FILE PHOTO: Feb 7, 2020; Tampa, FL, USA; General view of the NFL Shield logo on the field before Super Bowl LV between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
March 23, 2022
Carolina Panthers cornerback Rashaan Melvin agreed to terms on a one-year contract on Wednesday.
Financial terms were not disclosed by the team for Melvin, who is expected to provide veteran leadership among the club’s core of young cornerbacks. Melvin, 32, is six years older than the next oldest cornerback on the team (Donte Jackson).
Melvin recorded 16 tackles in 10 games (two starts) last season.
He has 260 tackles, four interceptions and three forced fumbles in 74 career games (42 starts) with the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, then-Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions and Panthers.
–The Dallas Cowboys are bringing back veteran defensive tackle Carlos Watkins on a one-year deal.
Terms were not released.
Watkins played in 15 games (14 starts) in 2021 with 32 tackles, one sack and an interception he returned for a touchdown. He was a fourth-round pick by Houston in the 2017 draft and played his first four seasons with the Texans. He has 32 starts in 57 career games.
–The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms with cornerback Justin Coleman on a one-year deal, NFL Network reported.
Coleman, 28, played in Seattle from 2017-18. He played in 16 games (four starts) with the Miami Dolphins in 2021. He played 35 percent of the snaps on defense and 32 percent on special teams with the Dolphins.
Coleman has 238 career tackles, six interceptions and 44 passes defensed in 95 career games (33 starts) for the New England Patriots, Seahawks, Lions and Dolphins.
–The Kansas City Chiefs are signing their former starting center Austin Reiter, Pro Football Focus reported.
Reiter, 30, anchored the Chiefs’ offensive line in their two Super Bowl runs, including a title. He played in seven games for the Dolphins and New Orleans Saints in 2021.
Reiter started 32 of 42 games for the Chiefs from 2018-20.
–Defensive tackle Justin Ellis is signing a one-year deal with the New York Giants, reuniting him with defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale.
Ellis, 31, played the past three seasons with Martindale and the Baltimore Ravens. He appeared in all 17 games (five starts) in 2021 and contributed 18 tackles.
Ellis has 160 tackles in 100 career games (50 starts) with the then-Oakland Raiders (2014-18) and Ravens. He was a fourth-round pick in 2014.
–The Washington Commanders signed defensive end Efe Obada. Contract terms were not announced.
Obada became the first player to make a 53-man roster through the NFL International Player Pathway Program in 2018 with the Panthers. He spent three seasons in Carolina and 2021 with the Buffalo Bills.
The 29-year-old Nigeria native has 62 tackles (11 for loss), 34 quarterback hits, 11 sacks, an interception and two fumbles recovered in 52 career games.
–The San Francisco 49ers re-signed defensive lineman Jordan Willis to a one-year deal.
The 49ers acquired Willis from the New York Jets in an October 2020 trade.
In five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals (2017-19), Jets (2019-20) and 49ers, he has played in 60 games (two starts) and recorded 80 tackles, 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one pass defensed.
–Field Level Media
