49ers Re-Sign RB Jeff Wilson
Jeff Wilson is sticking around San Francisco for at least another season. The running back announced on Instagram that he’s re-signing with the 49ers.
“We got business to handle,” Wilson wrote. “When you got something to prove it hit different! Last year was honestly the toughest time of life but through those times it has built and molded me to what you’ll see! Ready to slide with my guys.”
Following a breakout 2020 campaign that saw him finish with 733 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns, Wilson had a delayed start to the 2021 season after suffering a summer foot injury. The running back returned to the field in November and ended up seeing time in nine games (four starts) for the 49ers, collecting 325 yards from scrimmage and two scores. He didn’t get a touch in two playoff games.
Elijah Mitchell exploded as a rookie in 2021, and he’ll likely lead the depth chart heading into his sophomore season. The 49ers are also rostering fellow 2021 draft pick Trey Sermon along with JaMycal Hasty.
Patriots To Sign Malcolm Butler
Malcolm Butler is returning to where his NFL career began. The veteran cornerback is signing with the Patriots on a two-year contract worth up to $9MM (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 
Butler, 32, joined the Patriots as a UDFA in 2014. The final play he made in his rookie season – the game-winning interception in Super Bowl XLIX – remains what he is best known for. From that point on, he established himself as a productive corner, earning his lone Pro Bowl nod the following season.
In 2018, the West Alabama alum signed with the Titans on a five-year, $61.25MM contract. He remained a starter throughout his his three seasons there, putting up his most productive season in 2020 with 110 tackles and four interceptions. However, he was released last offseason.
Butler then signed a contract with the Cardinals, but he stepped away from the team just before the season began. That led many to believe that his career was over, and he missed the entire 2021 campaign. However, he aimed at a comeback by visiting the Texans, then the Patriots, this month. The team is banking on Butler being able to return to his previous form, as he ranked 15th amongst corners in PFF grade (74.5) in 2020.
The signing comes after the Patriots lost J.C. Jackson to the Chargers in free agency. While Butler likely won’t replicate the statistical success of Jackson in terms of interceptions, he should bring a veteran presence to New England’s secondary, which ranked second against the pass in 2021.
Commanders Sign DE Efe Obada
Efe Obada has found his latest home in the NFL. The Commanders announced on Wednesday that they are signing the veteran defensive end. 
Obada, who will be 30 by the start of the 2022 season, has played four seasons in the league. The first three of those came with the Panthers, where he suited up for 42 games. The 2019 season saw him make a career-high 24 tackles, but it’s the only year in which he didn’t register a sack.
Obada’s ability to get to the quarterback was on display the following season, as he posted 5.5 sacks, to go along with a pair of forced fumbles. After signing back-to-back one-year deals to stay in Carolina, the former UDFA joined the Bills last offseason. He started one of ten games in Buffalo, registering 3.5 sacks.
Obada – who was born in Nigeria and raised in London – is best known for a unique distinction he holds. After starting his football career with the London Warriors of the British American Football Association, he entered the NFL via the International Player Pathway Program. When he successfully made the Panthers’ 53-man roster in 2018, he became the first player to do so who took that route.
Now, Obada will join a Commanders’ defensive front headed by edge rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat. Given his success as a rotational option, he should play a role in helping the unit improve on its disappointing performance in 2021.
Chiefs To Sign Deon Bush
The Chiefs have agreed to sign safety Deon Bush, according to agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Financial terms are not yet known, but it’ll be a one-year deal for the former Bear.
[RELATED: Chiefs To Sign Coleman]
Bush, 29 in August, came into the league as a fourth-round pick of the Bears in 2016. Up until now, he spent all six years of his career in Chicago, serving mostly as a special teams specialist. Last year, however, Bush saw more defensive action, suiting up for 14 games (four starts) while notching two interceptions and five passes defensed. The Chiefs may use Bush for occasional support at free safety or slot coverage, but he’s likely to see more time on special teams.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the Chiefs have retooled their wide receiver group by signing one-time Steelers standout JuJu Smith-Schuster as well as former first-round pick Corey Coleman.
Falcons Re-Sign DB Erik Harris
Erik Harris is returning to Atlanta for another season. The safety is re-signing with the Falcons, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Harris is inking a one-year deal.
Harris signed a one-year deal with the Falcons last offseason and ended up starting all 12 of his games. Harris ended up collecting 64 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and eight passes defended while appearing in 84 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. The 31-year-old’s season ended early after he suffered a torn pectoral.
Following a brief stint with the Saints to start his NFL career, Harris had a four-year stint with the Raiders, starting 30 games. He had five interceptions between the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
The Falcons have been busy dealing with their secondary this offseason. The team has already signed Casey Hayward and re-signed Isaiah Oliver.
Chiefs Rework OL Joe Thuney’s Contract
The Chiefs have opened a significant chunk of cap space. The team restructured the contract of offensive lineman Joe Thuney, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
Specifically, the Chiefs converted $12.86MM of Thuney‘s base salary into a signing bonus. The move created $9.6MM in cap space.
Thuney spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Patriots, earning two Super Bowl rings and a second-team All-Pro nod.The former third-round pick ended up starting all 80 of his games during his time in New England.
The lineman inked a five-year, $80MM contract with the Chiefs last offseason, and he proceeded to see time in all 17 games for his new team, appearing in 99 percent of his team’s offensive snaps. Thuney also started all three of Kansas City’s playoff games.
Raiders Sign DT Kyle Peko
Kyle Peko is back in the AFC West. The Raiders announced that they have signed the defensive tackle.
Peko joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and the defensive lineman ended up spending two-plus seasons with the organization. He had stops with the Bills and Colts before rejoining the Broncos for parts of the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The 28-year-old spent the 2021 season in Tennessee, where he saw time in eight games, including his first three NFL starts. Peko finished the campaign with 10 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble while appearing in a third of his team’s defensive snaps.
This is the second defensive lineman that the Raiders added today. This afternoon, we learned that the team was signing former first-round defensive tackle Vernon Butler.
Panthers Rework RB Christian McCaffrey’s Contract
Christian McCaffrey has helped the Panthers open up some extra cap. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the running back has agreed to a “simple restructure” of his contract. The move will open $5.5MM in cap space.
[RELATED: Panthers Listening On Christian McCaffrey Trade Calls]
McCaffrey’s contract furnishes him with $16MM/year on average, an all-time record for running backs. And, as the years go on, that cap hit escalates. This year, it’ll be a $14.3MM figure. In 2023 and 2024, he’s in line for cap hits of $17.7MM. It’s uncertain how the restructuring alters those numbers, but there’s a good chance McCaffrey still tops the position in earnings.
McCaffrey has been in the news this offseason for a (somewhat) surprising reason. We heard earlier this month that the All-Pro running back was generating trade interest, and we later learned that the front office was open to the right offer for the RB. The team was reportedly seeking a first-round pick and a cap-friendly contract, but McCaffrey‘s hefty contract would surely complicate any negotiations.
McCaffrey, 26 in June, has played just ten games over the past two seasons. Before the ankle and hamstring injuries, CMC was a 2019 All-Pro with an NFL-leading 2,392 scrimmage yards.
Dolphins To Sign T Terron Armstead
Terron Armstead‘s Miami visit has produced an accepted contract offer. The veteran tackle is signing a five-year deal with the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The sides agreed on a five-year contract worth $75MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, with Schefter adding the Dolphins will guarantee Armstead $43.37MM (Twitter link). Armstead can earn up to $87.5MM on the deal through incentives.
While Armstead delayed his decision by a bit, keeping the door open with New Orleans, he will head to Florida to give the Dolphins a high-end left tackle option. Pro Football Focus ranked the Dolphins’ offensive line 32nd in 2021. The unit featured multiple starters change positions either ahead of last season or during the campaign. Armstead’s role figures to be solidified.
Armstead operated as the Saints’ starting left tackle for the past eight seasons. While the former third-round pick missed some time due to injury, including an extended stretch last season, he hit the market as one of the top players available. The 30-year-old blocker is a three-time Pro Bowler who played a key role in the Saints’ late-2010s resurgence. Elbow and knee trouble limited Armstead in 2021, a season in which he played eight games. The decorated veteran underwent knee surgery this offseason.
This contract is similar to the one he inked back in 2016, a five-year deal worth $64.5MM. While quality left tackles in their prime do not hit the market often, the Saints prioritized the younger Ryan Ramczyk by extending their right tackle on a top-level deal last year. Ramczyk’s contract contains escalators that would change the terms of the deal if the former first-rounder excels at left tackle. Regardless of New Orleans’ plan with its well-regarded right tackle, this ends a five-year Armstead-Ramczyk partnership.
Miami’s left tackle spot has been in flux since the team dealt Laremy Tunsil to Houston in 2019. Successor option Austin Jackson, a 2020 first-round pick, has since been moved to guard. The Dolphins used 2021 second-round pick Liam Eichenberg at left tackle extensively last season, but the Notre Dame product will not keep the gig. Armstead and Connor Williams have committed to Miami, with the latter likely claiming one of the team’s guard jobs. The Dolphins moved Robert Hunt from tackle to guard during the 2021 offseason, and PFF graded Hunt as the team’s best O-line regular last season.
The team may not be done up front. They are planning to add a center, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. But new running backs Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds already have multiple well-paid blockers set to clear lanes for them.
Vikings Rework DE Danielle Hunter’s Contract
The Vikings made a splash when they agreed to a three-year, $42MM deal with Za’Darius Smith today, and one of Smith’s fellow pass rushers indirectly made it happen. Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Vikings converted Danielle Hunter‘s $18MM roster bonus into a signing bonus, creating the $13.5MM in cap space that was used to add Smith.
[RELATED: Vikings Agree To Deal With Za’Darius Smith]
Specifically, the move lowered Hunter’s 2022 cap number from $25.83MM to $12.33MM, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter).
The Vikings picked up Hunter’s $18MM roster bonus this past weekend, a move that was unexpected a few months ago. There were rumors that the Vikings weren’t eager to pick up the option and were trying to trade Hunter. Minnesota has changed regimes and defensive schemes since committing to the veteran, and Hunter’s $25.8MM cap number was a clear target to create additional funds. Cutting or trading Hunter would have saved the Vikes $14MM-plus in cap space.
Hunter’s second straight injury-marred season has reduced his outlook. That said, Hunter was the youngest player in NFL history to reach the 50-sack plateau. The two-time Pro Bowler is still just 27.