2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Sign Tom Compton

March 18th, 2019 at 3:09pm CST by Zachary Links

On Monday, the Jets announced the signing of guard Tom Compton. It’s a one-year deal, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (Twitter link).

Compton is not a star, but he does offer experience with 30 starts over the course of seven NFL seasons. The 6’6”, 315-pounder entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Redskins in 2012 and spent four years in the nation’s capital before stints with the Falcons, Bears, and Vikings. Last year, he started 14 games at left guard for the Vikes, but he’s also spent time at right guard and right tackle.

The Jets figure to make more moves on the offensive line and former Eagles interior lineman Stefen Wisniewski could be part of the revamp.

Vikings Re-Sign RB Ameer Abdullah

March 18th, 2019 at 3:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings re-signed running back Ameer Abdullah, according to a team announcement. Abdullah himself indicated it is a one-year pact, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Abdullah didn’t see any carries during his Minnesota tenure last year, but the Vikings are curious to see what he can do moving forward.

The Vikings claimed Abdullah, a 2015 second-round pick, off waivers from the Lions in November. He appeared in seven games and returned ten kicks for an average of 25.8 yards per try.

Coming out of Nebraska, Abdullah had a good deal of hype around him. He was reasonably productive as a rookie, averaging 4.2 yards per carry out of the Lions’ backfield, and added 25 catches for 183 yards. His follow-up season was mostly lost to injury and he was unable to reassert himself in 2017, as he averaged just 3.3 yards per tote.

Abdullah will work to secure a spot on the Vikings’ depth chart behind standout Dalvin Cook.

Latest On Dolphins, Robert Quinn

March 18th, 2019 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Robert Quinn earned a $1.1MM roster bonus late last week, but that doesn’t mean he’s off the trade block. In fact, the Dolphins remain eager to move him and are even willing to eat salary in a trade, as Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes.

As it stands, any team that trades for Quinn is responsible for his base salary of roughly $11.8MM. But, by paying the roster bonus, the Dolphins have at least taken some of the onus off of a potential partner.

Quinn lost some luster after leaving L.A., but he’s still an effective player. His 6.5 sacks in 2018 weren’t a head-turner, but he did tie for 20th among DEs with 24 quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, assigned Quinn the 19th-highest pass-rush grade among 103 qualifying edge rushers. Quinn is still only entering his age-29 campaign, so he’s a player that could be in the plans for years to come.

He’s not in the Dolphins’ plans, however, as the team embarks on an aggressive rebuild. The ’19 Dolphins, set to be led by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, may be looking to tank.

Raiders Re-Sign Dwayne Harris

March 18th, 2019 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have re-signed wide receiver/kick returner Dwayne Harris, per a team announcement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Harris hooked on with the Raiders in April of 2018 following his release from the Giants. With the Raiders, he occupied a similar role as the one he filled with the Giants. Last year, Harris averaged 14.1 yards per punt return and even took a 99-yard return all the way to the house against the Broncos. He also averaged 22.9 yards per kickoff return.

Harris will turn 32 in September, and speed tends to go in the later years, but he’s shown no signs of slowing down (Also, the Raiders have no reservations when it comes to aging vets).

Redskins Interested In Brandon Copeland

March 18th, 2019 at 1:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have expressed some interest in edge rusher Brandon Copeland, as John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. There’s no visit scheduled just yet, but one could be just around the corner.

Keim notes that the Redskins are looking to add one or two more edge rushers to the mix this offseason, including the draft. Copeland could be one solution, though he also has the attention of the Patriots.

Copeland, who turns 28 in July, spent the 2018 season with the Jets after the first two years of his career in Detroit. He didn’t see many defensive snaps with the Lions, but he made ten starts and appeared in every game for Gang Green in 2018. Copeland’s five sacks put him on the league’s radar and the next deal he signs should be the largest of his pro career.

Jets, Vikings Interested In Stefen Wisniewski

March 18th, 2019 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent guard Stefen Wisniewski will visit with the Jets on Monday, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. The Vikings also reached out about the veteran last week after learning that Nick Easton was New Orleans-bound, Tomasson adds.

Wisniewski spent the last three seasons with the Eagles, who declined to go for a fourth when they turned down his option last week. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has been an on and off starter at left guard for Philly with six starts in 2016, eleven in 2017, and seven this past season. He entered the 2018 season as the starter at left guard, but was later benched for Isaac Seumalo. Seumalo inked an extension recently, while Wisniewski was asked to pack his bags.

Wisniewski could be an intriguing pickup for the Jets, who are looking for ways to make holes for new star running back Le’Veon Bell. He should also hold appeal for the Vikings and others thanks to his versatility. The 6’3″, 305-pound lineman offers experience at both guard and center, so he can be a solid super-sub on the interior line.

Giants Interested In Vinny Curry

March 18th, 2019 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are on the lookout for defensive line help after losing Josh Mauro to the Raiders. With that in mind, the Giants are in the mix for defensive end Vinny Curry (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com).

Curry, a pass-rushing veteran, hit the open market in February when he was released by the Buccaneers. Last year, Curry tallied 21 tackles, 2.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, and five tackles for a loss, numbers that don’t exactly jump off of the page. However, pass rushers are continually in demand, and his 2017 season with the Eagles showed promise, so Curry could still be in line for a nice payday from the G-Men or another club.

Recently, Curry took his first visit of this free agent cycle when he met with the Bengals. The Bengals have Carlos Dunlap and Sam Hubbard slotted in as starters, but Curry could compete with Carl Lawson and Jordan Willis for reserve time. There’s also opportunity in New York for Curry after the trade of Olivier Vernon to the Browns.

The Giants still have interest in bringing back Kerry Wynn, though Raanan notes that Wynn also has some other options.

Redskins Re-Sign Brian Quick

March 18th, 2019 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Brian Quick is back with the Redskins, according to an announcement from his agent. The Redskins released Quick in November of last year, but they want to take another look at him for depth at wide receiver.

Currently, the Redskins are pretty thin at wideout and the status of Paul Richardson and Robert Davis is uncertain as they rebound from serious injuries. There are also ankle injuries to Cam Sims and Trey Quinn to consider, so Quick at least has a path to making the final cut. Then again, a whole lot will change between now and September, so nothing is guaranteed for the veteran.

Quick, 30 in June, spent the first five years of his career with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams. In 2017, he hooked on with the Redskins, but injuries prevented him from ascending the depth chart. With the Rams, Quick had some promising moments, including a 41/564/3 line in his 2016 platform year.

Bengals Release Vontaze Burfict

March 18th, 2019 at 11:26am CST by Zachary Links

It’s the end of an era in Cincinnati. On Monday, the Bengals released linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

Burfict, one of the league’s most controversial players, has been a pillar of the Bengals’ defense throughout his seven year career.

Over the years, Burfict has helped to anchor the Bengals’ front seven with his hard-hitting style. Unfortunately, his aggression blurred the line when it comes to rules and safety regulations. In seven seasons, Burfict racked up whopping 14 total fines and/or suspensions from the league office, including three times in 2018. Last year, his sanctions resulted from PEDs and hits on Antonio Brown, James Conner, and Andy Janovich. All in all, Burfict lost $4.2MM and ten games for his violations.

By releasing Burfict before the final year of his contract, the Bengals will take on $1.8M in dead money. However, they’ll save $5.5M on this year’s cap. Meanwhile, Burfict should find a decent market for his services, though you can expect teams like the Steelers to pass on him given their history together.

Burfict, 29 in September, went undrafted in 2012 thanks to a bad showing at the combine and rumors of a failed drug test. Quickly, Burfict proved that belonged in the NFL. As a rookie, he compiled 127 stops in 16 games (14 starts) and followed up with a Pro Bowl nod and a league-leading 177 tackles in his second pro season.

When on the field, Burfict is a bonafide difference maker as a middle linebacker. But, because of his issues, Burfict may not garner offers with guarantees beyond 2019 like many of his MLB counterparts have this offseason.

Chiefs To Sign Bashaud Breeland

March 18th, 2019 at 11:18am CST by Zachary Links

Former Packers cornerback Bashaud Breeland is signing with the Chiefs, a source tells ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter). It’s a one-year, incentive-laden deal that can be worth a max value of $5MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Last year, Breeland had a bizarre journey through free agency. He entered March as one of the top cornerbacks available and the Panthers pounced quickly to sign the Redskins free agent to a three-year, $24MM deal. Unfortunately, the Panthers 86’d that deal after they discovered an infection in Breeland’s foot resulting from an off-the-field injury. Towards the end of September, the Packers inked Breeland to a minimum salary deal.

All in all, Breeland was on the field for just seven games (five starts), but he definitely made his presence known. Breeland had two picks and a fumble recovery in his short GB run.

Breeland should provide the Chiefs with additional firepower in the secondary after the release of Eric Berry. As it stands, Breeland projects to step into the starting lineup to replace Steven Nelson, who signed with the Steelers in free agency.

The Chiefs flirted with Breeland last season before he joined up with the Packers and they got their man less than a year later. He also has an old friend in Kendall Fuller, his ex-teammate in Washington.