HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Colts To Re-Sign LB E.J. Speed

March 13th, 2023 at 9:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

A bit after losing Bobby Okereke to the Giants, the Colts will spend a bit of cash to keep another linebacker. They are bringing back E.J. Speed on a two-year deal, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).

Speed, who saw increased playing time during Shaquille Leonard‘s injury-plagued season, will stay in Indianapolis for $9MM. Okereke signed with the Giants on a four-year, $40MM deal that included $22MM guaranteed. Considering Leonard’s contract, paying Okereke on that level was likely never a strong Colts consideration.

Playing alongside Okereke and Zaire Franklin, the former fifth-round pick recorded 63 tackles (seven for loss) despite playing on just 28% of the Colts’ defensive snaps. Speed, 27, started five games and forced two fumbles during his contract year. The Colts have Franklin locked up for two more years, having re-signed him in March 2022.

While the Colts have let Okereke and Anthony Walker walk over the past three offseasons, they have some Leonard support returning. Leonard, who played just three games during a season bracketed by surgeries, has four seasons remaining on his landmark extension.

49ers To Sign DT Javon Hargrave

March 13th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

9:40pm: We have a few more details on Hargrave’s new four-year, $84MM contract, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. The $40MM amount guaranteed at signing consists of a $23MM signing bonus, a $6MM option bonus, $1.17MM of his 2023 base salary, $8.85MM of his 2024 base salary, $750,000 per game, and a $200,000 workout bonus.

Over the course of the four-year deal, Hargrave is set to hold cap hits of $6.62MM in 2023, $15.54MM in 2024, $26.55MM in 2025, $28.3MM in 2026, and $7MM of dead money in a voidable 2027. The contract also includes a voidable year in 2028, as well.

The 49ers have an out built into the deal after two years so that cutting Hargrave at that time would result in $8MM of cap savings, though it would force them to burn $18.6MM in dead money.

12:25pm: The top defensive tackle on the market is set to find a new home. Javon Hargrave has agreed to terms on a four-year, $84MM deal with the 49ers, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The pact includes $40MM guaranteed at signing.

Hargrave enjoyed a productive three-year stint in Philadelphia, which came after a highly-regarded tenure with the Steelers. This first foray out of Pennsylvania will give him an opportunity to build on his production, and give San Francisco yet another high-end contributor on defense.

The 30-year-old was said to be seeking a deal in the range of $20MM per season, and he has landed one. The $21MM-per-year AAV of this pact puts Hargrave in a tie for third at the position, behind only Aaron Donald and the recently re-signed Daron Payne. It also marks another significant investment made on the defensive line on the part of the 49ers.

Arik Armstead has two years remaining on his current deal, with scheduled cap hits of $23.7MM and $25.6MM. That will make it difficult for San Francisco to accommodate another monster deal in the middle of their defense, but keeping the pair in place would add even further to the strength of their d-line. Hargrave posted a career-high 11 sacks in 2022 as part of the Eagles’ devastating pass rush. Philadelphia has 2022 first-rounder Jordan Davis in place to assume a larger role with Hargrave gone.

The 49ers already had the top defense in the league last season, so adding the Pro Bowler will be allow them to remain elite on that side of the ball. The structure of this deal will be noteworthy not only in terms of how it could affect Armstead’s future, but also because Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa is due for a mega-extension at some point. Regardless of how the 49ers handle his situation, they will have a vaunted defensive front for years to come.

DT Shy Tuttle To Sign With Panthers

March 13th, 2023 at 9:34pm CST by Ely Allen

The Panthers have reportedly decided to pair star defensive tackle Derrick Brown with another young interior defensive lineman, agreeing to a deal with Saints defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Tuttle is set to join Carolina under a three-year, $19.5MM contract that includes $13MM guaranteed at signing.

Tuttle was a nice surprise over the last few years for the Saints, entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee. Tuttle immediately stood out as a rookie recording two sacks, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, four pass deflections, and one interception (which he athletically returned 19 yards).

Over the next three seasons, Tuttle showed more of the same while becoming more disruptive in the running game, as well. Over four years with the team that gave him a chance after going undrafted, Tuttle delivered one outstanding year after another, proving that he deserved to be a starting defensive tackle in the NFL. This past season was Tuttle’s worst, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but he showed enough in his first three seasons to easily justify the multiyear contract.

With Tuttle and Brown on the interior defensive line in 2023 and Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos on the edges, the Panthers defensive line is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. New defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has received some talented pieces today to boost his new unit.

Chiefs To Sign T Jawaan Taylor

March 13th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

9:17pm: As of now, the Chiefs are planning on shifting Taylor to left tackle, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. This will follow the team’s Brown blueprint, though Brown — primarily a right tackle in Baltimore — had taken some reps at left tackle after filling in for Ronnie Stanley in 2020. Brown also wanted to be traded due to the Ravens viewing him as a right tackle; no such mandate is known to have come from Taylor. The ascending pass protector also only started at left tackle twice while at Florida. While this plan is subject to change, Kansas City’s $20MM-AAV contract looks to be addressing Patrick Mahomes‘ blind side — rather than Taylor becoming the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle.

1:17pm: The Chiefs look to be shifting their financial balance to the right side of their offensive line. After not franchise-tagging Orlando Brown Jr. this year, Kansas City has agreed to terms with Jawaan Taylor.

The four-year Jaguars right tackle agreed to a four-year, $80MM deal with the Chiefs, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). This marks yet another splash move from Kansas City GM Brett Veach up front, and Taylor will join one of the NFL’s best O-lines.

Taylor, 25, will receive an $18.9MM signing bonus and earn a base salary of just $1.1MM in 2023, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. His 2024-26 bases each check in at $19.5MM, Yates adds. The latter three salaries stand to open the door for future restructures. Taylor will lock in $60MM in guarantees by March 2024, Breer adds.

Andrew Wylie, who served as Kansas City’s starting right tackle last season, just agreed to a Commanders deal. The Chiefs were aiming much higher, it turns out. Taylor, who has never missed a game in his pro career, has been the Jags’ right-side starter throughout his career. A 2019 Jacksonville second-round pick, the ex-Florida Gator will be expected to provide a big upgrade on Wylie.

Perhaps the more notable fallout from this signing: Brown appears headed out of Missouri. The Chiefs used their tag on the mammoth left tackle in 2022 but decided not to keep him off the market this year. Brown turned down a deal that would have made him the league’s highest-paid left tackle ahead of last July’s tag extension deadline. The former Ravens right tackle will now take a chance he can collect a better deal — presumably one with more guaranteed money, as he viewed that as the prime impediment toward re-upping with the Chiefs — on the market this week.

Right tackle doubled as one of the prize positions in free agency this year. The oft-derided free agency class carried Taylor, Mike McGlinchey and Kaleb McGary, however. Two of those blockers are now headed to the AFC West. McGlinchey agreed to a Broncos deal earlier Monday.

At $20MM per year, Taylor is now the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle. He profiled as the top right-side pass protector available this year, and a Chiefs team that two years ago authorized a guard-record contract (Joe Thuney‘s) in free agency is resetting the market at another blocking position. Taylor’s pact tops Ryan Ramczyk‘s 2021 Saints extension. Considering the profile gap between Ramczyk and Taylor, this is a massive bet on the latter’s best years coming in Kansas City. But the Chiefs now have their right tackle spot locked down. With Taylor, Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith entrenched as starters up front, the team can shift its focus to determining its post-Brown solution on the blind side.

The Jaguars had attempted to keep Taylor, but given left tackle Cam Robinson‘s contract and the market that formed for Taylor, it is unsurprising the team was unable to keep him off the market. The Jags have Robinson coming back from a meniscus tear and could look to Walker Little to fill in on the right side.

Bears, DL DeMarcus Walker Agree To Deal

March 13th, 2023 at 9:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

As expected, the Bears have been a steady presence during the legal tampering period’s opening hours. They will stay at it, bolstering their defensive line.

Chicago will add veteran interior D-lineman DeMarcus Walker, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Walker has bounced around since his Broncos rookie contract expired, but he played well as a rotational pass rusher with the Titans last season. As a result, Garafolo adds the former second-round pick is expected to draw more than $7MM per year on a three-year agreement (Twitter link). It is a three-year, $21MM pact, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets.

Teaming with pass rushers Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry, Walker enjoyed a career year in Nashville. He racked up seven sacks — three north of his previous career high — and 16 QB hits; the Florida State product had never previously tallied more than seven in a season. Walker could be on track to land a starting role next season, depending on how the rest of the Bears’ offseason goes. Chicago entered the week with holes across its defense.

This is Walker’s first multiyear deal since his rookie contract. The Broncos moved him around the formation during his first four seasons, though he has been predominantly used as an interior D-lineman. The Bears traded Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn last year, while also releasing Eddie Goldman and letting Akiem Hicks walk in free agency. As a result, their pass rush was thoroughly unproductive during the 3-14 campaign. Chicago finished with 20 sacks, and no one from its front seven topped the three-sack mark.

Walker joins Titans teammate Nate Davis as Windy City-bound. The four-year Tennessee guard starter signed a three-year deal with Chicago earlier Monday. As far as the D-line goes, the Bears have work to do. They also traded out of the top spot in the draft, and the team going to No. 9 will likely leave them outside the Will Anderson–Jalen Carter range. Walker, 28, will be expected to contribute, but the Bears — who entered Monday with the NFL’s most cap space — will need more help along their defensive front this offseason. Some of the top pieces — Javon Hargrave, Dre’Mont Jones, Zach Allen, Marcus Davenport — have already agreed to terms elsewhere.

Bills Re-Sign P Sam Martin

March 13th, 2023 at 8:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bills were left scrambling for a new punter last summer, and turned to veteran Sam Martin for the 2o22 season. His time in Buffalo will be continuing, as he and the team have agreed to terms on a three-year contract with a maximum value of $7.5MM, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (Twitter link). A team announcement has confirmed the move.

Garafolo adds that the deal includes $4.115MM in guaranteed money, a sign of his success in his debut campaign with the Bills. Buffalo seemed to have their punting situation secured for at least the next few years when they drafted Matt Araiza, his legal situation led to the team moving on from him in August.

That left the Bills short on options as they approached the start of the regular season, but the Broncos’ decision to release Martin for financial reasons gave the two parties a mutual need. Days after being let go by Denver, he inked a deal to join Buffalo, his third career team. The 33-year-old had previously played for the Lions before his two-year tenure in the Mile High City.

Martin set the second-highest mark of his career in punting average (47.7) this season, one in which he was needed much less often than in all but one of his prior campaigns. His success in giving the team consistency in the punting game has obviously sat well, and earned Martin the second most lucrative contract of his career.

The Bills also announced on Monday that they have re-signed linebacker Tyler Matakevich on a one-year deal. The 30-year-old has spent the past three seasons in Buffalo, playing a key role on special teams. He and Martin will be in line to continue their respective duties in 2023 as the Bills look to secure valued contributors from the past season ahead of this week’s opening of free agency.

Seahawks Expected To Sign DT Dre’Mont Jones

March 13th, 2023 at 8:32pm CST by Ely Allen

After parting ways with one former Broncos defensive tackle in Shelby Harris, it looks like Seattle will be replacing him with another former Broncos defensive tackle in Dre’Mont Jones, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The two parties have reportedly agreed on a three-year, $51.53MM deal to bring the standout pass rushing lineman to the Seahawks, according to NFL Network’s James Palmer.

A 2019 third-round pick out of Ohio State, Jones didn’t take long to live up to his draft stock. In a middling rookie season that saw him occasionally rotate in, Jones still amassed 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hits. Over the next three years, Jones would earn more playing time and do much more with it. In 28 starts since 2020, Jones has tallied 18.5 sacks, 25 tackles for loss, and 32 quarterback hits, averaging about the same number of each statistic every season.

Jones isn’t perfect. He specializes as one of the top pass rushing interior defensive lineman in the NFL but can struggle in run defense. He’s also had issues with injuries over the years, failing to appear in every game of any NFL season he’s played in. Regardless, Seattle will be adding a whole new dynamic to a defense that heavily depended on two linebackers (Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor, each with 9.5 sacks in 2022) to pressure to the quarterback.

According to Rapoport, Jones is set to earn $23.5MM in the first year of the deal and $35.02MM over the first two years. The deal is a massive upgrade for the young lineman’s rookie contract. At only 26 years old, Jones will provide Seattle with a badly needed pass rusher on the interior.

Falcons To Sign LB Kaden Elliss

March 13th, 2023 at 8:24pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons aren’t done making big moves on defense. This time, the team is adding free agent linebacker Kaden Elliss, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Falcons To Sign S Jessie Bates]

The former seventh-round pick had a breakout season in 2022. Elliss ended up starting 11 of his 17 appearances, finishing with 78 tackles, seven sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus was particularly fond of his performance, ranking him seventh among 81 qualifying linebackers.

The breakout season couldn’t have come at a better time with Elliss hitting free agency this offseason. The Saints surely won’t be happy that the pass-rusher will be heading to a division rival, but Atlanta surely had to pay up for the free agent’s services. Indeed, it’s a three-year, $21.5MM contract, including $11MM guaranteed, per Raport (on Twitter).

Elliss will be relied on to help turn around one of the league’s worst pass-rushing units in 2022. The Falcons finished last season with only 21 sacks, the second-lowest total in the NFL. He’ll be following new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen to Atlanta; the coach served as New Orleans’ co-defensive coordinator last year after a long stint as their defensive line coach.

The Falcons have been busy spending on defense today. The front office gave safety Jessie Bates a $64MM contract and handed defensive tackle David Onyemata a $35MM deal.

Texans Expected To Sign DB Jimmie Ward

March 13th, 2023 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jimmie Ward will join Hassan Ridgeway in following DeMeco Ryans to Houston. The new Texans HC will have a familiar secondary piece on defense, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting Ward intends to sign (Twitter link).

A 49er throughout his nine-year career, Ward has toggled between safety and nickelback. The 49ers brought back Tashaun Gipson on Sunday, to stay at Ward’s preferred safety position, and the longest-tenured 49er defender is now headed elsewhere.

While Ward frequently moved around on San Francisco’s defense, he provided a considerable boost for some of the NFL’s best units of recent years. Ward was in place at safety for the 49er defense that powered the team to Super Bowl LIV, leading to a 2020 re-signing, and he was on the field for San Francisco’s runs to the NFC championship game over the past two seasons. Ward played 105 regular-season games with the 49ers, starting 79.

Ryans was with the 49ers for six of Ward’s nine seasons, working his way up from the quality control level to DC. He oversaw the decision to move Ward back to the nickel, and while the former first-round pick is believed to have viewed such a move as a demotion, there are obviously no hard feelings. Ryans will now add a versatile player to his defense in Houston.

Ward having experience as a safety and a cornerback in Ryans’ scheme should benefit young Texans talents Jalen Pitre and Derek Stingley. The Texans have safety Jonathan Owens unsigned, potentially leaving a safety spot open for Ward opposite Pitre. With Ward going into his age-31 season, safety would seemingly make more sense at this point in his career. But Ryans was one of the San Francisco DCs to feel comfortable placing the veteran in the slot. If nothing else, Ryans has options here as he constructs his first Texans defense.

Pro Football Focus viewed Ward as having plenty of gas left in the tank, grading him as a top-15 DB this past season. Ward started the season late because of a summer hamstring injury and then suffered a hand malady shortly after returning. But he returned to play in 15 games (three in the postseason) to help the 49ers rank No. 1 in points allowed, yards allowed and defensive DVOA.

Jameis Winston To Stay With Saints

March 13th, 2023 at 8:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jameis Winston looks to be taking the Saints up on their offer. He is finalizing a reworked contract that will allow him to stay in New Orleans, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets.

Although there is not a realistic path to Winston starting for the Saints, barring a Derek Carr injury, the team gave him a chance to stay. This will undoubtedly involve a pay cut, but rather than hit a crowded market for bridge- and backup-level QBs, Winston is on track to remain a Saint.

Indeed, it’s a one-year deal for Winston worth up to $8MM, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Rapoport seems to hint that there were no starting opportunities available to Winston in free agency, so the QB decided to stick with what’s familiar vs. serving as a backup somewhere else. Winston was set to earn $12.8MM next year, and the Saints could have realized an identical cap savings by making him a post-June 1 cut.

Instead, both side decided to have Winston back for a fourth season in New Orleans. The former first-overall pick had the first opportunity to replace Drew Brees as the Saints starting QB, and he was productive in his seven games, tossing 14 touchdowns vs. three interceptions while guiding the team to a 5-2 record. However, a torn ACL cut that 2021 campaign short, and when he returned in 2022, he was eyeing a revamped depth chart and a new head coach.

Winston only got three starts in 2022 as Andy Dalton ran with the starting gig. In Winston’s three games, he reverted back to his free-throwing ways, with his 4.3 interception rate rivaling his 30-interception campaign with the Buccaneers in 2019.

In 2023, the Saints won’t be nearly as reliant on the QB after they made a sizable investment in Carr. Winston will now be one of the league’s better backup quarterbacks, and his salary seemingly reflects that fact.

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