Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DT Justin Jones
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: RB Mekhi Sargent
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: OL Alex Bars
Garrett Gilbert has found a new home. The quarterback is signing with the Raiders, agency Steinberg Sports announced on Twitter (and passed along by ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter).
Gilbert had stints on the Raiders practice squad during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The 2014 sixth-round pick has turned into a true journeyman during his eight seasons of professional football. Besides his stint in Oakland, the Texas/SMU product has had gigs with the Rams, Patriots (two stints), Lions, Panthers, Browns, Cowboys, and Washington. He also led the AAF in passing yards during his time with the Orlando Apollos.
In total, the QB has seen time in eight career games (two starts), completing 57.3 percent of his passes for 477 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He got a start for Washington in 2021.
Josh McDaniels has some familiarity with Gilbert dating back to their days in New England, and the FA addition may have an opportunity to stick around as the number-two quarterback behind Derek Carr. 2021 backup Marcus Mariota is currently a free agent.
The Raiders don’t appear to be satisfied with the notable additions they’ve already made in recent days. Still in search of upgrades in the secondary, they are “making a run” at cornerback Stephon Gilmore, according to Vincent Bonsignore of The Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). 
[RELATED: Raiders Acquire Adams From Packers]
The Raiders have made plenty of changes to their defense this offseason, most notably signing one of the top edge rushers on the market in Chandler Jones. Regarding the secondary, they’ve also traded for Rock Ya-Sin in a deal that sent Yannick Ngakoue back to the Colts, and signed former Raven Anthony Averett.
Still, Gilmore would add quite a bit of pedigree and experience to their CB room. The team still has plenty of cap space to work with, and any additions to their pass defense (which was mid-pack in 2021) considering the firepower which exists in their division would certainly be welcomed.
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. While the former Defensive Player of the Year called it a “dream come true” to play for the Panthers, it has long been expected he would at least test the open market.
Gilmore currently tops the list of available corners, which also includes the likes of Joe Haden, Patrick Peterson and fellow Panther Donte Jackson. If he ends up anywhere other than Vegas though, as Bonsignore states, “it won’t be for lack of trying”.
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-Signed: LB Ezekiel Turner
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: LB Marquel Lee
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-Signed: LB Luke Gifford
Denver Broncos
- Re-Signed: DL DeShawn Williams
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: RB Ameer Abdullah
Miami Dolphins
- Re-Signed: TE Durham Smythe
New York Giants
- Signed: OL Jamil Douglas
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: KR/PR Gunner Olszewski
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-Signed: OL Kyle Fuller
Derek Carr got his wish earlier tonight when the Packers traded for wideout Davante Adams. Next up: a lucrative extension. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Raiders will now pivot to extending their quarterback. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets that an extension is coming “sooner than later.”
[RELATED: Packers Trade WR Davante Adams To Raiders]
When the Raiders hired Dave Ziegler as GM and Josh McDaniels as head coach, some were questioning whether Carr would be moved. The organization continued to say that Carr would be sticking around Las Vegas, and the Raiders’ decision to reunite their QB with his college WR all but confirms that Carr will be with the team for the foreseeable future.
Back in 2017, Carr became the first player in the NFL to average $25MM per season. Even while breaking that barrier, Carr claimed at the time that he was leaving money on the table. Pundits posit that Carr has earned near-top-tier money that could make him yet another quarterback to join the $40MM per year club, joining the likes Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Dak Prescott.
Carr’s current deal runs through the 2022 season, so the two sides will surely want to complete a deal before the offseason is over. The front office has already spent big money to extend Adams and Maxx Crosby, so Carr should see a lucrative contract before long.
Davante Adams‘ stint with the Packers has come to a sudden end. The Packers are trading the Pro Bowl wideout to the Raiders, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The Packers will receive the Raiders’ first- and second-round picks in this year’s draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
The Raiders are also inking Adams to a record-breaking contract. The wideout will sign a five-year, $141.25MM deal with Las Vegas, with his $28.25MM average annual salary setting a new record for the position (per Rapoport).
There were whispers that Adams could be on the move, but the return of Aaron Rodgers had many assuming that the star wide receiver would be back in Green Bay next season. Of course, there was still the matter of a contract; the Packers ended up franchising Adams when they couldn’t agree on an extension prior to the tender deadline, but the wideout later made it clear that he wouldn’t play the 2022 season on the franchise tag (one-year, $20.5MM). Adams has been pushing for a megadeal to top DeAndre Hopkins‘ $27MM/year contract, and per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky (on Twitter), the Packers were willing to meet his asking price. However, Adams ultimately wanted to play elsewhere, leading to the trade.
Whenever a potential Adams trade was brought up, the Raiders were consistently mentioned as a top suitor. This wasn’t only due to the Raiders’ need for a top-end wide receiver; it was also because of the friendship between Adams and quarterback Derek Carr, who were teammates at Fresno State. Carr said last summer that he would “welcome” a reunion with his good friend, and he acknowledged that he’d be “recruiting hard” by the time the 2022 offseason came around. Ultimately, Carr got his wish, and he’ll now be adding one of the NFL’s most dynamic receivers.
A few eyebrows were raised when it was recently reported that Adams had bought a home in the Las Vegas area, and Rapoport tweets that the receiver will actually be neighbors with his new QB. Rapoport adds that the Raiders and Packers had been working on a deal for a few days, although NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the trade was dead as recently as yesterday.
Adams had a standout career with the Packers aftre being selected in the second round of the 2014 draft. The receiver earned a pair of first-team All-Pro nods and made five-straight Pro Bowls during his time in Green Bay. After putting up some incredible numbers in recent seasons, Adams somehow took it to another level in 2021. The wideout finished the season with a career-high 1,553 receiving yards on 123 receptions. He also hauled in 11 touchdowns.
Josh McDaniels and co. were reportedly seeking a top-end receiver to pair with receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller. DeSean Jackson provided a bit of a spark after joining the organization, but there was no guarantee he would stick around (plus he profiles as a lower-end WR). The team also lost a key future piece in Henry Ruggs.
While Green Bay settled their issues with their franchise QB, they now have some major question marks elsewhere on offense. The team’s receivers depth chart is currently led by Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, and the Bears signed away Equanimeous St. Brown earlier today. It will be interesting to see if the Packers are able to attract one of the few remaining FA wideouts, and Schefter confirms (on Twitter) that the team is indeed pursuing veteran receivers. And for those wondering, Rapoport tweets that Rodgers has indeed signed his new contract. In fact, Rodgers was aware that Adams was done with the Packers when he inked his new deal, so this trade won’t come as any surprise to the QB (per Rapoport).
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: WR Brandon Zylstra
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: LS Clark Harris
Houston Texans
- Acquired via trade (from Jets): LB Blake Cashman
- Signed: TE Scott Quessenberry
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: OL Will Richardson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: FB Jakob Johnson
Minnesota Vikings
- Re-signed: P Jordan Berry
- Signed: TE Johnny Mundt, OL Austin Schlottmann
New York Giants
- Re-signed: LS Casey Kreiter
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DT Hassan Ridgeway
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: RB Trenton Cannon
Not long after trading for Rock Ya-Sin, the Raiders have another new cornerback en route. They reached an agreement to add ex-Raven Anthony Averett, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.
Averett started a career-high 14 games for the Ravens last season, doing so in a year in which the team lost starters Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey. A former fourth-round pick, Averett boosted his value despite the Ravens’ collective step back.
The Alabama alum played 90% of Baltimore’s defensive snaps, allowing a 55% completion rate and 77.5 passer rating when targeted. Averett notched three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. Prior to 2021, Averett had started seven career games. The 6-foot cover man’s usage rate has steadily increased in each season, and he will have a chance to compete for regular work in Las Vegas.
Ya-Sin and Averett join a Vegas secondary in transition on the outside at corner. The team cut bait on 2020 first-rounder Damon Arnette and has standout Casey Hayward unsigned. Trayvon Mullen is going into a contract year. With new decision-makers taking over, the Raiders may not be done making changes at this spot.
The Raiders are adding another special team ace. The team is adding wideout/special teamer Mack Hollins, reports Taylor Vippolis of Inside Carolina (on Twitter).
[RELATED: Raiders To Sign RB Brandon Bolden]
Hollins appeared in every game for the Dolphins over the past two seasons, and while he was buried on the depth chart, he still managed to put up some numbers. He finished the season with 223 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns, and his 15.9 yards per catch ranked first on the team.
The 28-year-old also led the Dolphins in special teams tackles, finishing with 11 overall. In total, Hollins has collected 21 tackles throughout his career.
The former fourth-round pick spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Eagles, collecting 351 yards from scrimmage in 28 games.
The Raiders have released another defender. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic (on Twitter), the team has cut LB Nick Kwiatkoski.
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Bears, Kwiatkoski joined the Raiders in 2020 on a three-year, $21MM deal. The linebacker will ultimately leave behind a $5MM cap hit.
Kwiatkoski was productive during his first season with the team, collecting a career-high 81 tackles in 12 games. However, he was limited to only eight games in 2021 thanks in part to an ankle injury, and he collected only 21 tackles and one forced fumble when he did see the field.
As Tafur points out, the new Raiders front office was quick to move on from Cory Littleton, Carl Nassib, and Kwiatkoski, and the trio will ultimately account for $25.6MM in dead cap over the next two years.