Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/24
Friday’s minor transactions from around the league:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: DE L.J. Collier
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: TE Quintin Morris
Chicago Bears
- Extended: WR Collin Johnson
- Signed: S Tarvarius Moore
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: T Quinn Bailey
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: DT Jeremiah Ledbetter
Minnesota Vikings
- Re-signed: TE Johnny Mundt
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: NT Breiden Fehoko
Collier returns for a second chance in Arizona. After signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals almost a year ago, a biceps injury ended the 28-year-old’s season after only one start. He had impressed in camp and the preseason and will get another chance to do so in 2024.
Johnson was an exclusive rights free agent set to hit the open market next week. The Bears avoid tendering him by signing him to a new deal to remain in Chicago.
Bailey was set to be a restricted free agent but will no longer seek outside offer sheets after signing a new deal with Denver. He reportedly didn’t sign at the tender amount, agreeing to make $1.06MM next year.
Mundt came to Minnesota in 2022 with high hopes of expanding his game as a more complete tight end. With the Vikings, he’s upped his game as a receiver with 36 catches for 312 yards and two touchdowns. His head coach, Kevin O’Connell, calls him the NFL’s best TE3, and the team will pay him $2.5MM as a reward.
NFL Announces 2024 Compensatory Picks
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2024 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2023 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.
This year, the NFL awarded 34 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks. The CBA limits the total compensatory number to 32, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who notes the Cowboys, Jaguars and Packers qualified for an additional comp pick based on the net loss formula.
The updated NFL format also rewards third-round comp picks to teams that saw a minority assistant coach land a head coaching job or a minority front office exec become a GM. Teams receive two third-round picks for losing an assistant or FO staffer to a top job, but the picks do not come in the same draft. The 49ers’ pipeline here is still flowing and will continue to do so into the 2025 draft, with Ran Carthon landing the Titans’ GM job last year and DeMeco Ryans becoming the Texans’ HC. The Rams collected the first of their two third-rounders for the Falcons’ Raheem Morris hire. The Buccaneers do not receive a comp pick for Dave Canales‘ Panthers move due to the Latino staffer being Tampa Bay’s OC for just one season.
Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2024 compensatory selections.
By round:
Round 3: Jaguars (No. 96 overall), Eagles (No. 97), Rams (No. 98)*, 49ers (No. 99)*
Round 4: 49ers (No. 132), Bills (No. 133), Ravens (No. 134)
Round 5: Saints (No. 167), Packers (No. 168), Saints (No. 169), Eagles (No. 170), Eagles (No. 171), Chiefs (No. 172), Cowboys (No. 173), Saints (No. 174), 49ers (No. 175)
Round 6: Bengals (No. 208), Rams (No. 209), Eagles (No. 210), 49ers (No. 211), Jaguars (No. 212), Rams (No. 213), Bengals (No. 214), 49ers (No. 215), Cowboys (No. 216), Rams (No. 217), Jets (No. 218), Packers (No. 219), Buccaneers (No. 220)
Round 7: Chargers (No. 253), Rams (No. 254), Packers (No. 255), Jets (No. 256), Jets (No. 257)
* = special compensatory selection
By team:
- Los Angeles Rams: 5
- San Francisco 49ers: 5
- Philadelphia Eagles: 4
- Green Bay Packers: 3
- New Orleans Saints: 3
- New York Jets: 3
- Cincinnati Bengals: 2
- Dallas Cowboys: 2
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 2
- Baltimore Ravens: 1
- Buffalo Bills: 1
- Kansas City Chiefs: 1
- Los Angeles Chargers: 1
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1
Coaching Notes: Lombardi, 49ers, Shula, Bills, Broncos, Titans, Saints, Wilkins
Mick Lombardi will resurface in San Francisco. The 49ers are hiring the former Raiders offensive coordinator, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco. This marks a return trip for the second-generation NFL staffer. Lombardi worked on the 49ers’ staff from 2013-16, rising up to the quality control level during his first NFL gig. This came before Kyle Shanahan‘s arrival. Lombardi, 35, worked under Josh McDaniels in New England before being brought to Las Vegas as OC. Hours after the Raiders fired McDaniels, they canned Lombardi at the midseason point. Lombardi, who coached wide receivers and QBs in New England, does not have a specific title yet in San Francisco.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:
- The Bills are not retaining Mike Shula for their 2024 staff. The veteran coach’s contract expired, per WGR 550’s Sal Capaccio, who adds the Bills will not renew the deal. Shula had served as a senior offensive assistant on the past two Buffalo staffs. Shula, 58, had previously served as OC for the Panthers and Giants. The Carolina OC years overlapped with Cam Newton‘s MVP season and the team’s Super Bowl 50 trek. Son of Don Shula, Mike has been an NFL assistant since 1988. Prior to coming to Buffalo, he was in Denver for two seasons as QBs coach under Pat Shurmur.
- On the subject of the Broncos, they will replace defensive line coach Marcus Dixon with an in-house promotion. Denver will bump Jamar Cain up to D-line coach. A former college and high school staffer, Cain worked as a pass rush specialist last season, joining the team shortly after the Sean Payton trade.
- The Titans have a special teams coordinator in place now. Colt Anderson is in place here. A former Eagles, Colts and Bills special-teamer in the 2010s, Anderson previously coached with Brian Callahan in Cincinnati, serving most recently as the Bengals’ assistant ST coach. The Titans also hired Scott Fuchs as assistant O-line coach and Steve Donatell as a defensive assistant. Donatell spent last season in Miami under Vic Fangio, who had worked with Steve’s father (Ed) for many years. Fuchs comes up from the college ranks, having spent 31 seasons at that level. He spent the past three years at Kansas, serving as the Jayhawks’ O-line coach.
- The Saints promoted Jordan Traylor to assistant quarterbacks coach and have hired Keith Williams to coach wide receivers. Despite the Saints hiring Klint Kubiak as OC, they will retain a previous staffer in Traylor for this role. Traylor, 30, was a Payton hire who has been with the team five years. Williams spent the past three seasons with the Ravens, his first NFL gig.
- Kevin Wilkins, whom the Giants fired just before the simmering Don Martindale-Brian Daboll feud boiled over, is following the former New York DC to Michigan, 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. Brothers Kevin and Drew Wilkins each worked under Martindale with the Giants and Ravens. Drew landed a job with the Patriots last month; Kevin will work as a defensive analyst at Michigan.
Texans, Bills Host DT Foley Fatukasi
After the Jaguars ditched three defensive starters to create cap space earlier this week, one of them is already generating interest on the market. Foley Fatukasi has made two visits since his Jacksonville exit.
The Texans met with the veteran defensive tackle, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, who adds that meeting took place Wednesday. The Bills brought the ex-Jets draftee to town today, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Other teams have expressed interest, per Garafolo, and it appears a deal could come together before the market opens.
Because the Jags released Fatukasi, he is a street free agent and does not need to wait until next week — as unrestricted free agents do — to speak with teams. Fatukasi, whom the Jags cut on his 29th birthday, has been a regular run-stopping presence in New York and Jacksonville. Pro Football Focus did not view the UConn alum as being worth the deal the Jags authorized (three years, $30MM), grading him as one of the league’s worst DTs in 2022 and 60th at the position last year. But teams appear to disagree with this assessment.
A strong run in New York created a good Fatukasi market in 2022. PFF graded the former sixth-round pick as a top-15 interior D-lineman in 2019 and ’20, making him one of the brightest spots during the grim Adam Gase Jets tenure. Viewed as an elite run defender at that point, Fatukasi is now trying to bounce back after the Jags stripped away some of their 2022 free agency pickups.
The Texans have an interesting opportunity, with not much in the way of funds tied up anywhere but along the offensive line and now at tight end — via Dalton Schultz‘s $12MM-per-year deal. DeMeco Ryans‘ defense ranked sixth against the run last season, and while the team has Maliek Collins signed for 2024, it lost pass-rushing DT Sheldon Rankins. The Bills have a bigger need here, with their Ed Oliver supporting cast almost entirely bound for free agency. DTs DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle, Jordan Phillips and Poona Ford are out of contract. The Bills, who were without Jones for much of the season, ranked 15th against the run last year.
Bills Bring Back QB Mitchell Trubisky, P Matt Haack; S Taylor Rapp Lands Extension
MARCH 7: Garafolo’s colleague Tom Pelissero reports the Trubisky deal is two years in length and has a base value of $5.25MM. $2.75MM in guaranteed money is in place for 2024, and he can raise the value of the pact to $8.45MM via playing time and win incentives. Trubisky’s deal is thus far more valuable than Kyle Allen’s from last season, and the latter will likely be headed elsewhere.
MARCH 6: After being released from the Steelers over three weeks ago, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is headed back to Buffalo, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Trubisky left the Bills two years ago in order to compete for the starting job in Pittsburgh, but after falling dramatically on the depth chart since then, Trubisky found himself a free agent. Tim Graham of The Athletic was the first to report progressing talks of a reunion earlier this afternoon. 
After leaving for the Steelers, Trubisky successfully won the starting job over then-rookie Kenny Pickett. In a Week 4 loss to the Jets, Trubisky was benched for the rookie out of Pitt and remained on the bench for most of the remainder of the year, except for two games during which Pickett was injured. This season, Trubisky was the first name called upon to start when Pickett got hurt again. He played in three consecutive games before eventually getting benched once again, this time in favor of Mason Rudolph.
During his previous stint in Buffalo, Trubisky signed knowing that he would serve as a backup to Josh Allen, resigning himself to a role learning under the same staff that molded Allen into an MVP candidate. He’ll return to the same role in 2024. Trubisky’s addition likely means the end of Kyle Allen‘s time in Buffalo. Allen made seven garbage-time appearances last year as the primary backup before heading to free agency this offseason. Practice squad reserve Shane Buechele was signed to a futures deal and should play a similar role next season.
The Bills also kept an important name in the secondary, signing safety Taylor Rapp to a three-year extension worth up to $14.5MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Rapp, formerly a full-time starter as a second-round pick for the Rams, functioned as a third safety for the Bills in 2023, sitting behind the veteran pair of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. Rapp’s main playing time in Buffalo came as a starter in the four weeks that Hyde and Poyer missed due to injury.
With Hyde headed towards free agency and Poyer being released today, Rapp’s signing may deliver a glimpse of the Bills’ plans at safety moving forward. Some have even linked Buffalo to some of the best safety prospects in the draft like Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin or Miami’s Kamren Kinchens. Since both Hyde and Poyer will be 33 years old heading into the 2024 season, it makes sense that Buffalo is making plans to move on. Rapp represents one possible solution moving forward at 26 years old.
Finally, another reunion is happening in Buffalo, this one on special teams. Veteran punter Matt Haack signed a deal to return to Buffalo this year. Haack’s last full season came in 2022, when he served punting duties for the Colts, but he did play a game for the Browns this past year. The Bills re-signed current punter Sam Martin to a three-year, $6MM deal almost a year ago, so he’s still under contract for two more years.
Martin’s contract does have a potential out this offseason that would allow the team to save $1.25MM of cap space, so given the rest of their actions today, I wouldn’t rule out Haack coming in to replace Martin. For now, though, we’ll assume Haack is coming in to provide some camp competition for Martin this summer.
Bills To Release CB Tre’Davious White
As their cost-shedding moves continue, the Bills are parting ways with Tre’Davious White. The former All-Pro corner will be released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
Schefter notes White will be designated a post-June 1 cut, meaning the move will not take place until the new league year begins next week. That path will lead to $10.2MM in savings in 2024, but they will not be realized until June 2. White will, however, be free to find a new team as soon as the market opens.
[RELATED: Bills To Release Mitch Morse, Deonte Harty]
White’s future was in question given his injury history over the past two seasons in particular. The former first-rounder was limited to six contests in 2022 as he recovered from an ACL tear the previous fall. In 2023, an Achilles tear cut his season short after just four contests. Having missed considerable time and with no more base salary guaranteed on his deal, White represented a logical release candidate.
The 29-year-old’s extension (a four-year, $69MM pact inked in 2020) had already been restructured multiple times, and taking that route again would have pushed further cap charges down the road. Instead, the team will elect to spread out his dead money charge ($6.23MM in 2024) over two years while cutting ties with a full-time starter. White logged 89 total appearances between regular and postseason play in Buffalo.
Over that span, he racked up 18 interceptions – including a league-leading six in 2019. White reached double figures in terms of pass deflections in three of his first four seasons, but his production in that regard has dropped off in the past three years due in part to the missed time. The LSU alum has remained strong in coverage, though, something which could help him land a notable pact with a new team in free agency.
Buffalo has 2022 sixth-rounder Christian Benford as well as 2023 trade acquisition Rasul Douglas in place as starting outside corners for the time being. Kaiir Elam – taken 23rd overall in 2022 – has not developed as hoped so far in his career, but moving on from White could open the door to playing time. In any case, the Bills will be in the market for a CB addition either in free agency or the draft.
In need of plenty of maneuvering to get under the cap limit, the Bills have made a slew of moves pointing them in that direction. That has included Jordan Poyer and Siran Neal being released today. The same is also true of Morse and Harty. Taking into account the efforts made so far, Buffalo sits $19.7MM over the cap as things stand. That figure will be helped in June by White’s release, but in the immediate future the team still has more work to do from a financial standpoint.
Bills Restructure Von Miller, Rasul Douglas
The Bills remained the busiest team in the NFL this Wednesday as they made a litany of moves to adjust their salary cap heading into the new league year.
While much of that came in the releases of Jordan Poyer, Mitch Morse, Nyheim Hines, Deonte Harty, and Siran Neal, as well as the planned post June-1 release of Tre’Davious White, they were able to open up even more cap space today by restructuring the contracts of veteran pass rusher Von Miller and cornerback Rasul Douglas. 
Miller, 34, was a shadow of his former self in 2023. Rotating in behind Gregory Rousseau, Leonard Floyd, A.J. Epenesa, and Shaq Lawson, Miller was mostly a nonfactor on the Bills defense. While eight sacks in 2022 seemed worth the massive six-year, $120MM contract he signed to come to Buffalo, Miller’s ineffectiveness in the wake of his ACL recovery made a restructure all but necessary. According to Field Yates of ESPN, the Bills converted $7MM of his base salary (originally worth $17.15MM) into a signing bonus and $8.65MM more into incentives. Miller’s new base salary is $1.5MM for 2024, but he will reportedly be able to make up to $20MM. The move clears $8.65MM of cap space.
Douglas, a midseason trade acquisition this past season, was a welcome addition to the secondary, but Buffalo felt a need to offset some of his 2024 cap hit, which was scheduled to be nearly $10MM. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the team converted $1.5MM of Douglas’ 2024 base salary, as well as a $2MM roster bonus, into a signing bonus. Buffalo also added three void years in order to spread out cap into later years. In doing so, the Bills were able to clear up another $2.5MM of cap space.
Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News had the honor or keeping track of all the team’s financial moves today, noting the changes to a cap number that started the day around $41MM over the league’s $255.4MM salary cap. Between the restructures of Miller and Douglas and the releases of Poyer, Morse, Hines, Harty, and Neal, the Bills were able to clear approximately $37.1MM of their $41MM deficit. They should get an additional boost of over $10MM from the post June-1 release of White and more from the trade of offensive lineman Ryan Bates, but that will be needed to counteract the recent moves to extend safety Taylor Rapp and guard David Edwards and sign quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and punter Matt Haack.
The Bills were much busier than any other team in the NFL today. They’ll likely continue to adjust here and there with free agency and the draft on the horizon. For now, though, no one can say they aren’t making efforts to get under the league’s new salary cap.
Bills Release Mitch Morse, Deonte Harty
The Bills continue to move on from veterans in their path to cap compliance. Buffalo is releasing center Mitch Morse, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. The team also plans to cut receiver/returner Deonte Harty, Rapoport and colleague Tom Pelissero add. Both moves are now official. 
Morse’s release marks further changes along the offensive line for Buffalo. The team traded Ryan Bates to the Bears on Monday, giving him a better chance of seeing first-team duties. That suggested the Bills’ starting interior trio of Connor McGovern, O’Cyrus Torrence and Morse would remain intact for 2024. Instead, the latter is now poised for free agency.
Moving on from Morse – who had one year remaining on his contract – will produce $8.5MM in cap savings and $3MM in dead money. The move means Buffalo will have a new starting center for the first time since 2019 unless a new, more cost-effective agreement can be reached between team and player in this situation. Morse earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in 2022, and he logged over 1,100 snaps for the second time in his career last season.
The 31-year-old ranked 20th amongst qualifying centers in 2023, drawing a 64.1 overall grade. That falls in line with his evaluations throughout much of his career, and a similar level of play may have been expected for 2024. Buffalo entered the offseason in unenviable cap shape, though, leading to a number of departures via veteran releases.
That process has included safety Jordan Poyer and special teamer Siran Neal being let go in cost-shedding moves earlier today. Harty’s release will add to the financial benefits, as it will yield a further $4.3MM in extra cap space. The latter joined Buffalo on a two-year pact last offseason and served as the team’s primary punt returner. He ran back 26 punts in 2023, and scored a 96-yard touchdown as part of his special teams contributions. The Bills will aim to find a less expensive option this offseason.
Rapoport notes Connor McGovern is expected to slide over from guard to center to take Morse’s place. Not to be confused with the Jets center of the same name, McGovern joined the Bills last offseason following his Cowboys tenure. He played exclusively at left guard in 2023, but he has limited experience as a center dating back to his time in Dallas. David Edwards, meanwhile, will be the favorite to replace McGovern at the LG spot on Buffalo’s new-look offensive line.
Bills Release S Jordan Poyer, CB Siran Neal
In need of cost-shedding moves in the lead-in to free agency, the Bills are moving on from Jordan Poyer. The veteran safety is being released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The team has since confirmed the move.
Poyer had been a Bills mainstay over the past seven years, remaining a full-time starter and enjoying his most productive seasons in Buffalo. One year remained on his pact, and the 33-year-old was due $5.5MM. Poyer’s cap hit was set to be $7.72MM, though, and $760K of his salary was due to become guaranteed on March 18. Moving on will create $5.72MM in cap space while generating a dead money charge of $2MM.
Buffalo first inked Poyer in 2017, and extended him in 2020. A free agent departure was a distinct possibility last offseason, and the former seventh-rounder tested his value on the open market. After failing to receive much in the way of outside interest, he agreed to a two-year, $12.5MM re-up in Buffalo. Halfway through that pact, he will now seek out a new team as he looks to continue his career.
Buffalo safety partner Micah Hyde is a pending free agent, but his playing future is uncertain. Given the questions surrounding Hyde’s willingness to work out another Bills pact – and the interest the team would have in one – as well as today’s move, the position is on track to see notable turnover this offseason. Both Hyde and Poyer had been in place as full-time starters for the past seven years.
The latter remained productive through much of his Buffalo tenure. Poyer earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2021, and he received a Pro Bowl invite the following season. After racking up a combined nine interceptions and 17 pass deflections during that span, however, those totals fell to zero and four in 2023. Between a drop-off in production and concerns about his age, Poyer could be hard-pressed to land a lucrative deal with a new team in free agency (something which figures to have a number of veteran safeties available).
Depth corner and special teamer Siran Neal is also being released, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That move will free up roughly $2.9MM in cap space; one year remained on Neal’s contract. The 29-year-old had been with the Bills since 2018, playing 97 games and logging a heavy workload on special teams along the way. While Buffalo’s third phase will take a hit with this move, the team will move closer to cap compliance as a result of it.
Even with Poyer and Neal off the books, Buffalo still sits $32.5MM over the cap ceiling. Teams must be under the limit by the start of the new league year next week, so further moves will be required over the coming days. The Bills’ secondary, meanwhile, will feature a number of new faces in 2024.
Bills To Re-Sign G David Edwards
David Edwards went from Rams starter to Bills backup, heading east after a market did not materialize last year. Shortly after the Bills traded Ryan Bates, they are prioritizing Edwards.
Buffalo will re-sign the five-year veteran to a two-year deal, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The contract is worth $6MM, with Wilson adding it includes $2.95MM guaranteed. This will keep a top backup in the fold for the four-time reigning AFC East champions.
While it may be a bit surprising Edwards is not opting to try his luck in finding another starting job in free agency, this year’s guard class is crowded. Still, Edwards would appear slightly overqualified for a backup role. He has made 45 regular-season starts, including all 17 during the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning season, and five more in the playoffs.
The Bills enjoyed good health on their offensive front last season; Edwards did not start any games, as first-stringers Connor McGovern and O’Cyrus Torrence remained in the lineup. Edwards, 26, did play 148 offensive snaps in 2023, working as a sixth O-lineman at times for the Bills. He also played under Bills O-line coach Aaron Kromer with the Rams.
The Bills nabbed Edwards on a one-year, $1.77MM deal after the first wave of free agency died down in 2023. Despite working as a steady starter in Los Angeles, Edwards will only receive barely $1MM in additional guarantees on his second Bills deal. With the team sending Bates to Chicago in exchange for a fifth-round pick, it makes sense to keep its other top interior backup in the fold. Based on Edwards’ resume, the Bills look to be getting good value here.
Pro Football Focus graded Edwards as a top-30 guard in 2020 and 2021, slotting him 17th overall in 2020. The Wisconsin alum suffered a concussion early during the 2022 campaign, amid a spree of Rams O-line injuries that year, and missed 13 games. Edwards had returned to action after the early-season concussion but reentered the protocol soon after. He did not play again that season and, despite this Bills re-up, has not completely re-established his value.
This will be the Bills’ gain, as the perennial contenders have their five O-line starters — McGovern, Torrence, Dion Dawkins, Mitch Morse and Spencer Brown — signed for 2024 and now Edwards back in the mix.