2022 March - Pro Football Rumors

Vikings Sign OL Jesse Davis

March 28th, 2022 at 3:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

A longtime starter for the Dolphins, Jesse Davis visited the Vikings on Monday. That meeting is expected to lead to a signing, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Vikings have announced the move. It is a one-year deal worth $3MM, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets.

Davis has worked extensively as a first-stringer over the course of his career, seeing time at tackle and guard during his five-season run with the Dolphins. The Vikings are looking at Davis at right guard, with Tomasson noting he is now viewed as the top candidate to start there (Twitter links). The Dolphins cut Davis last week.

The Vikings brought in Bills restricted free agent Ryan Bates for a visit, but Bates signed an offer sheet with the Bears — one the Bills matched. While Minnesota has a few positions solidified up front, the team is in need at right guard. Pro Football Focus viewed it as by far the team’s weakest spot in 2021.

Despite having five years’ experience, Davis will turn 31 this fall. The Idaho product spent two years developing without seeing game action, entering the NFL as a 2015 UDFA. But he moved into a starting role with the Dolphins in 2017 and logged 72 starts over the past five years, spending full seasons at both guard and tackle. The Dolphins gave Davis a three-year, $15MM deal in 2019.

Last season, the Dolphins moved Robert Hunt to guard and slid Davis back to right tackle. PFF did not view Davis’ latest right-edge work well, but the veteran made 16 starts for Miami in 2021. He has also seen left tackle time, giving the Vikings an ideal swingman if they opt to further address their right guard spot this offseason. Longtime Vikings swingman Dakota Dozier signed with the Bears earlier this month.

Minnesota has Christian Darrisaw, Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury and Brian O’Neill on track to continue as up-front starters, giving the team a solid outlook up front as begins a new regime. The team returns its primary 2021 right guard, Oli Udoh. But Davis should be expected to, at worst, provide strong competition for the job.

Falcons Sign WR Auden Tate

March 28th, 2022 at 3:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons are adding Auden Tate to their wide receiver rebuild effort. The former Bengals pass catcher will head to Atlanta on a one-year deal, according to the team.

Tate is best known for his contributions during A.J. Green‘s full-season absence in 2019. Since, the former seventh-round pick has not seen much playing time. Green’s return capped Tate’s usage in 2020, and an injury prevented him from playing during much of Cincinnati’s AFC championship season.

The 6-foot-5 wideout caught 40 passes for 575 yards and a touchdown in 2019, joining Tyler Boyd as the top Bengals receivers with the team down Green and John Ross. With Green back in 2020 and Tee Higgins in the fold, Tate receded into the background and caught just 14 passes for 150 yards. The Florida State product ended both the 2020 and ’21 seasons on IR, reverting to the Bengals’ injured list late last season after returning to practice during the playoffs.

Just 25, Tate will join a Falcons receiving corps that will be without Calvin Ridley. Shortly after Ridley’s gambling suspension became known, top 2021 wideout Russell Gage defected to the Buccaneers in free agency. Atlanta will add more pieces to a position group currently fronted by Olamide Zaccheaus, but Tate is set to battle for playing time in the team’s first post-Matt Ryan receiving corps.

Jets To Sign DL Solomon Thomas

March 28th, 2022 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of Robert Saleh‘s 49ers charges will reunite with him in New York. After playing a season with the Raiders, Solomon Thomas is signing with the Jets, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. It’s a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

A former top-three pick, Thomas spent the first four seasons of his career playing in Saleh’s defense in San Francisco. The inside pass rusher will join a Jets defensive line housing Quinnen Williams and Sheldon Rankins at the D-tackle spots. Thomas will join recent signee D.J. Reed as ex-49er defenders to rejoin Saleh in New York this offseason.

While Thomas has not come especially close to living up to that No. 3 overall draft slot, the Stanford product has been a capable rotation player. Working initially as a defensive end who moved inside frequently, Thomas has 9.5 career sacks. After suffering a torn ACL in a Week 2 game against the Jets in 2020, Thomas signed a one-year deal worth $3.25MM to join the Raiders. He registered 3.5 sacks with Las Vegas last season and forced two fumbles in his D-tackle role. Both were career-high marks for the five-year veteran.

The Jets guaranteed part of Rankins’ 2022 salary this month and picked up Williams’ fifth-year option. Thomas’ history with Saleh certainly points to him playing a key role. Thomas, 26, played 48% of the Raiders’ defensive snaps last season and, despite coming off the ACL tear, did not miss a game.

Bills To Match Ryan Bates Offer Sheet

March 28th, 2022 at 2:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

After seeing restricted free agent Ryan Bates sign an offer sheet with the Bears, the Bills faced the decision of matching it or watching him leave for no compensation. Today, they have decided on the former course of action, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the contract is worth $17MM over four years (Twitter link). He adds that the first two years (valued at just under $9MM) are guaranteed.

Bates took over as the Bills’ starting left guard in Week 15 of this season, and held that role through to the end of the year and the playoffs. It was the most significant playing time of his three years in the NFL. Despite the limited workload he’s handled to date, his play down the stretch generated plenty of interest. The Bills tendered him at a rate of just over $2.4MM, leaving the door open to an offer sheet coming into play.

Bates visited with the Vikings, Patriots and Bears before ultimately signing an offer sheet with the latter. Chicago was looking to add to the interior of their line, having lost guard James Daniels to the Steelers earlier this offseason. Now, they will continue to search for a replacement in the second and third waves of the free agent market.

The Bills, meanwhile, are indeed able to retain one of their breakout players from last year. Some felt they should have tendered Bates at the second-round level to assure themselves of draft compensation, but now they have him under contract for the medium-term future.

Saints To Re-Sign Tre’Quan Smith

March 28th, 2022 at 1:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tre’Quan Smith is set to remain in New Orleans. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (on Twitter) that the Saints are bringing him back on a two-year, $6MM deal. He adds that there is another $4.5MM available in incentives.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo also notes that $2MM is guaranteed (Twitter link). That means this deal represents a notable raise over the compensation he received from his rookie contract. Smith has spent all four years of his career with the Saints after they drafted him in the third round in 2018. He hit free agency this offseason despite four void year being added to his deal as a result of a 2021 restructure.

The 26-year-old has been a consistent complimentary piece to the Saints’ offense during his time there. He had a career year in 2020, posting 34 catches for 448 yards and four touchdowns. That led many to believe he would have a breakout campaign in 2021, given the absence of Michael Thomas. However, between injuries to himself and quarterback Jameis Winston, and the overall struggles of the team’s offense, he put up underwhelming numbers (32 receptions, 377 yards, three touchdowns).

The UCF product drew interest from the Falcons earlier this month, as they hosted him on a free agent visit. Instead of joining New Orleans’ divisional rival, though, he will remain with the Saints as they look to have a healthier and more productive season on offense in 2022.

Colts Hire John Fox As Assistant

March 28th, 2022 at 12:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

John Fox is back in the NFL. The Colts confirmed today that they have added the veteran coach to their staff, under the title of senior defensive assistant.

The 67-year-old’s coaching career began in 1978, immediately following his brief NFL playing tenure. His first professional role came in 1989 with the Steelers, leading to his first defensive coordinator with the Raiders five years later. He was also the DC of the Giants for five seasons before he got his first head coaching opportunity.

Fox was hired by the Panthers in 2002 to take over as the team’s HC. His second season saw a dramatic turnaround from the previous regime’s performances, as Carolina went to the Super Bowl. Fox remained in Charlotte until 2010, when he took over the Broncos. That stint included another Super Bowl appearance, although he found himself on the losing end of the game again despite the team’s historic offensive output that season.

That track record of consistency and success was altered by his tenure in Chicago. Fox oversaw the beginning of Mitch Trubisky’s time as the Bears’ starting quarterback, but it wasn’t enough to avoid finishing his final campaign in the Windy City with a third straight losing record. He was fired at the end of the 2017 season, and had been out of the league ever since.

It was reported in the 2018 offseason that Fox intended to continue coaching, and that he was willing to wait for the right fit. While the Colts gig isn’t the HC or DC jobs he’s held before, he should add an experienced voice to the staff of a unit which finished ninth in scoring defense in 2021.

Cardinals To Sign OL Will Hernandez

March 28th, 2022 at 12:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Will Hernandez has reportedly found his second home in the NFL. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the guard is signing with the Cardinals (Twitter link). A team announcement has confirmed that it is a one-year contract.

Hernandez, 26, was a second-round pick of the Giants in 2018. He started right away, and remained the team’s top left guard throughout the majority of his time there. Durability generally wasn’t a concern, as he only missed three games, all of which were in 2020.

Hernandez’s performances didn’t live up to his draft stock, however. His 67.9 PFF grade during his rookie season was the highest of his career. Of his 15 total sacks allowed, seven came this season. 2021 also saw him commit six penalties, again the worst mark in a single season during his NFL tenure.

The Giants have made a number of changes to their offensive line this offseason, after the unit continued its recent struggles in 2021. They signed former Colt Mark Glowinski and brought in Jon Feliciano following his release from the Bills. Projected to be starters along the interior of the line, that left Hernandez in need of a new team.

Last week, the Cardinals hosted Hernandez on a free agent visit. Between that, and the reported loss of starting guard Max Garcia to the Giants, this move doesn’t come as a surprise. Hernandez will now look to rebuild his value while joining not only his former positional coach in Sean Kugler, but one of the NFC’s top teams in general.

Giants Ownership Backs Daniel Jones As Starting QB

March 28th, 2022 at 10:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Many view 2022 as a make-or-break year for Daniel Jones. While there are questions surrounding his future beyond the upcoming campaign, he at least has the support of ownership for the present.

As noted by Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, John Mara reiterated the team’s commitment to their incumbent starter amidst the flurry of big-name moves which have taken place at the QB position this offseason. As Mara said, “people are realizing it’s by far the most important position in sports and either you have one or you don’t. We think we have one.”

Schwartz does note that the Giants have made a move at the position already. The team signed veteran Tyrod Taylor earlier this month, adding an experienced backup with extended time as a starter in his previous NFL stops. The particulars of the deal (two years, $11MM) open the door to a competition for the starters’ job, but Mara remains confident that Jones can be successful under the right circumstances.

“We still have a lot of confidence in Daniel and think he’s going to be a very good quarterback if we just put the right pieces around him and give him a little bit more continuity and stability”, he said. “He hasn’t had that since he’s been here. Let’s give him a chance to prove himself. He’s shown flashes of it, for sure.”

In three years with Big Blue, the former sixth overall pick has a 12-25 record, 50 total touchdowns and a combined 57 turnovers. Instability at the coaching level, as well as injuries – including to the Duke alum himself this past year – throughout the offense have plagued his NFL career to date. It’s not a surprise, then, that the team is expected to decline his fifth-year option. Nevertheless, Mara said that a second contract for Jones “is certainly our hope”.

With sufficient improvement in 2022, Jones could very well see himself as the team’s starting signal-caller for the foreseeable future. Despite the evidence pointing to that being unlikely, that scenario is clearly still the team’s preference as of now.

Jabrill Peppers Visiting Patriots

March 28th, 2022 at 9:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Jabrill Peppers may be close to landing in a new home. The safety is visiting the Patriots today, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link).

Peppers was a first-round pick of the Browns in 2017. He started all 29 games he appeared in, totalling 137 tackles and a pair of interceptions. His time in Ohio came to an end after two seasons, though, as he was included in the trade package that sent Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns.

In three years with the Giants, the Michigan product remained a full-time starter. Injuries (including a torn ACL from this past season) caused him to miss 17 games during that span, though, leading many to think his days in the Big Apple were numbered. The team moved on to Xavier McKinney in the role of strong safety in Peppers’ absence.

In New England, Peppers would find a familiar face on the coaching staff in Joe Judge. The ex-Giants head coach – who has returned to the Patriots after a long tenure working with the special teams unit – had an affinity for the 26-year-old during their time together. As Yates notes, his defensive versatility (and, to a lesser extent, his experience as a punt returner) could make him coveted by New England.

Considering his injury history, signing Peppers likely wouldn’t require a sizeable investment regarding term or salary. With his draft pedigree and youth, on the other hand, he could bring notable upside to a Patriots defence which is generally trying to get younger to maintain its success from last year.

Jaguars C Brandon Linder Retires

March 28th, 2022 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

After eight seasons in Jacksonville, Brandon Linder is calling it a career. The veteran center announced his retirement on Monday (via Instagram).

“After much reflection, I have realized that the man I currently aspire to be is no longer aligning with the person I must become to play this game”, he wrote. “It is at this time that I have decided to close this chapter of my life and retire from the NFL… I am grateful to fulfill my goal of retiring a lifetime Jaguar. Jacksonville will remain my home. I am excited to chase new dreams and I’m looking forward to all of the great things to come in the future.”

Linder, 30, was drafted by the Jaguars in the third round in 2014. Beginning as a right guard and transitioning to center two years later, he started all 88 regular season games he played in, along with three playoff contests. His play at the new position earned him a then record-breaking five-year, $51.7MM extension in 2017. Injuries started to become an issue not long after that deal, though.

In the four campaigns he played in after signing the new contract, Linder only played a full season once. He was placed on IR this past October, limiting him to nine games played (the same number he was available for in 2018 and 2020). His 62.9 PFF grade in 2021 was the lowest of his career, ending a streak in which he ranked amongst the best centers in the league and was often the best player on Jacksonville’s offensive line.

Linder’s retirement will save the Jaguars roughly $9.5MM in cap space, as none of his salary for the upcoming season was guaranteed. Given how tight to the cap the team was before today, that financial flexibility will be welcomed, though Linder’s consistency and level of play throughout his tenure will likely be difficult to replace.