2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Colts To Re-Sign Marlon Mack

March 17th, 2021 at 3:16pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Almost everybody had expected these two sides to move on, but they just can’t quit each other. The Colts are re-signing running back Marlon Mack, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets.

It’s a one-year deal for $2MM, Pelissero reports. Mack began last season as Indy’s starter, but unfortunately tore his Achilles in Week 1. The saving grace of the timing of his injury was that it at least allowed him to get an early start on recovery for 2021. After Mack’s injury and the emergence of rookie Jonathan Taylor as the team’s new lead back, it had been widely assumed that Mack would be playing elsewhere next season.

In January, Colts GM Chris Ballard said “Marlon Mack deserves a contract, unequivocally. He deserves a good contract. I don’t know if we are going to be able to do that here.” Many understandably interpreted that as a sign that divorce was likely. Over the weekend we heard that Mack was progressing well in his recovery and was expected to be ready to go for training camp.

In all likelihood Mack tested the waters the past couple days, didn’t generate as much interest as he was hoping for, and opted to return to Indy on a cheap deal. A running back coming off an Achilles tear is enough to give anybody pause, but in 2019 Mack rushed for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games.

The South Florida product also only just turned 25 earlier this month, so he should have plenty left in the tank. With Mack, Taylor (who looked phenomenal down the stretch in 2020), and Nyheim Hines, the Colts will have one of the league’s best backfields in 2021.

Raiders Discussing Gabe Jackson Trade

March 17th, 2021 at 3:06pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Raiders’ offensive line situation is a bit chaotic right now. Yesterday it was reported that center Rodney Hudson was getting cut, but this afternoon we heard they were trying to trade him and he was quickly dealt to the Cardinals for a third-rounder.

Now they’re trying to pull the same trick with guard Gabe Jackson, who we heard was going to be cut all the way back on March 3rd. Las Vegas is having trade discussions about Jackson now too, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jackson won’t be as easy to trade as Hudson was, and they won’t be getting a third-round pick back, but it sounds like there is legitimate interest.

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.

Panthers To Sign LB Denzel Perryman

March 17th, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having seen his Chargers role reduced in recent years, Denzel Perryman will receive a fresh start in the NFC. The veteran linebacker intends to sign with the Panthers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

The Panthers are adding the six-year veteran on a two-year deal, Fowler adds (via Twitter). After Carolina took a low-cost swing with Tahir Whitehead to succeed Luke Kuechly last year, the team will bring in Perryman at middle linebacker.

Although the Bolts re-signed Perryman two years ago, they transitioned away from him upon trading up for Kenneth Murray in last year’s first round. While Murray experienced acclimation issues in Los Angeles as a rookie, Perryman played just 31% of the team’s defensive snaps last season. He should be expected to have a bigger role in Charlotte.

Various injuries have also plagued Perryman during his career. Hamstring and knee trouble ended his 2018 and ’19 seasons, respectively. While the 28-year-old linebacker has encountered myriad issues in his career, Pro Football Focus viewed his most recent work sample favorably. He graded as one of the top off-ball linebackers last season — a 48-tackle slate across 13 games. Perryman showed promise earlier in his career as well and will attempt to stabilize it in Carolina alongside Shaq Thompson.

Falcons Restructure Matt Ryan’s Deal

March 17th, 2021 at 2:57pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Atlanta has gotten under the salary cap just ahead of the start of the new league year. They’ve done it in part by restructuring the contract of Matt Ryan, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. Zach Klein of WSB was first to tweet the news.

Atlanta converted $21MM of Ryan’s $23MM base salary for this upcoming season and turned it into a signing bonus to spread it out over the duration of his contract, which runs through 2023. The move knocked Ryan’s 2021 cap number down about $14MM, Rothstein writes.

As he points out, this isn’t breaking any new ground, as this is the third time Ryan’s contract has been restructured. The move allows the Falcons to get under the cap for now, and also could be indicative that they have Ryan in their long-term plans.

There had been some speculation the team would look to move on before too long, but this restructure makes it a lot harder to get out of his contract. He’ll now have a dead cap number north of $40MM in 2022. Ryan will turn 36 in May, and new coach Arthur Smith has insisted he isn’t planning on blowing things up. This move would be consistent with that.

Raiders Trade C Rodney Hudson To Cardinals

March 17th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders found a taker for Rodney Hudson. A day after the Pro Bowl center surfaced as a cap casualty, the Raiders sought to trade him. The Cardinals will acquire the veteran snapper.

Hudson will be shipped to Arizona in a pick-swap deal, per Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This will represent a significant upgrade at the center spot for the Cardinals while giving the Raiders something in return for a player they appeared prepared to cut. The Cards announced the move.

Instead of releasing Hudson, the Raiders are set to receive a Day 2 pick in a trade. The Cardinals will send a third-round pick for Hudson and a seventh-rounder, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Cards were rumored to be targeting centers. They will now acquire one of the best in the business.

Initially a 2015 signee, Hudson broke out with the Raiders. The former Chiefs third-round pick has made the Pro Bowl three times and paved the way for three 1,000-yard rushing seasons while with the Raiders. He operated as the centerpiece of one of the NFL’s better offensive lines. He will now join the likes of D.J. Humphries and Justin Pugh in Arizona; the Cards also brought back right tackle Kelvin Beachum on Wednesday.

Pro Football Focus graded Hudson as its No. 8 overall center last season; Cardinals primary snapper Mason Cole came in at 31st. The 2021 season will be Hudson’s age-32 campaign.

The 10-year veteran will remain attached to the extension the Raiders signed him to in 2019; that deal runs through 2022. Las Vegas will be tagged with some dead money, upwards of $7MM, but a trade will be an obviously preferable scenario on the financial and compensation front for the Silver and Black. That said, the Raiders will have some big shoes to fill at this position.

Patriots Place Second-Round Tender On J.C. Jackson

March 17th, 2021 at 2:44pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Patriots waited until the last minute, but they’re tendering J.C. Jackson. New England has placed the second-round tender on the restricted free agent cornerback, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.

This one is interesting since many people had expected the Pats to place the first-round tender on Jackson. The second-round tender is worth around $3.4MM in 2021 while the first-round tender is worth around $4.8MM. Rapoport writes that Jackson “could see action in the RFA market,” which as he notes is pretty rare. But Jackson isn’t any old restricted free agent.

He played like one of the league’s better corners this past season, so Bill Belichick took a bit of a gamble here. If any team does decide to sign Jackson to an offer sheet, the Patriots would either match it, or let him walk and collect a second-round pick from that team. A first-round tender would’ve ensured he’s back in New England in 2021, but it’s not totally out of the question that a team would be willing to forfeit a second-rounder for him.

An UDFA out of Maryland in 2018, Jackson has been Belichick’s latest diamond in the rough find. He started five games as a rookie, and has shown tremendous ballhawking skills.

In 2018 he picked off three passes while only playing less than 38 percent of the defensive snaps. In 2019 he picked off five while only playing 68 percent. This past season he played 84 percent of the snaps, and intercepted a whopping nine passes, the second-most in the league. He also had 14 passes defended and three fumble recoveries.

Buccaneers To Re-Sign Aaron Stinnie

March 17th, 2021 at 2:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Aaron Stinnie stepped up in a big way when the Buccaneers needed him most, and now he’s getting rewarded. Tampa Bay has re-signed the guard, the team announced on Wednesday.

Terms of the deal weren’t immediately available, although it’s safe to assume it wasn’t a massive payday or anything. Stinnie was set to become a restricted free agent, but rather than deal with the tendering process the team just inked him to a new deal. Few around the league were familiar with Stinnie a few months ago, but he was suddenly thrust to prominence when he began starting during the Bucs’ Super Bowl run.

Stinnie started Tampa’s final three games, including the Super Bowl, after normal starter Alex Cappa went down in the Wild Card round. Incredibly, they were the first starts of Stinnie’s NFL career, but the moment wasn’t too big for him and he performed solidly.

An UDFA in 2018 out of James Madison, Stinnie originally signed with the Titans. After a year and a half in Tennessee, he was cut and claimed off waivers by the Bucs in November of 2019. It was a really cool story during the playoffs, and it’s nice to see him get brought back.

Titans To Bring Back LB Jayon Brown

March 17th, 2021 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans will retain a key defensive piece for the 2021 season. They are re-signing linebacker Jayon Brown on a one-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Brown turned down other offers to return to the Titans, per Pelissero, who notes the four-year Titan contributor will stay for $5.25MM. A three-year starter with Tennessee, Brown represents a key retention move for a team that is making a considerable effort to improve defensively.

Although Brown’s 2020 season did not end well, with the former fifth-round pick suffering a major elbow injury, he expressed a desire to stay in Nashville. The Titans pounced, and Brown will reprise his role as a starter alongside Rashaan Evans at inside linebacker. Evans is under contract through the 2021 season but can be retained through 2022 by the Titans picking up his fifth-year option. It would cost them a fully guaranteed $9.74MM to do so.

As for Brown, he has played well since being elevated into the Titans’ starting lineup in 2018. Brown broke out that year, delivering a versatile performance — 97 tackles, six sacks, 10 QB hits — and followed that up with a 105-tackle slate in 2019. Tennessee’s defense struggled across the board last season, but Pro Football Focus has rated Brown as a top-20 linebacker in each of the past three seasons. The UCLA alum has also excelled in coverage, a facet that makes it a bit surprising this midlevel contract was the best he could do in free agency.

But Brown is, as of now, in position to have another crack at cashing in next year. And an elbow specialist just cleared Brown to return to full football activities, Pelissero tweets. Brown figures to be joined by UFA additions Bud Dupree and Denico Autry in Tennessee’s starting lineup next season.

Raiders Expected To Re-Sign WR Zay Jones

March 17th, 2021 at 2:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Acquired nearly two years ago via in-season trade, Zay Jones will stay with the Raiders. The former second-round pick will stay in Las Vegas on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

With Nelson Agholor impressing on a low-end contract last season, Jones did not have much of a role on offense. The ex-Bills draftee caught just 14 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. This came after a 20-reception, 147-yard debut slate in Oakland two seasons ago. But Jones will be back to team with the likes of Hunter Renfrow and 2020 draft picks Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards.

John Brown‘s arrival, however, figures to relegate Jones to largely a special teams role. Brown’s Bills signing in 2019 helped lead Jones to Oakland, with Buffalo shipping the former starter west early in the 2019 season. The East Carolina product caught 56 passes for 652 yards and seven touchdowns during Josh Allen‘s 2018 debut season but has been quiet on the receiving front since.

Agholor agreed to terms with the Patriots on the first day of free agency, but Jones’ return along with his three younger receiver mates will bring the most continuity to this group since Jon Gruden returned to the Raiders. The team has shuffled up its aerial corps consistently during Gruden’s tenure. As of now, the Raiders look to feature a familiar receiving crew next season.

Raiders To Re-Sign Denzelle Good

March 17th, 2021 at 2:16pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Raiders are the busiest team so far on Wednesday move. They’re re-signing another one of their own guys, this time locking up offensive lineman Denzelle Good, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

It’s a two-year deal for Good, Fowler reports. The deal is worth $8.36MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Good will see $3.19MM in guarantees.

Good signed a one-year deal with the Raiders for $1.7MM in 2019. Then he signed a one-year deal for $2.3MM last offseason. After becoming essentially a full-time starter for Las Vegas this past year, he finally gets the multi-year deal. A seventh-round pick of the Colts in 2015, Good spent his first three-plus seasons in Indy.

He started at least a handful of games each season, but was cut by the Colts late in 2018 and promptly claimed off waivers by the Raiders. He started five games in 2019, but started 14 this past year after Richie Incognito missed most of the season. Las Vegas has done a ton of shuffling to their offensive line this month. Of the Raiders’ Week 1 starting O-line from last season, only Kolton Miller remains with the team

Las Vegas has already cut guards Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito and traded tackle Trent Brown to New England. Incognito is apparently still a candidate to return, but it sounds like the team views Good as one of their starters for 2021.