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Roundup: Green Signs With Cardinals, Samuel To WFT, Mack Back & More
The 2021 Free Agency Signing Period began at 4 p.m. Eastern time today and the action continued at a pace similar to what we saw during the legal tampering period over the last two days: Fast and furious. And while there are plenty of big names still on the open market, there were some interesting moves to get the ball rolling.
In Arizona. ... A.J. Green is headed to the desert, agreeing to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Cardinals. The contract includes a base salary of $6 million, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported, with incentives available to push the total to its maximum value.
Green moves west after closing his time in Cincinnati in quiet fashion, catching just 47 of his 104 targets for 523 yards and two touchdowns in 2020. He failed to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in 16 games for the first time in his career. His 11.1 yards per catch, 2.9 receptions per game and two receiving touchdowns were the lowest of his career, and it became clear as the season progressed that the future at the position would be with rookie Tee Higgins as the Bengals' top target, not Green.
As Pro Football Focus put it, "Age and injury have likely robbed us of the player who was once one of the most dominant receivers in the game, but Green can still be a useful part of a team's receiving corps, and he showed that at times for the Bengals in 2020."
Prior to last season, staying on the field was an issue. In fact, the last time Green played more than 1,000 snaps in a season was back in 2015, with 2018 and 2019 featuring major injuries costing him most or all of each year.
At 32 years old, the chances of him rediscovering his lost step are minimal, so his role now becomes one of savvy and skills at the catch point. He has always had solid hands, with five or fewer dropped passes every year since 2013, but contested catches are a low-percentage play for even the best in the league, so Green's role is not nearly as attractive as it once was.
That said, he might be a fine fit in Arizona.
The seven-time Pro Bowler will join a Cardinals team that is loading up for a run at the playoffs after wilting down the stretch. He'll add to a receiving corps that also includes DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella, and could see the return of Larry Fitzgerald, provided he decides he wants to continue his Hall of Fame career.
Could we see a resurgence in an offense powered by quarterback Kyler Murray and directed by pass-friendly coach Kliff Kingsbury?
That could depend on Fitzgerald, who has yet to announce -- at least publicly -- his intentions going forward.
And that opens the door to speculation. Indeed, Profootballtalk.com suggested today that "Green to Cardinals means Fitzgerald to retirement or elsewhere."
We'll be watching for more on that in coming days. ...
Also of interest. ... After what the team's official website characterized as "an emotional roller-coaster of a season" with Zane Gonzalez and then fill-in work by the ageless Mike Nugent, the Cardinals turned to another veteran Wednesday when they agreed to a two-year deal with Matt Prater.
The Cards last saw Prater last season, when he was kicking a game-winning 39-yard field goal for the Lions on the final play of the game at State Farm Stadium in Week 3.
Prater, who was a rookie in 2007, did have his lowest field-goal percentage last season, converting 21-of-28 field goals. But he made 38-of-41 extra points, and in his career Prater has made 83.2 percent of his field-goal tries and made 54-of-63 the previous two seasons before 2020 while in Detroit.
Prater, 36, made 4-of-7 between 40 and 49 yards last year, and 6-of-10 from at least 50 yards. He is the most accurate kicker on field goals from at least 50 yards in NFL history at nearly 75 percent, and owns the NFL record for longest field goal with a 64-yarder in 2013 while playing for the Broncos.
He is reunited with assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers, who coached Prater previously in Denver. ...
In addition, Patrick Peterson is moving on to Minnesota. The 10-year pro and eight-time Pro Bowler is leaving the Cardinals and signing with the Vikings on a one-year deal worth $10 million, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
A standout and mainstay in the desert for a decade, Peterson was also one of the game's top corners, as evidenced by his eight-straight Pro Bowls to begin his career.
He's clearly lost a step though, as he's heading into his age-31 season. Nonetheless, Peterson will look to bring some experience to the Vikings and improve a defense that struggled mightily in 2020. ...
In Washington. ... As PFT's Josh Alper reminded readers, Richard Sherman said earlier this offseason that he thinks Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin would be a special player with some help around him at the position and the team has made a move to help find out if that's the case.
Washington has reached an agreement with former Panthers wideout Curtis Samuel. It is a three-year deal worth $34.5 million.
It won't be the first time that Samuel and McLaurin are part of the same receiving corps. They were both at Ohio State in 2015 and 2016.
Samuel had a career-best 77 catches for 851 yards and 41 rushes for 200 yards last season as Panthers coordinator Joe Brady used the 24-year-old the way he planned to use running back Christian McCaffrey, who missed 13 games with injuries.
As ESPN.com's David Newton suggested, Samuel's most impressive stat this past season was his catch rate (79.4 percent) that led all NFL receivers and was well ahead of his 56.3 percent rate the previous three seasons. He also became one of the league leaders on third-down catches for first downs.
Washington wanted to add speed at receiver and accomplished that mission with Samuel, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds at the 2017 scouting combine. McLaurin ran a 4.35 two years later.
Washington does have running backs Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic, both of whom can help in the pass game while split outside or in the slot. Both are former receivers. Samuel, a former college running back, will complement their skills by occasionally aligning in the backfield but focusing mostly as a receiver.
In 53 career games, Samuel has 185 receptions for 2,087 yards, 14 touchdown receptions, 478 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Although injuries limited him to only 22 games his first two seasons, he has appeared in 31 of 32 games the past two seasons.
Washington tried to trade for Samuel last season, a quest that started in the summer and lasted until the trade deadline, ESPN reported Tuesday. The person who blocked the move: Panthers general manager Marty Hurney, who now serves as Washington's senior vice president of player personnel.
Worth noting. ... Samuel was limited to 22 games in his first two seasons, but only missed one game the last two years.
Meanwhile, Lamar Miller is sticking with the Football Team.
The running back is re-signing with Washington on a one-year deal, his agent Drew Rosenhaus announced on Wednesday.
Miller has played in one regular-season game since 2018, when he started 14 contests for Houston and made the Pro Bowl with 973 yards rushing and five touchdowns. He tore his ACL in the 2019 preseason, missing the entire year. In 2020, he spent time with the Patriots and Bears before landing with Washington in December.
The Football Team did not activate Miller for a game.
Miller, who turns 30 on April 25, has rushed for 5,864 yards and 32 touchdowns in his career. The Dolphins selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. He then signed with Houston as a free agent in 2016.
In Indianapolis. ... Marlon Mack's 2020 season with the Colts ended in the team's first game, but that did not mark the end of his time with the team.
Pelissero reports that the Colts have re-signed Mack. It's a one-year, $2 million deal for the 2017 fourth-round pick.
Mack tore his Achilles after running four times for 26 yards and catching three passes for 30 yards. The injury left him unable to build off 442 carries for 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns over the previous two seasons.
As Profootballtalk.com notes, it wasn't long ago that Jim Irsay was touting Mack as a potential 1,500-yard back. The upside talent is still there even if the Achilles saps some of his explosiveness.
And if he can get enough work.
Remember, Jonathan Taylor took over as the lead back in the wake of Mack's injury and the 2020 second-rounder's success makes him a good bet to continue in that role. While it's fair to believe Frank Reich can find a way to get Mack touches by working him into the mix with Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins behind Taylor, a front-line role isn't likely.
Indeed, The Athletic's Stephen Holder thought Mack might want to go elsewhere and have greater opportunity.
But Holder notes the money wasn't going to be good no matter where he went and all things being equal, why go run behind someone else's offensive line when you can run behind Quenton Nelson?
Fair points all. ...
In Las Vegas. ... The Raiders added more speed to their wide receiver corps after agreeing to terms with veteran receiver John Brown on a one-year contract worth $3.7 million with incentives that could push the deal to $5.5 million, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported, citing sources informed of the pact.
Brown spent the last two seasons in Buffalo before being released last week. In nine games in 2020, the speedster generated 458 yards and three touchdowns on 33 receptions. Brown enjoyed the best season of his career in 2019 as the Bills' top target, compiling 72 catches for 1,060 yards and six TDs.
We know the Raiders have always loved speed at receiver, dating back to the days of legendary owner Al Davis. Brown brings that in spades.
The man known affectionately as "Smoke" will help replace Nelson Agholor, who excelled last season in Vegas as a field-stretching option for Derek Carr. Agholor agreed to a deal in New England.
In addition, the Raiders are re-signing wide receiver Zay Jones. Terms of the deal were not been disclosed.
The Raiders acquired Jones in 2019, sending a fifth-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for the wide receiver.
Jones has received playing time, but does not have much production to show for it. He caught 20 passes for 147 yards in 10 games with the Raiders in 2019. Last season he made 14 receptions for 154 yards with one touchdown in 16 games. He was on the field for 27 percent of Las Vegas' offensive snaps in 2020.
The Bills picked the wide receiver in the second round of the 2017 draft. He caught 90 passes for 1,037 yards with nine touchdowns in 36 games with Buffalo.
Per Vic Tafur of TheAthletic.com, Las Vegas' wide receivers room is set with Brown, Jones, Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards, and Hunter Renfrow. ...
In Seattle. ... The Seahawks needed a tight end with the retirement of Greg Olsen. So, of course, Gerald Everett made perfect sense given his relationship with Shane Waldron.
Everett will sign a one-year deal worth $6 million with Seattle, according to multiple reports.
As PFT's Charean Williams explained, Everett reunites with Waldron, the Seahawks' offensive coordinator, whom the tight end played for all four seasons he was with the Rams. In 2017, when the Rams made Everett a second-round choice, Waldron was the Rams' tight ends coach.
Everett played all 16 games with seven starts last season, getting 42 touches for 419 yards and two touchdowns.
He had a career game against the Seahawks in 2019, with seven receptions for a personal-best 136 yards. ...
In Cleveland. ... Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins is returning to Cleveland on a one-year deal, a source told ESPN.com's Jake Trotter.
Higgins will make $2.38 million fully guaranteed, the source said.
Higgins, 26, took over for Odell Beckham Jr. in the starting lineup for the Browns after Beckham suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 7 last season. That game, Higgins reeled in six passes for 110 yards in Cleveland's comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
He went on to finish the season with 37 receptions for 599 yards and four touchdowns.
With Beckham returning from the injury this year, Higgins is expected to step into the No. 3 wide receiver role in the Cleveland offense.
After struggling to find playing time in 2019, Higgins took less money to return to Cleveland and signed a one-year deal worth $910,000.
In Minnesota. ... When the Vikings decided not to give a restricted free agent tender to Chad Beebe, they made clear they weren't getting rid of him.
Now it's official that he's back.
The Vikings announced Wednesday that they agreed to terms with the wide receiver and punt returner. He has been with the team for the past three seasons.
Beebe's return adds extra depth to the Vikings wide receivers and also gives the team versatile options on special teams.
The former undrafted free agent battled a series of injuries over his first two seasons, tallying just six catches for 109 yards in six games.
But he stayed healthy in 2020, as he played in 14 games and recorded 20 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
The 26-year-old provides depth behind the likes of Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson and is familiar with Minnesota's offensive scheme. ...
In Jacksonville. ... The Jaguars on Wednesday announced they have agreed to terms to re-sign tight end James O'Shaughnessy and kicker Aldrick Rosas.
Retaining Rosas is somewhat interesting with Josh Lambo, among the league's best players at his position, still under contract.
O'Shaughnessy, who missed the final 11 games of the 2019 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, returned in 2020 to play 15 of 16 games; he caught 28 passes for 262 yards and no touchdowns. The addition of Chris Manhertz earlier this week does little to cut into the receiving workload here.
In addition, the Jaguars are trading tight end Josh Oliver to the Ravens for a conditional draft pick, a source told Rapoport.
Oliver, a third-round 2019 draft selection, has impressive playmaking ability and athleticism but he's played just four games in two NFL seasons due to injury.
With Tyler Eifert also moving on after a brief tenure with the club, the Jags could still look to upgrade at the position. ...
In Houston. ... The Texans are keeping their tight end group the same as it was throughout the 2020 season.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans are re-signing Pharaoh Brown to a one-year contract worth $2.2 million. The move ensures Houston benefits from the talents of the 6-6, 258-pound tight end for one more season.
On Dec. 24, 2020, offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said that football came to Brown naturally.
"In terms of being a football player, football makes sense to him," Kelly said (via USA Today's Mark Lane). "You can ask him to do different things, whether it's align him away from the formation, align him as a fullback, align him as a tight end in-line, align him as an off the ball tight end. He finds ways to make it work and to excel at it. I'm very pleased with Pharaoh. He does a really good job in both the run game and pass game. He's just a good football player."
Brown finished the season with 14 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games, nine of which he started.
Coming back to Houston, Brown's contract includes play-time incentives that allow the opportunity for the former Oregon Duck to earn more than $2.183 million, which was the original-round tender he was given as a restricted free agent. ...
In Tennessee. ... The Titans are bringing back a pair of familiar faces at the tight end position. As noted Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with Geoff Swaim on a one-year deal. Today, they did the same with Anthony Firkser.
Firkser, signed by the Titans during the 2018 offseason, had a career-high 39 catches for 387 yards and a touchdown in 2020.
Over the past three seasons with the Titans, Firkser has played in 43 games, with two starts. He's recorded 72 catches for 816 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons with the team. Firkser has also played in all four of the team's playoff contests over the past three seasons, recording seven catches for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Firkser, a Harvard graduate, was targeted 53 times in 2020, and he had just one drop. He was a first-down producing machine.
In his NFL career, Swaim has recorded 57 catches for 484 yards and two touchdowns. ...
In Denver. ... As Phillip Lindsay became free to begin negotiating offer sheets with other teams, the Broncos moved to add running back depth and strengthen their special teams by reaching agreement on a two-year contract Wednesday afternoon with Mike Boone, a former Viking.
As 9News.com's Mike Klis notes, Boone was a non-tendered restricted free agent as the Vikings apparently balked at the $2.133 million low-tender salary. The Broncos didn't, as they gave him a two-year deal that includes a $2.6 million guarantee.
Undrafted out of the University of Cincinnati in 2018 and signed by George Paton and the Vikings, the 5-foot-10, 206-pound Boone primarily served as a core special teamer and No. 3 running back in his three seasons in Minnesota.
Boone, 25, did flash as a running back in game 16 of the 2019 season when he rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries against the Bears, a game in which the Vikings rested several starters because they clinched, and couldn't improve upon, their No. 6 NFC playoff seed.
It's unclear whether Paton believes Boone has the potential to become a full-time No. 2 back, or is primarily wanting to add much-needed talent to the Broncos' special teams, or both. Melvin Gordon is the Broncos' 1A starter with Lindsay at least for the moment the 1B back. Royce Freeman, a third-round draft pick in 2018, was the No. 3 back last year and has one more season left on his rookie contract. ...
In Miami. ... The Dolphins made a pair of moves Wednesday.
They announced re-signing offensive tackle Adam Pankey. The team claimed him off waivers from the Packers in December 2019.
He played six games and made one start for the Dolphins the past two seasons. He also appeared in two games for the Packers over the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
The Dolphins also signed receiver Robert Foster, according to his agency, SportsTrust Advisors. Foster played with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama.
Foster, 26, has 32 receptions for 642 yards and three touchdowns in his career with Buffalo and Washington. He had a big rookie year with Buffalo, catching 27 passes for 541 yards and three touchdowns.
Foster has only 101 yards in two seasons since, including 37 yards in four games for Washington last season. ...
In Tampa Bay. ... The Bucs are doing their best to keep the entire band together.
In their effort for back-to-back Super Bowl championships and to keep their title-winning squad together, Tampa Bay is re-signing kicker Ryan Succop to a three-year deal worth $12 million with $6.25 million guaranteed, Pelissero reported Wednesday. Succop will garner $8.25 million over the first two years.
In the Buccaneers' Super Bowl LV triumph over the Chiefs, Succop was perfect with four extra points in as many attempts and a field goal. He culminated a sensational season in which he went 28-of-31 on field goals with an exceptional postseason run in which he was 13-for-13 on three-pointers and 21-for-22 on extra points.
Succop now follows behind the Bucs' myriad moves in retaining their championship squad, which has seen Tom Brady sign an extension, Chris Godwin get franchise tagged, Shaquil Barrett sign a new deal and Rob Gronkowski re-sign.
Having been a crucial, but perhaps overlooked, addition for the Bucs ahead of their Super Bowl run, Succop, 34, is returning to help run it back. ...
And finally, in Detroit. ... The Packers didn't tender Tim Boyle, making Aaron Rodgers' primary backup a free agent. It didn't take Boyle long to find a job, and he's not leaving the division.
Boyle will sign a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Lions, Pelissero reports. Boyle will get a $1 million signing bonus and $1.5 million in total guarantees.
Boyle, 26, played 11 games for the Packers the past two seasons. He threw only four passes.
As PFT notes, the Lions have remade their quarterbacks room, trading Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff and cutting Chase Daniel. David Blough, who has played six games the past two seasons with five starts, remains under contract.
Again, with the official start of the new league year, all these moves are official. Also official, all the moves announced leading up to today -- specifically those made and reported on Monday and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, you can access the full list of moves on our sortable NFL Free Agent Moves page. You'll also be able to follow upcoming moves and other fantasy relevant news in real time in the News & Views section of the site.
Visit the Headline News section for more in-depth coverage of major developments.
In Arizona. ... A.J. Green is headed to the desert, agreeing to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Cardinals. The contract includes a base salary of $6 million, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported, with incentives available to push the total to its maximum value.
Green moves west after closing his time in Cincinnati in quiet fashion, catching just 47 of his 104 targets for 523 yards and two touchdowns in 2020. He failed to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in 16 games for the first time in his career. His 11.1 yards per catch, 2.9 receptions per game and two receiving touchdowns were the lowest of his career, and it became clear as the season progressed that the future at the position would be with rookie Tee Higgins as the Bengals' top target, not Green.
As Pro Football Focus put it, "Age and injury have likely robbed us of the player who was once one of the most dominant receivers in the game, but Green can still be a useful part of a team's receiving corps, and he showed that at times for the Bengals in 2020."
Prior to last season, staying on the field was an issue. In fact, the last time Green played more than 1,000 snaps in a season was back in 2015, with 2018 and 2019 featuring major injuries costing him most or all of each year.
At 32 years old, the chances of him rediscovering his lost step are minimal, so his role now becomes one of savvy and skills at the catch point. He has always had solid hands, with five or fewer dropped passes every year since 2013, but contested catches are a low-percentage play for even the best in the league, so Green's role is not nearly as attractive as it once was.
That said, he might be a fine fit in Arizona.
The seven-time Pro Bowler will join a Cardinals team that is loading up for a run at the playoffs after wilting down the stretch. He'll add to a receiving corps that also includes DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and Andy Isabella, and could see the return of Larry Fitzgerald, provided he decides he wants to continue his Hall of Fame career.
Could we see a resurgence in an offense powered by quarterback Kyler Murray and directed by pass-friendly coach Kliff Kingsbury?
That could depend on Fitzgerald, who has yet to announce -- at least publicly -- his intentions going forward.
And that opens the door to speculation. Indeed, Profootballtalk.com suggested today that "Green to Cardinals means Fitzgerald to retirement or elsewhere."
We'll be watching for more on that in coming days. ...
Also of interest. ... After what the team's official website characterized as "an emotional roller-coaster of a season" with Zane Gonzalez and then fill-in work by the ageless Mike Nugent, the Cardinals turned to another veteran Wednesday when they agreed to a two-year deal with Matt Prater.
The Cards last saw Prater last season, when he was kicking a game-winning 39-yard field goal for the Lions on the final play of the game at State Farm Stadium in Week 3.
Prater, who was a rookie in 2007, did have his lowest field-goal percentage last season, converting 21-of-28 field goals. But he made 38-of-41 extra points, and in his career Prater has made 83.2 percent of his field-goal tries and made 54-of-63 the previous two seasons before 2020 while in Detroit.
Prater, 36, made 4-of-7 between 40 and 49 yards last year, and 6-of-10 from at least 50 yards. He is the most accurate kicker on field goals from at least 50 yards in NFL history at nearly 75 percent, and owns the NFL record for longest field goal with a 64-yarder in 2013 while playing for the Broncos.
He is reunited with assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers, who coached Prater previously in Denver. ...
In addition, Patrick Peterson is moving on to Minnesota. The 10-year pro and eight-time Pro Bowler is leaving the Cardinals and signing with the Vikings on a one-year deal worth $10 million, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
A standout and mainstay in the desert for a decade, Peterson was also one of the game's top corners, as evidenced by his eight-straight Pro Bowls to begin his career.
He's clearly lost a step though, as he's heading into his age-31 season. Nonetheless, Peterson will look to bring some experience to the Vikings and improve a defense that struggled mightily in 2020. ...
In Washington. ... As PFT's Josh Alper reminded readers, Richard Sherman said earlier this offseason that he thinks Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin would be a special player with some help around him at the position and the team has made a move to help find out if that's the case.
Washington has reached an agreement with former Panthers wideout Curtis Samuel. It is a three-year deal worth $34.5 million.
It won't be the first time that Samuel and McLaurin are part of the same receiving corps. They were both at Ohio State in 2015 and 2016.
Samuel had a career-best 77 catches for 851 yards and 41 rushes for 200 yards last season as Panthers coordinator Joe Brady used the 24-year-old the way he planned to use running back Christian McCaffrey, who missed 13 games with injuries.
As ESPN.com's David Newton suggested, Samuel's most impressive stat this past season was his catch rate (79.4 percent) that led all NFL receivers and was well ahead of his 56.3 percent rate the previous three seasons. He also became one of the league leaders on third-down catches for first downs.
Washington wanted to add speed at receiver and accomplished that mission with Samuel, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds at the 2017 scouting combine. McLaurin ran a 4.35 two years later.
Washington does have running backs Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic, both of whom can help in the pass game while split outside or in the slot. Both are former receivers. Samuel, a former college running back, will complement their skills by occasionally aligning in the backfield but focusing mostly as a receiver.
In 53 career games, Samuel has 185 receptions for 2,087 yards, 14 touchdown receptions, 478 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Although injuries limited him to only 22 games his first two seasons, he has appeared in 31 of 32 games the past two seasons.
Washington tried to trade for Samuel last season, a quest that started in the summer and lasted until the trade deadline, ESPN reported Tuesday. The person who blocked the move: Panthers general manager Marty Hurney, who now serves as Washington's senior vice president of player personnel.
Worth noting. ... Samuel was limited to 22 games in his first two seasons, but only missed one game the last two years.
Meanwhile, Lamar Miller is sticking with the Football Team.
The running back is re-signing with Washington on a one-year deal, his agent Drew Rosenhaus announced on Wednesday.
Miller has played in one regular-season game since 2018, when he started 14 contests for Houston and made the Pro Bowl with 973 yards rushing and five touchdowns. He tore his ACL in the 2019 preseason, missing the entire year. In 2020, he spent time with the Patriots and Bears before landing with Washington in December.
The Football Team did not activate Miller for a game.
Miller, who turns 30 on April 25, has rushed for 5,864 yards and 32 touchdowns in his career. The Dolphins selected him in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. He then signed with Houston as a free agent in 2016.
In Indianapolis. ... Marlon Mack's 2020 season with the Colts ended in the team's first game, but that did not mark the end of his time with the team.
Pelissero reports that the Colts have re-signed Mack. It's a one-year, $2 million deal for the 2017 fourth-round pick.
Mack tore his Achilles after running four times for 26 yards and catching three passes for 30 yards. The injury left him unable to build off 442 carries for 1,999 yards and 17 touchdowns over the previous two seasons.
As Profootballtalk.com notes, it wasn't long ago that Jim Irsay was touting Mack as a potential 1,500-yard back. The upside talent is still there even if the Achilles saps some of his explosiveness.
And if he can get enough work.
Remember, Jonathan Taylor took over as the lead back in the wake of Mack's injury and the 2020 second-rounder's success makes him a good bet to continue in that role. While it's fair to believe Frank Reich can find a way to get Mack touches by working him into the mix with Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins behind Taylor, a front-line role isn't likely.
Indeed, The Athletic's Stephen Holder thought Mack might want to go elsewhere and have greater opportunity.
But Holder notes the money wasn't going to be good no matter where he went and all things being equal, why go run behind someone else's offensive line when you can run behind Quenton Nelson?
Fair points all. ...
In Las Vegas. ... The Raiders added more speed to their wide receiver corps after agreeing to terms with veteran receiver John Brown on a one-year contract worth $3.7 million with incentives that could push the deal to $5.5 million, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported, citing sources informed of the pact.
Brown spent the last two seasons in Buffalo before being released last week. In nine games in 2020, the speedster generated 458 yards and three touchdowns on 33 receptions. Brown enjoyed the best season of his career in 2019 as the Bills' top target, compiling 72 catches for 1,060 yards and six TDs.
We know the Raiders have always loved speed at receiver, dating back to the days of legendary owner Al Davis. Brown brings that in spades.
The man known affectionately as "Smoke" will help replace Nelson Agholor, who excelled last season in Vegas as a field-stretching option for Derek Carr. Agholor agreed to a deal in New England.
In addition, the Raiders are re-signing wide receiver Zay Jones. Terms of the deal were not been disclosed.
The Raiders acquired Jones in 2019, sending a fifth-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for the wide receiver.
Jones has received playing time, but does not have much production to show for it. He caught 20 passes for 147 yards in 10 games with the Raiders in 2019. Last season he made 14 receptions for 154 yards with one touchdown in 16 games. He was on the field for 27 percent of Las Vegas' offensive snaps in 2020.
The Bills picked the wide receiver in the second round of the 2017 draft. He caught 90 passes for 1,037 yards with nine touchdowns in 36 games with Buffalo.
Per Vic Tafur of TheAthletic.com, Las Vegas' wide receivers room is set with Brown, Jones, Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards, and Hunter Renfrow. ...
In Seattle. ... The Seahawks needed a tight end with the retirement of Greg Olsen. So, of course, Gerald Everett made perfect sense given his relationship with Shane Waldron.
Everett will sign a one-year deal worth $6 million with Seattle, according to multiple reports.
As PFT's Charean Williams explained, Everett reunites with Waldron, the Seahawks' offensive coordinator, whom the tight end played for all four seasons he was with the Rams. In 2017, when the Rams made Everett a second-round choice, Waldron was the Rams' tight ends coach.
Everett played all 16 games with seven starts last season, getting 42 touches for 419 yards and two touchdowns.
He had a career game against the Seahawks in 2019, with seven receptions for a personal-best 136 yards. ...
In Cleveland. ... Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins is returning to Cleveland on a one-year deal, a source told ESPN.com's Jake Trotter.
Higgins will make $2.38 million fully guaranteed, the source said.
Higgins, 26, took over for Odell Beckham Jr. in the starting lineup for the Browns after Beckham suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 7 last season. That game, Higgins reeled in six passes for 110 yards in Cleveland's comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
He went on to finish the season with 37 receptions for 599 yards and four touchdowns.
With Beckham returning from the injury this year, Higgins is expected to step into the No. 3 wide receiver role in the Cleveland offense.
After struggling to find playing time in 2019, Higgins took less money to return to Cleveland and signed a one-year deal worth $910,000.
In Minnesota. ... When the Vikings decided not to give a restricted free agent tender to Chad Beebe, they made clear they weren't getting rid of him.
Now it's official that he's back.
The Vikings announced Wednesday that they agreed to terms with the wide receiver and punt returner. He has been with the team for the past three seasons.
Beebe's return adds extra depth to the Vikings wide receivers and also gives the team versatile options on special teams.
The former undrafted free agent battled a series of injuries over his first two seasons, tallying just six catches for 109 yards in six games.
But he stayed healthy in 2020, as he played in 14 games and recorded 20 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
The 26-year-old provides depth behind the likes of Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson and is familiar with Minnesota's offensive scheme. ...
In Jacksonville. ... The Jaguars on Wednesday announced they have agreed to terms to re-sign tight end James O'Shaughnessy and kicker Aldrick Rosas.
Retaining Rosas is somewhat interesting with Josh Lambo, among the league's best players at his position, still under contract.
O'Shaughnessy, who missed the final 11 games of the 2019 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, returned in 2020 to play 15 of 16 games; he caught 28 passes for 262 yards and no touchdowns. The addition of Chris Manhertz earlier this week does little to cut into the receiving workload here.
In addition, the Jaguars are trading tight end Josh Oliver to the Ravens for a conditional draft pick, a source told Rapoport.
Oliver, a third-round 2019 draft selection, has impressive playmaking ability and athleticism but he's played just four games in two NFL seasons due to injury.
With Tyler Eifert also moving on after a brief tenure with the club, the Jags could still look to upgrade at the position. ...
In Houston. ... The Texans are keeping their tight end group the same as it was throughout the 2020 season.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans are re-signing Pharaoh Brown to a one-year contract worth $2.2 million. The move ensures Houston benefits from the talents of the 6-6, 258-pound tight end for one more season.
On Dec. 24, 2020, offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said that football came to Brown naturally.
"In terms of being a football player, football makes sense to him," Kelly said (via USA Today's Mark Lane). "You can ask him to do different things, whether it's align him away from the formation, align him as a fullback, align him as a tight end in-line, align him as an off the ball tight end. He finds ways to make it work and to excel at it. I'm very pleased with Pharaoh. He does a really good job in both the run game and pass game. He's just a good football player."
Brown finished the season with 14 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games, nine of which he started.
Coming back to Houston, Brown's contract includes play-time incentives that allow the opportunity for the former Oregon Duck to earn more than $2.183 million, which was the original-round tender he was given as a restricted free agent. ...
In Tennessee. ... The Titans are bringing back a pair of familiar faces at the tight end position. As noted Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with Geoff Swaim on a one-year deal. Today, they did the same with Anthony Firkser.
Firkser, signed by the Titans during the 2018 offseason, had a career-high 39 catches for 387 yards and a touchdown in 2020.
Over the past three seasons with the Titans, Firkser has played in 43 games, with two starts. He's recorded 72 catches for 816 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons with the team. Firkser has also played in all four of the team's playoff contests over the past three seasons, recording seven catches for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Firkser, a Harvard graduate, was targeted 53 times in 2020, and he had just one drop. He was a first-down producing machine.
In his NFL career, Swaim has recorded 57 catches for 484 yards and two touchdowns. ...
In Denver. ... As Phillip Lindsay became free to begin negotiating offer sheets with other teams, the Broncos moved to add running back depth and strengthen their special teams by reaching agreement on a two-year contract Wednesday afternoon with Mike Boone, a former Viking.
As 9News.com's Mike Klis notes, Boone was a non-tendered restricted free agent as the Vikings apparently balked at the $2.133 million low-tender salary. The Broncos didn't, as they gave him a two-year deal that includes a $2.6 million guarantee.
Undrafted out of the University of Cincinnati in 2018 and signed by George Paton and the Vikings, the 5-foot-10, 206-pound Boone primarily served as a core special teamer and No. 3 running back in his three seasons in Minnesota.
Boone, 25, did flash as a running back in game 16 of the 2019 season when he rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries against the Bears, a game in which the Vikings rested several starters because they clinched, and couldn't improve upon, their No. 6 NFC playoff seed.
It's unclear whether Paton believes Boone has the potential to become a full-time No. 2 back, or is primarily wanting to add much-needed talent to the Broncos' special teams, or both. Melvin Gordon is the Broncos' 1A starter with Lindsay at least for the moment the 1B back. Royce Freeman, a third-round draft pick in 2018, was the No. 3 back last year and has one more season left on his rookie contract. ...
In Miami. ... The Dolphins made a pair of moves Wednesday.
They announced re-signing offensive tackle Adam Pankey. The team claimed him off waivers from the Packers in December 2019.
He played six games and made one start for the Dolphins the past two seasons. He also appeared in two games for the Packers over the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
The Dolphins also signed receiver Robert Foster, according to his agency, SportsTrust Advisors. Foster played with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama.
Foster, 26, has 32 receptions for 642 yards and three touchdowns in his career with Buffalo and Washington. He had a big rookie year with Buffalo, catching 27 passes for 541 yards and three touchdowns.
Foster has only 101 yards in two seasons since, including 37 yards in four games for Washington last season. ...
In Tampa Bay. ... The Bucs are doing their best to keep the entire band together.
In their effort for back-to-back Super Bowl championships and to keep their title-winning squad together, Tampa Bay is re-signing kicker Ryan Succop to a three-year deal worth $12 million with $6.25 million guaranteed, Pelissero reported Wednesday. Succop will garner $8.25 million over the first two years.
In the Buccaneers' Super Bowl LV triumph over the Chiefs, Succop was perfect with four extra points in as many attempts and a field goal. He culminated a sensational season in which he went 28-of-31 on field goals with an exceptional postseason run in which he was 13-for-13 on three-pointers and 21-for-22 on extra points.
Succop now follows behind the Bucs' myriad moves in retaining their championship squad, which has seen Tom Brady sign an extension, Chris Godwin get franchise tagged, Shaquil Barrett sign a new deal and Rob Gronkowski re-sign.
Having been a crucial, but perhaps overlooked, addition for the Bucs ahead of their Super Bowl run, Succop, 34, is returning to help run it back. ...
And finally, in Detroit. ... The Packers didn't tender Tim Boyle, making Aaron Rodgers' primary backup a free agent. It didn't take Boyle long to find a job, and he's not leaving the division.
Boyle will sign a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Lions, Pelissero reports. Boyle will get a $1 million signing bonus and $1.5 million in total guarantees.
Boyle, 26, played 11 games for the Packers the past two seasons. He threw only four passes.
As PFT notes, the Lions have remade their quarterbacks room, trading Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff and cutting Chase Daniel. David Blough, who has played six games the past two seasons with five starts, remains under contract.
Again, with the official start of the new league year, all these moves are official. Also official, all the moves announced leading up to today -- specifically those made and reported on Monday and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, you can access the full list of moves on our sortable NFL Free Agent Moves page. You'll also be able to follow upcoming moves and other fantasy relevant news in real time in the News & Views section of the site.
Visit the Headline News section for more in-depth coverage of major developments.