2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Cordarrelle Patterson To Sign With Bears

March 12th, 2019 at 6:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Cordarrelle Patterson has a found a new home. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the wideout/returner is set to join the Bears. It will be a two-year deal worth $5MM per season.

Patterson continued to be his versatile self during his lone season in New England. The 27-year-old hauled in 21 receptions for 247 yards and three scores, and he also returned 23 kicks for the Patriots.

Patterson actually took on an additional role during the 2018 campaign, as the team used him as a running back for several weeks. Patterson ultimately finished the season with a career-high 42 carries for 228 rushing yards and one touchdown.

In Chicago, Patterson will presumably continue to play the role he’s had throughout his career. The team relied on a variety of kick returners in 2018, including Benny Cunningham, Taquan Mizzell, Anthony Miller, and Tarik Cohen. At the very least, Patterson will allow Chicago to solidify that role on their squad.

Steelers To Sign CB Steven Nelson

March 12th, 2019 at 6:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not usually big spenders in free agency, the Steelers are authorizing a mid-level deal to help their secondary. Pittsburgh agreed to terms with Steven Nelson, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The four-year Chiefs cornerback will receive a three-year, $25.5MM pact. Nelson figures to be in line to make a strong run at the starting corner job opposite Joe Haden. While this is not a high-end cornerback contract, it is one of the biggest free agent deals the continuity-centric Steelers have ever finalized.

The Steelers’ Artie Burns pick has not gone as the franchise had hoped, with the 2016 first-round selection having been benched last season. Nelson had a much busier season, being picked on often. But the 2015 third-round pick intercepted four passes — the first four of his career — and was a constant in the Chiefs’ secondary.

Nelson, 26, did not play much as a rookie but emerged as Kansas City’s slot defender in 2016. After an injury-delayed 2017, Nelson moved outside and worked in that role last season. Pro Football Focus graded Nelson as the No. 33 corner last year.

He will join Haden in comprising a free agent tandem at corner for the draft-and-develop organization, with undrafted free agent Mike Hilton likely to continue to work in the slot. Haden has one season remaining on his three-year, $27MM contract.

One interesting side effect from this agreement: it may well affect the Steelers’ compensatory pick for Le’Veon Bell. The All-Pro running back’s next deal is not known, but OverTheCap’s Nick Korte projects (via Twitter) that if Bell signs for less than $11MM per year, the Steelers’ compensatory pick for him will drop to a fourth-rounder because of this Nelson deal.

Bills To Sign OL Jon Feliciano

March 12th, 2019 at 6:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

This week has brought a major revamp of the Bills’ offense, and the team continued its overhaul Tuesday night by adding a depth piece up front.

The Bills reached an agreement to add former Raiders lineman Jon Feliciano, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. The fifth-year blocker will receive a two-year deal.

Having been used as a backup throughout his Raiders run, playing behind Gabe Jackson and Kelechi Osemele for much of it, Feliciano will join a Bills team that has already added two new potential starters up front.

Buffalo signed Spencer Long last month and reached an agreement with Ty Nsekhe earlier on Tuesday. Mitch Morse, he of the NFL’s new top center deal, is the big prize for a Bills team that is undergoing considerable personnel changes up front.

A 2015 Raiders fourth-round pick, Feliciano did make eight career starts — including four last season. The Bills struggled up front last season, having lost a few starters from a 2017 line that performed far better.

Brett Hundley To Sign With Cardinals

March 12th, 2019 at 6:17pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cardinals are planning to sign quarterback Brett Hundley, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that it will be a one-year, $2MM pact, with a maximum value of $3MM. Hundley will presumably operate as the backup to second-year signal-caller Josh Rosen, or, depending on how this year’s draft goes, he could be backing up Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray.

As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets, the Seahawks could turn to Paxton Lynch to back up Russell Wilson after Hundley served as Wilson’s clipboard holder in 2018. That would not be much comfort to Seattle fans, as Lynch, who signed with the Seahawks in January, has busted in a big way since the Broncos made him a first-round pick in 2016.

The Packers drafted Hundley in the fifth round of the 2015 draft. He didn’t see a lot of action at first, but he was called upon in 2017 when Aaron Rodgers was lost to injury. In nine starts, Hundley went 3-6 and threw for 1,836 yards with nine touchdowns against 12 interceptions. The Packers traded him to Seattle last August in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

Hundley will likely never fulfill the potential he exhibited at UCLA, but he may able to churn out a career as a serviceable backup. He did not see any action last year, as Wilson continued his record of perfect attendance.

OL Oday Aboushi To Sign With Lions

March 12th, 2019 at 6:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Oday Aboushi is set to join his sixth NFL organization. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the offensive lineman is set to sign with the Lions. It will be a one-year deal worth $2MM.

After being selected in the fifth round of the 2013 draft, the six-foot-five lineman has bounced around the league. In six years, Aboushi has had stints with the Jets, Texans, Seahawks, Raiders, and Cardinals.

After being released by Oakland following the preseason, Aboushi caught on with Arizona for the 2018 campaign. He proceeded to appear in eight games for the Cardinals, including six starts. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked him 41st among 77 eligible offensive guards.

Aboushi will be joining a depth chart that already includes four guards in Frank Ragnow, Kenny Wiggins, Tyrell Crosby, and Joe Dahl.

DB Notes: Roby, Boston, Berry

March 12th, 2019 at 6:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier today, the Texans agreed to sign former Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby to a one-year, $10MM deal. It sounds like the 27-year-old may have left some longer deals on the table, as the defensive back told Mike Klis of 9News in Denver that he turned down a three-year offer from the Steelers and a one-year offer from the 49ers. Roby said that the Browns were also in the mix (Twitter link).

“It’s a prove it deal,” Roby explained. “I feel like I should go back in (the market) while I’m still young.”

Roby left Denver after spending five years with the organization, and it sounds like the veteran holds a bit of a grudge against his former team.

“It’s a business. Denver didn’t want me, they wanted someone else,” Roby said, with the cornerback referring to the team’s acquisition of Kareem Jackson (Twitter link). “No, they tried to word it nice – they were talking about it but they didn’t offer. They got the guy they wanted.”

Let’s check out some more notes revolving around the league’s defensive backs…

Free agent safety Tre Boston doesn’t expect to sign a deal right away, with the 26-year-old telling ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he expects to be in the “second wave” of safety signings (Twitter link). Boston said that three teams have already reached out to express preliminary interest, including the Raiders. However, following the team’s agreement with Lamarcus Joyner, it’s uncertain if they’ll still have interest. Boston spent the 2018 campaign with the Cardinals, compiling 79 tackles, nine passes defended, and three interceptions.
Could the Chiefs signing of Tyrann Mathieu spell the end of Eric Berry‘s tenure with the organization? Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio thinks so, as the writer can’t envision the organization paying a combined $27MM for the two players. Considering Berry’s recent injury issues, this isn’t a particularly hot take, but it’s worth noting that the Chiefs will have to make a decision relatively soon. As Florio tweets, another $7.25 million of Berry’s contract will become guaranteed on March 15th.
A number of safeties earned large paydays yesterday, which was a significant difference from last offseason. CBS Sports’ Brady Quinn explained why safeties were the bigger winner during the NFL’s first day of the legal tampering period.

Chiefs To Sign Damien Wilson

March 12th, 2019 at 5:54pm CST by Rory Parks

The Chiefs will sign former Cowboys linebacker Damien Wilson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

Dallas selected Wilson in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, but he has been used somewhat sparingly on the defensive side of the ball. He played in roughly 28% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2018, which is in line with his usage during the 2016-17 campaigns. He has had a much bigger role as a special teamer.

Wilson has started a total of 22 games in his career, though he has appeared in all 64 possible games since his rookie season. He will serve as a worthwhile piece of Kansas City’s linebacker rotation, especially since it is converting to a 4-3 scheme under new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo (Wilson operated under a 4-3 with the Cowboys).

For his career, Wilson has 103 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.

Latest On Le’Veon Bell

March 12th, 2019 at 5:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The market for Le’Veon Bell may not actually be all that robust. Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets that the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Texans and Bills “haven’t really been in it” for the All-Pro running back.

This is particularly notable following reports from earlier today that six teams were in the running for Bell: the Jets, Colts, Ravens, Packers, Texans, and Bills. With four of those teams out of the running (along with the Bears), that would seemingly mean that New York and Green Bay are going head-to-head for the running back’s services. The Raiders have also been mentioned as a potential suitor for Bell.

Breer notes that the market’s been tough for the former Steelers offensive weapon, and he adds that more teams may enter the bidding if the asking price drops. As of right now, there’s a feeling that Bell could be secured for a deal that will pay him between $11MM and $12MM per season.

Regardless of who’s in and who’s out of the bidding, we may get a resolution sooner than later. We learned earlier today that the Jets have given Bell a deadline to make a decision. If the Jets don’t hear back by that unreported time, they’ll likely move on to other free agent targets.

Bengals To Bring Back LB Preston Brown

March 12th, 2019 at 5:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Preston Brown‘s initial Bengals season ending prematurely, the veteran middle linebacker will stay in Cincinnati.

Brown and the Bengals agreed to terms on another contract Tuesday, Diana Russini of ESPN.com tweets. Brown joined the Bengals on a one-year, $4MM pact last offseason, though he had hoped for a multi-year deal from his original club, the Bills. Buffalo drafted him in the third round of the 2014 draft, and he had a strong season in 2017, leading the league in tackles while playing the third-most defensive snaps (1,180) of any linebacker in the NFL.

But he did not have much success on the open market in 2018, and he chose to join his hometown Bengals on a modest deal. Prior to signing with Cincinnati, he had never missed a game due to injury, and he started 62 of a possible 64 games during his tenure with the Bills.

However, he was limited by injury in 2018, and he was placed on IR in November. Brown is currently penciled in as the Bengals’ middle linebacker, though as Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com writes, his signing does not preclude the team from trying to upgrade the position.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Browns Re-Sign Carl Davis

March 12th, 2019 at 4:58pm CST by Rory Parks

The Browns have re-signed defensive lineman Carl Davis, the team announced. Davis appeared in just five games for Cleveland last year and recorded one assisted tackle.

Davis has generally disappointed in his brief NFL career. The Ravens drafted him out of Iowa in the third round of the 2015 draft, which seemed like a steal at the time. He performed reasonably well in his rookie campaign but missed all of the 2016 season with an ankle injury. In 2017, he started nine games for Baltimore, but he did not show enough to prevent the Ravens from waiving him during final roster cuts last season.

Still, four teams submitted a waiver claim on him, and he was awarded to the Browns, who had No. 1 waiver priority. He could not crack Cleveland’s D-line rotation, but his draft pedigree and raw ability have earned him another shot with the club.