2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Titans To Sign Josh Reynolds

March 22nd, 2021 at 9:42am CST by Zachary Links

The Titans have agreed to sign former Rams wide receiver Josh Reynolds on a one-year deal, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (on Twitter). Exact terms of the deal are not yet known.

Reynolds, a 2017 fourth-round pick, spent his entire career with the Rams up until today. He’s coming off of a career year with 52 grabs for 618 yards, plus two touchdowns. In the three previous seasons combined, he had 61 catches for 832 yards. Reynolds found his footing as the Rams’ No. 3 receiver — now, he’ll be tasked with replacing former first-round pick Corey Davis in Nashville. Or, at least, replacing some of Davis’ production in support of A.J. Brown.

The Rams were not expected to retain Reynolds, especially given their numbers crunch. Currently, the Rams project to use 2020 second-rounder Van Jefferson as the No. 3WR behind Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.

John Johnson Turned Down More Money To Sign With Browns

March 21st, 2021 at 9:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Browns added a big piece to their defense when they signed safety John Johnson last week, and they apparently faced steep competition for his services.

Johnson turned down “significantly more money” from another team to sign with the Browns, his agents told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. He was clearly very excited about the prospect of playing for this upstart Browns team that is coming off their best season in decades. It’s a sign of how much the times have changed that players are now taking less money in order to sign with the Browns as a destination in free agency.

Imagine if someone had told you that a few years ago. Johnson signed a three-year, $33.75MM pact with the Browns that included $24MM guaranteed, and was arguably the top safety on the market after guys like Justin Simmons, Marcus Maye, and Marcus Williams all got franchise tagged by their respective teams.

Johnson’s AAV of $11.25MM has him as the eighth-highest paid safety in the NFL currently. Shortly before he signed with Cleveland we heard the Lions, Eagles, and Jaguars were pursuing him, so it’s possible it was one of those teams that offered him the bigger contract.

The Rams opted not to tag him for financial reasons, but Johnson has been a really good player since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2017. He played every snap for a Los Angeles defense that was best in the league last season, and won’t turn 26 until December. Johnson will start next to either 2020 second-round pick Grant Delpit or Ronnie Harrison in 2021.

Contract Details: Trubisky, Andrews, Carson, Jones, Reiff, Joyner

March 21st, 2021 at 6:57pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Let’s catch up on the latest contract details from around the league:

QB Mitchell Trubisky, Bills: One-year, $2MM base salary with $1.5MM guaranteed, $500K signing bonus, and $2MM available in incentives. Via Field Yates of ESPN on Twitter.
C David Andrews, Patriots: Four-years, $19 MM, with $6.5MM fully guaranteed. More money available in play-time incentives. Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network on Twitter.
RB Chris Carson, Seahawks: Two-years, $10.425MM, $4.5MM signing bonus and $1MM guaranteed salary for 2021. $4.5MM non-guaranteed 2022 salary and $450K in per-game roster bonuses in ‘22. Up to $1.4MM in incentives in both years. Via Dan Graziano of ESPN on Twitter.
RB Aaron Jones, Packers: Four-years, $48MM. The $13MM signing bonus is the only fully guaranteed money in the contract. A $3.5MM roster bonus is due on the first day of next league year. For 2023, a $7MM roster bonus is due on the third day of the league year. You can read the full breakdown of each year of the contract via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
OL Riley Reiff, Bengals: One-year, $7.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. We hadn’t known the terms of this contract yet, and $7.5MM is a pretty decent price for the Bengals for a solid starting tackle. Via Yates on Twitter.
S Lamarcus Joyner, Jets: One-year, up to $4.5MM. $2.5MM is guaranteed, with a $1MM signing bonus and $1.5MM base salary. Up to $500K in per game active roster bonuses and $1.5MM in playing time and interception incentives. Via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter.

Bears To Sign Jeremiah Attaochu

March 21st, 2021 at 5:30pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Bears are adding some pass-rushing help. Chicago has agreed to terms with free agent outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, the team announced on Twitter.

A second-round pick of the Chargers back in 2014, Attaochu never quite lived up to his draft status and struggled with injuries during his time with the team. He did flash potential though, with a six-sack season in 2015. He struggled to find his footing for a bit after his four seasons with the Chargers, then found a new home with the Broncos in 2019. He had 3.5 sacks in 12 games that year, and was re-signed for a modest $1.5MM last offseason.

Financial terms weren’t immediately announced for this deal, although I’d be inclined to think he got a bit of a raise on last year’s salary after a solid campaign in Denver. In 13 games with the Broncos last year, he had five sacks and a forced fumble. Considering he only played about 38 percent of the defensive snaps, the five sacks are pretty solid.

Isaiah Wilson Clears Waivers

March 21st, 2021 at 4:30pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Isaiah Wilson is officially a free agent. The embattled former first-round pick has cleared waivers after he was cut by the Dolphins and is now free to sign with any team, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

It’s not exactly shocking, as it was doubtful any team out there would want to assume Wilson’s contract. The 29th overall pick of last year’s draft, Wilson was traded from the Titans to Miami just this past week. It didn’t take him long to fall out of favor with the Dolphins, as he allegedly “refused team efforts to help him to get his life on track” before getting the axe.

Wilson reportedly showed up late for his physical, was late for his orientation with the organization, and skipped a pair of workouts that he had committed to. The offensive lineman from Georgia appeared in just one game as a rookie, playing only three offensive snaps, and was also suspended at one point for a violation of team rules.

Things didn’t work out right from the start, and it was one of the quickest implosions for a first-round pick in recent memory. He only turned 22 last month and due to his draft pedigree will likely get another shot from somebody, assuming he wants it, but he’s running out of chances.

Jets To Sign Sheldon Rankins

March 21st, 2021 at 2:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have struck a deal with Sheldon Rankins. The defensive tackle will join Gang Green on a two-year deal worth up to $17MM, according to a source who spoke with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).

Rankins, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2016 draft, saw his career sidetracked by Achilles and MCL injuries. Rankins seemed on track for superstardom up until his first Achilles tear in the 2018 playoffs. Playing from the interior, he notched eight sacks that season.

The 26-year-old (27 in April) has missed ten regular season games over the last two years. Between 2019 and 2020, Rankins has tallied just 30 stops and 3.5 sacks. But, with the Jets, Rankins has a chance to reassert himself.

“The healthier I got the better I felt and the more I was able to play like me,” Rankins said recently (via Conor Orr of SI.com). “There’s no limitations. I’m ready to get back to doing the things I’m accustomed to doing.”

The Jets still have lots of work to do on defense and cornerback ranks high on their list of needs. With Quinnen Williams and promising linemen Folorunso Fatukasi and John Franklin-Myers, the Jets were already well set up front, but new head coach Robert Saleh wants to prioritize D-Line depth.

Damontae Kazee To Visit Lions

March 21st, 2021 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Free agent safety Damontae Kazee has a visit lined up with the Cowboys, and the Lions also have interest. Per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, Kazee will visit with Detroit brass in short order (Twitter link).

A fifth-round pick of the Falcons in 2017, Kazee delivered a breakout campaign in 2018 in relief of an an injured Keanu Neal (who signed with the Cowboys yesterday). That season, Kazee intercepted an NFL-best seven passes and posted 10 passes defensed in 16 games (15 starts). He started 14 games in 2019, adding three more picks to his career tally.

Unfortunately, a torn Achilles ended his 2020 season after just four games, which means he might be forced to accept a one-year pact this year in an effort to reestablish his value (although he is expected to be medically cleared by training camp). The Lions will return 2018 third-rounder Tracy Walker and 2019 third-rounder Will Harris, but Kazee’s ball-hawking skills would be a welcome addition to that young safety group.

Even though Neal is now in Dallas, he is expected to play some linebacker as well as safety, meaning that Kazee would still fit into the team’s defense. The opportunity to reunite with Cowboys DC Dan Quinn — Kazee’s head coach in Atlanta — might sway Kazee in Dallas’ favor if he believes there are enough snaps to go around, but he will listen to Detroit’s pitch just the same.

Von Miller Wants To Be Bronco For Life

March 21st, 2021 at 12:18pm CST by Rory Parks

Just a few days ago, it was unclear if LB Von Miller would be playing for a team other than the Broncos in 2021. After all, he missed all of last season due to an ankle injury, and the team was hoping he would agree to a pay cut. But Miller held his ground, and the Broncos ended up exercising an option that guarantees $7MM of Miller’s $18MM salary in 2021.

Still, Miller will be due for unrestricted free agency next year, and although he made the Pro Bowl in 2019, the eight sacks he posted that season were his lowest total since a suspension-shortened 2013 campaign. So while he will remain with the only team he has ever known this year, his future beyond that remains uncertain.

If the soon-to-be 32-year-old has it his way, though, he will be with the Broncos until the day he decides to retire. “I have totally bought into being a Coloradoan for life, let alone a Denver Bronco,” Miller recently said on Instagram (via Troy Renck of Denver 7). “I want to be here forever, through the thick, the thin, the Super Bowl seasons, the losing seasons. I want to be here forever.”

Per Renck, the Broncos were unified in their desire to retain Miller, and with Bradley Chubb and Malik Reed also in the fold, Denver could trot out a rather imposing pass rush in 2021. The club’s secondary should also be in good shape, as it has added Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller in recent days to bolster a group that already included Bryce Callahan — who can now return to his familiar nickel CB role — and the recently-extended Justin Simmons.

Renck also says that Denver could approach Miller about an extension that would lower his 2021 cap hit of $22.225MM. But given the uncertainty created by his age and recent injury, it’s unclear if the two sides would be able to come to terms on a multi-year pact at this point.

Raiders Prioritizing Extension for LT Kolton Miller

March 21st, 2021 at 11:44am CST by Rory Parks

The Raiders have undergone a major shakeup of their offensive line this month, trading high-priced blockers Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson, and Trent Brown. The club did bring back guards Denzelle Good and Richie Incognito while adding former Texans pivot Nick Martin, and according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders also want to keep one of their former first-rounders in the fold for the long haul (Twitter link).

Bonsignore says Las Vegas is prioritizing an extension for left tackle Kolton Miller, the No. 15 overall pick of the 2018 draft. The team will need to decide whether to pick up Miller’s fifth-year option for 2022 — valued at $10.88MM — by early May, but that is a mere formality at this point.

Negotiations could certainly be interesting. There are now three left tackles — San Francisco’s Trent Williams, Green Bay’s David Bakhtiari, and Houston’s Laremy Tunsil — earning over $20MM per year, and Baltimore’s Ronnie Stanley is pulling down $19.75MM per year. But all four of those players have at least one Pro Bowl to their credit, while Miller has not earned any such accolades. Plus, because the Raiders can keep him under club control for two more seasons at below-market rates, Miller may need to give up a little earning power if he truly wants the security of a long-term deal.

But Miller has certainly proven himself worthy of a new contract. Many believed Jon Gruden reached when he selected the UCLA product, and those rumblings only intensified when Miller struggled in his rookie campaign. Still, the club saw promise in the 6-8, 325-pounder and stuck with him on the blindside even after signing Brown to a major free agent deal in March 2019.

Miller has since rewarded that faith, as he has turned in back-to-back solid seasons and still appears to be on an upward trajectory. Pro Football Focus considered him the 34th-best tackle in the game in 2020 (out of 79 qualifiers), but he earned the 15th-best pass-blocking score. His run-blocking mark pulled him down a bit, but again, there is reason to believe he will only continue to improve.

And he may soon become the elder statesman of the OL room. As Bonsignore tweets, one of the primary reasons the team parted with a few high-priced O-linemen over the past several weeks is because of the depth of the 2021 class of blockers, so look for Gruden and GM Mike Mayock to add some reinforcements to QB Derek Carr‘s collection of bodyguards next month.

New York Notes: Darnold, Giants, Sanders

March 21st, 2021 at 10:25am CST by Rory Parks

Before the legal tampering period kicked off, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com said it was more likely than not that the Jets would trade Sam Darnold, assuming that BYU QB Zach Wilson — whom the Jets would select with the No. 2 overall pick to replace Darnold — “checks the important boxes during the pre-draft process.” Cimini said at the time that there was a market for Darnold, and he named Washington, the Bears, the Seahawks, the Texans, and the 49ers as potential landing spots.

But since then, WFT signed Ryan Fitzpatrick and Chicago acquired Andy Dalton. Obviously, neither of those QBs are long-term answers, but they do at least obviate an immediate need for a signal-caller. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are moving forward with Russell Wilson, Houston may be unable to trade incumbent QB Deshaun Watson in light of the sexual abuse allegations that have been levied against him, and it’s unclear how actively San Francisco is pursuing an upgrade over Jimmy Garoppolo. As such, the Jets might not be able to trade Darnold, and it will be interesting to see if that will impact the team’s decision with respect to Zach Wilson (or any other rookie passer).

Now for more out of the Empire State:

In less exciting Jets news, the team is still looking into free agent kickers and wants to find a starting-caliber corner, as Cimini writes. The CB need will probably be filled in the draft; Cimini does not expect the club to pursue Richard Sherman, despite the obvious Sherman-Robert Saleh connection.
It might go without saying, but when the Giants agreed to a three-year, $63MM pact with DL Leonard Williams a few days ago, Williams agreed to drop his grievance concerning his 2020 franchise tag, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Williams was tagged as a defensive tackle but believed he should have received a defensive end tag, and if he had prevailed, his tag number for 2021 would have jumped to $21.4MM. Since he got a $21MM AAV on his extension, things worked out just fine for him in the end.
Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Williams — who is clearly not afraid to bet on himself — pushed for a shorter contract so that he can hit the open market again before he turns 30. Duggan says the Giants have explored restructures for 2020 signees James Bradberry and Blake Martinez, something the club may need to really push for now that it has agreed to a big-money deal for WR Kenny Golladay.
The Giants signed veteran TE Kyle Rudolph earlier this week, but his addition does not impact Evan Engram‘s status with the team, a source tells Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Engram will play out the 2021 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal and hopes for a strong platform performance after struggling a bit in 2020.
These days, instead of being forced to reach out to agents to convince their clients to play in western New York, agents are the ones calling the Bills, as Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News writes. Head coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane have created a winning club and a positive culture, and players around the league are taking notice and now see Buffalo as an attractive destination. While the Bills didn’t have a ton of cap space heading into this year’s free agent cycle — or many major holes to fill — they did bring in WR Emmanuel Sanders, whom they had targeted for several years. Sanders is a prime example of the changing feelings towards Buffalo, saying “[w]ho wouldn’t want to be part of it?” (via John Wawrow of the Associated Press).