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Juwan Johnson

Broncos, Seahawks Pursued TE Juwan Johnson; Latest On Evan Engram’s Free Agency Call

March 18th, 2025 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

In what may be the least surprising free agency what-if in this year’s cycle, the Broncos were one of the teams in on Juwan Johnson. The veteran tight end confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell) a Sean Payton reunion was on the table.

The Broncos already employ two former Saints tight ends, in Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull, and their roster and coaching staff includes other ex-Saints. Denver, though, looked to serve as the lead driver of a market that ended with a three-year, $30.75MM deal for one of Payton’s more successful UDFAs.

New Orleans carved out enough cap room, primarily using Derek Carr‘s contract as a tool, to re-sign Johnson and Chase Young and add Justin Reid. Johnson will stay with the team with which he has spent his entire career, remaining paired up with Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill. Johnson, 28, will be the lead target among this trio thanks to this contract.

The Seahawks also pursued Johnson, which represents a less predictable push due to the team having re-signed Noah Fant during last year’s legal tampering period. Fant is on a two-year, $21.5MM deal, but Johnson carries a season of experience with Klint Kubiak, who did not overlap with Fant in Denver. The former first-round pick does not have any guaranteed salary on the books for 2026, though he is a year younger than Johnson.

Prior to agreeing to return in a new Saints offense, Johnson said (via NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill) he met with new HC Kellen Moore. Johnson called the new Saints HC the night before he signed to go over his vision for himself in the offense. Evidently, this conversation went well, as Johnson will be a key piece of Moore’s first Saints operation.

Although we included Johnson as the only tight end in the PFR Top 50, the list emerged before the Jaguars cut Evan Engram. A more accomplished player, Engram also looks to have benefited from where the Saints went for Johnson. A day after the Johnson pact, the Broncos gave Engram a two-year, $23MM accord. That narrowly topped Johnson’s AAV number, as Engram has two Pro Bowls on a resume that includes five 575-plus-yard seasons (to Johnson’s zero).

Engram, though, is two years older than Johnson. The 30-year-old TE also received an offer from the Chargers, 9News’ Mike Klis adds, noting the Bolts’ proposal checked in around where the Broncos’ offer came in. Engram visited both teams, meeting with the Broncos before Johnson recommitted to the Saints. The Broncos may have passed on beating the Saints’ offer to reunite Payton and Johnson, but they received news of Engram’s commitment barely a day later. This stands to help a team that saw Trautman’s 188 yards lead its TE contingent last season.

Of Engram’s $16MM guarantee at signing, $5MM comes as part of his 2026 base salary ($10.99MM), KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. Though he gave the Saints a three-year commitment, Johnson did better at signing; New Orleans gave its TE find $21.25MM fully guaranteed.

Although they have signed half of last year’s AFC West starting centers (Bradley Bozeman, Andre James), the Chargers have thus far stood down at tight end. Their offer to Engram, of course, shows an interest in upgrading. Hayden Hurst hit free agency last week, while the team lost Stone Smartt to the Jets. Will Dissly, last season’s Bolts TE yardage leader, remains under contract.

Contract Details: Allen, Bills, Bears, Giants, Adebo, Packers, Hobbs, Chiefs, Saints

March 13th, 2025 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Starting with one monster Bills extension and another big-ticket deal, here are the latest contract details from around the NFL:

  • Josh Allen, QB (Bills): Six years, $330MM. Classified as a two-year add-on that provides the reigning MVP with a roughly $90MM raise, the deal includes some key dates. On fully guaranteed salaries in 2025 and ’26, Allen will see all of his 2027 pay become fully guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, per OverTheCap. On Day 5 of the 2027 league year, Allen’s 53.5MM salary locks in. $14MM of Allen’s 2029 roster bonus ($22.3MM) becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2028 league year. Allen will be due a $35MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2029 league year. He is tied to a $41.3MM cap number in 2025, but restructures are likely coming; his cap hit spikes to $61.4MM in 2026.
  • Gregory Rousseau, DE (Bills). Four years, $80MM. Rousseau will see $49MM guaranteed at signing, OverTheCap notes, while his 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed. The Bills are providing guarantees into Year 3, as KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes that $5MM of Rousseau’s $16.41MM base is locked in already. The rest will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. A $3MM roster bonus is also in place on Day 5 of the 2029 league year.
  • Paulson Adebo, CB (Giants). Three years, $54MM. The young cornerback will see $34.75MM guaranteed at signing. Despite Adebo only signing a three-year deal, that full guarantee ranks 10th among corners. The Giants guaranteed $13.5MM of Adebo’s $17.25MM 2026 salary, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. The rest becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
  • Dayo Odeyingbo, DE (Bears): Three years, $48MM. The ex-Colt will see $29.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. $13MM of Odeyingbo’s $15.5MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, with Wilson adding the rest locks in on Day 3 of the 2026 league year. A $1MM roster bonus is also due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year; Odeyingbo’s 2027 base is nonguaranteed.
  • Nate Hobbs, CB (Packers). Four years, $48MM. While Hobbs is guaranteed $16MM at signing, the general Packers contract structure resurfaces here. Reminding of Josh Jacobs‘ 2024 deal (also 4/48), his former Raiders teammate has no guarantees beyond that $16MM signing bonus, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. A $6.25MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, Wilson tweets. The Packers typically do not guarantee second-year salaries, but they would be out $12MM in dead money if they move in on 2026 — due to signing bonus prorations.
  • Darius Slayton, WR (Giants). Three years, $36MM. Now on a third Giants contract, Slayton will receive $22MM at signing, Wilson tweets. That is $10MM more than his second contract was worth in total. Slayton’s 2026 salary is mostly guaranteed, with Wilson adding $9.75MM of that $12.25MM is locked in. A $2.5MM roster bonus in place on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
  • Juwan Johnson, TE (Saints). Three years, $30.75MM. Johnson will see $21.25MM at signing, with Wilson adding his 2025 and ’26 base salaries are guaranteed. Johnson’s 2027 paragraph 5 number ($7.5MM) is nonguaranteed, but a $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
  • Jaylon Moore, T (Chiefs). Two years, $30MM. The Chiefs are guaranteeing their new left tackle hopeful $21.24MM at signing. A career-long 49ers backup, Moore will see $7MM of his $14.24MM 2026 base salary guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets.

Saints To Re-Sign TE Juwan Johnson

March 11th, 2025 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Saints restructures accumulate (headlined by Derek Carr‘s), the team carved out enough cap room to retain Chase Young. The moves have also elevated New Orleans to a place where keeping Juwan Johnson was feasible.

The Saints are re-signing Johnson on a three-year deal, according to his agency. Johnson checked in on PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents list, as this year — before Evan Engram‘s release — brought a thin tight end contingent. But Johnson was one of the headliners. He is staying in New Orleans on a third contract.

Johnson will score a nice raise on this deal. The veteran pass catcher will be tied to $30.75MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Of that toal, $21.25MM will come guaranteed. Going into his age-29 season, Johnson is coming off his second 500-plus-yard performance. Even though the Saints are changing schemes by transitioning to the Kellen Moore era, Carr will still have Johnson to target moving forward.

The five-year Saint had played out a two-year, $12MM contract. It is worth wondering if Sean Payton‘s Saints West headquarters helped move the price to where it was, as the Broncos are in need of a tight end — even as they roster ex-Saints Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull — as well. Denver hosted Engram on Monday but has not signed him. Regardless of which team drove up Johnson’s price, a former UDFA will benefit and now be tied to an eight-figure AAV.

Over the past three years, Johnson has produced two 500-plus-yard seasons and totaled 14 touchdowns. That included career-high catch (50) and yardage (548) totals in 2024. The converted wideout has shown consistent ability to break away after the catch, with 38.7% of his yardage coming post-reception in 2024. He has averaged at least 11 yards per reception three times as a Saint, with Johnson being one of the team’s few post-Payton success stories. The converted wideout’s best work has come since Payton resigned his post in 2022.

Published before Engram’s release, PFR’s free agent list tabbed Johnson as most likely to become this year’s highest-paid UFA tight end. Although the Bengals gave Mike Gesicki a three-year, $25.5MM deal to stay, that assessment has thus far proven accurate. Johnson rejoins a Saints team still rostering Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau. While Hill has generated more interest, Johnson is now in the clear position as the team’s top receiving tight end.

NFC Restructures: Hockenson, Giants, Saints

September 8th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings were in an uncomfortable position entering the season with less than $1MM in salary cap space. Such a low allowance would restrict the team in making any deadline or practice squad additions, so it was necessary for the team to rework somebody’s contract in order to free up a bit of cap space.

That player happened to be tight end T.J. Hockenson, per Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune. While the exact details are unavailable at the moment, the Vikings converted a good amount of Hockenson’s $9.9MM base salary in 2024 into a signing bonus. The move cleared up around $7.92MM of cap space. They avoided utilizing a void year at the end of his contract to stash future cap since he already had one in his previous deal.

Here are a few other restructures from around the NFC:

  • The Giants also looked to restructure a veteran’s contract on the eve of the season, choosing to rework the deal of linebacker Bobby Okereke, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. The team converted $6.78MM of Okereke’s 2024 salary into a signing bonus. The move cleared up $4.51MM of cap space for New York this season.
  • Lastly, we recently mentioned that New Orleans worked to restructure the contract of tight end Juwan Johnson to clear up $3.5MM of cap space. Katherine Terrell of ESPN provided a few more details on the reworked deal, informing that the team converted $4.38MM of Johnson’s 2024 base salary into a signing bonus and added one additional void year to the end of his contract in order to achieve their desired result. In effect, his cap impact with the Saints was reduced from $7.01MM to $3.51MM.

Contract Details: Ravens, 49ers, Sutton, Bates

September 4th, 2024 at 9:32pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens reworked a handful of contracts this week. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team restructured linebacker Roquan Smith‘s contract. ESPN’s Field Yates adds that defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and kicker Justin Tucker also reworked their pacts.

Smith’s restructuring helped create $4.875MM in cap space, per Rapoport. Smith is playing on the second year of a five-year, $100MM extension he signed with the Ravens in 2023. In total, the three recent contract restructurings will total $9.3MM in savings, per Yates.

GM Eric DeCosta recently hinted that the team may be over the cap after adding a long list of practice squad players (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). The executive was confident the organization would quickly get cap compliant, and it sounds like the front office also managed to squeeze out some extra financial wiggle room heading into the regular season.

More cap restructurings from around the NFL…

  • Deebo Samuel provided the 49ers with some cap space the other day, with the wideout’s restructuring providing the team with a whopping $16.4MM in cap space (via Yates). Samuel is still playing on the three-year, $73.5MM extension he inked with San Francisco in 2022. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins also recently reworked his contract, saving the 49ers $5.43MM against the cap, per Yates. The team specifically converted $6.79MM of Collins’ upcoming salary into a signing bonus, adding three void years in the process (per Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac).
  • The Broncos continue to commit to wideout Courtland Sutton, at least for the entirety of the 2024 campaign. The team restructured the receiver’s contract, helping open $9.5MM in cap space, per Yates. Specifically, the team converted $11.875MM of Sutton’s $13MM salary into a bonus, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver. The reduced financial flexibility reduces the chances of a Sutton trade during the upcoming season.
  • The Falcons opened up about $7.5MM in cap space by reworking Jessie Bates‘ contract, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The team converted $11.25MM of his 2024 base salary into a signing bonus, increasing his 2025 ($22.25MM) and 2026 ($22.27MM) cap hits in the process.
  • The Panthers reworked a pair of contracts, according to Yates. Both offensive tackle Taylor Moton and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle helped provide the Panthers with some breathing room, as the duo’s restructurings created $10.7MM in cap room.
  • The Saints opened $3.5MM in cap space by reworking Juwan Johnson‘s deal, per Yates. The tight end inked a two-year extension with the team ahead of the 2023 campaign, with $11.5MM of his $12MM earnings guaranteed.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/24

August 20th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

  • Reverted to IR: LB Zeke Vandenburgh

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Free Agent

Strong was a surprising release by the Cardinals during the regular season last year. At the time, Strong was coming off of his strongest NFL campaign, but head coach Jonathan Gannon claimed that the release was what was “best for the team.” While we still don’t know the nature of the suspension, or whether or not it’s even related to his January release, we are aware that he will miss three games.

Saints Place Ryan Ramczyk On Reserve/PUP List; Chase Young Nearing Return

July 18th, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:05pm: NFL network’s Ian Rapoport has provided a discouraging update, noting that Ramczyk’s placement on PUP means he’s out for the entire season. This applies to all vested veterans placed on reserve/PUP prior to the final roster reduction August 27.

4:00pm: Rumored to be in danger of missing the 2024 season, Ryan Ramczyk is already out of the picture for a chunk of it. The Saints placed the All-Pro right tackle on the reserve/PUP list Thursday, guaranteeing he will miss at least the season’s first four games.

A knee injury Ramczyk battled through last season has the eighth-year veteran at a career crossroads, and the Saints drafted a tackle in Round 1 (Taliese Fuaga). The former Oregon State right tackle is training on the left side, but it does not appear Ramczyk will be counted on in 2024. This transaction points to Ramczyk missing the season, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets.

Teams have the option of placing players on the active/PUP list, which is a training camp-only designation that does not affect a player’s regular-season availability. The Saints taking this step with Ramczyk more than a month before they have to does not bode well for the decorated blocker’s chances of factoring into the 2024 campaign.

Ramczyk, who turned 30 this offseason, has started 101 games. Twelve of those came last season, but knee trouble has pointed to this reality for a bit. A cartilage defect in Ramczyk’s knee has led him to this crossroads, which compounds issues for a Saints team in dire straits at tackle. Dennis Allen had labeled Ramczyk’s offseason knee surgery as minor and projected he would be ready for camp but said in April he felt better about the veteran’s chances at the time of surgery.

The team has not seen 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning pan out; an early-season benching occurred. The Saints then saw three-year starter James Hurst, who worked at left tackle for two seasons and left guard for most of last year, retire. This came shortly after Andrus Peat, a Pro Bowl guard who was Penning’s primary LT replacement last year, defected to the Raiders. This all but assured the Saints would take advantage of this year’s deep tackle crop, with Fuaga being the prize at No. 14 overall.

As recently as last season, the Saints rolled out an O-line with four first-rounders (Ramczyk, Penning, Peat, Cesar Ruiz) and second-round center Erik McCoy. The team went back to the Round 1 well via Fuaga, who is in line to start at left tackle, but the LG and RT spots are uncertain. Penning trained at right tackle this offseason and may well be the favorite to fill in for Ramczyk, but the Northern Iowa alum’s performance to date leaves that as an unstable position.

This will be a blow for a perennially cap-strapped team. The Saints gave Ramczyk a five-year, $96MM extension in 2021. That contract included $43MM guaranteed at signing and $60MM guaranteed in total. Part of a 2017 draft class that changed the Saints’ trajectory, Ramczyk is a three-time All-Pro (first team in 2019) who has given the Saints stability on the right side. Ramczyk reworked his contract this offseason, dropping his cap number from $27MM to $12.9MM. A dead money charge of $23.1MM would come the Saints’ way if Ramczyk moves off the roster via release, though that number could be split via a post-June 1 cut.

In less impactful Saints news, the team placed tight end Juwan Johnson, defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon, linebacker Nephi Sewell and free agency DE addition Chase Young on the active/PUP list. Chris Olave landed on the active/NFI list. Players moved to the active/PUP or active/NFI lists can be activated at any point. The Saints activated rookie wide receiver Bub Means from the active/NFI list Thursday.

Young is coming off offseason neck surgery, though the former No. 2 overall pick has been viewed as likely to be ready for Week 1. His recovery has gone well enough the team does not expect a lengthy stay on the active/PUP list, Underhill adds. A similar assessment emerged last month, pointing to Young — who saw a severe knee injury change his path in Washington — being ready in the not-too-distant future. Young signed a one-year, $13MM deal comprised largely of per-game roster bonuses.

Saints TE Juwan Johnson To Undergo Foot Surgery

June 13th, 2024 at 9:30am CST by Adam La Rose

Juwan Johnson suffered an injury during the Saints’ minicamp, as first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The veteran tight end is facing notable absence as a result.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the ailment – a foot injury – will require surgery. Both Schefter and Underhill add the team is hopeful Johnson will be available by the start of the regular season, but at a minimum he will be sidelined for the bulk of training camp. His procedure will take place next week.

New Orleans’ tight end depth chart would be dealt a blow if Johnson were forced to miss time in September. The 27-year-old has received 124 targets in the two seasons following his transition from receiver to tight end. He has totaled 876 yards and 11 touchdowns during that span, and a notable offensive role should await him when he is healthy.

Johnson signed a two-year extension worth just over $12MM last offseason. That move took away the need for an RFA tender and included $8.5MM in guarantees. Another $2MM is available via incentives, but missed time would obviously hurt the former UDFA’s chances of earning them. As a pending free agent, Johnson’s value could also be affected depending on the length of his recovery and his production when back on the field.

The Saints have Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau as other options the tight end spot. The former is in line to once again serve in a unique offensive role in 2024, whereas the latter could see an increased workload if Johnson is unavailable for Week 1. ESPN’s Katherine Terrell notes Moreau (who played in 15 games last year following a successful bout with cancer) was used heavily during minicamp practice yesterday with Johnson sidelined.

New Orleans has other, less experienced options in the fold. That group includes rookie Dallin Holker, who received one of the league’s largest guarantees ($235K) amongst this year’s UDFAs. As New Orleans proceeds with a shorthanded tight end group through the summer, Johnson’s recovery will be worth monitoring.

Contract Details: Payne, Saints, Carter, Stewart, Pierce

March 12th, 2023 at 7:50pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on contracts recently signed around the NFL:

  • Daron Payne, DT (Commanders): Four-year, $90MM. The deal, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, creates around $9.43MM in cap space for Washington heading into free agency. Payne was set to enter the 2023 season with a cap hit of $18.94MM. The new extension applies a $28MM signing bonus spread over four years, along with a base salary in Year 1 of the deal of $2.51MM, to lower Payne’s cap hit to $9.51MM. The new move sets the Commanders up with over $20MM of cap space heading into the new league year.
  • Tanoh Kpassagnon, DE (Saints): Two-year, $5MM. The deal, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, has a guaranteed amount of $2.5MM consisting of a $1.4MM signing bonus and Kpassagnon’s 2023 base salary of $1.1MM. The deal includes three voidable years for cap purposes leading to cap hits of $1.9MM in 2023, $3.3MM in 2024, and $1.786 of dead money in 2025.
  • Juwan Johnson, TE (Saints): Two-year, $12MM. The extension, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a fully guaranteed amount of $11.51MM consisting of a $5MM signing bonus and both year’s base salaries of $1.01MM in 2023 and $5.5MM in 2024. The contract includes a 2024 roster bonus of $500,000 due on the 5th day of the 2024 league year. There are $2.5MM of incentives available to Johnson in this contract for receptions, yards, and All-Pro selections. Those incentives have escalators in 2024, as well. The deal includes three voidable years to spread out the cap hit.
  • Lorenzo Carter, OLB (Falcons): Two-year, $9MM. The deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN, has a guaranteed amount of $4.25MM consisting of a $2MM signing bonus and $2.25MM of the first year’s base salary (worth a total of $3.25MM). The contract also includes an additional amount of $1MM available through incentives.
  • M.J. Stewart, S (Texans): Two-year, $6MM. The deal, according to Wilson of KPRC 2, has a guaranteed amount of $3MM consisting of a $1.5MM signing bonus and the first year’s base salary of $1.5MM. The deal also includes potential incentives of up to $1.5MM including $750,000 of playtime incentives. The contract also includes a per game active roster bonus of $14,705 for a potential season total of $250,000.
  • Michael Pierce, DT (Ravens): Restructure. The new deal for Pierce includes a new concept in Baltimore. Following the lead of other teams in the NFL, namely the Eagles, the Ravens incorporated voidable years in Pierce’s contract, a first for the franchise. In doing so, though, the team removed the 2024 season from Pierce’s deal, making him a free agent one year sooner than he would’ve been in his original contract.

Saints Sign TE Juwan Johnson To Extension

March 11th, 2023 at 2:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Previously on track for restricted free agency, Juwan Johnson now has a new contract. The Saints and the young tight end agreed to a deal that runs through 2024 on Saturday, according to his agent (on Twitter).

Johnson has become a key presence in New Orleans’ passing attack, and the Saints convinced him to bypass a run at unrestricted free agency next year. He is now in line to be part of the team’s next two Derek Carr-piloted offenses.

This agreement will keep the Saints from having to place a second-round RFA tender on Johnson, which matters more after the Carr deal pushed the team more than $20MM over the cap ahead of the 2023 league year. The second-round RFA tender costs $4.3MM this year. The terms of this deal are not yet known, but it should be assumed Johnson’s 2023 cap number checks in considerably lower than that number while rising in 2024. It will be interesting to see these terms, as Johnson could have parlayed a nice 2023 season into a free agency payday next year.

A converted wide receiver, Johnson saw his involvement in the Saints’ offense increase dramatically in 2022. The former UDFA caught 42 passes for 508 yards and seven touchdowns, helping the team’s Andy Dalton-led offense. No other Saints pass catcher totaled more than four touchdowns last season, and only Chris Olave topped Johnson’s yardage total. Johnson scored twice against the Falcons and Cardinals last season. As Carr settles in with the team, Johnson figures to be an important player in the near future.

Next season will be Johnson’s age-27 campaign; he has been with the Saints since his post-draft deal in 2020 but only became a key passing-game presence last season. The team traded four draft choices to move into the third round for tight end Adam Trautman that year, but Johnson has taken over as the squad’s most productive tight end. Trautman has maintained a steady role, however, as has Taysom Hill. Both are also under contract for 2023.

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