2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots To Sign Kendrick Bourne

March 15th, 2021 at 5:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:58pm: The Pats have a deal with Bourne. They are signing the former 49ers receiver to a three-year, $22.5MM pact, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. While Bourne and Nelson Agholor are not on the top tier of available wideouts, they are off the market as part of New England’s receiver-retooling effort.

4:16pm: Usually fairly restrained early in free agency periods, the Patriots have been active on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. They are now moving toward a deal with 49ers wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

Multiple teams have made offers to Bourne, per Fowler, but he and the Pats are discussing terms at this juncture. Bourne would represent a notable add to a receiver room in dire need of 2021 contributors.

New England has given either Cam Newton (or a to-be-determined QB1) Jonnu Smith and added Matt Judon and Jalen Mills to its defense. Bourne would be the team’s first wideout addition this offseason. The Pats have been in transition at this spot for multiple seasons, so Bourne would be a welcome signing.

Despite missing time because of COVID-19 last season and the 49ers having lost Jimmy Garoppolo for much of the slate, Bourne emerged with his most productive year. He caught 49 passes for 667 yards and two touchdowns. During San Francisco’s 2019 NFC championship season, Bourne played a key role but took a backseat to the likes of George Kittle, Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel in the 49ers’ aerial hierarchy.

Buccaneers To Bring Back Rob Gronkowski

March 15th, 2021 at 5:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another major Buccaneers band-retention item can be removed from their to-do list. The Super Bowl champs are re-signing Rob Gronkowski on a one-year deal worth $8MM (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). With incentives, Gronk can earn up to $10MM.

The Bucs have now moved to retain Gronk, Chris Godwin, Shaquil Barrett and Lavonte David. While more work remains, the Bucs have ensured their top would-be free agents will stay for the team’s title defense. That’s due to some slight hometown discounts and some serious cap maneuvering. Barrett, for example, will count for less than $6MM against the Buccaneers’ 2021 salary cap. But, in total, his four-year deal is worth $68MM and could go as high as $72MM.

After capturing his first Super Bowl ring without Bill Belichick, Gronk seemed pretty set on returning to Tampa Bay.

“Yeah, I’ll remain unretired,” the tight end said in February. “I’m a free agent. It’s the first time in my career that I’m a free agent…But I definitely see myself coming back, just the guys around here, the players around here, the coaches, the people in the front office, they’re all just great people. I loved working with them all year long.”

“So, obviously going to soak this in and see where I’m at in a couple weeks, but I don’t see why not. I don’t see why I won’t be back.”

Gronkowski, 32 in May, found his footing quickly as he hauled in 45 catches for 623 yards and seven touchdowns. That stat line wasn’t as gaudy as his best seasons with the Patriots, but he showed up big in the Super Bowl, leading all receivers with six grabs for 67 yards and two TDs en route to the ring.

Jaguars Re-Sign Dawuane Smoot

March 15th, 2021 at 5:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars will re-sign defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’ll be a two-year deal worth $10MM, including $5.25MM guaranteed (per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter).

The Jaguars inked Roy Robertson-Harris earlier in the day but still found room to keep one of their own. Though he’s not a marquee name, new head coach Urban Meyer apparently liked Smoot’s ability to move around the line. Robertson-Harris is similarly versatile, but flexibility will help as the Jaguars will shift more towards a 3-4 set.

Smoot, a 2017 third-round pick, has appeared in 56 games for the Jaguars. In 2020, he was first-string for the first time as he made seven starts . For his career, he’s totaled 66 stops with 14 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.

Broncos, Ronald Darby Agree To Terms

March 15th, 2021 at 5:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ronald Darby will finally land a long-term deal. After back-to-back one-year agreements, Darby will join the Broncos on a multiyear deal.

The former Bills, Eagles and Washington cornerback found success on this year’s market; he will join the Broncos on a three-year, $30MM contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Darby will receive $19.5MM fully guaranteed from Denver.

An ACL tear in his 2018 contract year submarined the former second-round pick’s value, but his latest free agency chapter will produce a seminal accord. The Broncos have been in need at corner for multiple years now, with injuries and departures gutting the team’s once-elite corps.

Denver now has Darby and Bryce Callahan as its top corners. While the Broncos should be expected to further target the position — perhaps as early as the first round of the draft — Darby represents a notable expense for the team. He is now Denver’s highest-paid corner.

After Darby spent 2019 regaining his footing, having re-signed with Philadelphia, he moved closer to re-establishing his value in Washington in 2020. The former Buffalo draftee rated as a top-30 corner, per Pro Football Focus. He played in all 16 Washington games, teaming with Kendall Fuller as part of a quality pass defense. The Broncos appear convinced Darby has surmounted his previous injury issues and will move forward with him as a key piece in their secondary.

Raiders To Sign Yannick Ngakoue

March 15th, 2021 at 5:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have struck a deal with Yannick Ngakoue. The former Ravens linebacker will head to Las Vegas a two-year, $26MM deal, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.

Jon Gruden has been eyeing Ngakoue since his Jaguars days. The Vikings and Ravens got him first, but Gruden now has his man. The deal will reunite Ngakoue with defensive coordinator Gus Bradley as the Raiders look to rekindle their pass rush. Ever since the Khalil Mack trade three years ago, they’ve struggled to generate consistent pressure.

Ngakoue, who turns 26 later this month, is set to enter his sixth season as a pro. With 45.5 career sacks to his credit, he’s a difference-maker — even if the Ravens didn’t use him all that much in the playoffs.

Ngakoue projects to lead a Raiders edge group that also features Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell. Ferrell hasn’t lived up to Gruden’s expectations since he was drafted (and, arguably, reached for), but Ngakoue can help cover his deficiencies.

Ngakoue is not particularly strong against the run, but he averaged over nine sacks per season over his first four years in the league, and he has also shown some serious play-making ability. He forced 14 fumbles in that stretch and he directly responsible for five of the 12 defensive touchdowns the Jaguars scored between 2016 and 2019.

Rams To Re-Sign LB Leonard Floyd

March 15th, 2021 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:35pm: The Floyd market moved fast. The Giants pushed to sign him, but the Rams will win the sweepstakes, Anderson tweets. Floyd will stay in Los Angeles on a four-year, $64MM deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

This represents a major win for Floyd, who saw the Bears release him prior to his fifth-year option vesting in 2020. Floyd will follow Fowler in riding a Rams contract year into free agency success. The Rams are making their biggest commitment to an edge defender in years here, doing so after trading Robert Quinn and letting Fowler walk. The team’s journey toward cap compliance will continue, however, with the team now having three front-seven bastions — Donald, Floyd and Michael Brockers — signed to veteran deals.

5:15pm: Although the Rams let Dante Fowler walk in free agency last year, they are not quite ready to lose another edge rusher. They remain in talks with Leonard Floyd, according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, who notes the discussions are going well (Twitter link).

The Rams will still need to clear considerable cap space to keep Floyd. They reside more than $30MM over the cap. Teams must comply with the $182.5MM salary ceiling by 3pm March 17, when the 2021 league year starts.

Like Fowler, Floyd produced in a contract year. The former Bears first-round pick, whom Chicago cut after an inconsistent tenure, recorded a career-best 10.5 sacks while teaming with Aaron Donald in Los Angeles. After battling injury issues early in his career, Floyd has now played in 16 games in each of the past three seasons.

More edge rushers are available this year, compared to a 2020 offseason in which several received franchise tags. Like Fowler, Floyd did not. And he is in much better position to land a strong deal than he was last year, when the Rams signed him to a one-year pact worth $10MM. It will be interesting to see if Floyd can improve on that salary soon.

Giants Pushing To Sign Leonard Floyd

March 15th, 2021 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:34pm: This market moved fast. The Giants’ push for Floyd did not end in a deal. The Rams are bringing him back. Although other edge rushers remain available, the market is thinning. Floyd, Yannick Ngakoue and Matt Judon have chosen their teams.

5:31pm: Featuring an edge-rushing need for a couple of years now, the Giants are trying to poach the Rams’ top outside sack artist. They are making a push to sign Leonard Floyd, per Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

The Rams have not given up on re-signing Floyd; they remain in talks with the former first-round pick. The Giants are not in the finalizing stage yet here, Russini adds, so a bidding war may be taking place.

A Floyd agreement would be interesting for the Giants, who have used their franchise tag on Leonard Williams. A two-Leonard front seven would make re-signing Dalvin Tomlinson quite difficult. The Williams tag has left the Giants with less than $3MM in cap space, so the team still has moves to make ahead of the March 17 start to the 2021 league year.

Patriots To Sign Nelson Agholor

March 15th, 2021 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nelson Agholor is parlaying his quality Raiders season into a deal with the Patriots. New England is expected to land the former first-round pick in free agency, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Once finalized, it’ll be a two-year deal worth up to $26MM, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

This news comes after the report indicating the Pats were discussing a deal with Kendrick Bourne. As of now, it is uncertain if the Pats will add both. But they are signing Agholor, with Rapoport tweeting the deal is done. Agholor’s base value will be $11MM per year, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Incentives could move it up to the aforementioned $13MM-AAV price.

Nelson Agholor and the Raiders agreed to a deal, Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group tweets. The former first-round pick played out his five-year rookie contract with the Eagles and will follow Jason Witten in moving from the NFC East to the Raiders’ first Las Vegas pass-catching contingent. Agholor’s pact is for one year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Agholor was inconsistent during his Eagles tenure, but the former first-round pick proved essential during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII march. And, in 2020, he enjoyed a solid season with the Raiders, tallying 48 grabs for 896 yards and eight touchdowns. It was opportune timing for Agholor, who erased memories of a 2019 slate marred by a knee injury.

Jets, Vikings, Browns, Bengals Interested In DE Trey Hendrickson

March 15th, 2021 at 5:05pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

With Shaquil Barrett off the board after his re-signing with Tampa Bay the group of free agent pass-rushers took a hit, but there are still plenty of quality options available. One of those options is the Saints’ Trey Hendrickson, and we now have details on what the bidding for his services looks like.

The Jets, Vikings, and Browns have all shown interest in signing Hendrickson, a source told Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). Anderson notes that list is in no particular order. We’ve heard all offseason that the Browns are looking to add a pass rusher next to Myles Garrett, so their interest isn’t surprising.

The Bengals are also interested in Hendrickson, per Anderson (on Twitter). Cincinnati did not place its franchise tag on Carl Lawson, running the risk of letting the emerging pass rusher defect in free agency. It will be interesting to see the prices for Hendrickson and Lawson. The former broke out in 2020, while the latter has been a producer for a bit longer.

Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network followed up with a tweet noting that the Jets view Hendrickson as a “great fit” for new coach Robert Saleh‘s system. New Orleans is in a really tough cap situation, and GM Mickey Loomis seemed to acknowledge last month that Hendrickson moving on was likely.

Hendrickson was a revelation last year, coming out of nowhere to start 15 games and rack up 13.5 sacks. The 2017 third-round pick had previously had only 6.5 sacks total over his first three years in the league, but set himself up nicely for a big payday in 2020. It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of contract he ends up landing. Yannick Ngakoue is another big edge rushing domino waiting to fall.

Rams Give Darious Williams Round 1 Tender

March 15th, 2021 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Rams have the NFL’s worst cap situation presently, they will use the top restricted free agency tender to keep Darious Williams from leaving.

The Rams tendered Williams at the first-round level, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This will mean the emerging cornerback is attached to a $4.77MM price going into the new league year.

Teams rarely use the Round 1 tender, and the Rams are the only team to do so thus far this offseason. But the team clearly wants to ensure Williams sticks around opposite Jalen Ramsey next season. Should another team sign Williams to an offer sheet, it would need to give the Rams a first-round pick. This scenario seems incredibly unlikely.

For a player with three years’ experience, Williams is on the older end (28 today). But he broke through with a big 2020 season, intercepting four passes and rating as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 overall corner. Williams added a pick-six in the Rams’ first-round win over the Seahawks. With Troy Hill on the verge of unrestricted free agency, Williams profiles as a key player for the Rams to retain.