Browns To Bring Back K Cade York
After one season spent outside of Cleveland, Cade York is coming back to the team which drafted him. The former fifth-round kicker is re-signing with the Browns, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. 
York was drafted by the Browns in 2022, and he held down the full-time kicking gig during his rookie campaign. He connected on only 75% of his attempts that year, and followed it up with a poor outing in training camp and the preseason. It thus came as little surprise when Cleveland traded for Dustin Hopkins in advance of roster cutdowns and waived York.
While the Browns intended to keep the 23-year-old in the organization via the practice squad, he joined the Titans’ taxi squad upon clearing waivers. York did not see any action in Tennessee, however, and in November he signed with the Giants in a move which seemed to give him the opportunity to fill in for an injured Graham Gano. An injury suffered by York at the same time as Randy Bullock forced New York to sign Mason Crosby, keeping him off the field entirely in 2023.
Hopkins – who kicked in 15 games with Cleveland before suffering a hamstring injury – is still under contract for one more season. None of his $3.06MM in compensation is guaranteed, though, so the Browns would not incur any dead money by moving on from him this offseason. By re-acquiring York, Cleveland will be able to hold a kicking competition throughout the summer.
Hopkins went 33-for-36 on field goal tries last season, good for a career-high accuracy rate of 91.7%. The 33-year-old also missed only two extra point attempts, so he should be expected to be the favorite for the kicking position ahead of the 2024 campaign. With York back in the fold, though, the latter will have the chance to win back his spot from 2022.
Chargers Willing To Trade No. 5 Pick
The top three selections in next month’s draft are likely to remain in place (Bears, Commanders, Patriots). Significant movement after that could occur, though. 
Shortly after Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort confirmed he is prepared to trade out of the No. 4 slot, Chargers GM Joe Hortiz made similar remarks. The latter currently owns the fifth overall pick in his first offseason at the helm of the franchise, one which could go a long way in rebuilding the team’s receiver room. However, Hortiz is open to a move down the board.
“We’ll see how it goes. It’s still early and the phone is not ringing yet because we’re still a month or so out,” Hortiz said during a Thursday media availability (via the team’s website). “But I’ve had teams ask me and are gauging my interest. Certainly, as I said before, I’m open to all options when it comes to the draft. I’m not locked into any one spot — forwards, backwards, staying right there.”
The Bolts currently own nine selections in the draft, including four of the first 105 picks. With Hortiz overseeing a new front office and a revamped coaching staff led by Jim Harbaugh, though, this offseason has taken on the form of a major re-tooling endeavor. Acquiring extra picks would further that effort, and a small move down the order would likely still allow Los Angeles to select one of the top receiver or offensive tackle prospects in the 2024 class.
The top three quarterbacks available are expected to be taken before the Cardinals are on the clock; they, like the Chargers, could certainly stand to add to their pass-catching corps. Other teams could be motivated to secure the next-best signal-caller, however, which means those such as the Giants, Vikings and Broncos represent potential suitors for the fourth and fifth picks. The price Ossenfort sets for No. 4 will of course be a major factor in determining the market for that selection and the one Hortiz is in control of.
The Chargers released Mike Williams and traded away Keenan Allen (despite efforts made to retain the latter), leaving the team with two glaring roster holes at the WR position. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze figure to hear their names called in the top 10, and staying put would likely ensure the Bolts could select from at least two members of that trio. If the opportunity presents itself to trade down, however, Hortiz could become a figure to watch closely in the lead-in to the draft.
Panthers Sign S Nick Scott
Nick Scott was one of several veteran safeties who were released at the start of free agency, but he has not needed to wait long to find a new deal. Scott is joining the Panthers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This will be a one-year deal, ESPN’s David Newton adds. The move has now been made official by a team announcement. 
The 28-year-old spent his first four seasons with the Rams, working alongside Ejiro Evero during that span. The latter is in place as the Panthers’ defensive coordinator, so this Carolina pact represents a reunion in that respect for Scott. He will join a safety room which recently added another ex-Ram in the form of Jordan Fuller.
Scott took on full-time starting duties during his final season in Los Angeles, something which helped his free agent stock. He inked a three-year, $12MM deal with the Bengals last offseason, but his debut campaign in Cincinnati did not go as planned. Scott was replaced in the starting lineup by Jordan Battle midway through the season, and as a result it came as little surprise the former was released last week.
The Bengals moved quickly in free agency by adding Geno Stone, a move which further pointed to Scott being let go. Cincinnati has also brought back a familiar face (Vonn Bell) at the safety spot, signing him not long after his Panthers release. The latter’s departure, coupled with that of Jeremy Chinn, left Carolina in need of multiple additions in the secondary.
Scott was held without an interception or pass deflection during his time with the Bengals, and he allowed a passer rating of 99.6 in coverage. Those struggles no doubt hurt his value and contributed to this short-term flier being available only one offseason after he secured a multi-year accord. Scott will compete for a starting spot this summer, but at a minimum he will provide Evero with an experienced and familiar depth option.
Bills Sign OL Will Clapp
Will Clapp will play for a third career team in 2024. The veteran offensive lineman signed a one-year deal with the Bills on Friday, per a team announcement. 
Clapp spent his first four seasons in the league with the Saints, playing sparingly during that time. The former seventh-rounder saw limited usage at guard with New Orleans, but he also occasionally played at center. He joined the Chargers in 2022, and with Los Angeles he was used exclusively in the middle.
The 28-year-old re-signed with the Bolts last offseason on a $1.23MM deal. He appeared set to remain in a backup role for the campaign, having logged only three starts the previous season. With Corey Linsley being limited to just three contests due to heart condition, however, Clapp took over as the team’s starting center. The latter started a career-high 11 games in 2023 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Keeping in line with his previous seasons, the LSU product drew a PFF grade of 56.7.
Linsley is now set to retire, but instead of retaining Clapp on a new deal, the Chargers elected to sign veteran Bradley Bozeman. Clapp will thus move on to Buffalo for 2024 in a bid to find playing time on the inside. The Bills traded away Ryan Bates earlier this offseason, a move which left the team without a depth option capable of spot-start duty at both the guard and center positions.
That deal suggested Connor McGovern and O’Cyrus Torrence would remain in place at the guard spots with Mitch Morse playing at center. The latter was one of several veterans let go in advance of free agency, though, meaning McGovern is now in place to slide to the middle. Clapp could compete for snaps at LG as a result, but he will likely be penciled in for the backup center spot. If he recovers from his injury, Clapp could effectively fill Bates’ role as a backup with starting experience along Buffalo’s new-look O-line.
S Julian Blackmon To Visit 49ers; Colts Deal Still In Play
MARCH 22: ESPN’s Stephen Holder confirms a deal allowing Blackmon to continue his Colts tenure could still be worked out. For now, though, he notes both player and team (along with outside suitors) are engaged in a “waiting game” until more clarity emerges with respect to the safety market or his asking price.
Several veteran backend producers are still unsigned, which will no doubt limit the extent to which interested parties will be willing to make a lucrative commitment. When the next set of safety dominoes fall, though, Blackmon will no doubt be among those to benefit.
MARCH 21: Julian Blackmon remains one of the top safety options in a crowded free agent market. He has already taken a visit with the Bills, but further interest exists around the league. 
Blackmon will meet with the 49ers today, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. He adds that “several suitors” are still around in this case, which comes as no surprise. The 25-year-old could find himself remaining with the Colts in 2024 on a new deal, but outside bidders will no doubt be in place for his services given the nature of his performance last season.
The former third-rounder posted four interceptions, eight pass deflections and 88 tackles in his contract year. Even in an offseason featuring several veteran safeties let go by their respective teams, Blackmon thus entered free agency as one of the top defenders on the market. He would provide a new team with a veteran of 46 career starts, and San Francisco represents a logical landing spot.
The reigning NFC champions were hit hard with injuries on the backend last season. All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga suffered an ACL tear, while George Odum was lost to a biceps injury. San Francisco was forced to rely on rookie Ji’Ayir Brown more than expected as a result, and the team brought in Logan Ryan in December as veteran insurance. The 49ers have extended Odum, and he is one of several options at the position with a special teams background.
While Hufanga and Brown are still on their respective rookie contracts, further moves at the safety spot could help the 49ers deal with a potential repeat of last year’s injury woes. The former will be in line for a lucrative new pact if he can return to health, and the latter flashed potential with three combined regular and postseason interceptions in 2023. Still, bringing in Blackmon would add considerably to the team’s secondary in the short- and long-term future (presuming his strong market results in a multi-year agreement). The 49ers entered Thursday with just under $13MM in cap space.
Latest On Bears, QB Caleb Williams
Prior to Justin Fields being dealt, the expectation around the league was that Ryan Poles would move on from the former first-rounder in a deal paving the way for Caleb Williams to be selected. With the first of those two decisions having been made, the second is even more likely. 
Fields was dealt to the Steelers after teams around the league did not show the interest in him Poles was expecting. The 25-year-old preferred to go to Pittsburgh, where he is currently slated to serve as the backup to Russell Wilson. Parting ways with Fields confirms Chicago will add a passer in April’s draft, one in which the teams owns the first and ninth overall picks.
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Brooke Pryor confirm “all signs point” to Williams being the first to hear his name called on draft night. The 2022 Heisman winner has long been regarded as the top passer in the 2024 class (although the gap between he and the Drake Maye–Jayden Daniels duo has closed to an extent in the eyes of some draft analysts). Williams is open to joining the Bears as their rebuild aims to take its next step.
Chicago was originally set to host the USC product on a ’30’ visit right after the combine, but Sports Illustrated Albert Breer notes the team changed that plan. Now, the Bears will conduct the visit following Williams’ Pro Day, which took place on Wednesday. To no surprise, the Bears were among the teams well represented at that event.
Poles and Co. will conduct a final evaluation in the near future before finalizing a decision at the QB spot. Expectations for the team’s offense – a unit which now features the likes of Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift and Gerald Everett at the skill positions – will be high in 2024, particularly if Williams is installed as the the starter during his rookie season. Other teams have done their homework on the latter as well, of course, but it remains unlikely he will be available for the Commanders or Patriots with the second and third selections.
As Adam Jahns of The Athletic notes, the Bears joined several other NFL teams in sending a “large contingent” to watch J.J. McCarthy at Michigan’s Pro Day on Friday. Chicago’s due diligence at the QB spot has thus included evaluations of a number of options, but especially with Fields no longer in the fold it would come as a major surprise at this point if Williams were playing outside the Windy City in 2024.
Buccaneers Re-Sign LS Zach Triner
The Buccaneers have a new special teams coordinator for 2024, but the team’s kicking operation will have continuity. The team announced on Friday that long snapper Zach Triner has re-signed on a one-year deal. 
Triner has been in place with Tampa Bay since 2019, playing a full season all but once during his five-year tenure with the organization. He was limited to nine contests in 2021 due to a finger injury, but he has been healthy and consistent since then. Coming off a two-year, $2.35MM deal, Triner could have headed elsewhere in free agency, but instead he has elected to remain with the team he has seen his only NFL action with.
The former UDFA spent time with the Jets and Packers before joining the Bucs on a futures deal. He took over from Garrison Sanborn after the latter’s contract expired, leading to this successful ongoing tenure in Tampa Bay. Triner was a member of the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl winning team and he has amassed 10 career special teams tackles (including three stops last season).
The 33-year-old will be working under special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey after he was hired to take the place of the retired Keith Armstrong. The former will have the same three players at the long snapper, punter and kicker positions to work with as the latter did in 2023, though. Triner, Jake Camarda and Chase McLaughlin are on the books for at least one more year; McLaughlin inked a three-year pact earlier this offseason after his succesful debut campaign in Tampa.
2023 saw the Buccaneers post an 18th-place finish in special teams DVOA. McGaughey will aim to guide the team to an improvement in that regard this season, and Triner will play a small role in that effort for a sixth season in his current home. Tampa Bay also has long snapper Evan Deckers on the books due to the futures contract he signed in January, but his path to playing time in Tampa Bay has been narrowed.
DL Austin Johnson Meets With Bills; Cardinals Visit On Tap
Austin Johnson had his debut Chargers campaign cut short due to injury, but he rebounded with a healthy season in 2023. The veteran defensive lineman is now drawing interest in the second wave of free agency. 
Johnson met with the Bills earlier this week, as noted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That summit will be followed by visit with the Cardinals today, Schefter adds. The 29-year-old worked as a rotational contributor for the early portion of his career, but for the past three seasons he has served as a full-time starter.
The Chargers signed Johnson to a two-year, $14MM deal in 2022 as part of the team’s efforts to improve against the run. An MCL injury limited him to eight games that year, one which came after a full slate with the Giants. The former second-rounder once again suited up for 17 games last year, posting 46 tackles (the second-highest mark of his career).
Buffalo has seen plenty of turnover on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, but the D-line will return DaQuan Jones and A.J. Epenesa after they agreed to re-ups. The Bills showed interest in Arik Armstead before he ultimately signed with the Jaguars, though, indicating their willingness to continue adding along the interior. Johnson would join Jones and Ed Oliver as another starting-caliber DT option with a Buffalo deal.
The Cardinals have made sweeping changes on the defensive line so far in free agency. Arizona has worked out deals with Bilal Nichols, Justin Jones and Khyiris Tonga, and they will be notable contributors for the team in 2024. After ranking last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed last season (143 yards per game), the Cardinals will no doubt remain active in pursuing further additions up front, however.
Arizona entered Friday with over $29MM in cap space, giving the team far more spending power than Buffalo ($7.5MM). Johnson is one of several veterans still on the market who will be available on short-term, low-cost additions given where free agency now stands. More clarity on his future could emerge after his Cardinals visit takes place.
CB Xavien Howard Interested In Texans Deal
Xavien Howard remains unsigned after making it clear he would not remain with the Dolphins on a new contract. The former All-Pro corner is thus on track to join a new team, and he has publicly identified a potential landing spot. 
[RELATED: Texans To Add CB C.J. Henderson]
During an appearance on The OGs Podcast, Howard made a number of notable comments. One of them was that he would be interested in a deal with his hometown Texans. The 30-year-old (who was released by the Dolphins at the start of the league year) could provide Houston with a starting corner to partner with Derek Stingley Jr. and add a veteran presence to the team’s secondary.
“I would love to do that; back at home, the crib,” Howard said, via Sports Illustrated’s Coty M. Davis. “I have Houston Rockets and the Texans tatted on me… It’s a realistic option for me. They have a hell of a quarterback. I love a defensive coach.”
Indeed, Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans‘ respective showings from 2023 has made Houston an attractive franchise for free agents. Edge rusher Danielle Hunter is among the players who signed there in the early portion of the league year in a move which also represented a homecoming. Howard following suit would give the Texans a four-time Pro Bowler who has posted at least 12 pass deflections in each of the past four seasons (to go with 17 interceptions in that span).
The Texans (or any other interested team) would no doubt have concerns about a long-term investment given Howard’s age and, potentially, his asking price. The Baylor product will likely not come close to the $18MM AAV of his previous pact, something which could especially hold true if he elects to take less than market value to play on a contending team. Howard indicated a willingness to do so.
“I’d rather take a pay cut to go to a team that’s going to go further in the playoffs,” he said (h/t Davis’ colleague Omar Kelly). “I’ve got my money and stuff like that. I’m to the point, how much money do you really need?… I’ve already [been] paid, but now [a Super Bowl is] what I’m looking forward to.”
After making a run to the divisional round of the postseason last year, the Texans fit the bill of a potential contender in the AFC. Their efforts to add a new starter at the CB spot would certainly become notable with a Howard signing, and with roughly $20MM in cap space an agreement could be feasible. It will be interesting to see the extent to which Howard’s interest in a deal is mutual.
Chargers, CB Kristian Fulton Agree To Deal
The Chargers hosted Kristian Fulton on a free agent visit earlier this week, and that meeting has produced an agreement. The former Titans cornerback is headed to Los Angeles on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Fulton played out his four-year rookie contract with Tennessee, but 2023 did no go according to plan. The former second-rounder missed time due to a benching as well as a stint on injured reserve, limiting him to 12 contests. He started 11 of those, however, reprising the first-team role he held for much of his time in Nashville. Fulton could provide the Chargers with a low-cost starter in the secondary as a result of this deal.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport reports Fulton declined offers from the Bengals, Broncos and Cardinals before agreeing to this one-year Chargers pact. That could point to a notable financial component of the deal, but in any case it demonstrates the market he commanded despite an up-and-down tenure in Tennessee. The 25-year-old posted four interceptions and 25 pass breakups in 42 Titans games, but he struggled in coverage (114.1 passer rating allowed) last season in particular.
The Chargers moved on from J.C. Jackson midway through the 2023 campaign, while veteran Michael Davis signed with the Commanders in free agency. Those departures left Los Angeles in need of a new first-team option to work alongside Asante Samuel Jr. and Ja’Sir Taylor. Fulton – who saw notable time in the slot as a rookie but has primarily been used on the perimeter since then – will look to lock down a starting spot this offseason.
The LSU alum could help his market value considerably with a healthy and productive stint in Los Angeles. Given his age, a multi-year pact could come his way if 2024 were to include an end to the injury issues which have marred his career so far (Fulton has yet to play more than 13 contests in a campaign). As the Chargers continue to re-tool on both sides of the ball with a new coaching staff and front office in place, the team has taken a flier on an upside addition during the second wave of free agency.