2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Giants Sign DL Olsen Pierre

March 15th, 2019 at 9:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants have signed defensive lineman Olsen Pierre, the club announced today.

Pierre, like new Giants safety Antoine Bethea, will offer New York familiarity with defensive coordinator James Bettcher‘s scheme, as Bettcher coached Pierre in Arizona in 2017. A Miami product, Pierre posted 5.5 sacks and nine quarterbacks in his year under Bettcher. Last season, his production dipped before he was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury in December.

Pierre will play five-technique defensive end in Bettcher’s 3-4 scheme. The Giants are currently projected to start Dalvin Tomlinson and R.J. McIntosh in those spots, and given that both played relatively well in 2018, Pierre may slot in as a reserve.

Buccaneers To Sign OL Earl Watford

March 15th, 2019 at 8:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers have agreed to sign offensive lineman Earl Watford, according to Adam Green (Twitter link). It’s a one-year deal, tweets Mike Garafolo of NFL.com.

Watford, who spent the 2013-17 seasons with the Cardinals, will now reunite with a bevy of ex-Arizona coaches — including head coach Bruce Arians and run game coordinator/offensive line coach Harold Goodwin — in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers’ offensive line is already set in stone, so Watford, who can play both tackle and guard, will settle in as a top reserve.

The 28-year-old Watford has historically served in a backup role, although he did start 11 games in 2016. All told, the James Madison product has appeared in 55 games and made 22 starts since entering the league as a fourth-round pick. Watford spent the 2018 campaign in Cleveland on a minimum salary deal.

Rams To Host Blake Bortles

March 15th, 2019 at 8:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams will meet with quarterback Blake Bortles on Monday, according to Mike Silver of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Bortles, if signed by Los Angeles, would certainly test the theory that Rams head coach Sean McVay can make any quarterback successful. Current Jared Goff backup Sean Mannion is unrestricted free agent, so the club is in need of a new No. 2. Bortles, who was released earlier this week after the Jaguars signed Nick Foles, could fit the bill.

The third overall selection in the 2014 draft, Bortles hasn’t come close to living up to his draft status. Since Bortles entered the NFL, 17 quarterbacks have attempted at least 2,000 passes: among those signal-callers, Bortles ranks dead last in adjusted net yards per attempt, quarterback rating, and interception rate, and is second-to-last in touchdown rate.

Given his track record, Bortles should come relatively cheap. The Jaguars, though, are surely hoping he earns significant backup money with his next club. Bortles still had guaranteed salary remaining on his Jacksonville deal, but thanks to offset language, the Jags will receive a cap credit equal to the amount of Bortles’ next base salary (up to $6.5MM).

Bortles has never worked with McVay, but the two do have a tangential connection. Greg Olson was Bortles’ Jacksonville offensive coordinator from 2015-16 before taking over as the Rams’ quarterbacks coach under McVay in 2017. Olson left for Oakland after one year in Los Angeles, but it’s fair to assume he’s given McVay a Bortles scouting report.

Broncos To Sign CB Bryce Callahan

March 15th, 2019 at 7:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos are signing slot cornerback Bryce Callahan, Benjamin Allbright was the first to report (Twitter link). It’s a three-year deal, tweets James Palmer of NFL.com. The pact is worth $21MM in total and contains $10MM guaranteed, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Callahan will now reunite with new Broncos head coach Vic Fangio, who coached Callahan as the Bears’ defensive coordinator.A broken foot ended Callahan’s strong contract year, but Fangio coached the slot corner in all four of his NFL seasons. While Callahan will be a natural fit for Fangio’s defense in Denver, his injury and the makeup of the Broncos’ secondary will complicate it.

Chris Harris has handled the Broncos’ slot duties for most of this decade and has become one of this era’s top corners, being most identified for his inside coverage skills. While Harris plays outside in base sets, the Broncos use the veteran corner often in the slot. Harris, though, has requested at multiple junctures to be a full-time boundary corner, so Callahan being brought in may appease the incumbent.

Callahan, 27, finished his abbreviated season as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 overall corner — just four spots behind Harris — and intercepted two passes in each of the past two seasons. The 5-foot-9 defender coming to Denver will, however, add another short corner to the Broncos’ secondary. Harris and Kareem Jackson stand 5-10.

The Broncos added Jackson on an $11MM-AAV deal earlier this week. Having played both corner and safety in Houston, though mostly corner, Jackson brings hybrid potential for the Broncos. However, Denver lost Bradley Roby and does not plan to re-sign Tramaine Brock, creating a need for two new cornerbacks. Callahan would potentially complete that trio.

The Jets were the only other team linked to Callahan this offseason, with the Bears not expected to pursue him. But the Jets signed former Falcons slot man Brian Poole, taking them out of the running.

Texans, Vikes Interested In Ryan Schraeder

March 15th, 2019 at 7:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Both the Texans and Vikings have expressed interest in free agent offensive tackle Ryan Schraeder, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Schraeder was released by the Falcons earlier this week.

Houston fielded one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines in 2018, but the club hasn’t yet been linked to any free agent tackles. Last season, the Texans not only gave up the most sacks in the league (62), but ranked 27th in adjusted line yards, Football Outsiders’ run-blocking metric. Schraeder would presumably displace incumbent Texans right tackle Seantrel Henderson if signed.

Minnesota, meanwhile, wasn’t quite as poor as Houston: the Vikings’ front five gave up only 40 sacks (ninth in the NFL), but finished 23rd in ALY. The Vikings haven’t yet decided on an offensive line configuration for 2019, but reports have suggested they could shift Riley Reiff from left tackle to left guard and move 2019 second-round pick Brian O’Neill to the blindside. That would theoretically open right tackle for Schraeder.

A former undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State, Schraeder latched on with the Falcons in 2013 and proceeded to start 73 games over the next six years. He signed a five-year, $31.5MM extension in 2016, but only completed a portion of that contract. Schraeder lost his starting right tackle job to Ty Sambrailo at the end of the 2018 campaign; Sambrailo was subsequently extended by Atlanta.

Ravens Sign CB Justin Bethel

March 15th, 2019 at 7:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens announced that they’ve signed cornerback/special teamer Justin Bethel to a two-year contract. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) first reported Baltimore as nearing a deal with Bethel.

Bethel has been a starting cornerback in the past, as he played at least 25% of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps in each season from 2015-17. But he’s struggled in that capacity, and is known primarily for his work on special teams. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro as a special teamer, Bethel played zero defensive snaps for the Falcons in 2018 but saw action on two-thirds of Atlanta’s ST snaps.

Bethel will have little opportunity to play defense in a Baltimore secondary that ranks as one of the league’s best (especially after adding Earl Thomas), but the Ravens have always placed a strong emphasis on special teams play. Bethel will play under new ST coordinator Chris Horton, who replaced longtime Ravens special teams coach Jerry Rosburg earlier today.

Chargers Extended Tom Telesco In 2018

March 15th, 2019 at 7:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers quietly agreed to a multi-year extension with general manger Tom Telesco at the end of the 2018 season, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Telesco’s prior contact was due to expire at the end of this year.

Telesco, 46, was named the Chargers’ GM in advance of the 2013 campaign. Since then, he’s guided the club to two playoff appearances, first during his debut season and again this past year. Telesco is now on his second head coach, having fired Mike McCoy and hired Anthony Lynn during the 2017 offseason.

Telesco began his career in minor roles with the Bills and Panthers, but spent the bulk of his pre-Chargers time with the Colts, serving in a variety of roles including director of pro scouting and director of player personnel. He’s built a solid Los Angeles roster, but could need to address several areas — including finding quarterback Philip Rivers‘ heir — in the near future.

Packers Sign WR Geronimo Allison To New One-Year Deal

March 15th, 2019 at 6:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Packers wideout Geronimo Allison drew enough interest as a restricted free agent that Green Bay has decided to sign him to a new one-year deal, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSports.com.

Whereas Allison’s RFA tender wouldn’t have come with any financial guarantees, Allison’s new contact will contained guaranteed money, per La Canfora. Additionally, it will have a greater base value than the $2.025MM original round tender that Allison received earlier this week, and will contain incentives.

Allison, 25, managed 20 receptions in four games last season before being placed on injured reserve with hamstring and groin issues. Despite his limited track record, Allison could be in for an expanded role next year, playing as Green Bay’s No. 3 receiver behind Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Panthers Meet With OL Jermon Bushrod

March 15th, 2019 at 6:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers hosted free agent offensive lineman Jermon Bushrod on Friday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). While he left without a contract, Bushrod isn’t off the table for Carolina, tweets Joe Person of The Athletic.

Bushrod, 34, is one of 18 players from the 2007 draft still active in the NFL. After starting his career with the Saints, Bushrod spent time with the Bears and Dolphins before returning to New Orleans in 2018. He made six starts and 11 total appearances last season, filling in at left tackle for the injured Terron Armstead. Pro Football Focus assigned Bushrod sub-par grades, ranking him as the league’s No. 59 tackle among 80 qualifiers.

Carolina has made several changes to its offensive line this week, adding free agent center Matt Paradis and re-signing right tackle Daryl Williams while releasing left tackle Matt Kalil. With Taylor Moton scheduled to replace Kalil on the blindside and Trai Turner installed at right guard, the only roles for Bushrod would be at left guard or as a reserve.

49ers Extend RB Raheem Mostert

March 15th, 2019 at 6:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers and running back Raheem Mostert have agreed to a new three-year deal, as Mostert’s agent Brent Tessler tweets.

San Francisco earlier this week tendered Mostert as a restricted free agent, assigning him an original round tender that would have only given the club the right of first refusal if Mostert landed an offer sheet from another club. That tender — worth $2.025MM — wouldn’t have come with any guaranteed money. As of yet, it’s unclear if Mostert’s extension replaces his tender and locks him in through 2021, or is in addition to his tender and thus will keep him in the Bay Area through 2022.

The 49ers, of course, made a push for Le’Veon Bell earlier this week before signing former Falcons running back Tevin Coleman, crowding a running back depth chart that already had a few options. Jerick McKinnon, who signed a hefty free agent deal with San Francisco last offseason, is still on the roster, as is Matt Breida, who excelled after McKinnon went down with a torn ACL prior to the regular season.

As Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets, Mostert will be active on gamedays due to his special teams contributions. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan recently said he’s never activated four running backs for a contest, meaning one of Coleman, McKinnon, or Breida either won’t be active, or won’t be on the 49ers roster (unless Shanahan changes his plans, that is).

Mostert, 26, spent time with six other NFL franchises before landing in San Francisco in 2016. In 2018, he posted 34 carries for 261 yards and one touchdown, and also played 60% of the 49ers’ special teams snaps.