Dolphins To Sign LBs Duke Riley, Brennan Scarlett
On Day 3 of official free agency, the Dolphins are adding multiple linebacker pieces. They have agreed to terms with Duke Riley and Brennan Scarlett, according to NJ.com’s Mike Kaye and the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (Twitter links).
Both players finished last season on IR. While each could offer depth, both Riley and Scarlett have starting experience. Both spent part of the 2020 season operating as starters — for the Eagles and Texans, respectively. Riley agreed to terms on a one-year pact, per Kaye.
A five-year Texans contributor, Scarlett started 22 games. The former UDFA worked as more of a pass rusher in Houston, playing on the outside in the Texans’ 3-4 scheme, but also offers some versatility. Scarlett started 10 games in 2019, registering 51 tackles and recording 3.5 sacks. He suffered a season-ending broken forearm midway through last season.
The Eagles signed Riley a year ago and used him as a starter in eight games. Despite missing three games, Riley played on 55% of Philadelphia’s defensive snaps. A Falcons starter in 2017 and ’18, Riley recorded 55 tackles last season and was a special teams captain in Philly.
Scarlett makes for the second ex-Texans linebacker the Dolphins have acquired this week. They traded for Benardrick McKinney a few days ago. Miami also brought back linebacker Vince Biegel this week.
Jets To Sign Tyler Kroft
The Jets have signed tight end Tyler Kroft to a one-year deal, per an announcement from his agent. Kroft, a former third-round pick of the Bengals, has spent the last two seasons with the Bills. 
The Rutgers product will be about an hour-and-a-half away from his old stomping grounds with a real opportunity for targets. Chris Herndon isn’t necessarily locked in as Mike LaFleur‘s top tight end, which opens the door for Kroft.
Kroft did his best work with the Bengals, particularly in 2017 when he totaled 42 catches, 404 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. That year helped propel him towards a three-year, $18MM free agent deal with Buffalo. He hasn’t come close since, but he did manage 12 grabs for 119 yards and three touchdowns last year.
Bears To Sign Desmond Trufant
Cornerback Desmond Trufant has agreed to join the Bears on a one-year deal, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Trufant will try to fill the Bears’ post-Kyle Fuller void, though he’s unlikely to match his production. Fuller left Chicago with passes defended (82), good for top-five in franchise history. He also ranked in the top-20 for tackles (390) and interceptions (19).
After his best seasons with the Falcons, Trufant was rewarded with a five-year, ~$69MM mega-contract. In 2019, the Falcons dropped him, even though he managed four interceptions in just nine games. Then, the Lions released Trufant earlier this month to escape the rest of his two-year, $21MM deal. The Lions saved $6MM but were left saddled with ~$6.2MM in dead money.
Injuries were the culprit once again — Trufant played in just six games for the Lions, tallying one interception, four passes defended, and 20 total tackles. The Bears, who clearly need help in the secondary, could give him a chance to restore his value.
Bills To Sign Jacob Hollister
Jacob Hollister is saying goodbye to Seattle. On Friday, the former Seahawks tight end agreed to aa one-year deal with the Bills (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
Hollister gets to reunite with his old Wyoming teammate Josh Allen, which could mean an uptick in targets. After two years of limited usage in New England, Hollister enjoyed a breakout 2019 season with the Seahawks, hauling in 41 receptions for 349 yards and three touchdowns. Then, he went from 59 targets to just 40 looks in 2020. He finished out with 25/209/3.
The writing was on the wall for Hollister — the Seahawks’ new one-year deal for Gerald Everett pushed him out of the equation. Everett, who will earn $7MM on his free agent contract, is coming off a career-year with 41 catches for 417 yards and one TD for the Rams.
Falcons To Sign Brandon Copeland
The Falcons have agreed to a one-year deal with Brandon Copeland (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). The former Patriots linebacker missed much of last season with a torn pec, but he’s closing in on a complete recovery. 
[RELATED: Falcons To Sign Harris]
Copeland, an ex-Jets and Lions contributor, also drew interest from the Giants. It’s not clear whether the incumbent Pats tried to bring him back or not. Before the injury, Copeland was ticketed for a major role as Dont’a Hightower’s fill-in. He wound up playing in just six games with four starts, but Pro Football Focus gave him strong grades in that limited sample.
His 2018 Jets season marked his only year as a starter. In 16 games, he notched five sacks and 14 quarterback hits. So far, that’s his only season with more than two sacks.
Terms of the deal are not yet known, but this could prove to be a strong value signing for Atlanta. At least, that’s the hope, given how quiet the Falcons’ week has been.
Patriots To Sign LB Raekwon McMillan
The Patriots aren’t done shopping. On Friday, Bill Belichick & Co. agreed to sign linebacker Raekwon McMillan to a one-year deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
[RELATED: Patriots Bring Back David Andrews]
McMillan spent the early part of his career with the Dolphins before being shipped to the Raiders last August. He came off the bench in most games, finishing the year with 27 stops and one forced fumble.
The hard-hitting linebacker came into the league as a second-round pick in 2017. He flashed at times and even ranked as Miami’s best defensive player in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus. The Dolphins considered a long-term extension for him at one point but, ultimately, they were unwilling to commit. The timing wasn’t great either — talks petered out amidst the pandemic.
McMillan’s pass coverage is suspect, but he’s a solid run-blocker who should see time in the Patriots’ rotation. He’ll be joined by fellow new arrival Matt Judon in that group, along with scores of other fresh faces in the locker room.
Bengals Trade QB Ryan Finley To Texans
Ryan Finley isn’t getting cut after all. On Friday, the Bengals agreed to trade the quarterback to the Texans in an exchange of late-round picks. The Bengals will move up ~30 spots in the swap as they send Finley and a 7th-round pick to the Texans for a sixth-round pick (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Rather than their original sixth-rounder, the Texans are sending the choice that originally belonged to Miami. 
[RELATED: Bengals Release Geno Atkins]
Finley wound up starting as a rookie when Andy Dalton got the hook. The 2019 fourth-round pick was 0-3 in his starts with two touchdowns against two interceptions. He got a chance to start once again in 2020 when the Bengals faced the Steelers in Week 15. He absorbed a devastating hit in that game and only completed about half of his 13 throws, but he did manage to emerge as the winning QB.
The Texans have been actively bargain shopping in recent days. Needless to say, this isn’t the Houston QB news that everyone has been waiting on. At last check, the Texans are still refusing inquiries on Deshaun Watson. Meanwhile, Watson is making headlines for a string of off-the-field allegations.
Steelers Re-Sign JuJu Smith-Schuster
The Steelers are bringing JuJu Smith-Schuster back on a one-year deal, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The wide receiver will earn just $8MM on the team-friendly pact (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). And Pittsburgh is playing around with the structure of the deal in order to minimize the 2021 salary cap impact. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Smith-Schuster’s deal includes a $7MM signing bonus and a $1MM salary, and the team is adding four voidable years so that the cap hit this season is just $1.6MM (Twitter link).
Smith-Schuster could have made more elsewhere, as Taylor Bisciotti of NFL.com tweets. The Chiefs offered him a one-year deal with the same base salary of $8MM, plus $3MM in incentives. The Ravens made an even stronger pitch — $9MM plus $4MM in incentives. Ultimately, Smith-Schuster opted to give the Steelers a home team discount.
“At the end of the day, I want to have my legacy in Pittsburgh and retire there,” Smith-Schuster said in February. “I don’t want to leave…I’m Pittsburgh for life.”
Smith-Schuster’s production tailed off over the last two seasons, putting top-of-the-market money out of his reach. Still, he drew widespread interest. In addition to the aforementioned Ravens and Chiefs, the Jets and Raiders were also connected to the youngster. The Jets wound up signing Corey Davis to a three-year, $37.5MM deal. It’s not clear if they offered a similar deal to Smith-Schuster, or if the wide receiver had interest in joining a non-contender.
Smith-Schuster, still only 24, had just 831 receiving yards last year, but there’s reason to believe that he could get back to his old form with Ben Roethlisberger back under center.
As a rookie, Smith-Schuster caught 58 passes for 917 yards and seven touchdowns in just 14 games. In 2018, Smith-Schuster eclipsed then-teammate Antonio Brown with 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven scores en route to his first ever Pro Bowl nod. He’ll look to reprise those numbers on his new deal in 2021.
Broncos, Justin Simmons Agree To Extension
The Broncos and Justin Simmons have agreed to terms on a long-term deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). It’ll be a four-year, $61MM deal with $35MM guaranteed, as Benjamin Allbright of KOA tweets. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) has also confirmed those figures.
The structure of the contract is pretty straightforward. Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), Simmons will take home a $15MM signing bonus, and his $2MM 2021 salary and $14.1MM 2022 salary are guaranteed at signing. He is due a $14.4MM salary in 2023, $2.9MM of which is guaranteed for injury at signing. All $14.4MM will become fully guaranteed if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2022 league year.
Simmons was tagged for the second-straight time this year, giving the two sides until mid-July to hammer out a multi-year agreement. There’s been strong mutual interest throughout the process, so it’s not a surprise to hear that they’re on the cusp of a fresh pact.
“Justin is one of our core guys. Our goal is to sign him to a long-term deal,” new GM George Paton said recently, with Simmons echoing that sentiment.
Since Simmons received an $11.4MM tag last year, his 2021 price currently sits at $13.7MM — a 20% hike. There are five safeties averaging at least $14MM on their respective long-term contracts, establishing a clear floor for Simmons. The Broncos already have plenty invested at safety, with Kareem Jackson entering the final year of an $11MM-AAV pact, but Simmons is squarely in his prime at 27. He is also coming off his first Pro Bowl season — during which he intercepted a career-high five passes and played every defensive snap for a third straight year. Jackson will be 33 next season.
The sides were not able to complete an extension before the 2020 summer deadline, but Simmons has since proved that he deserves top-five safety money. It’s a tremendous outcome for Simmons, of course, but his shiny new deal also bodes well for other top safeties looking for new contracts. Seahawks star Jamal Adams, for example, can now shoot for the moon in his next round of negotiations.
Bengals Release Geno Atkins
The Bengals released defensive tackle Geno Atkins, head coach Zac Taylor announced. Atkins was due $12.2MM in non-guaranteed money, so the Bengals took the opportunity to wipe that from the books. In addition, the Bengals are also cutting quarterback Ryan Finley and offensive tackle Bobby Hart (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). All together, the moves will save the Bengals roughly $30MM in cap space.
Atkins fought through a shoulder injury throughout the season. Towards the end, it proved to be too much to play with. He suited up for just eight games in total, and, even when he was healthy, he wasn’t happy about his playing time. His final tally: zero sacks and zero starts. It was a sharp drop from his pre-extension season in 2017, when he finished out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 2 ranked interior defender. The Bengals could have had the perennial Pro Bowler under contract through 2022, but his $14.8MM cap hit for 2021 was too much.
Last year, he watched his longtime counterpart Carlos Dunlap — the No. 1 all-time Bengals sack leader — get shipped to the Seahawks. It’s now the 33-year-old’s turn to exit. He leaves with eight Pro Bowls to his credit and the second-highest sack total in franchise history.
Hart, whose release will yield ~$6MM in savings, was long rumored to be a cap casualty. And, with Riley Reiff in the mix, his services were no longer needed.