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Free Agent Roundup: Cook Heading To Saints; RG3 Still A Raven & More
The Saints are close to a deal with tight end Jared Cook, sources first told Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio on Wednesday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero subsequently reported the same.

The Saints have not officially confirmed the move, but Cook dropped some pretty strong hints in a conversation with ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley, winking and saying “Maybe” when asked about the new deal. Cook also added “it’s going to be pretty awesome” catching passes from Drew Brees.

“I’ve been a big fan of Drew for a long time and the way he approaches the game,” Cook said. “He’s on point. He’s on top of his game right now. He’s just a baller. I look forward to seeing him do great things in the future. ...

“It could be a big production year. Just as long as I take care of what I can take care of, we should be all right.”

Turning 32 years old next month, Cook is coming off a career-year with the Oakland Raiders. As Derek Carr's top pass-catching target last season, Cook corralled 68 passes for 896 yards and six touchdowns.

The addition is a coup for the Saints who have struggled to find consistent weapons for Brees outside of Michael Thomas the past few seasons.

As NFL.com's Kevin Patra noted, Cook provides the Saints with a seam-stretching weapon over the middle who can win one-on-one matchups with linebackers and safeties.

New Orleans has been starving for dynamic production from the tight end position since trading Jimmy Graham back in 2015. Josh Hill never morphed into the playmaker Sean Payton hyped about for years. Coby Fleener disappointed. And Benjamin Watson, while solid, wasn't a matchup problem for defenses.

Watson's retirement left a big void at the position for New Orleans once again. Cook's addition fills that hole and massively upgrades the Saints' offense. ...

In Los Angeles. ... Malcolm Brown will remain with the Rams.

The team is matching the Detroit Lions' two-year, $3.25 million offer sheet for the restricted free agent running back.

The Lions signed Brown to the offer sheet earlier this week and L.A. had until Monday to match it.

The running back's deal includes $1 million guaranteed and a $100,000 signing bonus, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Brown's 2018 campaign ended on injured reserve after suffering a clavicle injury in Week 13 against the Lions. Prior to his injury, he played 15 percent of the Rams' offensive snaps and added 264 yards from scrimmage, along with one receiving touchdown.

Having Brown back in the mix bodes well for the Rams' backfield in 2019. It also leaves C.J. Anderson wondering where his next destination will be. ...

In Baltimore. ... The Ravens have agreed in principle to a two-year contract with quarterback Robert Griffin III, pending the passing of his physical, General Manager Eric DeCosta announced Thursday.

Griffin rejuvenated his NFL career last season as Baltimore’s No. 3 quarterback after sitting out the 2017 season. Though he only saw brief action at quarterback in two games, Griffin impressed teammates and coaches with his preparation and play, winning a roster spot during training camp and the preseason.

Griffin’s mobility, experience and familiarity with the Ravens’ offense makes him a suitable backup for Baltimore. If Jackson were to suffer an injury, Griffin can step in without forcing the Ravens to make major adjustments. The 29-year-old Griffin can also serve as a mentor for the 22-year-old Jackson. Griffin is a former Heisman Trophy winner like Jackson, who understands what it’s like to enter the NFL as a quarterback with high expectations.

The Ravens traded long-time starting quarterback Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos this offseason, and Griffin’s role could become more important in 2019. He saw action at quarterback in two games last season when Jackson went down with, or was evaluated for, an injury. Griffin had a full series in Atlanta when Jackson was checked for a concussion, and Griffin finished out the game in Kansas City after Jackson tweaked his ankle.

For the season, Griffin completed two of four passes for 24 yards. ...

In Jacksonville. ... Tight end James O'Shaughnessy became an unrestricted free agent last week and took a visit with the Steelers this week, but the Jaguars announced on Thursday that he re-signed with the team. Contract details were not announced.

O’Shaughnessy joined the Jaguars in 2017 and caught 38 passes for 363 yards and a touchdown over 30 regular season games for the team. He spent the first two seasons of his NFL career with the Chiefs.

With O’Shaughnessy back in the fold, the Jaguars now have four tight ends on the roster. Geoff Swaim, Ben Koyack and Pharoah McKever join O’Shaughnessy on the roster. ...

In Detroit. ... The Lions announced that they signed Logan Thomas on Thursday.

Thomas spent the past two seasons in Buffalo. He appeared in 24 games with five starts, catching 19 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown. He originally entered the NFL as a quarterback, with the Cardinals using a fourth-round selection on him in 2014. He passed for 81 yards and a touchdown in two games as a rookie before fully converting to tight end in 2016.

The Lions signed former Steelers tight end Jesse James early in free agency. ...

In Arizona. ... The Cardinals announced that Ricky Seals-Jones, an exclusive rights free agent, signed his tender offer Thursday.

The team signed veteran tight end Charles Clay in February, but Seals-Jones is clearly the team's future at the position..

Indeed, the Cardinals expect the tight end to play a big role in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Kingsbury recruited Seals-Jones to Texas A&M when he was the offensive coordinator of the Aggies, though Kingsbury left for the head coaching job at Texas Tech before Seals-Jones enrolled.

Seals-Jones, 23, made 34 catches for 343 yards and a touchdown last season. ...

In Atlanta. ... The Falcons announced Thursday that they have agreed to terms with wide receiver Justin Hardy on a one-year contract.

Hardy, 27, was drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft. During his four seasons with the Falcons, Hardy has proven himself to be a reliable reserve receiver and a core part of Atlanta's special teams, returning 20 punts for 147 yards in 2018. Hardy has caught 76 passes in his career for 751 yards and nine touchdowns.

Hardy is the sixth free agent the Falcons have added this offseason, all of which have been on the offensive side of the ball. With Hardy back in the mix, the Falcons will return their four most productive wide receivers from last season. ...

In Oakland. .... Mike Glennon has signed with the Raiders.

A third-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2013, Glennon has been more successful in the business end of the football than the on-field aspects.

He lasted four years in Tampa Bay before signing a three-year, $45 million contract with the Bears in 2017. Chicago cut him after one year. Glennon then signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Cardinals but was cut after one year.

Glennon has shown that he’s not a starter, but he can still find jobs in the NFL. He’s no lock to make the Raiders’ roster, but for now he’s slated to compete for a backup spot. ...

In New York. ... Trevor Siemian has agreed to a one-year deal with the Jets.

Siemian, 27, could be the Jets’ replacement for veteran Josh McCown, who is still mulling retirement. Even if McCown does decide to play another season in the NFL, it is understandable why the Jets would want to look elsewhere for a backup quarterback, as McCown struggled mightily last season when he had to step in for the injured Sam Darnold.

Siemian has respectable numbers in the NFL, at least for a backup, owning a 30:24 touchdown to interception ratio to go along with over 5,000 passing yards. His best season came in 2016 for the Broncos when he finished with 18 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and 3,400 passing yards.

Depending on McCown's decision, Siemian could be battling Davis Webb to see who will be the primary backup to Darnold in 2019. ...

In Denver. ... Kevin Hogan is starting another year as a backup quarterback in Denver.

Hogan, who was on the Broncos’ roster last year but never got on the field for a game, has re-signed with Denver, Mike Klis of 9 News reports.

The 26-year-old Hogan entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Chiefs in 2016. Kansas City cut him before that season and he was picked up by Cleveland, where he started one game in two years. He spent last offseason in Washington but didn’t make the regular-season roster.

Joe Flacco is slated to be the starting quarterback in Denver this year. The Broncos may also draft a quarterback, and Hogan may have to compete to make the Broncos’ roster. ....

In Chicago. ... The Bears intend to keep three quarterbacks on the roster again in 2019, as they announced Wednesday that QB3 Tyler Brady is returning on a one-year deal.

As Pro Football Weekly's Arthur Arkush noted, Bray, 27, followed Coach of the Year Matt Nagy from Kansas City to Chicago last offseason after spending his first five years — all under Nagy — with the Chiefs. He bounced back and forth between the 53 and the practice squad, never appearing in a game last season.

Ideally, that will be the case again this season. ...

In Houston. ... The Texans have re-signed quarterback Joe Webb to a one-year deal worth $1 million, Rapoport reported.

The Texans signed AJ McCarron to a one-year deal earlier in the week to backup Deshaun Watson. Houston will move on from Brandon Weeden.

Webb, 32, is a core special teams player and also can play receiver.

He played 35 snaps on offense and 312 on special teams last season. That was 67 percent of the team’s special teams plays.

Webb had two catches for 13 yards last season.

Webb has played nine NFL seasons since the Vikings made him a sixth-round pick. ...

In Buffalo. ... As PFT's Josh Alper framed it, "The third workout was the charm for Jake Fisher."

Fisher worked out with Houston and Washington before moving on to Buffalo Friday, but he won’t have to continue moving around the country in search of a job. Fisher’s agent announced that his client has landed a one-year deal with the Bills.

Fisher was a second-round pick of the Bengals in 2015 as a tackle, but he saw some time at tight end earlier in his career and decided to make a full-time position change this offseason. He has two career catches.

He is the second addition to the Buffalo tight end group this offseason and Fisher knows the other one well as Tyler Kroft also made the move from the Bengals to the Bills as a free agent. ...

In Kansas City. ... According to Field Yates of ESPN, fullback Anthony Sherman is returning to the Chiefs on a one-year deal.

Sherman’s a fine contributor, but it’s worth noting that his Pro Bowl appearance last season largely depended on being part of the best offense in the league rather than his own gifts. He had one carry for 2 yards, and eight receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown. Sherman played just 98 of the Chiefs’ 1,045 offensive snaps last year (9.4 percent).

The 30-year-old fullback has been with them since 2013, having started his career with the Cardinals.