Minor NFL Transactions: 3/7/19
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LB Justin March-Lillard, DB Darian Thompson
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: LS Casey Kreiter
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: LS Matt Overton
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DB Harold Jones-Quartey
Titans Sign P Brett Kern To Extension
The Titans have reached a long-term extension with punter Brett Kern, the club announced today. It’s a four-year worth $12.55MM, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who adds Kern will receive a $2.2MM signing bonus.
Kern had already been under contract for 2019, so his extension will keep him in Tennessee through the 2023 campaign. In terms of new money, Kern will now earn roughly $3.14MM per season, a slight bump over his previous annual average of $3MM. That annual salary will keep him at sixth place among punters in yearly pay.
Kern, 33, originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2008, spending parts of two seasons in Denver before being claimed off waivers by the Titans in 2009. He’s now been in Tennessee for more than a decade, and posted his best performances in recent years, earning a second-team All-Pro nod in 2017 and Pro Bowl berths in both 2017 and 2018.
Last year, Kern ranked eighth in the league with a 41.7-yard net punting average and dropped 39 punts inside his opponents’ 20-yard line, good for second in the NFL. According to Football Outsiders’ special teams metrics, the Titans’ punt unit as a whole ranked roughly average, finishing 15th in point of field position added.
Steelers, Ramon Foster Agree To Extension
It’s a busy day in Pittsburgh. After reaching an extension with Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers agreed to a new two-year, $8.25MM deal with Ramon Foster, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Before the deal, Foster was set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13. 
[RELATED: Steelers, Maurkice Pouncey Agree To Extension]
Ben Roethlisberger‘s front line is now well set for the next couple of years. Foster, who earned $3.591MM last season, is now inked through his age-35 campaign.
Foster has been largely healthy throughout his Steelers career and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 16 ranked guard in the NFL last season. His pass blocking, in particular, was exceptional. Foster’s 84.5 pass blocking score was good for seventh amongst all qualified guards, per PFF, slotting him ahead of big names like Brandon Scherff, Quenton Nelson, and Andrew Norwell.
Meanwhile, tomorrow figures to be even busier for the Steelers. The club intends to trade star wide receiver Antonio Brown by the end of the week and they’re reportedly pushing for a first-round pick in return.
Steelers, Maurkice Pouncey Agree To Extension
The Steelers and Pro-Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey have agreed to a two-year extension worth $22MM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With a new money average of $11MM per season, Pouncey is slated to become the NFL’s highest-paid center in 2020, provided that he is not leapfrogged in the interim. Pouncey was already signed through 2019, so the new pact will take him through the 2021 season.
Pouncey, not to be confused with brother Mike Pouncey of the Chargers, has been with the Steelers since being drafted No. 18 overall in 2010. He has earned a Pro Bowl nod in every full season since then, giving him seven selections in total. Pouncey also earned First-Team All-Pro honors in 2011 and 2014.
Last year, Pouncey ranked as the No. 14 center in the NFL, a bit below his usual spot. Still, he passed the Steelers’ naked eye test and the club is moving to keep the 29-year-old (30 this summer) in the fold for years to come.
Earlier this week, the Steelers took another step towards continuity on the offensive line by assigning a second-round tender to B.J. Finney.
49ers Exercise Options On Juszczyk, Watson
The 49ers decided to get a good deal of their housekeeping done on Thursday. Per a team announcement, the club has made the following transactions:
Tendered:
- RB Raheem Mostert (RFA)
- LB Elijah Lee (ERFA)
- DB Greg Mabin (ERFA)
Exercised 2019 Options:
- FB Kyle Juszczyk
- DL Cassius Marsh
- LB Dekoda Watson
- CB K’Waun Williams
Declined 2019 option
- WR Pierre Garcon (story)
For the most part, these were no-brainer calls for SF. Mostert, Lee, and Mabin will all return on cheap one-year deals that require little in the way of actual commitments. Juszczyk, signed to a four-year, $21MM deal in 2017, is regarded as one of the very best fullbacks in the NFL and graded out as the second-best in the league last year, per Pro Football Focus. who rejoiced when he was cut by the Pats and claimed by the Niners in 2017, tallied a career-high 5.5 sacks in 2018.
Dolphins Release Ted Larsen
The Dolphins are cutting guard Ted Larsen, a league source tells Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Dolphins also made their release of defensive end Andre Branch official. Between the two cuts, the Dolphins will save $9.15MM in cap space for 2019. 
Larsen, 32 in June, joined the ‘Fins on a three-year free agent deal in March of 2017. Unfortunately, he was plagued by injuries in his first year and underperformed in 2018. Last year, Larsen graded out as the second-worst qualified guard in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. For the Dolphins, this move was something of a no-brainer – dropping the veteran meant $2.125MM in savings versus $417K in dead money.
Branch signed a three-year, $24MM deal with the Dolphins in 2017, the same year as Larsen, but he hasn’t been worth the coin. After starting all 14 of his games in 2017, the 29-year-old only started one of his 14 games in 2018. Branch finished the 2018 campaign with 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Jets Tender Robby Anderson
The Jets announced that they have applied the second-round tender to wide receiver Robby Anderson. The one-year tender will pay Anderson $3.095MM for the upcoming season. 
As a restricted free agent, Anderson can negotiate with any club through April 19. If he signs an offer sheet with a new club, the Jets could match the offer to keep him. If the Jets do not match such an offer, they will receive a second-round draft choice. While Anderson has talent, it seems unlikely that a team will offer him substantial money and forfeit a valuable second-round pick in order to add him.
Anderson, 26 in May, made some noise in 2017 with 63 catches for 941 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a quieter year in 2018, even as his off-the-field antics made noise in the New York tabloids. He finished out last season with a 50/752/6 stat line across 14 games. With upwards of $100MM in cap room – and even more flexibility remaining – the Jets can easily afford to keep Anderson in the fold at a ~$3MM rate.
In addition to Anderson, the Jets have also retained all nine of their exclusive-rights free agents:
- QB Davis Webb
- WR Deontay Burnett
- RB De’Angelo Henderson
- OL Ben Braden
- DL Bronson Kaufusi
- LB Frankie Luvu
- LB Anthony Wint
- CB Jeremy Clark
- S Doug Middleton
DRC Ends Retirement; Wants To Play In 2019
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie‘s retirement didn’t last long. The cornerback has been reinstated and wants to play in 2019, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
DRC, 33 in April, abruptly retired from football in late October. His announcement came days after Raiders coach Jon Gruden did not use him on a single snap in a one-sided loss to the Colts. It appears that the cornerback still has the passion to play, just not for the Raiders.
In 2017, Rodgers-Cromartie appeared in 15 games (six starts) for the Giants, managing 31 tackles, a half-sack, and one pass defensed while grading as the NFL’s No. 58 cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. Still, the signs of aging were there. On 25 targets, DRC allowed 7.2 yards per pass, more than double his 2016 average of 3.5. DRC also made headlines as he butted heads with coach Ben McAdoo and was briefly suspended by the team. Then, last year, he didn’t do a whole lot for the Raiders’ sagging defense.
The two-time Pro Bowler figures to draw interest on the open market, though he might have to wait until the second wave of free agency to find a home.
Buccaneers Pick Up Demar Dotson’s Option
The Buccaneers picked up the 2019 option on Demar Dotson‘s contract, according to a team announcement. With that, the right tackle will remain in the fold this season with a $4.8MM cap number. 
Per the terms of Dotson’s deal, the Bucs had until March 12 to trigger the additional year. However, the Bucs did not feel the need to wait until the eve of free agency to make the decision. Given the inflation of this year’s tackle market, it was an easy choice for Tampa to keep the 6’9″ starter on a relatively cheap deal.
Last year, Dotson missed 18 regular season games between 2015-2017, but missed only one contest in 2018. Playing opposite of Donovan Smith – who inked a lucrative new deal with the club on Tuesday – Dotson graded out as the 44th best tackle in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
Dotson, 34 in October, has been with the Bucs since joining the club as an undrafted free agent in 2009.
Giants Tender WR Corey Coleman
The Giants aren’t letting Corey Coleman get away. On Thursday, the G-Men applied the original round tender to the former first-round wide receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Because Coleman was a first-round selection, another team would have to give the Giants a first-round pick in order to sign Coleman and nullify his one-year, $2.03MM offer sheet. Needless to say, no team will be willing to pay that price for the Baylor product.
The Browns made Coleman a first-round pick in 2016, but he didn’t do a whole lot at the NFL level. As a rookie, he recorded 33 catches for 413 yards and three touchdowns, all of which still stand as career highs. After bouncing around with the Bills and Patriots, he hooked on with the Giants’ practice squad in October. He was quickly promoted to the varsity squad and recorded five catches for 71 yards across eight games. Coleman also averaged 26 yards on his 23 kickoff returns last year, so he figures to have a role on special teams in 2019.