49ers, WR Marcus Johnson Agree To Deal
The 49ers hosted a pair of wide receivers on visits this week and agreed to terms with one of them. Marcus Johnson is signing with San Francisco, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
This will end a lengthy AFC South stay for Johnson, who spent last season with the Titans and the previous three with the Colts. Johnson, 27, is on track for his sixth NFL season. He and Malik Turner visited the 49ers earlier this week.
Part of an Eagles-Colts trade in 2018, the former UDFA is coming off a season in which he was placed on IR twice. In between those stints, Johnson made a notable contribution for a Tennessee team playing without A.J. Brown and Julio Jones. Johnson’s five-catch, 100-yard day helped the Titans to a narrow win over the Saints, a victory that ended up mattering significantly in the AFC South champions’ pursuit of the conference’s No. 1 seed. Johnson landed on season-ending IR shortly after that performance.
A Texas alum, Johnson served as a part-time contributor with the Colts during Jacoby Brissett‘s second starter season and Philip Rivers‘ Indianapolis one-off. Between the 2019 and ’20 slates, the 6-foot-1 target combined for 31 receptions, 532 yards and three touchdowns.
San Francisco has a low-cost receiver room, at the moment, and is set to return its top pass catchers from 2021. Deebo Samuel‘s status figures to change that, with the team planning an extension — one that may now be more costly, given the receiver market’s early-offseason explosion — for its versatile star. The 49ers have Brandon Aiyuk under contract through at least 2023, and emerging complementary performer Jauan Jennings is attached to an ERFA tender — one he has not yet signed.
Vikings To Sign DT Jullian Taylor
Jullian Taylor has missed the past two seasons, having seen an injury during his second 49ers campaign throw his career off course. But the former seventh-round pick will have another chance soon.
The Vikings agreed to a one-year deal with Taylor on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. While Taylor has not been out of football altogether since his December 2019 ACL tear, he has not seen the field since that setback. This signing comes under new Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who was with the 49ers when they drafted Taylor in 2018.
San Francisco drafted Taylor out of Temple and used him as a rotational backup in six games in 2018 and ’19. Taylor played roughly a quarter of the 49ers’ defensive snaps when active, recovering a fumble and making four tackles for loss for the Super Bowl LIV-bound San Francisco squad in 2019. The Titans signed Taylor on June 3 of last year but cut him a day later.
Minnesota added Harrison Phillips from Buffalo in free agency this year and has Dalvin Tomlinson under contract. The Vikings are switching to primarily a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. They will give Taylor, 27, a shot to revive his career.
Dolphins Re-Sign John Jenkins
John Jenkins‘ second stint in Miami will continue in 2022. The Dolphins announced on Thursday that they have re-signed the veteran defensive tackle. 
Jenkins, 32, began his career in New Orleans after the Saints drafted him in 2013. It was in his three-plus years there that he saw the most playing time of his career, eclipsing the 50% mark in terms of snap share for the first and only time in 2015. In 49 games as a Saint, he totalled 100 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Jenkins seemed to be on the way out of New Orleans during his fourth year there, so it came as little surprise that the team gave him a head start on free agency and released him mid-season in 2016. That began a series of brief stints with four different teams, including the Seahawks and Giants. Between those two stays was the first of a pair of campaigns in Chicago.
His heaviest workload since his time with the Saints came with the Dolphins, however. Jenkins signed in Miami in 2019, then again last offseason. In two years in Florida, he has started seven of 23 contests and made 50 tackles. His retention will not only give him a tenure of multiple seasons with the same team for the first time in six years, but it also marks another re-signing from the Dolphins’ 2021 defense. That unit will still feature, most notably, Emmanuel Ogbah and Xavien Howard as it looks to help the team take a step towards AFC contention in 2022.
ERFA Tender Decisions: 4/6/22
Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:
ERFAs
Signed:
- Ravens: S Geno Stone
Buccaneers Bring Back Blaine Gabbert
The Buccaneers will ensure complete quarterback continuity by re-signing Blaine Gabbert. The team announced its backup’s return Wednesday.
A month ago, Tampa Bay was in market to replace Tom Brady. Bruce Arians having been Gabbert’s biggest backer also seemed to cloud the former first-rounder’s return prospects following the coach’s surprise exit. But Brady’s backup will return.
Gabbert has been with the Bucs since Arians’ Tampa arrival in 2019, initially backing up Jameis Winston. His return gives the Bucs a proven backup while also offering up questions about second-rounder Kyle Trask‘s status. The Bucs have Trask and longtime reserve Ryan Griffin, who recently re-signed, on their roster.
Given Brady’s return, it makes sense the Bucs wanting to backstop him with an experienced QB2. This will be Gabbert’s 12th NFL season. His run as the Jaguars’ starter did not last into a fourth season, and after three years with the 49ers, Gabbert found his way into Arians’ system. The ex-Missouri prospect made five starts with the 2017 Cardinals, impressing Arians to the point he not only brought the quarterback to Tampa but had talked him up as a possible Brady successor. GM Jason Licht has done the same.
The Bucs have not needed to start Gabbert, with Winston and Brady not missing any time over the past three seasons. This coming season will be his fourth with Byron Leftwich as an offensive coordinator.
Buccaneers To Sign S Keanu Neal
After a year back in Dan Quinn‘s system, Keanu Neal will return to the NFC South. The veteran defender is signing with the Buccaneers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Neal moved to linebacker during his year with the Cowboys, but the longtime Falcons safety has switched back to his initial NFL position. That appears to be where Todd Bowles sees him. Despite being a seventh-year veteran, Neal is 26. He stands to give the Bucs another veteran presence in a safety group that added Logan Ryan this offseason.
Although Neal was on a Cowboys team that housed Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith entering last season, he played 61% of Dallas’ defensive snaps. The Cowboys cut Smith and used Parsons as a pass rusher frequently, helping lead to Neal’s snap rate despite just five starts. Neal registered 72 tackles (four for loss) in 14 games last season. The Cowboys re-signed Vander Esch last month.
A central Florida native and former Florida Gator, Neal spent five years with the Falcons after coming into the NFL as a top-20 pick. He has been more valuable as a tackler than a cover man, but the ex-Super Bowl starter has a Pro Bowl on his resume (2017). Neal has also bounced back from two injury-nullified seasons, having played just four games from 2018-19. He made at least 100 tackles in his other three Falcons seasons.
The Bucs lost starter Jordan Whitehead in free agency but now have two veterans joining Antoine Winfield Jr. at safety. Both Ryan and Neal have notable histories at other positions, with the former being a cornerback for years to start his career. It will be interesting to see how the Bucs deploy their new arrivals next season.
Whitney Mercilus Retires
After 10 years in the NFL, Whitney Mercilus is calling it a career. The pass rusher announced his retirement today on Instagram. 
“I’ve decided I’m hanging up the cleats” he said. “I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life.”
The 31-year-old spent a decade in Houston after the Texans selected him in the first round of the 2012 Draft. During most of that span, he was an integral part of the team’s defense, pairing with J.J. Watt as their most consistent and effective pass rushers. The year which sticks out the most statistically is 2015; in that campaign, he posted 12 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Mercilus’ time in Houston coincided with the team’s most successful years. He was a member of five division-winning squads (out of six in franchise history, which remain the only ones to qualify for the postseason). While the team never made it past the Divisional round of the playoffs, the Illinois alum played a consistent role throughout his tenure in the Lone Star State. Overall, he totalled 57 sacks in 134 games with Houston, along with another seven in eight postseason contests.
He saw his playing time reduced in 2021, however. As the team transitioned to the likes of Jonathan Greenard and Jacob Martin, Mercilus was released. That led to his mid-season signing by the Packers, who were looking for pass rush help in the absence of Za’Darius Smith. A biceps tear limited his time in green and gold to just four games, however.
Ultimately, Mercilus will be remembered as one of the top players in Texans’ history; his retirement announcement indicated that he will now focus more time on family and his foundation.
Falcons Sign Germain Ifedi
Not long after visiting the Falcons, offensive linemen Germain Ifedi has indeed joined the team. Atlanta announced on Wednesday that they have signed the veteran to a one-year contract. 
Ifedi met with the Falcons less than two weeks ago, so this move doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The 27-year-old was a first-round pick of the Seahawks in 2016. In four seasons there, he started all 60 games he appeared in. He manned both the right guard and right tackle spots, but never graded out well in terms of PFF ratings.
Ifedi then signed with the Bears two years ago. The first of his campaigns in the Windy City saw his best performance to date, as he played every snap and earned a PFF grade of 65. Availability became a problem for the first time in his career in 2021, however; a knee injury helped limit him to seven starts and nine games played. Just like in Seattle, Ifedi spent time at both guard and tackle.
By signing in Atlanta, the Texas A&M alum becomes the fifth ex-Bear to join the Falcons. The team’s starters at the RG and RT spots – Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary, respectively – are each under contract for one more season. Ifedi could, at a minimum, provide experienced depth at each position for the 2022 campaign and perhaps earn himself an extended stay with his play there.
Bills Extend Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs is staying put. On Wednesday morning, the Bills wide receiver agreed to a brand new four-year, $96MM deal that could be worth more through incentives (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
[RELATED: Bills Re-Sign McKenzie]
Diggs was previously on the five-year, $72MM deal he signed with the Vikings in 2018. That deal gave him an average annual value of $14.4MM per season. Since then, however, the market has advanced quite a bit and Diggs has stepped his game up. Since arriving in Buffalo in 2020, Diggs has notched 230 receptions for 2,760 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Since Diggs still has two years to go on his old contract, this new deal will keep him in Western New York through 2027. While he’s slotted 21st among all NFL players in AAV right now, the new money average vaults him much higher, in the same space as Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill. From GM Brandon Beane‘s perspective, it’s a worthwhile investment.
“He’s all in on winning and, sure, everybody wants to be paid but he wants to be on a winning team,” Beane said. “I think he’s been the best version of himself. So I don’t see that being an issue.”
Diggs, 28, has notched four straight 1,000-yard seasons, including 2020 when he finished with 127 grabs for 1,535 yards and eight touchdowns. Last year, he kept up the good work with 103 catches for 1,225 yards and ten TDs.
As an added bonus for the Bills, the new deal will lower Diggs’ 2022 cap number by over $6MM, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/5/22
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed ERFA tender: TE Jesper Horsted
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: TE Nick Eubanks
Denver Broncos
- Signed ERFA tender: LB Jonas Griffith
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE J.P. Holtz
New York Jets
- Signed: T Greg Senat