2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Bengals Sign DL Larry Ogunjobi

March 17th, 2021 at 9:42pm CST by Rory Parks

Larry Ogunjobi is staying in the AFC North. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that the defensive lineman, who spent the first four years of his career with the Browns, is heading to the Bengals on a one-year deal (Twitter link).

This represents yet another defensive acquisition for Cincinnati, which has added a pair of cornerbacks — Mike Hilton and Chidobe Awuzie — and defensive end Trey Hendrickson over the past several days. The Bengals have tangled with Ogunjobi two times per season since he entered the league as a third-round draft choice in 2017, and they were apparently impressed.

They also got him for less of a commitment than many expected. As of late January, Spotrac pegged Ogunjobi’s market value at three years and roughly $28MM, and as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wrote at the time, the Browns were not going to be involved in the bidding if it got to that point. But Ogunjobi, as many players have done, elected to take a one-year pact with the hopes of hitting the market again in 2022, when the salary cap should dramatically increase.

Pro Football Focus was not high on Ogunjobi’s work in 2020, grading him as the 105th-best interior defender out of 125 qualifiers. But he has been a full-time starter since 2018 and has shown some ability to generate interior pass rush (14.5 career sacks) while holding up against the run. Just 26, he still might not have hit his ceiling, and his presence could allow the Bengals to part with stalwart Geno Atkins.

Atkins, who will turn 33 later this month, has been rumored as a cap casualty after an injury-marred 2020 season. His release would free up $9.5MM of cap room.

Lions To Sign QB Tim Boyle

March 17th, 2021 at 9:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Tim Boyle is sticking around the NFC North. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the veteran quarterback is signing with the Lions. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that it’s a one-year deal worth $2.5MM, including $1.5MM guaranteed.

Boyle joined the Packers as an undrafted free agent back in 2018, and he became a bit of a cult hero as Aaron Rodgers‘ backup over the past few years. The 26-year-old has seen time in 11 career games, mostly as a human victory cigar; he has 18 “carries” for -16 yards. He’s attempted four passes in his brief career, connecting on three of them for 15 yards.

The 26-year-old was set to hit restricted free agency this offseason, but the Packers decided to not tender the fan favorite. The Packers will move forward with 2020 first-rounder Jordan Love as the definitive backup quarterback.

The Lions were presumably looking for some reinforcement at the position after letting go of Chase Daniel earlier this week. Boyle will likely compete with David Blough for backup reps behind Jared Goff.

Patriots To Sign Kyle Van Noy

March 17th, 2021 at 8:28pm CST by Rory Parks

After one season with the division-rival Dolphins, Kyle Van Noy is heading back to Foxborough. The Patriots are signing the soon-to-be 30-year-old linebacker, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says that it will be a two-year pact worth up to $13.2MM (Twitter link).

A second-round pick of the Lions in 2014, Van Noy saw very little playing time until he was traded to the Pats in 2016. From 2017-19, the BYU product served as a full-time starter for New England and became a well-respected leader in the team’s locker room.

In his walk year in 2019, Van Noy had 56 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles as an integral part of a Patriots defense that was putting up historic numbers for much of that season. He parlayed that success into a four-year, $51MM contract with the Dolphins one year and one day ago, but he did not make it to a second season in South Beach. After failing to find a trade partner — not surprising given that Van Noy was due a $12.75MM salary in 2021 — Miami cut him last week.

Pro Football Focus’ metrics considered Van Noy the 26th-best linebacker out of 83 qualifiers in 2020, and his highest score came in the pass rush category. While he has never posted double-digit sacks, he can make opposing QBs uncomfortable, and he is good enough against the run to be a solid three-down ‘backer. His locker room presence is an added benefit, and New England can deploy him in a variety of roles.

The Patriots, of course, have stolen headlines over the legal tampering period and into the first day of the new league year, putting their ample amount of cap space to work by acquiring high-profile talents on both sides of the ball. It can certainly be argued that the team overpaid for a couple of those players, but Bill Belichick & Co. are clearly taking their absence from the playoffs in 2020 as a personal affront. Van Noy, along with fellow new additions Matt Judon and Davon Godchaux, should be a big boost to the club’s front seven.

Browns To Re-Sign WR Rashard Higgins

March 17th, 2021 at 8:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Rashard Higgins is heading back to Cleveland. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Browns are re-signing the free agent wideout. It will be a one-year deal for Higgins.

The 2016 fifth-round pick has spent his entire career in Cleveland, appearing in 67 regular season games in parts of five seasons. The wideout had one of his best seasons in 2020, hauling in 37 receptions for 599 yards and four touchdowns.

In total, the 26-year-old has collected 113 career receptions for 1,615 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Browns have been a bit quiet this week, but securing Higgins’ services assures that they’ll return much of the same receiving corps next season. Barring a trade, Higgins will likely slide in behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry on the depth chart.

Riley Reiff To Visit Bengals

March 17th, 2021 at 8:21pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bengals entered free agency with glaring holes along the offensive line, but they spent the past couple of days bolstering their defense. They may now be shifting gears, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that former Vikings left tackle Riley Reiff will take a visit with Cincinnati (Twitter link).

Reiff, who was released by Minnesota last week, has never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, but he has been a mostly solid starter since he entered the league as a first-round pick of the Lions in 2012. There was some chatter in recent seasons that he could be shifted inside to guard, but that never materialized.

The Bengals, though, have Jonah Williams penciled in at LT. So if Reiff signs with Cincinnati, he could end up at right tackle or, theoretically, at one of the guard positions.

We heard back in January that the Bengals could spend big on the O-line this offseason, which would be a major departure from their standard operating procedure. But it makes sense, as the club needs to protect quarterback Joe Burrow at all costs, a point that was driven home in brutal fashion when Burrow suffered a torn ACL and MCL in Week 11 of the 2020 season. Reiff might not be a world beater, but he is a major upgrade over what the Bengals trotted out last year, and if the club can sign him and acquire another quality blocker or two in the draft and/or free agency, Burrow will surely be a happy man.

The young signal-caller would also be delighted if the team adds another top-flight receiver to his cadre of weapons. The Bengals have an offer out to WR Kenny Golladay, who, along with Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, would create a rather fearsome trio of pass catchers..

Giants To Sign DL Ifeadi Odenigbo

March 17th, 2021 at 8:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Ifeadi Odenigbo is heading to the Big Apple. The defensive lineman is signing with the Giants, according to his agency on Twitter. It’s a one-year pact for Odenigbo. The deal is worth $2.5MM, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

After bouncing around the NFL a bit to start his career, Odenigbo broke onto the scene in 2019 with the Vikings. The defensive lineman ultimately finished the campaign having compiled 23 tackles, seven sacks, and one forced fumble despite appearing in only 34 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.

The 26-year-old took on a starting role in 2020, compiling 35 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 15 games (15 starts). Despite his starting role, he was non-tendered by Minnesota earlier this week.

Now, Odenigbo will enjoy a bit of a homecoming with his new squad. The defensive lineman was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, about a 20-minute drive from MetLife Stadium.

Chiefs Have Made Offer To C Austin Reiter

March 17th, 2021 at 8:07pm CST by Ben Levine

Austin Reiter might end up back in Kansas City after all. Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs have made an offer to the free agent center. Reiter is considering the organization’s offer.

We learned last week that the Chiefs were likely going to let Reiter hit the open market, and there was an expectation that he’d ultimately land elsewhere. However, the 29-year-old has yet to commit to an offer, so perhaps Kansas City changed their tune when they learned of the player’s adjusted asking price.

Reiter started 12 games this past year (and played every snap in the Super Bowl), and all 16 the season before. A seventh-round pick of Washington back in 2015, he quickly ended up on the Browns and only had one career start under his belt when he landed in Kansas City via a waiver claim in 2018.

He turned into a nice diamond in the rough find for the Chiefs as a serviceable player, but it sounded like the veteran could end up being a victim of the organization’s desire to revamp their offensive line in front of Patrick Mahomes. The team has already started with that makeover, inking Joe Thuney to a five-year deal and signing Kyle Long out of retirement.

Cowboys Sign LS Jake McQuaide

March 17th, 2021 at 7:58pm CST by Ben Levine

After a decade with the Rams organization, Jake McQuaide is moving on. The Cowboys announced (on Twitter) that they’ve signed the former Pro Bowl long snapper to a one-year deal.

McQuaide joined the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State in 2011, and he proceeded to spend the next 10 years with the Rams organization. The veteran hasn’t missed a single regular season game since joining the Rams, and he’ll leave the organization ranked 16th in franchise history in games played.

Outside of one offensive snap in 2019, the 33-year-old has exclusively appeared on special teams. Besides his long snapping duties, McQuaide has also compiled nine tackles. He earned Pro Bowl nods in both 2016 and 2017.

Vikings Sign CB Patrick Peterson

March 17th, 2021 at 7:37pm CST by Rory Parks

Patrick Peterson is moving on from Arizona. The Vikings have agreed to a one-year, $10MM deal with the decorated cornerback, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter).

Now 30 (31 in July), Peterson is one of the most accomplished defenders in Cardinals history and is a member of the Hall of Fame’s All-Decade team for the 2010s. He is not, however, the player he once was. He was hit with a six-game PED suspension to start the 2019 campaign, and after Pro Football Focus graded Peterson fifth among corners in 2018, he slipped to 41st in ’19 and 83rd in ’20. Quarterbacks throwing in Peterson’s direction last season collectively completed passes at a 67% clip — nearly 10 points higher than they did in 2018.

But he did pick off three passes in 2020, to go along with eight passes defensed. He has also been tremendously durable throughout his 10-year career, as the only games he has missed were due to the aforementioned suspension.

He joins a young CB room that had been fronted by a trio of recent early-round picks. Unlike Peterson, 2018 first-rounder Mike Hughes has not been able to stay healthy and has only suited up for 24 of a possible 48 regular season games in his pro career, while 2020 first-rounder Jeff Gladney struggled a bit in his rookie campaign. Cameron Dantzler, a third-round choice last year, played reasonably well as a rookie, but the group definitely needed a veteran influence like Peterson, an eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro.

Minnesota did have an offer out to Mackensie Alexander, but the Peterson signing could foreclose the possibility of an Alexander-Vikings reunion.

Raiders Trade OL Gabe Jackson To Seahawks

March 17th, 2021 at 7:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Gabe Jackson‘s stint with the Raiders has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders are trading the offensive lineman to the Seahawks for a 2021 draft pick. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the Raiders will receive a fifth-round pick.

It seemed inevitable that Jackson was on his way out of Vegas; we’ve heard for several months that the team was planning to cut the offensive guard. However, we learned earlier today that the Raiders were still shopping the veteran, and it sounded like the organization had a handful of potential trade partners.

Jackson has two years left on the five-year, $56MM extension he signed with the Raiders in 2017. A third-round pick in 2014, Jackson has spent all seven of his pro seasons with the Raiders. He’s been a full-time starter since his rookie year, and has only missed more than three games once, in 2019 when he missed five.

Jackson has always been a solid but not spectacular starter, but Jon Gruden felt he could no longer justify the double digit million AAV of his contract. They shopped him around this time last year, but nothing got done and he started all 16 games for Gruden in 2020.

The Raiders offensive line has already seen a bit of turnover this offseason. The team ended up trading center Rodney Hudson earlier this week, a move that reportedly “freaked out” Raiders target Kyle Long (who ended up signing with the Chiefs).

The Seahawks had been in the market for some offensive line help this offseason, although they struck out on a pair of targets in Kevin Zeitler and Joe Thuney. This trade leaves Seattle with only three picks in this year’s draft.