Transactions - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots To Re-Sign James White

March 24th, 2021 at 9:27am CST by Zachary Links

Running back James White is expected to re-sign with the Patriots, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The versatile RB with 25 touchdown catches since 2014 back in the fold for New England.

On his latest Patriots contract, White will earn $2.5MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal. This marks White’s third deal with the Pats, who most recently signed him for three years and $12MM back in 2017. He played an essential role on each of New England’s past two Super Bowl-winning teams.

White, 29, came into the league as a fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2014 and that’s where he’s been ever since. He’s not just a valuable third-down tailback — he’s also a longstanding team captain. After tallying 994 all-purpose yards in 2019, he saw less time in 2020. Still, White had 49 grabs for 375 yards and a touchdown to lead all Pats RBs in receiving.

The Patriots received a promising season from 2019 third-round pick Damien Harris last season; White figures to return to his role complementing the emerging back. Sony Michel is entering a contract year, though Rex Burkhead is a free agent. It would stand to reason the Pats are not done at this position this offseason.

Panthers Sign LB Frankie Luvu, Re-Sign OL John Miller

March 23rd, 2021 at 9:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers added players on both sides of the ball today. The team first announced the signing of linebacker Frankie Luvu, and they later announced that they’ve re-signed offensive lineman John Miller.

Luvu, a former undrafted free agent out of Washington State, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Jets organization, appearing in 40 total games. The 24-year-old showed signs of being a solid pass rusher throughout his stint with New York, collecting six sacks and 16 QB hits. He also finished the 2020 campaign with a career-high 25 tackles.

Miller is rejoining the Panthers on a one-year deal. The former third-rounder spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bills, starting each of his 47 appearances. He had a brief stop in Cincinnati during the 2019 campaign before joining Carolina last offseason. He proceeded to start 14 games for the Panthers in 2020 at right guard.

The Panthers have been busy adding to their offensive line this offseason. After franchising left tackle Taylor Moton, the team added a pair of free agents in Cam Erving and Pat Elflein.

Bears To Sign LB Christian Jones

March 23rd, 2021 at 9:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Christian Jones is heading back to Chicago. The free agent linebacker is signing with the Bears, the team announced on Twitter. Terms of the deal haven’t been reported.

The 2014 undrafted free agent out of Florida State spent the first four seasons of his career with the Bears, starting 31 of his 63 appearances. The linebacker eventually evolved into one of Chicago’s most reliable defenders, culminating in a 2017 campaign where he finished with career-highs in tackles (90), QB hits (three), and sacks (two).

That performance earned him a two-year, $6.35MM deal with the Lions in 2018, and he eventually added another year to the pact via an extension. In total, Jones spent three seasons in Detroit, appearing in 45 games (42 starts). He saw time in 16 games (13 starts) this past season, collecting 57 tackles and no sacks.

Now, Jones will be heading back to Chicago, and there should still be some familiar faces. For instance, defensive coordinator Sean Desai was around during Jones’ first stint with the organization, serving as the defensive quality control coach. Jones was also teammates with one of the players he’ll likely be backing up, linebacker Danny Trevathan.

49ers Re-Sign DL Jordan Willis

March 23rd, 2021 at 6:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Jordan Willis is off to San Francisco. The defensive end has signed with the 49ers, reports Matt Barrows of the The Athletic (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the 25-year-old.

The former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year was a third-round pick of the Bengals in 2017. He spent a pair of seasons with Cincinnati before moving on to the Jets in 2019, where he spent a year-plus. Last October, he was acquired by the 49ers (along with a seventh-rounder) in for a sixth-round pick, and Willis proceeded to appear in seven games for San Francisco.

Serving as defensive line coach Kris Kocurek “bravo” (or, simply, backup) defensive end, Willis finished the season having compiled 13 tackles and a career-high 2.5 sacks.

The 49ers lost some defensive line depth earlier today. After starting a career-high 14 games for the 49ers last season, defensive end Kerry Hyder is set to ink a three-year deal with the Seahawks.

Seahawks To Sign DE Kerry Hyder

March 23rd, 2021 at 5:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks’ pass-rushing plans are coming into focus. Shortly after they agreed to re-sign Benson Mayowa, the Seahawks agreed to terms with defensive end Kerry Hyder.

Hyder will join the Seahawks on a three-year, $16.5MM contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, adding that the former Lions, Cowboys and 49ers D-end can make up to $17.5MM on this accord.

This deal marks a big pay bump for Hyder, who signed with the 49ers for one year and $1.5MM during the 2020 offseason. Despite the salary cap reduction, the 29-year-old pass rusher will cash in on a midlevel accord. Hyder is coming off an 8.5-sack season. He has two seasons of at least eight sacks, with the other coming back in 2016 with Detroit.

For a 49ers team that lost Nick Bosa and Dee Ford at the beginning of the season, the Hyder signing proved pivotal. The former UDFA led the team in sacks and recorded 18 QB hits and 10 tackles for loss. Hyder recorded just two sacks over the previous two seasons, however, and missed all of 2017.

This signing might impede Seattle from bringing back Carlos Dunlap, whom the team released earlier this month. However, it remains to be seen how Dunlap will fare on the market.

Seahawks To Re-Sign DE Benson Mayowa

March 23rd, 2021 at 5:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Needing some help on the edge, the Seahawks will bring back Benson Mayowa. The veteran pass rusher agreed to re-sign with the team Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Mayowa signed with the Seahawks last year — for one year and $3.1MM — and started nine games. Mayowa contributed six sacks and now has 13 over his past two seasons. This stands to mark the first time Mayowa will have played with the same team in consecutive seasons since he was with the Cowboys from 2016-17.

The 29-year-old defender began his career with the Seahawks, playing a backup role on their 2013 Super Bowl-winning squad, and played two stints with the Raiders. Mayowa was also with the Cardinals in 2018. He will rejoin a Seahawks pass rush that houses 2019 first-round pick L.J. Collier, Jarran Reed and the recently re-signed Poona Ford. Both Carlos Dunlap and Bruce Irvin, fellow Seattle 2020 acquisitions, are in free agency.

Twenty-four of Mayowa’s 26 career sacks have come over the past five seasons. He has three six-plus-sack slates in that span. The Seahawks released Dunlap, in a cost-cutting move, earlier this month. The sides could well agree to a reunion at a reduced rate, but for now, Mayowa represents a key addition for the team.

Eagles, Joe Flacco Agree To Terms

March 23rd, 2021 at 5:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Flacco will join his fourth NFL team. The 13-year veteran quarterback agreed to a deal with the Eagles, according to his agency (Twitter link).

Flacco will sign a one-year, $3.5MM deal, with Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan reporting the veteran quarterback can make up to $7.5MM through incentives (Twitter links). That $3.5MM is fully guaranteed.

The former Ravens, Broncos and Jets passer visited the 49ers and Eagles. But the New Jersey native will opt to return closer to home. This will seemingly install Flacco as Jalen Hurts‘ backup.

This agreement figures to affect the draft as well. Following the Eagles’ decision to trade Carson Wentz to the Colts, rumors emerged that the team wanted to bring in competition for Hurts. That would have made a quarterback pick viable at No. 6 overall. However, a subsequent report surfaced indicating owner Jeffrey Lurie preferred the team roll with Hurts as its starter and attempt to see if he can be a long-term solution. This may well have led to the Eagles looking at backup options. At this stage of his career, Flacco certainly profiles as such.

Flacco saw his run as a starter end when the Ravens did not give him his job back after a 2018 hip injury. Lamar Jackson took over, leading the Ravens to trade Flacco the following offseason. Flacco’s Broncos run ended after a second straight midseason injury, this time a neck malady, and the team released him in 2020. The Jets, however, pounced and installed Flacco as Sam Darnold‘s backup. A Darnold injury thrust Flacco back into action; he started four games last season.

Were Flacco to beat out Hurts for Philadelphia’s QB1 gig, it would appear the team’s initial post-Wentz plan has veered off course. But this agreement does provide the team with a proven arm. The former Super Bowl MVP has started 175 of the 176 games he’s played. The 2021 season will be Flacco’s age-36 campaign.

Texans Waive WR Chad Hansen

March 23rd, 2021 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

After turning to Chad Hansen late last season, the Texans waived the young wide receiver Tuesday. Hansen played in five games for the Texans last season.

Originally a Jets fourth-round pick, Hansen did not play in 2018 or ’19. However, the Texans turned to him late last season, doing so after the team’s original receiver quartet — Will Fuller, Kenny Stills, Brandin Cooks and Randall Cobb — became unavailable due to either injuries, a suspension (Fuller) or a release (Stills). Hansen caught 17 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown in five Houston contests (two starts).

The Texans originally added Hansen in 2019, claiming him off waivers from the Saints. Hansen spent the ’19 season on the Texans’ practice squad and was taxi-squadder in Houston for part of the ’20 campaign. He is now back on waivers.

New Texans GM added some new potential depth pieces at receiver last week, bringing in ex-Ravens wideout Chris Moore and the well-traveled Donte Moncrief. While Fuller signed with the Dolphins, the Texans still have Cobb, Cooks and Keke Coutee on their roster.

Patriots To Waive K Justin Rohrwasser

March 23rd, 2021 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots will end Justin Rohrwasser‘s tenure after one year. New England is waiving the 2020 fifth-round pick, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

A standout college kicker, Rohrwasser did not kick in a game for the Patriots. The team used Nick Folk as its kicker last season, its first without Stephen Gostkowski since 2005, and re-signed Folk last week.

Ex-second-round pick Roberto Aguayo also resides on the Patriots’ roster, leaving little room for Rohrwasser. New England initially added Folk just before Week 1 last year, cutting Rohrwasser. However, the team brought him back via practice squad deal and retained the younger specialist on a reserve/futures contract. As of Tuesday afternoon, he is back on the waiver wire.

Folk, 36, made 93% of his field goal tries last season — a career-best mark — and received some guaranteed money to stay on as the Pats’ kicker.

Bears To Sign OL Elijah Wilkinson

March 23rd, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ primary right tackle over the past two seasons, Elijah Wilkinson will relocate. The free agent offensive lineman revealed on Instagram he will join the Bears.

Wilkinson wrapped up his Bears visit earlier Tuesday, and 9News’ Mike Klis noted (via Twitter) the sides were close on a deal. It appears Wilkinson will be set to be part of Chicago’s next O-line group. It’s a one-year deal, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs (on Twitter).

This move comes after the Bears passed on Bobby Massie‘s 2021 option. Massie had served as Chicago’s right tackle starter for the past five seasons. Since 2018, Wilkinson has logged 26 starts — at both tackle and guard — and became essential for a Broncos team that saw its high-priced right tackle essentially miss two full seasons. Ja’Wuan James missed almost all of Denver’s 2019 season, thrusting Wilkinson into a full-time role on the right side, and then opted out of the 2020 campaign.

Given a second-round RFA tender by the Broncos last year, Wilkinson suffered a leg injury that limited him to nine games in 2020. The former UDFA did not perform like an upper-echelon right tackle, grading among the lower half at his position in the view of Pro Football Focus, but has extensive experience now as a starter there.

Wilkinson worked as a guard in 2018, helping Phillip Lindsay to the first of his two 1,000-yard seasons, and has competed with Garett Bolles for Denver’s left tackle spot as well. But James’ issues made Wilkinson a full-time right tackle over the past two seasons.

The Bears have also re-signed O-lineman Germain Ifedi this month. While Ifedi played right tackle in Seattle, he started 16 games with the Bears at guard last season. While the team could continue to bolster its O-line, Wilkinson appears set to at worst step into their swing tackle role next season.

Transactions News & Rumors