2024 March - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Bengals Release S Nick Scott

March 13th, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Having made a notable addition on the backend by agreeing to a deal with Geno Stone, the Bengals will remove a recent arrival from the equation. Cincinnati plans to release safety Nick Scott, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

Scott spent the course of his rookie contract with the Rams, a tenure which concluded with the team’s Super Bowl win over the Bengals. That landed him a three-year, $12MM agreement with Cincinnati last offseason. After just one year in the Queen City, however, the 28-year-old will once again hit the open market.

Scott is due $3.3MM in 2024, with a cap hit $1MM higher. Cutting him immediately would result in $2.3MM in cap savings against a dead money charge of $2MM. Designating him a post-June 1 release would shift $1MM from dead money to cap space, but the Bengals would not see the savings until June 2. In any event, Stone’s arrival suggested Scott could be on the way out this offseason.

The latter started 10 games in 2023, but by November he had lost his first-team spot to Jordan Battle. Scott racked up 57 tackles and a fumble recovery, but he surrendered a passer rating of 99.6 in coverage. Breakdowns in the secondary were a common issue for Cincinnati last year, something which influenced the decision to bring in Stone at the outset of the negotiating window. The former Ravens draftee secured $15MM on a two-year deal.

Battle is still on his rookie contract for three more seasons, and he and Stone could serve as full-time starters in 2024. Former first-rounder Dax Hill is also in the fold, although questions have been raised about where he best fits in the secondary. Cincinnati will have decisions to make in the latter’s case moving forward, while Scott will become a late entrant to a crowded free agent safety class.

Bucs To Bring Back S Jordan Whitehead

March 13th, 2024 at 12:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Buccaneers’ offseason blueprint brings a heavy retention vibe, they will bring back another familiar face. After two seasons with the Jets, Jordan Whitehead is coming back to Tampa.

The six-year veteran safety will rejoin the Bucs on a two-year deal that can max out at $10.5MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. In base value, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports Whitehead will be tied to a two-year, $9MM deal that features $4.5MM guaranteed at signing. This checks in south of Whitehead’s Jets deal (two years, $14MM) from 2022.

A 2018 Bucs draftee, Whitehead was a regular for four seasons before departing for New York. He will return to play alongside franchise-tagged safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The Jets expressed modest interest in retaining Whitehead but did not view the two-year starter as a top priority. As for the Bucs, they wanted to retain Whitehead in 2022, ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweets.

Whitehead started all 34 Jets games over the past two years. In 2023, he stood out in an ugly season for the team. Whitehead intercepted four passes — three in the team’s season-opening win over the Bills — and broke up nine more. Pro Football Focus rated Whitehead 39th among safeties last season. But Whitehead is better remembered for his Buccaneers contributions.

Whitehead started all four playoff games for the Super Bowl LV-winning team, forcing two fumbles during that four-game bracket, and has posted at least two INTs in each season this decade. He teamed with Winfield as a starter during the Bucs’ romp over the Chiefs, a win that has aged better given the AFC power’s accomplishments since, and started 55 games for the team since joining Winfield, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting as Day 2 draft investments in the Bucs’ secondary.

Despite being a six-year veteran, Whitehead will be 27 throughout the 2024 season. Ryan Neal, who joined Winfield as a starter last season after the Seahawks parted ways with him, is a free agent. This clears the runway for Whitehead to reprise his role alongside the All-Pro talent.

Raiders To Add TE Harrison Bryant

March 13th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Michael Mayer in place as the Raiders’ starting tight end, the team will bring in one of Austin Hooper‘s former teammates to fill the sidekick role at the position.

Hooper committed to the Patriots on Tuesday night, rejoining Alex Van Pelt in New England. The Raiders will move to ex-Browns role player Harrison Bryant on a one-year deal ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes is worth $3.25MM. Bryant could earn up to $4MM, Schefter adds.

A fourth-round pick in 2020, Bryant maintained a steady role on offense across his first three seasons in Cleveland. He made 24, 21 and 31 receptions from 2020-22, recording almost identical yardage totals during that span. Bryant’s roster security was in question last spring, however, and he found himself on the trade block. No deal emerged, but the FAU alum was limited to just 13 catches this past season.

Bryant did score three touchdowns in 2023, bringing his career total in that regard to 10. The 25-year-old will aim to remain an end zone target in Vegas while seeing an uptick in usage. Mayer drew 40 targets during his rookie season, a figure which could stand to increase moving forward. Given the team’s decision to move on from slot wideout Hunter Renfrow, though, more opportunities could be available in the middle of the field for both Mayer and Bryant.

The Browns have David Njoku on the books for another two seasons, and he will remain Cleveland’s starter at the TE spot moving forward. A depth addition could be coming during the second wave of free agency or the draft to replace Bryant’s secondary contributions, however. The latter will prepare to catch passes from at least one of Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell in 2024 knowing a strong campaign could boost his market value next offseason.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Eagles Reach Extension With K Jake Elliott

March 13th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two days after giving Landon Dickerson a guard-record extension, the Eagles are locking up their kicker. The team announced a four-year agreement with Jake Elliott on Wednesday.

Elliott signed a four-year, $24MM deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets, tying the veteran to the Eagles through the 2028 season. Elliott’s $6MM average ties Justin Tucker for the highest among kickers. Both punter Braden Mann and long snapper Rick Lovato re-signed yesterday, so each member of the Eagles’ kicking battery will remain in place moving forward.

Drafted by the Bengals in 2017, Elliott spent his rookie season in Philadelphia and has not looked back since then. The 29-year-old has remained a consistent producer in the kicking game during his run with the Eagles, recording a field goal accuracy percentage of at least 83.9% in all but one season. Elliott earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021, and he received second-team All-Pro honors this past season.

In 2023, the former fifth-rounder connected on 30 of 32 field goal attempts; that total included seven makes on eight kicks beyond 50 yards. He also went 45-for-46 on extra points, missing three or fewer attempts in that regard for the seventh straight season. In the wake of another strong campaign, Elliott has landed a second long-term investment. The Memphis product had been playing on a five-year, $20.15MM pact.

Elliott will outpace the value of that contract moving forward, although his 2024 cap hit ($5.95MM) will likely be reduced with this extension. That would provide the Eagles with added spending power for the offseason while ensuring Elliott remains in place for the foreseeable future. Expectations will thus remain high for Philadelphia’s special teams in 2024 and beyond.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Broncos To Re-Sign Lil’Jordan Humphrey

March 13th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Playing a bigger-than-expected role with the Broncos last season, Lil’Jordan Humphrey is part of the team’s changing 2024 receiver plan. Denver is bringing back the ex-Sean Payton New Orleans charge.

Humphrey will re-sign with the Broncos on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Broncos traded Jerry Jeudy to the Browns over the weekend and owe Courtland Sutton a roster bonus this coming weekend. As changes come about in a Denver receiving corps that had stayed mostly the same since 2020, Humphrey will attempt to carve out a role once again.

Down Tim Patrick for a second full season, Denver opted to use Humphrey as an eight-game starter. While this run did not lead to impressive stats (13 catches, 162 yards), Patrick played all 17 games and caught three TD passes. In addition to a Week 1 score, the 6-foot-4 pass catcher reeled off an impressive catch-and-run TD during Jarrett Stidham‘s first start four months later.

In five seasons, Humphrey has crossed 100 receiving yards only twice. He did play for Payton for three years in New Orleans, bringing system familiarity on a team that could be making a significant transition. Perennial trade candidates, Jeudy and Sutton were teammates for four seasons. Although the Broncos are bringing Patrick back, Sutton is due a $2MM salary guarantee on Sunday. The six-year veteran is attached to a nonguaranteed $13MM base salary for 2024. With the Broncos in cost-cutting mode, it is not beyond the realm of possibility they separate from Jeudy and Sutton this offseason.

Texans To Trade DT Maliek Collins To 49ers

March 13th, 2024 at 11:44am CST by Sam Robinson

Maliek Collins signed three Texans contracts in three years; his most recent will be transferred to the 49ers’ payroll. Houston is sending the veteran defensive tackle to San Francisco, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.

The 49ers will acquire the former Cowboys, Raiders and Texans interior D-lineman for a seventh-round pick, Schefter adds. Collins, 29 next month, spent the past three seasons in Houston. He is coming off a career-best pass-rushing season. With Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw heading out of town, the 49ers are revamping their DT group alongside Javon Hargrave.

San Francisco will send this year’s No. 232 overall pick to Houston, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Texans will end up dropping eight spots in the seventh round by trading Collins and acquiring Joe Mixon, who cost only the 224th overall choice.

This should prove to be a scheme fit, considering Collins started in DeMeco Ryans‘ defense last season. After shifting away from their Ryans-Robert Saleh scheme under Steve Wilks, the 49ers scrapped that plan and promoted Nick Sorensen to lead the defense. Collins will remain a 4-3 D-tackle in San Francisco.

Collins totaled five sacks in Ryans’ defense last season, tallying a career-high — by a wide margin — 18 QB hits in his third year with the Texans. ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric ranked Collins 12th among interior D-linemen in 2023.

The team has added Denico Autry and Foley Fatukasi in free agency; those veterans look set to move into Houston’s starting lineup. Collins may not be a lock to start in San Francisco, but his contract ($11.5MM per year) would suggest that is going to happen.

Signing Collins in 2021 to work in Lovie Smith‘s system, the Texans re-signed the ex-Cowboys draftee a year later. Despite changing schemes under Ryans, the team gave Collins a two-year, $23MM extension last summer. Two years remain on that deal, which could certainly provide good value for a 49ers team that did well to grab Charles Omenihu from the Texans in 2021. On a roster that featured low-cost deals just about everywhere but the offensive line, Collins’ deal stood out. It will blend in more on the 49ers’ payroll.

Hargrave is sticking around as the highest-profile Nick Bosa sidekick, but the defending NFC champions are retooling around the two veterans. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos are coming in on midlevel deals to supplement Bosa on the edge, while ex-Browns starter Jordan Elliott will be part of the 49ers’ interior mix alongside Hargrave. Armstead started for nine seasons in San Francisco. The 49ers offered the 6-foot-7 regular a pay cut, but this trade and the Elliott pickup would suggest the team is not planning to have Armstead back at a reduced rate. The Titans are believed to be interested in Armstead, while Kinlaw joined the Jets.

Vikings To Sign RB Aaron Jones

March 13th, 2024 at 11:35am CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 13: The pay cut the Packers offered checked in south of what Jones will make with the Vikings. Green Bay proposed slashing Jones’ $11MM 2024 base salary to less than $4MM, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, with $2MM in incentives dangled. The Vikings are giving Jones a $6MM base salary on a deal that includes $1MM in incentives.

After Jones agreed to a $5MM pay cut in 2023 — in exchange for 2023 guarantees — Schneidman adds the seven-year veteran did not want to take another reduction in this range. Although Jones will end up taking a cut from his original 2024 salary number, he lessened the damage by leaving for the Vikings, who will give him an opportunity to remain a starter.

MARCH 12: Aaron Jones‘ time with the Packers is up, but he will remain in the NFC North in 2024. The Pro Bowl running back has agreed to a one-year, $7MM deal with the Vikings, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report.

Green Bay attempted to work out a pay cut with Jones to ensure his time with the team continued. No agreement could be reached, however, and the team pivoted by releasing him and agreeing to terms with Josh Jacobs on a four-year, $48MM deal. The latter will carry the load moving forward with his new team, but plenty of touches will be available for Jones in Minnesota.

Jones was due to earn $12MM in 2024 on his Packers contract, but the team wanted him to take a 50% pay cut. It will be interesting to see how this Vikings deal is arranged with respect to guaranteed money as a result. In any case, today’s agreement comes as no surprise, given a Monday report indicating Minnesota was eyeing Jones on a deal which can be finalized at any time since he was released.

The 29-year-old topped 1,000 rushing yards three times during his seven-year stint in Green Bay. Jones has also been a notable contributor in the passing game during his career, recording between 395 and 474 yards through the air each season from 2019-22. He was limited to 11 games last season, however, and as a result his production fell considerably (889 scrimmage yards, three total touchdowns). His 4.6 regular season yards per carry average was also the lowest of his career.

In much better shape from a health perspective down the stretch, however, Jones showed flashes of his old self in the postseason. The former fifth-rounder racked up 226 yards and three touchdowns across the wild-card and divisional rounds, suggesting he could remain a productive lead back in the future. He will certainly have the opportunity to do so with Minnesota, given the team’s decision to move on from Dalvin Cook last offseason as well as his RB1 replacement (Alexander Mattison) last month.

The Vikings’ offense will of course look much different under center with Sam Darnold (or a passer added in the first round of April’s draft) in place as a Kirk Cousins replacement. Minnesota ranked fifth in the league with respect to passing yards per game in 2023 – despite the time Cousins missed with an Achilles injury – but only 29th on the ground. Jones and the team will look to improve in the latter regard during what will be a transition year in Minnesota.

Ravens To Release OLB Tyus Bowser

March 13th, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Adam La Rose

After missing all of last season, Tyus Bowser will become a free agent. The Ravens are releasing the veteran outside linebacker, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.

A knee injury kept Bowser off the field throughout the 2023 slate, and his release will save the Ravens a notable chunk of cap space. Baltimore will pick up $5.5MM in cap room by moving on from the seven-year veteran; Bowser was due that amount in base salary next season.

The 28-year-old served primarily on special teams for much of his Ravens tenure. Bowser saw incremental increases in defensive playing time, though, ultimately taking on a full-time role in 2021. He recorded a career-high seven sacks that season, indicating the $22MM extension he had inked the prior offseason would prove to be a solid investment. Things did not go according to plan starting at the midway point of the 2022 season, though.

Bowser was limited to nine contests that year due to a knee injury, one which proved to be especially troublesome through the offseason. A flare-up led to the former second-rounder being placed on the NFI list, and he remained there for the entire campaign. Baltimore was hopeful, for a time, that Bowser could suit up in 2023 but by late November signs pointed to him remaining sidelined. Given that, it comes as no surprise the team has elected to cut bait.

The Ravens endured further injury issues along the edge with 2022 second-rounder David Ojabo – who missed most of his rookie campaign – being limited to three contests this season. While veteran pickups Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy provided high-end production, they are each pending free agents. A departure from either member of the latter pair would leave a major vacancy at the OLB spot in Baltimore. Especially if both leave, the decision to move on from Bowser will leave the team in need of multiple free agent and draft additions.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Patriots Inquire About Chargers’ Trade Candidates; Latest On Bolts’ Plans

March 13th, 2024 at 10:45am CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers sit in their own space regarding cap room. As of Wednesday morning, only three teams are over the cap. But only the Bolts are more than $2MM over. Jim Harbaugh‘s team remains $25.2MM over the cap, and the deadline for cap compliance looms in less then five hours.

The team has not made a move involving the contracts of Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams or Khalil Mack. These four pillars double as the Chargers’ top cap hits, with 2023 restructures creating big 2024 numbers. All four check in beyond the $32MM place, putting the Chargers in crunch time as they begin the Harbaugh era.

The team has until 3pm CT to move under the $255.4MM cap, creating one of the more interesting salary situations in years. As OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald points out, the Bolts have four of the top 12 cap hits in the NFL.

Conversations about trades have taken place, and the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes the Patriots have discussed at least some of these trade candidates with the Bolts. New England features needs at both receiver and edge defender, though the team has done some work on those fronts in free agency. Kendrick Bourne and Josh Uche are returning for the Pats, but neither player’s resume comes particularly close to any of the Bolts’ trade chips.

This Pats news comes as they are pursuing Calvin Ridley. The team has made an offer to the recent Jaguars 1,000-yard receiver. A Ridley pickup would seemingly move an Allen or Williams acquisition off the table. The Pats still have Matt Judon under contract, with Uche back as a sidekick — albeit one on the inconsistent side — for at least the 2024 season. If the Patriots were to acquire Bosa or Mack, the team would certainly not run out a Judon-Uche starting duo.

New England still holds more than $59MM in cap space, leaving the team capable of absorbing one of the Los Angeles contracts. The Bolts are widely expected to trade at least one of these contracts (possibly more) today, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske tweets. A trade or release transaction involving one of this foursome should be expected, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.

The Chargers’ cap situation will make teams less inclined to fork over major assets here, as the league knows the Bolts will have to cut a player or two if no trade can come to pass. That said, a team that does not like its chances of landing one of these players on the open market could be well served to make a trade, and the Bolts have been open to that for a bit now.

All four players are tied to deals at or north of $20MM per year. Allen, 31, has been with the Chargers since 2013. Bosa, 28, has spent eight seasons with the team. Both are among the top players at their respective positions. Mack, 33, qualifies for such a classification as well; he bounced back in a big way last season, totaling a career-high 17 sacks. Williams, 29, missed most of last season with an ACL tear. The former top-10 pick’s injury history will certainly limit his trade appeal. One season remains on Mack, Williams and Allen’s contracts; Bosa is signed through 2025.

Titans Interested In DL Arik Armstead, To Meet With LB Jerome Baker

March 13th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Two recent cap casualties are on the Titans’ radar, one of them having an extensive history with GM Ran Carthon. A year after Carthon brought in Daniel Brunskill and Azeez Al-Shaair from the 49ers, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports Arik Armstead is on the team’s radar.

While other teams are expected to show interest in the departing San Francisco standout, the Titans are a known suitor. Armstead, 30, has played all nine seasons of his career with the 49ers. Carthon was not in San Francisco’s front office when the team chose him in the 2015 first round, but the veteran exec was with the team when it extended the 6-foot-7 D-lineman. Armstead is likely set to be a post-June 1 49ers cut, though he would be free to sign elsewhere beginning Wednesday.

Additionally, the Titans have scheduled a visit with former Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Spending six years with the Dolphins, Baker received his walking papers as the AFC East team made a journey under the salary cap. That odyssey involved cutting multiple regulars. The Titans saw the Dolphins sign linebacker David Long last year; they will see about adding Baker during a Thursday meeting.

Carthon’s team is changing its defense this offseason, bringing in Dennard Wilson to run the show after six years with Mike Vrabel (feat. Shane Bowen) in charge. Armstead has excelled in both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses, being moved to a full-time defensive tackle role as the 49ers found their footing under Kyle Shanahan. While Armstead has battled injury trouble over the past two seasons, he declined a 49ers pay cut and will test free agency for the first time. He will do so not long after undergoing knee surgery; knee and foot issues cost Armstead late-season time last year, though he returned for San Francisco’s playoff slate.

The 49ers gave Armstead a big-ticket extension in 2020, choosing a slightly cheaper deal there rather than giving DeForest Buckner a top-market DT deal. Armstead stayed mostly healthy from 2019-21, racking up 10 sacks to help the Super Bowl LIV-bound 49ers in 2019 and adding six as the 49ers returned to the NFC title game two years later. He totaled five sacks and 13 QB hits — matching his second-highest single-season total — despite missing five regular-season games in 2023. Pro Football Focus ranked the veteran fifth among interior D-linemen in pass rushing, while ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric slotted him 10th.

Miami gave Baker a three-year, $37.5MM extension in 2021. Showing an ability to rack up tackles and sacks with the Dolphins, Baker put together some versatile seasons to start the 2020s. He racked up seven sacks and 112 tackles in 2020 and posted a 5.5/92 pairing a year later. The former third-round pick delivered a four-sack, 100-tackle 2022. Although Baker missed time with an MCL injury and left Miami’s regular-season finale immediately after being activated off IR, he is only 27 and should have a chance to start again in 2024.

Tennessee lost multiple defensive pieces — Al-Shaair and Autry — to Houston this week, though the team did add a linebacker piece in ex-Chargers first-rounder Kenneth Murray. The retooling club will consider some additional pickups, however, with both Armstead and Baker undoubtedly available at discounted rates compared to their second contracts.

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