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.
Bucs Re-Sign LB Devante Bond
The Buccaneers re-signed linebacker Devante Bond to a one-year deal, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal for the league minimum, so it won’t put a dent in the Bucs’ limited cap space. 
Bond, 26 in July, has appeared in 25 games (six starts) for the Bucs over the last two seasons. In 2018, he registered 22 total tackles, which more than quintupled his showing from 2017.
The Bond deal marks the Bucs’ second move of the day, though it pales in comparison to the first. On Tuesday morning, the Bucs re-upped offensive tackle Donovan Smith on a three-year, $41.25MM deal with $27MM guaranteed.
In other Bucs news, the team recently decided against tendering safety Andrew Adams. Also, contrary to some speculation, the Bucs are not shopping linebacker Lavonte David.
Colts Re-Sign Margus Hunt
The Colts re-signed defensive lineman Margus Hunt, according to a team announcement. Prior to the deal, Hunt was set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13. It’s a two-year, $9MM deal that could be worth up to $10MM through incentives, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Hunt, 32 this summer, spent the first four years of his career with the Bengals. Then, in 2017, the former second-round pick joined the Colts as a free agent.
Hunt spent his first season as a spot starter and managed to make some noise. In 2018, he adjusted well to the team’s new 4-3 scheme and recorded career highs in tackles (30), tackles for loss (13), sacks (5.0). He also registered six quarterback hits, two passes defensed, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Thanks in part to Hunt, the Colts’ defense improved in terms of both total defense and run defense.
“Margus is a unique guy inside because of his length,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said of Hunt in January. “Putting him at the three (technique) and the one (technique) it really kind of accentuated on what he is really good at. We were fortunate to have Margus.”
The Colts will also return key front seven players Denico Autry, Jabaal Sheard, Tyquan Lewis, and Kemoko Turay in 2019.
Bucs, Donovan Smith Agree To Extension
Buccaneers tackle Donovan Smith received a small fortune in a new deal with the club. Smith has agreed to a new three-year, $41.25MM deal including $27MM guaranteed at signing, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
The new deal positions Smith as the fourth-highest paid offensive tackle in the league behind Taylor Lewan, Nate Solder, and Jake Matthews. Meanwhile, he graded out as just the No. 46 ranked tackle in the NFL in 2018, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. His so-so 66.4 score was roughly in line with his scores from the previous three seasons.
The Bucs were planning to apply the franchise tag to Smith, which would have earmarked him for $14.077MM this year. Instead, the long term deal smooths out the cap hit slightly and keeps him under club control through 2021.
Smith’s payout is indicative of the lack of offensive tackle talent throughout the NFL. Elite tackles in their prime rarely reach the open market, which has driven up the price for lower-tier options such as Smith. That means a similarly large deal could be on the way for Dolphins free agent Ja’Wuan James, even though James is not among the best at the right tackle position.
Smith’s durability likely gave the Bucs additional comfort in the deal. According to the team, he’s just the second player in franchise history to start every game in his first four seasons. The pact will also keep things consistent on the O-Line after they locked up fellow 2015 draftee Ali Marpet on a pricey extension last year.
Giants Won’t Franchise Tag Landon Collins
The Giants will not apply the franchise tag to Landon Collins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With that, the Giants are likely set to move on from one of the game’s best young safeties. 
Recently, GM Dave Gettleman expressed doubt about cuffing Collins, but many expected the two sides to patch things up.
“So let’s go to the conversation of eliminating distractions,” Gettleman said. “You tag a guy. He’s mad. And that’s all you guys are going to write about. For six months it’s what it’s going to be. So I have to say to myself, ‘Is it worth it?‘”
Collins clashed with the Giants last year and made it clear that he would not show up for work if he was tagged. Still, the move is perplexing to many in the football world – the Giants need talent in their secondary, yet they are somehow willing to lose out on a three-time Pro Bowler.
Collins, 25, joins a free agent safety group that also includes Earl Thomas, Tyrann Mathieu, Lamarcus Joyner, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Adrian Amos, and Kenny Vaccaro. Last year’s free agent safeties were met with disappointing offers, but it could be a different story this time around given the amount of cap space around the league and the lackluster talent at other positions.
The Buccaneers, Chiefs, and many other teams with safety needs figure to be in on Collins when free agency begins next week.
Bills Sign Jordan Phillips To Extension
The Bills signed defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to a one-year contract extension worth $4.5MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The new deal will give Phillips a sizable bump over his $1.029MM base salary from one year ago. 
Phillips, 27 in September, managed to get his career back on track after an ugly exit from Miami. The Dolphins cut Phillips on in October, days after he blew up on the sidelines due to his lack of playing time. They first attempted to trade Phillips first, but they were unable to find a suitable deal. The Bills used their waiver priority to snag him, beating out the Steelers, Patriots, and Saints.
The former second-round pick started most of his games in 2016 and 2017, but was relegated to a reserve role last year in Miami. Upon joining the Bills, Phillips managed 19 tackles and three passes defensed, though he graded out as the 108th ranked defensive tackle in the NFL on the entire year out of 112 qualified players, per Pro Football Focus.
Texans Release CB Kevin Johnson
The Texans have released former first-round cornerback Kevin Johnson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This was the expected move after the Texans shopped Johnson but were unable to find a suitable deal. 
Johnson, a talented corner, was due $9.069MM on his fifth-year option. The option was guaranteed for injury until the start of the league year next week, so it appears that Johnson has received a clean bill of health. He’ll now have an opportunity to shop his services before the start of free agency on March 13.
Johnson’s 2018 season was mostly lost due to concussions. In September, the Texans parked him on IR and he was unable to return.
Before the move, the Texans still had plenty of cap space with $80.9MM available. Their total, good for third-most in the league, inches up a bit after cutting Johnson. Some of that money will probably go towards fortifying a cornerback group that has clear issues: Johnathan Joseph will turn 35 this year,Aaron Colvin missed extensive time last season, and Shareece Wright is set for free agency next week.
Rams Decline John Sullivan’s Option
The Rams did not exercise center John Sullivan’s 2019 option, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The news comes as a surprise since Sullivan has not missed a start in the past two seasons and is one of the league’s most respected centers. 
[RELATED: Rams’ Todd Gurley Dealing With Arthritis In Knee]
Sullivan, 34 in August, graded out as the tenth-best center in the NFL in his first season with the Rams, according to Pro Football Focus. In 2018, Sullivan slipped all the way down to No. 31 with a career-low 52.7 mark. The Rams, apparently, agree with the advanced metrics, which indicate that the veteran’s pass blocking and run blocking have both declined.
Without Sullivan and his veteran guidance, the Rams will likely be in the market for a center. By letting Sullivan walk, the Rams will avoid a $6.25MM cap charge for the lineman, according to Over The Cap.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/4/19
Today’s minor moves from a very busy day across the league:
New England Patriots
- Released: WR Darren Andrews
New York Giants:
- Re-signed: QB Alex Tanney
Lions Won’t Tender DL Kerry Hyder
The Lions will not tender defensive lineman Kerry Hyder, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Hyder had eight sacks two years ago, but the Lions will allow him to explore the open market as an unrestricted free agent. 
Hyder, 27, missed the entire 2017 season due to a torn Achilles and only appeared in seven games last season. With just one sack last year and a limited sample of work, it’s not surprising the Lions didn’t want to give him the lowest tender, which would’ve paid him $2.025MM next season. The Texas Tech product was an undrafted free agent back in 2014, and it took him a while to find his footing in the league.
He initially signed with the Jets, but was cut after his first preseason and signed to the practice squad. He then latched on with the Lions the following year, and spent most of the 2015 season on their practice squad. He made the 53-man roster in 2016, and came out of nowhere to rack up eight sacks. But the Achilles injury derailed what looked to be a promising career, and he fell out of favor with new coach Matt Patricia.
He was inactive most of the year, and recorded his only sack in Week 17. Fortunately for him he’s still relatively young, and thanks to the potential he showed in 2016, he should be able to find a new home relatively soon. With the Lions also unlikely to retain Ezekiel Ansah, their defensive line will look a lot different next year.