2022 March - Pro Football Rumors

Bears To Sign QB Trevor Siemian

March 24th, 2022 at 10:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Trevor Siemian is heading to Chicago. The veteran quarterback is signing with the Bears, according to representative Mike McCartney on Twitter (and passed along by Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter). Siemian got a two-year deal worth $4MM with upside of $5MM, tweets NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

We learned earlier this week that the veteran was meeting with Chicago. With Andy Dalton a free agent and Nick Foles potentially on his way out, the Bears were seeking a veteran quarterback to serve as a backup to Justin Fields. Siemian will be joining a depth chart that also features Ryan Willis.

The 30-year-old ended up getting four starts this past season with the Saints, his most starting nods since he was a full-timer with the Broncos in 2017. New Orleans went 0-4 in Siemian’s four starts in 2021, with the quarterback completing 57.4 percent of his passes for 1,154 yards, 11 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.

Siemian was 13-11 as a starter during his time in Denver, tossing 30 touchdowns vs. 24 interceptions. He was a seventh-round pick by the Broncos in 2015.

Cardinals To Host OL Will Hernandez

March 24th, 2022 at 10:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Will Hernandez could be heading out west. The Cardinals will host the free agent offensive lineman on a visit this weekend, as Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com passes along.

Hernandez has spent his entire career with the Giants, joining the team as a second-round pick in 2018. He earned All-Rookie Team honors in 2018 after starting all 16 games, and he appeared in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps through his first two seasons with the organization.

The lineman remained in and out of the starting lineup during the 2020 season, losing his starting spot to Shane Lemieux. Hernandez ended up returning in 2021 and starting all 17 games for the Giants.

The Cardinals could use some offensive line help, as 2021 starter Max Garcia remains unsigned. Hernandez has played both guard positions during his NFL career.

Chiefs Eyeing Veteran Cornerbacks

March 24th, 2022 at 9:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs are on the lookout for a cornerback. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Chiefs make a “move on a veteran corner in the coming weeks.” Specifically, Fowler has heard the Chiefs connected to free agent Stephon Gilmore and Giants cornerback James Bradberry, who could be released or traded.

Gilmore, 31, was traded midseason from New England to Carolina after a new deal with the Patriots couldn’t be worked out. In eight games in Charlotte, he registered two interceptions, helping him to a fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, the fifth of his career. Despite his impressive resume, the veteran still hasn’t found a home for next season. So far this offseason, Gilmore has only been definitively connected to the Raiders.

Many assumed that the Giants would trade or release the 28-year-old Bradberry before the new league year started last week. The veteran cornerback remains on the roster, but there’s still a chance the team moves on from him, as the Giants can realize more than $10MM in cap savings by cutting the defensive back. Despite a down year in 2021, Bradberry should still hold interest for cornerback-needy teams. He’s not too far removed from a Pro Bowl appearance in 2020, when he posted the lowest passer rating of any CB in the league, per PFF.

The Chiefs have already been active in reshuffling their secondary this offseason. The front office pivoted away from Tyrann Mathieu and replaced him with free agent safety Justin Reid.

Broncos Sign OL Billy Turner

March 24th, 2022 at 8:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Billy Turner is returning to Denver. The Broncos are signing the offensive lineman to a one-year deal, according to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver (on Twitter). NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the one-year pact is worth $5MM.

Turner joined the Broncos during the 2016 season, and he ended up spending the next two-plus seasons with the team. He established himself as a dependable starter during his final year with the team, and he earned a four-year, $28MM contract from the Packers in 2019.

The lineman ultimately spend three seasons in Green Bay, starting all 43 of his games. Following a 2021 campaign where Turner started 13 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury, the veteran was cut.

Now, he’ll land back in Denver. The Broncos were clearly on the hunt for a lineman; earlier this week, the team hosted both Turner and Brandon Shell. Ultimately, Turner’s familiarity with former Packers coaches Nathaniel Hackett (now Broncos HC) and Justin Outten (now Broncos OC) may have won him the gig. Turner will compete with Calvin Anderson and Tom Compton for reps at right tackle.

Proposed Rule Change Could Impact Postseason Transactions

March 24th, 2022 at 8:16pm CST by Ben Levine

There will be a handful of rule changes on the table during next week’s owners meeting, including eliminating one rarely-used loophole that would impact postseason transactions.

Per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter), the Competition Committee proposed a bylaw that “prohibits clubs participating in the playoffs from signing players who have been terminated by clubs whose seasons have concluded.” As ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio points out, this change would remedy an issue that rarely pops up. Florio couldn’t think of one occasion where a postseason team signed a cut player from an eliminated team, and he points to the 2020 playoffs when Mark Ingram and Robert Griffin went unsigned despite being eligible to join active teams.

Owners will also consider a pair of rules focused on overtime rules. The Colts and Eagles want to “allow both teams an opportunity to possess the ball in overtime,” while the Titans proposed a rule that would “allow both teams an opportunity to possess the ball in overtime unless the team with the first possession scores a touchdown and a successful two-point try.”

The Competition Committee proposed a change that would make permanent the free kick formation change that was implement during the 2021 campaign. The rule established a maximum number of players in the setup zone. Meanwhile, the Ravens, Bills, Eagles, and Buccaneers proposed an amendment to the Anti-Tampering Policy. Specifically, this change is “in regard to Secondary Football Executive positions, to allow the employer club the choice to retain its player personnel staff though the Annual Selection Meeting. After the selection meeting through June 30, the employer club is required to grant permission for another club to interview and hire a non-high-level executive or non-secondary football executive for a secondary football executive position.”

Panthers Re-Sign S Juston Burris

March 24th, 2022 at 7:59pm CST by Ben Levine

The Panthers are bringing back Juston Burris. Carolina is re-signing the safety to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s David Newton (on Twitter).

Following a 2019 season where he started a career-high nine games with Cleveland, Burris inked a two-year, $8MM deal with the Panthers. He started 12 of his 13 games in 2020, collecting 53 tackles, four passes defended, and one interception.

He entered the 2021 campaign as the starting safety, but he missed almost two months of the season while sitting on injured reserve. Burris finished the season having started eight of his 10 games, finishing with 23 tackles and one interception. He saw time in about two thirds of his team’s defensive snaps.

The former fourth-round pick spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Jets. He’s also had stints with the Raiders and Browns (two stints).

Raiders Sign LB Jayon Brown

March 24th, 2022 at 6:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Jayon Brown is heading to Las Vegas. The Raiders announced that they have signed the free agent linebacker (via Twitter).

The 2017 fifth-round pick spent the first five seasons of his career in Tennessee. He saw time in 66 games for the Titans, including a 2019 campaign where he compiled 105 tackles, an interception, and a fumble return TD in 14 games (14 starts).

Brown re-signed with the Titans last offseason, and he ended up starting six of his 10 games, collecting 55 tackles and an interception. He appeared in 67 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Brown missed a month of the season while rehabbing a knee injury.

While the Raiders stole headlines for their moves on offense, the team has also been adding some notable players on defense. Just in the past few days, the team has added safety Duron Harmon, defensive tackle Kyle Peko, and defensive tackle Vernon Butler.

Vikings To Meet With CB Chandon Sullivan

March 24th, 2022 at 5:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The second wave of free agency, per usual, is featuring a number of visits. The Vikings will participate. They are set to meet with veteran cornerback Chandon Sullivan, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Sullivan has been a Packers regular for the past three seasons. That included time with current Vikings staffer Mike Pettine, who was the Packers’ defensive coordinator from 2018-20. Green Bay signed Sullivan during the 2019 offseason, picking the former UDFA up after the Eagles waived him.

Coming out of Georgia State, Sullivan worked frequently as Green Bay’s slot corner during his Wisconsin time. Last season, Pro Football Focus graded Sullivan as one of its top slot defenders. The 5-foot-11 cover man ranked in the top five among slot players snaps per target and snaps per reception. For traditional stats, Sullivan intercepted three passes and broke up four more.

Sullivan, 25, played 77% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps last season. The Packers have Jaire Alexander on the cusp of an extension, used a first-round pick on Eric Stokes last season and prioritized a Rasul Douglas re-up. This appears to point to Alexander leaving in free agency.

The Vikings are expected to let slot defender Mackensie Alexander walk in free agency. Alexander was a staple in Minnesota’s secondary, but with the team having canned Mike Zimmer, it is moving in a different direction.

Raiders Sign S Duron Harmon

March 24th, 2022 at 5:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Since taking over in their roles with the Raiders, Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler have had a habit of recruiting former Patriots players to Las Vegas. We can add another player to the list, as the Raiders announced that they’ve signed veteran safety Duron Harmon. It’s a one-year deal, according to agent Andy Simms (on Twitter).

The 2013 third-round pick spent the first seven seasons of his career in New England, starting 29 of his 111 games. While Harmon usually had to settle for a backup role on defense, he still collected 17 interceptions during his time with the organization. The safety also earned three Super Bowl rings, seeing time in 17 playoff games (including a championship-winning 2016 postseason where he started all three games for the Patriots).

In 2020, Harmon was paired with a seventh-round pick and shipped to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick. The veteran started all 16 games that year, collecting a career-high 73 tackles. He signed a one-year pact with the Falcons last offseason, and he started all 17 games for his new squad, finishing with 67 tackles, five passes defended, and two interceptions.

By our count, Harmon is the sixth former Patriots player to head to Las Vegas to join the GM/HC tandem. The safety joins a growing list that already includes defensive end Chandler Jones, running back/special teamer Brandon Bolden, fullback Jakob Johnson, quarterback Garrett Gilbert, and tight end Jacob Hollister. The Raiders also had interest in signing Stephon Gilmore, who won Defensive Player of the Year with the Patriots in 2019.

Cardinals Host CB Robert Alford

March 24th, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by Ben Levine

After spending the past few years in Arizona, Robert Alford is considering re-signing with the organization. According to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter), the cornerback visited the Cardinals today.

Alford originally inked a three-year, $22.5MM deal with the Cardinals back in 2019, but he missed his first year with the organization thanks to a broken leg. A torn pectoral also knocked him out for the entirety of the 2020 season, and the Cardinals ended up cutting him last March.

He re-signed with the organization two days later, and he finally made his debut with the team during the 2021 season. He ultimately got into 13 games (five starts) this past season, collecting 37 tackles, four passes defended, and one interception.

The 2013 second-round pick spent the first six seasons of his career with the Falcons, starting 76 of his 88 games while picking off 10 passes.