Bears Sign WR Equanimeous St. Brown
Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has recruited another player to Chicago. The Bears are signing wideout Equanimeous St. Brown, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic (on Twitter). Brown agreed to join the Bears on a one-year deal, Howe tweets.
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The 2018 sixth-round pick had spent his entire career in Green Bay, with Getsy serving as QBs coach during three of those four seasons. The receiver missed the entire 2019 season, but he otherwise appeared in at least 12 games during his three healthy seasons with the Packers. However, St. Brown hasn’t been able to match his rookie numbers (333 yards from scrimmage) in 2020 nor 2021.
This past season, St. Brown saw time in 13 games (two starts), collecting 112 yards from scrimmage on 12 touches. He also appeared in 34% of the Packers’ special teams snaps.
The Bears have been busy adding former Packers players, signing offensive lineman Lucas Patrick earlier this week.
Cowboys Re-Sign DE Dorance Armstrong
Dorance Armstrong has parlayed a breakout season into a new contract. The Cowboys are re-signing the defensive end, reports ESPN’s Todd Archer (on Twitter). Armstrong is signing a two-year pact worth $13MM.
The 2018 fourth-round pick has spent his entire four-year career in Dallas, but he really emerged in 2021. After collecting 2.5 sacks through his first 46 career games, Armstrong finished this past season with five sacks in 13 games (five starts). The defensive lineman also added another 37 tackles and 12 QB hits.
In total, Armstrong has appeared in 59 games (eight starts), collecting 98 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles.
While Armstrong is back with the Cowboys, the same can’t be said of safety Jayron Kearse. According to Calvin Watkins of Dallas Morning News (on Twitter), the Cowboys aren’t close to a new contract with the free agent defensive back.
Bengals To Re-Sign CB Eli Apple
Eli Apple will be back in Cincinnati in 2022. The Bengals are re-signing the Ohio State product, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The former top-10 pick agreed to a one-year deal worth $4MM. While Apple did not finish his season well, being targeted on the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning drive and giving up the game-winning touchdown, he bounced back on the whole after a 2020 no-show with the Panthers.
Apple started 15 games for the Bengals last season and will see a notable raise, though the 2021 campaign did not result in a substantial market for the ex-Giants draftee. The Bengals gave Apple a one-year, $1.2MM deal in 2021. Apple joined Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton as the team’s top corners; Apple usurped the injury-prone Trae Waynes on the team’s depth chart. Waynes is not expected to be with the Bengals much longer.
While it is not certain if the Bengals will make an effort to upgrade their coverage corps with an outside hire or high draft choice, Apple did intercept two passes last season and play 93% of the snaps for Lou Anarumo‘s resurgent defense. Pro Football Focus assigned Apple a middling grade for the 2021 season.
The six-year veteran would represent a good depth piece, though redeploying him as a full-timer would be somewhat risky for a Bengals team now presented with high expectations. Apple returning, however, means the Bengals stand to have their full five-man secondary back for next season.
Chargers Re-Sign DL Christian Covington
Christian Covington is returning to the Chargers. The team is re-signing the free agent defensive end, reports Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).
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Following a four-year stint with the Texans to start his career, Covington has bounced around the NFL a bit over the past few years. He had stints with the Cowboys and Bengals before landing in Los Angeles in 2021.
He ended up getting into 16 games (three starts) for the Chargers last season, collecting 52 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. He saw time on 48 percent of the Chargers defensive snaps, and he also got some run on special teams.
Defensive linemen Justin Jones and Linval Joseph combined for 23 starts last season, but both players are hitting free agency. As a result, Covington could see a larger role next season.
Panthers Sign LB Damien Wilson
Following a career year in Jacksonville, Damien Wilson is heading elsewhere. The free agent linebacker is signing with the Panthers, reports NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). Wilson is signing a two-year deal.
Wilson spent his first four seasons as a backup in Dallas, but he got a starting gig with the Chiefs in 2019. He ended up starting all 29 of his games through two seasons with the organization, and he added another six playoff starts (including three during the Chiefs’ run to a Super Bowl championship).
He caught on with the Jaguars last offseason, and he ended up having a career year for his new team. He started 17 games for Jacksonville, collecting a career-high 106 tackles to go along with three sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception.
The Panthers are adding a new player to the linebackers room, but the team has also focused on retaining their depth at the position. The organization previously re-signed Julian Stanford and Marquis Haynes.
Vikings Won’t Re-Sign CB Mackensie Alexander
We’re uncertain where free agent cornerback Mackensie Alexander will play in 2022, but it definitely won’t be in Minnesota. According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter), the Vikings won’t be re-signing the defensive back.
Fortunately for Alexander, he’ll be able to continue his career elsewhere. According to the reporter, there are “several teams interested” in the cornerback.
The 2016 second-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career in Minnesota before moving on to Cincinnati in 2020. He returned to Minnesota for the 2021 campaign and ended up collecting a career-high 51 tackles in 16 games (five starts).
The Vikings could have a completely different looking cornerbacks corps in 2022. Patrick Peterson is also a free agent, and some draft pundits have predicted that the organization will select a cornerback in the first round of the upcoming draft.
Bengals To Sign Hayden Hurst
The Bengals appear to have found a short-term replacement for C.J. Uzomah. Cincinnati is signing tight end Hayden Hurst, to a one-year deal according to ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Jets To Sign C.J. Uzomah]
Hurst, 28, started his career in Baltimore. He flashed potential in two campaigns with the Ravens, totalling 43 catches and 512 yards in 28 games. With Mark Andrews ahead of him on the depth chart, however, it became clear that Hurst would need to go elsewhere to have an opportunity as a starter. He requested – and was granted – a trade to Atlanta in 2020.
In his first season with the Falcons, the former first rounder played closer to the level he was capable of with increased playing time. He totalled 56 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns. However, the Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts last offseason, which again limited Hurst’s target share. It’s not surprising, then, that he is on the move again.
In Cincinnati, Hurst will step into a sizeable opening left by Uzomah’s departure. His production in the passing game – along with his blocking ability – should keep him on the field for a Bengals offense which was among the league’s best in 2021. This addition should help compliment the team’s talented WR trio enough for the Bengals to replicate their success in the passing game.
Bills To Sign Shaq Lawson
Shaq Lawson is back in Buffalo. On Thursday, the edge rusher agreed to a one-year deal with the Bills (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
[RELATED: Bills To Sign V. Miller]
Lawson, 27, was a first rounder of the Bills back in 2016. He racked up 16.5 sacks during his four-year stay in Buffalo, which wasn’t enough for the team to pick up his fifth-year option. He stayed in the division when he signed with the Dolphins in 2020 on a three-year, $30MM deal. His production was essentially on par with his days in Buffalo, though, and he found himself being traded to the Texans one year later.
Lawson never played in Houston, however, being moved once again later that offseason, this time to the Jets. In New York, he managed just one sack and was let go before the end of the campaign. Over his six years in the NFL, he has established himself as a capable rotational pass rusher, and a return to Buffalo could allow him to get back to his old form.
The Bills, meanwhile, get to bolster their pass rush despite a limited budget. Much of their cap room has been allocated towards Von Miller, who will team with Lawson up front.
Giants To Cut Logan Ryan
The Giants are releasing defensive back Logan Ryan (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Giants will not classify this as a post-June 1 designation, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic (on Twitter), which means they’ll absorb the full dead money hit in 2022. 
[RELATED: Latest On Giants’ Bradberry]
Ryan, 31, first joined the Giants on a one-year, $7.5MM deal. Towards the end of the 2020 season, the Giants re-upped him on a three-year, $31MM extension. That deal has now been cut short — instead of making $9.25MM with the G-Men this year, Ryan is back on the market.
Last year, Ryan logged 117 total tackles, two tackles for loss, a pair of forced fumbles, and eight passes defensed across 15 games. While he’s still productive, he’ll likely have to settle for a lesser deal elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the Giants’ new regime still has to figure out what to do with James Bradberry. Teams have made trade inquiries on Dave Gettleman‘s high-priced addition, but the offers have been underwhelming so far. The Giants could keep Bradberry, table trade talks until sometime after the draft, or just release him outright. Cutting Bradberry would save the team upwards of $10MM in 2022.
Eagles To Release Fletcher Cox
In a cost-cutting move, the Eagles have, at least for now, parted ways with a mainstay of their defense. The team has released defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
He adds that Cox is being designated as a post-June 1st cut. The reason for the release’s timing is due to the fact that at 4:00 PM EST, $18MM of the compensation he was owed – nearly the entire amount – would have become fully guaranteed. Cutting him in this way creates over $12.8MM in dead money, while opening $2.1MM in cap space.
Garafolo does note, however, that a return to Philadelphia is still possible, something corroborated by ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Both Cox’s representatives and the team are in communication to work out a new contract. Cox originally had one more season on his deal, along with two void years.
Cox, a first rounder in 2012, has spent his entire career with the Eagles. Included in his tenure there is a stretch of six consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015 to 2020. He also earned First Team All-Pro honors in 2018. The 2021 season was essentially on par with his career averages, as he totalled 35 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
However, he generated trade buzz both around this season’s trade deadline and during the offseason. A swap would’ve been complicated by his sizeable contract. As a free agent now, though, he should be more affordable to interested teams.