HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Bengals To Sign Kerry Wynn

March 22nd, 2019 at 3:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Kerry Wynn is signing a one-year deal with the Bengals, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Giants hoped to keep the defensive lineman, but he’ll ply his craft in Cincinnati instead. 

Wynn spent five years with the Giants and totaled 4.5 sacks in that span. He’s not a household name, but he has the ability to play multiple spots in the defensive line and offers strong special teams help. After tying for second on the Giants with eight special teams stops in ’18, he figures to be an asset for the Bengals in the third facet of the game.

Meanwhile, the Giants will have to look elsewhere for defensive line help after losing out on Wynn and whiffing on Vinny Curry, who returned to the Eagles on Thursday.

Colts Meet With Shane Ray

March 22nd, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts hosted former Broncos edge rusher Shane Ray on Friday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Colts added Justin Houston just yesterday, but it sounds like they’re not done bolstering their pass rush. 

[RELATED: Colts To Sign Justin Houston]

Ray didn’t live up to his first-round billing from 2015, but he has shown promise in the past. The 25-year-old (26 in May) amassed four tackles as a reserve in his rookie season and tallied a career-high eight sacks in 2016. Injuries have derailed him somewhat, however, as he has just two sacks in the last two years combined.

The Colts entered the free agent season with a major stockpile of available money, but have not spent much of it so far. After allowing Le’Veon Bell and other big names fall off the board, the Colts could get very active in the second wave of free agency with Ray and other low-cost additions.

NFC Notes: Bridgewater, Saints, 49ers, Gragg, Buccaneers

March 22nd, 2019 at 2:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Teddy Bridgewater had a dramatic free agency. He appeared all set to return to the Saints, when the Dolphins swooped in with a last second offer to be their starting quarterback. But in the end, he decided to return to New Orleans, potentially setting him up to take over for Drew Brees. In a recent interview with WWL Radio, Bridgewater elaborated on his decision to stay in the Big Easy, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Bridgewater indicated it mostly had to do with how much he enjoyed his time in New Orleans, rather than about potential playing time.

“I told my agents every time that I talked to them that I haven’t stopped smiling since I arrived,” Bridgewater said. They made playing football fun, they made learning the game fun … and that’s something I appreciate. I was able to be part of that for 18 weeks last season, and it was nothing but positive things that occurred,” he continued. It sounds like Bridgewater has bought in to whatever the Saints are promising, and they clearly think very highly of him if they’re giving him $7.25MM to be their backup quarterback.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • The 49ers brought in tight end Chris Gragg for a workout, a source told Matt Maioccio of NBC Sports (Twitter link). An Arkansas product, Gragg was taken by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2013 draft. He spent the next four years in Buffalo, then was with the Jets during the 2017 offseason. Gragg has struggled with injuries, missing the entire 2016 and 2017 seasons while hurt. He spent all of last year out of the league, and this is the first we’ve heard of him in a while. Gragg had his most productive season in 2015, when he caught 12 passes for 150 yards. He’s unlikely to make much of an impact even if San Francisco does opt to sign him.
  • The Buccaneers are making a historic move. Tampa Bay is hiring Maral Javadifar and Lori Locust as the first full-time female assistant coaches in franchise history, the team announced in a release. Locust will be an assistant defensive line coach, while Javadifar will be an assistant strength and conditioning coach. The Bucs are now the first team in NFL history to have two women as full-time coaches. New Bucs coach Bruce Arians has emphasized the need for greater diversity on NFL coaching staffs, and is now practicing what he preaches. Arians had said he would do something like this, so it isn’t surprising.
  • The Saints are reportedly close to a deal that would bring Jared Cook to New Orleans, but they might not be done adding to their tight end group. The team is “paying close attention” to LSU tight end Foster Moreau today at his pro day, Larry Holder of The Athletic is told (Twitter link). Moreau caught 22 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns at LSU last year.

 

Bills To Sign Jake Fisher

March 22nd, 2019 at 2:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Bills are making another move to help their offense. Buffalo is signing Jake Fisher to a one-year deal, according to his agent (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).

He worked out as a tight end for the Bills yesterday, and they apparently liked what they saw. Fisher had a workout with the Texans last week, but didn’t sign. Fisher spent the first four years of his career with the Bengals as an offensive tackle, and is now attempting to make the conversion to tight end.

Drafted in the second round out of Oregon back in 2015, Fisher never lived up to his draft status. He struggled in pass protection, and could never cement himself as a full-time starter. He started seven games in 2017, and just one game last year in 11 appearances.

We heard a few weeks ago that Fisher had begun running a few routes with NFL quarterbacks, and that he’d be attempting to reinvent himself as a blocking tight end. He finished last season on injured reserve with a back injury, but appears to be back to full health now.

Patriots Restructure Stephon Gilmore’s Contract

March 22nd, 2019 at 1:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

New England is freeing up some cap space. The Patriots are restructuring the contract of cornerback Stephon Gilmore, a source told Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

According to Yates, the Patriots converted $8.5MM of the salary left on Gilmore’s contract into a signing bonus. The move will free up $5.67MM in cap space this year, giving the Pats some extra flexibility in free agency while giving Gilmore more money up front. Gilmore has one of the largest contracts on the team, and this isn’t the first time they’ve re-worked his deal.

The Patriots restructured his contract in October of last year to free up some immediate cap space. Gilmore has three seasons left on the five-year, $65 million pact he signed back in March of 2017. Gilmore’s Patriots tenure got off to a rocky start, but he’s since adapted quite well and has become one of the best players on the team.

He’s come up huge in the playoffs, having the game-sealing pass deflection in the AFC Championship Game two seasons ago as well as the crucial fourth quarter interception of Jared Goff in the most recent Super Bowl.

Chiefs To Re-Sign FB Anthony Sherman

March 22nd, 2019 at 11:52am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Chiefs are bringing back their lead blocker. Fullback Anthony Sherman is re-signing with Kansas City on a one-year deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Sherman made the Pro Bowl last year, and is one of the better fullbacks in the league. Many teams are going away from fullbacks, but many of the most successful offenses like the Patriots and Chiefs still use them. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is also a huge proponent of the fullback and has invested heavily there with Kyle Juszczyk, so the position certainly isn’t on the verge of going extinct.

Sherman signed a one-year deal last offseason, and the team apparently prefers to go year-to-year with him. Sherman caught eight passes for 96 yards and a touchdown last year. He only carried the ball once last year, but in 2017 he carried it 14 times.

His most notable action cam in the Pro Bowl this past year, when he racked up several big plays. With Kareem Hunt no longer in the fold, the Chiefs’ backfield will be a bit more uncertain next year, but Sherman will be out there paving the way for whoever the lead back is.

Raiders To Sign Curtis Riley

March 22nd, 2019 at 10:56am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have signed Curtis Riley, according to a tweet from the safety himself. Riley, formerly of the Giants, also visited the Packers and Bengals before joining up with Oakland. 

Riley started in all 16 of the Giants’ games last year and reeled in four interceptions. It was a rough year for the Giants on the whole, but Riley had a strong individual showing.

Riley started his career with the Titans, but he truly put himself on the map last year with the aforementioned picks, plus 75 tackles and five passes defended. However, for what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus only ranked him 79th among 93 eligible safeties.

Rams Retain RB Malcolm Brown

March 22nd, 2019 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

Malcolm Brown isn’t going anywhere. On Friday, the Rams matched the Lions’ offer sheet for the running back, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 

Brown will earn $3.3MM in base salary across his two-year deal. The pact includes $2.1MM in “practical guarantees” between his $1MM base salary and $1.1MM roster bonus, which will be paid on April 15.

Brown ended the 2018 season on injured reserve, but the Rams believe in his potential after he averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He obviously won’t start with Todd Gurley in front of him, but the Rams can use the insurance given Gurley’s ongoing knee trouble.

A 2015 UDFA, Brown has been with the Rams his entire career. Unfortunately, a clavicle injury that prevented him from playing in the team’s three playoff games. C.J. Anderson had a nice run upon joining the Rams, but Brown is now primed to resume his role as Gurley’s understudy.

Meanwhile, the Lions will have to look elsewhere for backup RB help. They’ve re-signed Zach Zenner and they still have pass-catching specialist Theo Riddick, but it sounds like they want a strong traditional runner behind star Kerryon Johnson.

North Notes: Bengals, Steelers, Packers

March 21st, 2019 at 10:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With former Giants defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo now in place in the Bengals‘ defensive coordinator, Cincinnati is attempting to corner the market on ex-New York defenders. Having already signed cornerback B.W. Webb and met with defensive end Kerry Wynn, the Bengals sat down with former Giants safety Curtis Riley on Thursday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). A former undrafted free agent and special teamer with the Titans, Riley was forced into a premier role with New York in 2018 and ended up starting all 16 games. He looked overmatched, however, and graded as just the No. 79 safety among 93 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Cincinnati is already set at safety with Jessie Bates and Shawn Williams as 2019 starters, so Riley would likely revert to a special teams role if signed.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two North divisions:

  • Justin Houston didn’t appear to be on the Steelers‘ radar before signing with the Colts earlier today, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Indianapolis gave Houston $24MM over a two-year term, and that $12MM annual average was likely to pricey for Pittsburgh, which only has about $7MM in available cap space. While Houston would have been a solid addition for the Steelers, they don’t necessarily need any pass-rush help. Pittsburgh tied for first in sacks (52) in 2018 and ranked first in adjusted sack rate, and will bring back T.J. Watt, Bud Dupree, and Anthony Chickillo next season.
  • The Packers monitored the free agent slot receiver market when free agency opened but opted to spend in other areas, reports Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Green Bay allowed Randall Cobb to leave for a one-year, $5MM deal with the Cowboys earlier this week, but the club could search for a veteran slot receiver in the coming weeks, with Dontrelle Inman, Jermaine Kearse, and Rishard Matthews profiling as options. However, the Packers might be tighter on cap space than is publicly believed: while most assessments peg Green Bay with roughly $13.5MM in funds, Tom Silverstein of MJS says the Packers may only have ~$5MM in space (Twitter link).
  • In case you missed it, the Ravens re-signed backup quarterback Robert Griffin III to a two-year deal.

Contract Details: Vaccaro, Callahan, Okafor

March 21st, 2019 at 10:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed NFL contracts, with all links going to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle’s Twitter account:

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