2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Texans To Release P Bryan Anger

March 18th, 2021 at 1:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Amid the considerable changes to the Texans’ setup this offseason, they will move on from their punter of the past two years. The Texans are releasing Bryan Anger, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Anger, who signed with Houston during Bill O’Brien‘s short but memorable stay as GM, has played nine NFL seasons. The team will save just more than $2MM in cap space by moving on.

Known primarily for being a former third-round pick, with the Jaguars having taken him in 2012, Anger has played in Jacksonville, Tampa and Houston. He cleared 46 yards per punt in each of his two seasons with the Texans.

Raiders To Re-Sign TE Derek Carrier

March 18th, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Derek Carrier will stay with the Silver and Black for another season. The Raiders are re-signing the veteran tight end, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

This one-year contract will put Carrier in line to play a fourth season with the team. The 2021 season will be Carrier’s 10th as a pro. He suited up with the Eagles, 49ers, Washington and the Rams prior to signing with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2018.

The 30-year-old vet has operated as a blocking tight end, for the most part, as a Raider. While playing in 16 games last season, Carrier caught one pass.

He will reprise his role alongside Darren Waller. The Raiders may have more use for Carrier next season, depending on how the rest of their offseason goes at this spot, given Jason Witten‘s retirement.

Raiders To Sign Kenyan Drake

March 18th, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

This one is going to raise some eyebrows. The Raiders are signing running back Kenyan Drake, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

They’re making a significant investment, giving Drake a two-year $11MM pact that can be worth up to $14.5MM. In a follow up tweet, Schefter reports that the $11MM is all guaranteed. Jon Gruden clearly is looking to reinvent his running game this offseason, as most of the offensive line has already been shown the door this month.

The signing, and money they committed, are somewhat surprising given the presence of 2019 first-round pick Josh Jacobs in the backfield. Jacobs had a very promising rookie season but took a step back in 2020 as the O-line struggled in run blocking and he averaged only 3.9 yards per carry. He did still have 12 touchdowns on the ground though.

As for how they’ll complement each other, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that Gruden views “Drake as a jack-of-all-trades” who will “figure prominently in the passing game.” He also notes that Drake is close with Jacobs, which makes sense considering both went to Alabama, so don’t expect any bad blood in this timeshare.

Drake only had 25 catches for 137 yards in Arizona last year, but he was much more involved in the passing attack his last couple of years in Miami. A third-round pick of the Dolphins back in 2016, Drake showed plenty of promise but clashed with the coaching staff over his role and was eventually traded to Arizona around the 2019 trade deadline.

He caught fire in the second half of that season under Kliff Kingsbury, and expectations were sky-high in 2020. He didn’t quite meet those expectations, averaging a shrug-worthy 4.0 yards per carry and losing playing time to Chase Edmonds at times. He did still rush for 955 yards and 10 touchdowns, and the Raiders will have a very solid one-two punch at running back in 2021. Now they just need an offensive line.

Raiders Ask Marcus Mariota To Take Pay Cut; Release Or Trade Likely

March 18th, 2021 at 1:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Marcus Mariota appears to be nearing the end of his time in Las Vegas. The Raiders have asked Mariota to take a pay-cut down to only $3MM this year, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

If he refuses, the team will “move on,” Rapoport writes. Mariota is currently due $10.725MM, which is obviously quite steep for a backup to Derek Carr. Rapsheet says that a release is “likely,” but as he points out the team was just able to trade offensive linemen Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson yesterday after reports had already leaked that they’d be cut. We heard in February that Mariota was generating trade interest, but a couple weeks after that the interest had cooled significantly.

Meanwhile, Mariota “believes he has options” on the market, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. Garafolo adds that he expects Mariota to “hold firm” on not taking the pay-cut as a result. With Chicago signing Andy Dalton and Washington adding Ryan Fitzpatrick the list of teams looking for veteran bridge quarterbacks is dwindling, but there are still a few realistic destinations out there.

Jon Gruden added Mariota as insurance last offseason, but after Derek Carr had a career year he’s no longer as necessary. Mariota appeared in one game in place of an injured Carr and showed fairly well against the Chargers on national TV, completing 17 of 28 passes for 226 yards a touchdown and an interception. He also added 88 yards and another score rushing.

The former second overall pick spent his first five years with the Titans, starting 61 games for them before getting pulled for Ryan Tannehill midway through the 2019 campaign. Still only 27, it’ll be interesting to see where the former Heisman winner lands next.

Steelers To Re-Sign Chris Wormley

March 18th, 2021 at 1:12pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Steelers just let Tyson Alualu walk to the Jaguars in free agency, but they aren’t letting all their big guys up front head out the door. Pittsburgh is re-signing defensive tackle/end Chris Wormley to a two-year deal, a source told Mark Kaboly of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jordan Strack of WTOL 11 was first to tweet the news. Pittsburgh sent a 2021 fifth-round pick to the Ravens in a rare inter-division trade to acquire Wormley almost exactly a year ago. Baltimore had originally drafted him 74th overall back in 2017. Wormley has played both in the middle and on the end, and stands at 6’5 and 300 pounds.

He started 13 games for Baltimore between 2018-19, then moved into a rotational role in Pittsburgh last year. He missed three games due to injury, and played just under 20 percent of the defensive snaps when he was active. He finished with three QB hits and a sack in his relatively limited action.

Chargers To Sign Jared Cook

March 18th, 2021 at 12:43pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Tight end news is just flying in, and this time it’s the Chargers finding a replacement for Hunter Henry. Los Angeles has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with veteran Jared Cook, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The pact has a max value of $6MM, Schefter notes. The deal comes with $4.5MM guaranteed, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Cook’s last contract was worth $15.5MM over two years with the Saints, so he’s taking a bit of a pay cut for this season.

It’s a nice signing for the Chargers after they lost Henry to the Patriots on a massive deal, and Cook was one of the bigger name players left on the board. Cook is 33 now, but has remained an effective pass-catcher over the middle. This will now be the sixth team in Cook’s career that started as a third-round pick of the Titans back in 2009.

From Tennessee he made his way to the Rams, then the Packers, then the Raiders (where he had his best season in 2018), and finally the Saints the past two years. His production dipped a bit in 2020, but he still had 504 yards and seven touchdowns despite Drew Brees missing a handful of games and failing to push the ball downfield in others.

He was a Pro Bowler each of the previous two seasons in 2018 and 2019. In 2018 with the Raiders he had 896 yards and six touchdowns, and 705 yards and nine touchdowns the following year with New Orleans. Los Angeles had been linked to the Zach Ertz talks as a possible trade partner, but this now likely takes them out of the running there.

With Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler all still in the fold, Justin Herbert will once again have a very solid group of weapons as he enters his sophomore campaign. The Chargers have also upgraded his offensive line big time, so watch out for this offense in 2021.

Patriots To Trade Ryan Izzo To Texans

March 18th, 2021 at 12:39pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Patriots upgraded their tight end room in a big way this offseason by signing both Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, making one member of that room expendable. New England is trading away Ryan Izzo to the Texans, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Houston will send back a seventh-round pick for Izzo. The news comes just moments after we heard the Texans were releasing tight end Darren Fells. The position was a huge weak spot for the Patriots in 2020, as Izzo led the team’s tight ends in yards… with 199. The Pats originally drafted Izzo 250th overall back in 2018, and now they’re getting that seventh-rounder back.

Without Fells the Texans only had Jordan Akins, former practice squader Pharaoh Brown, and 2019 third-round pick Kahala Warring (three career catches) at the position, so the acquisition of Izzo can’t hurt.

A Florida State product, Izzo started all 12 games that he appeared in last season. He didn’t do a ton as the Patriots’ whole passing game struggled, but it’s a low-risk move for the Texans on a player that’s still only 25. Obviously there’s a connection between these front offices, with former New England exec Nick Caserio now running the show in Houston.

Texans To Cut TE Darren Fells

March 18th, 2021 at 12:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans are releasing Darren Fells (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The tight end was previously set to play out the second-year of his two-year, $7MM contract.

Fells, who will celebrate his 35th birthday in April, set a career high with seven touchdowns in 2019. It was an unexpected jump in offensive production for the veteran, who was previously known best for his blocking prowess.

Last year, he staved off competition from Jordan Akins and third-round pick Kahale Warring, but the Texans are going younger across the board as they rebuilt. Akins led all Houston TEs with 37 grabs for 403 yards. Meanwhile, Warring stands at 6’5″ with tons of promise as a blocker. If he’s healthy, he could be a featured part of the rotation.

By releasing Fells, the Texans will save upwards of $1.2MM on the books.

Panthers To Sign Rashaan Melvin

March 18th, 2021 at 12:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Rashaan Melvin‘s jersey collection has grown even larger. On Thursday, the veteran cornerback agreed to join the Panthers on a one-year deal, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Melvin has now signed deals with more than 25% of the NFL. His last stop with the Jaguars came to an end on Wednesday. Melvin’s $2.25MM salary for 2020 tolled into 2021 due to his COVID-19 opt out, but Jacksonville wanted to put those resources elsewhere.

Melvin’s best seasons came with the Colts. After his breakout year in 2016, Melvin delivered 36 tackles, three interceptions, and 13 passes defended in 2017. Pro Football Focus ranked him 17th among 120 eligible cornerbacks that year. He’ll try to get back to his old form — or closer to it — in Carolina.

He originally signed with the Bucs as an UDFA in 2013, but had only started two career games when he suddenly found himself a starter with Indy in 2016. His play with the Colts landed him a one-year, $5.5MM deal from the Raiders in 2018.

The journeyman has now spent various amounts of time with the Bucs, Dolphins, Ravens, Patriots, Colts, Raiders, Lions, and Jags. Despite that, he’s still only 31.

Dolphins To Sign Matt Skura

March 18th, 2021 at 12:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins are set to sign former Ravens center Matt Skura (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). The lineman’s one-year deal is worth $1.75MM, per Garafolo on Twitter.

Skura had issues snapping the ball at times last year and wound up getting the hook in favor of Patrick Mekari. In total, he made 12 starts, giving him 51 total first-string appearances over the course of four seasons in Baltimore. Originally an UDFA out of Duke in 2016, Skura spent his rookie year on the practice squad. As a sophomore he was called on to start 12 games at guard when Marshall Yanda missed most of the season.

The following year he became the team’s center, starting all 16 games. After starting 11 games in 2019 Skura tore an ACL and had significant other damage in his knee, but he made it back in time for 2020 training camp and started the season on time.

He projects as the new starter in Miami, and it’s possible his struggles last year were due to coming off such a serious injury in such a short amount of time. He turned 28 in February.