Raiders Tender RB Jalen Richard, CB Daryl Worley
The Raiders placed second-round tenders on both running back Jalen Richard and cornerback Darryl Worley. Both players are now earmarked for one-year, $3.095MM deals with Oakland, unless they are signed to an offer sheet from a club willing to surrender a second-round pick. Meanwhile, Raiders safety Erik Harris received one-year, $2.025MM original round tender as a restricted free agent.
The move to tender Worley at the second-round level is a bit of a head scratcher. In his case, an original round tender would have called for another club to surrender a third-round pick to sign him. That would have been ample protection for a player who graded out as the seventh-worst cornerback in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus, but the Raiders took the extra step of protecting him with the second-round level tender. Ultimately, it will eat up about $1MM extra in cap space, and small missteps like that tend to add up.
The decision to protect Richard, a former UDFA, with the second-round tender makes more sense. Last year, Richard managed 4.7 yards per carry in a limited sample size and he boasts a career 5.3 ypc average. He’ll return to a Raiders team that may or may not feature Doug Martin and Marshawn Lynch in 2019.
Ravens Re-Sign TE Nick Boyle
The Ravens re-signed tight end Nick Boyle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a three-year, $18MM deal to keep Boyle off of the free agent market. 
We’ve heard a surprising amount of buzz about Boyle in recent weeks. Blocking tight ends don’t often garner a ton of attention, but Boyle reportedly had interest from about 20 teams this offseason. Those clubs will have to look elsewhere for blocking expertise as Boyle is now under contract with Baltimore through the 2021 season.
Boyle, 26, caught just 23 passes for 213 yards last season. However, he provided quality run and pass blocking across his 670 snaps. Last year, Boyle graded out as the No. 23 ranked tight end in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Interestingly, even without much in the way of offensive production, he placed ahead of Eric Ebron on the list.
Boyle’s early career was marred by a pair of suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs, but he has missed just one game over the last two years. In that two-year span, the Ravens have rushed for a league-high 4,297 yards with Boyle as a tight end/fullback.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/6/19
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: K Chris Blewitt
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed to one-year deal: DL Fadol Brown (had been scheduled to become exclusive rights free agent)
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: RB Daniel Lasco
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/6/19
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Tendered at original-round level:
- Giants: WR Corey Coleman
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Dolphins: G Isaac Asiata, G/T Jesse Davis, T Zach Sterup, DE Jonathan Woodard
- Lions: S Charles Washington
- Giants: OL Jon Halapio, FB Elijhaa Penny, K Aldrick Rosas
- Panthers: DE Bryan Cox Jr.
Non-tendered:
- Giants: DL Jordan Williams
Steelers Tender RFA B.J. Finney At Second-Round Level
The Steelers have placed a second-round tender on restricted free agent offensive lineman B.J. Finney, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Finney will now collect $3.095MM for the 2018 campaign once he signs his tender. Theoretically, he could sign an offer sheet with another club, but that team would have to be willing to surrender a second-round pick in order to pry him away from the Steelers. While Finney proved himself as a capable reserve last season, it seems incredibly unlikely another team would be willing to sacrifice that sort of draft capital.
A former undrafted free agent out of Kansas State, Finney has appeared in 43 games over three seasons in Pittsburgh, but has made only nine total starts. Finney has typically earned excellent grades from Pro Football Focus, but sample size is an issue, as he’s never topped 300 offensive snaps in a single season.
That could change next year, as Finney may have the opportunity to take over for Ramon Foster at left guard. Foster, 33, will become an unrestricted free agent next month, and if he lands elsewhere, Finney will likely slide into the Steelers’ starting lineup.
Broncos Release Darian Stewart
The Broncos released defensive back Darian Stewart, according to an announcement from Stewart himself. On Wednesday, the veteran took to Instagram to bid farewell to his fans in Denver. 
“Broncos country thank you all for the love you showed me and my family these past four years,” Stewart wrote. “But, it’s time for me to move on and I’m looking forward to the next chapter. I still got a whole lotta 🏈 left in me so I’ll see y’all real soon.”
Stewart was due roughly $5MM for 2019. By releasing him, the Broncos will save roughly $3.57MM against the cap with $2.8MM in dead money left over.
The Broncos signed Stewart to a two-year deal worth $4.25MM in 2015 and he quickly proved his worth. Stewart started in nearly all of his 58 games for the Broncos and recorded both a forced fumble and a sack in the team’s Super Bowl 50 victory.
Stewart saw some time at cornerback and free safety in ’17, but he played mostly at strong safety last year. This figures to be a crowded safety market, which is a bit of a double-edged sword for Stewart. Plenty of teams are in need of safeties, but Stewart will be a lower priority than Earl Thomas, Adrian Amos, Lamarcus Joyner, Tyrann Mathieu, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and others.
Stewart graded out as just the No. 77 ranked safety in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. His 59.6 overall score was a massive step back from his first two seasons in Denver, which included a Pro Bowl-worthy performance in 2016.
Browns Release LB Jamie Collins
The Browns released Jamie Collins, according to a team announcement. The linebacker was due more than $10MM for 2019, an unpalatable amount given his lack of production last season. 
“We want to thank Jamie for his contributions to the Cleveland Browns,” said general manager John Dorsey in a statement. “These types of decisions are never easy. Jamie is a respected veteran player in this league and we wish him the best as he continues his career.”
The Browns first tried to trade Collins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter), but they were unable to find a taker. The Browns also tried to move Collins at last year’s trade deadline, but couldn’t get a deal done.
Of course, that’s not to say Collins is washed up. Last year, Collins registered 104 tackles and four sacks across 16 games and graded out as just the No. 58 ranked LB in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. However, his contract made him the highest-paid traditional linebacker in the league and he has not been performing at that level.
Collins joined the Browns in a mid-season trade with the Patriots in 2016. Collins was outstanding in New England, but the Patriots were unwilling to make a sizable commitment to him as his contract was drawing to a close. He also didn’t help his case by allegedly “freelancing” on defense in order to pad his stats.
Releasing Collins will give the Browns an additional $9.25MM in cap room versus just $2.5MM in dead money. The Browns now have approximately $81MM in cap space, giving them the third-highest total in the NFL.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/5/19
Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions:
ERFAs
Tendered:
RFAs
Tendered at original-round level:
- Steelers: TE Xavier Grimble (via Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, on Twitter)
Non-tendered:
- Broncos: LS Casey Kreiter, TE Brian Parker (via 9News’ Mike Klis, on Twitter)
Ravens To Release Eric Weddle
The Ravens are following through with a rumored cost-cutting move. They will release Eric Weddle, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
This move will save the team $7.25MM. Weddle was going into the final year of his contract. He is about to join a crowded safety market.
Eric DeCosta was not definitive about keeping Weddle or fellow secondary 30-something Jimmy Smith. Baltimore’s secondary has been one of the NFL’s best during Weddle’s run, and he made three Pro Bowls during his three Ravens seasons. Weddle, 34, said at the offseason’s outset he would retire if he wasn’t a Raven, but the former first-round pick subsequently walked that back.
Tuesday will add Weddle and Landon Collins to the market. Barring pre-free agency deals, they will join Earl Thomas, Adrian Amos, Lamarcus Joyner, Tre Boston, Tyrann Mathieu, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Glover Quin and others in free agency’s deepest position.
Weddle did not miss a game during his Ravens run and combined for 10 interceptions between the 2016-17 seasons. The Ravens, who did not use their franchise tag on C.J. Mosley, will now hold more than $25MM in cap space. Their acclaimed defense may lose multiple big names, however.
Rams To Release LB Mark Barron
A Rams starter since their St. Louis days, Mark Barron will be looking for a new team. The defending NFC champions are releasing the veteran linebacker, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
While this move will create another need on Los Angeles’ defensive second level, it will free up $6.3MM in cap space. Barron becomes the second starter the Rams made the decision to jettison on Tuesday, joining center John Sullivan.
The No. 7 overall pick in 2012, Barron signed a five-year, $45MM deal to stay with the Rams after the 2016 season. Following the team’s trades of Alec Ogletree and Robert Quinn, Barron became the preeminent veteran on Los Angeles’ linebacking corps — a group otherwise stripped of high salaries to cover costs elsewhere. Now, with Dante Fowler also expected to hit the market, the Rams do not have a veteran contract at any linebacker spot.
No guaranteed money remained on Barron’s deal, which called for him to play for a $5MM base salary. This move also comes before Barron, who accepted a $500K pay cut last year, was due a $3MM roster bonus. The 29-year-old defender started 12 regular-season games last season and 56 as a Ram.
A former safety, Barron revived his career as a Rams linebacker, peaking between the 2015-16 seasons. He registered more than 110 tackles in each and made 16 stops for loss in 2015. The Rams have only second-year player Micah Kiser under contract at inside ‘backer, though it should be expected the team will tender and retain 2o18 starter Cory Littleton, who is an RFA.