Seahawks, Duane Brown Reach Agreement
Right before the start of the regular season, the Seahawks have taken care of one of their last remaining orders of business. Seattle has agreed to a deal with Duane Brown for him to play the 2021 season under, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
The Seahawks will be “converting per game roster bonuses to guarantees” for this season while the veteran offensive tackle also gets an “injury protection benefit for 2022,” Rapsheet writes. We heard a couple of weeks ago the team was looking for a compromise, and they were able to get something done. Brown skipped training camp, staging a hold-in, in search of a new contract.
He didn’t get the extension he was hoping for, and will still become a free agent after this season, but at least he now has some injury protection for next year. For what it’s worth, Russell Wilson was vocal in his support for Brown this summer, not really giving the Seahawks much of a choice.
Brown will make around $10MM this year, a bargain for a blindside protector of his caliber. Despite turning 36 last month, the five-time Pro Bowler has remained a quality starter.
Brown isn’t any stranger to contract disputes, or to holding his ground. His holdout with the Texans in 2017 saw him sit out the first six games of the season, and eventually led to his trade to Seattle.
Jaguars Sign Duke Johnson To Practice Squad
The Jaguars have added running back Duke Johnson to the practice squad. He’ll take the place of fellow RB Nathan Cottrell, who has been released from the 16-man squad.
Johnson made a name for himself with the Browns, where he averaged 4.3 yards per carry and, more importantly, did some serious damage as a receiver. Playing behind Browns starter Nick Chubb in 2018, Johnson managed only 40 carries, but did post 47 catches and was one of the NFL’s most efficient receiving backs, per Football Outsiders. From 2015 through 2018, Johnson led all running backs with 2,170 receiving yards.
He enjoyed a solid 2019 with the Texans, but wasn’t quite as efficient in the rushing game in 2020. His yards-per-tote average of 3.1 yards per carry didn’t move the needle much and he was hampered by injuries, including an ankle sprain. Meanwhile, new addition David Johnson managed 4.7 yards per run, plus 33 grabs for 314 yards. The Texans dropped him in February and he went unsigned until linking up with Urban Meyer & Co.
Saints To Sign Desmond Trufant
The Saints are expected to sign cornerback Desmond Trufant, (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The veteran impressed in his Monday workout and will join the club just in time for Week 1. 
Trufant missed the Bears’ final cut but also missed the last couple weeks of training camp due to a family situation. A first-round pick of the Falcons back in 2013, the Washington product became a quality starter in Atlanta. He was a full-time first-stringer for all seven of his Falcons seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 2015. He received a massive payday when the Falcons gave him a five-year, $68.5MM extension in April of 2017.
The terms of Trufant’s new deal are unknown, but he’s still going to collect $3.5MM from the Lions for this season. Meanwhile, the soon-to-be 31-year-old will look to fortify the Saints’ banged up secondary.
Ravens’ Justice Hill Done For Year
Ravens running back Justice Hill tore his Achilles at a recent practice (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Hill is out for the year, leaving the Ravens with only two healthy RBs. 
[RELATED: Ravens Sign Mark Andrews To $56MM Extension]
It’s been a rough stretch for the Ravens, who just lost starter J.K. Dobbins for the year. With Dobbins out, Hill was slated to serve as the No. 2 RB behind starter Gus Edwards. Now, they’re left with Edwards, UDFA Ty’Son Williams, and no other options currently on the practice squad.
Hill, 24 in November, ran for 225 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. Last year, he saw just 12 carries for 60 yards in the Ravens’ crowded backfield — 5.0 ypc in an admittedly small sample size. Unfortunately, he’ll have to wait until next year to retake the field.
Hill’s injury would help to explain the Ravens’ recent interest in Royce Freeman. The Panthers beat them out on the waiver wire, but it stands to reason that the Ravens will add another experienced tailback soon.
Ravens Sign Mark Andrews To $56MM Extension
The Ravens have signed Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews to a four-year, $56MM deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). With a new money average of $14MM, Andrews now stands as one of the NFL’s highest-paid TEs. 
“Mark Andrews, in my opinion, is one of the best TEs in the NFL. We’d be foolish to not try and keep him,” GM Eric DeCosta said back in January. “Those discussions will start up at some point.”
It took a little while, but he got his payday. Andrews, who turned 26 today, enjoyed a solid encore to his 2019 Pro Bowl season. In 2020, he reeled in 58 grabs for 701 yards and seven touchdowns. Over the course of three pro years, he’s got 156 catches, 2,105 yards, and 20 TDs to his credit.
As one of the Ravens’ 2018 third-round picks, Andrews was extension eligible for the first time this offseason. Fellow ’18 third-rounder Orlando Brown is no longer in the picture, but a new deal for quarterback Lamar Jackson could be just around the corner.
On a per year basis, 49ers star George Kittle ($15MM/year) remains the league’s highest-paid TE, followed by Travis Kelce of the Chiefs ($14.3MM). Andrews, at $14MM per annum, has leapfrogged new Patriots TEs Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith for third.
Texans To Start Tyrod Taylor
As expected, the Texans will roll with Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback. Head coach David Culley made the announcement on Monday, which means Taylor will be backstopped by rookie Davis Mills as embattled star Deshaun Watson remains in limbo. 
Taylor, entering his age-32 season, has started just four games since 2018. Prior to that, however, the dual-threat QB did operate as Buffalo’s starter for three seasons and overlapped with Culley in ’17. While the risk-averse passer did well to limit turnovers, he has yet to show the kind of big play upside that Watson has brought to the table.
It’s an opportunity for Taylor to reassert himself in the NFL. He’ll also have a chance to more than double his base salary. Taylor is slated to make $5.5MM, but he can also reach up to $12MM via incentives. That includes $4MM if he serves as the QB1 for the whole year — he’ll get $1MM for each playtime marker of 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%.
In addition to Taylor and Davis, the Texans will also have veteran Jeff Driskel nearby on the practice squad.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/6/21
Today’s practice squad moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-Signed: DT Mike Daniels
Raiders To Waive LB Tanner Muse
The Raiders are waiving linebacker Tanner Muse (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The news comes as a surprise, given that Muse was a third-round pick just last year. 
Muse missed his entire rookie season with a toe injury. This summer, he’s seen reps with the first string unit while also working as a special teams player.
The Clemson product was first-team All-ACC in his final year on campus and drew league-wide attention. He registered 73 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and a team-high four interceptions in 2019, prompting the Raiders to take him No. 100 overall in 2020.
It’s worth nothing that the move has not officially hit the NFL’s transactions wire yet. Given the 6’2″, 230-pounder’s potential, it’s possible that the Raiders could find a trade for Muse before he hits the waiver wire.
In any event, this marks a clear miss for GM Mike Mayock & Co. Muse was one of three Raiders third-round picks in 2020. Now, two of those players are gone — wide receiver Lynn Bowden was shipped to the Dolphins before the start of last season for a fourth-round choice.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/6/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: LB Josh Woods
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: DE Aaron Patrick
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: K Jose Borregales
Tennessee Titans
- W
- Waived: CB Chris Jones
Seahawks Sign Bless Austin
The Seahawks have signed cornerback Blessuan Austin (Twitter link via Dave Wyman of KCPQ). Austin will serve as a depth option for the ‘Hawks as they prepare to face the Colts on Sunday.
The Jets shopped Austin towards the end of the summer but couldn’t find a taker for him. Last week, they cut him loose in order to pick up linebacker Quincy Williams, the brother of defensive lineman Quinnen Williams.
Austin appeared in eleven games with ten starts last year, registering 63 stops, four passes defensed, one forced fumble, and three tackles for loss. Between his two Jets seasons, Austin registered 88 tackles and two forced fumbles across 18 games.
The 25-year-old Rutgers product now gets to reunite with old pal Jamal Adams while he supports the Seahawks’ CB group. For now, that leaves the Seahawks with six CBs in total — Sidney Jones, D.J. Reed, Tre Flowers, Tre Brown, and Nigel Warrior.