2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs, Tyrann Mathieu Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2019 at 6:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Connected to high-profile safeties at last year’s trade deadline, the Chiefs are continuing their pursuit months later. They are close to a deal with Tyrann Mathieu, Terez Paylor of Yahoo.com tweets.

It looks like a contract will be agreed upon, and it is quite the deal. The Chiefs are signing Mathieu for three years and $42MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The average annual value would match that of Landon Collins‘ Redskins pact. The 26-year-old Mathieu profiled as the Chiefs’ top offseason target, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link), and the contract certainly reflects that.

Mathieu signed a one-year, $7MM deal with the Texans last season; he is on the verge of doubling that a year later, illustrating the safety market’s rapid resurgence.

The Texans have been discussing a contract with Mathieu for a while, but the sides have not come to terms. This is considerably north of the proposal the Texans reportedly made, with Houston’s offer being for $9.5MM per year.

This is interesting, given the Texans’ favorable amount of cap space when compared to the Chiefs’. But Kansas City has needs across its defense and will be allocating a considerable amount of money to a position that recently saw its value stagnate.

The Chiefs still have Eric Berry‘s $13MM-AAV contract on their books but have an opening opposite the All-Pro. Berry, 30, is not a reasonable cut candidate this year. It would cost the Chiefs more than $14MM in dead money to jettison the three-time All-Pro. But Kansas City is now heavily invested at a position that has seen its value reignite in a matter of hours.

With the Legion of Boom having disbanded, no team comes close to matching what Kansas City will have allotted to its safety position. But the Chiefs had considerable issues in pass coverage last season, including at pivotal points during their AFC championship game loss, and Mathieu helped rebuild his stock in 2018. The Chiefs were connected to Collins and the still-unattached Earl Thomas early last season but opted to stand pat. While they were agonizingly close to a Super Bowl without making a move, the team is addressing a need area now.

Coming off some disappointing seasons in Arizona, following the Cardinals signing Mathieu to a then-record safety deal (five years, $62.5MM), Mathieu made the most of his one-year Texans pact. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 21 safety last season.

It appears Houston will need to look for another safety. While the market still has some key players, two of the top targets are no longer available.

NFC Notes: Olsen, Suh, Remmers, 49ers

March 11th, 2019 at 6:23pm CST by Ben Levine

We now have some details on Mike Remmers‘ release from the Vikings earlier today. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle points out (on Twitter) that the offensive lineman was cut with a “failed physical designation.” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin notes (via Twitter) that the 29-year-old was listed on Minnesota’s final injury report of the season with a back injury, but he proceeded to play the entire game.

This provides a bit of reasoning for why the Vikings decided to bail on Remmers after inking him to a five-year, $30MM in 2017. In fact, it sounds like Minnesota is actually considering bringing Remmers back. Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press tweets that the team would considering re-signing the lineman on a lesser deal.

The move ultimately saved the organization $4.55MM against $1.8MM in dead cap. The veteran has experience playing both offensive guard and offensive tackle, so a team will surely bite on his versatility.

Let’s check out some more notes out of the NFC…

Ndamukong Suh isn’t expected to stick with the Rams, but it sounds like the hulking defensive lineman wants to stay on the West Coast (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). As the writer points out, that’d leave Suh with three options: the 49ers, Chargers, or Seahawks. The 32-year-old signed a one-year, $14MM deal with the Rams last offseason, and he proceeded to compile 59 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 16 starts.
It sounds like some networks were working hard to add Panthers tight end Greg Olsen. Joe Person of The Athletic tweets that both ESPN and Fox made offers to the veteran, but it wasn’t enough to convince Olsen to retire. Person warns that Monday Night Football “could still come calling, but nothing imminent.” The 34-year-old battled injuries for a second straight season, finishing with 27 receptions for 291 yards and four scores in nine games.
Bradley Roby isn’t the only cornerback the 49ers are eyeing. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic (via Twitter), the team is also showing interest in Colts cornerback Pierre Desir. The 28-year-old has a breakout season with Indy in 2018, finishing with 79 tackles, eight passes defended, two forced fumbles, and one interception.

Bears To Sign Buster Skrine

March 11th, 2019 at 6:10pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Moments after agreeing to terms with running back Mike Davis, the Bears are making another signing. Chicago is adding cornerback Buster Skrine, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network added in a tweet that it’ll be a three-year deal worth $16.5MM. $8.5MM of it will be guaranteed. Garafolo writes that the news “surely means Bryce Callahan is gone from Chicago.” Skrine comes to the Bears from the Jets, after spending the past four seasons in New York.

Skrine signed a four-year $25MM deal with the Jets back in 2015, and had an up and down tenure in New York. He came close to getting cut several times, and his play has fluctuated greatly. A fifth round pick of the Browns back in 2011, Skrine is still only 29. He’s a slot cornerback, and will slight right into the hole presumably left by Callahan.

Skrine received average marks from Pro Football Focus for his work last year, which is a pretty big downgrade from Callahan, but the move should save the Bears a decent amount of money. In 14 games and 11 starts last year, Skrine had 58 tackles and eight passes defended.

Bears To Sign RB Mike Davis

March 11th, 2019 at 5:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears are adding a running back. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the team has reached an agreement to sign Mike Davis.

This will be the first significant payday for the 26-year-old, who languished for two years in San Francisco before finding a home with the Seahawks. The deal is for two years and worth $6MM, per Rapoport (on Twitter). This pact carries a max value of $7MM. Davis hit free agency last offseason but decided to stick with the Seahawks.

After starting six games with Seattle in 2017, Davis established career-highs across the board in 2018. In 15 games, the running back ran for 514 yards and four touchdowns on 112 carries. He also showed some pass-catching prowess, hauling in 34 receptions for 214 yards and one score.

His role in Chicago is a bit uncertain considering the presence of both Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. Davis is versatile enough to serve as insurance for both of those players, and he’s a better option than both Taquan Mizzell and Ryan Nall. However, barring a trade, it’s unlikely Davis will end up playing an overly-significant role for his new team.

Bills To Sign Mitch Morse

March 11th, 2019 at 5:52pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Bills just keep on rolling. After landing Frank Gore, Kevin Johnson, and Tyler Kroft, Buffalo is making another big move. Center Mitch Morse has agreed to terms with the Bills, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

This will come with a major pay raise. Morse is expected to receive a contract that will pay him more than $11MM on average, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal, per Yahoo.com’s Terez Paylor (on Twitter). This coming to fruition would make him the NFL’s highest-paid center.

Morse is coming to Buffalo from Kansas City, where he’s spent the past four seasons. The Chiefs took Morse in the second round of the 2015 draft, and he’s been a starter with them ever since. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy the past couple of seasons, which might’ve played into the Chiefs’ decision to let him walk.

Morse appeared in 11 games last year, and just seven the year before that. Morse has dealt with concussion and foot issues the past couple of seasons, but has been an effective player when on the field. In his 11 starts last season, he graded out as the 13th-best center in the league, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics.

No terms of the deal have been announced at the moment, and it’ll be very interesting to see what Morse gets. The Bills have been very generous with their spending so far, so it’s safe to assume Morse got a fairly big contract. The Chiefs signed Austin Reiter to an extension back in December, and he could become the team’s full-time starting center if they don’t sign or draft anyone else.

Before signing Morse, the Bills were in on Broncos center Matt Paradis, a source told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). Vacchiano thinks that could help the Jets’ chances of signing Paradis.

Free Agency Notes: Foles, Jaguars, Saints

March 11th, 2019 at 5:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Nick Foles is going to be a Jaguar. The Super Bowl MVP agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Jaguars, with a base value of $88MM. While Foles cashed in, he didn’t have much of a choice on where to go. There were “no significant other suitors” for Foles’ services on the open market, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link). In the video posted to his account. Garafolo explains that Jacksonville was essentially bidding against themselves, but didn’t mind overpaying.

Garafolo reports the Jaguars wanted to pay Foles more than they had to, so that he would have the immediate credibility in the locker room of being the unquestioned starter. The Jags thought it would’ve sent the wrong message if they had lowballed Foles and tried to pay him something in the $15MM range, and that it would’ve diminished Foles’ standing. Having Foles being able to step in and manage all the large personalities in their locker room is very important to the team, Garafolo notes.

Here’s more from around the league on a very busy first day of free agency:

Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby is “getting a lot of interest” from teams, according to James Palmer of NFL Network (Twitter link). Palmer reports that the competition for Roby seems to have narrowed down to the Texans, Browns, Steelers, 49ers, Raiders and Broncos. Everything we’ve heard recently has indicated Roby will be walking in free agency, so it would be a bit of a surprise if he returned to Denver. A 2014 first round pick, Roby has been a solid player but has never quite lived up to his draft status. He started 15 games for the Broncos last year.
Texans defensive lineman Christian Covington isn’t ruling out a return to Houston, but the team plans to let him test the open market, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. Wilson reports that Covington is expected to have a “healthy market” in free agency. Covington has been a bit player for the Texans the past four seasons, but did have a career-high 3.5 sacks in relatively limited action last season.
The Saints are “still hoping” to retain Mark Ingram, but they aren’t going to break the bank to do it, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Graziano writes the Saints won’t be willing to pay much more than the $4MM they gave Ingram last season. A split could make sense for both sides if Ingram is looking for a raise and New Orleans is looking to give Alvin Kamara even more touches.

DeSean Jackson To Sign New Deal With Eagles

March 11th, 2019 at 5:24pm CST by Ben Levine

After being traded back to Philly this afternoon, it sounds like DeSean Jackson has already inked a new deal with the Eagles. ESPN’s Tim McManus tweets that the veteran receiver will rework his contract to the tune of three years and $27MM. The deal includes $13MM guaranteed (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).

Jackson had one season remaining on his contract at $10MM. The veteran initially signed a three-year, $33.5MM deal with the Buccaneers in 2017, but Tampa Bay started shopping him only a year into his contract.

After being selected in the second round of the 2008 draft, Jackson proceeded to play his first six NFL seasons with the Eagles. He earned three Pro Bowls during his tenure in Philly, including a 2013 campaign where he finished with nine touchdowns and a career-high 1,332 receiving yards.

Jackson was solid during his stint with the Redskins, but he hadn’t show the same big-game ability during his time with the Buccaneers. Perhaps teaming up with Carson Wentz will help the 32-year-old finish with his first 1,000-yard season since 2016. As our own Sam Robinson pointed out earlier today, Jackson is an upgrade over the team’s recent deep-threat acquisitions, Torrey Smith and Mike Wallace.

Cardinals Expected To Sign Terrell Suggs

March 11th, 2019 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

This is moving fast. Mentioned as a possible landing spot for Terrell Suggs, the Cardinals are going to land the free agent pass rusher, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

An agreement will send the 16-year Ravens veteran, who told the team he will not be returning to Baltimore next season, back to Arizona. The contract for Suggs is a one-year, $7MM deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The somewhat hefty sum indicates the Cardinals still view Suggs as a full-time player.

Before going in the 2003 first round and becoming an all-time Ravens great, Suggs played his college ball at Arizona State. Suggs also spent his teenage years in Arizona.

One of the best players in Ravens history, Suggs will leave as the team’s sack leader (Suggs’ 132.5 sacks are 62.5 more than second-place Peter Boulware) and the Ravens’ games-played leader. A seven-time Pro Bowler and the 2011 defensive player of the year, Suggs surpassed Ray Lewis to become the Ravens’ games-played leader, suiting up for his 229th career regular-season contest in Week 17. The 36-year-old started all 16 games for a second-straight season in 2018, compiling 34 tackles and seven sacks.

Suggs will easily slide right into Arizona’s linebacker depth chart. The team really only has former first-rounder Haason Reddick slotted into the starting lineup, with Tanner Vallejo also projected to start.

Titans To Sign Adam Humphries

March 11th, 2019 at 4:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Titans have agreed to terms with receiver Adam Humphries, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). The receiver market is moving quickly, with Humphries being the latest wideout to sign.

Humphries isn’t a household name, but we’ve been hearing for a while now he was about to get paid big-time. All the reporting has been that Humphries was seeking around $10MM annually, and he came pretty close. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets that the deal is worth $36MM over four years. The Titans weren’t alone in bidding for Humphries’ services, as they faced stiff competition from the Patriots, a source told Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Russini writes that the Titans were in a bidding war “all day” with the Patriots before they eventually landed him.

In fact, Doug Kyed of NESN.com tweets that the Patriots upped their offer even after Humphries agreed to sign with Tennessee, and that the offer included a higher average annual value and more guaranteed money than Humphries will get from the Titans. However, Humphries never wavered in his decision to head to Nashville.

The slot receiver has been buried behind a ton of talented skill position players in Tampa Bay, but has shown plenty of flashes the past few years.He had the best year of his career last season, catching 76 passes for 816 yards and five touchdowns. The move makes a lot of sense for the Titans, who have been starved for receiver help. Tennessee has Corey Davis, but not much of note behind him in their receiving corp.

Humphries will be a huge asset for Marcus Mariota, and as Pelissero notes in his tweet, Humphries was one of the best receivers in the league on third down last year. The Clemson product went undrafted in 2015, but quickly proved all the evaluators wrong. He should have a chance to surpass his 816 yards from last year with a larger target-share in Tennessee.

Terrell Suggs To Depart Ravens

March 11th, 2019 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

It no longer looks like the Ravens will bring back Terrell Suggs. The decorated edge defender informed the team he will be signing elsewhere, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter).

This comes shortly after a La Canfora report indicated the 16-year veteran will have options outside of Baltimore. It appears Suggs is ready to exercise them and become a true free agent. The 2003 first-round pick played out his four-year extension.

One of the best players in Ravens history, Suggs will leave as the team’s sack leader (Suggs’ 132.5 sacks are 62.5 more than second-place Peter Boulware) and the Ravens’ games-played leader. A seven-time Pro Bowler and the 2011 defensive player of the year, Suggs surpassed Ray Lewis to become the Ravens’ games-played leader, suiting up for his 229th career regular-season contest in Week 17.

As for where the 36-year-old defender may end up, some of Suggs’ teammates have mentioned the Cardinals as a landing spot, per JLC. The Cardinals employ Chandler Jones, but with Markus Golden hitting free agency and having not been especially effective since his ACL tear, Arizona has a need opposite Jones as it moves back to a 3-4 defense.

The Ravens have been trying to work out a deal for C.J. Mosley, but they are battling suitors with more cap space on that front. Suggs will not cost nearly what the linebacker stalwart will, but it appears he will be able to collect more money elsewhere.

Baltimore holds $26MM-plus in cap space but could face the prospect of seeing its three most accomplished defenders depart in one offseason, with Eric Weddle having been released last week. The Ravens led the NFL in total defense in 2018, with that unit being an essential part of the team’s first division title since 2012.