The Latest: Source says Colts re-sign CB Desir for 3 years
The Latest on NFL free agency Wednesday (all times EDT):
3:40 p.m.
Cornerback Pierre Desir has agreed to a three-year, $25 million deal to stay with the Indianapolis Colts, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Indy had not yet made an official statement.
Desir started 12 of 16 games last season and finished with 79 tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception.
He is the second cornerback to re-sign with Indy. Earlier Wednesday, the Colts gave cornerback Chris Milton a one-year contract extension.
Indy also is expected to sign receiver Devin Funchess shortly after the official opening of free agency. Funchess spent his first four seasons in the league with Carolina.
—Reporting by Mike Marot
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3:15 p.m.
The Browns may have filled a hole at linebacker, reaching agreement with free agent Adarius Taylor on a two-year, $5 million contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
Taylor, who spent the past four seasons with Tampa Bay, could move into the starting spot opened when Cleveland released Jamie Collins. The person who spoke on condition of anonymity because teams can’t announce deals until 4 p.m.
The 28-year-old Taylor made a career-high 10 starts last season and had 60 tackles with an interception and sack. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Taylor could move into the lineup along with Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey.
—Reporting by Tom Withers
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3:10 p.m.
The Atlanta Falcons have released former starting right tackle Ryan Schraeder, saving the team about $3.5 million in cap space. Schraeder’s agent, Joel Turner, confirmed the release to The Associated Press.
Schraeder lost his starting job to Ty Sambrailo late last season. Sambrailo was signed to a three-year extension last month.
Schraeder’s release on Wednesday is part of an offensive line makeover that includes the signings of free agent guards James Carpenter and Jamon Brown.
The Falcons also released kicker Matt Bryant, cornerback Robert Alford and defensive end Brooks Reed this offseason.
—Reporting by Charles Odum
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2:50 p.m.
The New England Patriots’ twin combination in the secondary will remain intact for another season.
A person familiar with the move says cornerback Jason McCourty has agreed to a two-year deal to remain with the Super Bowl champions. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because teams are not permitted to announce any moves until later in the day.
A second person familiar with a separate deal says defensive back Eric Rowe will sign a one-year contract worth $4.5 million to join the Miami Dolphins. Rowe appeared in four games with the Patriots last season (two starts) before being placed on season-ending injured reserve with a groin injury.
For McCourty, who was signed to a one-year deal by the Patriots prior to last season, it means continuing playing alongside his twin brother and safety Devin McCourty. It also helps keep some continuity in New England’s starting secondary, which features the McCourty brothers, safety Patrick Chung and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Jason McCourty appeared in all 16 games during the 2018 season, including 12 starts at left cornerback. He finished with one interception and 10 passes defensed.
—Reporting by Kyle Hightower
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2:30 p.m.
The Los Angeles Chargers are signing Tyrod Taylor to a two-year contract to be Philip Rivers’ backup, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity on Wednesday because the deal had not been formally announced. NFL Network first reported the signing.
Taylor has started 46 games during his eight-year career. He started the first three games last season for Cleveland before suffering a concussion and back injury against the New York Jets. Taylor was not able to regain his starting job due to the emergence of Baker Mayfield.
Chargers coach Anthony Lynn was Taylor’s offensive coordinator in Buffalo in 2016.
—Reporting by Joe Reedy
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2:20 p.m.
According to a person with knowledge of the deal, the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to sign Pro Bowl kicker Jason Myers to a four-year deal.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been formally announced.
Myers was in a summer battle with veteran Sebastian Janikowski during Seattle’s training camp last year. Janikowski won the job but Myers had the better season after being signed by the New York Jets.
Myers was 33 of 36 on field-goal attempts last year in New York.
—Reporting by Tim Booth
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2 p.m.
Guard A.J. Cann has agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars just hours before he would have become a free agent.
Cann is expected to sign the new deal either later Wednesday or Thursday. NFL Network reported that it’s worth $15 million.
A third-round draft pick from South Carolina in 2015, Cann started 59 of 64 games over four seasons for the Jaguars. He should provide some continuity and stability up front for new quarterback Nick Foles, who is expected to formally agree to a four-year, $88 million contract with the Jags when free agency officially opens.
Cann, left tackle Cam Robinson, left guard Andrew Norwell and center Brandon Linder will be returning starters for a team that plans to have a run-first mentality.
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1:20 p.m.
The Baltimore Ravens finally made their move during the NFL’s free agent frenzy this week.
A person with knowledge of the situation says the Ravens have signed running back Mark Ingram and safety Earl Thomas.
Ingram played eight years with the New Orleans Saints and Thomas arrives after a nine-year run with Seattle.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the NFL’s new year does not officially begin until 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Ingram scored 50 touchdowns with the Saints and upgrades a Baltimore backfield that last year ended up counting heavily on rookie Gus Edwards.
Thomas is expected to replace free safety Eric Weddle, who was released last week and signed with the Rams.
Baltimore lost linebackers C.J. Mosley, Terrell Suggs and Za’darius Smith to free agency, a blow to the NFL’s No. 1 defense in 2018.
—Reporting by David Ginsburg
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12:20 p.m.
The Washington Redskins are making salary-cap room by releasing linebacker Zach Brown and defensive lineman Stacy McGee.
A person with knowledge of the decision says the team informed Brown he was being released. A second person says the team informed McGee he was being released. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the team hadn’t announced the moves.
Cutting Brown and McGee clears more than $8 million of salary-cap space.
Brown, 29, had two seasons left on a $21 million, three-year contract he signed with Washington last spring. But he said in December he saw “the writing on the wall” about his future, and the Redskins released Brown after being unable to trade him.
An injury limited McGee, 29, to eight games last season.
—Reporting by Stephen Whyno
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12:20 p.m.
The Tennessee Titans are keeping another of their pending free agents off the market.
The Titans announced they have agreed to terms with offensive lineman Kevin Pamphile on a one-year contract.
Pamphile joined the Titans in 2018 and started at left tackle in Week 2 against Houston and at right tackle in Week 3 in a win at Jacksonville before a season-ending injury. He has started 35 of 56 games in his career with starts at left guard, left tackle, right tackle and three games at tight end in his five seasons in the NFL.
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12:10 p.m.
Linebacker Preston Brown got a three-year extension from the Bengals, who signed him last year from Buffalo.
He was durable during his time with the Bills, but hurt his right ankle in the season opener with Cincinnati and missed the next two games. Brown returned and played in six more before a knee injury ended his season.
The Bengals have re-signed two of their potential free agents: Brown and right tackle Bobby Hart.
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11:30 a.m.
The New Orleans Saints have agreed to terms on a new five-year contract with kicker Wil Lutz.
Lutz made 28 of 30 field goal attempts and 52 of 53 extra points in 2018, his third year with the Saints.
Lutz’s 93.3 percent field-goal accuracy ranked fifth in the NFL last season. He made a club-record 26 consecutive attempts. His streak of 36 games in a row with a field goal, the second-longest string in NFL history, ended when he didn’t have an attempt in the final regular-season game.
Lutz ranked third in the league with 64 touchbacks on kickoffs.
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11:15 a.m.
A person with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to terms with guards James Carpenter and Jamon Brown.
Carpenter’s four-year deal is worth $21 million. Brown’s three-year deal is worth $18.75 million.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Wednesday morning because the signings won’t be official until the NFL’s new year begins at 4 p.m. EDT.
On Tuesday, quarterback Matt Ryan agreed to restructure his contract to clear salary cap room. With $8.75 million of his 2019 base salary to be paid as a signing bonus, the team cleared $7 million in cap space, more than doubling available funds for free agency and the NFL draft.
Guard was the Falcons’ most glaring need. Carpenter and Brown may move into starting jobs at left guard and right guard, respectively. The Falcons lost Andy Levitre, Ben Garland and Zane Beadles to free agency.
Brown, whose 26th birthday is Friday, was released by the Rams last season before signing with the Giants, where he was an immediate starter. Carpenter was limited by a shoulder injury to 10 games with the Jets last season.
—Reporting by Charles Odum
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11:05 a.m.
With the NFL’s “legal tampering” period ending at 4 p.m. Wednesday, the flurry of agreements reached the last two days will become official.
That includes megatrades involving star receivers Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr., and signings of free agents who have become very rich men.
Aside from the laudatory words that will flow like the dollars heading to the players, here’s what fans will hear when things become official:
—Oakland has acquired Brown from Pittsburgh for third- and fifth-round draft picks.
—Cleveland gets Beckham from the New York Giants for first- and second-round draft picks and safety Jabrill Peppers. The Browns also obtain edge rusher Olivier Vernon from New York for guard Kevin Zeitler.
—Running back Le’Veon Bell, who sat out last season in a contract dispute with the Steelers, joins the New York Jets. Also heading to the Jets are linebacker C.J. Mosley and receivers Jamison Crowder and Josh Bellamy.
—2018 Super Bowl-winning quarterback Nick Foles leaves Philadelphia for Jacksonville.
—The Raiders also add left tackle Trent Brown, who leaves the Super Bowl champion Patriots, and safety Lamarcus Joyner.
—Safety Landon Collins stays within the NFC East, moving from the Giants to the Redskins.
—Green Bay, not usually a major player in free agency, signs edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, linebacker Preston Smith, safety Adrian Amos and offensive lineman Billy Turner.
—Tennessee gets edge rusher Cameron Wake, late of Miami, and guard Rodger Saffold, who leaves the Rams.
—The Texans bolster their secondary with safety Tashaun Gipson.
— Seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Terrell Suggs leaves Baltimore for Arizona.
—WR DeSean Jackson returns to Philadelphia, leaving Tampa Bay.
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10:25 a.m.
A person familiar with the deal says the Cleveland Browns and free agent tight end Demetrius Harris have agreed to a two-year contract.
Harris, who backed up Pro Bowler Travis Kelce in Kansas City, will be added to the roster when the NFL free agency signing period begins at 4 p.m. Wednesday, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because teams are not permitted to announce any moves until later.
In Cleveland, Harris will be reunited with Browns general manager John Dorsey, who signed him in 2013 with the Chiefs.
The 27-year-old Harris didn’t play football in college and began his pro career on the practice squad.
Harris has 57 career catches for 605 yards in four seasons. He had 13 receptions for 164 yards and three touchdowns last season.
The Browns had an opening at tight end after releasing Darren Fells on Monday.
—Reporting by Tom Withers
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The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
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