Frank Clark Reworks Contract, Staying With Chiefs
Frank Clark will be sticking around Kansas City after all. The Chiefs have reworked the defensive end’s contract to keep him in Kansas City, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Clark inked a new two-year pact worth $29MM with upside of $36MM. This will greatly reduce Clark’s cap numbers, which were set at $26MM in 2022 and $27MM in 2023.
Considering those pricey charges, Clark was mentioned as a cut candidate heading into the offseason. Cutting Clark before June 1st would have saved the Chiefs $12.7MM, and that number would have climbed to $19.5MM after that date. Instead, Clark was willing to take a significant pay cut to stick with the team.
Clark has earned three Pro Bowl nods during his three seasons in Kansas City, but his numbers have continued to decline. After totaling eight sacks during his first season with the Chiefs, he’s collected 10.5 sacks over his past two seasons (29 games).
Chiefs To Sign S Justin Reid
Justin Reid is leaving Houston. The veteran safety is signing with the Chiefs, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a three-year deal worth $31.5MM, including $20MM in guaranteed money (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).
The younger brother of Eric Reid, Justin Reid was a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2018. He spent his entire four year career with the Texans, snagging seven interceptions and collecting 23 passes defended. This included a 2021 campaign where Reid started all 13 games and collected 66 tackles and two picks.
Both Reid and the Texans were interested in a reunion, but it sounds like Reid may have ultimately priced himself out of Houston. We heard previously that the market for Reid could be so robust that it’d be “financially inadvisable” for the player to stick around Houston, indicating that the Texans had a limit to what they’d offer.
In addition to the Texans, the Bears, Eagles, and Ravens were mentioned as potential suitors. Instead, the 25-year-old will be heading to one of the top teams in the AFC. This move would seemingly confirm that Tyrann Mathieu will indeed be playing elsewhere in 2022.
RFA Tender Decisions: 3/14/22
The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Commanders: K Brian Johnson
- Saints: WR/PR Deonte Harris (second-round tender)
- Steelers: DB Marcus Allen
- Vikings: K Greg Joseph
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/22
It’s been a busy day around the NFL. We’ve compiled today’s minor moves below:
Denver Broncos
- To be signed: G Ben Braden
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: LB Shaun Dion Hamilton
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: TE Antony Auclair
- Claimed (from Cowboys): CB Reggie Robinson
- Restructured: LB Kevin Pierre-Louis
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: FB Michael Burton
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed (two years): C/G Coleman Shelton
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: TE Geoff Swaim
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: DB Troy Apke
Broncos To Sign DL D.J. Jones
The Broncos made last week’s biggest splash but went through a dormant Monday. They are making a move tonight, however, in signing former 49ers defensive lineman D.J. Jones.
Jones agreed to a three-year, $30MM deal with Denver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Breaking through during his contract year, Jones will collect a nice payday. The Broncos are giving the interior D-lineman a fully guaranteed $20MM.
The sixth-year D-lineman will essentially take the place of Shelby Harris, whom the Broncos included in their Russell Wilson trade. Harris, a Bronco from 2017-21, was attached to a $9MM-per-year deal.
A former sixth-round pick, Jones displayed considerable promise during his contract year. The Ole Miss alum started 17 games for San Francisco, registered 10 tackles for loss and forced two fumbles. The 49ers used Jones as a 46-game starter over the past three seasons, during which time the inside defender recorded seven sacks and 21 TFLs. Jones added a sack, during the 49ers’ five-sack game against the Cowboys, in the playoffs earlier this year.
At 27, D.J. Jones is nearly four years younger than Harris. He will team with Dre’Mont Jones, who is going into a contract year, and nose tackle Mike Purcell on the Broncos’ D-line. D.J. Jones is the only projected starter acquired or extended during George Paton‘s GM tenure.
Texans To Sign OL A.J. Cann
The Texans continue adding to their offensive line. The team has signed A.J. Cann, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a two-year, $8.5MM deal ($10.5MM max, $4.5MM guaranteed) for Cann, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Texans To Re-Sign C Justin Britt]
Cann was a third-round pick by the Jaguars in 2015, and he spent the next seven seasons in Jacksonville. The lineman started 94 of his 95 games during his stint with the Jaguars, and he inked a three-year, $15MM extension with the organization in 2019.
The 30-year-old was limited to only four games in 2021 after suffering an MCL injury. He appeared in 78 percent of his team’s offensive snaps in those four contests.
While we’re uncertain who will be under center for the Texans next season, that hasn’t stopped the team from adding to their offensive line. We heard moments ago that the team inked center Justin Britt to a new contract.
Texans To Re-Sign C Justin Britt
Justin Britt completed a successful comeback season in 2021, and the Texans plan to bring him back. Houston is re-signing its starting center, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets.
This will be Britt’s fourth contract. While it does not measure up to the deal the Seahawks gave him in the late 2010s, it is a raise from his previous Texans pact. Houston is bringing Britt back on a two-year, $9MM accord, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson notes (on Twitter). Britt, 30, played for one year and $3.2MM in 2021.
[RELATED: Texans To Release Marcus Cannon]
The former Seahawks multi-position starter was not with a team in 2020, after having suffered an ACL tear in October 2019. But he worked as the Texans’ primary center last season. Britt will have a chance to reprise that role in 2022. The Texans may have some new parts up front, but they will try to run back the Britt-Davis Mills center-QB tandem.
A second-round pick back in 2014, Britt started 11 games for the Texans. He sustained a hyperextended knee during the season but returned to close out the year for his second NFL team. The longtime Seahawk said earlier this year he wanted to return to the Texans. While Britt has experience at guard and right tackle, he has settled in at center, having played there since 2016.
Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki Signs Franchise Tender
Mike Gesicki is officially locked in for next season. The Dolphins tight end has inked his franchise tender, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).
The tag value for tight ends is set at $10.93MM, though that positional label could have been problematic in Gesicki’s case. Rarely used as an in-line blocker, the former second rounder primarily lines up in the slot to maximize his skill set. As a result, the possibility existed for him to file a grievance to be listed as a receiver.
Gesicki may have been willing to tolerate the TE tag because he’s anticipating a long-term deal with the Dolphins. The team sides could still ink an extension over the next few months.
The 26-year-old was considered one of this year’s top candidates for the tag, given the increasing role he has taken on within the Dolphins’ offense over his career. In the past three seasons, he has totaled 177 catches, 2,053 yards and 13 touchdowns. He would have been one of the most sought-after TEs on the open market. Instead, he’ll be sticking around Miami for at least another season.
Giants To Add OL Jon Feliciano
Brian Daboll‘s presence led to the Giants being linked to Mitchell Trubisky. While that deal did not come to fruition, Big Blue is adding one of Daboll’s former charges.
Jon Feliciano is heading south to join Daboll in the Big Apple, Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com tweets. The Giants are planning to shift the veteran guard to center as well. Feliciano’s one-year Giants contract comes shortly after the Bills made him a cap casualty.
This marks the second starter-caliber O-lineman the Giants have added Monday night. Mark Glowinski agreed to terms earlier; he will stay a guard. As for Feliciano, the three-year Bills starting guard will give center a shot. Feliciano, 30, started 16 games for the Bills in 2019 but was limited to 15 starts over the ensuing two years. Injuries plagued Feliciano in 2020 and ’21, with a torn pec sidelining him for much of the ’20 season and a calf injury shelving him last year.
The Giants’ O-line plans are starting to come into focus. Glowinski is being paid to start. While the terms on Feliciano’s deal are not known, he was a starter for Daboll and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson — now the Giants’ O-line coach — for much of the past three seasons.
Bills To Sign DL DaQuan Jones
DaQuan Jones is heading to the AFC. The former Panthers defensive tackle is signing with the Bills, reports ESPN’s Dianna Russini (via Twitter).
After spending seven seasons with the Titans, Jones joined the Panthers on a one-year deal last offseason. He ended up starting all 17 games for his new squad, compiling 38 tackles, one sack, and six QB hits.
During his stint in Tennessee, Jones started 93 of his 99 appearances, collecting 273 tackles and 10 sacks. He also saw time in four playoff games, collecting another nine tackles and 1.5 sacks.
The Bills have also been busy adding to their defensive line today, as they signed Tim Settle to help stabilize their defensive line.