2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Raiders Looking To Trade Rodney Hudson

March 17th, 2021 at 1:55pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Yesterday, we heard the Raiders were cutting Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson. Not so fast. Las Vegas is actually try to move Hudson via trade first, a source told Josina Anderson (Twitter link).

In a follow-up tweet, Anderson notes that there are talks of a trade involving a “second day pick.” A Day 2 pick would be a pretty nice haul for a player they were about to cut. This has been a trend in the NFL recently, for reports to leak that a player was getting cut only for the team to try to trade him at the last minute, sometimes successfully sometimes not. It was reported the Saints were going to cut defensive tackle Malcom Brown, and then they traded him to the Jags yesterday.

The Dolphins were set to cut Kyle Van Noy, then tried to trade him, only to ultimately release him after finding no takers. Whether Hudson is traded or released, it still represents a dramatic overhaul of the Raiders’ offensive line. This move follows Las Vegas’ cuts of Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito and its trade of Trent Brown to New England.

Hudson, 31, graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall center last season. The Raiders signed him to a three-year, $33.75MM extension in 2019. In six seasons with the team, he’s missed only four total games.

The Florida State product and former Kansas City Chief has made the Pro Bowl in three of the last five seasons and was a second-team All-Pro in 2019.

Cardinals To Sign A.J. Green

March 17th, 2021 at 12:25pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Cardinals’ already impressive receiving corp just added another big name. Arizona has agreed to terms on a deal with A.J. Green, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Green had been expected to leave Cincinnati all along. It’s a one-year deal worth “up to” $8.5MM with $6MM of that being guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The base value is $6MM with incentives that can push it higher, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. While Cardinals fans might be quick to get excited about this news, it could also indicate that fellow free agent Larry Fitzgerald is unlikely to return. Fitzgerald, 37, could decide to hang up his cleats or even continue playing with another team.

Green is now the second first-round pick from the 2011 draft the Cards have added this offseason after they already signed J.J. Watt. If they bring back Patrick Peterson, they’ll have three of the top 11 picks from that draft on the roster. Once one of the best receivers in the game, injuries limited Green to just nine contests in 2018 and he then missed the entire 2019 season.

He returned this past year to appear in all 16 games, but his role was greatly reduced in new coach Zac Taylor’s offense. He finished with just 47 catches for 523 yards, easily the lowest total of his career, including the nine-game campaign. His 694 yards in nine 2018 games would’ve projected out to 1,233 yards for a full season, so there are reasons to believe he’s still got something in the tank.

While it ended on a bad note, the fourth overall pick of the 2011 draft had an incredible run in Cincy. He set all sorts of franchise records while making seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. He didn’t seem to see eye to eye with the new Bengals management, and there was even some speculation back in October that he wanted to be traded although the wideout denied it.

Green will turn 33 in July, and he certainly won’t be the number one option in an offense that features DeAndre Hopkins. But he’s got a chip on his shoulder, and perhaps Hopkins’ presence will free things up for him. Here’s to hoping he rejuvenates his career in the desert.

Patriots To Sign Ted Karras

March 17th, 2021 at 11:37am CST by Zachary Links

Ted Karras is returning to the Patriots, as Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets. Once finalized, it’ll be a one-year, $4MM deal for the veteran center, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

Karras joined the Dolphins for the 2020 season. He started in all 16 games and played on all 1,067 of their offensive snaps. Before that, he spent the previous four years with the Patriots, winning a pair of Super Bowls in front of Tom Brady. Karras was a reserve for the early part of his New England tenure, starting only five games through his first three pro seasons. Then, in 2019, he was elevated to the first string for 15 games.

The return of Karras likely signals the departure of free agent David Andrews. The longtime starter missed the entire 2019 campaign after getting diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, but managed to return in time for the 2020 season. Held back by a much less serious thumb ailment, he appeared in 72% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in 12 games. Now, he could be moving on to another club.

Dolphins To Sign Adam Butler

March 17th, 2021 at 11:30am CST by Zachary Links

Adam Butler will reunite with Brian Flores. The former Patriots defensive tackle has agreed to a two-year deal with the Dolphins (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The contract could be worth up to $9.5MM with bonuses. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the contract has a listed value of $7.5MM, including $3.75MM in guaranteed.

Last year, the Patriots kept Butler from the open market (and, likely, the waiting arms of Flores) with a second-round tender. This time around, the Patriots allowed Butler to walk amidst their own free agency spending spree.

The former Vanderbilt standout has spent his entire four-year career with New England, and he won a Super Bowl championship during his second year in the NFL. He’s missed just one a regular season game as a pro and he’s made an impact, despite making just six combined starts across the last two seasons. In 2019, he set a new career high with six sacks. Last year, he registered four sacks with a new watermark of 34 total stops.

Butler will be joined in the Miami front seven by fellow newcomer Benardrick McKinney. The Dolphins acquired the inside linebacker earlier this week by shipping OLB Shaq Lawson to the Texans.

Rams Trade Michael Brockers To Lions For Seventh-Round Pick

March 17th, 2021 at 9:56am CST by Zachary Links

Early Wednesday, the Lions acquired defensive lineman Michael Brockers from the Rams. The cost? A 2023 seventh-round pick, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Lions GM Brad Holmes kicked off his new responsibilities by shipping Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles in a blockbuster trade. This week, he went back to the Rams’ well for Brockers, a 2012 first-round pick who was a bit too pricey for L.A., even though he’s been productive. Last year, Brockers notched five sacks and 51 total stops in 15 games (all stars).

The Rams re-upped Brockers last year on a three-year, $24MM deal after his would-be Ravens agreement fell through. Brockers was a good bet to get cut, saving $6.17MM against the cap with $3.67MM in dead money. Instead, they got something in exchange for him — even if it’s not all that much.

Brockers will join Trey Flowers and newly re-signed edge rusher Romeo Okwara in the Lions’ front seven. Meanwhile, last year’s top nose tackle Danny Shelton is out of the picture following his release.

Jaguars Cut Rashaan Melvin

March 17th, 2021 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars are releasing Rashaan Melvin (Twitter link via PFT). The veteran cornerback opted out of last season, so he’ll look to suit up for the first time since 2019.

Melvin has spent time with eight different NFL teams. He joined the Jaguars in free agency after spending 2019 with the Lions. His one-year deal – worth $2.25MM – tolled into 2021, before it was shredded.

The former UDFA started 12 games for Detroit in 2019. The Jaguars could have used him last year to support D.J. Hayden and first-round pick C.J. Henderson. This year, they’ve got ex-Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin to bolster the secondary.

Melvin’s best seasons came with the Colts. After his breakout year in 2016, Melvin delivered 36 tackles, three interceptions, and 13 passes defended. Pro Football Focus ranked him 17th among 120 eligible cornerbacks that year, but he’s now years removed from his best work, or even suiting up.

Dolphins To Sign Justin Coleman

March 17th, 2021 at 9:37am CST by Zachary Links

Former Lions cornerback Justin Coleman has agreed to terms with the Dolphins (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). He’ll receive a one-year deal worth up to $2.75MM. The actual base value of the deal is not yet known.

The Lions signed Coleman to a four-year, $36MM pact back in 2019, but he only ended up making it halfway through that deal. His contract made him one of the highest-paid slot cornerbacks in the league, but he wasn’t able to perform at that level. A hamstring injury capped his 2020 season at just eleven games and he registered only one pass defended.

Still, in 2019, Coleman turned in a 16-game slate with 54 tackles, three forced fumbles, 13 passes defended, and an interception. Now, the Dolphins have him for a fraction of his would-be $8.9MM for this coming year.

Falcons’ Dante Fowler Takes Pay Cut

March 17th, 2021 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons have a little extra room to work with. Edge rusher Dante Fowler has agreed to a pay cut for the coming year, as Jeff Schultz of The Athletic tweets.

Fowler joined the Falcons on a three-year, $48MM deal last year, but didn’t produce in his first season with the team. The Florida product posted just three sacks and four tackles for a loss, versus 11.5 sacks and 16 tackles in the previous season with the Rams.

Before that, Fowler spent the first four-plus seasons of his career with the Jaguars, including a rookie campaign that was wiped out thanks to a torn ACL. The Falcons had high hopes for him, especially since he found national fame playing under then-head coach Dan Quinn at UF.

Fowler was originally set for an $18.5MM cap hit with $13MM in base salary. Terms of the revised deal have not been disclosed, but the Falcons will save on both portions.

Raiders To Sign John Brown

March 17th, 2021 at 9:25am CST by Zachary Links

John Brown is going to Las Vegas. On Wednesday, the wide receiver agreed to a one-year, $3.75MM deal with the Raiders, as Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets.

Brown will help replace Nelson Agholor, who inked a surprisingly lucrative deal with the Patriots. The Raiders are also down Tyrell Williams, who was cut early on in the offseason. Brown will come into camp as a supporting member of the new-look group, which includes Henry Ruggs, Hunter Renfrow, and Bryan Edwards.

In 2019, Brown’s first season with the Bills, he managed new career highs of 72 catches for 1,060 receiving yards. Last year, he was limited just nine games and finished with a 33/458/3 stat line. The Bills went on to release him, saving nearly $8MM against the 2021 salary cap.

Washington Re-Signs Lamar Miller

March 17th, 2021 at 9:18am CST by Zachary Links

Lamar Miller is staying with the Washington Football Team. The veteran running back will return on a one-year deal, per agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

Miller signed with WFT in December, but has yet to suit up for a game. In fact, he hasn’t played since 2018 thanks to an ACL tear and other injuries. Before that, he made the Pro Bowl with 973 rushing yards, five touchdowns, and a solid 4.6 yards per carry average. He also added 25 receptions for 163 receiving yards and one touchdown during that campaign.

Miller, 30 in late April, could still be a difference-maker if he’s healthy. Recognizing this, WFT allocated some of their cap space towards Miller — likely on a low-cost deal. Among their pricier signings: A three-year, $42MM pact for former Bengals corner William Jackson III and a one-year, $10-$12MM deal for quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.