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Falcons Decline Charles Harris’ Fifth-Year Option

May 3rd, 2020 at 11:57am CST by Rory Parks

The Falcons are taking a low-risk flier on former first-round pick Charles Harris, but Atlanta is not committing itself to Harris beyond the 2020 season. The club will not pick up the fifth-year option on the defensive end, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network (via Nick Shook of NFL.com).

The option would have been worth just over $10MM, and though it would have been guaranteed for injury only, that was not a chance the Falcons were willing to take. Giving up a seventh-rounder for a pass rusher who is not too far removed from being a top draft choice is one thing; risking a big chunk of the 2021 salary cap on him is quite another.

Atlanta acquired Dante Fowler Jr. in the first wave of free agency in March, and the club is counting on him to build on his breakout 2019 campaign. Fowler, like Harris and Takkarist McKinley, is a former first-round pick, so the team has plenty of potential in its DE rotation, but it needs McKinley and Harris to start living up to that potential. Atlanta declined McKinley’s fifth-year option last week, putting him and Harris on track for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.

Harris impressed in his final two seasons at Mizzou, combining for 30.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to keep up the good work at the pro level. In three years with the Dolphins, Harris has just 3.5 sacks to his credit. He has also made just eight starts in his 41 games, and despite earning some praise from Miami head coach Brian Flores during last year’s training camp, that praise did not translate into on-field results.

Bengals To Decline John Ross’ Fifth-Year Option

May 3rd, 2020 at 10:07am CST by Rory Parks

This won’t come as much of a surprise, but the Bengals have declined wide receiver John Ross‘ fifth-year option. Ross will therefore become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2020 season.

As a 2017 draft choice, Ross’ fifth-year option would have been guaranteed for injury only, but given his injury history, that was not a gamble Cincinnati was willing to take. Plus, as a top-10 pick in the 2017 draft, Ross’ option would have been worth a whopping $15.68MM, which would not have made sense for the team even if Ross had managed to stay completely healthy throughout his first three years in the league.

The Washington product was brought in to serve as a speed merchant and to add some sizzle to a passing offense that had become a middling unit despite the presence of A.J. Green. That did not happen. Instead, he failed to impress head coach Marvin Lewis in training camp in 2017, and between injuries and generally uninspiring play in practice, Ross played in only three games as a rookie and did not record a catch.

Though he started 10 games in 2018, he managed only 21 catches for 210 yards — which was a disappointment in terms of both overall output and yards-per-catch average — and after a hot start to 2019, he missed another eight games due to injury. The Bengals selected promising Clemson product Tee Higgins with the first pick of the second round in this year’s draft, and they are clearly preparing for life without Ross (which will probably look strikingly similar to life with Ross).

Andy Dalton To Sign With Cowboys

May 3rd, 2020 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

Just a couple of days after the Bengals released QB Andy Dalton, the Cowboys are bringing him back home. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Dallas is signing the Texas native to a one-year, $3MM deal that can reach $7MM with incentives (Twitter link).

One immediate response to the signing is that it could be a leverage play for the Cowboys in their continuing negotiations with Dak Prescott. But according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, that is not the case (Twitter link). Rather, Dallas believes it has a legitimate chance to win the Super Bowl this year, and it’s not often that a team can add a quality, highly-experienced backup this late in the offseason.

And while Jelani Scott of NFL.com writes that Dalton is happy to be returning to his home state, the fact that he is signing with the Cowboys knowing that he will be the backup is telling. We heard immediately after Dalton’s release that the Patriots and Jaguars were interested in his services, and the three-time Pro Bowler would have theoretically had an opportunity to compete for the starting job with those clubs. So as Albert Breer of SI.com observes, perhaps New England’s and Jacksonville’s reported interest amounted to little more than due diligence (Twitter link).

On the other hand, Todd Archer of ESPN.com says Dalton’s decision to sign with the Cowboys was at least partially motivated by the coronavirus. Given the uncertainty created by the pandemic, Dalton — who lives in Dallas — was eager to stay at home even if that meant eschewing a better opportunity elsewhere (though since teams’ offseason programs look like they will remain virtual for the foreseeable future, it seems as if a better opportunity simply wasn’t presenting itself).

The last report concerning Prescott and the Cowboys suggested that negotiations between the two sides were going very well. Prescott has his detractors — just like Dalton — but he has not missed a game in his four-year career, and Dallas certainly hopes that trend will continue in 2020. But if Prescott does miss time, Dallas will have the luxury of inserting a capable signal-caller who has guided his team to the playoffs and who has a winning record over 133 games as a starting QB.

And Dalton, who expressed disappointment that the Bengals did not release him early enough for him to have a chance to catch on with a team that had not already addressed its quarterback position, will have the opportunity to truly explore unrestricted free agency in 2021, when the market will presumably be much less robust than it was this year.

The Cowboys are also rostering Cooper Rush, who has served as Prescott’s backup in each of the past three seasons. Rush is set to earn a non-guaranteed $2.1MM in 2020, but while the team doesn’t have a ton of cap space, it probably has enough to sign its draft class and get through the season (especially if Prescott signs a multi-year deal, which should lower his 2020 number). So even though Rush will be demoted to QB3, he still has a good chance of making the team.

Bears To Decline Mitchell Trubisky’s Fifth-Year Option

May 2nd, 2020 at 2:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears will not exercise Mitchell Trubisky‘s fifth-year option, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).

This will put the scrutinized former No. 2 overall pick in a contract year. Chicago acquired Nick Foles from Jacksonville this offseason. Although the Bears have liked Trubisky’s attitude since Foles’ arrival and are set to make this an open competition, per Pelissero, they are passing on extending his contract through 2021. This was the expected course of action, and the Bears are following through with it.

Because Trubisky was a top-10 pick, his option would have come in at $24.8MM. Based on the fourth-year quarterback’s track record, that price is quite lofty. While the Buccaneers and Titans respectively picked up Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota‘s options last year, the Bears are passing on their respective top-three draftee.

GM Ryan Pace pulled the trigger on a one-spot trade-up for Trubisky, climbing from No. 3 to No. 2 in 2017. At that point, Trubisky was viewed as a top-caliber prospect. But the one-year North Carolina starter has not lived up to expectations. The fact that Patrick Mahomes (pick No. 10) and Deshaun Watson (No. 12) have lapped the Bears starter has opened the door for endless scrutiny. Because Watson was picked 12th, his fifth-year option will come in at $17.5MM.

Trubisky regressed last season, finishing 28th in QBR. This prompted the Bears to bring in competition. They were close to an Andy Dalton trade before acquiring Foles later in March. The former Super Bowl LII MVP is viewed as the favorite to be Chicago’s starter this coming season. That would torpedo Trubisky’s value in free agency.

In 2018, Trubisky posted a 95.4 quarterback rating and threw for 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions en route to a Pro Bowl nod (as an alternate). Last year, however, marked a step back. Trubisky threw 17 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions, and the Bears’ talented defense couldn’t make up for the offense’s shortcomings. The Bears went 8-7 in Trubisky’s 15 starts and finished .500 on the season, leaving them short of the postseason. Trubisky also battled hip and shoulder injuries, the latter requiring surgery.

Myles Garrett is the only member of 2017’s top five to see his fifth-year option exercised. Trubisky, 49ers defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette and Titans wideout Corey Davis are now on track for 2021 free agency.

49ers QB Nick Mullens Signs ERFA Tender

May 2nd, 2020 at 10:29am CST by Ben Levine

Unsurprisingly, Nick Mullens will be back in San Francisco next season. The quarterback has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender, according to the 49ers website. It’s a one-year deal worth around $750K. Mullens was tendered as a ERFA back in March.

The 2017 undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss has spent his entire career with the 49ers, including a 2018 campaign where he started eight games. That season, he led San Francisco to a 3-5 record as a starter, completing 64.2-percent of his passes for 2,277 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

With Jimmy Garoppolo fully healthy for the 2019 campaign, Mullens settled into a backup role and ultimately appeared in one game. The 25-year-old will compete with C.J. Beathard and undrafted rookie Broc Rutter for the same role in 2020.

Meanwhile, after signing nine undrafted rookies earlier this week, the 49ers have added another player to their roster, as the organization announced the signing of University of Washington running back Salvon Ahmed. As a junior, the running back ran for 1,020 yards and 11 scores.

Lions Expected To Decline LB Jarrad Davis’ Fifth-Year Option

May 2nd, 2020 at 9:35am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Jarrad Davis will be hitting free agency sooner than expected. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Lions won’t be picking up the linebacker’s fifth-year option. Davis will now become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

Detroit selected the Florida product with the 21st-overall pick in the 2017 draft, making him the second linebacker off the board (Haason Reddick). Davis has been relatively productive during his three seasons in Detroit, compiling 259 tackles, 10 sacks, and five forced fumbles in 41 games (41 starts).

That includes a 2019 campaign where he compiled a career-high three forced fumbles to go along with two sacks and 63 tackles. However, Davis was limited to only 11 games thanks to an ankle injury, and before landing on the IR, Pro Football Focus listed him as the lowest-rated linebacker in the NFL. The Lions front office apparently agreed with that assessment, leading to them declining his fifth-year option.

The Lions have been busy revamping their linebacker depth chart this offseason, bringing in Jamie Collins Sr., Reggie Ragland and Elijah Lee. Detroit also selected Notre Dame linebacker Julian Okwara in the third round of last week’s draft.

Chiefs Sign DE Taco Charlton

May 2nd, 2020 at 9:18am CST by Ben Levine

Taco Charlton has found a new home. The defensive lineman is signing a one-year deal with the Chiefs, reports Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo (via Twitter).

Charlton’s brief stint with Miami came to an end earlier this week, as the Dolphins waived the 25-year-old. Of course, that’s not to say that the lineman’s lone season in Miami wasn’t a success; despite appearing in only 10 games (five starts), Charlton still managed to compile a career-high five sacks and two forced fumbles.

The 2017 first-round pick out of Michigan spent the first two-plus seasons of his career with the Cowboys. He wasn’t particularly productive when he saw the field, as he combined for only 46 tackles and four sacks between the 2017 and 2018 seasons (27 games). He missed five games during the 2018 campaign thanks to a shoulder injury, and he later underwent ankle surgery. Those ailments lingered into the early parts of the 2019 season, and the Cowboys cut the lineman in mid-September.

In Kansas City, Charlton will have another shot to rehabilitate his image. Of course, that might be easier said than done, as he’ll be inserted into a depth chart that already includes the likes of Alex Okafor, Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel, and Breeland Speaks.

Buccaneers Claim K Elliott Fry

May 1st, 2020 at 5:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier this week, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht said he planned to bring in competition for Matt Gay. The Bucs are doing so via the waiver wire, claiming recently cut Panthers kicker Elliott Fry, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Fry has not yet kicked in a regular-season game. He spent four years as South Carolina’s kicker, entering the NFL as a UDFA in 2018. The Bucs will be his fourth NFL team.

Fry, 25, kicked in the short-lived Alliance of American Football then caught on with the Bears and Ravens in 2019. He then participated in several workouts but did not land a deal. The Panthers signed him to a reserve/futures contract. At South Carolina, he made 66 of 88 field goals. The former walk-on earned second-team All-SEC acclaim in 2014.

Tampa Bay has not enjoyed two straight seasons of kicker continuity since Connor Barth served in this capacity from 2009-12. The Bucs drafted Roberto Aguayo in Round 2 in 2016, but after that investment bombed, the team used multiple kickers in 2017 and ’18. Last season, Gay missed eight field goals and five extra points.

Saints Sign DL Margus Hunt

May 1st, 2020 at 5:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints are adding Margus Hunt to their defensive line group. The team announced a deal with the recent Colts starter on Friday.

Hunt played the past three seasons with the Colts, starting 15 games for them in 2018 and earning a contract extension. However, after benching the defensive tackle in 2019, the Colts cut bait earlier this year.

Set for his age-33 season, the 2013 Bengals second-rounder has not lived up to that draft slot. The Estonian NFLer has just 7.5 career sacks — though he registered 5.0 in 2018 — and has only made 25 career starts.

While Hunt struggled in 2019, Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-40 defensive tackle in 2017 and placed him 51st a year later. The SMU product remains Division I-FBS’ career leader in blocked field goals with 10, owing this skill to a 6-foot-8 frame.

With the Saints, he profiles as a depth piece who will not be guaranteed a roster spot. New Orleans now has three former first-round defensive tackles on its depth chart, with Hunt joining Sheldon Rankins and Malcom Brown. The team recently extended David Onyemata on a lucrative deal as well. Former Raiders second-rounder Mario Edwards is also part of this high-profile interior defender contingent.

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