2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys To Host Malik McDowell

March 18th, 2019 at 6:47pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys are setting up visits left and right, and they are scheduled to meet with DT Malik McDowell tomorrow, as Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.

McDowell, 22, was the 35th overall pick of the 2017 draft, and the Seahawks selected him with the belief that he could become a regular along their defensive line. But he was involved in an ATV accident in the summer of 2017, and he has never played a down in the NFL.

Nonetheless, his youth and draft pedigree suggested that there would be at least a couple of teams willing to give him a shot, and the Cowboys are one of those teams. McDowell tallied 24.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 32 games at Michigan State, and Dallas could see him as a backup to Tyrone Crawford or Antwaun Woods, especially now that David Irving is out of the picture.

Rashaan Melvin To Visit Lions

March 18th, 2019 at 6:26pm CST by Rory Parks

Well-traveled cornerback Rashaan Melvin will visit the Lions on Wednesday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Melvin started seven games for the Raiders last season, and he was a solid regular with the Colts in his two seasons in Indianapolis prior to that.

He did not have an impressive 2018 campaign with Oakland after signing a one-year, $5.5MM pact with the club last March, but he is certainly a capable CB. Following a breakout season in 2016, Melvin was just as productive in 2017, finishing with 36 tackles, three interceptions, and 13 passes defended. Pro Football Focus was particularly fond of his performance that year, ranking him 17th among 120 eligible cornerbacks.

The fact that he butted heads with Raiders head coach Jon Gruden last season is unlikely to be held against him. In Detroit, Melvin could start on the outside opposite Pro Bowler Darius Slay.

The Lions have already addressed their defensive backfield in free agency by adding slot corner Justin Coleman last week, and they’re obviously not done.

Cowboys Sign Kerry Hyder

March 18th, 2019 at 5:49pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have been very busy visiting with free agents and lining up other visits today, but the club did make one transaction official. Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Cowboys signed former Lions DL Kerry Hyder (Twitter link). It will be a one-year pact for Hyder, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter).

Detroit opted to non-tender Hyder, a former UDFA, earlier this month. Now 27, Hyder missed the entire 2017 season due to a torn Achilles and only appeared in seven games last season. With just one sack last year and a limited sample of work, it’s not surprising the Lions didn’t want to give him the lowest tender.

On the other hand, he did post eight sacks in 2016, and as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News tweets, Hyder is a good fit as a defense end in the Cowboys’ 4-3 scheme. He could be a low-cost boon to a pass rush that needs some reinforcements.

Eric Berry To Visit Cowboys

March 18th, 2019 at 5:22pm CST by Rory Parks

Former Chiefs safety Eric Berry is visiting the Cowboys tomorrow, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). After a long-rumored reunion of sorts with Earl Thomas never came to fruition, Dallas is still in the market for safety help, and the club is looking at another former First Team All-Pro.

Berry, 30, was cut by Kansas City after the Chiefs inked fellow safety Tyrann Mathieu to a lucrative free agent contract. Berry has always been a terrific player, but he has had difficulty staying on the field throughout his career.

In five of his nine pro seasons, Berry has failed to play more than five games. He’s been available for only three total regular season contests over the past two years after rupturing his Achilles in September 2017, but in spite of that, Berry doesn’t plan to undergo offseason surgery to correct his nagging heel concerns.

That is enough to give any team pause, but the Cowboys need a safety and may see Berry as a worthwhile gamble. The club met with Clayton Geathers earlier today, and while there is probably room in the defensive backfield to add both talented but injury-plagued talents, that is not an especially likely scenario.

This marks Berry’s first scheduled visit since he was cut.

Redskins Sign Ereck Flowers

March 18th, 2019 at 5:07pm CST by Rory Parks

The Redskins have signed free agent offensive tackle Ereck Flowers, per Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that it will be a one-year, $4MM pact.

Washington hosted the fifth-year pro yesterday, and the club elected to pull the trigger today. Flowers, of course, was selected by the division-rival Giants in the first round of the 2015 draft, but he never lived up to his pedigree. New York cut him last October and he subsequently caught on with the Jaguars, starting seven games at left tackle for Jacksonville.

His tenure with the Giants was marred by penalties and a matador-like approach to pass blocking, and even after Big Blue switched Flowers from left tackle to right tackle, they did not see an uptick in performance. But his improved play with the Jags caught the Redskins’ eye, and John Keim of ESPN.com says the club plans to to slide Flowers inside to guard.

However, he will also serve as a swing tackle and insurance policy for left tackle Trent Williams and right tackle Morgan Moses, while 2018 third-rounder Geron Christian — whom the team prefers at swing tackle — recovers froma torn MCL.

Aaron Lynch To Visit Seahawks

March 18th, 2019 at 5:03pm CST by Rory Parks

Free agent edge defender Aaron Lynch suddenly finds himself with a busy schedule. After visiting with the Raiders today, the 26-year-old is headed to Seattle to visit with the Seahawks, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Lynch spent the first four seasons of his career with the 49ers and signed with the Bears last season to reunite with then-Chicago DC Vic Fangio. After playing on roughly 16% of the 49ers’ defensive snaps over his last two years in San Francisco, Lynch saw an uptick in playing time last year, appearing in roughly 1/3 of the Bears’ defensive snaps.

The former fifth-round pick offers some pass rush ability, and he did record 12.5 sacks across the 2014-15 seasons. Seattle was one of the better pass rushing teams in the league in 2018 in terms of raw sack totals, but Lynch, who can line up at either DE or OLB, would be a welcome addition to most clubs as a situational pass rusher if the price is right.

Raiders Interested In Brandon Marshall; Also Interested In Vontaze Burfict?

March 18th, 2019 at 4:33pm CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders are interested in former Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, according to Mike Klis of 9News (via Twitter). Marshall, who saw his 2019 option declined by the division-rival Broncos, has attracted the attention of at least five clubs.

He does have a concerning injury history, but Oakland has very little firepower in its LB corps, and Marshall, who compiled 102 tackles and three sacks in 2017, would represent an immediate upgrade if he can stay healthy.

Vontaze Burfict would also represent an upgrade, and the Raiders, never a club to shy away from controversial players and big personalities, may also may be interested in the recently-released linebacker, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bengals cut Burfict today after a seven-year run that included one Pro Bowl berth and a whole host of fines and suspensions, and though he may have lost a step or two, there is clearly a need for someone of his ability in Oakland.

In addition to their interest in Marshall and their potential interest in Burfict, the Raiders have also hosted Manti Te’o and Aaron Lynch, as Rapoport observes. Te’o, who just finished a two-year pact that he signed with the Saints in 2017, saw action in just five contests (two starts) last year, compiling 18 total tackles, but he did start 11 games in 2017 and played reasonably well. Plus, he is still only 28, and he would likely welcome a chance to sign with the Raiders given the playing time that might be available for him.

Unlike Burfict and Te’o, Lynch is an edge defender who can line up at DE or OLB. He was in for about 1/3 of the Bears’ defensive snaps in 2018, and he recorded three sacks in his 13 games played (three starts). The Raiders need someone who can get after the quarterback, and Lynch did post 12.5 sacks over his first two years in the league with the 49ers. At 26, he could be a low-risk, high-reward acquisition.

Texans To Sign TE Darren Fells

March 18th, 2019 at 3:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Darren Fells has a new home. On Monday, the Texans agreed to sign the tight end to a one-year deal, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 tweets.

Fells, 33 next month, signed a three-year, $12MM deal with Cleveland just last offseason. But, earlier this month, the Browns cut him after being unable to find a suitable trade.

Fells was scheduled to carry a cap charge of $3.7MM. Instead, the Browns sent him packing and took on a dead money hit of $1.4MM.

In his lone season in Cleveland, Fells appeared in all 16 games, but played on just 38.5% of the Browns’ offensive snaps and managed only 11 receptions. While he wasn’t given many opportunities behind starting tight end David Njoku, Fells was effective when targeted. Among tight ends with fewer than 25 catches, Fells finished third in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, meaning he was productive on a per-play basis.

While Fells has historically been praised as a blocking tight end, 2018 wasn’t a banner year for him in that regard, at least according to Pro Football Focus. PFF assigned Fells a 72.9 pass-blocking grade, which put him near the middle of the pack among his position group, but a 55.9 grade in the run game, a mark which ranked near the bottom of the league.

Fells will bring his blocking knowledge to the Texans’ TE group, which currently includes Ryan Griffin, Jordan Thomas, and Jordan Akins.

Eagles To Sign Andrew Sendejo

March 18th, 2019 at 3:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent safety Andrew Sendejo has agreed to sign with the Eagles, sources tell Peter Schrager of NFL.com (on Twitter). When finalized, it’ll be a one-year deal for the Eagles and the former Vikings safety.

Sendejo, 32 in September, had his 2019 option declined by the Vikings last week. The move was largely expected after the veteran lost much of the 2018 season to a groin injury. After Sendejo went down in Week 5, the Vikings’ defense actually improved, though it’s impossible to say whether that was coincidental. In his wake, the Vikings used Anthony Harris, George Iloka, and Jayron Kearse to hold down the fort.

The Vikings prevented Sendejo from hitting the open market in 2016 with a four-year, $16MM deal. After the Vikes rejected the final year of his deal, he’ll try to reestablish himself in Philadelphia.

Buccaneers Sign Kentrell Brice

March 18th, 2019 at 3:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have signed former Packers safety Kentrell Brice to a one-year deal. Brice visited the Texans and Colts last week, but the Bucs ultimately won out.

The safety started a career-high 10 games last season (in 14 appearances) and compiled 50 tackles, one sack, and two passes defended. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus wasn’t too fond of his performance, ranking him in the bottom-six among 93 eligible safeties.

Brice, a former undrafted free agent out of Louisiana Tech, spent his entire three-year career with Green Bay up until today. He’s not a splashy add, but the Bucs plan to make more significant additions in the draft. The Bucs own the No. 5 pick in the draft and own all of their original choices through the first five rounds.