2024 March - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Chiefs Place Franchise Tag On CB L’Jarius Sneed

March 4th, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

One day out from the franchise tag deadline, the Chiefs have followed through with the expected move of placing the one-year tender on cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. The non-exclusive tag was applied on Monday, per a team announcement.

The move will keep Sneed off the open market, but his future with the defending champions is of course still uncertain. Kansas City was reported last week to be prepared to use the tag, but the team gave Sneed permission to seek out a trade sending him elsewhere. Now (at least temporarily) locked into a 2024 salary of $19.8MM, the standout cover man can continue that process.

To no surprise, Sneed is on the radar of interested teams looking to make a notable cornerback addition. Any suitor willing to send trade capital the Chiefs’ way would no doubt do so with a long-term arrangement worked out with the 27-year-old. Sneed has been an integral part of Kansas City’s secondary over the course of his four-year tenure, playing a major role in the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl runs the past two seasons.

The former fourth-rounder totaled five interceptions and 30 pass deflections across regular and postseason play between 2022-23. Given his age and production, Sneed would be counted on as a defensive anchor on any acquiring team, and the Chiefs could solicit several offers if a tag-and-trade is determined as the preferred direction. Any and all developments on the Sneed front will take place against the backdrop of defensive tackle Chris Jones‘ pending free agency.

The latter appears to be the Chiefs’ higher priority with respect to working out a deal for 2024 and beyond, and the sides may manage to accomplish that goal before free agency. Jones’ asking price – after a hold-out which lasted into the regular season and preceded another stellar campaign – will be a major factor in negotiations, one which both team and player hope will result in a new contract. A pact coming anywhere near the $30MM range in AAV (or even eclipsing Aaron Donald‘s market-setting $31.67MM figure) will leave fewer resources for other offseason moves, like a long-term Sneed extension.

Kansas City already has Trent McDuffie on his rookie contract, and he will remain a foundational member of the team’s defense moving forward regardless of if Sneed remains with the Chiefs or not. The latter can negotiate a multi-year deal as late as July 15 before signing the tag and playing out the season with the full $19.8MM figure landing on his team’s cap sheet in the absence of an agreement. The question of whether that team will be Kansas City will be a key one in the 2024 offseason.

Dolphins Will Not Use Franchise Tag On Christian Wilkins

March 4th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 4: Confirming the direction Sunday’s report pointed this situation in, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes Wilkins will not be tagged tomorrow. Unless an eleventh-hour agreement can be reached after the deadline but before the new league year, therefore, Wilkins will reach free agency.

MARCH 3: Even considering the recent cap spike, the Dolphins are still more than $31MM over the new NFL spending limit with 10 days left in the 2023 league year. That will create challenges, and it will impact the team’s ability to retain its top free agent.

Although GM Chris Grier said a Christian Wilkins franchise tag would be on the table, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team is unlikely to cuff the five-year defensive tackle. As it stands, Wilkins appears barely a week away from free agency. After making strides as a pass rusher, the former first-round pick would be poised to do quite well on the open market.

This would make Wilkins one of the top free agents available, and if the Ravens follow through with their likely Justin Madubuike tag and the Chiefs can complete a Chris Jones deal before the legal tampering period, the Miami-based D-tackle’s free agency stock would be set to skyrocket. The Dolphins and Wilkins negotiated for months in 2023, but no extension agreement came out of the talks. That led to the Clemson alum playing out his rookie contract, separating him from the other high-end DTs from the 2019 first round.

The Dolphins continue to mull their options, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, but the veteran reporter indicates a tag is not expected. Three of Wilkins’ 2019 first-round DT peers — Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams and ex-Clemson teammate Dexter Lawrence — signed big-ticket deals worth between $22.5MM and $24MM per year. With the cap now nearly $31MM north of its 2023 place, Wilkins surely could approach this price range.

Some hesitancy on Miami’s part regarding a long-term deal is believed to have stemmed from Wilkins’ prior lack of sack production. The interior defender made a notable effort on this front last season, tallying a career-high nine sacks. That number bettered his previous single-season best by 4.5. Wilkins, 28, has been one of the NFL’s top run-defending DTs in recent years as well. The Dolphins, however, have made other commitments up front. They extended Bradley Chubb shortly after trading for him in 2022, and DT Zach Sieler signed a new deal last year. That complicates a Wilkins South Florida future.

Trade interest emerged for Wilkins late last summer, and the Dolphins are again implementing a new defensive scheme thanks to another coordinator change. With Tua Tagovailoa squarely on the extension radar and the likes of Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips potentially behind the QB in the payment queue, the Dolphins may be prepared to pass on paying Wilkins now. A bidding war would be set to commence in that event.

Jaguars To Release DT Folorunso Fatukasi

March 4th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Folorunso Fatukasi was a key part of the Jaguars’ defensive rebuilding efforts in 2022. His time with the team has come to an end, however.

The veteran defensive tackle is being released, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. One year remained on Fatukasi’s pact, and this move will create $3.52MM in cap space; Jacksonville will incur a dead money charge of $9.27MM. He was set to count $12.79MM against the cap in 2024.

Fatukasi began his career with the Jets, and he took on a larger workload with each passing season. After establishing himself as a stout run defender, the former sixth-rounder landed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars. That pact was restructured last offseason, though, and none of his $7MM base salary for 2024 was guaranteed. Now, the team will move on with other offseason priorities to attend to.

Chief among those is a new deal for edge rusher Josh Allen. The two-time Pro Bowler will not reach the open market, and an agreement keeping wideout Calvin Ridley in place is also in the team’s plans. New contracts in both players’ cases will be costly, especially since the latter will likely be allowed to test free agency given the conditions of his trade acquisition from the Falcons. Creating funds for those efforts and others has included moving on from Fatukasi after a pair of seasons.

The 29-year-old started 29 of his 30 regular season games with Jacksonville, but he was unable to develop into a difference-maker with respect to interior pass-rush production. Fatukasi totaled 1.5 sacks and nine QB pressures during his time with the Jaguars, recording 48 tackles along the way. For the second time in his career, he will reach the open market, although he will be able to sign a deal with an interested team before the start of free agency next week. Given the nature of his time in Duval County, however, it would be a surprise if he were targeted as a priority by interested teams.

Panthers To Move On From Donte Jackson

March 4th, 2024 at 12:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

As cost-cutting season continues around the NFL, the Panthers are among the teams which will be shedding veteran contracts. Carolina is expected to trade or release cornerback Donte Jackson, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Jackson is due a $4MM roster bonus on March 16, meaning a decision one way or another will likely be made by that point. The Panthers will no doubt attempt to find a trade partner before proceeding with a release if necessary. In the latter case, the team will see $5.94MM in cap savings against $9.78MM in dead cap charges for 2024.

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. He was on the trade block in advance of this year’s deadline, but no takers emerged. Now, he will again be available.

Jackson was limited to nine games in 2022 due to an Achilles tear. He managed to recover in full, though, and he suited up for 16 contests in 2023. He totaled 53 tackles while remaining a full-time starter, although he was held without an interception for the first time in his career. The LSU alum also had a down year in coverage, allowing three touchdowns as the nearest defender and surrendering an opposing passer rating of 107.7.

Nevertheless, the LSU alum could have suitors as a free agent in particular. Jackson recorded 14 interceptions and 41 pass breakups across his first five seasons, and managing to play a full campaign in 2024 coming off the Achilles tear will help his value on the health front. It will be interesting to see if any suitors show a willingness to trade for him (and take on the remainder of his contract in doing so) to prevent him from reaching the open market.

Carolina – a team which entered Monday with roughly $35MM in cap space – will now need to find a new starting CB option to pair with Jaycee Horn. The Panthers, of course, also have a number of financial matters to work out with their incumbent defensive nucleus. Edge rusher Brian Burns is a pending free agent, as is hybrid linebacker Frankie Luvu. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown is also eligible for an extension, and talks on that front have begun. In any case, the team’s secondary will have a new look without Jackson in the fold any longer.

Bucs, S Antoine Winfield Jr. Making Progress On Contract Talks?

March 4th, 2024 at 10:53am CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers have already taken one major priority off their to-do list. A new deal is in place for wideout Mike Evans, and the same could soon be true of safety Antoine Winfield Jr.

The latter has long been considered a franchise tag candidate as the expiration of his rookie contract approaches. Tampa Bay has until tomorrow afternoon to apply the one-year tender, which will cost just over $17MM. After delivering a first-team All-Pro campaign last season, though, Winfield could command a higher price on a long-term pact. On that note, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline reports traction was gained on a new deal during last week’s Combine.

Pauline adds that the sides are “zeroing in” on an agreement which will check in at an annual average value of $20MM on a three- or four-year pact. That would allow Winfield to reset the top of the safety market, overtaking Derwin James ($19MM per season) as the highest-earning player at the position on an annual basis. Such a deal would also allow the Buccaneers to keep one of the foundational members of their defense in place for years to come and avoid having to use the franchise tag.

Winfield already had a Pro Bowl on his resume entering the 2023 season, but he upped his market value considerably over the course of the year. The 25-year-old set a new career high in tackles (122), interceptions (three), pass deflections (12) and sacks (six) while leading the league with six forced fumbles. Those figures have him on track to secure a major raise on his next pact, either one negotiated following the application of the tag or a deal hammered out in the immediate future.

Players who are tagged can continue negotiating with their respective teams until July 15. If no deals are reached by that point, they are required to play out the season on the tag (or, as Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs demonstrated last offseason, a one-year deal taking its place). Winfield’s case will be one to watch closely as the franchise tag deadline approaches, particularly if he and the Bucs are indeed moving toward a long-term agreement.

Cowboys Aim To Re-Sign Dorance Armstrong; DE Expected To Draw Interest

March 4th, 2024 at 10:04am CST by Adam La Rose

Dorance Armstrong has spent his entire six-year career with the Cowboys, but he is on track to reach the open market. Both Dallas and outside suitors have the veteran defensive end on the radar.

After his rookie contract expired, Armstrong landed a two-year, $12MM deal to remain with the Cowboys. He had produced little as a pass rusher across his first three campaigns in the league, but in 2021 the former fourth-rounder notched five sacks. That helped his value, but it will now stand at a higher rate after he totaled 16 sacks in 2022-23.

Armstrong’s deal voided last month, creating a dead cap charge of $1.5MM in 2024 for the Cowboys regardless of where he plays. The 26-year-old is valued by the team, though, as Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News notes. Another Cowboys agreement could thus be in store, but Armstrong will likely draw interest if he reaches free agency.

The Kansas product is not expected to re-up with Dallas for a second time, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Armstrong could have a number of suitors given his age and production in recent seasons (which includes 20 tackles for loss and 55 QB pressures over the past three years). A raise compared to his previous pact would come as little surprise, and the Cowboys would not be in position to win a bidding war considering they are currently projected to be $10.6MM over the cap.

Fowler names the Commanders as a team to watch with respect to Armstrong. Washington is now led by Dan Quinn, who served as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for the last three years. It would not surprise to see Armstrong or other Dallas defenders make the intra-divisional move to continue working with Quinn. Washington traded away both Montez Sweat and Chase Young in advance of the 2023 trade deadline, leaving the team in need of additions along the edge. The Commanders will have ample spending power in free agency, so they could make a healthy bid for Armstrong if they intend to add him to the D-line.

Dallas will likely be eyeing additions along the defensive interior and at the middle linebacker spot this offseason, but losing Armstrong would create a notable absence in the front seven. It will be interesting to see if talks on a new deal can keep him with the Cowboys for 2024 and beyond or if he will find himself in a new environment on his third contract.

Patriots Make Offer To S Kyle Dugger

March 4th, 2024 at 9:19am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 4: Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports the Patriots’ Dugger offer checks in at an annual average value of $13MM. That falls well short of the cost of a franchise tag, but the structure of the pact in terms of guaranteed money and its length will of course be major factors for Dugger’s camp to consider. If no agreement is reached by 3:00pm central on Tuesday, New England will be forced to apply the tag or allow him to test the market.

FEBRUARY 29: Rumored as a franchise tag candidate, Kyle Dugger remains a priority for the Patriots. The young safety would be among the top defenders available if he reaches the open market. The Pats are trying to prevent that.

Less than a week before the deadline to apply franchise tags, MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian and Mark Daniels report the team has submitted an offer to Dugger. Absent a tag, the Pats have until 11am CT to negotiate exclusively with Dugger. At that point, unsigned players are free to speak with other teams in the tampering window.

The cap spiking to $255.4MM has made it more expensive to tag a safety; that number checks in at $17.12MM. This is considerably higher than what it took for the Bengals to keep Jessie Bates off the 2022 market ($12.9MM). That complicates matters for the Pats. The Giants are believed to be considering the lesser-used transition tag for safety Xavier McKinney; that would cost $13.82MM. A transition tag does open the door to offer sheets, as no compensation comes back to teams in the event of an unmatched offer. A franchise tag all but slams the door on a player signing elsewhere.

Already prepared to spend more than they traditionally do in free agency, per Jerod Mayo, the Patriots giving GM power to Eliot Wolf does make that somewhat interesting. The Packers were not known for such activity during Wolf’s time under Ted Thompson. But Green Bay regularly retained its own talent during that long-running regime. In Dugger and Michael Onwenu, the Patriots have two players who are set to be top UFAs soon. The team is also trying to retain Onwenu, but the versatile O-lineman may well reach the open market.

“You definitely want those pieces to stay,” Mayo said of Dugger and Onwenu, via MassLive. “You develop through the draft, so if those guys stay, obviously, they’ve been raised here and they can help push the culture forward. With Dugger, I would say last year going into the season, there were some questions about can he communicate and all those things. He squashed all of that last year. He did a fantastic job in his new role without having Devin (McCourty) there.”

Bill Belichick held onto Dugger and Onwenu at the trade deadline; both were rumored candidates to be moved as the team found itself in the rare position as a potential midseason seller. Dugger played 97% of the Pats’ defensive snaps last season, and with Mayo and DeMarcus Covington sticking around, the former second-round pick offers continuity for a team that just released Adrian Phillips.

Dugger, who will turn 27 next month, played ahead of the veteran in 2023. PFF only ranked Dugger 68th among safeties last season but viewed his 2022 more favorably; the Lenoir-Rhyne alum returned two interceptions for touchdowns that year. Although Dugger has fared better closer to the line of scrimmage, he has nine INTs over the past three seasons.

The Patriots are among the league leaders in cap space, holding $78.1MM as of Thursday afternoon. That sits third in the NFL, though teams have a number of days to organize their budgets ahead of the 2024 league year. Keeping Dugger — a 2020 second-round pick — would also be a notable transaction due to the team’s run of not re-signing recent high draft choices. The team has not extended a homegrown first-, second- or third-round pick since re-signing 2013 third-rounder Duron Harmon in 2017.

Falcons Prefer Kirk Cousins To Justin Fields?

March 3rd, 2024 at 11:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The team most closely tied to a veteran QB upgrade going into free agency, the Falcons appear readier to come out of this offseason with a more experienced passer than Justin Fields.

Although a recent odds update placed the Falcons atop the list for Fields, some around the league believe the Rams-influenced scheme OC Zac Robinson will implement in Atlanta will lead the team toward pass-first options like Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield. If the Vikings or Buccaneers cannot keep their starters off the market, the Falcons appear poised to make a run.

Connected already to being interested in both passers, the Falcons indeed have done work on the veterans. The Vikings are “loosely bracing” for Cousins to remain unsigned by the March 11 legal tampering period and test the market, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates. This would open the door for the Falcons to talk to the free agent-to-be, with Fowler adding the team has done plenty of work on Cousins, Fields and Mayfield.

Mayfield has some ties to the new Falcons staff, with Robinson being his position coach during his brief Rams stint and Raheem Morris in place as Los Angeles’ DC at that point. The team has some degree of interest here. Fields is a Georgia native, and while the Falcons passed on the Ohio State product in 2021, some buzz has pointed the Bears QB to his home-state team. As it stands, the Falcons appear in good position to come away with one of these QBs this offseason, per Fowler.

Cousins may be the team’s top target. A Saturday report indicated the Falcons would compete for Cousins, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano takes it a step further by adding the team should be expected to make a strong pursuit of the six-year Vikings starter if he is unsigned by the tampering period. The Vikings and Cousins are still talking, but no Minnesota offer has satisfied the 35-year-old QB yet. The Vikings and Cousins have come to terms on three contracts — in 2018, 2020 and 2022 — but could not agree on a fourth deal last year. Guarantees stood as the sticking point there, and the Vikings are in crunch time with the rehabbing passer now.

Minnesota failing to reach an agreement with Cousins by the start of the 2024 league year (March 13) would bring $28.5MM in dead money onto its 2024 cap. Void years added as part of last year’s restructure will lead to that outcome. The Vikings ate some void years-driven dead money for losing Dalvin Tomlinson last year, but the Cousins figure would obviously bring more trouble by comparison.

Fields may well be taking a backseat to Cousins for Atlanta, per Graziano. This would be a pricier proposition for the Falcons, as Cousins — he of $231MM-plus in career earnings — is quite adept at maximizing his value. Fields also can be kept on a rookie salary this season, as his fifth-year option number — a decision due in May — would affect 2025. But Cousins has certainly been the more dependable passer. Though, if alternate invites are excluded, the ex-Washington draftee has one career Pro Bowl nod. Fields is 11 years younger, at 24, but has not shown himself to be a stable option as a passer just yet.

The Falcons are eager to upgrade on Desmond Ridder, and two years after widely believed to have finished second for Deshaun Watson, the team appears prepared to spend to acquire such help. One of the above-referenced trio should probably be expected to become Atlanta’s starter next season. Which one will end up in Georgia?

Cardinals Open To Trading No. 4 Pick?

March 3rd, 2024 at 11:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Presuming the Bears replace Justin Fields with Caleb Williams and the Commanders and Patriots keep their respective places in the draft order, three quarterbacks could very well hear their names called with the first three picks in April. That would leave the Cardinals’ top draft slot as one worth monitoring.

Arizona has made repeated commitments to Kyler Murray as the quarterback of the present and future, so the team will not be looking for a starting-caliber addition this spring. Regardless of how the first three picks play out, though, teams further down the draft board could be inclined to move up to secure the next available signal-caller. For that reason, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports the Cardinals are “open” to trading down (subscription required).

After a 4-13 campaign, Arizona’s roster certainly has a number of holes to fill. Adding further draft capital would assist in the effort on the part of second-year general manager Monti Ossenfort in taking the organization’s rebuild to its next step. Ossenfort proved willing to maneuver on draft day last year, moving out of the third overall slot before ultimately trading back up from 12th to sixth in the order. That process landed the Cardinals Houston’s first-rounder in 2024; as such, Arizona is set to select fourth and 27th as things currently stand.

A top-five selection would provide the Cardinals a chance to add a much-needed No. 1 wideout. The status of pending free agent Marquise Brown is uncertain, but even if he were to be retained, a noteworthy addition at the position would be welcomed. For much of the season, the most common prospect linked with Arizona was phenom wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. If Ossenfort were to elect to stay put, the former Ohio State star would represent a logical target.

In the event a trade-down was executed, though, several other high-profile receiver options could still be within reach. Malik Nabers (LSU) and Rome Odunze (Washington) have both drawn considerable praise in the build-up to the draft, and Arizona could select either one with a slightly lower top-10 pick. Adding an impact offensive tackle (such as Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu) could also be an option in the back half of the top 10.

The Cardinals ranked 31st in scoring defense in 2023, so improvements in that regard will no doubt be an offseason priority. Most of the 2024 class’ top prospects are on the other side of the ball, though, and an addition helping Murray and Co. remains a likely outcome. Whether or not that comes at the No. 4 slot will be interesting to watch as the draft approaches.

Patriots Could Pursue Veteran T Tyron Smith

March 3rd, 2024 at 10:41pm CST by Ely Allen

With the seeming end to veteran offensive tackle Tyron Smith‘s time in Dallas, the 33-year-old is expected to hit the free agent market for the first time in his long career. One team expected to push for his services is the Patriots, according to Mark Daniels of MassLive.

With both of last year’s starting offensive tackles, Trent Brown and Michael Onwenu, bound for free agency, the position has become an immediate need. Pursuing a 13-year veteran who hasn’t played every game of a season since 2015 may not seem like the ideal solution to a pressing need, but with the options available in free agency, a short-term solution like Smith may be just what the doctor ordered.

This year’s free agent class won’t be especially strong in the offensive tackle position. Cincinnati’s Jonah Williams or Washington’s Charles Leno probably rival Smith for the top options available. Williams may draw the most interest of the three, since he’s only 26 years old, but he graded out much worse than Smith and Leno, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Smith, on the other hand, graded out as the fourth-best tackle in the league last year and earned second-team All-Pro honors.

Daniels pointed out two other players as focuses for New England, as well, these being players in the building set to depart in free agency. Daniels reported that the Patriots are interested in trying to bring back both tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.

Henry and Bourne finished second and third on the team in receiving yards with 419 and 406, respectively, both behind rookie sixth-round pick Demario Douglas. One area in which they both outperformed the rookie was in the endzone. While Douglas failed to register a score in his first NFL season, Henry led the team with six touchdowns and Bourne was close behind with four.

While the team has hopes to extend both players, it sounds like landing either would be a long shot. Daniels reports that Henry and the team “are far apart on an extension,” while the Patriots and Bourne “aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on his market value.” Both players are sure to draw interest from around the league, so if New England isn’t willing to give up some ground, it could lose both Henry and Bourne.

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