HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Bills To Sign WR Mack Hollins

March 13th, 2024 at 9:31am CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills lost Gabe Davis early during the legal tampering period, and they should be considered a mortal lock to add a high-profile replacement either in free agency or the draft. But the AFC East champions will add an auxiliary piece in the meantime.

After a season in Atlanta, Mack Hollins is committing to Buffalo, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Hollins put together a career-best season alongside Davante Adams in Las Vegas two years ago, but he did not fare as well with the Falcons. The Bills will give Hollins a one-year deal worth up to $3MM, Fowler tweets.

Despite Hunter Renfrow’s presence, Josh McDaniels turned to Hollins as the Raiders’ WR2 in 2022. He totaled 690 receiving yards that year, a number well outside the ex-Eagles fourth-rounder’s usual range. Hollins pieced together back-to-back seasons with four touchdowns — 2021 (with Miami) and 2022 — but did not score as a Falcon. Hollins caught just 18 passes for 251 yards with Atlanta, which has since agreed to bring in Darnell Mooney at a much higher price.

Buffalo is at a crossroads, having released a few veteran starters and seeing Davis join the Jaguars. The team has Stefon Diggs still in place as its ace wideout, but the Pro Bowler struggled to close out the 2023 season. Khalil Shakir stepped up for Josh Allen late, but Davis’ exit leaves a long-range void. As the team considers its options, Hollins does provide experience as a tertiary target and brings extensive run as a special-teamer as well.

Vikings Have “No Intent” To Trade Justin Jefferson

March 13th, 2024 at 9:26am CST by Ben Levine

MARCH 13: Kirk Cousins‘ free agency departure for Atlanta has not changed Minnesota’s plans with Jefferson. The team is not considering a blockbuster trade involving its elite wide receiver, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Alec Lewis note. The All-Pro undoubtedly served as a key selling point for Sam Darnold, who is positioned — before the draft, at least — to take over for Cousins.

FEBRUARY 27: The Vikings made a late push to extend Justin Jefferson last offseason, and while both sides made it clear that they were fine with tabling talks until this year, that hasn’t stopped pundits from speculating on a potential divorce. Head coach Kevin O’Connell was quick to dismiss those rumors, stating during an appearance on PFT Live that the organization has no intention of trading their star wideout.

[RELATED: Justin Jefferson Wants To Remain With Vikings]

“I can tell you we have no intent to trade Justin Jefferson,” O’Connell said (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “We have had zero discussions, dialogue about that either internally, externally, on this planet or another planet. I feel very strongly that Justin is best in his position in football. Any time you’re trying to reset the receiver market — we know who he is, we know what Justin’s earned through his first four years in this league — you know how hard it is. . . . It was never gonna be something that was just be easy to get done, but the intent was there. The intent is still stronger than ever to get something done with Justin.”

The former first-round pick is set to play the 2024 campaign on his fifth-year option worth $19.74MM, so it’s only natural for both Jefferson and the Vikings to explore an extension. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted this week that the two sides got “unbelievably close” to an extension last offseason (per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert), and the executive reiterated that the Vikings want Jefferson to stick around Minnesota “for a long time.” Adofo-Mensah also said that any whispers of difficult negotiations were “completely false.”

Jefferson has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Vikings, but it doesn’t sound like he’s overly interested in giving the team a hometown discount. The 2022 first-team All-Pro said he wants to “break the bank,” a hint that he’s looking to surpass the position-leading $30MM average annual value set by Tyreek Hill. Three other WRs are currently making $25MM or more per season (Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, A.J. Brown), and Jefferson will surely be looking to join that accomplished group with his next contract.

While the organization may be willing to commit to Jefferson’s AAV, it sounds like they’re drawing a line in the sand with the guaranteed money. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, it’s common for the Vikings organization to only commit to one year of guaranteed money in extensions. However, while that’s been their “typical structure,” the organization did make an exception with tight end T.J. Hockenson, a factor that Jefferson’s camp will presumably point to during negotiations.

After not missing a game through his first three seasons in the NFL, Jefferson was limited to only 10 appearances this past season. He still managed to pass 1,000 yards from scrimmage, and his 107.4 yards per game actually established a new career-high.

Ravens To Keep LT Ronnie Stanley On Reworked Contract

March 13th, 2024 at 9:05am CST by Sam Robinson

Ronnie Stanley‘s inability to stay on the field consistently put him in danger of cap-casualty status, but the Ravens have reached a resolution to retain their longtime left tackle.

Previously set to earn an $11MM base salary and count more than $26MM against Baltimore’s cap, Stanley has agreed to reduce his base number for the 2024 season, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The Ravens will give Stanley a chance to earn that money back and more, presumably via incentives, on this reworking.

A central part of the Ravens’ high-powered offense when healthy, Stanley has seen his career path mirror David Bakhtiari‘s to a degree. Both All-Pros suffered major injuries shortly after agreeing to extensions in 2020. Stanley has been able to stay on the field more than the since-released Packers standout, but the 2016 first-round pick has battled injury issues throughout the 2020s. Since the 2020 setback, the Notre Dame alum has missed 35 games.

The Ravens gave Stanley a top-market extension following his 2019 first-team All-Pro campaign. The team has gone to the restructure well with its eight-year tackle, leading to a $26.2MM 2024 cap hit — behind only Lamar Jackson on the Ravens’ 2024 payroll. Stanley collecting $64.1MM fully guaranteed (on a five-year, $98.75MM deal) when he did proved pivotal, as the ankle injury he suffered in October 2020 has introduced additional setbacks down the line.

Stanley underwent three ankle surgeries from 2020-21, with the two ’21 operations leading to 16 missed games that year. Last season, Stanley missed time due to a knee injury. Pro Football Focus ranked the soon-to-be 30-year-old blocker just inside the top 40 at tackle last year. In 2022, ESPN’s run block win rate metric slotted Stanley seventh.

Stanley, Tyler Linderbaum and Morgan Moses are contracted for the 2024 season on the Ravens’ O-line, but once again, the team will need to replace a departed guard. John Simpson is heading to the Jets, while Kevin Zeitler is unsigned. The Ravens are interested in re-signing the 12-year veteran, and a new Zeitler deal will now be assured to address a still-Stanley-led O-line.

Patriots Re-Sign LB Anfernee Jennings

March 13th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Adam La Rose

Despite the Patriots finishing below .500 in each of the past two seasons and changing head coaches for the first time in 24 years, they are making a concerted effort to retain their free agents.

New England has re-signed Michael Onwenu, Josh Uche and Kendrick Bourne, doing so after transition-tagging Kyle Dugger. The team will continue down this path, giving Anfernee Jennings a three-year contract to stick around. The four-year veteran linebacker agreed to a three-year, $12MM deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds the contract can max out at $24MM.

The former third-rounder entered the league with questions about his fit with respect to playing as an inside or outside linebacker. Jennings was primarily used on the inside as a rookie before being forced to miss the 2021 season due to injury. Since then, he has grown into a notable role on the Pats’ defense.

Jennings was moved to his more familiar edge rush role in 2022, a season in which he remained a rotational contributor. He logged a defensive snap share of 32% and chipped in with 1.5 sacks and 27 tackles. The 26-year-old then became a starter this past campaign, seeing a major increase in playing time partially due to the absence of Matt Judon.

The latter’s injury did not yield an uptick in the way of pass-rush production – Jennings still only recorded 1.5 sacks – but he proved to be a stout player against the run. The Alabama product recorded 66 stops (including 14 tackles for loss) and drew a stellar PFF grade of 85.9 against the run. New England will be counting on more of the same moving forward, especially given the short-term investment made in Uche (known as a sack artist who struggles against the run).

New England ranked 27th in the league in sacks last season. Improvement in that regard could come about with Judon returning to health and an impactful addition being made in free agency and/or the draft. As things stand, though, the team’s edge contingent will look familiar in 2024.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

49ers To Sign LB Eric Kendricks

March 13th, 2024 at 8:14am CST by Sam Robinson

A cap casualty for a second straight year, Eric Kendricks will once again secure an immediate opportunity elsewhere. The 2023 Chargers starter will head north.

The 49ers are adding the nine-year veteran linebacker, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This comes after the Bolts moved on from Kendricks’ two-year contract last week. Kendricks will bring some insurance for the 49ers, who played most of Super Bowl LVIII without Dre Greenlaw, who suffered an Achilles tear while trotting onto the field. This will represent another California stop for Kendricks, a Fresno native who played collegiately at UCLA.

Last year, Kendricks commanded a two-year, $13.25MM Chargers deal shortly after his Vikings release. Last season, the eight-year Minnesota starter continued his run of solid production by registering 117 tackles (seven for loss) and 3.5 sacks. The former second-round pick added a forced fumble and six passes defensed, also finishing his season as Pro Football Focus’ No. 25 overall linebacker.

A key presence at middle linebacker during the Vikings’ Mike Zimmer era, Kendricks was tied to an eight-figure-per-year Minnesota deal two seasons ago. Kendricks, 32, has put together eight straight seasons with 100-plus tackles, mixing in 18.5 career sacks. He earned first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2019, helping the Vikings to the divisional round, while starting for four playoff teams from 2015-22. Kendricks figures to have another chance as a playoff contributor, but the 49ers have two three-down linebackers in place.

After one of the stranger injuries in recent NFL history, Greenlaw underwent surgery last month. The 49ers certainly missed their three-down ‘backer’s presence in a narrow loss to the Chiefs, and a reserve/PUP list stay — based on the timing of the injury — would not be out of the question. Kendricks would stand to serve as the team’s top Fred Warner complement in the meantime. Even if Greenlaw can recover in time for Week 1, the 49ers have a veteran in place as protection following the ill-timed setback.

Ravens To Sign RB Derrick Henry

March 12th, 2024 at 10:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

A rumored fit for several months, the Ravens-Derrick Henry partnership is coming to fruition. The two-time rushing champion is committing to Baltimore, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The Ravens will give Henry a two-year, $16MM deal, per Schefter, who adds the longtime Titans starter can earn up to $20MM with the AFC North team. The Ravens are guaranteeing Henry $9MM, making this look more like a pay-as-you-go pact. But the 30-year-old back has an interesting opportunity ahead, joining the team that soared to the AFC’s top seed last season.

Hovering as a potential Hall of Famer, Henry has been one of this era’s premier backs. He is coming off a fifth 1,000-yard season. While mileage should be a concern for the Ravens, the former Heisman winner has shrugged off workload-based fears in the past. After losing Gus Edwards to the Chargers, the Ravens will make a bigger payment to see how Henry looks alongside Lamar Jackson.

Closely linked to Henry at last year’s deadline, the Ravens stood pat and continued with their in-house setup. The team lost Keaton Mitchell to a late-season ACL tear, which came three months after J.K. Dobbins was lost for the season in Week 1. Dobbins is unsigned, and Mitchell is rehabbing. At long last, Henry will be part of the Ravens’ equation.

2023 saw the Alabama product earn a fourth career Pro Bowl, although his workload experienced a notable decline. Splitting time with third-round rookie Tyjae Spears, Henry averaged 16.5 carries per games last season. That marked the first time since 2018 that he logged less than 20 totes per contest, a sign that he may not be able to handle the same workload moving forward as he did in his prime. Still, Henry will be positioned to operate on plenty of early downs as well as goal-line situations if the Ravens make no further RB moves.

General manager Eric DeCosta made it clear at the Combine that backfield additions would be a priority for Baltimore, the league’s top rushing team from last season. New deals for Edwards and/or Dobbins were on the table, but that will not be the case for at least the former. The latter’s chances of remaining in Baltimore for 2024 have also taken a hit given today’s move. Midseason pickup Dalvin Cook is a pending free agent, and he could be enticed to look elsewhere after being used sparingly in his brief Ravens tenure.

The Ravens were linked to other backs prior to this unsurprising Henry agreement, including reported serious interest in Saquon Barkley. The Eagles ultimately agreed to a longer, more lucrative pact than this Henry one, though, and finances were no doubt a concern for a Ravens team which entered Tuesday marginally over the cap. Still, more cost-effective options were available for Baltimore, so the team’s investment marks a notable commitment to the top of its backfield depth chart.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Steelers To Trade WR Diontae Johnson To Panthers For CB Donte Jackson

March 12th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Diontae Johnson trade rumors will indeed produce a deal, and for the second straight day, the Panthers are involved in a big trade. The Steelers are sending the veteran wide receiver to Carolina, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.

One season remains on Johnson’s contract, with Schefter adding the Panthers will now pay the sixth-year receiver’s $3MM roster bonus due later this week. After five Steelers seasons, the shifty route runner will settle in as a Bryce Young weapon.

The full trade will involve cornerback Donte Jackson coming back to the Steelers, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Carolina will send Jackson and a sixth-round pick for Johnson and a seventh. The picks will come in 2024. The Steelers are sending No. 240 in this swap, with the Panthers moving No. 178 to Pittsburgh, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. The No. 178 choice is originally a Cardinals selection.

[RELATED: Steelers To Sign QB Russell Wilson]

A report earlier this month indicated the Panthers would move on from Jackson, via trade or release; Carolina has found a trade partner. After rumblings of a Johnson deal surfaced as well, the two will end up being exchanged.

For the Panthers, this provides Young with a proven wide receiver. The Panthers were light here last season, contributing to the steep freefall. Johnson will now join Adam Thielen atop the Carolina aerial pecking order. As Thielen is going into his age-34 season, this trade will provide a player in his prime for Young to target.

Heading into his age-28 season, Johnson has not been the most consistent receiver. Drops have plagued the elusive target, whose effort level has also come into question in Pittsburgh. But Johnson will be playing for a big contract in 2024. The Steelers gave the Toledo alum a two-year, $36.7MM extension just before the 2022 season. That deal fell short of the market set by fellow 2019 Day 2 picks A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and D.K. Metcalf, but Johnson’s production has checked in south of those standouts’. He has still shown a consistent ability to create separation, doing so almost entirely with limited QB play. Johnson’s presence will help the Panthers determine Young’s value as a pro.

Johnson totaled 1,161 yards in 2021, Ben Roethlisberger‘s final season, and exceeded 850 yards in 2020 and ’22. Last season, the Steelers’ Kenny Pickett–Mitchell Trubisky–Mason Rudolph platter struggled for the most part. Johnson also missed four games due to a hamstring injury, coming in with 717 receiving yards and five touchdowns — after he memorably failed to score in 2022.

This will leave the Steelers with George Pickens leading the way at receiver, though it should be expected the AFC North club will target another starter-caliber wideout in a deep draft at the position. Johnson is one of many Day 2 wideouts the modern Steelers have turned into long-term starters. Pittsburgh broke with its usual tradition of these players leaving during or after their rookie contracts by extending Johnson, but after trading Chase Claypool and then executing this swap — and then cutting Allen Robinson — Pittsburgh will need to give Pickett (or, more likely, Russell Wilson) more help.

The Panthers also gave Jackson a second contract, re-signing the boundary corner in 2022. He is due a $4MM roster bonus March 16; these teams are trading picks, players and bonus obligations. One year remains on Jackson’s pact, a three-year, $35.18MM deal signed after the expiration of his rookie contract.

The former second-rounder has spent his entire six-year career in Carolina, but he was due to count $15.72MM against the cap in 2024. The Steelers will have Jackson on their 2024 cap sheet at $10.5MM, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.

Coming back from a 2022 Achilles tear, the 28-year-old corner also had a down 2023 in coverage. Jackson allowed three touchdowns as the nearest defender and surrendering an opposing passer rating of 107.7. Pro Football Focus graded Jackson just outside the top 60 at corner, though he has shown better form in the past. The Steelers, who released Patrick Peterson last week, will see if Jackson can become a fit opposite Joey Porter Jr.

Steelers, LB Patrick Queen Agree To Deal

March 12th, 2024 at 10:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top defenders still on the market has found a new home. Linebacker Patrick Queen has agreed to a three-year, $41MM contract with the Steelers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Providing a breakdown of the deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes Queen will receive an $11.59MM signing bonus in addition to his guaranteed salary ($2.25MM) in 2024. The other years include respective roster bonuses of $6.67MM and $2.5M due in March of 2025 and ’26, making this essentially a year-to-year agreement.

The Ravens declined Queen’s fifth-round option last spring, setting up 2023 as his walk year. The former first-rounder continued his career progression last season, his first full one playing alongside All-Pro Roquan Smith. The latter received a record-breaking deal not long after Baltimore traded for him, something which signaled a Queen departure in free agency.

The 24-year-old profiled as the top inside linebacker available this offseason, and to no surprise he has managed an eight-figure-per-year accord on the open market. The $13.67MM annual average value of this pact checks in lower than what many figured a Queen deal would look like, however. The LSU alum will rank seventh in the NFL amongst inside linebackers in terms of AAV with this pact.

Pittsburgh is not traditionally known as a team willing to make big splashes in free agency, although in recent history that reputation has changed to a degree. GM Omar Khan was likely to authorize a large LB commitment this offseason given the state of the Steelers’ depth chart. Toward the end of the 2023 campaign in particular, the position was decimated by injuries.

A few additions were made at the LB spot last offseason, one in which failed first-rounder Devin Bush unsurprisingly departed in free agency. Cole Holcomb inked a three-year deal, but his debut Steelers campaign was cut short in November by a season-ending knee injury. His absence was compounded later that month when fellow newcomer Kwon Alexander suffered a torn Achilles. As those two veterans rehab, Queen will take on a central role in the Steelers’ defense.

Pittsburgh would welcome better health at the LB spot in 2024, something which should be expected given Queen’s versatility. The LSU alum has not missed a game in his career, one which has seen him develop with each passing year. Queen earned second-team All-Pro honors as well as a Pro Bowl nod last season after he recorded a career-high 133 tackles. Known as a strong blitzer, he has racked up 13.5 sacks in four seasons and he will look to continue that production in his new AFC North home.

Houston and Carolina emerged as potential Queen suitors once the negotiating window opened. The question of whether those teams would be willing to meet his asking price was raised, although that is now of course a moot point. Queen will face high expectations moving forward with his new team, while the Ravens will be tasked with finding an impact starter to pair with Smith.

Cardinals To Sign RB DeeJay Dallas

March 12th, 2024 at 10:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals are making moves on offense. The team agreed to a deal with free agent running back DeeJay Dallas today, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The Cardinals have also re-signed offensive lineman Keith Ismael to a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Dallas was a fourth-round pick by the Seahawks in 2020 and played out his entire rookie contract in Seattle. While the Seahawks experienced plenty of injuries in their running backs room over the past four years, Dallas only garnered a pair of starts over that time.

Still, the RB managed to get into 61 regular season games for the Seahawks, collecting 864 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. After topping 50 touches in each of his first three seasons, Dallas was limited to only 16 touches in 2023, finishing with a career-low 62 yards from scrimmage. The 25-year-old did emerge as the team’s full-time punt returner, though, finishing the season with 25 punt returns (plus 17 kick returns).

Dallas will be joining a running backs room in Arizona that features plenty of intriguing depth behind James Conner. The Cardinals are also rostering Emari Demercado, Michael Carter, and Tony Jones, so Dallas may have to show off his special teams prowess to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

After bouncing between Washington and San Francisco to begin his career, Ismael joined the Cardinals last August. He got into 13 games with his new squad, with all of his snaps coming on special teams.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/24

March 12th, 2024 at 10:14pm CST by Ben Levine

During a busy day of transactions and headlines, teams still had time for a few free agent tender decisions:

RFAs

Tendered:

RFAs

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