2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Ravens To Sign Earl Thomas

March 13th, 2019 at 11:17am CST by Zachary Links

Earl Thomas intends to sign a four-year, $55MM deal with the Ravens, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal will include a whopping $32MM fully guaranteed and pay Thomas $22MM inside of the first nine months.

With the deal, Thomas has secured an average annual salary of $13.75MM. That beats out his earlier goal of eclipsing $13MM per year, but puts him shy of the $14MM/year mark obtained by Landon Collins (Redskins) and Tyrann Mathieu (Chiefs). It’s also a big step up from the $10MM/year he earned with the Seahawks on his last contract.

For the Ravens, the deal gives them ample firepower and star power to replace Eric Weddle. Baltimore, which already featured a pass defense which third in DVOA last season, will now field a secondary that includes Thomas, fellow safety Tony Jefferson, and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Jimmy Smith, and Tavon Young.

Thomas, 29, spent nine years in Seattle as arguably the premier safety in the NFL, but his final years with the Seahawks were tinged with his displeasure at not receiving a new contract. After angling for a trade or a new deal prior to the 2018 campaign, Thomas suffered a broken leg in Week 4 which ended his season prematurely. That injury wiped out his most of his platform year, and may have prevented him from becoming the league’s highest-paid safety.

Thomas comes to Baltimore with a decorated history. He’s been named first-team All-Pro three times, second-team All-Pro twice, and earned six Pro Bowl nods. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, has never assigned Thomas a below-average grade for his performance, and he’s regularly ranked among the NFL’s best safeties per PFF metrics.

Browns To Sign TE Demetrius Harris

March 13th, 2019 at 11:10am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Browns have reached a two-year agreement with former Chiefs tight end Demetrius Harris, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Cleveland, of course, traded for Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. last night, adding a clear No. 1 option to its Baker Mayfield-led offense. Harris won’t have the impact of OBJ, but he’ll give the Browns a competent second tight end behind starter David Njoku. Njoku played roughly 80% of Cleveland’s offensive snaps, while incumbent backup tight end Orson Charles saw action on ~15% of plays.

Harris was a basketball player at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but NFL teams were intrigued by his 6’7″ stature. He signed with the Chiefs in 2013 as an undrafted free agent, but didn’t see the field until the 2015 campaign. Harris saw regular action in each of the past three years, missing only one game during that time, but he wasn’t a key factor in Kansas City’s offense, as he averaged only 15 receptions and 170 yards in that span. A major contributor on special teams, Harris played on more than 80% of the Chiefs ST snaps a year ago.

Redskins To Release LB Zach Brown

March 13th, 2019 at 10:31am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are going to release linebacker Zach Brown, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Redskins unsuccessfully tried to move Brown in a trade, but he should find plenty of suitors now that he is an unrestricted free agent.

Brown, 30 in October, 96 tackles and one sack as the Redskins’ inside linebacker last season. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus were extremely high on him, grading him as the third-best LB in the NFL behind only Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly. Brown’s old contract ran through 2020, but it’s now a clean slate for the veteran and any interested clubs.

Brown, ultimately, saw this day coming. Back in December, after clashing with coaches, he said that he expected to be released in the offseason.

“I think they’re just going in a different direction towards everything,” Brown said. “I’m going this direction, they’re going that direction.”

Brown would’ve counted for $8.75M against the Redskins’ cap. Instead, they’ll save $5.75MM while absorbing a dead cap hit of $3MM.

In an offseason that has been extremely lucrative for off-ball linebackers, Brown could be in line for a strong payday.

Redskins To Release DL Stacy McGee

March 13th, 2019 at 10:30am CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins are releasing defensive lineman Stacy McGee, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Redskins tried to shop McGee on the trade block, but were unable to find a suitable deal.

McGee joined the Redskins on a five-year, $25MM contract prior to the 2017 season and appeared in all 16 games (ten starts) for the club in his first year, managing 44 tackles in the process. In 2018, however, he was held back by a June thigh surgery. Playing hurt and in a reserve role, McGee had just nine tackles and one sack in his eight games. Ultimately, McGee was overshadowed by a D-Line that also included Jonathan Allen, Da’Ron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, Tim Settle, and Caleb Brantley.

McGee will now have the opportunity to shop himself to other interested clubs, though he’ll probably fall short of his previous $5MM/year AAV.

Patriots To Re-Sign John Simon, Sign Brandon Bolden

March 13th, 2019 at 10:25am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are set to re-sign John Simon on a brand new deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s a two-year contract, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM tweets.

Meanwhile, the Pats are also reuniting with another familiar face. Running back Branden Bolden, lauded for his special teams work, will return to New England on a two-year deal, Rapoport tweets. Bolden spent last season with the rival Dolphins but will return to the place where he made his name. Bolden logged just eight carries for 91 yards and three catches for 13 yards with Miami last year, but appeared in 66% of the Fins’ special teams plays.

Simon signed a three-year, $14MM deal with the Colts in 2017, but he was cut just prior to the 2018 season. A few weeks later, he found a new home with the Patriots. In eleven games, Simon tallied two sacks and 17 tackles, playing mostly in a reserve role.

Saints Sign K Wil Lutz To Extension

March 13th, 2019 at 10:19am CST by Zachary Links

Saints kicker Wil Lutz has inked a new five-year deal with the team, according to a team press release. Lutz was a restricted free agent, but he’s now signed through the 2023 campaign.

The total value of Lutz’s new five-year deal will make him the highest-paid kicker in NFL history, ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett tweets. Full terms of the deal are not yet known, but, for reference, the league’s top kickers make north of $4MM per year.

Lutz has been solid for the Saints since joining the club in 2016. He has connected on 87% of his field goal tries, including 93.3% accuracy in 2018. And, out of his 153 extra point attempts, he’s missed only five.

Lutz originally signed with the Ravens as a UDFA in 2016, but he never had a chance to beat out Justin Tucker and was cut before camp. One week later, he hooked on with the Saints and became their go-to guy.

Browns Haven’t Talked Deal With Earl Thomas

March 13th, 2019 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have yet to engage in contract talks with Earl Thomas and will not be signing him, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. On Tuesday night, reports indicated that the Browns were confident in their chances of landing the Seahawks free agent, but it doesn’t sound like the safety will be joining a reloaded Cleveland roster.

The Browns, at first glance, profiled as a logical destination for Thomas following the trade of Jabrill Peppers to the Giants in the Odell Beckham blockbuster. However, they have Damarious Randall to step into the spot filled by Peppers last season. Instead, the Browns are shopping for a strong safety, as Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets.

Thomas, a talented free safety, is said to be seeking $13MM/year. At this time, it’s uncertain as to whether he’ll be able to land such a deal. There were also talks of Thomas wanting to be the highest-paid safety in the NFL, but it may be challenging for him to top Tyrann Mathieu‘s $14MM average annual salary on his new deal with the Chiefs.

The Cowboys have been connected to Thomas for the better part of a year, and there were rumblings yesterday that the Texans could make a run at the soon-to-be 30-year-old.

Dolphins To Sign CB Eric Rowe

March 13th, 2019 at 9:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have agreed to sign cornerback Eric Rowe, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’ll be a one-year deal with a maximum value of $4.5MM, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter) adds, but his $500K signing bonus represents his only guarantee. In essence, Rowe will have to secure his roster spot in order to realize any significant cash from the deal.

Rowe, a former second-round pick of the Eagles, battled a groin injury throughout the season. Finally, in late October, the Pats were forced to place him on IR. Heading into March, the Patriots were expected to let him walk, and they’ll now see him twice in 2019, provided that he’s healthy and on the field.

Over the last three years with New England, Rowe has missed 27 possible regular season games. However, he offers promise and he could be in line for a larger role now that he is reunited with former Patriots defensive guru and new Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. Ultimately, however, there is a ceiling. Rowe figures to battle for a supporting role at cornerback behind Xavien Howard, Bobby McCain, and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Jets To Sign Le’Veon Bell

March 13th, 2019 at 8:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have reached agreement on a deal to sign Le’Veon Bell, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former Steelers running back will receive a four-year, $52.5MM contract with $35MM guaranteed. The deal will carry a maximum value of nearly to $61MM, including incentives.

Bell was said to be deciding between about six teams on Tuesday, though the list of clubs might not have been completely accurate. The Ravens, for example, did not make an offer to Bell, according to Schefter. On top of that, the Ravens never even had conversations with Bell’s agent about signing him, Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter) hears.

Still, plenty of other teams were hot on his tail. The 49ers, for example, made a strong offer to the running back and “were engaged in a wild tug-of-war with the Jets” in the final hours before Bell agreed to join Gang Green, Schefter hears.

For the Jets, the Bell signing redeems a difficult week of misfires. The Jets thought they had a deal with Vikings free agent linebacker Anthony Barr only for Barr to bail at the last minute and re-sign with the Vikings. The Jets were also heavily in pursuit of center Matt Paradis, but he stunned the league on Tuesday night by joining up with the Panthers instead.

Bell gained nearly 2,000 total yards in 2017, a year in which he was franchise tagged by the Steelers. When tagged again, Bell opted to sit out the entire 2018 season, resulting in the forfeiture of a $14.5MM salary, or $855K per game. Bell managed to make it to unrestricted free agency without the risk of injury in his final Steelers season, but it’s debatable as to whether the $14.5MM sacrifice was worthwhile.

In 2017, his last season on the field, Bell led the league with a career-high 321 rushing attempts. In the past, Bell has spoken of reducing his workload, so the Jets may have to dial down his usage. In any event, Bell profiles as the Jets’ most talented running back since Curtis Martin. The franchise has enjoyed the post-prime star power of LaDainian Tomlinson and others in the past, but Bell is a generational talent in his prime who can keep defenses honest and open up the passing game for youngster Sam Darnold.

With Darnold in the fold, the Jets are deploying the strategy used by many NFL teams with quarterbacks on rookie deals: surround the young signal-caller with talent while he’s on a cheap deal. Bell will give the Jets a boost in the running game, and he’ll be working behind an offensive line that includes new addition Kelechi Osemele, whom New York acquired from Oakland. New slot receiver Jamison Crowder, too, should give Darnold another weapon in the latter’s second pro campaign.

Buccaneers Reached Out To OL Ted Larsen

March 12th, 2019 at 10:48pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers are apparently eyeing offensive lineman. Greg Auman of the Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the team has reached out to offensive guard Ted Larsen.

The 31-year-old Larsen has some familiarity with the Tampa Bay offense, as he played for Bucs head coach Bruce Arians in Arizona between 2014 and 2015. The lineman also grew up in the area and played the first four seasons of his NFL career with the franchise. For those reasons along, Larsen would seem to be a logical fit for the Buccaneers.

The veteran has also been reliable throughout his career, including his recent stint with the Dolphins. Following an injury-riddled 2017 campaign, Larsen managed to appear in 15 games (13 starts) with Miami in 2018.

In Tampa Bay, Larsen would slide into a depth chart that already includes guards Ali Marpet, Caleb Benenoch, and Alex Cappa.