2019 March - Pro Football Rumors

Cardinals Release Josh Bynes

March 5th, 2019 at 3:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals released veteran linebacker Josh Bynes, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. By releasing Bynes, Arizona will save only $667K against the cap versus a dead money charge of $1.871MM.

Bynes, 30 in August, has been with the Cardinals for the last two seasons. He was elevated to the starting lineup in 2018 and posted 75 tackles and two sacks across eleven games. The Cardinals’ old regime had him playing ahead of both Deone Bucannon and Haason Reddick, but the new regime wasn’t interested in keeping him on a deal that extended through the 2020 season.

This figures to be only one of many moves made by the Cardinals in March. After finishing with the worst record in the NFL last year, Arizona will look to overhaul the roster with roughly $38MM in cap space and a strong stash of draft picks.

Bucs Re-Sign LB Devante Bond

March 5th, 2019 at 2:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers re-signed linebacker Devante Bond to a one-year deal, as Jenna Laine of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal for the league minimum, so it won’t put a dent in the Bucs’ limited cap space.

Bond, 26 in July, has appeared in 25 games (six starts) for the Bucs over the last two seasons. In 2018, he registered 22 total tackles, which more than quintupled his showing from 2017.

The Bond deal marks the Bucs’ second move of the day, though it pales in comparison to the first. On Tuesday morning, the Bucs re-upped offensive tackle Donovan Smith on a three-year, $41.25MM deal with $27MM guaranteed.

In other Bucs news, the team recently decided against tendering safety Andrew Adams. Also, contrary to some speculation, the Bucs are not shopping linebacker Lavonte David.

Patriots Won’t Tag Trey Flowers, Trent Brown

March 5th, 2019 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are not expected to apply the franchise tag to any of their notable free agents, as Field Yates of ESPN.com and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweet. This means that defensive end Trey Flowers and offensive tackle Trent Brown are on target to reach free agency in a week. As previously reported, kicker Stephen Gostkowski won’t be receiving the tag either.

Flowers won’t turn 26 until August and profiles as one of the most attractive free agents in this year’s crop. Last year, he set a new career high with 7.5 sacks and continued to generate pressure against opposing QBs. Last year, Flowers graded out as the sixth-best edge rusher in the entire NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, and posted a career-best 88.7 overall score. That mark put him below only Calais Campbell, Khalil Mack, J.J. Watt, Von Miller, and Cameron Jordan.

If Flowers does not re-sign with New England, the rival Jets could be among Flowers’ top suitors. The Jets have the second-highest cap room total of any team in the league and are in desperate need of pass rushers.

Brown, meanwhile, has been vocal about his desire to remain with the Pats. However, the Patriots tend to be thrifty when it comes to bidding against other teams and tackles of Brown’s caliber figure to see major dollar signs this offseason. On Tuesday, Bucs tackle Donovan Smith re-upped on a three-year, $41.25MM deal that surely has Brown’s camp salivating.

Chiefs, Tyreek Hill Discussing Extension

March 5th, 2019 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have begun negotiations with star wide receiver Tyreek Hill on what will be a record-setting deal, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Chiefs have other business to tend to, such as tagging Dee Ford today and shopping Justin Houston, but those moves will be made with Hill’s next deal in mind.

Hill could hardly have had a better start to his professional career, having earned three Pro Bowl nods and two First Team All-Pro selections in his first three seasons in the NFL. The former fifth-round pick out of West Alabama is under contract through the 2019 campaign and is eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason. His current deal would pay him a $720K base salary in 2019, which is laughably low for someone of his caliber.

A new deal for Hill is expected to make him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history, which would call for more than Odell Beckham Jr.’s $18MM per year average. OBJ also leads the way with $40.959MM fully guaranteed and Hill could topple that figure as well.

In 2018, Hill set new career highs with 87 catches for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Ravens To Meet With Dwayne Allen

March 5th, 2019 at 12:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Dwayne Allen‘s free agent tour is underway. On Tuesday, the tight end will meet with the Ravens, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

The Ravens looking for blocking tight ends with both Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams scheduled for free agency, so Allen could be a fit. Utilized as more of an offensive weapon in his early days with the Colts, Allen settled into a more blocking-forward role with the Patriots in the last two seasons. Allen could also provide veteran counsel to tight ends Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews, both of whom were selected in last year’s draft.

Allen, 29, recorded just 13 catches for 113 yards and one touchdown in his two seasons with the Patriots. In 2016, his last year with the Colts, he put up 35 catches for 406 yards and six TDs.

Colts Re-Sign Margus Hunt

March 5th, 2019 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts re-signed defensive lineman Margus Hunt, according to a team announcement. Prior to the deal, Hunt was set to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13. It’s a two-year, $9MM deal that could be worth up to $10MM through incentives, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Hunt, 32 this summer, spent the first four years of his career with the Bengals. Then, in 2017, the former second-round pick joined the Colts as a free agent.

Hunt spent his first season as a spot starter and managed to make some noise. In 2018, he adjusted well to the team’s new 4-3 scheme and recorded career highs in tackles (30), tackles for loss (13), sacks (5.0). He also registered six quarterback hits, two passes defensed, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Thanks in part to Hunt, the Colts’ defense improved in terms of both total defense and run defense.

“Margus is a unique guy inside because of his length,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said of Hunt in January. “Putting him at the three (technique) and the one (technique) it really kind of accentuated on what he is really good at. We were fortunate to have Margus.”

The Colts will also return key front seven players Denico Autry, Jabaal Sheard, Tyquan Lewis, and Kemoko Turay in 2019.

Eagles Restructure Lane Johnson’s Deal

March 5th, 2019 at 12:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles have restructured Lane Johnson‘s contract for cap purposes, a source tells Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). Details on the new deal are not yet known.

Johnson, 29 in May, also restructured his deal with the Eagles roughly one year ago. After earning his second straight Pro Bowl appearance in 2018, the Eagles are happy to keep him in the fold.

Johnson was tied for No. 12 (with Alejandro Villanueva of the Steelers) on Pro Football Focus’ rankings for offensive tackles last season. The 78.1 overall score was technically his lowest since 2013, but it was still a fine showing in terms of the advanced metrics and more or less consistent with his previous work.

The biggest blip on Johnson’s career was a ten-game ban for performance enhancing drugs in 2016. Johnson, who was suspended as a repeat offender, said the ’16 test was the result of an NFLPA-approved supplement. He took action against both the league and the union in 2017.

Patriots Unlikely To Tag Stephen Gostkowski

March 5th, 2019 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots haven’t ruled out using the franchise tag before Tuesday’s deadline, but it won’t be for kicker Stephen Gostkowski, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Gostkowski, who has been with the Patriots since 2006, is scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency next Thursday.

The Pats used the franchise tag on Gostkowski in 2015 before signing him to a four-year deal. This time around, Gostkowski may get a chance to shop his reliable leg to other teams, but the Patriots still want to retain him.

Last year, Gostkowski connected on 84.4% on his field goal tries and 98% of his extra point attempts. Because he won’t be tagged, the Patriots may consider the tag for defensive end Trey Flowers or left tackle Trent Brown. Gostkowski’s tag would have cost New England a little less than $5MM, but tags for Brown (~$14MM) or Flowers (~$17.1MM) would be far more costly.

The Patriots have other key free agents set to hit the open market on Thursday including wide receivers Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson, cornerbacks Jason McCourty and Jonathan Jones, and punter Ryan Allen.

Bucs, Donovan Smith Agree To Extension

March 5th, 2019 at 12:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Buccaneers tackle Donovan Smith received a small fortune in a new deal with the club. Smith has agreed to a new three-year, $41.25MM deal including $27MM guaranteed at signing, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The new deal positions Smith as the fourth-highest paid offensive tackle in the league behind Taylor Lewan, Nate Solder, and Jake Matthews. Meanwhile, he graded out as just the No. 46 ranked tackle in the NFL in 2018, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. His so-so 66.4 score was roughly in line with his scores from the previous three seasons.

The Bucs were planning to apply the franchise tag to Smith, which would have earmarked him for $14.077MM this year. Instead, the long term deal smooths out the cap hit slightly and keeps him under club control through 2021.

Smith’s payout is indicative of the lack of offensive tackle talent throughout the NFL. Elite tackles in their prime rarely reach the open market, which has driven up the price for lower-tier options such as Smith. That means a similarly large deal could be on the way for Dolphins free agent Ja’Wuan James, even though James is not among the best at the right tackle position.

Smith’s durability likely gave the Bucs additional comfort in the deal. According to the team, he’s just the second player in franchise history to start every game in his first four seasons. The pact will also keep things consistent on the O-Line after they locked up fellow 2015 draftee Ali Marpet on a pricey extension last year.

Giants Won’t Franchise Tag Landon Collins

March 5th, 2019 at 11:49am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants will not apply the franchise tag to Landon Collins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With that, the Giants are likely set to move on from one of the game’s best young safeties.

Recently, GM Dave Gettleman expressed doubt about cuffing Collins, but many expected the two sides to patch things up.

“So let’s go to the conversation of eliminating distractions,” Gettleman said. “You tag a guy. He’s mad. And that’s all you guys are going to write about. For six months it’s what it’s going to be. So I have to say to myself, ‘Is it worth it?‘”

Collins clashed with the Giants last year and made it clear that he would not show up for work if he was tagged. Still, the move is perplexing to many in the football world – the Giants need talent in their secondary, yet they are somehow willing to lose out on a three-time Pro Bowler.

Collins, 25, joins a free agent safety group that also includes Earl Thomas, Tyrann Mathieu, Lamarcus Joyner, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Adrian Amos, and Kenny Vaccaro. Last year’s free agent safeties were met with disappointing offers, but it could be a different story this time around given the amount of cap space around the league and the lackluster talent at other positions.

The Buccaneers, Chiefs, and many other teams with safety needs figure to be in on Collins when free agency begins next week.