NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Troy Hill is going back to the team he knows best.

The Cleveland Browns have traded the cornerback to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Saturday.

Hill left the Rams in 2021 to sign a two-year deal with the Browns, returning to his native Ohio after spending most of his childhood in Southern California. The Oregon product played in 12 games (four starts) for the Browns, recording 49 tackles, two sacks, and one pass defensed. 2021 was Hill's first season without an interception or more than one pass defensed since 2017.

Hill didn't quite produce as expected when Cleveland signed him, and at 30 years old, Hill was deemed expendable by Browns general manager Andrew Berry, who spent a third-round selection on Mississippi State corner Martin Emerson. Hill returns to the Rams, where he flourished in recent seasons, recording a career-high three interceptions and returning two of them for touchdowns in 2020.

Hill missed out on a ring in 2021, instead spending the season with the disappointing Browns, who finished 8-9 overall, while his former team, the Rams, won Super Bowl LVI. He'll get a chance to run it back with his old team in 2022, while the Browns turn the page toward a younger defensive backfield.

NFL.com

 

Damontae Kazee signing with Steelers



The Steelers added seven rookies to their roster during the draft and they also picked up a veteran defensive back this weekend.

According to multiple reports, the team has agreed to a deal with safety Damontae Kazee. It’s a one-year deal for Kazee in Pittsburgh.

Kazee was a 2017 fifth-round pick by the Falcons and he spent four seasons in Atlanta before joining the Cowboys last year. He played in every game for Dallas and started 16 games between the regular season and playoffs. He had 52 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles in the regular season and eight tackles in the postseason.

The Steelers recently re-signed Terrell Edmunds to go with Minkah Fitzpatrick at safety.

PFT

 

Ryan Poles defends going defense with Bears’ first two draft picks



Most people thought Bears General Manager Ryan Poles was going to prioritize helping quarterback Justin Fields in this year’s NFL draft. But Poles made defense his top priority.

After the draft, Poles said the two defensive players he selected with the Bears’ first two picks — cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker — were far and away the top two players on the board when they made those picks.


“This year, where we sat, to me, there were two good starting-level defensive players,” Poles said. “And I would have made a huge mistake for this organization to say, ‘You know what? Let’s just leave them there, let someone else take them, and then we’re going to go to offense, where they’re not on the same level.’ And then you’re kicking yourself a year or two later when the guy’s an All-Pro.”

The Bears did take receiver Velus Jones with their third pick, and they drafted four offensive linemen on Day 3. But if Gordon and Brisker don’t make a significant impact in the secondary as rookies, there’s going to be plenty of second-guessing about why Fields isn’t being given a better chance to take a big step forward in Year 2.

PFT

 

“This year, where we sat, to me, there were two good starting-level defensive players,” Poles said. “And I would have made a huge mistake for this organization to say, ‘You know what? Let’s just leave them there, let someone else take them, and then we’re going to go to offense, where they’re not on the same level.’ And then you’re kicking yourself a year or two later when the guy’s an All-Pro.”

Nothing like taking criticism and diverting it to more pressure on your two newly acquired rookies. Basically he just said, these guys are All-Pro caliber and no offensive weapons are worth considering. SO... If there are one or more offensive guys that end up pro bowlers for the next 2 out of 4 years and neither of these guys live up to their lofty expectations, he should be fired... right?

 

The Falcons are moving on from one of their veteran running backs.

According to multiple reports, the team is releasing Mike Davis.


An Atlanta native, Davis signed a two-year deal with his hometown team last March. He appeared in all 17 games last season, recording 503 yards on 138 carries with three touchdowns. He also caught 44 passes for 259 yards with one receiving touchdown.

But Davis lost his hold on the starting job to Cordarrelle Patterson, who re-signed with the Falcons on a two-year deal in March. Atlanta also drafted Tyler Allgeier out of BYU in the fifth round over the weekend.

Davis has appeared in 79 games with 30 starts for San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Carolina, and Atlanta in his career. He’s rushed for 2,034 yards with 14 TDs.

PFT

 

Saints expected to sign All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu

It's a homecoming for the "Honey Badger."

Three-time All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu is expected to sign with the New Orleans Saints, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday, per a source. The long-awaited signing should be finalized in the coming days, according to Rapoport.

Mathieu, who played the previous three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, is moving on to his fourth NFL franchise but is heading home in the process. A New Orleans native, Mathieu also played his college ball at LSU.

The sixth-ranked free agent on NFL.com's top 101 list, Mathieu bided his time before settling in with the Saints days after the team bypassed the safety position in the draft. Rapoport adds that the Saints were always the favorite to land Mathieu, who also met virtually with the Eagles.

Mathieu, 29, heads to NOLA to play alongside Marcus Maye, who was signed to a three-year pact in March amid free agency's first wave. Just a day prior to reports of Maye heading to New Orleans, it was reported that former Houston Texans safety Justin Reid was signing with Kansas City, effectively ending Mathieu's days with the Chiefs. During his time in K.C., Mathieu went to two Super Bowls, won one and earned two of his three career Pro Bowl bids.

Heading into his 10th NFL season, Mathieu adds even more leadership to a veteran-heavy Saints defense. Mathieu also offers a boost in coverage on the backend and versatility with the Saints slated to have Maye at the other safety position and Marshon Lattimore, PJ Williams, Paulson Adebo and 2022 second-rounder Alontae Taylor at cornerback.

Selected in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, Mathieu has developed into a top-tier defensive back year in and year out who's regarded for his fierceness, resourcefulness and leadership qualities. He's also developed a knack for winning. Beginning in 2018 with the Houston Texans, Mathieu's been part of four consecutive division titlists.


Having fallen short of the playoffs in 2021, the Saints are hoping that trend continues with the addition of the "Honey Badger."

NFL.com

 

Unless he signs an extension, Steelers linebacker Devin Bush is going to play the 2022 season on an expiring contract.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Steelers have declined their option on Bush’s contract for 2023. Bush would have been guaranteed $10.892 million for his fifth season if the team exercised the option.


Bush was the 10th overall pick in 2019 and he moved right into the starting lineup as a rookie. He tore his ACL five games into the 2020 season and struggled upon his return to action last year, which mades the team’s decision to pass on the option an unsurprising one.

Bush had 205 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries in his first three seasons.

PFT

 

Commanders signing Trai Turner



The Commanders are bringing in some more depth for their offensive front.

Washington is signing guard Trai Turner to a one-year, $3 million deal, a source confirmed to PFT.


Turner started all 17 games for the Steelers last year, playing on a similar one-year, $3 million contract.

Turner previously played for Commanders head coach Ron Rivera with the Panthers for six seasons. Turner went to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015-2019 with Carolina. The Panthers traded Turner to the Chargers in 2020 and he played nine games for them that season.

A third-round pick back in 2014, Turner has appeared in 110 games with 106 starts.

PFT

 

The big picture is that even before the draft, Atlanta was up against the cap and would have to make some moves to clear more cap space in order to sign their draft picks. It was a certainty that at least a few players would go. Davis was one of the potential release candidates with a base of $2.5M, and he moved to the top of the list when the team drafted Allgeier.

In addition to Patterson, Atlanta had also signed Damien WIlliams this offseason and brought back Qadree Ollison on the cheap. Now they've added Allgeier, and they also have a rising prospect that I really like in Caleb Huntley, a UDFA from last year's practice squad.



The other noteworthy move that I've been waiting to hear but that hasn't happened yet is Kendall Sheffield, whose base has jumped to $2.54M through the PPE but who hasn't been significant on either defense or special teams.

 

Whoa!



While the Cardinals improved their receiving corps by trading for Marquise Brown last week, they’ll also be without one of the league’s best to open the 2022 season.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, DeAndre Hopkins has been suspended six games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.


Hopkins, who was traded to the Cardinals during the 2020 offseason, was on the field for just 10 games in 2021 while dealing with a hamstring injury and a knee injury. He finished the year with 42 receptions for 572 yards with eight touchdowns.

It was the first time Hopkins had missed more than one game in a season since he was selected with the 27th overall pick of the 2013 draft.

In 2020, Hopkins had 115 receptions for 1,407 yards with six TDs.

Aside from Brown, Arizona also has A.J. Green and Rondale Moore atop its receiver depth chart. Andy Isabella has been granted permission to seek a trade, though no deal has materialized as of yet.

The Cardinals used their first selection of the 2022 draft on a pass catcher, though Colorado State’s Trey McBride is a tight end.

PFT

 

3yr/33M

 

The NFL says the allegations from former Browns head coach Hue Jackson that he was paid to lose games could not be verified.

A statement released by the league today said an independent investigation found no substance to the claims. It also said Jackson initially said he would cooperate with the investigation but then chose not to do so.


“Following a 60-day independent review into comments made by former Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson that the Browns paid or otherwise provided incentives to lose games during the 2016-17 seasons, former U.S. Attorney and SEC Chair Mary Jo White and a team of lawyers from the Debevoise firm determined that none of the allegations could be substantiated,” the NFL said in the statement.

“The investigation found no evidence to suggest that the Browns’ Four-Year Plan or the club’s ownership or football personnel sought to lose or incentivized losses and made no decisions deliberately to weaken the team to secure a more favorable draft position.

“The comprehensive review included the full cooperation of the Browns and interviews with Jimmy Haslam and current and former members of the organization. While Coach Jackson initially agreed to meet with the investigators, he ultimately did not do so.

“Although unable to speak directly to Coach Jackson, the Debevoise team had access to his public statements and to his filings and testimony in a prior arbitration proceeding. The club also produced thousands of pages of documents, including emails, texts, internal memos and presentation decks as well as other material relating to club operations and the filings and testimony in the arbitration proceeding between the club and Coach Jackson.”

Similar allegations brought by former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores are still being investigated.

PFT

 

The Panthers agreed to terms on a one-year deal with receiver/returner Andre Roberts on Monday, the team announced.

Roberts, 34, has earned All-Pro honors three times the past four seasons, one with the Jets and twice with the Bills. He led the league in kickoff return yards last year (1,010, with the Texans and Chargers) and had a 101-yard return for a touchdown.


His 8,578 combined return yards (kickoff and punt) are the most of any player in the league since 2010.

Roberts has career averages of 26.0 yards per kickoff return and 8.7 yards per punt return.

The Panthers averaged only 22.1 yards per kickoff return last year, ranking 17th in the league.

New special teams coach Chris Tabor is remaking the Panthers’ special teams. The team also added punter Johnny Hekker this offseason.

PFT

 

Texans trade Lonnie Johnson Jr. to Chiefs



The Texans used their first choice, No. 3 overall, on LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and drafted Baylor safety Jalen Pitre in the second round to try to shore up their secondary.

On Monday, cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr., a second-round choice in 2019, posted a tweet Monday saying he asked the Texans for a parting of the ways.


“Before y’all get to talking krazy on this app I asked for this myself,” Johnson wrote. “Thank you @HoustonTexans for the opportunity. This isn’t a farewell. This is more like see ya soon!!”

The Texans gave Johnson his wish, trading him to the Chiefs, the team announced. Houston will receive a conditional seventh-round choice in 2024, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.

In his three seasons in Houston, Johnson started 19 games and played in 25 others. He totaled 172 tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass breakups.

PFT

 

The Houston Texans signed veteran free-agent defensive end Mario Addison to an undisclosed deal on Monday, according to a league source. Addison played for defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire with the Buffalo Bills and also recently visited with the Seattle Seahawks. The 34-year-old spent the last two years in Buffalo, racking up 41 solo tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 15 QB hits, 12 sacks, four passes defensed and two forced fumbles in 32 games (seven starts). Before that, Addison spent seven years playing for the Carolina Panthers.

Roto Baller

 

Brian Daboll: Kadarius Toney picking things up well



Wide receiver Kadarius Toney wasn’t at the start of the Giants’ offseason workouts or their voluntary minicamp last month and there was word that the team was considering trade options involving their 2021 first-round pick.

The team has doused those reports, but they may have helped convince Toney to report to the team’s workouts last week. During a Tuesday appearance on WFAN, Giants head coach Brian Daboll said that Toney’s been doing well since making the decision to start coming to the facility.


“KT has been great,” Daboll said. “He’s been here, he’s been working, he’s been with the group. He’s picking up things really well. He’s got a really good skillset. He’s a good space player. He was a QB in high school . . . it’s still new to him, but you can tell he’s an instinctive football player. I look forward to working with him.”

Toney’s rookie season was underwhelming as he dealt with injuries and COVID without finding a real groove in the Giants offense. Daboll’s arrival offers a fresh start that the Giants hope will be a more fruitful one.

PFT

 

Just a guess, but I suspect the coach and GM talked with Grady Jarrett early in the offseason to get an idea if he wanted to stay or go. And it's possible he wanted to wait and see which direction the team went in the draft before he agreed to the extension.

Jarrett is the obvious beast of the D-line up front. But last year the team added a promising edge prospect in Ade Ogundeji, then they signed Lorenzo Carter in free agency and have now drafted Arnold Ebikitie and DeAngelo Malone with early draft picks (rounds 2-3). So they're trying to get a pass rush going again, which is something that has been sadly lacking for a LONG time now.

I think that along with the other changes they've made on defense convinced him that he wanted to stay and sign the extension. I'm happy to see it, because he's the heart and soul of Atlanta's defense - just like his father.

 

Translation: “we need to try and rebuild this dude’s trade value”