49ers Re-Sign TE Ross Dwelley
The 49ers are bringing back their backup tight end. The 49ers announced that they have re-signed tight end Ross Dwelley. It’s a one-year deal for the 27-year-old.
Dwelley joined the 49ers as an undrafted free agent out of San Diego in 2018. He’s spent his entire four-year career in San Francisco, seeing time in 60 games (17 starts). In addition to having a part-time job on offense, Dwelley has also had a consistent role on special teams.
2020 was Dwelley’s best offensive season as he filled in for George Kittle. Dwelley finished that season with 19 receptions for 245 yards and one score in 16 games (nine starts). He settled back into a backup role in 2021, hauling in only four catches for 51 yards and one score in 17 games (two starts).
Dwelley will slide behind Kittle on the depth chart in 2021. The 49ers are also rostering Charlie Woerner, Tanner Hudson, and former wideout Jordan Matthews at the position.
Texans Sign WR DaeSean Hamilton
An auxiliary wide receiver for three seasons in Denver, DaeSean Hamilton is attempting to come back after an offseason injury nixed his 2021 season. The Texans will give him that chance.
Houston signed the former fourth-round pick Monday, announcing a transaction that adds another potential contributor to the team’s Brandin Cooks-led receiver troops. The Texans are giving Hamilton a one-year deal. Despite the Penn State product coming off an injury, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes the deal does include guaranteed money (Twitter links). Hamilton visited the Texans earlier this month.
The Broncos selected Hamilton in 2018, adding the slot receiver two rounds after drafting Courtland Sutton. While the latter became Demaryius Thomas‘ heir apparent, seeing his role increase after the Texans traded for the perennial Pro Bowler at the 2018 deadline, Hamilton did not catch on. He churned out consistent work in Denver, catching between 23 and 30 passes in each season, with the yardage totals all between 240 and 295. The Broncos’ Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler selections in 2020 moved Hamilton further to the periphery, and the team cut him following an offseason ACL tear.
Hamilton, 27, did draw trade interest before that injury. The Broncos and 49ers had a deal in place, but the May 2021 injury scuttled the swap. Cooks leads a Texans receiving corps that also houses Chris Conley and 2021 third-round pick Nico Collins. Armed with three extra picks in the first four rounds — from the Bradley Roby and Deshaun Watson trades — the Texans figure to be in the market for more talent here.
Steelers Sign LB Genard Avery
Genard Avery is heading about five hours west. The former Eagles linebacker is signing with the Steelers, tweets SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan. It’s a one-year deal for Avery. The player confirmed the signing on Twitter.
Avery spent the past two-plus seasons with the Eagles, including a 2021 campaign where he started a career-high 12 games while collecting 43 tackles, one sack, and a pair of QB hits. He had another two sacks in his previous 20 games with the organization.
The linebacker started his career with the Browns, and he showed up during his rookie campaign by collecting 4.5 sacks. He found himself with a reduced role in 2019 before getting traded to Philly for a fourth-round pick.
In Pittsburgh, Avery will likely compete with Derrek Tuszka to be the primary backups to T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Bills Re-Sign OL Ike Boettger
The Bills are bringing back one of their offensive line starters. The team announced that they have re-signed guard Ike Boettger. It’s a one-year deal for the 27-year-old.
Boettger went undrafted out of Iowa in 2018, and after bouncing on and off the Bills and Chiefs rosters to start his career, he landed back with Buffalo and never looked back. He appeared in only six games through his first two seasons in the NFL, but he ended up getting in 12 games (seven starts) during the 2020 campaign.
He got into 15 games during the 2021 campaign, including 10 starts at left guard. He suffered an Achilles injury during Week 16 that knocked him out for the rest of the regular season and postseason. Fortunately, GM Brandon Beane indicated today that the offensive lineman is recovering nicely.
“Ike had a tough injury with the Achilles last year and is rehabbing that. He got a good exam on his physical,” said Beane (via the team’s website). “He’ll still have to rehab that and we’ll see where he’s at when training camp starts.”
OL Max Garcia To Sign With Giants
The Giants are set to add another veteran to their offensive line. The team announced the signing of Max Garcia to a one-year deal. 
Garcia was a fourth-round pick of the Broncos in 2015. He played four years in Denver, starting 41 of 57 games and establishing himself as the team’s top option at left guard. Over the course of his career, the 30-year-old has also played at right guard and center. He has four playoff appearances to his credit, including the run to Super Bowl 50 with Denver.
After his rookie contract expired, he joined the Cardinals in 2019. He played a combined total of just 67 offensive snaps during his first two years there, however. That changed significantly last season, as Garcia registered 11 starts in his 15 appearances. Playing 809 snaps – the third-highest total of his career – he committed four penalties and allowed four sacks. That led to a PFF grade of 56.3, which is closer to his career norms than the 72.2 mark he received in 2016.
Garcia is the latest addition to the Giants’ offensive line this offseason. The team has already added Mark Glowinski, as well as Jon Feliciano following his release from the Bills. Upgrading the unit has been one of the team’s top priorities over the past few weeks.
By signing with the Giants, Garcia essentially completes an indirect swap of veteran interior linemen between them and the Cardinals. Earlier today, Arizona signed Will Hernandez, who had previously spent his entire four-year career in New York.
Vikings Sign OL Jesse Davis
A longtime starter for the Dolphins, Jesse Davis visited the Vikings on Monday. That meeting is expected to lead to a signing, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Vikings have announced the move. It is a one-year deal worth $3MM, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.
Davis has worked extensively as a first-stringer over the course of his career, seeing time at tackle and guard during his five-season run with the Dolphins. The Vikings are looking at Davis at right guard, with Tomasson noting he is now viewed as the top candidate to start there (Twitter links). The Dolphins cut Davis last week.
The Vikings brought in Bills restricted free agent Ryan Bates for a visit, but Bates signed an offer sheet with the Bears — one the Bills matched. While Minnesota has a few positions solidified up front, the team is in need at right guard. Pro Football Focus viewed it as by far the team’s weakest spot in 2021.
Despite having five years’ experience, Davis will turn 31 this fall. The Idaho product spent two years developing without seeing game action, entering the NFL as a 2015 UDFA. But he moved into a starting role with the Dolphins in 2017 and logged 72 starts over the past five years, spending full seasons at both guard and tackle. The Dolphins gave Davis a three-year, $15MM deal in 2019.
Last season, the Dolphins moved Robert Hunt to guard and slid Davis back to right tackle. PFF did not view Davis’ latest right-edge work well, but the veteran made 16 starts for Miami in 2021. He has also seen left tackle time, giving the Vikings an ideal swingman if they opt to further address their right guard spot this offseason. Longtime Vikings swingman Dakota Dozier signed with the Bears earlier this month.
Minnesota has Christian Darrisaw, Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury and Brian O’Neill on track to continue as up-front starters, giving the team a solid outlook up front as begins a new regime. The team returns its primary 2021 right guard, Oli Udoh. But Davis should be expected to, at worst, provide strong competition for the job.
Falcons Sign WR Auden Tate
The Falcons are adding Auden Tate to their wide receiver rebuild effort. The former Bengals pass catcher will head to Atlanta on a one-year deal, according to the team.
Tate is best known for his contributions during A.J. Green‘s full-season absence in 2019. Since, the former seventh-round pick has not seen much playing time. Green’s return capped Tate’s usage in 2020, and an injury prevented him from playing during much of Cincinnati’s AFC championship season.
The 6-foot-5 wideout caught 40 passes for 575 yards and a touchdown in 2019, joining Tyler Boyd as the top Bengals receivers with the team down Green and John Ross. With Green back in 2020 and Tee Higgins in the fold, Tate receded into the background and caught just 14 passes for 150 yards. The Florida State product ended both the 2020 and ’21 seasons on IR, reverting to the Bengals’ injured list late last season after returning to practice during the playoffs.
Just 25, Tate will join a Falcons receiving corps that will be without Calvin Ridley. Shortly after Ridley’s gambling suspension became known, top 2021 wideout Russell Gage defected to the Buccaneers in free agency. Atlanta will add more pieces to a position group currently fronted by Olamide Zaccheaus, but Tate is set to battle for playing time in the team’s first post-Matt Ryan receiving corps.
Jets To Sign DL Solomon Thomas
One of Robert Saleh‘s 49ers charges will reunite with him in New York. After playing a season with the Raiders, Solomon Thomas is signing with the Jets, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. It’s a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
A former top-three pick, Thomas spent the first four seasons of his career playing in Saleh’s defense in San Francisco. The inside pass rusher will join a Jets defensive line housing Quinnen Williams and Sheldon Rankins at the D-tackle spots. Thomas will join recent signee D.J. Reed as ex-49er defenders to rejoin Saleh in New York this offseason.
While Thomas has not come especially close to living up to that No. 3 overall draft slot, the Stanford product has been a capable rotation player. Working initially as a defensive end who moved inside frequently, Thomas has 9.5 career sacks. After suffering a torn ACL in a Week 2 game against the Jets in 2020, Thomas signed a one-year deal worth $3.25MM to join the Raiders. He registered 3.5 sacks with Las Vegas last season and forced two fumbles in his D-tackle role. Both were career-high marks for the five-year veteran.
The Jets guaranteed part of Rankins’ 2022 salary this month and picked up Williams’ fifth-year option. Thomas’ history with Saleh certainly points to him playing a key role. Thomas, 26, played 48% of the Raiders’ defensive snaps last season and, despite coming off the ACL tear, did not miss a game.
Bills To Match Ryan Bates Offer Sheet
After seeing restricted free agent Ryan Bates sign an offer sheet with the Bears, the Bills faced the decision of matching it or watching him leave for no compensation. Today, they have decided on the former course of action, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the contract is worth $17MM over four years (Twitter link). He adds that the first two years (valued at just under $9MM) are guaranteed. 
[RELATED: Bates Signing Bears’ Offer Sheet]
Bates took over as the Bills’ starting left guard in Week 15 of this season, and held that role through to the end of the year and the playoffs. It was the most significant playing time of his three years in the NFL. Despite the limited workload he’s handled to date, his play down the stretch generated plenty of interest. The Bills tendered him at a rate of just over $2.4MM, leaving the door open to an offer sheet coming into play.
Bates visited with the Vikings, Patriots and Bears before ultimately signing an offer sheet with the latter. Chicago was looking to add to the interior of their line, having lost guard James Daniels to the Steelers earlier this offseason. Now, they will continue to search for a replacement in the second and third waves of the free agent market.
The Bills, meanwhile, are indeed able to retain one of their breakout players from last year. Some felt they should have tendered Bates at the second-round level to assure themselves of draft compensation, but now they have him under contract for the medium-term future.
Saints To Re-Sign Tre’Quan Smith
Tre’Quan Smith is set to remain in New Orleans. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (on Twitter) that the Saints are bringing him back on a two-year, $6MM deal. He adds that there is another $4.5MM available in incentives. 
[RELATED: Saints To Retain QB Winston]
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo also notes that $2MM is guaranteed (Twitter link). That means this deal represents a notable raise over the compensation he received from his rookie contract. Smith has spent all four years of his career with the Saints after they drafted him in the third round in 2018. He hit free agency this offseason despite four void year being added to his deal as a result of a 2021 restructure.
The 26-year-old has been a consistent complimentary piece to the Saints’ offense during his time there. He had a career year in 2020, posting 34 catches for 448 yards and four touchdowns. That led many to believe he would have a breakout campaign in 2021, given the absence of Michael Thomas. However, between injuries to himself and quarterback Jameis Winston, and the overall struggles of the team’s offense, he put up underwhelming numbers (32 receptions, 377 yards, three touchdowns).
The UCF product drew interest from the Falcons earlier this month, as they hosted him on a free agent visit. Instead of joining New Orleans’ divisional rival, though, he will remain with the Saints as they look to have a healthier and more productive season on offense in 2022.