2023 March - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Panthers Re-Sign K Eddy Pineiro, Release K Zane Gonzalez

March 23rd, 2023 at 7:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

Eddy Pineiro will be receiving an extended stay in Charlotte. The Panthers have re-signed the veteran kicker on a two-year deal, per a team announcement. In a corresponding move, fellow kicker Zane Gonzlez has been released.
Pineiro signed with Carolina last summer, reuniting with special teams coordinator Chris Tabor. The pair worked together in Chicago, making Pineiro a logical target for the Panthers in their bid to find a replacement for the injured Gonzalez. The latter missed the entire 2022 campaign, but is now healthy.

In his absence, Pineiro fared well. The 27-year-old converted 33 of his 35 field goal attempts, good for a rate of 94.3%. That figure ranked second in the league amongst full-time kickers, and included a streak of 19 consecutive makes following two critical misses in a Panthers loss to the Falcons which had playoff implications in the NFC South.

This new deal will give Pineiro a degree of stability after he had one-year stints with the Bears and Jets. Prior to and in between that time, he also signed deals with the Raiders and Colts, though he never made any regular season appearances with those teams. After his success during his first Panthers campaign (which included going 30-for-32 on extra points), it was reported that Pineiro was the favorite to be retained over Gonzalez going into next season.

To little surprise, then, the former will have the chance for his first multi-year stint kicking for any one team in the NFL. The latter, meanwhile, will look to catch on with a new team set to hold a competition in training camp for a full-time spot.

Jets To Re-Sign RB Ty Johnson

March 23rd, 2023 at 6:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets’ offense has seen a number of changes recently, but the team is retaining a depth member of its backfield. New York has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with running back Ty Johnson, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link).

Johnson entered the league as a draft pick of the Lions in 2019, but the majority of his playing time has come with the Jets. The 25-year-old has made 44 appearances and five starts in New York, operating as a rotational rusher and special teamer. That role is likely to continue in 2023 on the Jets’ new-look offense.

New York has drafted Michael Carter and Breece Hall in the past two drafts, giving them a young tandem at the top of their depth chart. The latter’s ACL tear led to New York’s midseason acquisition of James Robinson, but he has signed with the Patriots. Johnson will thus be able to at least compete for the No. 3 spot during training camp this summer.

The Maryland alum’s most productive season came in 2021, when he saw a carer-high snap share of 40%. That year, he racked up 238 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground, adding 34 receptions for 372 yards and another two scores. He saw his workload decrease last season and totaled a career-low 248 scrimmage yards, though he did average 5.3 yards per carry on his limited handoffs.

The Jets have re-tooled their WR room in recent days, adding Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman while trading away Elijah Moore. They are, presumably, going to have Aaron Rodgers under center by the time the 2023 season starts, which will have a sizeable effect on their passing game. The team’s rushing attack will look similar, though, with Hall, Carter and now Johnson all remaining in the fold.

Buccaneers Release K Ryan Succop

March 23rd, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers have been forced to make a number of cost-cutting moves this offseason, and another one took place on Thursday. Per a team announcement, kicker Ryan Succop has been released.

The move comes as little surprise given Succop’s contractual situation. No guaranteed money remained on the final season of his deal, a three-year, $12MM pact which proved to be a worthwhile investment for Tampa Bay. Releasing Succop will result in $3.75MM in cap savings – a figure which, while relatively small, is still highly significant given the team’s financial constraints – while incurring a dead money charge of $750K.

The 36-year-old joined the Buccaneers in 2020 after five seasons with the Chiefs and six with the Titans. He won out an internal competition with Matt Gay to become the team’s full-time kicker that season, and played a key role in their regular season and playoff success. Succop made 28 of 31 field goals during the year, eclipsing the 90% accuracy mark for the second time in his career. He then missed only one kick during the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl run.

The South Carolina product followed that up with another consistent performance, and led the league in extra points made and attempted. In 2022, however, his overall accuracy dropped slightly, in large part due to his struggles from long range. Succop made 81.6% of his field goals, but went only 2-for-7 from beyond 50 yards. Despite those struggles, he holds the record for best field goal percentage (84.8%) in franchise history.

That should allow Succop to find a new home somewhat quickly, especially on a team whose offense won’t require many long-range attempts. The Buccaneers have Jake Verity on their roster after signing him to a reserve/futures contract, and he will head into training camp with at least a chance to win the full-time job for the 2023 season.

Patriots To Retain Joe Judge

March 23rd, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Most of the major coaching moves around the league have already taken place, but a notable development in New England will see one of their top assistants remain with the team. Joe Judge will occupy an assistant head coach role with the Patriots in 2023, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (Twitter links).

Judge will work in part with the team’s personnel department, Breer notes. That setup will make his new role somewhat similar to that of fellow veteran staffer Matt Patricia in 2021 when the latter transitioned from the sidelines to the front office. Judge will still have on-field responsibilities as well, though, working alongside Cam Achord and Joe Houston to coach the Patriots’ special teams units.

Judge, 41, made a name for himself as a coach in the third phase during his first stint in New England. He worked his way up to the unit’s coordinator in 2015, working in that capacity until taking the Giants’ head coaching job in 2020. That move didn’t go as planned, and he was fired after two straight losing seasons. He returned to the Patriots this past offseason, still representing one of head coach Bill Belichick‘s most trusted lieutenants.

As was the case with Patricia, Judge spent the 2022 campaign in an unfamiliar role. The latter served as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach, and his struggles in that capacity resulted in tension between himself and Mac Jones. Overall, New England underwhelmed on the offensive side of the ball with Patricia and Judge playing central roles, so it came as little surprise when Bill O’Brien was installed as the team’s new offensive coordinator.

That will allow Judge to have a more comfortable assignment on special teams. The Patriots ranked dead last in terms of DVOA in the third phase in 2022, so there will plenty of room for improvement for the unit heading into next season. Judge will aim to help guide them to a rebound performance, while solidifying his place as a versatile, experienced member of the organization.

Texans, LB Denzel Perryman Agree To Deal

March 23rd, 2023 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 23: Wilson tweets that Perryman’s deal is one year in length, and has a value of $3.5MM. He, along with Littleton, will provide short-term experience at the second level of the Texans’ new-look defense while aiming to boost his value ahead of next offseason.

MARCH 22: The Texans’ visit with Denzel Perryman will end up producing an agreement. Even after adding Cory Littleton, the Texans will bring in Perryman, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets.

Drawing interest from the Texans and Titans, Perryman will follow Littleton to Houston. A former Chargers second-round pick, Perryman spent the past two seasons as a Raiders regular. The 30-year-old defender agreed to a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He will reunite with his 2021 Raiders teammate, Littleton, in DeMeco Ryans‘ defense.

GM Nick Caserio has continued to go to the midlevel veteran well, handing out a slew of short-term contracts to experienced players during his Houston stay. At linebacker alone, Perryman will join Littleton, Christian Kirksey and Blake Cashman among the veteran options alongside 2022 third-round pick Christian Harris.

Perryman’s Texans visit lasted two days, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes, and he has been a target since free agency’s outset. More rumors connected Perryman to Houston compared to Littleton, despite the latter having signed sooner. The Texans ranked last in run defense in 2022. While teams have questioned Perryman’s coverage chops, he is one of the better run-defending linebackers. He finished with a career-high 154 tackles in 2021 and posted a career-best 14 tackles for loss last season.

Some mutual interest existed between Perryman and the Raiders, but the team brought him in via trade (from the Panthers) during Jon Gruden‘s final season in charge. Ex-Chargers DC Gus Bradley put Perryman to work in 2021, using him on 83% of the Raiders’ defensive snaps. That number dropped to 70% under DC Patrick Graham last season, but considering Perryman’s usage rate had dipped well below 50% during his final two Bolts seasons, his Raiders run certainly qualifies as a bounce-back stretch.

Pro Football Focus concurred, slotting Perryman as a top-30 linebacker in each of the past two years. PFF ranked him 19th in 2022, despite the Raiders’ defense regressing. The ex-Miami Hurricane will attempt to help a Houston defense bounce back after four consecutive seasons ranking in the bottom five in yards yielded.

Ravens Host WR Nelson Agholor, To Meet With S Adrian Amos

March 23rd, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adrian Amos is considering a homecoming. The Baltimore native who has spent his entire career in the NFC North is visiting the Ravens on Thursday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

The Ravens are fairly set at safety, rostering Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton, but the team rolled out three-safety looks last season. The third man in those sets, Chuck Clark, has since been traded to the Jets.

Additionally, the Ravens have Nelson Agholor on their radar. The free agent wide receiver met with the team this week, Field Yates of ESPN.com adds (on Twitter). Agholor played out his two-year, $22MM Patriots contract. The former first-rounder’s uneven performance in New England will not make him a candidate for a similar deal this time around.

The Packers gave Amos a four-year, $36MM contract in 2019, and the former Bears draftee played out that deal. Amos, who will turn 30 next month, would provide his next team with plenty of experience. He has started 122 career games. Amos’ role in Vic Fangio‘s No. 1-ranked Bears defense catapulted him into free agency, and the former Day 3 draftee did well to play out a four-year second contract. He joins the likes of John Johnson and Eric Rowe as safeties seeking a third contract this offseason.

Pro Football Focus viewed Amos as declining in 2022, ranking the Penn State alum as a bottom-10 safety after slotting him in the top 20 at the position in each of his first three Packers slates. The advanced metrics site graded Amos as the league’s second-best safety in 2020, behind only Jessie Bates. The new Falcons safety lapped the field in terms of earnings among free agents this offseason, agreeing to a four-year, $64MM deal. Bates’ ex-Bengals teammate, Vonn Bell, landed $7.5MM per year on his third NFL deal. Amos is unlikely to command that at this stage of his career, but the Ravens will see if their terms align with the hometown defender’s hopes during his second free agency stay.

One of the league’s more maligned wideouts, Agholor has still done well financially. He tacked on that $22MM to his first-round rookie contract. The former Eagles and Raiders pass catcher, however, did not top 500 receiving yards in either of his Patriots years. In 2022, the former Super Bowl starter caught just 31 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns. To be fair, it was not a good year to be a Patriots offensive player; dysfunction on that Matt Patricia-run unit produced steady scrutiny. But Agholor, 29, being unable to build on his 896-yard Raiders contract year has reduced his value.

Perpetually in search of receivers to play in their run-focused offense, the Ravens bottomed out at the position in 2022. Both Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay suffered season-ending foot injuries, with Bateman’s coming early in the year. The Ravens, who have Lamar Jackson‘s $32.4MM franchise tag salary clogging their cap, have not made any additions at the position thus far in free agency.

Giants To Add WR Jamison Crowder

March 23rd, 2023 at 12:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

As if the Giants did not have enough slot receivers already, they are further bolstering this particular area. The team agreed to a deal with Jamison Crowder on Thursday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets.

This will mark a return to the NFC East for Crowder, a Washington draftee who has since spent time with the Jets and Bills. Crowder will join a crowded stable of Giants slot receivers. While the Giants will still be connected to more receiver augmentations in the draft — likely in the early rounds — they are using free agency to ensure they will not be shorthanded at the position again.

The Giants have brought back Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton and have now signed Crowder and Parris Campbell. They also have Wan’Dale Robinson returning from an ACL tear. Of this contingent, all but Slayton can be classified as a slot receiver. Crowder, Campbell and Shepard have also been prone to injuries. Quantity here will serve as some semblance of protection for the Giants, who also return waiver pickup Isaiah Hodgins. But they have added a few players with similar skillsets and similar injury histories.

The Bills gave Crowder a one-year, $2MM deal in 2022 but were not able to deploy the former fourth-round pick often. Crowder played in just four games with Buffalo. A fractured ankle sidetracked Crowder’s Bills season. He caught just six passes for 60 yards. Although Buffalo designated the veteran slot player for return in the postseason, no activation commenced. Crowder finished his season on IR.

Formerly the inside complement in Sean McVay-led Washington attacks featuring Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, Crowder outlasted each in D.C. He has compiled four seasons with at least 690 receiving yards, and although the Jets struggled during each of his three years in the Big Apple, the 5-foot-9 target became Sam Darnold‘s top target during the 2019 and ’20 campaigns. Playing on a three-year deal worth $28.5MM, Crowder led the Jets in receiving (with 833 and 699 yards, respectively) in those seasons and combined for 12 touchdown catches during that span. The Jets added Corey Davis and Elijah Moore in 2021 and cut Crowder’s pay that year; Crowder totaled 447 yards during his Jets finale.

The Giants will see what Crowder, 29, has left. The team accumulating options at receiver makes sense after last season. Shepard and Robinson were lost to season-ending injuries, with Shepard’s latest malady leaving his NFL future foggier compared to the other wideouts the Giants inked this offseason. New York traded Kadarius Toney and received next to nothing from free agency megabust Kenny Golladay. Slayton and Hodgins led Big Blue’s receiving corps during the team’s playoff push. They will have some help this year, and even though injuries have been factors for most of the Giants’ signings, the volume here could protect the team in the event more maladies surface at the position. Then again, odds are not all of these signings or re-signings are likely to make the 53-man roster.

Broncos WR KJ Hamler Suffers Torn Pec

March 23rd, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries have been a constant for KJ Hamler, and another setback will cost him several months this offseason. While training on his own recently, Hamler ran into a setback that will sideline him for months.

The Denver wide receiver sustained a partially torn pectoral muscle during a training session, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Hamler underwent surgery and is expected to miss between four and six months. This timeline could affect Hamler’s availability for training camp or even the start of the season.

Hamler, 23, only played in seven games last season and has not eclipsed 200 receiving yards in a campaign since his 2020 rookie slate. That year, the Broncos became the first team since the 2003 Cardinals to draft wide receivers in the first and second rounds. While the first-round pick (Jerry Jeudy) is trending upward and generating immense trade interest, Hamler (2020’s No. 46 overall pick) has seen his career stall.

This injury occurred away from the team’s facility earlier this month, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. This could move Hamler to the Broncos’ NFI list to start training camp. A reserve/NFI list designation on roster-cutdown day would cost Hamler four games to start the season. That would be familiar territory for the Penn State-developed speedster.

Hamler, who did not work out at the 2020 Combine due to injury, missed four games as a rookie. He missed 14 in 2021 because of a torn ACL and a hip injury that also required surgery. Hamler went down in Week 3 of the ’21 season, and the elusive pass catcher detailed bouts with depression after suffering those setbacks. A hamstring injury midway through last season led Hamler to IR, sidelining him for the second half of the Broncos’ 5-12 slate.

Now in a contract year, Hamler will miss Sean Payton‘s first offseason program. Hamler came up in trade rumors before his hamstring injury last year, but his run of injuries will effectively nix notions of Denver moving the fourth-year player. With Tim Patrick coming off an ACL tear, Jeudy and Courtland Sutton have been the Bronco receivers most commonly thrown into trade rumors. The Broncos have set a high price for Jeudy, as evidenced by the Cowboys and Browns — each interested parties — moving on via respective trades for Brandin Cooks and Elijah Moore.

Bills Sign G David Edwards

March 23rd, 2023 at 11:37am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills have now added two guards since free agency opened. After signing Connor McGovern, the team reached an agreement with David Edwards.

The former Rams starter is joining the Bills on a one-year deal, according to the AFC East franchise. Edwards has 49 career starts on his resume and profiles as an interesting pickup at this juncture of free agency. He will rejoin ex-Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who is now the Bills’ O-line coach. Kromer coached Edwards from 2019-20.

Prior to being shut down with a concussion during a lost Rams season, Edwards worked as a regular starter for Sean McVay‘s team throughout his career. The Rams selected Edwards in the 2019 fifth round, and he later joined Austin Corbett as the team’s Super Bowl LVI starters at guard.

Last season’s concussion obviously concerns, but Edwards had displayed durability over his first three seasons. The Wisconsin product did not miss a game from 2019-21, starting five playoff contests during that span. The Rams have now lost Corbett and Edwards in consecutive offseasons, seeing the former sign with the Panthers in 2022.

Pro Football Focus graded Edwards as a top-30 guard in 2020 and 2021, slotting him 17th overall in 2020. Edwards was among the Rams O-linemen to miss extensive time in 2022, with this domino helping lead Los Angeles to a 5-12 finish and hit an offseason crossroads of sorts. It will be interesting to learn the terms here, given Edwards’ experience and performance level. He will join a Bills O-line that needed assistance after a one-sided playoff loss to the Bengals. PFF ranked Buffalo’s O-line 23rd last season.

Edwards, who turned 26 earlier this week, landed in concussion protocol ahead of the Rams’ Week 4 game last season. While Edwards returned in Week 5, the Rams placed him on IR. As L.A.’s IR contingent expanded, it did not activate Edwards, whose IR-return period expired after three weeks of practice. Edwards ended up missing the season’s final three months.

The Bills gave Rodger Saffold a one-year deal in 2022; the ex-Rams and Titans starter remains unsigned. Saffold will be 35 next season. McGovern, who is coming off a contract year as a Cowboys starter, and Edwards join a Bills team that figures to fire up some offseason competitions up front. The team has re-signed Ike Boettger and has Ryan Bates and Greg Mancz under contract as well. McGovern has center experience, giving the team more options. Mitch Morse also remains under contract.

Los Angeles drafted Logan Bruss in the third round last year but lost the Wisconsin alum to ACL and MCL tears during the preseason. The Rams made re-signing center Brian Allen and left tackle Joe Noteboom priorities over Corbett and Edwards. Coleman Shelton and Alaric Jackson, who each became starters last season, remain under Rams control.

Raiders Sign CB Duke Shelley

March 23rd, 2023 at 11:23am CST by Sam Robinson

Similar to their defensive line strategy in 2022, the Raiders look to be buying in bulk at cornerback. They have now added a third corner with starting experience this offseason.

Duke Shelley agreed to terms with the Silver and Black on Thursday, the team announced. Shelley has spent his career in the NFC North, suiting up for the Bears and Vikings over the past four years. While Shelley has seen special teams action, he has been a regular on defense in both Chicago and Minnesota over the past two years.

The Vikings turned to Shelley as a starter on five occasions last season; the former sixth-round pick became the primary replacement for Cameron Dantzler during his IR stay. The Vikings also lost second-round pick Andrew Booth to what turned out to be a season-ending injury, further opening the door for Shelley. The Kansas State product played in 11 games for the Vikes in 2022, despite spending time on their practice squad, and logged a 52% snap rate during those contests.

This qualifies as an interesting flier. Although Shelley played just 397 snaps on defense with the Vikings, Pro Football Focus rated the 5-foot-9 defender as its No. 4 overall cornerback. Shelley allowed just a 45.7% completion rate — on 46 targets — and limited quarterbacks to a collective 55.2 passer rating as the closest defender in coverage. The Raiders will bring him aboard to see if the career backup’s 2022 work was a fluke.

The Bears used Shelley on 61% of their defensive plays in 2021 but waived him shortly after roster-cutdown day last year. He worked as a slot corner that year in Chicago but played on the boundary last season in Minnesota, as Chandon Sullivan manned the slot. The change provided intriguing results.

Shelley, 26, joins Brandon Facyson and David Long as corners to have signed with the Raiders since free agency’s outset. The team still has Nate Hobbs and Amik Robertson on its roster. The holdovers’ presences alongside the depth signings notwithstanding, this should still be considered a need area for the team. But Josh McDaniels‘ club is collecting some low-cost options this offseason.

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