2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles GM On Zach Ertz Trade Talks

March 18th, 2021 at 12:02pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s no secret: The Eagles and Zach Ertz could be headed for a divorce. Still, GM Howie Roseman says that he’ll need the right offer in order to part ways with the star tight end.

“For us to trade any player, it’s gotta make sense for both sides,” Roseman said (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). “None of us had the year we wanted to have last year, but that doesn’t define us. We know who he is on and off the field and we value that.”

The Eagles have granted Ertz permission to seek trades and several teams have spoken with the Birds in recent days. Roseman is reportedly looking for a seeking a third or fourth-round pick — so far, they haven’t gotten any takers.

Ertz, 30, has one year left on his contract with an $8.25MM salary and $12.4MM cap hit. Trading or cutting him would save $5MM with $8MM in dead money. The Eagles don’t have a ton of leverage: Ertz is coming off his worst season as a pro and their dirty laundry has been aired out for all to read. Therefore, contenders are willing to stay patient with the chance of landing the 2019 Pro Bowler — without giving up any draft picks.

Seahawks To Re-Sign Nick Bellore

March 18th, 2021 at 11:45am CST by Zachary Links

Nick Bellore has agreed to a brand new deal with the Seahawks, as Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus tweets. The signing has also been confirmed by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

Bellore, 32 in May, has spent the last two seasons in Seattle. Even as teams around the league have de-prioritized the position, Bellore’s blocking has been highly valued in the Seahawks offense. His return should go a long way towards appeasing Russell Wilson, who is reportedly dissatisfied with the team’s efforts to protect him in the pocket.

Bellore spent much of his career at linebacker and saw significant playing time for the 49ers in 2016. That year, he made ten starts in their 3-4 scheme and registered 83 stops and one sack in total. Then, in Detroit, he went to the other side of the ball, where he had a knack for clearing lanes. Seattle used a fullback on just 8% of its plays in 2018. That changed in 2019 when Pete Carroll signed Bellore to a two-year, $2.23MM deal.

Falcons To Sign Erik Harris

March 18th, 2021 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

Former Raiders safety Erik Harris is heading to the Falcons, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known.

After spending his first season with the Saints, Harris found his way to Oakland in 2017. Since then, he’s spent the last four years with the Raiders, all the way through 2020 in Las Vegas. Playing primarily at free safety, he’s made 30 starts for the Raiders out of 61 total appearances. Harris, 31 in April, finished 2020 with 61 total stops, five passes defensed, and one forced fumble.

Harris will help Atlanta replace Ricardo Allen, who was cut recently to save $6.25MM against the cap. Safeties Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal are also out of contract and seem likely to sign elsewhere. For now, that group is headlined by Harris and 2020 fourth-round pick Jaylinn Hawkins.

Steelers, JuJu Smith-Schuster Still In Talks

March 18th, 2021 at 11:28am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets want JuJu Smith-Schuster, but a return to the Steelers hasn’t been ruled out, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). The two sides are still in talks, so a deal could come together at the right price.

Smith-Schuster’s production has tailed off over the last two seasons, but it appears that he’s still seeking top-of-the-market money. Corey Davis just agreed to a three-year, $37.5MM deal with the Jets. Curtis Samuel joined Washington for $34MM+ over three years. Nelson Agholor inked a two-year, $22MM deal with the Patriots. Smith-Schuster — who is a couple years removed from a 1,426-yard campaign — is likely looking to top all of those recent receiver contracts.

Smith-Schuster, still only 24, had just 831 receiving yards last year, but there’s reason to believe that he could get back to his old form with Ben Roethlisberger back under center.

In addition to the Jets and Steelers, the Raiders are also said to have interest in Smith-Schuster. Jon Gruden & Co. just added John Brown on a one-year contract, but there could still be room for JuJu to join 2020 first-round pick Henry Ruggs III and Hunter Renfrow in the WR group.

Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin Signs Tender

March 18th, 2021 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here. On Thursday, Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin signed his franchise tender (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter).

Godwin is now set to earn $15.9MM in 2021, though the two sides have until mid-July to work out a long-term deal. There’s mutual interest in a multi-year arrangement, though the Buccaneers have already committed significant dollars to top players in 2022 and beyond. It might be tough, but the Bucs clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to clever accounting.

Godwin, a former third-round pick, broke out in 2019 with 86 catches for 1,333 yards and nine touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl nod. The stage was set for an even bigger year in 2020 — especially with Tom Brady on board — but he was eclipsed somewhat by Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown. Still, he finished with 65 catches for 840 yards and seven scores in 12 games, plus 16/232/1 in the playoffs.

Godwin was one of nine players to receive the tag this year, putting him in the same camp as Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, and Bears receiver Allen Robinson.

Broncos Rescind Phillip Lindsay’s Tender

March 18th, 2021 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

Change of plans. On Thursday, the Broncos announced that Phillip Lindsay’s tender has been rescinded.

[RELATED: Broncos Add Mike Boone]

The running back was originally assigned the low restricted free agency tender, giving the Broncos one more year of club control at a rate of $2.133MM. However, the Broncos found another tailback in Vikings free agent Mike Boone, which meant that Lindsay was no longer needed.

The 26-year-old broke out with 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns in 2018 en route to a Pro Bowl nod. He followed that up with another strong season in 2019, compiling 1,207 yards from scrimmage and seven scores. However, the 26-year-old was pushed down in the pecking order last year by Melvin Gordon. Lindsay wound up with just 502 rushing yards and one touchdown in eleven games, plus seven grabs for 28 yards. Gordon, meanwhile, finished out with 986 yards and nine scores.

With Gordon, Boone, Royce Freeman, Levante Bellamy, Jeremy Cox, and Damarea Crockett all under contract, there was little sense in keeping Lindsay. His reps recognized this too, so they’ve mutually decided to tear up the tender.

Giants To Sign QB Mike Glennon

March 18th, 2021 at 10:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants have signed veteran quarterback Mike Glennon. A pal of Glennon’s, Brandon Bishop, first broke the news on Twitter. It has since been confirmed by several reporters, including NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). It’s a one-year deal worth $1.35MM, including $425K guaranteed, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic (on Twitter).

Glennon has started in just nine games since 2016, but remains a highly respected backup and mentor. In New York, he’ll backstop and quasi-coach youngster Daniel Jones who will look to rekindle his rookie year magic.

Glennon, 31, projects to replace Colt McCoy, who failed to impress last year. Meanwhile, Glennon’s five starts in Jacksonville didn’t go so great, either. All in all, he completed 62% of his throws for 1,072 yards and seven touchdowns against five interceptions.

Terms of Glennon’s deal are not yet known, but it’ll pale in comparison to the three-year, $45MM deal he inked with the Bears in 2017. In total, Glennon has earned roughly $30MM across his pro career.

Jets Eyeing JuJu Smith-Schuster

March 18th, 2021 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have been in talks with wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Steelers free agent would join the newly-signed Corey Davis in the Jets’ WR group.

While many of this year’s top free agents have already found lucrative deals, things have been fairly quiet around Smith-Schuster. He recently said that he’d like to stay in Pittsburgh, but it’s not clear whether a return is in the works.

“At the end of the day, I want to have my legacy in Pittsburgh and retire there,” Smith-Schuster said in February. “I don’t want to leave…I’m Pittsburgh for life.”

Smith-Schuster won’t turn 25 until November — it’s rare to see such a young and talented player available as an unrestricted free agent. In 2018, he was a revelation for the Steelers as he notched 1,426 receiving yards. But, this past season, he finished with just 831 yards. It’s possible that Smith-Schuster came into this week with outsized expectations, but the Jets could be willing to meet his asking price, which could be in the neighborhood of $15MM/year.

Patriots Cut Marqise Lee, Beau Allen

March 18th, 2021 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots’ spending spree has pushed a handful of veterans out the door. Wide receiver Marqise Lee and defensive tackle Beau Allen have been released, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Neither Allen nor Lee saw a regular season snap in New England. Lee signed with the Patriots in April on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum. The 29-year-old (30 in November) was expected to support a wide receiver group led by Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry. Between the opt-out and injuries, he’s a long way removed from his best work in 2016-17, when he totaled 1,551 receiving yards for the Jaguars. Instead of bringing him back, the Patriots will release him to save less than $800K.

Allen, 29, was supposed to replace Danny Shelton after he went to Detroit. Unfortunately, an undisclosed injury kept him on the shelf all year.

Patriots’ Patrick Chung Retires

March 18th, 2021 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

Patrick Chung announced that he is retiring from the NFL (Instagram link). Chung opted out of the 2020 season but was said to be aiming for a 2021 return.

The Patriots selected Chung in the second round of the 2009 draft, and he spent all but one year of his career with New England. In that time, he’s started in 112 regular season games and collected three Super Bowl rings. He was never been selected for a Pro Bowl, but was an important member of the Patriots’ D nonetheless.

In May of last year, the Patriots re-upped Chung on an extension that would allow him to earn up to $12.8MM over the next four seasons. In 2019, his last season on the field, Chung appeared in 13 games and registered 51 tackles, three passes defended, and one tackle for loss.

The Pats may go shopping for safety help, but they could also stand pat with their current group. Chung’s retirement leaves them with starters Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips, plus support from rising NFL sophomore Kyle Dugger. New arrival Jalen Mills could also pitch in at safety after agreeing to a four-year, $24MM free agent deal, though he’s likely ticketed for more work at corner.