HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Jaguars To Re-Sign RB D’Ernest Johnson

March 12th, 2024 at 10:59am CST by Ben Levine

Plenty of running backs have reached agreements with new teams recently, but D’Ernest Johnson will be staying in place. The depth rusher is re-signing with the Jaguars on a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The former UDFA started his career as Nick Chubb‘s backup in Cleveland. Serving as a RB2 behind a workhorse RB naturally limited Johnson’s snaps, but the RB did get an extended look in 2021. He started two of his 17 appearances that season, finishing with 671 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.

He caught on with the Jaguars last offseason but started the year as the RB3 behind Travis Etienne and rookie Tank Bigsby. He eventually supplanted his rookie teammate as the RB2, with the bulk of his 194 snaps coming in the second half of the season. Johnson ultimately finished the year with 248 yards from scrimmage, the second-highest total of his career.

The Jaguars will likely return the same RB corps in 2024. After missing his rookie season, Etienne hasn’t missed a game over the past two years. However, an injury could occur at any time, and Johnson may get the first look ahead of Bigsby in such a scenario.

 

Falcons, WR Darnell Mooney Agree To Deal

March 12th, 2024 at 10:46am CST by Adam La Rose

The Falcons have a deal in place for a new quarterback, and the team is now set to add to its receiving corps. Atlanta has agreed to a deal with Darnell Mooney, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Mooney will head to Atlanta on a three-year pact, per Rapoport. The deep threat will receive $39MM on the deal, including $26MM fully guaranteed. Expectations will therefore by high for him as a starting member of the Falcons’ pass-catching corps.

This year’s receiver market did not include Mike Evans or the franchise-tagged duo of Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. While Pittman has since signed a Colts extension, Indianapolis took him off the FA board last week via the tag. Mooney is among the players to benefit from bigger names being unavailable. He soared well off the “prove it” tier, despite back-to-back seasons with fewer than 500 receiving yards.

Tuesday’s move will reunite Mooney with former Bears GM Ryan Pace, who resides in the Falcons’ front office. Pace drafted Mooney in the 2020 fifth round, after he had clocked a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. While the Tulane alum struggled in Luke Getsy‘s offense, he was better under Matt Nagy. Mooney’s two best receiving seasons — including a 1,055-yard showing in 2021 — came during the Pace-Nagy years. Nagy’s current team, the Chiefs, pursued Mooney as well. But the Falcons, despite authorizing a monster Kirk Cousins contract, will win this derby.

Mooney, who is going into his age-26 season, will be set to join Drake London and Kyle Pitts as Atlanta pass-game pillars. The Falcons have taken some heat for their top-10 skill-position investments’ early inconsistency. While the team is betting on Cousins to stabilize its passing attack, it still viewed the WR2 role as an area to upgrade. The Falcons had Mack Hollins in place in that role last year; he finished with 251 receiving yards.

Although more proven receiving options existed on the market compared to Mooney, the Falcons will bet on upside. Mooney, who memorably dropped a Hail Mary pass that would have given Chicago a win in Cleveland last season, will be among the many UFAs to benefit from the recent cap spike. The Bears remain in search of a No. 2 wideout opposite D.J. Moore. While the team has since extended its other two regular starters from the 2020 draft (Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet), Mooney needed to land his money elsewhere.

Colts To Re-Sign P Rigoberto Sanchez

March 12th, 2024 at 10:41am CST by Ben Levine

Rigoberto Sanchez has spent his entire career with the Colts, and that is set to continue in 2024 and beyond. Indianapolis is finalizing a new deal with the veteran punter, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Sanchez will remain in place on a three-year deal, Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star adds. The 29-year-old played out a four-year, $11.6MM deal signed in 2019. Instead of testing the market for outside suitors, he will continue in Indianapolis on a deal which Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes is worth $7.5MM.

Sanchez has been a mainstay for the Colts since the 2017 campaign, appearing in 96 games over his seven-year career. After missing the entire 2022 campaign with an Achilles injury, he bounced back and appeared in all 17 games in 2023. He actually set a new career high with 48.3 yards per punt this past year, and he was the only punter in the NFL to not record a touchback.

The 29-year-old watched the punter market unfold over the past 24 hours, as Cameron Johnston and Tommy Townsend joined new squads. Instead of switching cities, Sanchez will be sticking in Indy for the foreseeable future.

Browns To Sign RB Nyheim Hines

March 12th, 2024 at 10:37am CST by Ben Levine

Running back moves continue around the NFL as the negotiating window enters its third day. Nyheim Hines has agreed to a one-year deal with the Browns worth up to $3.5MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The former fourth-round pick emerged as a dependable pass-catching back in Indianapolis, where he had 235 receptions in four-plus seasons with the organization. He was traded to the Bills during the 2022 campaign, and he appeared in nine games for his new squad down the stretch.

He didn’t have the same offensive role in Buffalo, collecting only 11 touches. However, he did have a significant role on special teams, returning 19 kickoffs and 16 punts. He returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns during the team’s regular season finale against the Patriots.

He missed the entire 2023 campaign while recovering from a leg injury stemming from an offseason watercraft accident. He was cut by the Bills earlier this month.

The Browns had to dip into their RB depth in 2023 following Nick Chubb‘s season-ending injury. The team will return that same depth in 2024, with backups Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong expected to stick around. The team may be looking for some additional bodies at the position as Chubb gets back to full health, although Hines’ pass-catching ability will likely earn him some snaps either way.

Dolphins To Sign OLB Shaquil Barrett

March 12th, 2024 at 10:31am CST by Sam Robinson

After seeing his Buccaneers tenure come to an expected end, Shaquil Barrett became one of the top veteran edge-rushing options on the market. He has now found a new home, having agreed to a deal with the Dolphins (h/t Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz).

Barrett will land a one-year Dolphins deal worth up to $9MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will be team No. 3 for Barrett, who began his career in Denver before ascending to a Pro Bowl-caliber pass rusher in Tampa. The Bucs were open to bringing Barrett back at a reduced rate, but their recent cap-casualty decision will lead the former UDFA to another Florida destination.

This signing will reunite Barrett with Bradley Chubb; the two were teammates on the 2018 Broncos. Chubb and Von Miller served as Denver’s top edge rushers that year, and Barrett angled for more playing time by taking a “prove it” Bucs deal in 2019. The former Miller sidekick certainly proved it in Tampa, leading the NFL in sacks in 2019 and playing a lead role in the Bucs going from the No. 5 seed to a Super Bowl title a year later.

Mounting consistent pressure on Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes to close out the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV-winning season, Barrett then scored a four-year, $72MM deal. Barrett collected his second Pro Bowl nod in 2021, a 10-sack season, but saw the 2022 campaign stall his momentum. After sustained a torn Achilles midway through the ’22 season, Barrett only produced 4.5 sacks and eight QB hits last season. That production and a restructure-generated high cap hit for 2024 made Barrett a Bucs release candidate.

Barrett now moves into position to return to a role as a rotational rusher. Should Chubb and Jaelan Phillips recover from their ACL and Achilles tears, respectively, they will be Miami’s starters with Barrett the top bench rusher. After the Dolphins needed to turn to veteran free agents to fill out their roster late last season, they are planning ahead this time. They will bet on Barrett, 31, regaining some of his pre-injury form being nearly two years removed from his setback.

Bengals To Trade RB Joe Mixon To Texans

March 12th, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Mixon‘s time with the Bengals is indeed over, but he will not reach free agency. Rather than releasing the veteran back, Cincinnati is instead trading him to the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Monday night’s Bengals release indication now doubles as a last-call warning for teams, and the Texans will take a chance via trade. Houston lost its primary 2023 starter — Devin Singletary — after the 5-foot-7 back rejoined Brian Daboll in New York. Mixon will have an opportunity to play in Bobby Slowik‘s offense, joining 2022 fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce.

It will cost the Texans only a seventh-round pick to obtain Mixon, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Considering the Bengals were prepared to cut him, this return is not especially surprising.

This puts the Texans in position to pay the seven-year Bengals starter his $3MM roster bonus, which is due Saturday. The Bengals were rumored to be cutting bait after one season of Mixon’s reworked deal. The sides reached a resolution to keep Mixon in Cincinnati last summer, with his four-year, $48MM 2020 extension morphing into a two-year, $11.5MM pact. Although Mixon scored 12 touchdowns and finished with his fourth 1,000-yard season, he has now surpassed 1,500 career carries. The Bengals added a younger option — Zack Moss — to work with Chase Brown.

It is interesting to see the Texans pass on a player who produced in their system (Singletary) for an older option with considerably more tread on his tires. While Mixon will not turn 28 until later this year, he has amassed 1,571 career carries. That surpasses any back who changed teams during Monday’s historic player-movement day at the position.

In better cap shape compared to the Bengals, the Texans will owe Mixon only a $2.2MM base salary next season. The third-leading rusher in Bengals history, Mixon has four seasons with at least 1,400 scrimmage yards. The Bengals needed Mixon last season after letting Samaje Perine walk in free agency. But Brown and Moss are now in place to split up the workload — at a reduced rate — for a team whose roster now includes Joe Burrow‘s record-setting extension. The Texans, with C.J. Stroud, on a rookie deal will add Mixon as a rental of sorts.

Bengals To Sign TE Mike Gesicki

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

Cincinnati retained tight end Drew Sample on Monday, and the team is now set to make an outside addition at the position. The Bengals have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $3.25MM with Mike Gesicki, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Despite a down year on the franchise tag in 2022 and being trapped in a mess of a Patriots offense last season, Gesicki is not too far removed from quality production in Miami. His 2020 and ’21 seasons prompted the Dolphins to apply the tag; the Bengals will make a low-risk bet on upside to accompany the Sample deal.

More of a slot player than a multipurpose tight end, Gesicki surpassed 700 receiving yards during Tua Tagovailoa‘s first two seasons. Gesicki’s presence during inconsistent Tagovailoa seasons helped influence Mike McDaniel‘s regime to unholster the tag in 2022, and while the Penn State alum did not prove a fit in the 49ers-derived scheme, he has shown quality form — his post-TD Griddy work aside — in the recent past.

Gesicki caught six touchdown passes in 2020 and added a career-high 780 receiving yards the following season. Over the past two years, the former second-round pick has combined for 606 yards. Hence this low-level agreement. Gesicki also did not find much of a market last year, settling for $4.5MM from the Patriots. Dalton Schultz, Hunter Henry and Noah Fant fared much better than he did this offseason, suggesting some pessimism on the receiving-oriented TE. The Bengals do offer some hope at a value-reestablishing season.

Barring another addition, Cincinnati will have Gesicki in place as its top receiving tight end. The Bengals have not received Gesicki-level production from a pass-catching tight end since Tyler Eifert‘s non-injury-marred work several years ago, despite the team taking fliers on Hayden Hurst and Irv Smith Jr. following C.J. Uzomah‘s 2022 Jets signing. Uzomah and Hurst are still available, making reunions something to monitor. For now, Cincy is going with a Gesicki-Sample duo.

Browns, Jameis Winston Finalizing Deal

March 12th, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jameis Winston sweepstakes appears to have come to an end. Connected to a number of teams as a backup quarterback addition, the former No. 1 pick is finalizing a deal with the Browns, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. The one-year agreement will have a maximum value of $8.7MM, he adds.

Winston as a Cleveland option came up Monday night, and the former No. 1 overall pick will indeed have another opportunity as a backup. The Browns have made some major changes to their coaching staff this offseason, firing OC Alex Van Pelt and QBs coach T.C. McCartney. Ken Dorsey will step in as Kevin Stefanski‘s top lieutenant, and Joe Flacco will be headed elsewhere if he wants to continue his career.

Not only have the Browns passed on re-signing the reigning Comeback Player of the Year, but the team was not closely linked to a reunion with Deshaun Watson‘s 2022 backup — Jacoby Brissett, who rejoined Van Pelt with the Patriots. The Browns preferred a younger option compared to Flacco, and cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes Watson is a Winston backer. That undoubtedly will help influence this agreement.

Brissett was, in fact, on the Browns’ radar, but Cabot adds the team did not want to authorize an $8MM payment like the Pats did. Flacco had resided as the team’s Brissett backup plan, Cabot indicates. But Cleveland will go in another direction. Winston’s agreement will surely settle south of that point, with incentives likely comprising a notable part of the former Buccaneers and Saints passer’s pact.

Best known for his 30-30 season in Tampa, the 30-year-old QB is coming off a four-year tenure in New Orleans. After the Bucs brought in Tom Brady to replace him in 2020, Winston followed Teddy Bridgewater as Drew Brees‘ backup. Cap-strapped in 2021, the Saints turned to the ex-Heisman winner to succeed Brees. While Winston produced decent numbers despite a bottom-tier receiving corps that year, an ACL tear ended his season midway through.

The Saints brought Winston back on a two-year deal in 2022 but ended up renegotiating it ahead of the ’23 season after Andy Dalton usurped the high-variance passer. Winston still stayed on as Derek Carr‘s backup, making multiple cameos as the ex-Raider ran into injury trouble during a season that featured two concussions.

Watson joined Carr in sustaining multiple injuries in 2023, but the high-priced Browns passer could not stay on the field. Watson’s November shoulder surgery prompted Cleveland to sign Flacco, who displayed stunning form in helping a battered offense do enough to sneak into the playoffs. Flacco did not play well in the Browns’ wild-card game, but the 39-year-old passer expressed interest in staying. The Browns were believed to share that interest, but the sides are set to go their separate ways after a memorable stretch.

Commanders To Sign QB Marcus Mariota

March 12th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Adam La Rose

Widely expected to draft a passer with the second overall pick in this year’s draft, the Commanders are adding a veteran to the mix. Quarterback Marcus Mariota is set to join Washington on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The pact has a base value of $6MM and can be worth up to $10MM, he adds.

Mariota’s journeyman status will continue with this pact. Washington will represent the fourth different team in as many years for the former No. 2 pick. After his run as the Titans’ starter came to an end in 2019, he had a two-year stint with the Raiders. That was followed by one-year pacts in Atlanta and Philadelphia, with the Falcons being the only team to provide a starting opportunity during that stretch.

The 30-year-old’s play in Atlanta came to an end under unusual circumstances. Mariota left the team before ultimately undergoing knee surgery. His performance and health status limited him to a one-year accord with the Eagles, although he has landed more money upfront and a higher maximum value this time around. The Oregon alum played in three games last season, attempting 23 passes. Easton Stick – a familiar face for new Eagles OC Kellen Moore – could replace Mariota as the team’s backup, Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan notes.

The Commanders have Sam Howell on the roster, having drafted the North Carolina alum in 2022. He was handed the starting gig ahead of 2023, and for a time the 23-year-old showed flashes of potential. Things took a turn for the worse toward the end of the campaign, though, and a new general manager and head coach are in place compared to the regime which drafted him. Howell has been mentioned in trade talk with the expectation Washington would add a veteran passer before drafting either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels in April.

Having Mariota in place will no doubt lead to increased chatter regarding a deal sending Howell out of the nation’s capital. A number of teams have already made a move on the backup quarterback market, but the latter (who has two more years on his rookie contract) could still be of interest to teams looking for a developmental option. Mariota, meanwhile, will aim to lock down the backup spot in Washington with the potential to see playing time early in 2024.

Ravens Remain Interested In Derrick Henry; RB Was On Texans’ Radar

March 12th, 2024 at 9:32am CST by Adam La Rose

The running back landscape changed dramatically on Monday, with nearly every high-profile free agent at the position lining up a deal with a new team. One obvious exception is Derrick Henry. Nothing is imminent in his case, but multiple suitors are still in play for the former rushing champion.

The Texans and Ravens remain interested in Henry, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. The Titans stalwart has been in discussion with Baltimore as well as other teams during the opening period of the negotiating window, Dianna Russini of The Athletic adds. A number of teams have vacancies at the RB spot after yesterday’s agreements, and both the Texans and Ravens could stand to add a back of Henry’s caliber.

Baltimore has only two running backs under contract the moment: Keaton Mitchell, who flashed potential when on the field as a rookie in 2023 but suffered an ACL tear, and Justice Hill, who has traditionally operated as a third back. Gus Edwards is set to depart once free agency officially opens, having agreed to a two-year deal with the Chargers on Monday. J.K. Dobbins – whose career has been marred by a pair of major injuries – is a free agent.

Houston, meanwhile, is set to lose Devin Singletary. After taking over as lead back midway through the 2023 campaign, Singletary upped his value compared to the one-year deal he played on last season, landing an agreement with the Giants to serve as Saquon Barkley‘s replacement. The Texans have Dameon Pierce in place, and the team has worked out a trade for ex-Bengals starter Joe Mixon.

With Houston (presumably) no longer in the Henry market, attention will likely increasingly shift Baltimore’s way. The Ravens are projected to be marginally over the cap at the moment; all teams are required to be cap compliant by the start of the new league year tomorrow afternoon. Baltimore’s offseason to date has consisted mainly of losing contributors from last year’s team, but a Henry addition would certainly represent a notable addition on offense.

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