides were discussing a trade.
The teams have agreed on compensation, and it sounds like the 49ers and Ford have agreed to an extension. ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that Ford has signed a five-year, $87.5MM deal with his new squad. Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo tweets that the deal contains around $45MM in guaranteed money.
The 49ers are in need of edge-rushing talent, and Ford would certainly fit the bill. Ford registered a career-high 13 sacks last season, making his first Pro Bowl. Ford played in a 4-3 at Auburn and, interestingly, would be a full-time end in the 49ers’ 4-3. Beyond Ford, the Chiefs have 2018 second-round pick Breeland Speaks and 2017 second-rounder Tanoh Kpassagnon. Those two have combined for 3.5 sacks in three seasons.
The Chiefs had reportedly been shopping Ford even they slapped him with a franchise tag that will pay him up a bit more than $15MM. The front office had reportedly been seeking a second-rounder in exchange for Ford, but there were some pundits who believed that organization may have to settle for a third-rounder plus another asset. Ultimately, it sounds like San Francisco was willing to meet Kansas City’s asking price.
The Chiefs pass-rushing corps will look a whole lot different next season. The team recently released Justin Houston, leaving the team with few edge defenders on the roster.
Titans To Sign Cameron Wake
Cameron Wake is finally changing teams. The longtime Dolphins sack artist has a deal in place with the Titans, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Wake will sign a three-year, $23MM deal to help anchor Tennessee’s pass rush. We learned last week that Wake would not be re-signing with the Dolphins, the only team he has ever known, and he predictably had multiple clubs interested in his services.
Wake posted just six sacks last season after back-to-back double-digit campaigns, and he is 37. But he still offers plenty of ability, even if Tennessee may need to limit his snap count to keep him fresh. Pro Football Focus was especially bullish on his 2018 performance, ranking him as the 16th-best edge defender out of 113 eligible players.
Plus, he is a capable edge setter against the run, so it’s not as though the Titans will be forced to deploy him only in passing situations. The five-time Pro Bowler, who has one First Team All-Pro bid to his credit, also has a reputation as a sure tackler, making him a pretty complete all-around player.
However, he has just one career playoff appearance in his 10 years in the league, so one would think he could have chosen a club that profiled as a more legitimate contender. The Titans narrowly missed the playoffs last season, but they do not look like an outfit that is especially well-equipped to make a deep postseason run at the moment.
Wake has 98 sacks in his career, good for 33rd all-time, and he could climb into the top-25 with a quality season in Nashville.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Giants Trade Odell Beckham Jr. To Browns
Odell Beckham Jr. is finally on the move. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that the Giants are trading the wide receiver to the Browns.
It sound like New York has received a relative haul for their star receiver. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Giants will be receiving a 2019 first-rounder (No. 17 overall), a 2019 third-rounder (No. 95), and safety Jabrill Peppers. The deal will leave $16MM in dead money for the Giants, who inked the receiver to a five-year, $95 million contract ($65MM guaranteed) back in August. The move will open up $5MM in cap space, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
This would seem to be a relatively big haul for Beckham, especially when you consider what the Steelers recently received for Antonio Brown. While Brown is older and desired a new contract, Pittsburgh was still only able to fetch a third-round pick (No. 66 overall) and fifth-round pick (No. 141) from the Raiders. Of course; Beckham may also be seeking a new deal; NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the receiver is expected to ask Cleveland for a new contract.
There had been conflicting reports regarding Beckham’s availability in recent days. Despite general manager Dave Gettleman‘s consistent insistence that Beckham was not available, we learned yesterday that the Giants had been discussing a trade. We heard earlier today that an AFC North team was engaged in conversations with the Giants, and we’ve now learned that the team was Cleveland.
The Browns seemed like a relatively natural fit for Beckham and his $18MM salary. Despite signing Jarvis Landry to a lucrative deal last offseason, Cleveland’s front office was still hunting around for a big-name addition. The 26-year-old surely fits that bill, as he’ll team up with Landry, quarterback Baker Mayfield, and running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to form one of the more talented offenses in the NFL.
The 26-year-old was still productive in 2018 despite missing four games due to a quad injury. In 12 games, Beckham hauled in 77 receptions for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns. The former first-rounder is all over the Giants all-time leaders list, with top-five appearances in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions.
While the focus of the trade will surround Beckham, Peppers is an intriguing inclusion in the deal. The former Michigan standout had spent the first two seasons of his career in Cleveland, including a 2018 campaign where he compiled 79 tackles, one sack, and five passes defended. While the 23-year-old hasn’t necessarily displayed the talent that earned him a first-round selection, he’s still an intriguing asset for the Giants. While the team recently added Antoine Bethea, Peppers could theoretically supplant Michael Thomas in the starting lineup.