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Giants, LS Casey Kreiter Agree To Deal

April 1st, 2020 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants will reunite Riley Dixon with his former long snapper. Casey Kreiter agreed to terms with the Giants on Wednesday, the team announced.

BERJAYADixon and Kreiter played together for two seasons with the Broncos. The team non-tendered Kreiter as an RFA last year but re-signed him. The Broncos will move on from their four-year snapper this offseason.

While terms of this deal are not known, veteran snappers are confined to a precise salary range — anywhere from $1.1-$1.3MM per year. In addition to spending four seasons in Denver, Kreiter went to camp twice with the Cowboys during Jason Garrett‘s HC tenure.

Colin Holba snapped in five Giants games last season and remains under contract. The addition of the 29-year-old Kreiter also figures to spell the end of Zak DeOssie‘s time with the Giants. The two-time Pro Bowler went on IR last season. DeOssie spent 13 seasons with the Giants, snapping in both their most recent Super Bowl-winning campaigns.

The Giants expect DeOssie to retire, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan (on Twitter). That would mean losing the final two members of their Super Bowl champion teams in one offseason, with Eli Manning having called it quits after 16 seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Jets Explored DeAndre Hopkins, Stefon Diggs Trades

April 1st, 2020 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Once again, the Jets have a need at wide receiver. Robby Anderson‘s free agency departure expanded the void Gang Green features at this position.

BERJAYAPrior to the Jets losing Anderson to the Panthers, they were one of the teams to explore trades for DeAndre Hopkins and Stefon Diggs. Joe Douglas confirmed Wednesday the Jets did their due diligence on Hopkins and Diggs, per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes (via Twitter).

Both surfaced in trade rumors midway through last month and were gone within hours of said rumors. The Cardinals sent the Texans a package highlighted by a second-round pick and David Johnson — a deal that shocked the league — and the Bills pried Diggs away from the Vikings for a first-rounder and a host of Day 3 picks. The Vikings reduced their Diggs asking price over the past several months. The Patriots also showed interest in Diggs; the Bills landing him stands to increase their chances to win the AFC East.

The Jets did add Breshad Perriman as an Anderson replacement, doing so at a much cheaper rate, and still have Jamison Crowder in the slot. Quincy Enunwa‘s status is up in the air, Douglas confirmed (Twitter link via Hughes), after he missed 15 games last season because of a neck injury. Enunwa missing the entire 2017 slate because of a neck malady obviously puts his career in jeopardy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Patriots To Cut QB Cody Kessler

April 1st, 2020 at 2:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Patriots’ quarterback depth chart will soon be two-man group again. They are cutting Cody Kessler, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). This will leave Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer as the Pats’ QBs.

BERJAYANew England acquired Kessler in late September of last year, and the former Cleveland third-round pick bounced on and off the Pats’ roster. But the USC product spent most of last season with the Patriots. This move points to the team planning to add another quarterback.

Despite being a fourth-round pick who threw four passes as a rookie, Stidham is rumored to have the inside track at being Tom Brady‘s immediate successor. Hoyer re-signed with the Pats because he was told he would be able to compete for the starting job. Kessler was not expected to factor into that equation, but his departure opens the door to questions about the Pats’ plans for this additional quarterback job.

Kessler was under contract through the 2020 season; his release will save the Pats $935K in cap space. They entered Wednesday with just $708K in cap room.

Kessler has 12 career starts on his resume, the first eight coming with a 2016 Browns team that went 1-15. He briefly supplanted Blake Bortles with the 2018 Jaguars. For his career, Kessler has completed 64% of his passes and has thrown eight touchdown passes and five interceptions.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Jets To Keep G Brian Winters?

April 1st, 2020 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored as a release candidate for months, Brian Winters remains a Jet. And the team’s longest-tenured offensive line starter looks to have a path to return.

BERJAYAAmid an offseason of significant change on the Jets’ O-line, GM Joe Douglas pointed to Winters being back to compete for a starting job up front. Winters, 28, has been a Jets starting guard since 2013. He’s not only the lone holdover from the Nick Mangold–D’Brickashaw Ferguson lines; he is the only O-lineman left from last year’s Week 1 starting lineup.

“We love his competitiveness and toughness,” Douglas said, via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano (on Twitter). “We should have a really good competition for our offensive line.”

The Jets would save $7.2MM by releasing their starting right guard and incur no dead money in doing so. So it should not be a given Winters will return. Gang Green added players at other positions, signing tackle George Fant and center Connor McGovern. The Jets also re-signed Alex Lewis, who spent 2019 at left guard, and inked former Panthers guard Greg Van Roten.

In Lewis, Van Roten and Winters, the Jets would have three starter-caliber guards — two of which arriving under the Douglas regime. Winters has been with the Jets through three regimes now. He has started 79 games since being a 2013 third-round Jets pick. Talk of a Winters release began to emerge after he went down with a season-ending dislocated shoulder. But three weeks into free agency, he remains with the Jets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Jadeveon Clowney On Titans’ Radar

April 1st, 2020 at 2:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The highest-profile non-quarterback free agent left on the market, Jadeveon Clowney remains in a holding pattern of sorts. The impact edge defender has been connected most closely to the Seahawks since becoming a free agent, but one of his original suitors engaged in discussions with him.

BERJAYALinked to being prepared to make a strong offer for Clowney at free agency’s outset, the Titans have communicated with the former No. 1 overall pick, GM Jon Robinson confirmed Wednesday.

“We have touched based with Clowney’s representation,” Robinson said. “… Just trying to navigate and work through where that one might be.”

Clowney has gone from being a candidate to approach the Khalil Mack/$23MM-per-year pay range to hoping for $20MM annually — even on a one-year deal — to being favored to return to Seattle. But 11 days after a report indicated Clowney and the Seahawks were nearing a deal, he remains a free agent.

The Titans quickly added former Falcons first-rounder Vic Beasley, and the five-year veteran stands to team with Harold Landry on the edge in Tennessee. Clowney has been more consistent than Beasley, the latter’s 2016 All-Pro nod notwithstanding, but this coronavirus-altered offseason has likely affected his stock. Clowney has dealt with injuries for much of his career, though he is believed to be healthy now.

The former South Carolina phenom may now have better fits outside of Tennessee. Mike Vrabel, however, coached Clowney for four seasons in Houston. So, the Titans probably should not be discounted in this unusually paced race. Even with Derrick Henry‘s $10.3MM franchise tag factored into the equation, the Titans do still have more than $23MM in cap space.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Texans, DT Timmy Jernigan Agree To Deal

April 1st, 2020 at 1:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

After three years in Philadelphia, Timmy Jernigan will head back to the AFC. The veteran defensive tackle agreed to terms with the Texans on Wednesday, Marc Berman of Fox 26 tweets.

BERJAYAJernigan can earn up to $3.75MM on this one-year contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, and will receive $1.25MM guaranteed. He will join a Texans team that saw longtime starter D.J. Reader defect in free agency.

This marks another low-level pact for Jernigan, who went from signing a four-year, $48MM Eagles extension to agreeing to back-to-back one-year deals. Last year, the Eagles released him only to re-sign him for one year and $1.25MM. The former Ravens starter will become the second-biggest name on the Texans’ defensive line, which J.J. Watt is in line to lead for a 10th season.

Jernigan, 27, played just 27% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps last season. He missed most of the 2018 campaign due to injury but impressed enough during Philly’s Super Bowl season to sign that lucrative extension. A former second-round Ravens pick, Jernigan totaled 13 sacks and 35 quarterback hits in three Baltimore seasons. With Philly, he posted 5.5 sacks and 12 QB knockdowns. Last season, Jernigan missed extensive time due to a broken foot.

A change of scenery figures to result in increased playing time for the six-year veteran, and this will likely double as a chance for Jernigan to re-establish his value in hopes of landing another big contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Titans Re-Sign Kamalei Correa

April 1st, 2020 at 12:48pm CST by Rory Parks

The Titans are bringing back linebacker Kamalei Correa, as Correa’s agency, DEC Management, announced via Twitter. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network says it will be a one-year deal worth up to $3.5MM (Twitter link).

BERJAYA

The Ravens selected Correa in the second round of the 2016 draft with the hopes that he could become a fearsome edge rusher. Although he showed some flashes of that ability here and there, he was never able to put it together in Baltimore, and he was traded to the Titans before the 2018 season in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

In Tennessee, Correa continued to work with Dean Pees, who had served as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator for the prior six seasons and who agreed to join the Titans’ staff in the same capacity in 2018. Pees announced his retirement in January, so Correa has lost one obvious supporter, but the team clearly saw enough from him to re-sign him.

The Boise State product saw the most action of his career in 2019, appearing in all 16 games and starting five of them. He played in about 40% of the Titans’ defensive snaps and continued to be a major special teams contributor. Although Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics considered him an average pass rusher, he did pick up a career-high five sacks. He has also been lauded for his coverage abilities.

Per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, Correa has had an offer from the Titans for a couple of weeks (Twitter link). Clearly, he did not get a more attractive proposal on the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Latest On QB Jordan Love

April 1st, 2020 at 12:23pm CST by Rory Parks

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where Utah State QB Jordan Love will land in this month’s draft, and as such, he is generating interest from plenty of teams. Kevin Patra of NFL.com says that the Saints, Packers, Chargers, Raiders, Dolphins, and Colts have all been in contact with Love via FaceTime and other virtual means.

BERJAYA

Despite an uneven 2019 season, Love possesses all the physical tools that a team could want in a signal-caller and showed enough of his ability at the scouting combine to create some buzz. So while teams like the Chargers and Dolphins have more immediate needs at quarterback, it’s not surprising that clubs like the Colts and the Packers would be taking a look as well, as they could have Love learn from their current starters while he continues to refine his game. Indeed, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Green Bay had planned to host Love and most of this year’s top QB prospects at its facility before pre-draft visits were cancelled (Twitter link). Of course, the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers when Brett Favre was still playing at a high level, so if Love falls to them, perhaps they could make a similar move.

The Saints’ involvement is somewhat surprising since we heard last month that New Orleans was not interested in Love. But while the team holds Taysom Hill in high regard and views him as the heir to Drew Brees, the fact remains that Hill will be 30 in August and has thrown 13 passes in his professional career, so a little due diligence couldn’t hurt.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, are reportedly very high on Love. While Miami’s dream scenario remains one in which it acquires the No. 1 overall pick from Cincinnati to select Joe Burrow, the ‘Fins will definitely walk away from the draft with a high-end signal-caller in tow.

Love looked like such a player in 2018 by throwing 32 touchdowns against six interceptions. Unfortunately, his arm strength and stature didn’t yield the same results last year, as he had 20 TDs against 17 INTs while playing with a lesser supporting cast. But plenty of QBs have had disappointing final seasons in college and have gone on to do big things in the pros, and apparently a number of teams believe Love can do just that.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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East Notes: Williams, Mills, Flowers

April 1st, 2020 at 11:52am CST by Rory Parks

Trent Williams has been one of the most-discussed players in the NFL for about a year now, and it presently does not sound like the Redskins are close to trading their disgruntled left tackle. One of the more overlooked talking points, however, is what happens if a trade is not completed?

We recently heard that the team does not plan to release Williams, which means he would remain under contract with the Redskins through 2020. And holding out wouldn’t earn him any leverage with the Redskins or with a team interested in trading for him, so as Albert Breer of SI.com writes, Williams would have no choice but to play for Washington next season. He clearly does not want that to happen, but at this point, his clearest path to a lucrative new deal may be to stick it out for one more season with the ‘Skins and prove he is still a top-tier LT.

Let’s round up a few more items from the league’s east divisions:

  • CB Kendall Fuller is back with the Redskins on a four-year deal, and he tells John Keim of ESPN.com that a number of factors brought him back to D.C. The Baltimore native played his collegiate ball at Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Redskins in 2016, so Washington is home for him. He also cited new head coach Ron Rivera and Rivera’s reputation for developing CBs as a draw, along with the defensive staff as a whole. Fuller indicated that he does not know if he will play primarily in the slot or outside the numbers (Twitter links).
  • The Eagles brought back Jalen Mills on a one-year, $4MM pact, and the club plans on transitioning him from cornerback to safety in the wake of Malcolm Jenkins‘ departure. Mills says that Philadelphia was the only team that wanted to move him to safety (Twitter link via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP), but obviously that switch was agreeable to the 2016 seventh-rounder. It’s fair to wonder, however, exactly how much interest Mills was generating as a CB on the open market.
  • Ereck Flowers couldn’t hack it as an offensive tackle in the NFL, but he has reinvented himself as a guard and parlayed a strong showing at LG with Washington in 2019 into a surprising three-year, $30MM contract with the Dolphins last month. This will not come as much of a surprise, but Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald says Miami intends to have Flowers line up at guard, though his experience at tackle made him attractive to head coach Brian Flores, who clearly targeted FAs with positional versatility.
  • The Bills opted against giving WR/KR Isaiah McKenzie an RFA tender, but they did re-sign him to a one-year pact just the same. McKenzie told Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News that he did have other free agent offers, but despite the fact that he is unlikely to see more playing time with the Bills in 2020 than he did in 2019, his preference was to return to Buffalo (Twitter link).
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49ers’ D.J. Jones Switches Agencies

April 1st, 2020 at 10:37am CST by Rory Parks

49ers defensive tackle D.J. Jones has switched agencies and is now represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA), per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. The move is significant because Jones is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is eligible for an extension for the first time.

BERJAYA

In 2019, Jones was a fairly unheralded member of San Francisco’s excellent defensive front, but he was clearly starting to come into his own. He started all 11 of the team’s games before succumbing to a season-ending ankle injury, and he established himself as a useful run-stuffer.

In 2020, he could have the opportunity to be more. The Niners traded DeForest Buckner to the Colts, and the team is not expected to make Arik Armstead a full-time defensive tackle. Additionally, Sheldon Day departed via free agency, and Jullian Taylor suffered a torn ACL late in the 2019 campaign. So while San Francisco could certainly add an interior defender or two in the coming months, Jones looks to be in line for a larger role. Maiocco suggests that Jones may end up taking some of Buckner’s pass-rushing snaps, which could obviously help him earn a larger payday.

The 2017 sixth-rounder out of Ole Miss did post two sacks last season — the first two of his career — despite being a predominantly two-down player. He is scheduled to earn $825K in 2020, unless he and the 49ers work out an extension ahead of time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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