Lions Re-Sign LS Don Muhlbach
A Lion since midway through the franchise’s Matt Millen era, Don Muhlbach agreed to come back for an 18th season with the team.
The Lions have again re-signed their longtime long snapper. Muhlbach, who will turn 40 in August, has played on one-year deals worth the veteran minimum for the past eight years. It seems unlikely this contract will break the trend. He made $1.05MM in base salary last season; that is firmly in the well-defined long snapper tax bracket.
Muhlbach suited up for 16 games last season, moving his career total up to 260. While that ranks in the top 10 all time for games with one franchise, it interestingly is not No. 1 in Lions history. Jason Hanson‘s 327 games are the most any NFLer has played with one team. Muhlbach snapped to the since-retired kicker for nine seasons.
The enduring former UDFA will play under a sixth head coach next season (Dan Campbell), should he make the Lions’ 53-man roster. Muhlbach’s most recent camp challenger, Steven Wirtel, is now with the Rams.
Lions, Michael Brockers Agree To New Deal
Michael Brockers agreed to two contracts in free agency last year, coming to terms with both the Ravens and Rams. The veteran defensive lineman now has another new deal, this time with the Lions.
After acquiring Brockers for just a seventh-round pick, the Lions agreed to a new contract with the nine-year vet. Brockers is now attached to a three-year, $24MM contract with the Lions, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
This deal will benefit Brockers in guarantees. After no guarantees remained on his latest Rams extension — also a three-year, $24MM pact — the Lions have included $11MM in guarantees for their newly acquired interior defender. This should move Brockers from being signed through 2022 to being under Lions control through 2023.
After Brockers’ Ravens three-year, $30MM Ravens agreement fell through, the Rams swooped in and re-signed him last March. Aaron Donald‘s longtime D-line sidekick registered five sacks and matched his career high with 10 QB hits in 2020.
Brockers joins Jared Goff in heading from Los Angeles to Detroit, with new GM Brad Holmes bringing in some familiar players to start a rebuild in Detroit. Brockers, 30, has been an ultra-reliable player over the course of his career. He has missed just six games in nine seasons, and one of those came because he landed on the Rams’ reserve/COVID-19 list late last season.
Jaguars Extend P Logan Cooke
Although the Jaguars are now under a new regime’s direction, the Urban Meyer-led staff evidently likes the work of the previous regime’s punter. They agreed to an extension with Logan Cooke on Saturday.
Cooke’s second Jaguars contract will come in at around $3MM annually, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The Jags have used Cooke as their punter since acquiring him with a seventh-round pick in 2018. He became extension-eligible in January, and the team opted to lock him down going into his contract year.
The 47.7 yards per punt Cooke averaged last season ranked sixth. Although Cooke missed two games last season, landing on the Jags’ reserve/COVID-19 list, he has played in every other Jags contest since debuting. Cooke’s Week 15 absence led to the Jags going without a true punter, using Aldrick Rosas in that regard, but their usual punter returned for the team’s Week 17 game.
Jacksonville entered Saturday with the most cap space in the NFL, with just more than $43MM.
Colts To Re-Sign CB Xavier Rhodes
Xavier Rhodes will stay in Indianapolis. After catching on with the Colts last year, the former first-round pick agreed to terms to re-sign with the team, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.
The Colts are giving Rhodes another one-year contract worth $6.5MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets, locking in a key piece of their defense for the 2021 season. Last year, the Colts received strong value on the one-year, $3MM accord they agreed to with Rhodes. They will look to keep that going, while Rhodes may have his eye on a bigger payday in 2022.
Jettisoned after a woeful 2019 season in Minnesota, Rhodes bounced back in Matt Eberflus‘ zone-heavy defense. Pro Football Focus tabbed Rhodes as its No. 9 overall corner in 2020. He played a key role in Indianapolis’ defensive improvement, joining fellow new arrival DeForest Buckner in that regard, and will stick with the team for his age-31 season. Quarterbacks completed an astounding 82% of the passes they threw at Rhodes in 2019; he dropped that figure to 52% last season.
Under GM Chris Ballard, Indianapolis has used a measured approach to free agency. That has usually led to the team sitting on extensive cap space, though this year the Colts have cornerstone players Quenton Nelson and Darius Leonard eligible for extensions. These prospective re-ups will need to be accounted for, but the Colts came into Saturday with the NFL’s second-most cap space ($35MM-plus). They should have some interesting opportunities to bolster their team in the second wave of free agency. Another T.Y. Hilton contract remains on the team’s radar as well.
Broncos To Sign CB Kyle Fuller
Less than an hour after Kyle Fuller officially became a free agent, he has a deal in place. The Broncos will sign the recently released cornerback, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
This pact will reunite Fuller with former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Broncos, who were expected to be interested, will sign Fuller to a one-year deal worth $9.5MM. Fuller’s 2018 All-Pro season came in Fangio’s defense, and he will join ex-Bears teammate Bryce Callahan in Denver. On this quickly developing deal, Fuller will collect $9MM fully guaranteed, per Pelissero.
The Broncos freed up some cap space by extending Justin Simmons on Friday. They now have three veterans in place at corner, with Fuller and Ronald Darby joining Callahan. While the Broncos had assembled a top-tier corner crew in the mid-2010s, their No Fly Zone troops are all now either retired or elsewhere. The team lacked depth at this position over the past two seasons but will now boast extensive experience here.
Fuller, 29, struggled early in his Bears career. Chicago did not pick up his fifth-year option in 2017, but after Fuller’s breakthrough 2018 campaign (NFL-high seven interceptions), they gave him the transition tag and matched a Packers offer sheet for him. However, the Bears cut him after seven seasons this week. Fuller made immediate sense for the Broncos, with Fangio having coached him for four seasons. Fuller has made two Pro Bowls — in 2018 and ’19 — and helped the Bears to three straight top-10 DVOA defenses, though Pro Football Focus rated his 2020 work just outside the top 50 at his position.
While the Broncos have three veteran salaries at corner now, none of the cogs are earning more than $10MM per year. Darby is at $10MM annually, while Callahan is going into the third and final year of his $7MM-AAV pact. Callahan played well when available last season, ranking as a top-five corner in the view of Pro Football F0cus, but the standout slot defender has missed 22 games since signing with the Broncos in 2019.
This signing lessens the Broncos’ need at corner, where mock drafters frequently have connected them with their No. 9 overall pick. GM George Paton has (understandably) said quarterback will be in play with that selection.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/21
Here are the minor moves from Day 4 of official free agency:
Arizona Cardinals
- Released: K Brett Maher
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Cole Toner
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed (from Cowboys): WR Jon’Vea Johnson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: DB Brandon Facyson
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: CB Dontae Johnson
Bears Release CB Kyle Fuller
SATURDAY: No 11th-hour trade ended up taking place. Fuller’s release became official Saturday. The Bears will save $11MM in cap space by cutting the seven-year veteran while incurring $9MM in dead money.
THURSDAY: An All-Pro cornerback is unexpectedly hitting the open market. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Bears are releasing veteran Kyle Fuller.
It sounds like the transaction was mostly a financial decision, with Rapoport noting that “this is Chicago’s only cut due to cap space.” ESPN’s Dianna Russini tweets that the Bears wanted Fuller to take a “very significant paycut,” but the player preferred to test the open market. The 29-year-old was due $14MM next season, and he had a pricey cap hit of $20MM.
The 2014 first-round pick became a fan favorite in Chicago, earning a pair of Pro Bowl appearances and one first-team All-Pro nod during his seven-year stint with the organization. Fuller departs the organization ranked fourth on the franchise’s all-time list in passes defended (82), and he’s ranked in the top-20 for tackles (390) and interceptions (19).
After getting his fifth-year option declined for the 2018 season, Fuller was slapped with the transition tag. He ended up inking a four-year, $56MM deal with the Packers, including $18MM guaranteed. The Bears matched the contract, keeping Fuller under contract through the 2021 season. Last offseason, the front office reworked the veteran’s contract. While the move saved the team $6.5MM at the time, it meant Fuller’s 2021 cap hit would jump from $18.5MM to $20MM.
While Fuller failed to earn his third-straight Pro Bowl nod, he still had a productive 2020 campaign. The cornerback started all 16 games for Chicago, compiling 65 tackles, eight passes defended, and one interception. He also started Chicago’s playoff loss to the Saints.
Fuller will surely be a popular target now that he’s hit free agency. William Jackson (Washington, three years, $42MM), Shaquill Griffin (Jaguars, three years, $40MM), and Patrick Peterson (Vikings, one year, $10MM) were among the top free agent cornerbacks heading into free agency. Cornerbacks like Xavier Rhodes and Kevin King remain unsigned.
Chargers Sign OL Oday Aboushi
Oday Aboushi will make his way to a sixth team. The veteran offensive lineman signed with the Chargers on Saturday, the team has since announced. It’s a one-year, $1.75MM deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Primarily a guard, Aboushi has been used as a starter and a backup throughout his career. This includes eight starts with the Lions last season. In between being drafted by the Jets and his two-year Lions stay, Aboushi also played for the Texans, Seahawks and Cardinals.
While Aboushi has never started more than 10 games in a season, he did open all eight of the games he played last season as a first-string Lion. Pro Football Focus gave the ex-Virginia Cavalier a top-30 grade among guards for his work. Overall, Aboushi has started 42 games in eight seasons. The 2021 season will be Aboushi’s age-30 campaign.
Aboushi represents the latest in a string of Bolts offensive line investments. He will follow All-Pro center Corey Linsley in going from the NFC North to Los Angeles, and ex-Steelers starter Matt Feiler committed to join the Bolts as well.
The Chargers are retooling up front. Mike Pouncey‘s retirement preceded the release of Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner and the free agency defection (to the Jets) of fellow guard starter Dan Feeney. The Bolts should still be expected to address their O-line in the draft and may continue to do so in free agency, but Aboushi — despite this low-end contract — may have a path to Los Angeles’ starting lineup.
Giants, Kenny Golladay Agree To Terms
The Giants brought Kenny Golladay in for a lengthy visit, and arguably the top free agent still left on the board will play in New York next season. Golladay has agreed to sign with the Giants, veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweets.
Even after the salary cap’s significant reduction, Golladay secured a deal near the top of the wide receiver market. He will sign a four-year, $72MM deal with the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Golladay will receive $40MM guaranteed, Rapoport adds, noting that this contract can max out at $76MM. Dan Duaggan of The Athletic passes along the full details in a Twitter thread, noting that Golladay gets a $17MM signing bonus and that the deal includes a voidable fifth year for cap purposes. The 2021 cap hit will be just $4.5MM, but that number jumps to $21.15MM in 2022.
Although the Bears were the first team to bring Golladay in for a visit, the Giants extended their summit with the 6-foot-4 wideout to nearly three days. Golladay began meeting with the Giants on Thursday. Two afternoons later, he will become the team’s new No. 1 wide receiver.
The Bears made a strong push to have Golladay stay in the NFC North, attempting to find salary space for to form an elite Golladay-Allen Robinson tandem. Ultimately, this came down to Bears and Giants for the Northern Illinois product, Rapoport tweets. While Rapoport notes the Bears were prepared to incorporate void years to create cap space for a Golladay deal, their effort proved to be for naught (Twitter link). The Ravens also pursued the talented wideout, perhaps further increasing Golladay’s price.
Months ago, the Lions offered Golladay a deal in this $18MM-per-year ballpark, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Golladay opted to wait and hit the market. Despite the likes of Will Fuller and JuJu Smith-Schuster taking one-year deals at lower rates, Golladay managed to secure a deal in the top 10 among receivers.
Linked to Golladay weeks ahead of free agency, the Giants will land their top target. The longtime Lions pass catcher entered the week with interest in joining the Giants, with SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano reporting (via Twitter) he had them atop his list for a bit now. The Giants gave Golladay the option of a long-term pact or a one-year contract, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
Golladay, 27, will replace ex-Lions teammate Golden Tate in three-receiver sets alongside Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton. Golladay will be easily the team’s highest-profile receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. It took an OBJ-level contract to move this past the finish line. The Giants released Tate earlier this offseason, ending a two-year partnership that did not ultimately work out. Going into his fifth season, Golladay profiles as a more natural heir apparent to Beckham as Big Blue’s WR1. This receiver trio will join the Giants’ new Evan Engram–Kyle Rudolph tight end tandem. Along with the returning Saquon Barkley, Daniel Jones‘ next skill-position crew looks substantially better than the one with which he played last season.
While Golladay missed most of his final Lions season — due to hamstring and hip injuries — he posted two 1,000-yard seasons and became Detroit’s top boundary threat since Calvin Johnson. The jump-ball standout ventured to the Pro Bowl in 2019, doing so despite Matthew Stafford going down midway through that season. The Lions will be starting over at wideout, having now lost Golladay and Marvin Jones this week. Jones joined the Jaguars.
Steelers To Sign OL Joe Haeg
The Steelers are making a second Saturday-afternoon signing. They agreed to terms with veteran offensive lineman Joe Haeg, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Haeg will come over from Tampa, where he worked as a swing backup and spot starter for the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers. However, most of Haeg’s NFL experience came in Indianapolis (though his most notable NFL play came when he dropped a Tom Brady pass in the end zone last month). The Colts drafted Haeg in the 2016 fifth round and retained him throughout his rookie contract.
One of Carson Wentz‘s O-linemen at North Dakota State, Haeg was a regular starter from 2016-17. But the Colts demoted him the following season, with Braden Smith taking over at right tackle. However, Haeg brings experience at guard and tackle. That stands to help a Steelers O-line that has more questions at present than it has faced in many years.
Thus far this offseason, the Steelers have lost perennial Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey and versatile starter Matt Feiler. Left tackle Alejandro Villanueva is a free agent. Pittsburgh, however, has made three midlevel signings to compensate. Prior to securing a Haeg commitment, the Steelers reacquired center B.J. Finney and re-signed tackle Zach Banner.
It is uncertain as of now how Pittsburgh will configure its new line around stalwart guard David DeCastro, but it appears likely at least one of these low-cost signings will be called upon to start. Perhaps more.