Lions To Sign CB Quinton Dunbar
Quinton Dunbar took his Lions visit Monday, and the meeting produced an agreement. Dunbar agreed to a one-year deal with the Lions, according to his agency (on Twitter). It is a veteran salary benefit deal with a $990K base salary and a $137.5K signing bonus, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
This will be the veteran cornerback’s third team in three years. Washington traded Dunbar to Seattle last season. Injuries ended Dunbar’s lone Seahawks slate early, but he will attempt to bounce back with the Lions. The Cardinals had a Dunbar visit scheduled for this week, but the Lions will prevent that summit from taking place.
The Lions are adding Dunbar to their reconfigured cornerback mix. Under a new regime, the team released veterans Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman to break up a corner troika (Trufant-Coleman-Jeff Okudah) that barely saw any time together. Okudah will now pair with Dunbar, who will reunite with ex-Washington assistant Aubrey Pleasant — Detroit’s new secondary coach.
Dunbar broke through in 2019, rating as one of Pro Football Focus’ top corners after a season in which he intercepted four passes and held opposing quarterbacks to a collective 61.2 passer rating. During a 2020 offseason that saw Dunbar encounter a legal issue that ended with charges dropped, Washington traded him to Seattle for a fifth-round pick. The 28-year-old defender played in just six games, with a knee injury and a subsequent surgery ending his season early.
Despite coming into the NFL in 2015, Dunbar has made only 31 starts. But the ex-Florida Gator entered the league as a UDFA and did not become a full-timer until 2019. He figures to be a starter alongside Okudah in 2021.
Jets Trade Sam Darnold To Panthers
3:26pm: Carolina will exercise Darnold’s fifth-year option, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets. This will tie Darnold to the Panthers through 2022 and fully guarantee Darnold $18.9MM next year.
3:03pm: The Jets are trading Sam Darnold to the Panthers, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Carolina will send back a sixth-round pick in 2021, as well as second- and fourth-round picks in 2022.
The Panthers had made no secret of their desire to upgrade at quarterback, and while Darnold is not coming off a particularly impressive season, he is a former top-three pick on a rookie contract. Although a previous report suggested the Panthers were not particularly high on Darnold, they had discussed him for weeks with the Jets, Schefter adds (via Twitter).
This trade also essentially confirms Jets GM Joe Douglas made his quarterback decision. The Jets have been linked to BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with their No. 2 overall pick. While some late rumblings suggested Darnold had support in the building for a fourth season, to either compete with Wilson or induce a trade-down maneuver, the Jets have been expected to draft Wilson and start over for a bit now. Douglas has now traded predecessor Mike Maccagnan‘s final two first-round picks — Darnold and Jamal Adams — over the past two years.
“He is a tough-minded, talented football player whose NFL story has not been written yet,” Douglas said of Darnold. “While all these things are true, this move is in the short- and long-term best interests for both this team and him.”
Carolina had been the team most closely linked to Deshaun Watson this offseason. Owner David Tepper‘s desire to acquire the superstar Texans quarterback became known several weeks ago. Darnold is obviously well off the Watson tier, but the latter’s sudden off-field issues have quieted his trade market. The Jets were also linked to a potential Watson push. Both teams moving on signals the Pro Bowl quarterback may well be in Houston next season.
Darnold is still just 23 but has yet to deliver on the hype he carried in 2018. The Browns were connected to the USC prospect three years ago, but they opted for Baker Mayfield at No. 1 instead. Fixated on Saquon Barkley, the Giants refused to entertain trade offers that could have sent Darnold elsewhere. His New York stay produced occasional flashes, but the situation bottomed out in 2020. Darnold ranked last in QBR, among qualified passers, during his second season with Adam Gase. Darnold has yet to eclipse 20 touchdown passes in a season and has also missed at least three games in each of his three seasons.
The once-coveted prospect will be tabbed to replace Teddy Bridgewater, whose QBR figure ranked 17th last season. But Bridgewater has established a fairly low ceiling. Illustrated by this trade package, Darnold’s still remains relatively uncertain. Darnold will reunite with Robby Anderson in Charlotte, with Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore further illustrating the skill-position upgrade the maligned quarterback will receive. Darnold going from Gase to fast-rising OC Joe Brady represents intrigue as well.
The three-year veteran is due to count $9.7MM against the Panthers’ cap in 2021, but should Carolina pick up Darnold’s fifth-year option, his 2022 price would jump to $18.9MM. The Panthers will be forced to eat a chunk of dead money if they trade or release Bridgewater, who is attached to a three-year, $63MM contract. But Tepper authorized a long-term rebuild, giving Matt Rhule a seven-year contract. It would not surprise if the team picked up Darnold’s option for evaluation purposes. Considering Carolina’s interest in Watson, it would also not surprise if the Panthers made this move as a stopgap measure while Watson’s legal situation unfolds.
Holding the No. 8 overall pick, the Panthers can now focus on helping their Darnold-centered roster. This draft will almost certainly begin with three quarterback picks for just the third time ever. The Jaguars, Jets and 49ers’ choices will leave the rest of the QB-seeking crowd with just two of the much-hyped top five quarterback prospects for whom to vie.
Texans To Re-Sign T Roderick Johnson
Despite changing regimes this offseason, the Texans will bring back one of their offensive line regulars. They will re-sign Roderick Johnson, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The sides agreed to a one-year deal Saturday.
A four-year veteran tackle, Johnson has been with the Texans since 2018. The former Browns draft pick started three games for the Texans last season and played 25% of the team’s offensive snaps. Nick Caserio, who has been quite active in adding low-cost outside free agents in his first free agency period as a GM, will keep Johnson in the mix.
This marks the second straight offseason in which Johnson has re-signed to stay in Houston. He spent the 2017 with the Browns but did not play in any games. The Texans claimed him in summer 2018, and although Johnson appeared in just one game that season, he saw action in all 16 for the 2019 Houston edition. Overall, Johnson has started six games with the Texans.
The Texans will likely have Johnson compete for a backup job. Caserio turned to his former employer for help at this position earlier this offseason, acquiring longtime Patriots starting right tackle Marcus Cannon via trade. Johnson and Cannon join starters Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard in Houston’s 2021 tackle mix.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/2/21
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: OL Jamil Douglas
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: CB Will Redmond
Los Angeles Rams
- Suspended five games (PEDs): DB Tyrique McGhee
Jaguars Sign LB Damien Wilson
After hosting Damien Wilson on a visit earlier this week, the Jaguars agreed to terms with the veteran linebacker on Friday. The team announced the signing.
Wilson spent the past two seasons as a starter with the Chiefs, working as a first-stringer for both of Kansas City’s two Super Bowl runs. Wilson will join a Jaguars team that houses three-down linebackers Myles Jack and Joe Schobert, adding some additional experience to defensive coordinator Joe Cullen‘s linebacking corps.
The Jags will be Wilson’s third team. He began his career as a part-time starter with the Cowboys, arriving in Dallas as a fourth-round pick in 2015. While Wilson made 22 starts in four Cowboys seasons, he logged 29 for the Chiefs over the past two. This agreement could push Wilson into Jacksonville’s starting lineup, but he likely will have to battle a few younger cogs to earn that spot alongside Jack and Schobert.
Wilson, 27, posted a career-high 81 tackles for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in 2019. Pro Football Focus graded Wilson better in 2020, when he rated 44th among off-ball ‘backers. The six-year veteran wrapped his Chiefs career with a team-high 10 tackles (one for loss) in Super Bowl LV.
Chiefs To Sign FB Michael Burton
Michael Burton is heading to the AFC. The veteran full back is signing with the Chiefs, reports Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the 29-year-old worth $1.27MM, including more than $700K guaranteed, per Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
Despite playing for four different organizations, Burton has spent his entire career in the NFC. He entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick out Rutgers in 2015, and following a pair of seasons with the Lions to begin his career, he spent another two years with Chicago between 2017 and 2018. After spending the 2019 campaign with Washington, Burton joined the Saints last offseason, marking it his second stint with the organization (the fullback had spent the 2019 preseason with the team).
During his lone season in New Orleans, Burton appeared in 19 percent of his team’s offensive snaps, his highest percentage since 2017. While the veteran is generally known for his blocking prowess, he did manage to compile a career-high 46 (yep, that’s it) yards from scrimmage. He added another 15 yards in two postseason games.
The Chiefs have presumably been hunting for a fullback since Anthony Sherman, their starter for the previous eight years, announced his retirement. Burton will now have the responsibility of protecting quarterback Patrick Mahomes and starting running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Ravens To Re-Sign L.J. Fort
L.J. Fort isn’t going anywhere. The Ravens will be keeping the inside linebacker in the fold with a new contract, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets.
Financial terms weren’t immediately released, but Zrebiec reports it’s a one-year deal for Fort. Fort played a significant role in Baltimore’s defense last year, appearing in 14 games and starting eight. He finished with 53 tackles, two passes defended, and two fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown) while playing less than half the snaps in a rotational role.
Fort has had an interesting career path, as he originally entered the league as an UDFA with the Browns back in 2012. He made the team and played in all 16 games for Cleveland as a rookie, then appeared in only one more regular season game after that until 2016.
After bouncing around a few practice squads he eventually found a home with the Steelers. He signed with the Ravens early in the 2019 season, and started eight games for them. He was handed a two-year, $5.5MM extension in November of that year, but at the beginning of 2020 the team declined his 2021 option which made him a free agent this spring.
Washington Signs WR/KR DeAndre Carter
Washington is making an interesting special teams addition. The team has signed receiver/returner DeAndre Carter, they announced on Thursday.
Carter entered the league as an UDFA in 2015 originally with the Ravens, but he didn’t see a regular season NFL field until 2018. After grinding for a few years on the practice squads of teams like the Raiders, Patriots, and 49ers, he finally broke through with the Eagles. He played in seven games for Philly before being waived and claimed by Houston, where he made more of an impact.
In seven games for the Texans that year, he caught 20 passes for 195 yards, while also serving as their kick and punt returner. In 2019 he appeared in all 16 games for them, catching 11 passes for 162 yards while once again serving as the kick and punt returner.
He served the same role for the first nine games of 2020 before getting cut and claimed by the Bears. He played the final month of the season in Chicago returning punts. He’s never returned a kick to the house, but has done some damage. Washington doesn’t have any clear better options currently on the roster, so he’ll presumably slot in as the primary returner for 2021.
Lions To Sign Corn Elder
The Lions are making another addition to their defense. Detroit has agreed to terms with free agent cornerback Corn Elder, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.
Rapoport writes that it’s a one-year “prove-it-deal,” so it’s presumably for pretty close to the veteran’s minimum. A Miami product, Elder was drafted by the Panthers in the fifth-round back in 2017. He missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury, then played only on special teams as a sophomore. He was waived during final cuts in 2019, and signed to the Giants’ practice squad.
Not too long after that Carolina signed him back off the Giants’ practice squad, and he ended up making real contributions on defense in 2020. Playing as part of a young Panthers secondary, he appeared in all 16 games and started one. He played a hair under 40 percent of the defensive snaps, racking up 40 tackles, three passes defended, and a forced fumble.
Detroit completely remade their secondary this offseason as they kicked off the Dan Campbell era, jettisoning former starters Justin Coleman and Desmond Trufant, so this dart throw can’t hurt.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/1/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves in this post, so check back later:
Atlanta Falcons:
- Re-signed: DE Steven Means
- Signed: DT Jonathan Bullard