2024 March - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Saints To Extend LB Demario Davis

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

Demario Davis was already on the books for 2024, but the lack of guaranteed money on his deal led to uncertainty regarding his future. The All-Pro linebacker will remain with the Saints, however, having agreed to a new deal. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the sides have worked out an agreement on a two-year, $17.25MM contract.

In Saints fashion, this agreement will create cap space. Davis had been tied to an $18.2MM cap hit in his contract year; this pact will reduce that and help a perpetually cap-strapped New Orleans operation. Going into today’s legal tampering period, the Saints resided $10MM-plus over the cap.

This will also give Davis more security in the form of guarantees; the veteran linebacker had been tied to a nonguaranteed 2024 salary worth $10MM. Davis has been one of the Saints’ top players for many years, and the 35-year-old defender will be set for a seventh season in Louisiana.

Davis has continually showcased a versatile skillset, being one of the best blitzing ‘backers in this era. The former Jets and Browns starter, despite being an off-ball presence, is coming off back-to-back 6.5-sack seasons. As Cameron Jordan has moved into his mid-30s and Payton Turner having not delivered on a first-round investment, Davis’ sack production has been important for a Saints team still trying to find its footing post-Drew Brees.

A marvel in IDP fantasy leagues, Davis paired 121 tackles and six pass breakups with those 6.5 sacks last season. The durable defender has posted 100-tackle seasons in each of his six Saints slates, adding 29.5 sacks during his New Orleans run. While Davis is nearing the end of an impressive career, the Saints will keep him around for at least one more season. A reassessment after this age-35 season seems likely, even as Davis has continued to deliver upper-crust work into his mid-30s.

Bears To Sign RB D’Andre Swift

March 11th, 2024 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

Coming off a Pro Bowl berth and his healthiest NFL season, D’Andre Swift has an advantage on this year’s market. Of the higher-profile starters, the four-year veteran is the youngest and freshest. The Bears showed immediate interest and are making a deal.

Expected to make an aggressive push to land Swift (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter), the Bears now have a new running back. Chicago is giving Swift a three-year, $24MM deal, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Chicago is frontloading this deal, albeit slightly, with Garafolo indicating Swift will receive $16.5MM over the deal’s first two years.

Going into his age-25 season, Swift has logged 593 career carries. Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley‘s totals dwarf that. While those two are still the top backs on the market, Swift is drawing interest. Although the Texans showed interest, the Bears will make the first free agency splash this year.

The RB market took several hits last year, but the cap spike stands to help players at all positions. And Swift drew two early suitors, helping his first free agency foray. His early deal will help set the 2024 market. The numbers point to Barkley and Jacobs doing well, though the guarantees here will better illustrate the deal.

The Bears certainly enjoyed an extensive look at Swift during his Detroit years, though GM Ryan Poles was only in place in his role for the 2022 season — one that featured a Swift demotion of sorts as Jamaal Williams seized the Lions’ lead role. But Swift helped his cause in Philly, joining Miles Sanders in that regard. Despite Sanders struggling in Carolina, Chicago will dive in on the latest Eagles starter.

Acquired during the draft, Swift totaled 1,049 rushing yards after commandeering the lead role from Kenneth Gainwell in Week 2 of last season. While Swift benefited from running behind a top-tier Eagles O-line, he showcased plus pass-game ability with the Lions in the past. The former second-round pick produced 452 receiving yards for an undermanned 2021 Lions team, getting there in 13 games. Nagging injuries, of course, have been a Swift drawback. But it appears teams are ready to see how he will look in their offense.

The Bears were not exactly thin at running back, making this signing interesting. Khalil Herbert remains on his rookie deal, and the team drafted Roschon Johnson in the 2023 fourth round. Travis Homer is under contract as well, though D’Onta Foreman had played out another one-year deal. Swift’s contract does not leave much doubt about where he stands in Chicago’s backfield pecking order. The recent Pro Bowl selection will parlay that Eagles run into a starting role in the Windy City, as the Bears are heading toward a Swift-Caleb Williams backfield.

Raiders Unlikely To Keep RB Josh Jacobs Off Market; Team Has Made Offer

March 11th, 2024 at 10:27am CST by Sam Robinson

After three franchise tags diluted the 2023 running back market, it appears the free agent market will feature a flood of veteran starters this year. The Raiders are almost definitely going to need to outbid competition to keep Josh Jacobs.

The team had been trying to re-sign Jacobs, but with a new GM in place, some uncertainty entered the equation despite the former rushing champion stumping for Antonio Pierce earlier this offseason. The Raiders still want Jacobs back, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates he is likely headed to the market.

Las Vegas has made an offer to Jacobs, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, who adds the 2019 first-round pick could soon be tied to an eight-figure-per-year average salary. Coming off Jacobs’ 2022 rushing title, the Raiders made an offer to extend him just before the July deadline. Jacobs passed and was unable to replicate his strong form of 2022. While he showed more under Pierce in the season’s second half, the five-year Raiders starter only posted two 100-yard games in an 805-yard season that saw the Alabama alum rank in the bottom five in Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric.

The legal tampering period begins in less than an hour, putting teams that want to keep certain UFAs in crunch time. Being this close to free agency for the first time, Jacobs will naturally want to see gauge his value when given the ability to speak with multiple teams for the first time. He and Saquon Barkley profile as the top backs available, and Fowler adds they may well be off the board early. Barkley’s market is expected to surpass Jacobs’, but this does give the 2022 rushing champ a shot to hit free agency before his age-26 season. Barkley did not have that chance last year, joining Jacobs and Tony Pollard in being tagged.

Barkley and Jacobs join Pollard, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, D’Andre Swift, Devin Singletary and Gus Edwards as starters who will test free agency. Jacobs took a step back last year and finished the season on the shelf with multiple contusions. The Raiders also hired a new GM — Tom Telesco — who passed on renegotiating Ekeler’s deal last year with the Chargers, instead signing off on a small incentive package. With so many available backs, the Raiders may go shopping soon.

Colts, WR Michael Pittman Jr. Finalizing Deal

March 11th, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Adam La Rose

Michael Pittman Jr.‘s immediate future was already assured given the Colts’ decision to place the franchise tag on him. The team’s top wideout could be in place well beyond 2024, however, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the sides are working on a long-term deal which could be finalized today.

Providing financial details on the agreement, Rapoport notes it will be a three-year deal with a base value of $70MM. $46MM of that total is guaranteed, and Pittman could earn up to $71.5MM. This accord will take the place of his $21.8MM franchise tag.

Pittman represented an obvious candidate for a new Colts deal given his importance to the team’s passing game. The 26-year-old saw his target share increase in each of his four seasons in the NFL, and that figure has comfortably reached triple-digits every year since 2021. He topped 1,000 receiving yards that year and again in 2023, but his number have pointed to good-not-great production in the eyes of many. Paying out a one-year tender (via the tag) at an average of the top-five receiver earners was thus seen as challenging for the team.

Instead, that situation has now been avoided with a multi-year pact, albeit one which will increase Pittman’s AAV. This new deal will bring an average of $23.3MM, a figure which ranks eighth in the league amongst wideouts and outpaces the value of the tag. The Colts are banking on continued development while also getting ahead of the next wave of WR deals. Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk are among the up-and-coming producers at the position in line for monster extensions as early as this offseason. They could each move past Pittman on their respective accords.

Indianapolis has made multiple draft investments in recent years in a bid to find other cost-effective wideouts to complement Pittman. That effort has included using a second-round pick on Alec Pierce in 2022 and a third-rounder on Josh Downs last April. No pass-catcher has matched Pittman’s importance to the Colts’ offense, however, and the USC product will remain a focal point moving forward. He, along with quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor will comprise the backbone of Indianapolis’ offense in 2024 and beyond.

The Colts will still have plenty of spending power for the offseason; this extension will likely lower Pittman’s 2024 cap number despite the AAV coming in at a higher rate than the franchise tag. More moves involving offensive playmakers could be coming, but the team’s top internal priority has now been taken care of.

Buccaneers To Re-Sign K Chase McLaughlin

March 11th, 2024 at 10:10am CST by Adam La Rose

Chase McLaughlin had a strong debut season with the Buccaneers in 2023, and he will remain in place for years to come as a result. The veteran kicker has agreed to a new deal, as first reported by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. It is a three-year agreement, ESPN’s Jenna Laine adds.

McLaughlin initially joined the Bucs last offseason, but he was not the unquestioned kicker at the time. Rodrigo Blankenship served as competition during the summer – as had been the case for that pair during their time together with the Colts. The latter was waived in August, however, paving the way for McLaughlin to hold down kicking duties.

The 27-year-old had bounced around to several teams prior to his Tamp a stint, despite delivering relatively solid accuracy on field goal attempts along the way. McLaughlin enjoyed a career year with the Bucs, however, going 29-for-31 on field goal tries (including seven-for-eight beyond 50 yards). He was also perfect on extra point kicks, upping his value compared to the one-year pact he played on in 2023. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports this new deal is worth $12.3MM, marking a sizable raise from each of McLaughlin’s previous pacts.

Tampa Bay had used Ryan Succop in the kicking game for three years prior to signing McLaughlin. The former had a strong season in 2020, but his field goal accuracy declined in the following years. That led to the efforts to find a younger option, and McLaughlin fit the bill perfectly given his 2023 performance. In an offseason which has seen the Bucs retain several key players, he will join the list of contributors seeing their futures clarified.

Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. received the franchise tag as expected, meaning he will remain in Tampa Bay for at least the 2024 campaign (although a long-term deal is of course a priority for the team). Wideout Mike Evans avoided free agency on a two-year agreement, meanwhile, and quarterback Baker Mayfield finalized a massive raise via a new deal on Sunday. McLaughlin understandably found himself lower in the pecking order for a re-up, but one has nevertheless arrived before free agency or even the opening of the negotiating window.

Eagles Extend G Landon Dickerson

March 11th, 2024 at 10:09am CST by Sam Robinson

Well known for long-term O-line planning during Howie Roseman‘s second run as the team’s top decision-maker, the Eagles will make another such reinvestment. They are extending Landon Dickerson.

The Eagles are giving their Pro Bowl left guard a four-year deal, according to a team announcement. Dickerson’s rookie contract runs through 2024, with this extension running through 2028. Showing the Eagles’ commitment here, Dickerson has only been extension-eligible since January.

This is new guard-record money. Dickerson signed an $84MM deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds the contract can max out at $87MM. The former Alabama and Florida State blocker will receive $50MM guaranteed. At $21MM per year, Dickerson is now tied to the top AAV in guard history. This surpasses Chris Lindstrom‘s $20.5MM-per-year pact, which the Falcons authorized just before last year’s legal tampering period began.

Jason Kelce‘s retirement will test the Eagles, who once had Dickerson in line as a potential center heir apparent. The team liked what it saw of Dickerson at guard as rookie, however, and he has remained there since. The Eagles drafted Jurgens in the 2022 second round and installed him as the Kelce successor. That will give the Eagles a decision to make at right guard; with Dickerson locked in, it appears LG is shored up for a while.

Dickerson, 25, has started 46 of the 47 games he has played since the Eagles drafted him 37th overall in 2021. The team had seen Isaac Seumalo struggle with injuries in 2020 and 2021, and Dickerson brought some stability as Nick Sirianni shifted to a run-heavy attack around Jalen Hurts three years ago. Dickerson has been central to the team’s run game since, with Miles Sanders and D’Andre Swift posting 1,000-yard Pro Bowl seasons in back-to-back years. Various Brotherly Shove efforts have featured pivotal Dickerson work as well.

Dickerson has proven deserving of a big-ticket contract, booking two straight Pro Bowl nods. ESPN graded Dickerson as a dominant blocker in 2022, slotting him first in run block win rate and second in pass block success. He repeated as that metric’s run-blocking leader last year. Pro Football Focus has graded Dickerson as a top-20 guard in each of the past two seasons.

The Eagles now have three O-line starters signed to veteran deals, with Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata locked in beyond 2024. Jurgens’ rookie deal also runs through 2025.

Jets To Re-Sign K Greg Zuerlein

March 11th, 2024 at 9:46am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets had wanted to bring back Greg Zuerlein; they now have an agreement in place to greenlight a third season with the strong-legged kicker.

Zuerlein is re-signing with the Jets, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. This time, the former Rams All-Pro will stay in New York on a two-year deal. The 13th-year kicker’s latest contract is worth $8.4MM, Pelissero adds.

This is upper-middle-class kicker territory, as several specialists are now tied to deals north of $5MM per year. Zuerlein turned 36 late last season, however, and has gone year to year since the Cowboys cut him in 2022. This brings some security for the Division II alum, who is now one of the NFL’s longest-tenured kickers.

After being a Cowboys cut in 2022, Zuerlein has settled in with the Jets. The former Rams specialist turned in his best season since an All-Pro 2017 campaign, making 35 of 38 field goal tries. That marked Zuerlein’s best season since that 2017 All-Pro campaign. While Jets and Cowboys work has not brought the high-stakes environments Zuerlein encountered in 2018 with the Rams, when he booked the team’s Super Bowl berth after a game-winning 57-yard field goal in New Orleans, he has remained a dependable specialist.

Zuerlein has brought the Jets some kicker stability as well. After passing on re-signing Jason Myers following his 2018 Pro Bowl season, the Jets had cycled through kickers. Even Myers was only in the Big Apple for one season. The Jets used multiple kickers during the 2019, ’20 and ’21 seasons. Zuerlein has kicked in all but one game since signing with New York in 2022. As the team attempts to regroup around Aaron Rodgers, it will keep its kicker. Another Thomas Morstead agreement may soon follow.

Seahawks, 49ers To Host S Rayshawn Jenkins

March 11th, 2024 at 9:45am CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 11: Jenkins’ next visit will see him meet with the 49ers next week, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. It comes as little surprise that multiple teams will look into a Jenkins deal given his continued production, and safety could be an area San Francisco looks to upgrade this offseason. It will be interesting to see if a deal with the Seahawks or 49ers materializes relatively soon, or if further suitors emerge.

MARCH 10: Former Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins was part of the recent purge of veteran safeties around the league after getting cut earlier this week. The 30-year-old out of Miami (FL) wasn’t able to finish out his four-year deal in Jacksonville, but he’s already on to the next chapter as Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report tells us that Jenkins is currently en route to Seattle to visit with the Seahawks.

Jenkins took a couple years to develop as a fourth-round pick, becoming a starter in his third year with the Chargers. In two years as a starter in Los Angeles, Jenkins reeled in five picks while breaking up eight passes. His short sample size as a starter was enough to earn him $8.75MM per year with the Jaguars.

Over his time in Jacksonville, Jenkins has continued producing, nabbing five more interceptions and 24 passes defensed in three years, as well as finishing top-four in tackles on the team in all three seasons. Despite his production, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has not reflected his time with the Jaguars favorably. This year saw his best grade with the team as he finished 70th out of 95 ranked safeties in the league.

Still, Jenkins is expected to field lots of interest in free agency. Seattle is in need of a veteran safety after cutting both Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. Depending on how the contracts of pending free agent cornerbacks Michael Jackson and Artie Burns play out, Jenkins could be set to rejoin two former Miami teammates in the opposite corner of the country.

Other teams that could show interest in Jenkins are the Broncos, Cardinals, Bears, Bills, and Lions, who are all also parting ways with starting safeties this offseason. There are several free agent safeties available after all of the recent releases, but Jenkins seems to be getting a head start on finding a new home for 2024 as Schultz reports that Jenkins has several other potential visits on the docket, as well.

Bengals Re-Sign RB Trayveon Williams

March 11th, 2024 at 9:38am CST by Adam La Rose

Questions remain about Joe Mixon‘s future with the Bengals. Regardless of what happens atop the running back depth chart this offseason, though, Cincinnati will have familiar complementary options in 2024. Trayveon Williams has been re-signed, per a team announcement.

Parked behind Mixon and Samaje Perine for most of his Bengals career, Williams is best known thus far for his role as the team’s kick returner over the past two years. It would surprise if the team cut Mixon with designs on promoting the Texas A&M product to RB1 duty, even though it would help on the financial front.

Post-Perine last year, the Bengals used rookie Chase Brown as Mixon’s top backup. Williams could be in line to compete for the backup role in his sixth season, but it would seem Brown has the much better chance of being a Mixon successor in the starting lineup. Williams received only 15 carries last season and has logged all of 62 over the course of his career.

The Bengals owe Mixon a $3MM roster bonus on March 16. The veteran back’s summer reworking last year included this bonus, as the seven-year starter wanted more clarity — on an uncertain RB market — this year compared to how the Bengals dragged out this process in 2023. Mixon will have it, and the Bengals now have Brown and Williams signed behind him.

Cardinals To Re-Sign OL Trystan Colon

March 11th, 2024 at 9:20am CST by Adam La Rose

Trystan Colon joined the Cardinals on the eve of the 2023 season, but his future has received clarity much earlier this offseason. The utility lineman is being re-signed on a one-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The Cards are keeping Colon off the market via a $1.75MM deal that can max out at $2MM. Given Colon’s past as a backup, this deal points to a similar role with the NFC West team for the 2024 season.

Colon could not make the Jets’ 53-man roster last year but drew some trade interest ahead of the August roster deadline. No team ended up forking over assets for Colon, who wound up in Arizona via waiver claim. The Cardinals gave the interior offensive lineman four starts, matching his total number logged with the Ravens from 2020-22.

Arizona still has 2023 center starter Hjalte Froholdt under contract, with guard Will Hernandez signed as well. The team may well be set to add a piece at its other guard post, however, with 2023 starter Elijah Wilkinson out of contract for the 2024 slate.

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