2023 March - Pro Football Rumors

Bears, G Nate Davis Agree To Terms

March 13th, 2023 at 2:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears will use some of their league-leading cap-space total on their offensive line. They are signing former Titans guard Nate Davis, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Davis agreed to a three-year deal to head to Chicago. Although the Bears have Cody Whitehair under contract and saw some positive signs from tackle convert Teven Jenkins last season, they are signing one of the better guards available on the market.

Continuing a Titans O-line overhaul, Davis will depart Nashville for a $30MM Chicago accord, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The fifth-year guard will see $19.25MM guaranteed. This is a nice payday for Davis, who earned mixed reviews in 2022. But the former Titans third-round pick supplies extensive experience and will still join the Bears on what is effectively a midlevel guard deal.

Football Outsiders charged Davis with allowing an alarming eight sacks in 2022, and ESPN classified him as below average in run block win rate. But Davis also slotted in the top 25 in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric last season. And he held a vital role in helping Derrick Henry secure back-to-back rushing titles. Davis, 26, started 54 games in Tennessee and has consistently graded well, via Pro Football Focus, which slotted Davis as a top-25 O-linemen in each of the past three seasons (17th in 2022).

Jenkins graded as PFF’s No. 3 overall guard in 2022, showing considerable promise despite being a quick disappointment at tackle and drawing trade rumors early in Poles’ tenure. Whitehair has been with Chicago since 2016; he is under contract through 2025. It will be interesting to see how the Bears proceed here. Barring a Jenkins move back to right tackle or a Whitehair shift to center — where he started his NFL career — it would seem the Davis addition will lead to a shakeup at guard.

The Titans’ O-line situation goes well beyond “shakeup,” with Davis representing the third starter the unit is losing this offseason. The Titans released Taylor Lewan and Ben Jones and have 17-game guard starter Aaron Brewer unsigned. Unless new Tennessee GM Ran Carthon retains Brewer, 2022 third-rounder Nicholas Petit-Frere will be the only starter back up front for the retooling team.

Buccaneers To Move On From Shaq Mason

March 13th, 2023 at 2:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Shaq Mason‘s stint with the Buccaneers will end after one season. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Buccaneers plan to release the guard if they can’t work out a trade for him in the coming days.

Mason has one year left on the five-year, $50MM pact he signed with the Patriots back in 2018. He’s set to earn $8.5MM in 2023, and Tampa Bay could clear more than $4MM in cap space by letting him go.

The 29-year-old lineman was traded to Tampa Bay last offseason for a 2022 fifth-round pick, reuniting him with quarterback Tom Brady. Mason started all 17 games for the Buccaneers, finishing fourth at his position in snaps played. Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked him 21st among 77 qualifying guards, the first time since 2015 that he didn’t finish in the top-10. Still, Mason showed that he’s clearly got something left in the tank entering his age-30 season, so it shouldn’t take long for him to find a new home.

The 2015 fourth-round pick made a name for himself in New England, where he won two rings during his seven seasons with the organization. He ranked in PFF’s top-five guards for four of those years, including a first-place ranking in 2018.

Browns To Re-Sign C Ethan Pocic

March 13th, 2023 at 2:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns enjoyed a surprisingly high level of play at center in 2022, and the player responsible for that is set to remain in place. Cleveland is expected to re-sign Ethan Pocic, as first noted (on Twitter) by CBS Sports’ Josinia Anderson. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com adds that a deal is in place (Twitter link).

Providing financial terms on the deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets that the Browns are giving Pocic a three-year, $18MM contract. Incentives could push the value higher, but that base figure point to how the team is reacting to his success in his debut Cleveland season. Pocic took on the starting center role for 13 games in 2022, and will now continue in that capacity.

Pocic spent the first five years of his career in Seattle, where he alternated between stints as a starter and backup. This past campaign represented by far the best of his career, something which wasn’t expected given the presence of Nick Harris, the presumed 2022 starter. The latter was sidelined for the season in August, putting Pocic in line to take on a first-team role.

The 27-year-old performed admirably when on the field, earning a career-high PFF grade of 79. That marked a substantial improvement from his Seahawks days, leading to Pocic unsurprisingly making his intentions clear of staying in Cleveland for years to come. With this deal in place, he will be able to do so, and without drawing the attention of several center-needy teams, as was reported to be a strong possibility over the weekend.

The Browns have one of the top o-lines in the league at both tackle and guard positions, so Pocic’s impressive performance could be a reflection of the quality of players around him. In any case, he will be counted on to repeat his impressive level of play in 2023 and beyond, as the Browns look to keep their strong rushing attack in place through consistent performances up front.

Panthers, S Vonn Bell Agree To Deal

March 13th, 2023 at 2:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Both the Bengals’ starting safeties became eligible to negotiate with other teams Monday. While Jessie Bates has not committed to a deal yet, Vonn Bell is planning to leave Ohio.

The Panthers intend to sign Bell, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report. Bell will head back to the NFC South, joining his third NFL organization. Bates is expected to land a deal far north of his 2022 franchise tag price. This Bell-Carolina agreement points to the Bengals losing both their starting back-liners.

Bell agreed to a three-year deal worth $22.5MM, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. He will be guaranteed $12MM, Joe Person of The Athletic adds (on Twitter). The Panthers are guaranteeing $6MM of Bell’s 2024 base salary, giving the veteran defender a bit of security. This contract marks a slight raise for Bell, who played out a three-year, $18MM Bengals deal last season.

The Bengals did come to terms with Germaine Pratt, keeping the fifth-year linebacker in the fold. This Bell departure may be the cost of that business. The Panthers, however, will be employing one of the NFL’s more consistent safeties. The former Saints second-round pick notched a career-high four interceptions last season. Despite going into his eighth NFL season, Bell is just 28.

Pro Football Focus viewed Bell as a top-25 safety in both 2020 and ’21. Last season, PFF slotted Bell 35th overall. But Bell was a constant in run support with the Bengals, posting 114- and 97-tackle seasons in 2020 and ’21. He also deflected eight passes in both 2021 and ’22. Bell will join Jeremy Chinn and Xavier Woods in Carolina, for the time being.

Although the Bengals retained Pratt, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes they wanted to bring back Bell as well. Lou Anarumo expressed concern about the Bengals losing both Bates and Bell. That reality could be upon the AFC North champions, though they did begin preparing for at least one such departure by drafting Dax Hill in the 2022 first round. Hill did not see too much time as a rookie, but that will change in 2023.

Seahawks, DT Shelby Harris To Part Ways

March 13th, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

A year after being one of the assets the Seahawks acquired in the Russell Wilson trade, Shelby Harris is on track to become a cap casualty. The Seahawks are moving on from the veteran defensive lineman, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

The team is trying to find a trade partner for Harris, per Garafolo, but thus far has not located one. Absent a trade, Harris will be released. The longtime Broncos starter moved into a starting D-tackle role in Seattle last season.

Harris, 31, worked as a Denver regular for five seasons. The 2020 campaign prompted the Broncos to give him a three-year, $27MM deal to stay; the team did so despite hiring a new GM (George Paton) weeks prior to that transaction. Paton valued the John Elway-era find, but the Seahawks sought him in the Wilson trade.

Last season, Harris registered just two sacks — his lowest total since 2018 — and six quarterback hits. That said, Pro Football Focus still viewed the former seventh-round pick as a top interior D-lineman. PFF graded Harris 17th overall among D-tackles in 2022. It should be expected Harris would land another gig fairly soon. Should Dre’Mont Jones leave Denver for a big-ticket free agency accord, Harris returning would make sense. He played under Vance Joseph for two seasons, emerging as a key player and one of the NFL’s top pass-deflecting performers up front.

Seattle is retooling up front. It is not known yet if the team is re-signing Poona Ford. But he is a free agent. Moving on from Harris and Ford would signal an overhaul for the Seahawks inside. Ford started 16 games last season.

Vikings To Sign TE Josh Oliver

March 13th, 2023 at 2:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh Oliver‘s run-blocking ability will secure him a nice payday. The Vikings plan to sign the former Ravens tight end, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

Oliver agreed to a three-year, $21MM Minnesota deal, one that Garafolo notes comes with $10.75MM guaranteed. Incentives could bump the contract up to $24MM. This represents a big commitment to the tight end position for the Vikings, who traded for T.J. Hockenson at the deadline last year.

Pro Football Focus graded Oliver as the NFL’s second-best run-blocking tight end in 2022, behind only fellow Raven Isaiah Likely. Oliver will now have a chance to supplement Hockenson and bolster the Vikings’ ground game. While the Vikings won’t be overly reliant on their acquisition in the passing game, it’s worth noting that Oliver finished the 2022 season with a career-high 14 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns. The 25-year-old tight end was a third-round pick by the Jaguars in 2019. He spent two seasons in Jacksonville before getting traded to Baltimore in 2021.

While Oliver started nine of his 17 appearances for Baltimore last season, the Ravens won’t miss him too much considering their depth at the position. Likely can easily fill in for Oliver’s blocking role, and the 2022 fourth-round pick also had more offensive upside as a pass-catching backup to Pro Bowler Mark Andrews.

Bengals To Re-Sign LB Germaine Pratt

March 13th, 2023 at 1:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Germaine Pratt‘s strong contract year upped his value, but he will not end up relocating. The Bengals have reached a deal to retain the ascending linebacker, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The veteran linebacker will stay in Cincinnati on a three-year, $21MM deal that includes $10.35MM in Year 1. Pratt and Logan Wilson will remain in place as Cincy’s top linebackers, with the latter going into a contract year. Wilson should be expected to secure a higher-value extension, seeing as the Bengals use him as a three-down linebacker, but Pratt has become a key piece for Lou Anarumo’s defense.

As Pratt agreed to stay in town, the Bengals lost Vonn Bell to the Panthers. They are also expected to see Jessie Bates depart. That will provide a challenge for Anarumo, considering those two worked as Cincy’s primary safety starters for the past three years. Pratt returning will certainly help the team’s front seven, however.

Timing his contract year well, Pratt totaled a career-high 99 tackles (six for loss) and intercepted two passes. Pro Football Focus ranked the former third-round pick as its No. 11 off-ball linebacker in 2022. Pratt has been a regular throughout his career, having started 54 games for the Bengals.

This will create an interesting equation for the Bengals, who could have two off-ball ‘backers on notable contracts before this season begins. Wilson became eligible for an extension in January. The tackling dynamo has seen the field more often than Pratt, who voiced issues with being taken off the field in certain sub-packages. Pratt, however, is responsible for one of the most pivotal turnovers in Bengals history. He intercepted Derek Carr to lock up the team’s 2021 wild-card win over the Raiders. Pratt also picked off Tom Brady during Cincinnati’s comeback win in Tampa last year, and he log a career-high 76% snap rate on defense last season.

Starters flooded this year’s linebacker market, so it is not too surprising Pratt did not fetch an upper-crust deal here. He will stay with the Bengals for essentially lower-middle-class money at the position. As Joe Burrow‘s extension looms, however, the team finding money to pay a role player on defense could be important.

Jarrett Stidham, Broncos Agree To Deal

March 13th, 2023 at 1:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Raiders landed Jimmy Garoppolo, another of Josh McDaniels‘ ex-Patriots passers-turned-Raiders options is headed out of Nevada. Jarrett Stidham will trek to Denver.

The Broncos, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), are giving Stidham a nice backup quarterback contract — two years, $10MM — to step in behind Russell Wilson. The deal includes $5MM guaranteed, giving Stidham a clear runway to be Denver’s QB2 in 2023.

Stidham spent three seasons in New England. For a period in 2020, it looked like the Patriots would give him the keys post-Tom Brady. But they signed Cam Newton to take over instead. Stidham, a former fourth-round pick, sat behind Brian Hoyer in New England as well. McDaniels brought him to Las Vegas in 2022, but Sean Payton will land the Raiders’ end-of-season starter.

Stidham and new Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb have known each other since they were teenagers. Despite becoming Denver’s QBs coach, Webb — at 27 — is just one year older than Stidham. The Dallas-area natives will work together in Denver, though the Sean Payton-Wilson partnership will obviously generate the bulk of the headlines this season.

The Raiders made the surprising move to bench Derek Carr ahead of Week 17, moving Stidham into the starting lineup. Stidham’s first start produced a stunning stat line — 365 yards, three touchdown passes — against the 49ers’ top-ranked defense. The Raiders are giving Garoppolo a midlevel contract, and they have been connected to drafting a quarterback early as well. As such, Stidham is relocating. He had other suitors besides the Broncos, per Rapoport.

Commanders To Sign OL Nick Gates

March 13th, 2023 at 1:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders have agreed to terms with multiple offensive linemen Monday. In addition to adding Andrew Wylie, Washington is bringing in Nick Gates, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

It is a three-year deal worth $16.5MM, Garafolo adds (on Twitter), with an additional $1.5MM available via incentives. This will take a starter away from the Giants’ O-line as well. Gates served as a guard and center option in New York.

Gates saw a September 2021 injury in Washington threaten his career. After missing more than a year due to the fibula and tibia breaks he suffered that night, Gates will head back to D.C. to likely set up shop as a starter. Gates, 27, underwent seven surgeries on his injured leg but battled back to be a starter last season.

The Giants had aimed to re-sign Gates, along with Jon Feliciano, but they will need to look into other options up front. The team did draft Joshua Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan out of North Carolina last year. Turning to one of its rookie-contract guards would make sense opposite Mark Glowinski.

Gates gives the Commanders some options. Prior to his broken leg, he was operating as the Giants’ starting center. The Giants gave him an extension that ran through 2022 based on his center work. But the new regime added Feliciano in free agency last year. Gates ended up making his return at left guard, rotating with Ezeudu down the stretch. Pro Football Focus rated Gates just inside the top 50 at the position in 2022.

Washington used ex-Ron Rivera Panthers charges Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner as their top guards last season. They also lost center Chase Roullier at center early during the campaign. Norwell remains under contract, as does Roullier, but both Turner and Wes Schweitzer are unsigned.

Commanders To Sign RT Andrew Wylie

March 13th, 2023 at 1:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Andrew Wylie is on the move, but he will be working with a familiar face in 2023. The veteran right tackle is set to sign with the Commanders on a three-year deal worth $24MM, as first noted (on Twitter) by veteran reporter Ari Meirov).

Wylie, 28, has spent all five of his career seasons with the Chiefs. That span includes 59 starts in 71 games; he operated as Kansas City’s full-time right tackle in 2022. He played out this past season on a one-year, $2.5MM pact, one which proved to be a bargain for the team. Wylie played a key role in the Chiefs’ success up front in the Super Bowl, which has helped earn him this new contract.

By heading to Washington, the East Michigan product will reunite with Eric Bieniemy, who took the Commanders’ offensive coordinator job after holding the same title with the Chiefs. Wylie will likely be counted upon for Washington after his strong performance in 2022, but his departure – something the Chiefs wanted to avoid – is leading to a significant shake-up on their o-line.

Kansas City has reportedly agreed to terms with fellow tackle free agent Jawaan Taylor, which will give them at least one high-end player on the edge. The significant investment made in him, however, points to Pro Bow left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. being likely to depart as well.

Wylie will give the Commanders a veteran option at the RT spot alongside swing tackle Cornelius Lucas. 2021 draftee Sam Cosmi and the recently re-signed Drew Himmelman are also in the mix as depth at the tackle spot. This addition comes on the same day that Washington has reached agreement on a deal with another o-lineman in Nick Gates. A new-look offensive front could give the Commanders a boost as they look to take a step forward in terms of production in 2023.