2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins, WR Will Fuller Agree To Terms

March 18th, 2021 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Long rumored to be targeting wide receivers in free agency, the Dolphins made a big move Thursday. They are signing former Texans wideout Will Fuller, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (on Twitter).

Fuller agreed to a one-year deal to join the Dolphins, and Rapoport tweets that pact will include more than $10MM. Incentives are present in the deal as well, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com tweets. While Fuller’s PED suspension will prevent him from playing in Week 1 next season, he represents an upgrade for a Dolphins team that did not have much in the way of receiver depth in 2020.

Although the former first-round pick battled injuries from 2016-19, never eclipsing the 14-game mark in any of those seasons, Fuller stayed healthy during his contract year. One of the NFL’s premier deep threats, Fuller established new career-high marks — 879 receiving yards, 16.6 yards per catch, eight touchdowns — despite only playing in 11 games.

The Dolphins are believed to be targeting both an outside receiver and a slot threat, but Fuller represents a promising start to the team’s 2021 plans at this position. Deshaun Watson‘s QB rating was noticeably higher with Fuller in the lineup than it was without him, and prior to the Pro Bowl passer requesting a trade, was lobbying for the Texans to re-sign the wideout. The Texans opted not to use their franchise tag on Fuller, who will bet on himself via this one-year deal. With Watson on the Miami radar, this Fuller signing should trip some alarms on the trade front.

Fuller has suffered a broken collarbone, a torn ACL and multiple hamstring injuries as a pro. The ACL tear occurred in 2018, and Fuller’s 2020 would support that he has fully recovered from the severe knee malady. Fuller will join DeVante Parker in Miami, with the Dolphins potentially prepared to add an impact slot player to help Tua Tagovailoa (or Watson) as well.

Bills Had Interest In Rob Gronkowski

March 18th, 2021 at 2:59pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The first free agency of Rob Gronkowski‘s legendary career was brief, as he was quickly re-signed by the Buccaneers on Monday. But that doesn’t mean Tampa Bay was the only option on his list, as Bills GM Brandon Beane confirmed Thursday his team had interest in the tight end.

“We spoke to his rep about him…we never made an official offer…I think there was some interest but at the end of the day, it would have been an upset for him to leave Tom Brady,” Beane said, via this tweet from Mike Giradi of NFL Network. It sounds like Buffalo expressed some interest early on but got told by his agent he was likely headed back to the Bucs and backed off.

It all makes plenty of sense because Gronk has long said the only reason he came out of retirement in the first place was to play with Brady again. Tampa also just won the Super Bowl and gave him an $8MM contract worth up to $10MM, so there’s not really any reason for him to switch things up.

Still, the thought of Gronkowski playing in Buffalo is cool. It would’ve been a homecoming for the future Hall of Famer, as he was born just 15 minutes outside of Buffalo and grew up in upstate New York. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. The former Patriot played in all 16 games last year, finishing with 623 yards and seven touchdowns.

Cowboys, DL Brent Urban Agree To Deal

March 18th, 2021 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban will head to Dallas. The seven-year vet agreed to terms on a one-year Cowboys contract, according Kate Urban (Brent’s wife), on Twitter.

Urban most recently played for the Bears, suiting up in all 16 games for the playoff-qualifying team last season. He has also played for the Ravens and Titans.

A former Ravens fourth-round pick, Urban spent five seasons in Baltimore. He worked as a 16-game starter for the playoff-bound 2018 Ravens squad but saw the Titans blunt that momentum by releasing him midway through the 2019 season. The Bears provided a bounce-back opportunity, however, scooping him up soon after and then re-signing him during the 2020 free agency period.

Last season, the 29-year-old D-lineman registered 2.5 sacks and made eight starts for a Bears defense that ranked in the top 10 in DVOA. Urban played 35% of Chicago’s defensive snaps last season and figures to be a rotational option for a Cowboys defense in need of extensive help after a brutal 2020 outing.

LB Brandon Copeland To Visit Falcons, Giants

March 18th, 2021 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite suffering a torn pectoral muscle last season, Brandon Copeland has generated some interest as a free agent. The veteran linebacker plans to meet with the Falcons and Giants, per Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan and ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein (Twitter links).

The Giants visit occurred Thursday, per Caplan, who adds the Falcons meeting will also occur this week (Twitter link). Copeland suffered the chest injury in late October, ending his Patriots season after six games.

A former Lions and Jets contributor, Copeland signed with the Patriots last year. The Pats, who both lost multiple key linebackers in free agency and saw Dont’a Hightower opt out of last season, used Copeland as a starter in four games. Pro Football Focus viewed the five-year vet’s abbreviated work well, slotting him near the top of its 2020 linebacker hierarchy.

The Lions used Copeland as a backup from 2016-17, but he broke into the 2018 Jets’ starting lineup. Copeland worked as a pass rusher that season, recording five sacks and 14 quarterback hits. That marked the veteran linebacker’s only season with more than two sacks. The 2021 season will be Copeland’s age-30 slate.

Kenny Golladay Met With Bears

March 18th, 2021 at 2:32pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

He didn’t sign in the initial flurry of free agency, but it looks like receiver Kenny Golladay has no shortage of suitors. The former Lion spent Wednesday night meeting with GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy of the Bears, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

It sounds like Golladay staying in the NFC North is now a real possibility. As Schefter notes Golladay will visit the Giants Thursday, and we’ve heard there’s mutual interest between those two sides. The Bengals have also reportedly made Golladay an offer. The receiver market has been by all accounts weak so far, causing many of the big names to still be unsigned. Curtis Samuel got a nice contract from Washington yesterday, but there haven’t been too many other big deals handed out to wideouts yet.

The Bears’ interest is especially notable since they’ve already franchise tagged Allen Robinson. There were rumors earlier this offseason that Robinson could be tagged and traded, so that would seemingly be a possibility if they ink Golladay to a long-term deal. Or Chicago could just be trying to form what would be a truly elite 1-2 duo with Robinson and Golladay together.

It would certainly make life a lot easier for new quarterback signee Andy Dalton. Detroit drafted Golladay in the third-round out of Northern Illinois back in 2017, and he quickly blossomed into a stud.

He had 1,063 yards in 2018, and then 1,190 yards in 2019 to go with a league-leading 11 touchdown catches. Everyone was excited for his 2020 campaign with Matthew Stafford, but unfortunately injuries limited him to only five games.

The Dolphins were also rumored to be interested in his services the week before free agency opened. It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of money he lands, as he’ll definitely be seeking well north of $15MM annually and likely closer to $20MM.

Saints To Re-Sign P.J. Williams

March 18th, 2021 at 2:14pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints might be in a bad cap spot, but that isn’t stopping them from bringing back a lot of their own guys. New Orleans has reached an agreement to re-sign defensive back P.J. Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.

The deal is for one year and worth $2.3MM, which is fully guaranteed, Rapoport writes. He signed a similar one-year, $2MM deal last offseason. The Saints drafted him in the third-round back in 2015, and he’s been with the team ever since. A torn hamstring cost him his entire rookie season, and a serious head injury limited him to only two games in 2016.

After playing in just two games through his first two seasons, he’s now played in at least 14 each of the past four seasons. He’s been a part-time starter each year, playing at various spots in the defense. Williams is versatile and has extensive experience at both safety and cornerback.

This past season he started three games and played about 48 percent of the defensive snaps. The Florida State product had 40 tackles, two passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and an interception.

49ers To Host Joe Flacco On Visit

March 18th, 2021 at 2:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

John Lynch said earlier this offseason he wanted to look at potential veteran backups. The 49ers will do so soon. They are planning to bring in Joe Flacco for a visit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Flacco has bounced around since his 11-year Ravens run wrapped after the 2018 season, going to Denver and New York. The former first-round pick worked with 49ers assistant Rich Scangarello during his brief stay as the Broncos’ starter.

This week has produced a flurry of quarterback movement. Several potential options as a Jimmy Garoppolo backup — from Andy Dalton to Mitchell Trubisky to Jacoby Brissett to Ryan Fitzpatrick — have committed elsewhere, leaving the 49ers with a shallower pool of QB2 candidates. Flacco has extensive experience, having started for more than 10 seasons and having won a Super Bowl MVP honor midway through his Baltimore tenure. But his recent play has not exactly made him a flashy addition.

Following a neck injury that ended his Denver stay, Flacco landed with the Jets. Sam Darnold‘s latest injury moved Flacco back into a starting role. He started four games for the Jets last season, throwing six touchdown passes and three interceptions for a team that started 0-13. On a woeful Jets team, Flacco averaged just 6.4 yards per attempt and completed 55% of his passes.

The 49ers have Garoppolo under contract through 2022. Despite his injury issues and high cap numbers, Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have thrown support behind the ex-Patriot backup. The Patriots have been linked to a potential Garoppolo reacquisition, but the 49ers are believed to be OK with keeping their incumbent starter — unless they can land a major upgrade. Deshaun Watson is believed to have the 49ers atop his destination list, but it is unclear how serious the 49ers would be about pushing to acquire the disgruntled Texans QB.

Bills, Mitchell Trubisky Agree To Deal

March 18th, 2021 at 1:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mitchell Trubisky found a landing spot, and it will not give him a chance to start in 2021 (barring injury). The former Bears quarterback intends to sign with the Bills, Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com report (on Twitter). The Bills have announced the signing. It’s a one-year deal worth $2.5MM, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

The former No. 2 overall pick will be set to back up Josh Allen in Buffalo. This marks the latest in a slew of bridge- or backup-level quarterback signings this week, and it will end Trubisky’s scrutinized four-year tenure in Chicago. It is a one-year agreement, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

A Cleveland-area native, Trubisky will return to the shores of Lake Erie in an effort to stabilize his career. While the Bears did advance to the playoffs in two of the maligned passer’s four seasons, Trubisky’s Chicago tenure veered off course quickly. The one-year North Carolina starter showed early in his run he was incapable of playing on the level of fellow 2017 first-round QBs Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. The Bears used Trubisky as a starter for most of his four seasons with the team but have since signed Andy Dalton.

This will put Trubisky ahead of another quarterback who has seen his value drop, with Jake Fromm now having a more difficult path to becoming Allen’s top backup. Once rumored as a first-round pick, the ex-Georgia passer went in the 2020 fifth round. Fromm now projects as Buffalo’s third-stringer again. Previous Bills backup Matt Barkley is a free agent.

The Bears, who traded up for Trubisky four years ago, turned to him as their Week 1 starter again in 2020. But Matt Nagy benched him in Week 3. However, Nagy reinstalled Trubisky as his QB1 after Nick Foles then struggled and suffered an injury. Trubisky helped the Bears beat some sub-.500 opposition down the stretch, but that run was good enough to lift the team to the postseason for the second time in three years. Trubisky, his Nickelodeon MVP award notwithstanding, struggled in a one-sided loss to the Saints. He will attempt to regroup behind Allen in Buffalo.

Mutual Interest Between Giants, Golladay

March 18th, 2021 at 1:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

THURSDAY: Golladay will visit the Giants today, according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson (on Twitter). The sides will meet this afternoon, with Anderson noting the summit is expected to take some time. Golladay clashed with the Lions’ Matt Patricia-led coaching staff, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (video link), so it will be interesting to see how ex-Patricia coworker Joe Judge will proceed.

WEDNESDAY: The Giants have one of the top free agents in their sights. They are expected to bring Kenny Golladay in for a visit, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

While the Giants were rumored to be Golladay suitors ahead of the franchise tag deadline, Rapoport adds the former Lions standout is also interested in a New York pact.

Golladay’s impending visit reminds of previous NFL eras, when big-ticket free agents would make trips to teams’ facilities before signing. Golladay’s reputation would put him above the current caliber of player who would need to make a visit before seeing a high-end offer, but the four-year Lions wideout saw multiple injuries limit him to just five games last season.

The receiver market has not moved considerably yet, and the players who have made commitments have not received monster offers. Golladay, JuJu Smith-Schuster, T.Y. Hilton and Will Fuller remain unattached. Though street free agents like Emmanuel Sanders and John Brown agreed to terms with teams, as did UFAs Corey Davis, Marvin Jones and A.J. Green, key receiver dominoes have yet to fall. Among wideouts, only Davis has signed for more than $10MM per year thus far this year.

To the surprise of some, the Lions passed on using their franchise tag on Golladay. Given this visit development, perhaps the team was leery about potential compensation for the former third-round pick. The Giants and Dolphins have been the teams linked to Golladay thus far, but not much has emerged on this front this week.

The 6-foot-4 boundary wideout has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, and his Pro Bowl year (2019) came when Matthew Stafford missed half the season due to injury. The Giants cut ex-Golladay teammate Golden Tate but still have complementary-type receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton under contract. They also are taking a flier on disappointing Bengals top-10 pick John Ross. If healthy, Golladay would fit as the leader of this corps. But it remains to be seen which other teams will make plays for the 27-year-old target.

Giants To Sign Kyle Rudolph

March 18th, 2021 at 1:53pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Giants are adding a pass-catcher from the NFC North. No, it’s not Kenny Golladay (sorry Giants fans), but the team has come to terms on an agreement with tight end Kyle Rudolph, his agency Athletes First announced on Instagram (via Will Brinson of CBS Sports on Twitter).

The deal is expected to be for two years with a max value around $14MM, Mika Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. Rudolph was released by the Vikings a couple weeks ago after spending the first ten years of his career in Minnesota. We heard after his release that he was interested in joining the Patriots, but New England opted to sign Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry instead. If you can’t join ’em, why not go to the team that’s beat them in the Super Bowl twice?

It’s been a busy day for tight end news, with trades, releases, and signings. The Chargers signing Jared Cook could turn out to have a domino effect on the rest of the market as the remaining quality options are getting snatched up. A Zach Ertz trade could be the next piece to fall into place.

Rudolph has never been a star but has always been a reliable option, and made the Pro Bowl in 2012 and 2017. He’s 31 now and coming off a couple down years, but had 634 yards in 2018. Evan Engram is still in the picture, and Daniel Jones will now have a very solid tight end duo at his disposal.