NFL news: Nick Foles traded from Jaguars to Bears

By Staff and wire reports

March 18, 2020 1:10 PM PT

The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to send quarterback Nick Foles to the Chicago Bears for a compensatory fourth-round draft pick, a person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because trades don’t become official until 1 p.m. PT Wednesday.

The Jaguars are dumping Foles a little more than a year after giving the 2018 Super Bowl MVP a four-year, $88 million contract that included a whopping $50.125 million guaranteed.

Foles is due to make $15.125 million in 2020 and would have counted $21.837 million against Jacksonville’s salary cap. Dealing him will still be costly for the Jaguars — they will take on $18.75 million in dead money this fall — but it will free up about $35 million over the next two years. Jacksonville saves a little more than $3 million in 2020 by trading him.

General manager Dave Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone are beginning a full rebuild after the team’s 10th losing season in the last 12 years. Last March, they raved about Foles and what it meant to finally have a franchise quarterback after a decades-long search that saw Jacksonville try Byron Leftwich, David Garrard, Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne and Blake Bortles.

But the 30-year-old Foles ended up being a bust in Jacksonville. He broke his left collarbone early in the season opener, missed the next eight games and then got benched in his third game back.

Rookie Gardner Minshew, a sixth-round draft pick from Washington State, played well enough in Foles’ absence to make Caldwell and Marrone believe he’s got more upside as a starter moving forward. It also made Foles expendable.

Gerald McCoy to sign with Cowboys

Veteran defensive lineman Gerald McCoy will sign a three-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys after NFL free agency officially begins Wednesday at 1 p.m. Pacific time, according to multiple media reports.

McCoy was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 3 overall pick in 2010 and made six straight Pro Bowls from 2012 to 2017. After signing a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers last offseason, McCoy registered five sacks, his lowest total since 2012. He has 59½ career sacks.

The Cowboys missed the playoffs after going 8-8 last season but have made the postseason every other year starting in 2014. If the trend continues in 2020, McCoy will make the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Panthers to sign Teddy Bridgewater

The Panthers have agreed to a three-year, $63-million contract with free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, the Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the negotiations.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday because the deal cannot be announced until the start of the league year on Wednesday.

The Panthers announced earlier Tuesday that they were parting ways with quarterback Cam Newton, their No. 1 overall pick in 2011.

The 27-year-old Bridgewater started five games last season for the New Orleans Saints, going 5-0 while completing 68% of his passes with nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He has spent the last two seasons in New Orleans after four with the Vikings.

Bridgewater previously worked one season in New Orleans with Joe Brady, who is now Carolina’s offensive coordinator, and has some familiarity with the offensive scheme.

Panthers release Eric Reid

The Panthers have released safety Eric Reid just 13 months after giving him a three-year contract extension.

Reid announced the move on Twitter, saying he enjoyed his time with Carolina and that he’s looking forward to furthering his career in another city. The Panthers later confirmed that Reid has been released.

Panthers general manager Marty Hurney gave Reid a $22 million, three-year contract extension after the 2018 season that included a $9 million signing bonus. The move means the Panthers will be on the hook for $5 million in dead cap money.

The Panthers re-signed safety Tre Boston to a three-year, $18 million contract on Tuesday and have also agreed to terms with free agent safety Juston Burris from the Browns earlier this week.

The 28-year-old Reid started 29 games over the past two seasons for the Panthers and had 201 tackles, five sacks and one interception.

Bills sign Josh Norman

The Buffalo Bills have signed cornerback Josh Norman to a one-year contract in hopes the eighth-year player can secure a starting job opposite Tre’Davious White.

The contract was first agreed to on March 9, and announced by the team Wednesday. Norman was available after struggling to meet expectations before being cut by Washington last month with one year left on his five-year, $75 million contract.

His addition fills an immediate need with the Bills allowing Kevin Johnson to become a free agent. Norman will compete with returning starter Levi Wallace for the No. 2 spot.

The 32-year-old is reunited with familiar faces in Buffalo. Bills coach Sean McDermott was the Panthers’ defensive coordinator during Norman’s first four NFL seasons in Carolina. Norman is also a known commodity to Bills general manager Brandon Beane, who worked in the Panthers’ front office at the same time.

Norman enjoyed his best season under McDermott in 2015 on a Panthers defense that led the league with 24 interceptions. He had a career-best four interceptions and returned two for touchdowns to earn his first and only All-Pro honor.

Lions acquire Duron Harmon

The New England Patriots have agreed to trade safety Duron Harmon to the Detroit Lions, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the trade had not been announced.

Harmon played all seven of his previous NFL seasons with New England. He started a career-high eight games last season.

Harmon has 17 interceptions, including two last season.

Lions coach Matt Patricia has familiarity with Harmon. Patricia, now entering his third season as Detroit’s coach, was New England’s defensive coordinator before taking over the Lions.

Jets re-sign Brian Poole

The New York Jets are re-signing cornerback Brian Poole to a one-year, $5 million fully guaranteed contract, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells the Associated Press.

Poole was the Jets’ best cornerback last season in Gregg Williams’ defense, playing in the nickel spot. He had 62 tackles, one interception he returned 15 yards for a touchdown, six passes defensed and a forced fumble in 14 games with 10 starts. He missed two games late in the season with a head injury, but returned for the final two.

The 27-year-old Poole spent his first three NFL seasons with Atlanta after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Florida. He signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Jets in free agency last year.

Poole has five career interceptions and five sacks in his four NFL seasons.

The move Wednesday is the first of the free agency period by the Jets that didn’t involve an offensive lineman. General manager Joe Douglas re-signed guard Alex Lewis and has agreed to terms with former Seattle tackle George Fant and former Denver center Connor McGovern since the NFL’s legal tampering period began Monday.

Ted Karras to sign with the Dolphins

A person familiar with the deal says center Ted Karras has agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins.

The person confirmed the agreement on condition of anonymity because the Dolphins hadn’t announced it.

Karras will replace Dan Kilgore, who is departing in free agency after starting 13 games in 2019.

Karras is a four-year veteran and former sixth-round pick who became a starter last year for the New England Patriots.

Lions will sign Danny Shelton

The Detroit Lions have agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with defensive tackle Danny Shelton.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed the deal Wednesday. Shelton started 14 games last season for the New England Patriots. He had three sacks and a forced fumble.

Shelton has played five NFL seasons — three with Cleveland and two with the Patriots.

Detroit’s defense ranked 31st in the league last season, and defensive tackle was an area of need entering free agency. The Lions released defensive tackle Damon Harrison earlier this offseason.

Shelton was a first-round draft pick by the Browns in 2015.

Broncos acquire Jurrell Casey

The Denver Broncos have acquired five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey from the Tennessee Titans.

Two people familiar with the trade tell the Associated Press that the Titans swapped Casey to Denver for a seventh-round draft pick.

The move cannot become official until the new league year begins later Wednesday, though most teams won’t announce official signings until players pass physicals to finalize deals.

However, the league isn’t allowing players to report to new teams immediately during the coronavirus crisis.

A six-time team captain, Casey was the longest-tenured player on the roster drafted by the Titans in the third round in 2011. Only punter Brett Kern has been with the franchise longer, picked up off waivers from Denver in 2009.

The defensive tackle has started 137 of 139 games played, though injuries kept him out of three games over the past two seasons. He tied for second with five sacks this past season and had a team-high 30 quarterback pressures.

But Casey is due $11.2 million this season and is under contract through 2022 with a price tag that only rises in the final two years. The Titans placed the nonexclusive rights franchise tag on NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry on Monday and could use more salary cap space to sign him to a new contract.

Tennessee also drafted Jeffery Simmons out of Mississippi State at No. 19 overall last April, and the defensive tackle was able to get two sacks playing nine games in the regular season and all of the postseason despite tearing an ACL last February.