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Month: January 2025

Seahawks, LB Devin Bush Agree To Deal; Team Still In Play For Bobby Wagner?

March 22nd, 2023 at 4:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 22: Bush’s one-year deal is worth $3.5MM, per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson (on Twitter). The former top-10 pick will receive the bulk of the money ($2.99MM) guaranteed.

MARCH 17: The Seahawks hosted a few players on free agency visits Thursday. Devin Bush stood out to the team, and the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta reports the veteran linebacker agreed to a deal.

A former top-10 Steelers draftee, Bush joined Julian Love and Lonnie Johnson on Seattle visits. GM John Schneider had recently said the inside linebacker position was an area of concern for the team, and Bush will be en route to help address it. This late-night agreement is a one-year pact, per Condotta.

Although Bush started 48 games during his Steelers rookie-contract years, this agreement will double as a flier. Pittsburgh reduced the former No. 10 overall pick’s playing time last season and revamped its inside linebacker group this week. Bush will also join a team that has seen some movement at the position. Seahawks 2022 starter Cody Barton signed with the Commanders.

The Steelers held high hopes for Bush. They traded up 10 spots with the Broncos, who drafted current Seahawks tight end Noah Fant at No. 20, in 2019. That move marked the first time Pittsburgh had moved up in Round 1 since selecting Troy Polamalu in 2003. Bush racked up stats as a rookie (109 tackles, nine TFLs, two INTs, four fumbles recoveries) but saw a 2020 ACL tear blunt his momentum. Over the past two years, the Michigan product ended up playing his way out of Pittsburgh.

Pro Football Focus graded Bush as a bottom-tier linebacker in 2021, as he struggled to return to form. While the advanced metrics site ranked the young defender just outside the top 50 at linebacker last season, the Steelers used him on career-low 62% of their defensive snaps. The team did not pick up Bush’s fifth-year option in 2022, sending him to this year’s market.

But Bush, he of a 4.43-second 40-yard dash time back in 2019, does not turn 25 until this summer and could become an important cog for the 2023 Seahawks. Barton is gone, and top linebacker Jordyn Brooks is recovering from an ACL tear sustained in January. The former first-round pick will be a candidate to the start the season on the reserve/PUP list.

The Seahawks have also been linked to a reunion with Bobby Wagner. The recent Rams cap casualty should still be expected to reside on the radar for a Seattle return, Condotta adds. Schneider and Pete Carroll have spoken with Wagner about a possible return, despite the team releasing him on the same day it traded Russell Wilson last year. Wagner asked for his Rams release, seeking to join a team in better position to contend in 2023. Despite the NFC West rivals’ statuses going into last season, the Seahawks suddenly look to be in a better contention spot. If Brooks is not back to start the season, the Seahawks will almost definitely need to make another starter-level linebacker addition.

Vikings To Sign WR Brandon Powell

March 22nd, 2023 at 3:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Rams bid farewell to a few players from their Super Bowl LVI-winning team, Brandon Powell will rejoin some of the coaches who were part of that squad.

The Vikings are signing the veteran receiver/return specialist, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Powell’s Minnesota move will feature reunions with Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell and OC Wes Phillips, each of whom being ex-Sean McVay lieutenants. It is a one-year agreement.

Although Powell bounced around early in his career, he spent the past two seasons as the Rams’ primary return man. The ex-Florida Gator handled kick- and punt-return responsibilities for the Rams, taking a punt back for a score during the 2021 season. The 5-foot-8 receiver has not contributed much in the passing game, though he does present some gadget options for O’Connell. The Rams gave Powell 17 carries, which he turned into 80 yards, last season. Powell added 24 receptions for 156 yards in 2022.

Minnesota used Jalen Reagor as its full-time punt returner last season. Reagor remains under contract; the ex-Eagle first-rounder also fumbled four times during his Vikings debut. Kene Nwangwu, the team’s primary kick returner in 2022, is also signed to his rookie deal. Nwangwu posted a 97-yard kick-return score last season.

The Rams have moved on from a few contributors this offseason. They released Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd, and cornerback David Long signed with the Raiders on Wednesday. Defensive tackle Greg Gaines signed with the Buccaneers. A’Shawn Robinson remains unattached, but he has visited the Giants. Ditto Taylor Rapp, who has met with the Patriots and Bengals.

Raiders, TE Austin Hooper Agree To Terms

March 22nd, 2023 at 2:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders met with Austin Hooper on Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), and he will join the Silver and Black. The sides agreed on terms, The Score’s Jordan Schultz tweets.

Hooper has bounced around the league; he spent 2022 with the Titans. The Raiders will be his fourth NFL team. The former Falcons, Browns and Titans tight end will sign a one-year deal worth $2.75MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The deal can max out at $3.5MM, but the Raiders will save quite a bit by making a Darren Waller-to-Hooper pivot.

Going from Waller to Hooper, 28, represents an obvious downgrade in athleticism, Hooper’s two Pro Bowls (as an alternate) aside. Hooper did finish last season with 41 receptions for 444 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the Titans’ passing game sinking toward the bottom of the league, Hooper totaled the most receiving yards since his Falcons days. Waller is one of just eight tight ends in NFL history to post multiple 1,100-yard receiving seasons, though he has not done so since 2020.

Before George Kittle‘s second contract and Travis Kelce‘s third moved the tight end market north from its stagnant place during Rob Gronkowski‘s Patriots-friendly agreement, the Browns made Hooper the league’s highest-paid tight end. Hooper landed a four-year, $42MM deal with Cleveland in 2020 but could not live up to it. Working alongside David Njoku, Hooper topped out at 435 receiving yards in a season during his Cleveland stay. The Browns bailed on the deal, designating Hooper as a post-June 1 cut, in 2022.

The Raiders gave Waller a $17MM-per-year pact, which, for AAV purposes, became the new tight end standard in September. But Waller battled a lingering hamstring injury that sidelined him for eight games last season. In 2021, the talented tight end missed six. Some among the Raiders expressed frustration with Waller last season, and the Giants dealt away their Kadarius Toney-obtained third-rounder for the 30-year-old playmaker. The Raiders are moving on, but Hooper should probably not be considered their only offseason addition.

Hooper, who did eclipse 600 receiving yards with Matt Ryan in 2018 and ’19, has also been more available compared to Waller. Hooper has missed one game over the past two seasons. It will be interesting to see how he fits in Josh McDaniels‘ offense; Pro Football Focus rated Hooper as one of the NFL’s worst run-blocking tight ends last season.

Ex-Waller sidekick Foster Moreau remains a free agent, though he met with the Bengals recently. The Raiders will also have the option of taking a tight end in what is believed to be a rich crop of prospects in this year’s draft. But Hooper will provide Jimmy Garoppolo with a veteran presence and will do so at a low cost, which will be important to a team with three eight-figure-per-year wideouts and a running back on the franchise tag.

Jets To Sign WR Mecole Hardman

March 22nd, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets’ receiver room has become quite crowded. After bringing in Allen Lazard, the team intends to sign former Chiefs speedster Mecole Hardman, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Thought to be on track for a decent payday, Hardman will settle for a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Hardman’s Jets pact can max out at $6.5MM. Equipped with some new information compared to when free agency started, Hardman will join a Jets team expected to make a rather notable quarterback upgrade.

Aaron Rodgers is likely coming to the Jets, which will put Hardman on the opposite path ex-Chiefs teammate Marquez Valdes-Scantling traversed when he switched from Rodgers to Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback. A former second-round pick drafted during Tyreek Hill‘s second major off-field scandal — when it was not certain if the All-Pro would return to the Chiefs — Hardman teamed with Hill for three seasons and was part of Kansas City’s attack after the elite speed merchant left for Miami.

The Chiefs did not have Hardman’s services for Super Bowl LVII, after he reinjured his groin in the AFC championship game. But he played a key role in helping the team along toward another No. 1 seed. Hardman, 25, never became a surefire No. 2 wideout for the Chiefs, but he showed flashes and remains one of the NFL’s fastest wide receivers. The Chiefs often used the Georgia product in the return game and on gadget plays; he displayed his penchant for gadget success last season, scoring three touchdowns (two rushing) in a blowout of the 49ers.

Hardman proved inconsistent in Kansas City, but he still ripped off three straight 500-plus-yard receiving seasons from 2019-21; this included a 693-yard showing in 2021. The Chiefs have now lost Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster. While Kansas City was planning on letting Hardman walk, the defending champions were hoping to re-sign Smith-Schuster. And they expected Hardman to fare better on the market. Coming off groin surgery, the 5-foot-10 pass catcher did not command a hefty commitment. The Chiefs are planning to carve out a bigger role for Kadarius Toney, and Skyy Moore will likely see his responsibilities increase. But the team remains on the hunt for a higher-profile receiver.

As far as the Jets go, Hardman gives the presumptive Rodgers team five notable wideouts. He joins Lazard, Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Elijah Moore. As of now, it seems like one of the holdovers will not be part of Gang Green’s 2023 equation. With the Jets being able to save $10.5MM by cutting Davis in the final year of his contract, the former top-five pick has been the player most often connected to a departure. Though, Moore did request a trade last year. Hardman’s arrival also stands to impede a Jets pursuit of Odell Beckham Jr., who appeared on Rodgers’ wish list. Rodgers has also been connected to wanting Randall Cobb — ahead of what would be a 13th season — to join the Jets.

As it stands, however, the Jets are making big commitments at receiver — something the Packers did not do last year after they let Valdes-Scantling walk and traded Davante Adams. Rodgers is on track to have an array of options, some of which were held back by the Jets’ QB situation last year, to target as he (assuming this trade crosses the goal line) prepares to change cities.

Jaguars To Add RB D’Ernest Johnson

March 22nd, 2023 at 12:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns could well lose their second- and third-string running backs from the past two seasons. While Kareem Hunt remains unsigned, D’Ernest Johnson will change teams.

Johnson is signing a one-year deal with the Jaguars, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The Browns were interested in retaining Johnson, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com adds (on Twitter), but the Florida native will move on after four seasons in Ohio.

Jacksonville has both re-signed its second-stringer from last season — JaMycal Hasty — and now added Johnson as a Travis Etienne backup option. Johnson, 27, did not see much action last season, but injuries to Hunt and Nick Chubb in the past allowed the former Alliance of American Football performer some run in Cleveland. Hunt missing time in 2021 opened the door to a 534-yard Johnson rushing season, leading the Browns to retain him via a one-year, $2.43MM contract in 2022.

With both Chubb and Hunt out for a Thursday-night game against the Broncos in 2021, Johnson displayed his ball-carrying chops to a national audience. The unlikely NFLer powered the Browns to a victory with a 146-yard rushing performance, adding 22 receiving yards during the victory. Johnson also produced a 99-yard game against the Patriots that season and zoomed for 123 against Bengals backups in a meaningless Week 18 contest.

Chubb is signed to a three-year, $36.6MM extension, which runs through the 2024 season. Hunt played out his second Browns contract last season. The team has 2022 fifth-round pick Jerome Ford, along with John Kelly and Nate McCreary on its offseason roster. Ford totaled eight carries last season, which topped Johnson’s four in the Chubb-Hunt attack. While Hunt has long been expected to leave, he is one of the last notable backs still unsigned. The market not producing an early deal for the Cleveland-area native could potentially lead to he and the Browns discussing another partnership.

The Jaguars gave Hasty a two-year, $2.9MM extension earlier this offseason. It should not be expected Johnson’s deal will surpass this by much — if at all. Etienne overtook James Robinson as Jacksonville’s starter early last season, leading the Jags to trade their two-time 1,000-yard rusher to the Jets. Robinson, who made little impact in New York, is now with New England. Two years remain on Etienne’s rookie deal, and the Jags can keep him through 2025 via the fifth-year option.

Browns To Re-Sign LB Anthony Walker

March 22nd, 2023 at 12:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Anthony Walker was among the Browns linebackers to suffer a major injury last season, the team will keep him around on another one-year deal.

Walker visited the Commanders earlier this week, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets the veteran off-ball defender will return to the Browns. This will be the third straight offseason in which Walker has signed a one-year deal with the Browns.

The Browns have now come to terms with two of their linebackers coming off significant injuries. They re-signed Sione Takitaki last week as well. Several weeks before Takitaki’s ACL tear, Walker suffered a torn quad tendon. Despite Walker’s previous two deals coming during Joe Woods‘ defensive coordinator tenure, the Browns will see what he looks like in Jim Schwartz‘s defense.

Walker left Indianapolis for Cleveland in 2021, when he signed a one-year deal worth $3MM. In 2022, it cost the Browns $4.25MM to bring Walker back on a one-year accord. A deal in this neighborhood should be expected this time around. Walker is entering his age-28 season. The team also showed interest in bringing back Mack Wilson, but the Patriots signed him last week. Instead, Takitaki and Walker will each attempt to rebound from their injuries in Cleveland.

Cleveland still has top linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on his rookie contract. The 2021 second-round pick cannot be extended until next year. Should the Browns extend Owusu-Koramoah, veteran linebacker money will be scarcer. With the Notre Dame product still in that rookie-deal window, Takitaki and Walker will complement him once again.

Walker suited up for 13 Browns games in 2021, tallying 100-plus tackles (113) for a third time. The ex-Shaquille Leonard sidekick has been a prolific tackler when on the field, but he has missed 18 games over the past two seasons. The injury trouble and a buyer’s market forming at inside linebacker this offseason will suppress Walker’s value.

Deion Jones, whom the Browns traded for last year, remains in free agency, but the team still sports a crowded linebacker room. Cleveland added ex-Indianapolis and Chicago contributor Matthew Adams this week, and Jacob Phillips — the third Browns ‘backer to suffer a season-ending injury in 2022 — remains on the roster as well. Walker saw more action than Takitaki and Phillips when healthy. In 2021, he played 80% of Cleveland’s defensive snaps. Should he prove recovered from the September quad injury, another regular role should await.

Bears Pursued Mike McGlinchey; Latest On Cody Whitehair, Teven Jenkins

March 22nd, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even after acquiring D.J. Moore, the Bears entered free agency with the NFL’s most cap space. But they stood down when it came to the top offensive linemen available.

Jawaan Taylor, Mike McGlinchey and Orlando Brown Jr. each signed for at least $16MM per year last week. The Bears could have obviously competed with the Chiefs, Broncos and Bengals for these blockers, but Ryan Poles‘ club did not. The team did try to land McGlinchey, however, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain confirming it was in on the new Broncos right tackle (subscription required).

As expected, McGlinchey landed a deal on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. The Broncos convinced the five-year 49ers right tackle to sign a five-year deal worth $87.5MM deal (fourth among right tackles), but McGlinchey did well to essentially secure three guaranteed years. His 2025 salary becomes fully guaranteed shortly after the 2024 league year begins, virtually locking in $52.5MM at signing. The Bears were not willing to go there, and the Broncos came from a place of desperation considering their track record at right tackle. Barring injury, McGlinchey will be Denver’s 11th Week 1 right tackle starter in 11 seasons.

Chicago pivoted from Larry Borom to Riley Reiff last season, but Reiff has since joined the Patriots on a one-year, $5MM deal. Reiff’s Pats pact includes $4.15MM guaranteed, per AtoZSports.com’s Doug Kyed (on Twitter). The deal includes up to $4MM in play-time incentives, Kyed adds. Borom would again be projected to start at right tackle, but the Bears will be connected to right-side options in the first round, The Athletic’s Adam Jahns adds.

This year’s draft includes top-10 tackle options Peter Skoronski, from nearby Northwestern, and Paris Johnson (Ohio State). The Bears have not drafted a tackle in Round 1 since Gabe Carimi in 2011, but Poles was with the Chiefs when they used the No. 1 overall pick on Eric Fisher two years later. With right tackle looking like the weak spot for Chicago up front, the team could use its No. 9 overall pick on one or trade down (again) to nab one of the other three first-round tackle prospects (Georgia’s Broderick Jones, Tennessee’s Darnell Wright, Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison). Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock sends Johnson to Chicago.

On the interior, the Bears may be prepared to move Cody Whitehair to solve the guard logjam they created by Nate Davis‘ three-year, $30MM deal. Poles said Whitehair will be an option to move back to center, citing the seven-year veteran’s nearly 4,000 snaps at the position. Whitehair played center primarily to start his career, working as Chicago’s snapper over his first three seasons before moving to guard in 2019 to accommodate a James Daniels position switch.

Whitehair shifting to center would allow the Bears to have he, Davis and Teven Jenkins as interior starters. While Davis played right guard with the Titans, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs predicts Jenkins will stay at that position after showing considerable promise in 2022. Pro Football Focus rated Jenkins, whom the Bears tried at both tackle spots and dangled in trades last year, as the league’s No. 3 overall guard.

Jalen Mills To Return To Patriots; Team Eyeing Position Change?

March 22nd, 2023 at 9:59am CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots will end up keeping Jalen Mills in the fold, after all. The two-year New England cornerback starter agreed to terms on a deal that will move him back onto the team’s offseason roster Wednesday morning, The Score’s Jordan Schultz tweets.

Mills will come back on a one-year deal worth up to $6.1MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Last week, the Pats made Mills a cap casualty by taking his four-year, $24MM contract off the books. But after re-signing Jonathan Jones, the team will give Mills another shot as well.

Mills’ release surfaced last week, but ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss adds it never ended up taking place. Rather, Wednesday’s transaction is a restructure that lops 2024 off Mills’ contract and turns 2023 into a pay cut featuring incentives.

A former Super Bowl starter in Philadelphia, Mills helped New England withstand the exits of Super Bowl-era regulars Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson. Mills fared better in 2021; a groin injury limited him to 10 games last season. Mills has experience at both cornerback and safety, playing the latter position in 2020 for the Eagles. Despite Devin McCourty‘s retirement, the Pats have three experienced safeties — Adrian Phillips, Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger — on the roster.

Although New England’s cornerback outlook is a bit foggier, Schultz adds the team is eyeing Mills as a safety. Mills should loom as the lead candidate to replace McCourty, NFL.com’s Mike Giardi tweets. Mills started 15 games for the Eagles at safety three seasons ago, but the Pats moved him back to corner during the 2021 offseason.

Pro Football Focus rated the former seventh-round find as a top-35 corner in 2021 but viewed him as a bottom-five player at the position last year. The 2021 assessment did come during a season in which Mills allowed seven touchdowns, but the 6-foot defender also finished that season having averaged 6.2 yards per target. The Patriots will see if he can prove worthy of a starting spot during his age-29 campaign.

Jones, 29, came back on a two-year, $19MM deal that included $13MM fully guaranteed. The versatile veteran will be back for an eighth season in New England. Rookie-contract players — Marcus and Jack Jones and Shaun Wade — comprise the other half of New England’s cornerback contingent, with the team extending an RFA tender to slot player Myles Bryant as well. The team will likely look at more upgrade options in the draft.

Raiders Expected To Sign CB David Long

March 22nd, 2023 at 9:52am CST by Sam Robinson

A fifth-year cornerback who has played a part-time role with the Rams, David Long plans to sign with the Raiders. It is a one-year agreement, The Score’s Jordan Schultz tweets.

This comes more than a week after the Dolphins took the other David Long, a former Titans linebacker, off the market. While the NFL’s two-David Long free agency market did not generate the attention the league’s two available Connor McGoverns did coming into the league year, the Longs have edged the McGoverns in finding destinations. After the Bills signed the ex-Cowboys guard, the veteran center remains a free agent.

This David Long, a third-round Rams draftee in 2019, spent the past two seasons as a regular alongside Jalen Ramsey in Los Angeles. The Rams have now lost Long, Ramsey and Darious Williams from their Super Bowl LVI-winning team. Long, 25, played 47% of the Rams’ defensive snaps in 2021 and logged a 37% snap rate last season.

Although Long played only 288 defensive snaps last season (after a 516-snap 2021), he allowed a 75% completion rate and a 113.3 passer rating as the closest defender in coverage. The Michigan alum fared better in 2021, allowing just more than 60% of the passes thrown his way to be completed and limited QBs to a collective 84.9 rating. Long added a pick-six in the Rams’ wild-card rout of the Cardinals that season. The Raiders will take a flier on the 5-foot-11 defender.

Las Vegas showed interest in bringing back Rock Ya-Sin, but the 2022 trade acquisition remains on the market. The team entered free agency with a need at corner, and despite the addition of Long and reunion with Brandon Facyson, this almost definitely remains a need area for Josh McDaniels‘ team.

Bengals LT Jonah Williams Drawing Interest From Several Teams

March 22nd, 2023 at 8:45am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals’ Orlando Brown Jr. signing led to their three-year left tackle starter — Jonah Williams — requesting a trade. The team appears open to accommodating the former first-round pick.

Several teams have shown interest in Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, and the Bengals have engaged in trade talks. Williams, 25, is heading into his fifth-year option season and is tied to a $12.6MM base salary. That figure is fully guaranteed.

Cincinnati’s initial plan was to slide Williams to right tackle, a position he has not played since his freshman season at Alabama (2016). Just as Brown did not want to move to the right side, where some teams viewed him as a better fit, Williams is resisting such a change. Also complicating matters for the reigning AFC north champions: La’el Collins is coming off ACL and MCL tears. With those injuries occurring on Christmas Eve, the former Cowboy is not a lock to start the season on time.

A team that trades for Williams would likely need to view him as an extension candidate, but the 2019 first-rounder is coming off a season in which he suffered multiple kneecap issues. The second of which kept him out of the Bengals’ playoff games in Buffalo and Kansas City. The Chiefs withstood Patrick Mahomes‘ limitations in the latter matchup by preying on a backup-laden Bengals front. This led to the Brown signing, and it could lead the team’s longest-tenured O-line starter out of town.

The Patriots are obviously not averse to acquiring starters via trade, and a low-level Riley Reiff signing has headlined their tackle moves. The Pats were believed to be searching for a right tackle in free agency; Reiff would technically fit the bill, but the ex-Bengal is going into his age-34 season. Trent Brown, whom the Pats initially acquired ahead of the final year of his rookie contract, played 17 games last season but has been unreliable since signing a big-ticket Raiders deal back in 2019. Brown, who is going into the second season of a two-year contract, is penciled in at left tackle.

The Jets have Duane Brown under contract, but he is coming off surgery and going into an age-38 season. The team moved Mekhi Becton to right tackle; the former first-rounder’s position has taken a backseat over the past two years, which have involved major knee injuries that have limited him to one game. Washington has Charles Leno signed through 2024 but was linked to left tackle options ahead of free agency, while Tampa Bay released eight-year left tackle starter Donovan Smith. The soon-to-be 30-year-old blocker also serves as an option for the left tackle-seeking teams around the league, as do college prospects. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rates five tackles — Peter Skoronski, Paris Johnson, Broderick Jones, Darnell Wright and Anton Harrison — as first-round-caliber players.

While Williams has made 42 starts and played a key role for a Super Bowl-qualifying team, his contract and this year’s rookie class stands to affect his trade value. Collins’ injury will make it unlikely the Bengals cave to Williams’ trade request without a viable return price, so it should not be considered a lock they move the now-disgruntled tackle. But Wednesday morning’s report indicates the team is not shutting down overtures.

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