2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Broncos Tender LB Alexander Johnson At Round 2 Level

March 16th, 2021 at 5:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos’ Phillip Lindsay RFA tender opens the door to his Denver exit. The franchise gave a higher-priority tender to one of its three-down linebackers.

Denver will tender Alexander Johnson at the second-round level, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Johnson and wide receiver Tim Patrick received second-round tenders, which come out to $3.4MM this year.

An unusual RFA, Johnson will turn 30 this year. A legal issue delayed his NFL career, but the former Tennessee Volunteer has thrived after receiving his opportunity in Denver. The Broncos turned to Johnson as their starting middle linebacker early in the 2019 season, and he has become one of the league’s better off-ball ‘backers. Joining Josey Jewell as Denver starting linebackers going into contract years, Johnson led the 2020 team in tackles with 124.

Given his age, Johnson may not be a candidate for a long-term deal. But he could be in the mix for either a medium-length Broncos extension before the mid-June RFA deadline or draw interest for a similarly structured pact in unrestricted free agency next year.

Both Johnson and Patrick were expected to draw interest from other teams, had the Broncos tendered them at the right-of-first-refusal level. The Broncos did place the low-end tender on Linsday, whose profile exceeds both Johnson and Patrick’s. It will be interesting to see if the Pro Bowl running back draws an offer sheet. Any offer sheet that comes for Patrick or Johnson would require the signing team to send a second-round pick to the Broncos, should they fail to match. This scenario seems unlikely, pointing both players back to Denver for the 2021 season.

Cardinals Re-Sign OL Kelvin Beachum

March 16th, 2021 at 5:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Kelvin Beachum is sticking around Arizona. The Cardinals announced that they’ve re-signed the offensive lineman to a two-year deal.

The 2012 seventh-round pick has put together a solid nine-year career with four different organizations. Following a three-year stint with the Jets, Beachum joined the Cardinals last offseason on a one-year deal. He ultimately started all 16 games for the Cardinals at right tackle, allowing only three sacks.

Beachum could have some competition for the starting gig in 2021. 2020 third-round pick Josh Jones figures to be in the mix, although the youngster has the ability to play both guard and tackle. The Cardinals will also welcome back Marcus Gilbert, whose decision to opt out of the 2020 season necessitated the Beachum signing in the first place.

Either way, the Cardinals are clearly looking to add as much offensive line depth as possible as they look to protect franchise quarterback Kyler Murray.

Eagles WR Marquise Goodwin Reverts Back To 49ers

March 16th, 2021 at 5:28pm CST by Ben Levine

If you’re a fan of weird NFL transactions, you’ll like this one. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that Eagles wideout Marquise Goodwin has reverted back to the 49ers, per the terms of the trade the teams completed last year.

However, it doesn’t sound like the veteran receiver’s second stint in San Francisco is going to last all that long. Yates notes that Goodwin is unlikely to fit into the 49ers’ plans at wide receiver, opining that this is merely “a procedural move.”

Following four seasons in Buffalo, Goodwin joined the 49ers back in 2017. He proceeded to have a breakout campaign for his new squad, hauling in 56 receptions for 962 yards and two touchdowns. However, the receiver didn’t come close to matching that production between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, compiling 605 yards from scrimmage and five scores in 20 games (14 starts).

Goodwin was dealt to the Eagles last April in a deal that saw the 49ers and Eagles swap sixth-round picks. The 30-year-old ultimately declared as an opt-out for the 2020 season, and his tenure in Philly ends without him taking the field for his new squad.

Dolphins To Sign RB Malcolm Brown

March 16th, 2021 at 5:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

This Tuesday in the NFL will produce multiple Malcolm Brown agreements. Following the Jaguars acquiring the former Saints defensive tackle, the Dolphins will add a running back.

The Dolphins agreed to terms with the former Rams running back, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Brown has played his entire career with the Rams, beginning that run in St. Louis and staying with the team for its first five seasons back in Los Angeles.

The Rams drafted Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers in consecutive years, minimizing Brown’s status going forward. But the soon-to-be 28-year-old back received interest and will head to south Florida. He will join a Dolphins team that has acquired a few running backs under GM Chris Grier.

Miami signed Jordan Howard and traded for Matt Breida last year. Neither move resulted in much production, and the Dolphins made seventh-round pick Myles Gaskin its primary running back. Both Howard and Breida are no longer with the Dolphins. Gaskin remains under contract, and he will have a veteran complement in Brown.

A former UDFA out of Texas, Brown has posted a 4.0 yards-per-carry average as a pro. Brown spent five seasons backing up Todd Gurley in L.A. but received more work after the Rams cut their previous starter. Brown rushed for a career-high 419 yards last season, helping the Rams transition from their Gurley era. He will now help the Dolphins assemble a backfield in Year 3 of the Grier-Brian Flores regime.

Vikings Have Made Offer To CB Mackensie Alexander

March 16th, 2021 at 5:20pm CST by Ben Levine

Mackensie Alexander could land back in Minnesota. Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune reports (via Twitter) that the Vikings have interest in the veteran cornerback. Sources tell Goessling that Minnesota has made an offer to the free agent cornerback.

Alexander spent the first four seasons of his career with the Vikings, starting 10 of his 55 appearances. The veteran’s final season in Minnesota came in 2019, when he compiled 38 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one interception in 13 games (four starts).

He joined the Bengals last offseason on a one-year, $4MM deal. He ended up starting a career-high 10 games for Cincinnati, collecting 47 tackles, six passes defended, and one interception. He also appeared in a career-high 61-percent of his team’s defensive snaps in 2020.

The Vikings have been relatively quiet over the past few days. The team’s one notable addition was the signing of nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. The team entered the offseason with just over $9MM in cap space.

Derek Wolfe, Ravens Agree To Terms

March 16th, 2021 at 5:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:15pm: These talks will lead to a contract agreement. The Ravens are bringing back Wolfe and will do so on a multiyear deal this year. Wolfe will sign a three-year, $12MM deal to stay in Baltimore, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic tweets.

4:59pm: Derek Wolfe may be on track to securing a second contract agreement with the Ravens. The veteran defensive lineman indicated he is close to re-signing with the Ravens, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets.

The Ravens have lost their top two edge rushers from last season, with Matt Judon going to the Patriots and Yannick Ngakoue committing to the Raiders. But they still have Calais Campbell under contract and made moves to retain their backup edges — Pernell McPhee and Tyus Bowser — and appear to have a second Wolfe deal in sight.

A Broncos starter for eight seasons, Wolfe moved on to the Ravens last season. He started eight games, playing 58% of Baltimore’s defensive snaps. The 2021 season will be Wolfe’s age-31 campaign.

Wolfe played a key role for the Broncos’ Super Bowl champion defense but was not prioritized in Denver last year. It appears the Ravens view the run defender/inside pass rusher as an important cog as they attempt to reconstruct their pass rush.

Bills To Sign P Matt Haack

March 16th, 2021 at 5:12pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Haack is sticking around the AFC East. The Bills have signed the former Dolphins punter, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

The 26-year-old punter had spent his entire career with the Dolphins. Haack entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State in 2017, and he was immediately handed the starting gig in Miami. Haack ended up with 307 punts during his tenure with the Dolphins, averaging 44.7 yards per attempt. He’s hit at least a 60-yarder in each of his four seasons.

Haack will presumably snag the role that was previously held by Corey Bojorquez. It seemed like the 24-year-old’s stint with Buffalo may be coming to an end when we learned of the Bills’ interest in veteran Michael Palardy earlier this month.

Titans To Sign CB Janoris Jenkins

March 16th, 2021 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

After dismantling their cornerback corps, the Titans are starting to put pieces together at the position. They are signing veteran Janoris Jenkins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Saints made Jenkins a cap casualty last week. The Titans have made both Malcolm Butler and Adoree’ Jackson cap casualties, creating major needs at this spot.

Tennessee boasted one of the worst third-down defenses in modern NFL history last season and ranked 29th against the pass. The Titans will add Jenkins, a longtime starter who has been a first-stringer with three teams, in hopes of improving here. This move comes after the team addressed its front-seven needs by agreeing to terms with Bud Dupree and Denico Autry.

In 2019, the Titans possessed a high-end group of corners in Butler, Jackson and Logan Ryan. All three are gone, leaving 2020 second-round pick Kristian Fulton and multiple vacancies at this rather important position. Jenkins, 32, profiles as a stopgap solution of sorts. He will turn 33 midway through the season but has managed to stick as a starter in multiple seasons with the Rams, Giants and Saints.

Pro Football Focus has rated Jackrabbit as an above-average corner over the past two seasons. He slotted at 42nd and 38th among qualified corners in 2019 and ’20. The Rams let Jenkins walk as a free agent in 2016; the Giants traded him in 2019. Formerly a pick-six maven, with seven return TDs as a Ram and one as a Giant, Jenkins will hope to deliver another solid season as a pro.

Eagles Give Permission To Zach Ertz To Seek Trade

March 16th, 2021 at 4:57pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Zach Ertz / Eagles saga appears to be nearing an end. Philadelphia has given the veteran tight end permission to seek his own trade, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Rapsheet notes that “several teams have been engaged.” The two sides have been headed for divorce for quite some time now, and things have been ramping up lately. A little over a week ago we heard that a trade could come soon, and it was reported over the weekend that the Eagles were seeking a third or fourth-round pick for Ertz.

So far nobody has been willing to meet that asking price since Ertz is now 30 and coming off a down year. Meanwhile, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that Ertz isn’t looking for a new contract as part of a trade and is willing to play out the final year of his deal, which should make things a bit easier (Twitter video link).

From Philly’s perspective they’ve got Dallas Goedert waiting in the wings, which makes Ertz expendable. He clashed with management this past year, and even got into a heated argument with GM Howie Roseman at one point over his contract.

Ertz has one more season left on his current deal with an $8.25MM salary and $12.4MM cap hit. Trading or cutting him would save the Eagles almost $5MM in cap space, but also leave almost $8MM in dead money. Ertz is coming off easily his worst season as a pro, but he made the Pro Bowl in 2019 and was a first-team All-Pro in 2018.

The team reportedly considered trading him around last year’s deadline, but an ankle injury nixed those talks. Ertz has been easily one of the best tight ends in the league the past handful of years, and it’s not hard to envision him having a bounce back campaign in 2021 wherever he lands.

Seahawks Shut Down Bears’ Russell Wilson Push

March 16th, 2021 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears made a move to address their uncertain quarterback situation Tuesday afternoon. It was not the splash most Chicagoans likely wanted, but Andy Dalton has a connection with OC Bill Lazor and nine-plus years’ worth of starter experience.

However, Chicago did begin a “very aggressive” Russell Wilson pursuit, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Thus far, the Bears have been the team most closely connected to making a run at the somewhat disgruntled Seahawk, but Seattle has thus far rebuffed any trade inquiries. The Seahawks informed the Bears they are not trading Wilson at this time, Schefter adds.

The “at this time” part of this report certainly sticks out, but Wilson has not requested a trade and has spoken periodically with Pete Carroll during this saga. Wilson expressed frustration at points last season and made it known he would like the Seahawks to better address their offensive line. They have yet to do so during the legal tampering period, but the team did receive Wilson’s blessing when hiring OC Shane Waldron earlier this offseason.

Chicago now has Dalton and Nick Foles on its roster. While the team may well continue to try to acquire Seattle’s superstar QB, potentially including one of its veteran passers in a trade package that would need to be fronted by far better pieces, the Seahawks have put the Wilson-to-Chicago rumors to rest for the time being.