2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Bills Sign T Bobby Hart

March 30th, 2021 at 5:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

On a busy Tuesday for offensive line transactions, the Bills added some potential depth. They signed veteran tackle Bobby Hart.

The Bills signed Hart to a one-year contract. A former Giants seventh-round pick, Hart spent the past three seasons as the Bengals’ starting right tackle.

Despite Hart’s seventh-round arrival, he has spent extensive time in teams’ starting lineups. The Giants used him as a first-stringer in 21 games in three seasons but cut him on the first day of Dave Gettleman‘s GM tenure. The Bengals scooped Hart up and used the ex-Day 3 draftee as a 45-game starter — including all 16 games during the 2018 and ’19 seasons — and signed him to multiple contracts.

While Hart has been viewed as a low-end tackle option for much of his career, Pro Football Focus did give the Florida State alum his highest career mark last season and ranked him 49th among tackles. In Buffalo, however, Hart would be ticketed for a backup job.

The Bills recently re-signed right tackle Daryl Williams to a multiyear deal and have Dion Dawkins entrenched as their left tackle. The Bills did enter Tuesday light on swing tackle options. Hart, 26, would make sense for such a role.

Broncos Not Interested In Sam Darnold?

March 30th, 2021 at 5:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

As teams in similar positions added quarterbacks in free agency or via trade, the Broncos have stood pat. They are planning to acquire a veteran quarterback, but Sam Darnold might not be on GM George Paton‘s radar.

The Broncos have not expressed interest in the Jets passer this offseason, at least not at the price the Jets may be seeking, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. While rumors of the Jets being able to fetch a first-round pick for Darnold have not surfaced in months, a second-rounder may be in play. The Broncos, however, are not believed to view Darnold as enough of an upgrade to part with a Round 2 pick, Renck adds. With the Broncos holding a high second-round pick (No. 40), it makes sense they would not part with that choice in such a trade.

Going into the 2018 draft, previous Broncos GM John Elway was interested in Darnold. However, the Broncos did not trade up from their No. 5 overall pick (Bradley Chubb) and saw the Jets draft the USC product. The team had then just signed Case Keenum, who became the fourth quarterback to start for Denver since Peyton Manning‘s retirement. The Broncos have now started 10 QBs over the past five seasons.

Drew Lock remains in line to start for the Broncos. He ranked 29th in QBR last season and led the NFL in interceptions, throwing 15 picks despite missing three games and much of Week 2. Darnold, however, ranked last (33rd) among qualified quarterbacks in QBR in 2020.

The Broncos made an offer for Matthew Stafford, but it was not on the level of the Panthers or Washington’s bids, and were planning to pursue Deshaun Watson — prior to the quarterback’s off-field issues surfacing. Paton indicated trades would be an option for the team. Gardner Minshew has drawn trade interest, and Nick Foles would seemingly be another option as a veteran who could join Lock. The 49ers have insisted they have Jimmy Garoppolo in their 2021 plans, though their trade to No. 3 overall could point Garoppolo elsewhere.

While the Jets’ plans are not known, they are currently expected to select Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall. With the Jets set to either trade Darnold or that pick, the Broncos loom as an obvious candidate to acquire the three-year veteran. But they may not take that route.

Teams Can Begin OTAs In April

March 30th, 2021 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic nixed all in-person offseason work. Although Roger Goodell said in early February he expects this offseason to also be mostly virtual, teams may have the opportunity to convene much earlier than they did in 2020.

Teams can begin holding OTAs on April 19, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Teams with new head coaches will not receive a head start, which was the format prior to 2020, but any work at team facilities would represent a significant change after last year’s fully virtual offseason.

Players can work out in small groups, as some already have been, at team headquarters. The NFL and NFLPA have yet to iron out a full policy for the 2021 offseason, though the union has lobbied for increased virtual work. Last year, only players rehabbing injuries could work out at team facilities.

Until there is a new deal in place, the NFL’s usual rules apply, Pelissero tweets. That will mean in-person work, though this portion of the offseason is technically voluntary. But unless the NFL and NFLPA agree on another deal to adjust the offseason amid the pandemic, players would need to show up for OTAs to earn workout bonuses. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said he expected the new offseason structure to be agreed to in March or April. With in-person OTAs on the schedule until that happens, it should be expected an agreement will surface before April 19.

Seahawks Extend G Gabe Jackson

March 30th, 2021 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks will make sure their recently acquired guard is locked up long-term. They agreed to a three-year extension with Gabe Jackson on Tuesday.

Jackson agreed to a three-year, $22.58MM extension with his new team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Upon being traded, Jackson was still attached to the five-year, $56MM extension he signed with the Raiders in 2017. The veteran guard and the Seahawks have adjusted the terms of his deal.

Guaranteed money will come Jackson’s way. No guarantees remained on Jackson’s Raiders-constructed contract, but Rapoport adds that the seven-year starter will receive a $9MM signing bonus and just more than $7MM in additional guarantees. This move figures to reduce Jackson’s 2021 cap hit ($9.6MM), freeing up some cap room for his new team. Jackson will see $16MM over the next two years, per Jeremy Fowler and Brady Henderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The veteran traded a higher average salary for guarantees.

Seattle acquired Jackson for a fifth-round pick, agreeing to send the Day 3 draft choice to Las Vegas for a player on the verge of being cut. Rather than vie with other prospective suitors on the free agent market, the Seahawks secured Jackson’s rights via the trade. The move came several weeks after Russell Wilson went public about his desire to see his team upgrade on the offensive line.

A 2014 third-round pick, Jackson has been a starter throughout his career. He helped the likes of Latavius Murray and Josh Jacobs to 1,000-yard rushing seasons and entered March as the Raiders’ longest-tenured O-lineman. While the 29-year-old blocker has not made a Pro Bowl in his career, he qualifies as a major O-line add for a team that authorized a host of lower-level deals last year.

The Seahawks now have Jackson and emerging guard Damien Lewis signed long-term. Questions remain at tackle, where starters Duane Brown and Brandon Shell are in contract years, but the Seahawks have added Jackson and re-signed starting center Ethan Pocic. It remains to be seen if these transactions moved the needle for Wilson, but the team is in better position up front than it was in 2020.

Vikings Re-Sign OL Dakota Dozier

March 30th, 2021 at 3:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

After being a backup during his first six seasons, Dakota Dozier broke through as a 16-game starter with the Vikings in 2020. The team has moved to extend the parties’ partnership.

Dozier agreed to terms on a one-year deal to stay with the Vikings, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. At worst, Dozier represents a depth piece for a Vikings line that moved on from Riley Reiff earlier this month. The Vikings announced the move, marking the sides’ third one-year contract agreement.

The Vikings signed Dozier in 2019 and used him as a spot starter that year. Last season, Dozier broke into Minnesota’s starting lineup in Week 1 and did not relinquish the left guard job all season. The Vikings waived Pat Elflein midway through the season, sticking with Dozier and then bringing Ezra Cleveland into the lineup at guard. Pro Football Focus did not view Dozier’s work in an especially positive light, slotting him 77th among qualified guards last season, but the Vikings now have four of their five O-line starters from 2020 under contract.

Reiff’s departure may mean Cleveland moves to left tackle, leaving a guard spot open. Dozier, 30 in April, would then have a clearer path to returning as a starter. Prior to joining the Vikings, the former fourth-round pick served as a Jets backup from 2014-18.

Chiefs To Sign OL Austin Blythe

March 30th, 2021 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs are bringing in more outside help for their offensive line. They will sign former Rams starting center Austin Blythe, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal.

Blythe will join Joe Thuney and Kyle Long as Chiefs interior O-line additions this offseason. Blythe started three seasons with the Rams, doing so at both center and guard. The Chiefs had used Austin Reiter as their primary center over the past two seasons, and although the team made an offer for Reiter to return, they appear to be moving on at the position.

A full-time guard starter on the Rams’ Super Bowl LIII-qualifying team, Blythe has started 47 regular-season games since the start of that 2018 season. The former seventh-round Colts pick established himself as a quality Rams starter and will be in line to work as the Chiefs’ starting center. The Rams moved Blythe to center last season, and Pro Football Focus graded him ninth at the position.

The Rams claimed Blythe off waivers in 2017 and turned to him as a replacement for the suspended Jamon Brown in 2018. Blythe kept his job after Brown’s reinstatement and played guard in 2019 as well. The Rams re-signed Blythe last year but will lose him. Despite Sean McVay wanting the team to retain Blythe this year, Andrew Whitworth and right tackle Rob Havenstein remain from Los Angeles’ Super Bowl O-line.

Blythe, 28, will check off a key box for the two-time reigning AFC champions, who can shift their O-line focus to the tackle positions.

Quinton Dunbar To Visit Cardinals, Lions

March 30th, 2021 at 2:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Quinton Dunbar saw his stock diminish last year, but the veteran cornerback is drawing interest as a free agent. He has secured meetings with the Cardinals and Lions, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

After a breakout 2019 season in Washington, Dunbar was unable to secure an extension with the team’s new regime. Washington shipped one of its starting corners to Seattle for a fifth-round pick, and Dunbar did not provide much value for the Seahawks. He played just six games and could not match the performance level he established in his final Washington slate, allowing a 111 passer rating — after he had limited QBs to a collective 61.2 mark in 2019.

While the Seahawks also have a need at corner, Dunbar has not been linked to a new deal with them. He underwent knee surgery late last year. The 28-year-old defender will, however, meet with two teams in need at the position.

The rebuilding Lions cut both Desmond Trufant and Justin Coleman, and 2020 No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah is recovering from an injury that ended his season early. The Cardinals separated with Patrick Peterson after 10 seasons, and 2020 Arizona contributor Dre Kirkpatrick is no longer under contract. Arizona is a bit deeper than Detroit at this juncture, having Byron Murphy and the recently signed Malcolm Butler on its roster.

Wherever he lands, Dunbar will aim to return to the heights he reached in 2019. Although he only played 11 games, the former UDFA intercepted four passes and graded as a top-five corner in the view of Pro Football Focus. Dunbar has 31 starts in six seasons. Most of those came over the past three.

Raiders, Kolton Miller Agree To Extension

March 30th, 2021 at 2:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders have made some major changes on their offensive line, but they will make sure their left tackle will not be going anywhere for a while. They agreed to terms with Kolton Miller on an extension Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Miller agreed to a three-year deal worth more than $18MM annually, per Fowler, who adds the three-year veteran will receive more than $42.6MM fully guaranteed. The contract will end up averaging just north of $18MM per year, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The agreement locks in Miller through the 2025 season. Miller’s rookie contract, including the fifth-year option, ran through 2022.

This marks the first extension handed out to a member of the 2018 draft class, which became extension-eligible in January. The Raiders had a Miller extension in mind for a bit now, and they will take care of their first draft pick of the second Jon Gruden era. After trading down with the Cardinals in a deal that sent them ex-UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen, the Raiders took Rosen’s blindside Bruins protector at No. 15 overall. The Raiders’ pick worked out, with Miller having started 46 games in three seasons.

Las Vegas’ Miller decision comes after the team surprised most by gutting its offensive line. The Raiders traded Pro Bowlers Rodney Hudson and Trent Brown and also dealt its longest-tenured O-lineman, Gabe Jackson. While the team still opted to bring back Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good, Miller is now this O-line’s unquestioned anchor.

Pro Football Focus has not viewed Miller as a high-end tackle just yet, though it did assign the 25-year-old blocker his best grade last season. He ranked a career-best 34th among tackles in 2020. While Miller has helped Josh Jacobs to back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and been present for consecutive Derek Carr top-11 QBR campaigns, this extension marks a bet in further Miller development.

At $18MM annually, Miller’s new deal comes in fifth among left tackles. It will land just below the recently established top tier at the position. However, the $42.6MM fully guaranteed comes in second at the position. That is a significant win for Miller, considering this is a three-year deal. Even Laremy Tunsil‘s market-reshaping three-year extension did not include this much in fully guaranteed money. While the Raiders bailed on their previous monster tackle accord, shipping Brown to the Patriots after two seasons, they will bet big on Miller.

NFL Approves 17-Game Schedule

March 30th, 2021 at 1:39pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s officially official. On Tuesday, NFL owners formally approved a 17-game schedule for the 2021 season.

The new Collective Bargaining Agreement provided owners with the option to go from 16 games to 17 games. Despite substantial player opposition, the union ultimately voted in favor of the change. On the plus side, the extra revenue from a 17th game should help to bring the salary cap back towards its usual max in 2022 and beyond.

To offset the extra game, the NFL will move from a four-game preseason to a two or three-game preseason schedule. The new arrangement will not add another bye week. Meanwhile, the 18-week season will push the Super Bowl to the middle of February.

The additional game will provide an immediate lift in profits for all 32 owners, but that won’t impact this year’s $182.5MM salary cap. In the short run, however, it will yield an extra game check for players league wide.

The new schedule also means a new scheduling formula to account for the odd number of games. The “extra game” will be an inter-conference matchup, pitting AFC and NFC teams against each other in accordance with their divisional finish. Host sites will alternate between the AFC and NFC.

Buccaneers Waiting On Antonio Brown

March 30th, 2021 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers managed to keep just about everyone from their Super Bowl squad. However, wide receiver Antonio Brown stands out as a notable straggler. On Tuesday, head coach Bruce Arians said that it hasn’t been for a lack of trying.

“We’re just gonna take our time,” Arians said (Twitter link via WTSP’s Grace Remington). “There’s offers out there. We’ll see how it goes.”

For his part, Brown has said that he wants to stay put. Shortly after the Bucs beat the Chiefs, AB expressed his desire to go for a “two-peat”.

“Man I’d love to, I look forward to going through the process, this is a great spot for me and I would love to come back and give it another shot at a two-peat,” Brown said after the game. “I would love to be back here next year. It would mean everything to be back. I’m just excited and super grateful.”

Brown, 33 this summer, posted solid — but not spectacular — numbers in 2020. In eight post-suspension games, the veteran had 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns. Extrapolated for a full 16-game slate, that would have given him a 90/966/8 line.

Brown wants to come back and the Bucs have reciprocated with an offer on the table. The real question is – Does anyone else have real interest in adding Brown and the baggage that comes along with him? Ultimately, Brown may have to settle for less than what he wants if he hopes to play in 2021.