NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/29/19
Colts Sign Mark Glowinski To Extension
The Colts didn’t want to let Mark Glowinski get away. On Tuesday, the Colts formally signed the guard to a brand new extension, according to a team announcement. It’s a three-year deal worth $18MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 
The Colts claimed the 6’4″ lineman off waivers from the Seahawks towards the end of the 2017 season and he found a role with the club in 2018. Last year, he appeared in eleven games (nine starts) at right guard and finished out as the No. 17 ranked guard in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
On the whole, the Colts’ offensive line enjoyed a major turnaround in 2018. The unit allowed the fewest sacks in the league (18) and even went six straight games without allowing Andrew Luck to be put on his back. The Colts dumped offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo earlier this month, but the return of Glowinski should help a bit to keep things consistent.
Panthers Re-Sign TE Chris Manhertz
The Panthers re-signed tight end Chris Manhertz, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Manhertz was scheduled to be a restricted free agent this offseason, but he’ll instead return on a new two-year deal. 
Manhertz began training camp on the PUP list thanks to a Jones fracture in his left foot. Fortunately, he rebounded in time for the season and saw a larger role during Greg Olsen‘s absence. The 26-year-old (27 in April) appeared in all 16 games and started in four, playing primarily as a blocking tight end. He had just two catches on the year for 52 yards, bringing his grand career total to five grabs for 79 yards. He did, however, catch his first touchdown pass in Week 15 against the Saints.
Terms of the deal are not yet known, but Manhertz will presumably see a bump from his 2018 salary of $630K.
Bills Sign LS Reid Ferguson To Extension
The Bills have re-signed long snapper Reid Ferguson to a three-year extension, according to a team announcement. Ferguson was set to be an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, meaning that he would not have reached the open market, unless the Bills renounced his rights. 
It’s early in the offseason, but the Bills have already started taking care of in-house matters. Earlier this month, the Bills signed Lorenzo Alexander to a new one-year deal and inked offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles to a fresh one-year pact.
The Bills’ list of free agents is rapidly dwindling, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes. Here’s the full rundown of the Bills’ FAs-to-be, as of this writing:
Unrestricted Free Agents
- RB Taiwan Jones
- WR Deonte Thompson
- OL Ryan Groy
- OL John Miller
- OL Jordan Mills
- DT Jordan Phillips
Restricted Free Agents
- TE Logan Thomas
- CB Lafayette Pitts
Exclusive Rights Free Agents
- DE Eddie Yarbrough
- LB Deon Lacey
- P Matt Darr
Bears Sign OT Bobby Massie To Four-Year Extension
The Bears have locked up one of their key offensive linemen for the foreseeable future. The team announced that they’ve extended right tackle Bobby Massie. It’s a four-year deal that will last through the 2022 season.
“Bobby has been an important part of our offensive line the past three years and has shown steady improvement during that time,” said general manager Ryan Pace. “Bobby has a tremendous work ethic and has displayed the kind of toughness and consistency we want in our players. More importantly, he is a great teammate and we’re excited to keep him in the fold.”
The 29-year-old has been a mainstay on Chicago’s offensive line since joining the organization back in 2016. The former fourth-rounder has started each of his 46 games during his tenure in Chicago, including a 2018 campaign where he appeared in all 16 contests. Pro Football Focus was particularly fond of his performance this past season, ranking him 29th among 80 eligible tackles.
With Massie signed, the Bears will now return each of their five starters from the 2018 season, a grouping that also includes Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair, James Daniels, and Charles Leno. Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times says Whitehair is one of the next Bears in line to receive an extension.
Massie was set to be one of four Bears starters to hit free agency. Safety Adrian Amos, cornerback Bryce Callahan and punter Pat O’Donnell are still unsigned.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/25/19
Today’s minor moves will be posted here:
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived from injured reserve: FB Johnny Stanton
The former UNLV quarterback signed with the Vikings last May as an undrafted free agent. He converted to fullback with Minnesota, and was placed on injured reserve during the preseason.
Colts Re-Sign Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri will return for a 24th NFL season. The Colts inked a new one-year deal with the kicker, the team announced.
Vinatieri owns four Super Bowl rings and is the league’s all-time leading scorer, so he has nothing left to prove. Still, Vinatieri’s love of football has not waned, so he is eager to return for his age-46 season. Should the Colts reach the playoffs in 2019, Vinatieri will be booting kicks as a 47-year-old.
“If they’re wanting, I can’t imagine (I’d) not keep playing, you know?” Vinatieri said earlier this month.
Vinatieri nailed 85% of his field goal tries (23-for-27) for a second straight year and connected on a 54-yard field goal for a third straight season. He made four 50-plus-yard field goals — the fourth straight year he has connected on at least four from beyond 50 yards. He did miss an extra point and a field goal inside of PAT distance in the Colts’ divisional round loss to the Chiefs, but he’s still one of the league’s most reliable legs.
“I will say this: do I think he can still kick in this league and be a really good kicker? Absolutely I do,” GM Chris Ballard said recently. “He is as important a guy in that locker room. I don’t know if I have been around a special teams player that has as much impact as Adam (Vinatieri) does in the locker room. From a positive standpoint, all of our young guys that come in get to see Adam Vinatieri work, rehab, prepare his body every year, be a pro, handle the hard times, handle the good times. I mean all of that, what Adam brings, brings a lot of value to this team.”
Only two players — kicker Morten Andersen and quarterback/kicker George Blanda — have played either a 24th season or past their 47th birthdays. Once again, Vinatieri has his eye on smashing a new record.
The deal was first reported by Zak Keefer of the Indy Star (on Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) reported the length of the contract.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/23/19
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Denver Broncos
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/23/19
Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:
Chicago Bears
- OL Cornelius Lucas
- WR Jordan Williams-Lambert
Broncos Release Andre Holmes
The Broncos have released wide receiver Andre Holmes, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The veteran was acquired late in the season via waivers from Buffalo, but his time with Denver is through. 
Claimed off waivers just after Emmanuel Sanders tore one of his Achilles’ tendons, Holmes caught one pass during his Broncos tenure. The wide receiver was under contract through 2019, but his deal had no additional guaranteed money left for next season.
Prior to being released by the Bills in early December, Holmes had 12 catches for 157 yards on the season. Even though he had history with then-offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, he didn’t do a whole lot with the Broncos. After catching his lone target for five yards, Holmes wound up on IR to close out the year.
Holmes’ best ball came in Oakland, including a 2014 season in which he caught 47 passes for 693 yards and four touchdowns. Since then, he’s been much more of a role player and has not amassed more than 14 grabs in a season.