2024 March - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Commanders To Sign C Tyler Biadasz

March 11th, 2024 at 12:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another former Cowboy is set to join Dan Quinn in the nation’s capital. Center Tyler Biadasz is expected to join the Commanders, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk adds the pact is three years in length.

Biadasz will follow Dorance Armstrong in trekking from Dallas to Washington. While Quinn was obviously stationed on the defensive side in Dallas, the new Washington HC obviously has considerable familiarity with Biadasz. The former fourth-round pick operated as the Cowboys’ starting center for most of his tenure.

The Commanders are giving Biadasz a three-year, $30MM pact, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 adds it includes $17.5MM in guaranteed money. This will be the second straight offseason in which the team authorized an $8MM-year-per payment to a center. Washington gave Nick Gates a three-year, $24MM accord in 2023, though that came with Ron Rivera and Dan Snyder in charge. With Josh Harris and Adam Peters overseeing the offseason effort now, Gates will be out — via a post-June 1 cut — an a Quinn pick is coming in.

As the Cowboys saw Travis Frederick‘s career end early, they turned to Biadasz as the heir apparent. From 2021-23, Biadasz started 49 games. Pro Football Focus graded the Wisconsin alum as the league’s 14th-best center last season.

The Commanders are retooling up front. They do not exactly have any cornerstone blockers; this contract will aim to ensure Biadasz becomes one. But the team has more work to do along its O-line.

Broncos Plan To Sign S Brandon Jones

March 11th, 2024 at 12:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

Denver parted ways with Justin Simmons recently, leaving a vacancy at the safety spot. The team plans to fill it by signing Brandon Jones, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. It will be a three-year deal, he adds.

Although Jones will not land in the same salary range as Simmons, the Broncos are guaranteeing him a notable sum. The ex-Dolphin is signing with Sean Payton‘s team for $12.5MM guaranteed, via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. Jones can earn up to $22.5MM on the deal.

This may conclude Denver’s safety spending, as Payton viewed Simmons’ top-five contract as a luxury the team could not afford presently. Given the Russell Wilson development, the Broncos trimming at other positions makes sense. They stripped two of their better starters — Simmons and Jerry Jeudy — off the roster last week.

If the Broncos are done at safety, they will have a trio fairly familiar with one another. Jones joined P.J. Locke and Caden Sterns at Texas; all three safeties were with the Longhorns in 2018, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

Jones, 25, is coming off his best season. The 2020 third-round pick graded as a top-20 safety, in the view of Pro Football Focus, which rated the four-year Dolphin as a high-end coverage player and blitzer. Jones ripped off five sacks in 2021. Last season, he intercepted two passes. The 6-foot-1 defender also forced a fumble in each of his four NFL seasons.

The Broncos used Simmons as a seven-year starter, and he camped on the All-Pro second team; four such honors came the veteran’s way over the past five seasons. While the Broncos may be battling uphill without their secondary leader, their top three in 2024 may consist of three college teammates who each have at least three years’ experience.

Commanders To Sign DE Dorance Armstrong

March 11th, 2024 at 12:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s coordinator carousel gave Dorance Armstrong multiple logical landing spots outside of Dallas. One of them will indeed produce a deal. Armstrong will reunite with his former defensive coordinator in Washington.

The Commanders are signing the longtime Cowboys pass rusher, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Dan Quinn coached Armstrong for three seasons as Dallas’ DC. While the Seahawks hired former Cowboys D-line coach Aden Durde as their DC, Armstrong has a deal to stay in the NFC East.

The Commanders are giving Armstrong a three-year deal that maxes out at $45MM, Fowler adds. For base value, Washington will give Armstrong a three-year, $33MM pact, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.

Re-signed as a Randy Gregory fallback option in 2022, Armstrong fared better than the former Dallas starter since. The Cowboys gave Armstrong a two-year, $12MM deal after Gregory talks fell through at the 11th hour. The team rostering Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence helped Armstrong along, and the Cowboys will have to replace one of their auxiliary pass-rushing pieces as a result of that production.

Armstrong, 26, totaled 8.5 sacks in 2022 and 7.5 last season. He outproduced Lawrence in this span from a sack perspective, and Quinn will bring him aboard as the Commanders regroup following their Montez Sweat and Chase Young trades. The Commanders will still have another DE spot to fill alongside Armstrong, but the six-year veteran will represent a key part of Quinn and Joe Whitt‘s first Washington defense.

A fourth-round pick out of Kansas, Armstrong had all of 2.5 sacks through three seasons and did not surpass 20 pressures in either of the past two. Even following Gregory’s exit, the Cowboys used Armstrong as a rotational rusher on their deep defensive line. More will be expected of Armstrong, who is surely ticketed to become a Commanders starter. Quinn having seen Armstrong for three seasons in Dallas will better position him for success in the nation’s capital. The Cowboys still have Sam Williams under contract, though they will need some help on the edge with Dante Fowler having played out his second Dallas deal.

Jaguars, WR Gabe Davis Agree To Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 12:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top vertical threats in the 2024 free agent WR class has quickly found a new home. Gabe Davis is headed to the Jaguars on a three-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Davis took to social media last month in a farewell of sorts to Buffalo. Given that, and the lack of extension talks, it was widely expected he would be playing elsewhere in 2024. Davis will receive $39MM in base value on this Jacksonville agreement, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. However, the pact has a maximum value of $50MM.

Across four years in Buffalo, Davis proved himself as one of the league’s top deep-ball specialists. His all-around receiving game did not develop as hoped, though, and consistency was a challenge holding him back from becoming the genuine No. 2 option Buffalo has long been seeking. Still, the 24-year-old was well-positioned to cash in on the open market, and he will play a key role in Jacksonville’s offense.

The Jags have Christian Kirk as a top receiver, but the team remains interested to retaining former trade acquisition Calvin Ridley. The latter will not be re-signed until the new league year given the conditions of his acquisition, but Jacksonville has consistently been named a landing spot for Ridley on his next deal. It will be interesting to see if the team can keep Ridley in the fold having made a big-money investment in Davis.

In any event, the latter will aim to remain a vertical option in Jacksonville, having averaged at least 15.7 yards per catch every year of his career. Davis’ best campaign came in 2022 when he posted a 48-836-7 statline. A repeat of that performance could be in store with his new team, especially if Ridley is indeed headed elsewhere. The Jags had roughly $18MM in cap space entering Monday, so further lucrative additions would come as a surprise at this point.

Bengals Re-Sign TE Drew Sample

March 11th, 2024 at 12:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

The tight end spot has been the source of speculation with respect to the Bengals. An addition could still be coming, but an in-house contributor will remain in place. The team announced on Monday that Drew Sample re-signed on a three-year deal.

After playing out a one-year contract in 2023, Sample will be tied to a $10.5MM accord (per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The Bengals will probably still be on the hunt for a pass-catching option at tight end, but they have one piece of the puzzle solved.

Sample has been with the Bengals since they chose him in the 2019 second round. Cincinnati drew some scrutiny for making that pick, as Sample did not have an extensive pass-catching history at Washington. That has continued in Ohio, though Sample has been a key presence in the Bengals’ run game.

The 6-foot-4 tight end has only topped 175 receiving yards in one season — back in 2020. Pro Football Focus graded Sample as a top-15 run-blocking tight end last season, which came after he re-signed on a one-year deal worth just $1.23MM. The Bengals saw enough from the 27-year-old tight end to make a bigger investment this time, though the guarantees will tell the tale.

Cincinnati let C.J. Uzomah walk in 2022 and Hayden Hurst leave for Carolina in 2023; both players are back on the market, bringing an interesting opportunity for the team. Hunter Henry and Dalton Schultz re-signed before free agency, thinning out the TE market.

Packers To Release LT David Bakhtiari

March 11th, 2024 at 11:54am CST by Sam Robinson

For some time now, David Bakhtiari has been expected to be released by the Packers. The All-Pro left tackle confirmed that is the route being taken by Green Bay in a social media post on Monday.

This move has been expected for a while, as Bakhtiari’s body has betrayed him over the course of the monster contract he signed during the 2020 season. A New Year’s Eve knee injury sustained in practice that year re-routed the All-Pro’s career, and after more knee trouble came in 2023, the Packers are rebooting at left tackle.

The Packers will save just more than $20MM by cutting Bakhtiari, who was due to count more than $40MM on Green Bay’s 2024 cap. Although no void years are present in this contract, past restructures ballooned that 2024 total. Bakhtiari was set to make $20.2MM in 2024 base salary. A post-June 1 move would increase the cap savings here, dividing the $19.1MM in dead money over two offseasons. The Packers, however, took their medicine on Aaron Rodgers in one year. They may well do the same with his longtime blindside protector.

Since that seminal knee injury, Bakhtiari has missed 39 regular-season games and five playoff contests. He spent most of the 2021 season out of action, only returning for a handful of snaps in Week 18. Work in that meaningless contest led to Bakhtiari sitting in the Packers’ divisional-round follow-up, a loss to the 49ers. Bakhtiari returned to a high performance level in 2022, playing 11 games, but was only able to suit up for one last season.

A five-time All-Pro (two first teams), Bakhtiari thrived after being a third-round Packers pick back in 2013. He was in uniform for three NFC championship games. His absence against the Buccaneers in 2020 became glaring, as Tampa Bay’s edge rushers teed off on Rodgers in the second half that day. Bakhtiari still did well to collect a four-year, $92MM extension weeks before his knee injury in 2020. The Packers, unfortunately, did not get much from that investment.

Green Bay primarily used Rasheed Walker in Bakhtiari’s place last season, keeping former sub Elgton Jenkins entrenched at guard. Pro Football Focus ranked Walker 44th among tackles last season. The former seventh-round pick could certainly be an option, but it would also make sense for the team to make a bigger investment — perhaps in a tackle-rich draft — to succeed Bakhtiari, who would be going into his age-33 season. Despite five knee surgeries, the decorated left tackle had not indicated he was preparing a retirement. The Jets could be in play for Bakhtiari, but it would be with the understanding he would compete for the LT role rather than being handed the gig.

Titans To Sign RB Tony Pollard

March 11th, 2024 at 11:49am CST by Adam La Rose

Running back dominos continue to fall early in the negotiating window. Tony Pollard is expected to join the Titans, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.

Pollard will receive $24MM on a three-year pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. That marks a notable multi-year investment for Pollard, albeit one averaging less money per season than the franchise tag he played on last year. Of course, this move represents yet another indication that franchise icon Derrick Henry will not be back.

The Cowboys were interested in a re-up for Pollard. The Giants and Vikings were also suitors for the 26-year-old, Dianna Russini of the Athletic reports. She notes Pollard took a larger offer to head to Tennessee, something which is notable given a recent report indicating he was prepared to take less on a new Dallas accord.

Pollard was one of three running backs who played on the franchise tag last year. Like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs, he delivered an underwhelming performance in 2023. The former fourth-rounder reached 1,000 rushing yards for the second straight season, but he did so while averaging 1.2 fewer yards per carry than the year before. That low-mark in efficiency came about while logging 252 carries, by far the most of his five-year Dallas tenure.

The Cowboys aimed to make Pollard a feature back by releasing Ezekiel Elliott last offseason. The former struggled in that role considering his drop in efficiency. With Tennessee, Pollard will still remain atop the RB depth chart, one featuring a major vacancy with Henry no longer in place. However, he will be joined by 2023 third-rounder Tyjae Spears, who impressed in a quasi-committee setup with Henry last year.

The ground game will look much different in 2024 in Nashville with Pollard in place and new head coach Brian Callahan operating the offense. The team has moved quickly in securing a Henry replacement, though; Dallas will now be a team to watch as a team in need of a starting back.

Vikings To Sign OLB Jonathan Greenard

March 11th, 2024 at 11:41am CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings had attempted to re-sign Danielle Hunter, but the nine-year Minnesota pass rusher appeared intent on exploring the market. It looks like the Vikings sack ace will be headed elsewhere, as the team is making a big investment at the position.

Jonathan Greenard has a deal in place with the Vikings, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report. The four-year Texans contributor is coming off his best season — a 12.5-sack campaign — and played a key role in Houston making a surprise run to the divisional round. He will cash in as a result.

Minnesota will give Greenard a four-year, $76MM deal that includes $42MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Texans were interested in keeping Greenard, but the team seemed a bit leery about where his market would end up. While it did not quite take a $20MM-AAV deal to land Greenard, the Texans will stand down.

PFR’s free agency rankings slotted Greenard one spot higher than Hunter, despite the latter being a more proven pass rusher. Greenard, however, is three years younger than Hunter. The former third-round pick is set to begin his age-27 season in Minnesota. Hunter will turn 30 later this year.

Greenard is coming off a strong contract year, but he had shown flashes — albeit for off-grid Texans teams in the wake of the Deshaun Watson mess — prior to that 2023 breakthrough. Greenard totaled eight sacks in 2021 but ran into injury trouble in 2022. Shifted to defensive end in DeMeco Ryans‘ system, Greenard led the Texans in sacks last season by a wide margin.

While Will Anderson won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, Greenard served as the team’s top sack artist in 2023. Ranking 20th with 33 quarterback pressures, Greenard smashed his career-high with 22 QB hits. He ranked sixth among edge rushers in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric in 2023. A similar effort will be expected in Minneapolis.

With the Vikings in transition on the edge, they will look to him — in all likelihood — as their No. 1 option next season. The Vikings came into the tampering period with Hunter, Marcus Davenport and D.J. Wonnum unsigned. They exited last season with Davenport and Wonnum on the shelf as well. Brian Flores will soon get to work attempting to mold Greenard into a Pro Bowl-level edge presence.

The youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 sacks, Hunter was a pivotal Vikings defender for much of the Mike Zimmer era and beyond. He used the past two seasons to bounce back, and while the Vikings held onto the former third-rounder at last year’s trade deadline, the sides’ August contract reworking prevented them from using the franchise tag. As it stands, Hunter appears set to depart the Twin Cities after one of the best runs by a pass rusher in the team’s modern history.

Bills Extend LT Dion Dawkins

March 11th, 2024 at 11:31am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bills made a number of cost-cutting moves recently, releasing several veterans. One mainstay who will not be leaving is left tackle Dion Dawkins, however. The veteran announced on Monday that he will remain in the fold in 2024 and beyond, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a new deal is in place. The team has since announced the move.

The new accord is worth $60.5MM over three years, per Schefter. It will move Dawkins into fifth in terms of annual average value amongst left tackles (although David Bakhtiari‘s Packers tenure is expected to soon come to an end). Dawkins could thus find himself fourth in the LT pecking order shortly.

The 29-year-old was on the books for 2024 at a cap hit of $16.6MM. The coming campaign could have been a walk year as a result, but instead Dawkins will ensure he stays in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. He has played his entire career with the Bills, earning a Pro Bowl nod in each of the past three campaigns. Keeping him in the fold thus represented a logical priority for the team.

Buffalo enjoyed strong play up front last season, one in which the midseason OC change produced a notable commitment to the ground game. Joe Brady will remain in his coordinator post for 2024, so a repeat of the usage of running back James Cook should be expected. Of course, the Bills will be in the market for a new center after moving on from Mitch Morse, and depth will be needed with Ryan Bates having been traded. Dawkins will provide stability on the blindside, though.

The latter secured a $58.3MM extension in 2020, and he has managed to land an even larger accord four years later. Dawkins will remain a foundational member of the Bills’ offense in 2024 and beyond as the team transitions away from a number of pricey veterans in the immediate future. This re-up will no doubt affect Dawkins’ cap hit for this season, given Buffalo’s financial situation. In any event, he will be counted on for years to come as one of the league’s best-compensated O-linemen.

49ers To Re-Sign QB Brandon Allen

March 11th, 2024 at 11:19am CST by Adam La Rose

Brandon Allen will remain in San Francisco for at least one more offseason. The veteran quarterback has agreed to a new 49ers deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

A report from January tapped Allen as the likely backup for San Francisco in 2024. Sam Darnold held that role last season, but his play under head coach Kyle Shanahan could price him out of the Bay Area. Retaining Allen marks another sign that Darnold could be playing elsewhere next season.

Allen, 31, entered the league as a Jaguars draftee in 2016, but it was three years later that he saw his first regular season action. He made three starts with Denver in 2019 before a three-year span in Cincinnati. The former sixth-rounder worked as Joe Burrow‘s backup during that time, but the Bengals did not retain him last offseason.

That left Allen free to head elsewhere, and he did so by joining the 49ers. Even with Trey Lance in the fold at the time, San Francisco set a high asking price for any potential Allen trade. It was Lance who wound up being dealt to the Cowboys, setting up Darnold and Allen to hold down the backup and third-string roles, respectively. Brock Purdy will retain the starting gig moving forward, but a Darnold departure would line up Allen for a new QB2 position.

The latter has only won two of his seven career starts while posting a passer rating of 78 along the way. While those figures help explain why he will no doubt be relegated to backup duties for the remainder of his career, he will once again be in a QB-friendly environment working with Shanahan for the 2024 campaign.

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