Browns To Cut TE Austin Hooper
The Browns are releasing tight end Austin Hooper (Twitter link via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com). Using the post-June 1 designation, the Browns will spread his dead money hit across the next two seasons, rather than all at once. 
[RELATED: Browns Place Franchise Tag On Njoku]
The Browns were giving serious thought to keeping Hooper alongside breakout star David Njoku. At least, that was their public position. In reality, there was little sense in keeping both players.
It’s been almost two years since Hooper inked a then record-breaking deal for tight ends, one that was slated to run through 2024. Now, instead of keeping him around as a secondary TE target in their Baker Mayfield-led offense, the Browns will cut Hooper to save $2MM on the 2022 books. Meanwhile, the $11.25MM dead money charge will be split between ’22 and ’23.
Hooper, still only 27, should hold appeal for TE-needy teams elsewhere. While his Cleveland run has been forgettable, it wasn’t long ago that he notched two consecutive Pro Bowl nods with the Falcons.
Jaguars To Sign Darious Williams
The Jaguars are set to sign free agent cornerback Darious Williams (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Once finalized, it’ll be a three-year deal worth $30MM with incentives that could push the overall value to $39MM. Williams also gets $18MM fully guaranteed, so more than half is already locked in.
Williams had a down year in 2021, thanks in part to an early season ankle injury. Before that, in 2020, Pro Football Focus graded Williams as its No. 4 overall corner as he set new personal watermarks in tackles (44), interceptions (four), and passes defended (14). Last offseason, the Rams let Troy Hill walk and prioritized Williams as a restricted free agent. He rewarded their confidence with four interceptions in 2020, but did not record an INT in 2021.
Now, the Rams will have to replace Williams while dealing with a cap crunch. He leaves Los Angeles with 130 tackles, six interceptions, and two fumble recoveries across 46 career appearances.
Williams’ camp tells RapSheet that he had more lucrative offers elsewhere. But, as a Florida native, he chose to take less money to return home.
Seahawks To Sign Artie Burns
Former Chicago cornerback Artie Burns is headed to Seattle. Burns has agreed to sign with the Seahawks on a one-year $2MM deal (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Jets Sign Ex-Seahawks CB DJ Reed]
The Bears initially signed Burns in 2020, but the former Steelers first-round pick suffered a torn ACL that led to an IR placement last summer. After a couple more roster moves, he found his way into eleven regular season games last year, including six starts. He finished out 2021 with 23 tackles, one tackle for a loss, and six passes defensed.
The Seahawks have just lost cornerback D.J. Reed to the Jets, marking the second straight year that they’ve lost their No. 1 CB. Seattle did manage to re-sign Sidney Jones, but Jones and Burns won’t be enough to hold down the secondary. The cornerback position still figures to be a priority for the Seahawks over the next few waves of free agency as well as the April draft.
Buccaneers Re-Sign WR Breshad Perriman
The Buccaneers have agreed to a new deal with Breshad Perriman. It’ll be a one-year contract for the veteran wide receiver. According to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter), Perirman inked the veteran salary benefit, meaning he’ll get the league-minimum $1.12MM (plus $152K bonus).
[RELATED: Bucs Trade For Patriots’ Mason]
Perriman’s first stint with the Bucs came in 2019, when he registered 36 receptions for 645 yards and six touchdowns. That performance earned him a one-year, $8MM deal ($6MM guaranteed) from the Jets. He had a solid season in New York during the 2020 campaign, finishing with 511 yards from scrimmage.
In 2021, he was initially set to play with the Lions, but he was dropped before the final cut. He later joined the Bears, but was released without appearing in a single snap. Upon his return to Tampa, Perriman was jockeyed between the active roster and the practice squad. In six regular season games, he notched eleven catches for 167 yards. He also saw a little bit of playoff action, notching one grab for five yards in his first ever postseason appearance.
In other Bucs news, they’ve also swung a trade for Tom Brady‘s old pal Shaq Mason. The veteran guard graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 ranked guard last year but only cost Tampa a fifth-round pick.
Browns To Sign Jakeem Grant
The Browns have agreed to sign return man/wide receiver Jakeem Grant (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). His three-year deal — to be finalized later today —could be worth up to $13.8MM. 
Grant, a 2016 sixth-round pick of the Dolphins, proved to be serviceable on offense during his time in Miami. In 2020, for example, he managed 36 receptions for 373 yards. He truly started earning league-wide recognition for his special teams prowess, however. That year, he returned 29 punts for 330 yards and one touchdown.
He was acquired by the Bears midway through the 2021 season in exchange for a sixth-round pick. In total, he got into 17 games between Miami and Chicago last year, finishing with 309 punt return yards, including a franchise-record 97-yard punt return against the Packers. Grant also earned his first career Pro Bowl appearance in 2021.
Now, he’ll go from the NFC North to the AFC North with the Browns. He should give Cleveland a big upgrade on punt returns as he replaces Demetric Felton (7.1 ypr).
Jets To Re-Sign Dan Feeney
The Jets have agreed to re-sign offensive lineman Dan Feeney (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post). Financial terms are not yet known, but it’ll be a one-year deal for the Indiana product. 
Feeney was a was a third-round pick of the Chargers back in 2017. The Jets signed him last spring as their Plan B for missing out on guard Joe Thuney.
Feeney started nine games as a rookie with the Bolts, followed by a full 16 in each of the next three years. The Jets made him a first-stringer just five times last year, but he still suited up in 16 games, missing only one contest in the NFL’s newly-expanded season.
Feeney signed a one-year deal with the team last year after spending three seasons as a starter with the Chargers. He appeared in 16 games, but only made five starts for the AFC East club.
The Jets will ask Feeney to serve as a backup once again, after adding guard Laken Tomlinson and re-upping Conor McDermott last week.
Raiders To Sign DT Bilal Nichols
The Raiders have agreed to sign defensive tackle Bilal Nichols (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The former Bear will receive a two-year, $11MM deal with $9MM guaranteed. 
[RELATED: Bears To Sign Ogunjobi]
Nichols, a 2018 fifth-round pick, had the best year of his career at the best possible time. In 2021, Nichols suited up for all 17 games (15 starts) and registered 51 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, two fumble recoveries, and nine QB hits. He appeared in 64% of the Bears’ snaps as well, leading all defensive linemen on the team.
The Bears didn’t have much room for Nichols after the addition of Bengals defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. The Raiders, meanwhile, can use the 25-year-old as a three-technique tackle who can generate pressure against the pass. Nichols has done a solid job of that so far in his young career, having notched 62 pressures over the last two years.
Bears To Sign OL Lucas Patrick
The Bears have added a starting offensive lineman. Chicago is signing former Packers interior lineman Lucas Patrick, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a two-year, $8MM deal ($4MM guaranteed), according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).
Patrick was an undrafted free agent out of Duke in 2016, and he carved out a nice role for himself in Green Bay. The lineman served mostly as a backup through his first four seasons in the NFL, but he found himself starting in 2020.
Patrick started 15 games for the Packers in 2020 and 13 games in 2021. He saw time in 82 percent of his team’s offensive snaps this past season, and he continued to contribute on special teams.
The 28-year-old’s ability to play both offensive guard and center should make him a valuable asset in Chicago. The Bears saw lineman James Daniels leave for Pittsburgh earlier today, but they’re replacing him with a player who has some familiarity with the system. Patrick played under Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy when the two were in Green Bay.
Saints To Sign S Marcus Maye
The Saints have added a big-name free agent to their secondary. New Orleans is signing safety Marcus Maye, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).
Maye got a three-year, $28.5MM deal from New Orleans, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). The deal contains $15MM in guaranteed money.
Maye’s 2021 did not go especially well. A DUI arrest came shortly after tense negotiations with the Jets, who did not finalize a long-term extension by the July deadline. Maye played the season on the franchise tag but suffered an Achilles tear, limiting him to only six games. The former second-round pick started 32 games for New York between the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
It was only a few hours ago that we heard the Jets were keeping an eye on their free agent. Connor Hughes of The Athletic confirms (on Twitter) that the Jets were interested in re-signing the safety, but Maye ended up taking the better offer.
The Saints, meanwhile, watched as safety Marcus Williams left for Baltimore earlier today. The defensive back got a whopping five-year, $70MM deal from the Ravens, so New Orleans certainly got a discount by pivoting to Maye.
LB Nicholas Morrow To Sign With Bears
Following five seasons with the Raiders, Nicholas Morrow is heading to Chicago. The Bears are signing the linebacker, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Twitter).
Fowler transformed from an undrafted free agent into a serviceable linebacker during his time with the Raiders organization. Morrow ultimately spent five years with the organization, seeing time in 62 games (29 starts).
Morrow re-signed with the Raiders last offseason, but he landed on injured reserve before the regular season with a foot injury. There were some whispers that he could be activated in time for the playoffs, but the linebacker ended up sitting out the entire 2021 campaign.
That means 2020 was the last time Morrow saw the field, but he was plenty productive during that campaign. He saw time in 14 games (11 starts) that season, collecting 78 tackles, three sacks, and nine passes defended.