HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Giants Meet With Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy; Team Conducts Three WR Visits

March 20th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Facing a pivotal decision with their latest top-10 draft choice, the Giants are beginning the next phase of their intelligence-gathering process. It is that time of year; “30” visits are underway. And the Giants have two clear paths they could take.

The big-picture approach points to the team staying in the mix to trade up for a quarterback. On that note, the team began its face-to-face meetings last week. Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy visited the Giants, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer.

While it would bring a borderline-radical about-face for the Giants to move up for a passer a year after giving Daniel Jones a four-year, $160MM extension, the contract’s structure and the team’s managerial setup point to the scenario being live. The Giants can escape the Jones contract with barely $10MM in dead money — in the event of a post-June 1 release — next year, and while this regime paid Jones, it did not draft him. Rumblings about the Giants being interested in a passer have persisted this offseason, with McCarthy emerging as a potential target.

Yes, we are entering prime smokescreen season, but McCarthy’s stock has undeniably climbed since his low-octane but hyper-efficient Michigan season wrapped. The Vikings have been linked to the Michigan product, with Daniel Jeremiah’s latest NFL.com mock draft sending Minnesota to No. 4 for McCarthy, which would be that franchise’s first top-10 quarterback pick ever. The Giants, who have been around considerably longer, have made five such investments. In the common draft era (1967-present), New York has chosen three QBs in the top 10 — Phil Simms, Eli Manning, Jones — and faces a more action-packed market thanks to Minnesota’s recent trade with Houston.

Even prior to the Vikings acquiring a second first-round pick from the Texans, Jeremiah mentioned a “strong” expectation within the NFL points to four QBs going off the board in the top six. Seeing as the Giants hold the No. 6 pick, that rumor would stand to tie closely to the team’s interest in grabbing a Jones successor with this draft real estate. While GM Joe Schoen attended Caleb Williams‘ USC pro day Wednesday, the Bears are widely expected to begin the draft with the 2022 Heisman winner.

Maye has held his spot as a passer likely to land in the top three, with Jeremiah mocking Sam Howell‘s North Carolina successor to Washington at No. 2. More buzz has connected the Commanders to Jayden Daniels, with Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN mock keeping Maye on track for New England. The Patriots may have some internal doubts about the ex-Tar Heels starter, inviting intrigue about another team moving up in the event Daniels does go second overall. The Giants would stand to be one of the teams monitoring the Pats’ decision, as the Commanders will be unlikely to trade their No. 2 pick to a division rival when a QB investment is involved.

McCarthy has rocketed up into a likely top-10 investment, participating in the Combine while the draft’s top three passing prospects did not. While the recent national championship-winning QB would be a surprise top-six pick — based on where his stock appeared to be at season’s end — the likes of Carson Wentz, Baker Mayfield and Zach Wilson have brought late QB climbs near the top of the board in recent years. The Giants are certainly investigating Jim Harbaugh‘s final Wolverines starter.

If the dominoes do not fall the Giants’ way regarding a Jones successor, the team is doing work on that end as well. The team brought in Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze for visits earlier this month, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.

Harrison has generated attention for his pre-draft plan — one not consisting of workouts at the Combine or his pro day, which was held today — but the Ohio State prospect is widely viewed as the best receiver available. Jeremiah and Kiper’s big boards list Harrison as the No. 2 overall prospect, but the former adds it is likely some teams will have Nabers positioned above the second-generation WR talent on draft boards. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler adds Nabers is viewed by some clubs as the draft’s top wideout.

Harrison, Nabers (LSU) and Odunze (Washington) are each mortal locks to be chosen early in the first round. Nabers posted a 1,000-yard season in 2022 but unlocked another level to his game last season, totaling 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns to help Daniels win the Heisman. Nabers’ speed has generated intrigue among teams, though the three-year LSU receiver did not run the 40-yard dash at the Combine.

The QB interest would benefit the Giants on the wideout front, as two of these players could be on the board if a trade-up into the top five occurs. The Giants used a third-round pick on Jalin Hyatt last year and have Darius Slayton and Wan’Dale Robinson under contract. But the team has struggled at this position for years, lacking a WR1-level talent since injuries started to impact Odell Beckham Jr. The Giants will have a chance at one of these impact receivers soon, but the QB matter will likely loom until draft night.

D’Andre Swift Price Led Eagles To Saquon Barkley Pivot

March 20th, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to last week’s Saquon Barkley signing, it had been a while since the Eagles sprang for an upper-echelon running back contract. The team did pay up for DeMarco Murray in 2015, but that came during the year Howie Roseman found himself demoted in favor of Chip Kelly. The most recent Roseman-directed RB payment of note came in 2012, when the team gave LeSean McCoy a five-year, $45MM extension.

Illustrating where running back value has gone over the past 12 years, the Eagles now have Barkley tied to a three-year, $37.75MM contract. Barkley’s bet on himself at the franchise tag deadline paid off, with the Eagles giving him $26MM fully guaranteed. That tops the Giants’ 2023 offer and will now be tacked onto the $10.1MM he earned on the franchise tag.

[RELATED: NFL Investigating Eagles, Falcons For Tampering]

Barkley coming out of this grim RB market on top comes after D’Andre Swift became the first commit during the legal tampering period. The Bears gave the 2023 Eagles starter a three-year, $24MM deal that McLane notes features $15.28MM fully guaranteed. That represents a nice pickup for Swift, who slightly outperformed Miles Sanders‘ 2023 guarantee number ($13MM).

Although the Eagles were not interested in keeping Sanders, they monitored the Swift market. However, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane indicates the team pivoted as the Swift market moved outside of where it valued the 2023 Pro Bowler.

This meant giving more money to Barkley, but it is clear the Eagles viewed the gap between the two RB talents as wide. The Eagles ranked first in rushing yards before contact last season and 32nd post-contact, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who notes that played into the team’s decision with Barkley. The two-time Giants Pro Bowler is one of six RBs with over 1,000 yards after contact over the past two seasons. Next Gen Stats ranked Swift in the bottom 10 in terms of rushing yards over expected (minus-65), with McLane adding issues in pass protection were also part of the Eagles’ valuation.

The Eagles also felt the Giants underutilized Barkley in the passing game. Barkley himself expressed this stance around the time of last year’s franchise tag deadline. In the years following Pat Shurmur‘s exit, Barkley did not make a major statistical impact as a receiver. He has not eclipsed 350 receiving yards in a season since 2019. During his 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, the former No. 2 overall pick totaled 721 yards through the air. That said, the Eagles have not used backs much in the passing game since committing to Jalen Hurts as their starter. A productive receiver at points in Detroit, Swift totaled just 214 receiving yards in 17 games last season.

Swift, 25, does feature far less wear and tear compared to Barkley, 27; that undoubtedly played into the Bears’ decision to bring in the ex-Lions second-rounder. Swift sits at 593 career carries; Barkley exited 2023 with 1,201. Considering the Eagle rushing attack’s success with talents like Sanders and Swift at the forefront, it will be interesting to see how Barkley fares behind a top-tier offensive line — a luxury he never enjoyed with the Giants.

The Eagles have gone so far as to guarantee a bit of Barkley’s 2026 salary. Although the bulk of Barkley’s final year ($12MM) is nonguaranteed, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes $1.5MM of that amount is locked in at signing. An additional $1MM will become guaranteed that March, giving the Eagles an out window two years down the road.

Their Barkley-based deviation at running back will still make their 2024 and ’25 approaches fascinating. Barkley’s showing on this contract will also be important through a macro lens at a position that has taken a slew of value hits — many coming in 2023 — over the past several years.

Saints Re-Sign S Johnathan Abram

March 20th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints were able to retain a bit more depth at safety today by re-signing Johnathan Abram, according to Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. With a bit of change in New Orleans’ secondary this spring, Abram may have a chance to earn a more prominent role.

A former first-round pick for the Raiders in 2019, Abram’s NFL career got off to a rough start when a torn rotator cuff and labrum put him on season-ending injured reserve after his NFL debut game. Abram rebounded well, starting 27 games over his second and third seasons. In those respective seasons, Abram finished first and second on the team in tackles while also intercepting three passes and recording 10 passes defensed, though he was often criticized for being a liability in coverage.

After Las Vegas declined Abram’s fifth-year option, the team opted to waive him midseason. Abram was claimed off waivers by Green Bay, where he spent three weeks playing special teams before being waived again. He was then picked up off waivers by the Seahawks who started him for a couple games down the stretch of the regular season. After not re-signing in Seattle, Abram joined New Orleans as a free agent.

In 2023, Abram served as a fourth safety option behind Tyrann Mathieu, rookie fifth-round pick Jordan Howden, and Marcus Maye. With Maye’s release being announced in February, Abram should get an opportunity to step into a bigger role as the team’s third option at safety moving forward. He joins Ugo Amadi as the second backup safety to re-sign with the team in as many days.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/24

March 20th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions:

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Sims was not tendered by the Texans as a restricted free agent, but Houston found a way to bring him back on a new deal regardless. Sims is now five years removed from his rookie year in Washington, in which he caught for 310 yards and four touchdowns.

Dolphins Rumors: OBJ, Chubb, Wilson

March 20th, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Ely Allen

The Dolphins’ efforts to bring in another receiver have taken an interesting turn today. According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is planning to visit Miami tomorrow. Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson has been reporting on the Dolphins’ interest in the veteran wideout.

The team’s wide receiving corps will continue to be dominated by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Miami re-signed return specialist Braxton Berrios, and a tweet today from River Cracraft seems to indicate that the team was able to re-sign the depth piece, as well. Over two years with the Dolphins, Cracraft was 18 catches for 223 yards and three touchdowns.

After that, the only available receivers on the roster are Erik Ezukanma, Anthony Schwartz, Braylon Sanders, and Mathew Sexton. The team has inquired with a couple of receivers on the free agent market, and their inquiries into Beckham appear to have resulted in tomorrow’s visit.

Last year with Baltimore, Beckham didn’t quite reach the heights of his early-career success, but he still looked like himself at times as he received for his highest yardage total since 2019. He also found himself taking a backseat in targets to rookie Zay Flowers, so there shouldn’t be much of an issue with losing targets to Hill and Waddle. Tomorrow will determine if Beckham is willing to join the fray in Miami on a reasonable deal.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of South Beach:

  • The Dolphins were able to agree to a restructured deal with pass rusher Bradley Chubb today, per ESPN’s Field Yates. The team converted $13.75MM of Chubb’s 2024 base salary into a signing bonus while adding a void year to the end of his contract. The move frees up $11MM of cap space for a team that may be looking to add a weapon like Beckham in the near future.
  • Running back Jeff Wilson also reportedly agreed to a restructured deal, according to Jackson. Wilson has accepted a pay cut in 2024 from $2.6MM to $1.13MM, helping to lower his cap hit by $1.32MM. In exchange, the team added $400K of guarantees to his deal and made available a $100K workout bonus, a $255K incentive if he is active for every game, and a $550K incentive based on combined rushing and receiving yards and team performance.
  • In addition to the two restructures above, Jackson suggests that Miami could attempt to open up some cap space by signing Hill to a new extension or giving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a long-term contract.
  • Lastly, Jackson reports that former Seahawks offensive guard Phil Haynes visited Miami on Monday. With veteran guard being listed as an item on the team’s wish list, the Haynes visit makes plenty of sense, though he departed before the two sides could come together on an agreement. Haynes earned the starting right guard job for Seattle last year before suffering a season-ending toe injury after eight games.

Vikings Add DE Jihad Ward, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill

March 20th, 2024 at 7:35pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings have seen their roster transform drastically over the past couple of weeks. Their efforts to continue building on defense have not stopped yet. Today, Minnesota agreed to deals that bring in defensive end Jihad Ward and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, per Vikings senior editor Craig Peters.

Ward is an eight-year veteran who was drafted to the Raiders in the second round of the 2016 Draft out of Illinois. While he was never truly able to live up to that second-round draft status, Ward found himself in some solid contributing roles over the past eight seasons.

After starting all but three games as a rookie and failing to register his first NFL sack, Ward needed offseason surgery after a workout injury that would limit him to just one start in five game appearances during his sophomore campaign. He was traded to Dallas in exchange for Ryan Switzer the following offseason but would sign with the Colts practice squad after failing to make the Cowboys’ 53-man roster to start the year.

Since then, Ward has played on one-year contracts that have taken him from Indianapolis to Baltimore to Jacksonville to New York. He’s never quite hit his stride as a consistent starter, though his last two seasons with the Giants saw him start 20 of 34 game appearances. Ward is coming off the most productive time of his career. Over his two seasons with the Giants, he achieved career-highs in total tackles (43), sacks (5.0), tackles for loss (7), quarterback hits (13), passes defensed (4), and forced fumbles (2). In Minnesota, Ward will likely compete with recent signee Jerry Tillery for a starting position opposite Jonathan Bullard. He joins Tillery and Jonah Williams as the third defensive line addition in free agency.

Grugier-Hill is from the same draft class as Ward, getting selected four rounds later by the Patriots. After failing to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie in New England, Grugier-Hill signed with Philadelphia, where he would spend the first four years of his career. Despite starting 16 of 26 game appearances over his last two years with the Eagles, Grugier-Hill didn’t break out until his 2021 season with the Texans. Over 20 starts for Houston in 2021 and 2022, Grugier-Hill totaled 148 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, four passes defensed, and an interception that he returned for 82 yards.

After leaving Houston, Grugier-Hill took a minor role with the Cardinals before playing the 2023 season with the Panthers. In a rotation role last year, he started five games and finished sixth on the team in tackles with 56. With the Vikings, Grugier-Hill reunites with former Texans teammate Blake Cashman as the two will compete for the starting job next to Ivan Pace.

The transformation in Minnesota continues. With so many key contributors departing and needing to be replaced, the Vikings continue to evaluate and reload. Vikings fans will be learning a lot of new names and faces as they watch a very different-looking Vikings team in 2024.

Rams Pursued Andrew Van Ginkel; Ernest Jones On Extension Radar

March 20th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Donald‘s retirement creates major questions for a Rams team that has benefited from one of the NFL’s all-time greats for 10 years. Donald boosted the capabilities of other Rams pass rushers, with Kobie Turner and Byron Young the latest beneficiaries.

In addition to its unfillable hole in the Donald spot, the Rams could still use help in the pass-rushing department. The team was in on hybrid performer Andrew Van Ginkel early in free agency, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan notes, but the ex-Dolphins linebacker signed with the Vikings on a two-year, $20MM deal.

The Rams have not added an edge player in free agency, and they were not believed to be aiming to spend too much to fill the post opposite Young. The team had hoped Van Ginkel’s market would come down a bit, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (subscription required), but it did not. Van Ginkel received $10MM guaranteed at signing from the Vikings, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. Another $3MM shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2025 league year, giving Minnesota some options with the ex-Miami defender.

Vic Fangio used Van Ginkel in more of a pass-rushing role down the stretch last season, a campaign that featured Jaelan Phillips sustain a torn Achilles during the Dolphins’ Black Friday game. Reuniting with Brian Flores in the Twin Cities, Van Ginkel has shown pass-rushing chops in the past; prior to his six-sack 2023, he accumulated 20 QB hits and nine tackles for loss in Flores’ 2021 Miami finale.

It is difficult to know what to expect from the Rams’ pass rush. Donald raised this operation’s floor to a degree it landed the likes of Leonard Floyd, Von Miller and Dante Fowler big paydays. Over the past two years, the team invested little — beyond the third-round Young pick — on the edge; the team did attempt to keep Miller and then saw Carolina turn down a two-first-rounder offer (17 months before taking a second and a fifth from the Giants) for Brian Burns. But the Rams, who spent to address guard last week, have work to do here moving forward.

Elsewhere on defense, the Rams have begun extension talks with linebacker Ernest Jones, per Rodrigue, who classifies these talks as preliminary. A two-year starter, Jones has become one of the Rams’ top defenders. Coming off a 145-tackle, 4.5-sack season, the former third-round pick is going into a contract year.

Los Angeles released Bobby Wagner last year and previously let standout Cory Littleton collect his second contract elsewhere. Pro Football Focus ranked Jones 13th among linebackers last season, when the South Carolina alum broke through with 14 tackles for loss. With Donald retiring, Matthew Stafford going into his age-36 season and Cooper Kupp turning 31 this year, the Rams may be more open to extensions with players at lower-priority positions. They have some time to hammer out a Jones deal, as Rodrigue adds the sides are not in a rush.

Based on how the Rams spent their money last week, a Steve Avila-to-center plan appeared in place. Indeed, Rodrigue confirms the 2023 second-round pick is slated to slide to center. The Rams re-signed Kevin Dotson on a $16MM-per-year deal and gave Jonah Jackson a $17MM-AAV pact. Considering Avila was the team’s highest draft choice since Jared Goff, it seemed highly unlikely L.A. would demote him ahead of his second season.

TCU deployed Avila at center during his 2021 junior season; he also saw time there as a sophomore. After going into recent training camps with position battles up front, the Rams appear to have their starting five — Alaric Jackson, Jonah Jackson, Avila, Dotson, Rob Havenstein — up front. Attached to a recently reworked deal, Joe Noteboom is set to provide swing depth.

Ravens To Meet With WR Michael Gallup

March 20th, 2024 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Odell Beckham Jr. has already bid farewell to Baltimore, though he remains unsigned. While the Ravens have their other top receivers from 2023 under contract, they are looking at free agents.

Michael Gallup will pay a visit to Baltimore to meet with Ravens brass Thursday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. A recent Cowboys cap casualty, Gallup has already met with the Panthers.

Spending six seasons with the Cowboys, Gallup was unable to rival the production he showed on his rookie contract. Dallas re-signed the former third-round pick on a five-year, $57.5MM deal in 2022 but saw him fall short of 500 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons. Gallup suffered a torn ACL near the end of his contract year, and while he was still able to score a decent payday, the team did not observe him as a reliable CeeDee Lamb complement on that contract.

Gallup, who turned 28 earlier this month, does have an 1,100-yard season on his resume (2019); he followed that up with an 843-yard, five-TD offering in 2020. Gallup missed a chunk of the 2021 season due to a separate injury, returning before ultimately going down with the ACL tear. In 17 games last season, the 6-foot-1 target totaled 418 yards and two TDs.

The Ravens saw Zay Flowers become an instant contributor last year. Beckham contributed 565 yards and three scores — second on the team. While Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor stayed healthy and enjoyed moments, neither surpassed 400 yards. More than two years after his knee injury, Gallup could certainly be viewed as an upgrade as an auxiliary target alongside Flowers. One season remains on Bateman’s rookie contract and the deal Agholor signed last year.

This year’s higher-end receiver UFAs have signed, and Mike Williams committed to the Jets on Tuesday. Some other talented options remain available. Gallup and Beckham join Tyler Boyd, Hunter Renfrow, Michael Thomas, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and DJ Chark as available pass catchers.

NFC South Notes: Cousins, Falcons, Ramczyk, Saints, Davis, Evans, Panthers

March 20th, 2024 at 3:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons are under investigation for tampering during their Kirk Cousins pursuit. Cousins said during his Falcons intro presser he spoke with the team’s trainer ahead of his official signing, which would be a violation. Cousins may well have revealed another tampering violation, indicating (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio) he offered to call Darnell Mooney to help close the Falcons’ pitch to the former Bears wide receiver. Mooney committed to the Falcons on Day 2 of the tampering period. With Cousins’ deal not yet official at that point, such recruitment on behalf of the team would be a violation as well.

None of this will result in the Falcons losing Cousins, but a fine and/or a draft choice being stripped would be in play if the team is found to have violated the tampering policy (albeit during a stretch referred to as the legal tampering period). Given the multiple issues here, the Falcons certainly run the risk of being punished.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • In a division with two of the league’s restructure mavens, the Panthers are hoping to avoid such moves under new GM Dan Morgan. The former Carolina assistant GM said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) he will aim to avoid kicking the can down the road in the form of restructures. Teams have turned to restructures more in the 2020s, as the larger cap spikes have helped clubs manage the bigger cap hits down the road, but both the Buccaneers and Saints have needed to take some medicine at points this decade due to restructures.
  • Having said that, the Panthers did reach a restructure agreement with Shaq Thompson to both create cap space and retain their longest-tenured player. This will reduce the 10th-year linebacker’s base salary to $3.1MM and clear around $3MM in cap space, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Headed into his age-30 season, Thompson is coming off a two-game campaign halted by a fractured fibula. He is now on the Panthers’ cap sheet at $3.19MM.
  • Ryan Ramczyk finished last season on IR due to a knee injury that he admitted bothered him for nearly the entire season. A cartilage defect in his knee also brought some ominous comments from the standout right tackle, but he is on track to play an eighth season with the Saints. Ramczyk underwent what Dennis Allen (via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras) labeled a minor knee procedure; he is expected to be ready for training camp. Additionally, Ramczyk agreed to a reworked contract that guarantees him $6.5MM this season, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. Ramcyzk’s 2021 extension previously had no guarantees left, but it called for a $27MM 2024 cap number. This reworking brought that down to $12.9MM, and NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett refers to it as a significant pay cut. Ramczyk is signed through 2026, but no guarantees are due beyond 2024.
  • The Saints also brought James Hurst‘s cap number down from $6.5MM to $2.9MM, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Two void years are present in Hurst’s deal, but the veteran O-lineman, who has been needed to start over the past three seasons, is due for free agency in 2025.
  • New Orleans’ latest Demario Davis contract (two years, $17.25MM) will bring $13.25MM in guarantees, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. The team is guaranteeing $2.5MM of Davis’ $6.5MM 2025 base salary, with Terrell adding a $1.75MM roster bonus will be due next year. That roster bonus will be key in determining if Davis plays the 2025 season in New Orleans; the new deal dropped Davis’ 2024 cap hit from $18.1MM to $6.2MM.
  • Not quite as prolific as the Saints on the restructure front, the Buccaneers have been aggressive here since the Tom Brady signing. Tampa Bay has already restructured Mike Evans‘ deal, per MLFootball, with his $21.8MM roster bonus into a signing bonus. This freed up $17.4MM in cap space, which the Bucs put to good use as they re-signed Baker Mayfield and Lavonte David following the application of Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s franchise tag.
  • The Panthers‘ Dane Jackson contract is for two years and worth $8.5MM in base value, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. While this NFL period has featured Carolina-to-Buffalo moves, the veteran cornerback will make the reverse trip and do so for $5.12MM guaranteed. The guarantees cover $1MM of Jackson’s 2025 base salary ($3.74MM).

Bills Sign S Mike Edwards

March 20th, 2024 at 2:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

After forming one of the longest-running safety tandems of the 21st century, the Bills changed course this month. They released Jordan Poyer and have not re-signed Micah Hyde. The team is moving in a younger direction at the position.

Hosting both Julian Blackmon and Mike Edwards this week, the Bills will commit to the latter. Edwards signed with Buffalo on Wednesday, the team announced. It is a one-year contract; the two-time Super Bowl winner is going into his age-28 season.

Edwards became a Chiefs starter following Bryan Cook‘s season-ending injury. This led to Edwards starting the Chiefs’ final five regular-season games and four playoff contests last year. A Buccaneers role player in their Super Bowl LV win over the Chiefs, Edwards played nearly all of Kansas City’s defensive snaps in its Super Bowl LVIII conquest. The Chiefs already have Justin Reid tied to a veteran contract. With Cook signed for two more seasons, Edwards will follow Juan Thornhill out of Missouri.

Kansas City turned to Edwards following Thornhill’s Cleveland defection, and Cook’s December injury made the move more important. Pro Football Focus did not grade Edwards well last season, slotting him 82nd among safeties, but he gave the Chiefs full-time work after Cook’s setback turned into a season-ender. The former third-round pick made seven tackles and broke up a pass against the 49ers last month.

For his career, Edwards has made 28 starts and snagged nine interceptions. That counts his pick of Tua Tagovailoa in the playoffs and his two-pick-six game against the Falcons in 2021. The Bills still have Damar Hamlin under contract for one more season, but the team did not use the recovered defender much on defense — undoubtedly leading to Joe Flacco‘s Comeback Player of the Year win — last season. This signing points to Edwards and Rapp becoming a lower-cost safety tandem following the standout run Hyde and Poyer put together. Though, an early- or mid-round draft choice would also make sense given what Buffalo lost here.

This will keep Blackmon on the market. A four-year Colts starter, Blackmon likely set a higher price compared to Edwards. Blackmon joins the likes of Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Eddie Jackson as safety starters still available.

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