Gachkar, 29, has become a special-teams only player as NFL career has advanced, and he didn’t play a single defensive snap for the Panthers in 2017. A former seventh-round pick, Gackhar has been in the league since 2011 but has only made 11 starts. He signed with Carolina last October and played in six games for the club, appearing on roughly two-thirds of the Panthers’ special teams plays during that time.

Detroit, for its part, has been willing to pay for special teams play in the past. Under general manager Bob Quinn, the Lions have steadily improved on special teams, and last season ranked fifth in Football Outsiders’ DVOA. Gackhar would surely focus on that area of play if signed, especially given that Detroit added other linebackers such as Devon Kennard, Christian Jones, Cam Johnson, and Jonathan Freeny.

Kuechly was forced out of last week’s loss to the Eagles when he suffered a head/neck injury. The collision with Eagles guard Brandon Brooks was extra concerning given Kuechly’s history of head injuries. He did not practice on Tuesday and he remains in concussion protocol, so his timetable for recovery remains unclear.

Gachkar is obviously not of the same caliber as Kuechly, but he will provide depth for however long the four-time Pro Bowler is out. For now, David Mayo seems likely to start at middle linebacker with Jared Norris as his primary backup. Gachkar, a special teams specialist, will probably see more time on kick and punt coverage than actual defensive plays.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

• The Bears‘ decision to start rookie Mitch Trubisky over Mike Glennon speaks to the No. 2 overall selection’s development this year, opines Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. Trubisky, who started only 13 collegiate games before entering the NFL draft, was so raw that had to be taught how to take snaps under center in the spring, per Breer. But Trubisky has displayed so much improvement in the months since that Chicago formulated a plan to have the North Carolina product take starter’s practice reps in the fall. Of course, Glennon’s sub-par performance also made the Bears’ call a simple one, as the former Buccaneers ranks near the bottom of the league in nearly every quarterback metric.
• The Lions took a look at tight ends Jace Amaro, Gavin Escobar, Cory Harkey, and David Johnson and linebackers Akeem Ayers, Andrew Gachkar, and Spencer Paysinger, today, reports veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Detroit’s linebacker auditions are particularly notable, as the club just lost base package starter Paul Worrilow to an MCL strain. All three of Ayers, Gachkar, and Paysinger appeared in at least 15 games a season ago, but were mostly relegated to special teams duty.
• Offensive tackles Andrew Wylie, Stephen Evans, and Storm Norton, plus running back Joel Bouagnon, worked out for the Packers on Tuesday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Wylie went undrafted out of Eastern Michigan earlier this year, but signed with the Colts shortly thereafter. He took a spot on Indy’s practice squad until being waived in September. Bouagnon, too, is a rookie UDFA (Northern Illinois) who spent eight weeks with the Bears this summer.
• The Bears auditioned safety Jordan Moore yesterday, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Moore, a rookie undrafted free agent out of the University of Texas at San Antonio, signed with the Falcons earlier this year but has been on the workout circuit since August.

Atlanta Falcons

• CB D’Joun Smith, S Chris Prosinski

Buffalo Bills

• QB Garrett Grayson

Detroit Lions

• S Harold Jones-Quartey

Houston Texans

• LB Kennan Gilchrist, LB Trevor Bates, LB Andrew Gachkar, RB/LB Connor Harris

Indianapolis Colts

• TE Evan Baylis

Jacksonville Jaguars

• LB Shakeel Rashad

Los Angeles Chargers

• LB Josh Mauga

Los Angeles Rams

• WR Kolby Listenbee

Minnesota Vikings

• TE Evan Baylis

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste

Tennessee Titans

• P Taylor Symmank, P Austin Rehkow

Released:

• LB Andrew Gachkar
• DE Malliciah Goodman
• LB Josh McNary

Waived:

• RB Tim Cook
• DE Hunter Dimick
• CB Brian Dixon
• TE Alex Ellis
• WR Amba Etta-Tawo
• OL Avery Gennesy
• TE David Grinnage
• DB Tracy Howard
• CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
• OL Nila Kasitati
• DT Kevin Maurice
• DE Carroll Phillips
• OL Chris Reed
• DE Jonathan Woodard

Waived/injured:

• CB Doran Grant
• S Jarrod Harper
• WR Shane Wynn

Placed on IR:

• WR Rashad Greene

After finishing 23rd in special teams DVOA a season ago, the Jaguars are seemingly attempting to improve that ranking in 2017. In addition to hiring Joe DeCamillis as its new special teams coordinator, Jacksonville has signed a number of free agents whose primarily responsibility will come on fourth down. Audie Cole, Jeron Johnson, and Stanley Jean-Baptiste all fit that mold, and Gachkar joins them as a special teams-first player.

Gackhar, 28, has appeared in 95 career games but boasts only nine starts. Last season, Gackhar wrapped up a two-year stint with the Cowboys, and played in all 16 games but played only 75 defensive snaps. The former seventh-round draft pick was still highly involved, however, as he saw action on nearly 70% of Dallas’ special teams plays.

Even if he makes the Jaguars roster, Gackhar wouldn’t be counted on to play in the Jaguars’ defense, as the team has already bit up a good deal of positional depth this year. In addition to starters Telvin Smith, Myles Jack, and Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville has Cole, Josh McNary, Lerentee McCray, and fifth-round rookie Blair Brown on its depth chart.

Before signing with the Jaguars, Gachkar had met with both the Patriots and Bills.

This will also be Gachkar’s second visit this offseason. He met with the Patriots two weeks ago. Gachkar spent the past two seasons with the Cowboys, serving as a backup linebacker and special-teamer.

Buffalo’s defensive second level has some returning cogs, like Lorenzo Alexander and Preston Brown, and saw Reggie Ragland return to workouts last week. The Bills’ linebacker group, though, has some questions after converting to a 4-3.

Gachkar operated as a part-time player with the Cowboys, making just 10 total tackles since signing there in 2015. He played just 76 snaps last season, and 45 of those came in a Week 17 game that saw Dallas use many backups after clinching home-field advantage. The former Chargers seventh-round pick played in all 32 Cowboys regular-season games throughout the duration of his contract, however.

[RELATED: Patriots Won’t Re-Sign WR Michael Floyd]

Gachkar, 28, saw time in every possible regular season game for the Cowboys over the last two years. However, he has played primarily on special teams. In 2016, he saw only 76 snaps on defense with 45 of those reps coming in Week 17. The Patriots are likely looking at him as a special teamer and a depth option.

The Patriots had only four draft picks this year and they did not take a linebacker with any of those selections.

We’ve examined how Dallas might go about finding a replacement for McClain, looking at players already on the Cowboys’ roster, free agents sitting on the open market, and veterans who could be on the roster bubble with their respective clubs. Let’s dive in…

Internal options:

The primary name being floated to replace McClain in the middle is third-year linebacker Anthony Hitchens, whom the Cowboys selected in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. Thing is, Hitchens was already a starter — he played on the inside in McClain’s absence last year, and then moved to the outside, ultimately seeing action on about half of Dallas’ defensive snaps. So if Hitchens is being counted on to man the middle full-time, including in sub packages, the Cowboys would need to find a replacement at strong-side linebacker, meaning Kyle Wilber and/or Andrew Gachkar could see meaningful snaps after spending most of their respective careers as special teams players.

[RELATED: Updated Dallas Cowboys depth chart]

Gachkar, meanwhile, is another option to fill in at middle linebacker, and he has experience at the position. If chosen, Gachkar would likely be a two-down player, as Pro Football Focus’ grades have shown him to be effective against the run but a liability in pass coverage. The 27-year-old has never been a major defensive contributor — he was forced to step into the starting lineup when the Chargers suffered a variety of injuries at the linebacker position in 2014, but even then, he only played on 36.5% of San Diego’s defensive snaps.

The “wild card” in this race is second-year player Mark Nzeocha, according to Bryan Broaddus of the Cowboys’ website. A seventh-round pick in last year’s draft, Nzeocha only appeared in two games during his rookie season, managing 14 snaps, all of which came on special teams. Extremely athletic, Nzeocha was all over the field at Wyoming, playing safety and all three linebacker positions. His learning curve might be steep, but he clearly has all the physical tools to play the position.

A source tells PFR that the Cowboys are, for the most part, satisfied with the current state of their linebacker room, and are looking forward to have their young players compete for playing time while McClain is suspended. Dallas, says the source, hasn’t shown a lot of interest in scouring the free agent market for substitutes, so one of Hitchens, Gachkar, or Nzeocha might be the favorite to earn significant snaps this fall.

Free agents:

Donald Butler — After selecting Denzel Perryman in 2015 and Joshua Perry in this year’s draft, the Chargers parted ways with Butler, who had spent the past five seasons with the club. At age-27, Butler is the youngest free agent option on this list, but he’s coming off the worst season of his career, having posted just 40 tackles during the 2016 campaign. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune accused Butler of “losing interest” after receiving a massive extension prior to the 2014 season, so perhaps some other clubs have made that same assessment.

Justin Durant — Durant started 12 games for the Falcons last year, but prior to his time in Atlanta he spent two seasons with the Cowboys, so at the very least he’d offer some familiarity with Dallas defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli‘s playbook. Versatility is another point in Durant’s favor, as he played mostly inside linebacker with Atlanta and Detroit, roamed the middle during his Jacksonville tenure, and moved between both positions with the Cowboys.

A.J. Hawk — The Bengals signed Hawk to a two-year deal before the 2015 campaign, but despite injuries limiting fellow linebacker Vontaze Burfict to just 10 games, Hawk rarely saw the field, playing on roughly a quarter of Cincinnati’s defensive snaps. Hawk recently told Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer that although he’s aware a club might not express interest until late in camp (or perhaps after the season begins), he’s staying in shape in the hopes of receiving a phone call.

David Hawthorne — Like Durant, Hawthorne offers positional versatility, having seen action at both inside and outside linebacker. In 2015, Hawthorne was shifted to the weak side in favor of rookie Stephone Anthony, but was then benched, declared inactive, and ultimately released after an unproductive season. Still, he’s got 83 career starts under his belt, and would presumably feel comfortable in the middle of the Dallas defense.

Keep reading for more external options that could be on the Cowboys’ radar…

Read more

Philadelphia extended Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick in the late Andy Reid years before re-signing Mark Sanchez this offseason. But Sam Bradford still sits in a walk year despite changing teams, and Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB.com analyzes the risks both sides take by standing pat and the benefits possible for each party.

Brandt estimates Bradford, with the huge caveat of whether the 27-year-old signal-caller makes it through the season unscathed, could be somewhat of a prize next offseason for a quarterback-needy franchise considering a market that as of now houses Russell Wilson, Philip Rivers and Eli Manning could be left with only Bradford with the cost of inking QBs on a perpetual rise. But despite Bradford having already earned a preposterous $65.1MM as the last No. 1 overall pick of the old CBA, the sixth-year veteran could be worth next to nothing with another season-ending malady, increasing the urgency to negotiate a deal with the Eagles before the season begins.

Although traded for 2013-14 starter Nick Foles, who has won almost as many games (14) in three seasons than Bradford has in five (18), Brandt notes there remains a remote trade possibility, and Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com writes a Week 1 starting lineup featuring Sanchez is not beyond the realm of possibility. On the books for $12.99MM cap number, Bradford’s still in a solid position, with what could be a scant quarterback derby next March and the possibility of the position’s franchise tag skyrocketing to around $20MM next season, per Kulp.

Let’s look at some additional Eastern items this afternoon.

• Jason Pierre-Paul intends to play this season at around 265 pounds, notes the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz. Weight’s served as a bit of an issue for Pierre-Paul since his dominant 2011 showing. The 2010 first-round pick hasn’t signed his franchise tender worth $14.8MM yet and hasn’t showed at the Giants‘ facilities for OTAs or minicamp, instead opting to train in his native Florida. Schwartz adds only a “remote” chance exists JPP and the Giants agree on a long-term deal by July 15.
• Special teams coach Rich Bisaccia and linebackers boss Matt Eberflus influenced Andrew Gachkar to sign with the Cowboys, along with Texas’ absence of a state tax, reports Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Gachkar said his primary position will likely be strongside linebacker while playing under his former instructors at Missouri and with the Chargers, respectively.
• At the moment, the Jets‘ starting tight end is sixth-year veteran Jeff Cumberland, as Jace Amaro is listed as the H-back under Todd Bowles. But the Jets won’t wait around for the inconsistent Cumberland, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Although the 28-year-old hasn’t exactly had proficient quarterbacks throwing to him, Cumberland rated as the worst tight end last season among players who garnered at least 25% of their team’s snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
• The Dolphins are likely to deploy Jeff Linkenbach as their starting right guard, offers James Walker of ESPN.com. Walker predicts the former Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts cog will beat out Billy Turner for the position. Possibly the most reported Evan Mathis suitor, Miami would be giving snaps to a sub-par guard in Linkenbach in this scenario. The sixth-year veteran’s last full season as a starter — 2011 in Indianapolis — produced some ghastly results, according to PFF (subscription required). Linkenbach hasn’t started more than eight games since.

SUNDAY, 3:44pm: Gachkar will collect $2.2MM guaranteed in 2015, tweets Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

3:17pm: The Cowboys have agreed to terms with free agent linebacker Andrew Gachkar, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). It’s a two-year deal with a maximum value of $5.5MM, adds Garafolo (via Twitter).

Even though he saw less than 400 snaps on the Chargers’ defense last season, Gachkar has drawn a significant amount of interest around the league since free agency began last week. The Vikings, Panthers, and Raiders all expressed interest in 26-year-old linebacker, who had spent his entire career in San Diego. While he started only five games in 2014, Gachkar was a key contributor on special teams, where he played on 217 snaps and posted 12 tackles.

Gachkar could potentially see a starting role on the Dallas defense, where the club has yet to re-sign linebacker Rolando McClain. Sean Lee will be returning from injury in 2015, and given that he can play either in the middle or on the outside, Gachkar could slot into the other position. Gachkar played inside linebacker in San Diego’s 3-4 defense, so the middle in the Cowboys’ 4-3 look would probably be the best fit.

Not accounting for Gachkar’s addition, the Cowboys have a little over $8MM of cap space left, so incremental additions such as this one are probably all that’s available to the club for the remainder of the offseason. Dallas has seen its linebacking unit depleted, as both Bruce Carter and Justin Durant have signed elsewhere in free agency, so Gachkar might not be the only LB addition the team makes.

AFC deals:

• Derrick Morgan, OLB (Titans): Four years, $27MM base value. $10.5MM fully guaranteed. $6MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
• Marcus Gilchrist, S (Jets): Four years, $22MM base value. $10MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com).
• Jordan Cameron, TE (Dolphins): Two years, $15MM base value. $5MM fully guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
• Paul Fanaika, OL (Chiefs): Three years, $6.5MM. $1.75MM signing bonus. Incentives and escalators available (Twitter links via Wilson).
• Alan Branch, DT (Patriots): Two years, $4.3MM base value. $700K signing bonus. Option for 2016 (all Twitter links via Wilson).
• Tyrod Taylor, QB (Bills): Two years, $3.35MM base value. $1.15MM fully guaranteed. $400K signing bonus. Third year voids (all four Twitter links via Wilson).

NFC deals:

• Jasper Brinkley, LB (Cowboys): Two years, $6.5MM base value. $2MM guaranteed, $2MM option bonus in 2016 (Twitter link via Wilson).
• Akeem Ayers, LB (Rams): Two years, $6MM base value. $2.75MM guaranteed. $1.3MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter links via Wilson).
• Andrew Gachkar, LB (Cowboys): Two years, $5.2MM base value. $1.2MM signing bonus. Up to $1MM in annual incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
• Nick Fairley, DT (Rams): One year, $5MM base value. $1.5MM roster bonus in 2015. Sack and playoff incentives available (Twitter links via Wilson).
• Erik Pears, OL (49ers): Two years, $4.7MM base value. $1MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
• Kurt Coleman, S (Panthers): Two years, $2.8MM base value. $600K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
• O’Brien Schofield, DE (Falcons): One year, $1.7MM base value. $255K signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
• Chris Conte, S (Buccaneers): One year, $1.5MM base value. $1.25MM fully guaranteed (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).

“He is only 28-years-old, 6’2″ a little under 200 pounds, absolutely electric in getting off the line of scrimmage and making people miss,” said Curran. “What happened last year at San Francisco you wonder? That’s a horrible passing game. I talked to our collegue Matt Maiocco with CSN Bay Area, and he said the only guy that could be satisfied out there was Anquan Boldin.”

• The AFC East got a lot stronger this offseason, with the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins all bringing big names onto their teams and look to be generally improved from 2014. The Patriots, on the other hand, actually lost their best defensive player in Darrelle Revis to their division rival Jets, who signed him to a five-year deal with $39MM in guaranteed money. The Patriots were not worried about the the guaranteed money, but did balk at a three-year contract with no outs for the team, writes Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
• Although linebacker Andrew Gachkar just signed with the Cowboys, he was very interested in the Patriots, who he visited with earlier during the free agency period, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN (via Twitter). However, family ties in Dallas helped him decide to join the Cowboys.
• The Charles Clay saga wages on, as both the Bills and Dolphins seem intertwined with the versatile pass catcher’s future. However, no updates are imminent, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). The Dolphins are waiting for the Bills to give Clay an offer sheet.

• Chargers linebacker Andrew Gachkar will not be visiting the Vikings, tweets Mark Craig of the Star Tribune. Despite previous reports linking San Diego to the 26-year-old, Craig clarifies that the team has no interest.
• Following Michael Johnson‘s release from the Buccaneers earlier today, FOX Sports’ Jenna Laine tweets that the Vikings have interest in the veteran defensive end (along with the Bengals). A source tells Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that Johnson has already heard from handful of teams.
• The Ravens have maintained interest in bringing back backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, sources tell Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). Taylor visited with the Bills on Tuesday.

• The Jets are in contract talks with free agent safety Marcus Gilchrist, a source tells Darryl Slater of the Star-Ledger. Gilchrist arrived Tuesday for a free agency visit with the Jets that has continued into Wednesday, as scheduled. Gilchrist, 26, has spent his entire career with the Chargers, who drafted him in the second round in 2011.
• The Titans remain in the mix to sign Derrick Morgan despite his free agent visits and apparent interest from the Cowboys, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. They’re also still working to re-sign kicker Ryan Succop.
• Free agent cornerback Patrick Robinson has received some interest from the Vikings, Dolphins, Saints, Steelers, and Panthers, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
• The Vikings have touched base with free agent cornerback Tramon Williams, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears the same thing, but his source says it doesn’t sound “very serious.”
• Linebacker Andrew Gachkar‘s anticipated visit to the Vikings is on hold as of right now due to what a source only will say is related to “some issues right now,” Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.
• New Jaguars defensive lineman Jared Odrick told reporters, including Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links), that “tons of teams” went after him. The Colts and Chiefs, he said, were among the teams chasing him.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.