CB Darius Slay Staying With Eagles, Signs Extension
Darius Slay is staying in Philadelphia after all. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Eagles have agreed to a new deal with the cornerback. It’s a two-year extension that will keep Slay in Philly through the 2025 season.
[RELATED: CB Darius Slay Staying In Philadelphia?]
Reports yesterday indicated that Slay was set to be released by the Eagles, mostly due to his lofty $26.1MM cap number. This reported transaction followed negotiations between the two sides on a new contract, and the front office also shopped the cornerback to CB-needy teams. Slay himself tweeted about his impending release, a move that would have opened $17.5MM in cap space but left $13MM in 2024 dead cap.
Not even 12 hours later, we heard the Eagles were having second thoughts about releasing the veteran. Reports indicated that the Eagles were having a “hard time” moving on from Slay and were hoping the two sides could come to some kind of compromise. Soon after, Slay took to Twitter and hinted that he may be returning to the Eagles after all.
Now, the new contract has been agreed to, keeping the defensive back with Philadelphia for the foreseeable future. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the three years on Slay’s contract (including the two new extension years) are worth $42MM, including $23MM in guaranteed money.
Philly gave Slay a three-year, $50MM extension upon trading for him three years ago, and Slay has produced during his time with the organization. Pro Football Focus graded Slay as its No. 21 overall corner last season, with the 32-year-old earning his second-straight Pro Bowl nod after compiling 55 tackles, three interceptions, and 14 passes defended.
The Eagles had to invest in the position this offseason when they inked James Bradberry to a sizable extension. This new contract was expected to end Slay’s tenure with the team, but instead, the secondary will only have to deal with the loss of starting safety Marcus Epps.
Raiders To Re-Sign OL Jermaine Eluemunor
The Raiders are bringing back Jermaine Eluemunor. The team has reached an agreement with the offensive lineman, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
A former fifth-round pick by Baltimore, Eluemunor bounced around the NFL a bit before landing in Las Vegas, spending time with the Ravens, Patriots, Dolphins, and Jaguars. He got an extended look in New England between 2019 and 2020, starting eight of his 22 appearances with the team.
He caught on with the Raiders for the 2021 campaign, starting three of his 14 games. The lineman then earned the starting right tackle gig heading into the 2022 campaign and proceeded to start all 17 games for the Raiders. Pro Football Focus ended up grading him 21st among 81 qualifying offensive tackles.
The Raiders also re-signed offensive tackle Brandon Parker earlier this offseason, but the two moves won’t preclude the organization from picking an offensive tackle in the draft, per Bonsignore. However, the return of their 2022 start will make that potential draft selection “less urgent.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/23
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: LS Nick Moore
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: CB C.J. Goodwin
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: S P.J. Locke
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: FB John Lovett
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: LS Joe Cardona
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, DT T.Y. McGill
There’s some long snapper news to pass along! Cardona will be returning to New England for his ninth season with the organization, making him the Patriots’ second-longest tenured player (behind Matthew Slater). Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter), Cardona got a four-year deal with a $1MM signing bonus, with that latter value being “an important marker” for the veteran to clear.
Meanwhile, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets that Moore will be getting a two-year, $2.5MM deal. The long snapper was non-tendered by Baltimore yesterday but ultimately re-upped with the team on a multiyear deal. Per Zrebiec, Moore received interest from other teams but wanted to stick around Baltimore. The 30-year-old has been with the Ravens since 2020 and earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2022.
Dolphins, OL Dan Feeney Agree To Deal
After two seasons with the Jets, Dan Feeney has agreed to a deal that will keep him in the AFC East. Rather than reach a third agreement with the Jets, Feeney is signing with the Dolphins.
Miami will bring in the veteran offensive lineman on a one-year deal, Peter Schrager of Fox Sports tweets. The former third-round pick has 64 starts on his resume and stands to give the Dolphins some options along their interior O-line.
This agreement will give Feeney an opportunity to play a seventh NFL season. The former Chargers starting center and guard did not earn the same opportunity with the Jets, starting seven games in two seasons. His Bolts tenure also did not overlap with Dolphins OC Frank Smith, who spent the 2021 season with the team. But Feeney has proven durable and will supply depth, at the very least, for Mike McDaniel’s team.
Feeney, 28, went three straight seasons as a Chargers starter — at either guard or center — and did not miss a game in that span, finishing out Philip Rivers‘ tenure and snapping to Justin Herbert in 2020. Pro Football Focus has never been especially fond of the Indiana alum’s work, save for a positive review as a Jets swingman in 2021, but the Dolphins probably are not planning for this agreement to lead to a surefire first-string gig.
The Dolphins have Connor Williams in place as their starting center, along with Robert Hunt and Liam Eichenberg at guard. Those positions did not plague Miami as much as its tackle spots did in 2022. But Eichenberg, who has moved between guard and tackle, did miss seven games last season. Former third-round pick Michael Deiter, a starter-turned-backup in Miami, played out his rookie contract last season.
The Dolphins aren’t done adding linemen. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets that Miami is re-signing Geron Christian. The offensive lineman will be inking a new one-year pact, per Jackson. Christian started 16 games for Washington and Houston between 2019 and 2021. He appeared in 10 games for the Chiefs last season before getting waived. He was scooped up by the Dolphins and was on their roster for the season finale and Miami’s lone playoff game.
CB Greedy Williams Agrees To Terms With Eagles
As the Browns bring in one 2019 second-round pick who has failed to live up to expectations, it appears they will not be returning another as cornerback Greedy Williams has agreed to a new contract to join the Eagles, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The 25-year-old is set to join the NFL’s 2022 runner-up for another run in 2023. 
As a rookie, Williams started 12 games, missing a four-game stretch near the beginning of the season. He failed to nab an interception and only tallied two passes defensed as he struggled initially in coverage, but he was a strong defender against the run. Williams was forced to miss the 2020 season as he dealt with nerve issues in his shoulder.
Coming back from the injury in 2021, Williams had perhaps his strongest season. While Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome would serve as starters throughout the year, Williams played a large role, as well, playing in every game but one and starting eight contests. Williams received the third-largest snap share out of the cornerbacks room, playing just over half the team’s defensive snaps. Williams was productive in his second season on the field, as well, reeling in two interceptions and breaking up 10 pass attempts.
This most recent season saw injuries return to bite the young corner as he would start the year on injured reserve. Williams would return to the lineup after missing the team’s first five games, but following a 2-5 start to the season, the Browns began to search for possible trade partners willing to give up some value for Williams. With Williams future in Cleveland in question, his playing time plummeted to the point that he was only playing on special teams in the waning weeks of the season.
Williams now finds himself in a secondary with two veteran, established cornerbacks in James Bradberry, who re-signed this week, and Darius Slay, who narrowly avoided release and signed an extension today. Williams will find himself competing mainly with Avonte Maddox for backup snaps in Philadelphia. If he can return to his 2021 form, the Eagles will have four capable corners roaming in the secondary.
Browns Signing DT Trysten Hill
The Browns continue to reshape their defensive line, signing former Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The addition is one of several changes the team has made as Cleveland attempts to improve on a defense that gave up the eighth-most rushing yards in the league last year while tallying the sixth-fewest sacks. 
A second-round pick out of UCF in 2019, Hill’s career has suffered from his inability to stay on the field. During a disappointing rookie season, Hill was a healthy scratch for nine games due to poor etiquette at the team facilities. The young lineman had been sent home for arriving late to practice and falling asleep during a presentation from guest speaker and NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. Despite an injury to the team’s starting defensive tackle, Hill’s issues off the field were bad enough to keep him out of the lineup.
In his sophomore season, due to an injury to starter Gerald McCoy, Hill started the year as the team’s starting defensive tackle. An ACL tear would end his season after five games, though. Hill was finally able to return from the injury in November of the following year but was suspended for a game weeks later after punching then-Raiders lineman John Simpson in a postgame altercation. Between personal behavior, injuries, and suspensions, Hill has only appeared in 31 of a possible 66 games over his career.
As Hill continued to slide down the depth chart in Dallas, the Cowboys decided to waive the young tackle after failing to find a trade partner that might take him. He was claimed off the waiver wire by the Cardinals the next day, allowing him to compete for snaps with Leki Fotu, Jonathan Ledbetter, and Michael Dogbe. He functioned in a backup capacity for most of the rest of the season before being placed on injured reserve to end the season.
In Cleveland, Hill will serve as a depth piece on a retooled Browns defensive line that is losing Taven Bryan, Chase Winovich, and Jadeveon Clowney to free agency. The Browns targeted replacing some of that loss by signing veteran defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson earlier this week. The team was also considered a favorite to sign former Broncos defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, as well, until the young defender agreed to a deal with the Seahawks.
Right now, favorites for playing time on the Browns’ defensive front are Tomlinson, Jordan Elliott, and Perrion Winfrey. Hill will compete with a number of other backups for playing time in rotation with those three. Cleveland will be a clean slate for him to attempt to make up for the shortcomings of his past NFL history.
Jets Sign OL Wes Schweitzer
The Jets have added some versatility to their offensive line. The team announced that they’ve agreed to a deal with offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer.
The former sixth-round pick has managed to put together a seven-year career thanks in part to that versatility. Schweitzer has played at least one career snap at every offensive line position, although the majority of his playing time has come at left guard and right guard.
Schweitzer started 36 of his 46 appearances for Atlanta between 2017 and 2019, and he started 13 games during his first season in Washington in 2020. He only started five of his 11 appearances in 2021 before returning to the starting lineup in 2022, starting six of his seven appearances thanks to an ankle injury that landed him on IR. He finished the season ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 27th center (among 36 qualifiers).
ESPN’s John Keim tweets that the Commanders were interested in retaining the free agent offensive lineman. Ultimately, the team determined that they already have several veterans who should be able to fill in for Schweitzer.
Schweitzer will enter the season as a backup, but his versatility obviously provides the Jets with some flexibility when an injury inevitably hits. The Jets have lost a bit of OL depth during the early days of free agency with Nate Herbig heading to the Steelers.
The Jets made another OL move today, re-signing Adam Pankey, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The 29-year-old has appeared in nine games since entering the NFL in 2017, although he didn’t make a single appearance in 2022 while sitting on the Jets’ practice squad.
Vikings Re-Sign OL Austin Schlottmann
The Vikings are bringing back Austin Schlottmann. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Vikings are re-signing the offensive lineman. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that Schlottmann will be signing a new one-year contract.
Schlottmann, a 2018 UDFA out of TCU, turned into a dependable backup lineman for the Broncos. He started seven of his 42 games for Denver between 2019 and 2021, and he also contributed a bit on special teams.
The lineman joined the Vikings last offseason and proceeded to appear in 16 games for his new squad, starting four. A broken fibula ended his season in Week 17 and kept him off the field for the postseason. He didn’t grade out all that well from Pro Football Focus, the third-straight season that he’s rated as a bottom-of-the-league lineman.
Apparently, the Vikings saw enough out of Schlottmann to keep him around for another year. Fellow Vikings offensive lineman Oli Udoh is also a free agent, but the team is otherwise looking to return much of their depth from 2022.
Bears Release QB Trevor Siemian
The Bears’ recent decision to add P.J. Walker to their quarterback room has resulted in a corresponding move. Per the transaction wire, Chicago has released Trevor Siemian. 
The 31-year-old had one year remaining on the deal he signed last offseason, which brought him to his fourth career NFL home. Siemian’s pact gave him his latest backup opportunity, having previously served in the No. 2 role with the Jets and Saints. His career has seen him bounce around since his tenure as the Broncos’ starter came to an end in 2017.
Siemian joined a Bears team which had affirmed Justin Fields as the undisputed starter heading into the season, so it came as little surprise that he was limited to just one start and two appearances. The veteran completed 57% of his passes and complied a passer rating of 76.4 in that time. That performance left his roster status in question entering the offseason.
No guaranteed money was due in 2023 for the former seventh-rounder, making this release an easy one on the Bears’ part. Cutting Siemian will result in $1.965MM in savings while generating a dead money charge of $500K. Turning to Walker will give the team a younger option in the No. 2 spot, though likely not much more in the way of upside.
Now a member of the free agent pool, Siemian faces a shrinking number of potential suitors. The past few days have seen a slew of backup quarterback moves, as teams shake-up their depth charts under center ahead of the draft. That could leave Siemian waiting a while for his next opportunity in the NFL, as he looks to catch on with a fifth career team in the near future.
Saints Add OL Storm Norton, Re-Sign P Blake Gillikin
The Saints have added some depth on the offensive line. Storm Norton is signing a one-year deal with New Orleans, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter).
The 2017 undrafted free agent out of Toledo bounced between the Lions, Cardinals, and Vikings (plus a brief stint in the XFL) before finding a home in Los Angeles in 2020. After starting three of his six appearances in 2020, Norton started 15 of his 17 appearances in 2021.
He didn’t start any of his 12 performances this past year, and Pro Football Focus would have graded him as one of the league’s worst offensive tackles had he qualified. However, the site was a bit more bullish on his production in 2020 and 2021.
The Saints may return much of their offensive line depth in 2022, with Norton representing their first move on that unit. Ethan Greenidge, who appeared in 15 games for the Saints back in 2020, is the team’s lone OL free agent.
The Saints weren’t done making moves today. Nick Underhill tweets that the team has re-signed punter Blake Gillikin. The Penn State product joined the Saints in 2020 but didn’t see the field for the team until 2021. He’s appeared in all 34 games for New Orleans over the past two years, averaging 47 yards on his punts. Gillikin has also landed 61 of his 160 punts inside the 20 yard line.