WFT Interested In Patriots WR N’Keal Harry
The Washington Football Team is keeping an eye on N’Keal Harry, as John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. Harry has drawn trade interest in recent days and it has been widely speculated that the Patriots could move him. 
The Pats made Harry a first-round pick in 2019, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations. In total, the Arizona State product has just 414 receiving yards and four touchdowns across 21 games. He’s had lots of setbacks, too, including an injury-riddled rookie year and the offense’s overall woes in 2020.
Despite his inconsistent performance, Keim hears that at least three other teams are in the mix. As he notes, WFT GM Martin Mayhew was with the 49ers in 2019 and they were hoping to land Harry before the Patriots scooped him up in Round 1. In Washington, Harry could fit alongside Terry McLaurin and newcomer Curtis Samuel. Meanwhile, after adding Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, the Patriots can afford to part ways with the 6’4″ pass-catcher.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/23/21
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: S Geno Stone
Houston Texans
- Re-Signed: LS Jon Weeks
- Released: LS Anthony Kukwa
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: WR Mack Hollins
New England Patriots
- Released: LB Cassh Maluia, LB Michael Pinckney
New York Jets
- Released: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: WR Deontay Burnett
Washington Football Team
- Re-Signed: CB Danny Johnson, LB Jared Norris
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/21
Washington Signs LB David Mayo
David Mayo is staying in the NFC East. The Washington Football Team have signed the former Giants linebacker, per a club announcement. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. 
The Giants gave Mayo a three-year extension one year ago, but he didn’t make it very far into that new deal. He had a breakout 2019 season where he started 13 games and graded out well, per Pro Football Focus. Then, he fell out of favor with the new coaching staff led by Joe Judge. In 2020, he started just twice. The Giants released him outright earlier this month, on the same day they cut Golden Tate.
Mayo, 27, came into the league in 2015 as a fifth-round pick of the Panthers. In total, he’s appeared in 89 games with 19 starts across the last six years. His 2020 stat line — 20 tackles, two tackles for loss ,and one forced fumble — doesn’t jump off the page, but he’s not far removed from his best work. In that aforementioned ’19 campaign, Mayo registered 82 tackles, two sacks, and two passes defended while playing as one of the best run-stuffing ‘backers in the NFL.
Washington QB Kyle Allen Signs ERFA Tender
The top of Washington’s quarterbacks depth chart will look different in 2021, but it sounds like the team will be rolling with the same backups. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that quarterback Kyle Allen has signed his ERFA tender.
After getting 12 starts for the Panthers in 2019, Allen ended up following his former head coach, Ron Rivera, to Washington after he was traded for a a fifth-rounder. Allen ultimately got four starts for Washington, completing 69-percent of his passes for 610 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.
However, Allen suffered a dislocated/fractured ankle in early November, and the subsequent surgery ended his season early. That injury paved the way for Alex Smith to take over the full-time starting gig, and the veteran ended up going 5-1 en route the Comeback Player of the Year Award.
In 2021, Allen will be backing up a different veteran, as the organization moved on from Smith and replaced him with Ryan Fitzpatrick. The team is also still rostering Taylor Heinicke.
NFL Contract Details: Jones, Floyd, Williams, QBs
Some assorted contract details from around the NFL:
- RB Aaron Jones, Packers: Four years, $48MM, including $20MM over first two years. $7MM roster bonus in 2023. Owed $16MM in 2023 and $12MM in 2024. Via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter.
- LB Leonard Floyd, Rams: Four years, $64MM, including $32.5MM guaranteed. $14MM signing bonus. Salaries: $2MM (2021, fully guaranteed), $16.5MM (2022, fully guaranteed), $15.5MM (2023), $16MM (2024). Via Pelissero on Twitter.
- DE Leonard Williams, Giants: Three years, $63MM, including $45MM. $22.5MM signing bonus. Salaries: $3.5MM (2021, fully guaranteed), $19MM (2022, fully guaranteed), $18MM (2023). Cap charges: $11MM (2021), $26.5MM (2022), $25.5MM (2023). Via Manish Mehta on Twitter.
- QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Washington: One year, $10MM, including $6MM guaranteed. Max value of $12MM. $6MM signing bonus. $3MM base salary, $1MM per-game roster bonuses. Up to $2MM in incentives. Via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post on Twitter.
- QB Jacoby Brissett, Dolphins: One year, $5MM, including $2.5MM guaranteed. $2.5MM signing bonus, up to $2.5MM in incentives. Via Pelissero on Twitter.
- QB Andy Dalton, Bears: One year, $10MM. $7MM signing bonus, $3MM base salary, up to $3MM in incentives. Via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter.
- LB Carl Lawson, Jets: Three years, $45MM, including $30MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. Salaries: $6.2MM (2021, plus $7.8MM roster bonus), $15MM (2022), $15MM (2023). Cap charges: $14.3MM (2021), $15.3MM (2022), $15.3MM (2023). Up to $800K in sack incentives each year. Via Mehta on Twitter.
Washington To Sign WR Curtis Samuel
Curtis Samuel has found his new home. The free agent wideout and former Panther is signing with Washington, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report (via Twitter). Samuel received a three-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), and Joseph Person of The Athletic tweets that Samuel can earn up to $35.25MM, with $24.5MM guaranteed.
Washington has been mentioned as a potential landing spot for Samuel throughout the offseason. After all, WFT head coach and former Panthers HC Ron Rivera has shown a propensity for recruiting players from his old team, and Rapoport notes that Rivera actually tried to trade for Samuel last season (Twitter link). Washington struggled to find a second receiver to pair with top wideout Terry McLaurin in 2020, but now, the offense will feature two of the most dynamic receivers in the NFL, both of whom were members of Ohio State’s 2014 recruiting class.
Samuel, a 2017 second-round pick, has progressively improved his numbers during each of his four NFL seasons. That culminated in a 2020 campaign where he finished with a career-high 1,051 yards from scrimmage to go along with five touchdowns. Samuel also garnered a career-high 41 rushing attempts, showcasing his ability to serve as a Swiss Army Knife-type weapon.
WFT is still on the lookout for a long-term answer at quarterback — the agelessness of new signee Ryan Fitzpatrick notwithstanding — but the club is quietly assembling a strong foundation of skill-position talent. McLaurin, Samuel, and recent draftees Kelvin Harmon and Antonio Gandy-Golden give Washington an intriguing young WR group, while 2020 third-round running back Antonio Gibson demonstrated plenty of promise in his rookie campaign.
The Panthers, meanwhile, have spent the early days of free agency fortifying their offensive and defensive fronts. Carolina remains in hot pursuit of Deshaun Watson, and even with Samuel no longer in the mix, the team still has a fair amount of skill position talent with the likes of Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, and Robby Anderson.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Washington Re-Signs Lamar Miller
Lamar Miller is staying with the Washington Football Team. The veteran running back will return on a one-year deal, per agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).
[RELATED: WFT Adds Ryan Fitzpatrick]
Miller signed with WFT in December, but has yet to suit up for a game. In fact, he hasn’t played since 2018 thanks to an ACL tear and other injuries. Before that, he made the Pro Bowl with 973 rushing yards, five touchdowns, and a solid 4.6 yards per carry average. He also added 25 receptions for 163 receiving yards and one touchdown during that campaign.
Miller, 30 in late April, could still be a difference-maker if he’s healthy. Recognizing this, WFT allocated some of their cap space towards Miller — likely on a low-cost deal. Among their pricier signings: A three-year, $42MM pact for former Bengals corner William Jackson III and a one-year, $10-$12MM deal for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Washington To Sign William Jackson III
The Washington Football Team is signing former Bengals corner William Jackson III, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it will be a three-year, $42MM pact with $26MM in guaranteed money.
That puts Jackson in the top-10 of the cornerback market in terms of AAV. The 2016 first-rounder has proven himself as a strong cover corner over his first few years in the league, and though he has yet to make a Pro Bowl, he could receive those honors in the near future. He missed his entire rookie campaign due to injury and started just five games in his second professional season, but from 2017-20, he tallied 41 passes defensed and three picks, and he graded as Pro Football Focus’ 20th-best CB (out of 121 qualifiers) last season.
He will serve as a worthy replacement for Ronald Darby — who agreed to a free agent deal with the Broncos yesterday — and will team with Kendall Fuller to provide WFT with a strong starting tandem at the cornerback position. The club was terrific against the pass last season, so maintaining a quality 1-2 punch on the boundaries was a key part of its push for back-to-back playoff appearances.
Although Jackson had previously expressed a desire to remain in Cincinnati on a long-term basis, the writing was on the wall when the club agreed to sign Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie earlier today. Jackson is probably better than both players, but Hilton and Awuzie’s combined AAV is about the same as Jackson’s, so the Bengals saw an opportunity to acquire two quality starters for the price of one.
Washington To Sign QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick is heading to Washington. The veteran quarterback has reached an agreement with Washington, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $10MM, but the deal could grow to $12MM with incentives.
Despite having turned 38 years old in November and completing his 16th NFL season, it never really looked like the veteran was going to hang up his cleats. We heard earlier this week that Fitzpatrick intended to play in 2021, and it sounded like the quarterback would have plenty of suitors.
“For me, personally, I have to take every offseason and reassess,” Fitzpatrick said recently. “These last two years have really re-lit that fire under me. I still want to play, and I enjoy being out there playing.”
Those past two years saw Fitzmagic lead the Dolphins to a 9-11 record in his 20 starts with the organization. He completed 64.2-percent of his passes over those two campaigns, throwing for 5,620 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. He also continued to produce on the ground, finishing with 150 rushing yards for the 10th time in the past 13 seasons.
Washington was looking for a quarterback after letting go of Alex Smith earlier this month. The team entered the offseason rostering both Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen.