Seahawks, Tyler Lockett Agree To Restructure
TODAY, 9:00pm: ESPN’s Brady Henderson has passed along some details on Lockett’s reworked contract. The receiver will receive an $8MM signing bonus for his effort. Lockett will be attached to a $4.66MM base salary in 2024, and he can earn another $4MM via incentives.
In 2025, Lockett will earn a $10MM base salary, and he can earn another $1.7MM via per-game roster bonuses. He’ll also earn a $5.3MM roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2025 league year.
MARCH 9, 8:30pm: Tyler Lockett‘s future has achieved clarity for at least the 2024 season. The veteran Seahawks wideout’s contract has been restructured, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. 
The new deal is two years in length and has a base value of $30MM. That figure includes almost $13MM guaranteed for the 2024 campaign, Garafolo notes. Lockett can reach a maximum of $34MM in earnings over the course of the restructured contract, which will take the place of his previous one.
Lockett had two years remaining on his former deal, but his compensation in 2024 and ’25 ($17MM) was far outweighed by his cap hits for those seasons ($26.9MM). As a result, the 31-year-old could have found himself as a cap casualty (particularly with a post-June 1 designation) as part of the Seahawks’ financial maneuvering. Seattle has cut ties with several veterans recently, but Lockett will not join them for at least this offseason.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap predicts this new pact will lower Lockett’s 2024 cap hit by roughly $10MM, something which will be welcomed for Seattle. The team entered Saturday with $42MM in cap space, but added flexibility on the open market could allow for more outside additions in the hopes of rebounding from the 2023 season failing to produce a postseason appearance. The move will also give Lockett at least a 10th campaign in the Emerald City while also providing an opportunity for a personal bounce-back.
The former All-Pro posted 894 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. Both figures marked his lowest since 2018, and the presence of not only D.K. Metcalf and 2023 first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba made a mark on his role. Lockett drew more targets (122) than Smith-Njigba (93), but that balance could shift toward the latter as time goes on. Each member of Seattle’s top receiver trio is under contract through at least 2025, although Lockett could again face questions about his future next offseason. It will be interesting to see the details of his new contract and his ability to earn an extended stay through his play in 2024.
Titans To Re-Sign WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has spent his entire career with the Titans, and he has once again elected to remain in Nashville. The former undrafted free agent wideout has a new one-year deal in place with Tennessee, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. 
As has been the case since 2022, this will be another one-year agreement, Garafolo notes. Westbrook-Ikhine earned $895K in 2022, and he saw that figure rise to $1.26MM last year. Another low-cost investment has no doubt been made this time around, but the 26-year-old has proven to be a consistent complementary piece of the Titans’ passing game over the past three years.
Westbrook-Ikhine has posted 38, 25 and 28 receptions from 2021-23 while seeing a regular workload on offense. His best season came in 2021, when he recorded 476 yards and five touchdowns. The Indiana product’s yards per catch average spiked to 15.9 the following year, and he will attempt to remain a deep threat on an offense which will be guided by new head coach Brian Callahan and feature a number of new players.
The Titans have made a number of investments on that side of the ball, including a $92MM deal for wideout Calvin Ridley. Running back Tony Pollard has been added as Derrick Henry‘s replacement, while the team’s O-line will feature center Lloyd Cushenberry on a lucrative pact of his own. Those additions will lead to increased expectations for Tennessee, a team which struggled on offense in 2023.
Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins headline the Titans’ WR room, and they will be the focal point of the team’s passing game. Westbrook-Ikhine will compete with third-year tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo for targets as a secondary pass-catching option, though. The latter posted an intriguing 54-528-1 statline last season, and he could be in line for a larger role in 2024. Even if that turns out to be the case, Westbrook-Ikhine will provide quarterback Will Levis with a familiar target on the perimeter.
WR Corey Davis Aiming For NFL Return; Jets Open To Trading Allen Lazard
Corey Davis stepped away from football last August, putting pause on his Jets tenure and leading to questions about his NFL future. The veteran wideout has applied for reinstatement, though, per ESPN’s Field Yates. 
As Yates’ report notes, the Jets were expected to release Davis from the reserve/retired list on Thursday; per a team announcement, that move has indeed been made. As such, the 29-year-old is now a free agent. Yates and others have noted, however, that a new agreement with New York could be in play.
Davis did not declare he was retiring at the time he announced his decision to leave the team temporarily. That absence proved to last the entire 2023 campaign, but he could receive interest from the Jets or outside teams over the coming days and weeks. The former fifth overall pick was attached to a three-year, $37.5MM deal signed in 2021.
The Jets invested in a number of ex-Aaron Rodgers teammates last offseason, including a lucrative deal for Allen Lazard. The former Packer inked a four-year, $44MM pact, one which led to major expectations with New York. Even with Rodgers tearing his Achilles in Week 1, Lazard proved to be an underwhelming addition in his debut Jets campaign. The 28-year-old was a healthy scratch in November, and he also sat the final two weeks of the campaign. 2023 may prove to be Lazard’s only campaign in New York.
The Jets are open to dealing Lazard, Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic report. The former UDFA is owed $10MM guaranteed in 2024, and he is set to have a cap hit of $13.18MM in 2025 and ’26. Given the disappointing nature of his season last year, it would come as a surprise if teams showed much interest in swinging a deal for Lazard. New York is not actively shopping him at this time, Connor Hughes of SNY notes.
The Jets struggled mightily on offense after Rodgers went down, ranking 30th in passing yards per game. A healthy Rodgers (and a new backup quarterback in the form of Tyrod Taylor) would go a long way toward helping the team’s efforts to rebound from 2023. A better receiver corps would be beneficial as well, of course. It will be interesting to see if Davis is retained on a new deal and if Lazard remains in the fold for 2024.
Bills, WR Curtis Samuel Agree To Deal
Buffalo lost Gabe Davis early in free agency, but the team has a new starting receiver in place. Curtis Samuel has agreed to a three-year, $30MM deal with the Bills, per his agency. ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds the pact has a base value of $24MM and includes $15MM guaranteed. 
Samuel spent his first four seasons in Carolina, developing into a starter and two-way threat along the way. His best season came in 2020, when he posted 851 receiving yards while also rushing for 200. The former second-rounder notched five scrimmage touchdowns that year, after posting a combined 14 between the previous two campaigns.
Facing high expectations based on that production, Samuel signed a three-year, $34.5MM deal with the Commanders during his first trip to free agency. The 27-year-old was limited to five games in his debut Washington season, but in the two years after that he drew 92 and 91 targets. Samuel posted 1,269 yards and eight touchdowns over that span while also providing secondary contributions as a runner. He will likely be used all-but exclusively as a receiver in Buffalo, a team with a clear-cut lead back in James Cook.
Davis proved himself to be a succesful deep threat during his four years in Buffalo, but he was unable to develop into a consistent No. 2 option. After no substantive talks on a re-up took place, it came as little surprise when he departed on a deal with the Jaguars. Samuel will aim to step in as an effective secondary WR option behind Stefon Diggs on an offense also featuring an intriguing tight end in 2023 first-rounder Dalton Kincaid.
Mack Hollins has also worked out a deal with Buffalo, but Samuel’s pact is far more lucrative. The latter will be expected to continue his effectiveness as a pass-catcher with the potential to contribute on the ground as well. The Bills will have a number of new faces in place at the WR spot come the 2024 season, and a degree of their offensive success will depend on Samuel’s ability to fit in with a new scheme.
Texans To Extend RB Joe Mixon
Not long after his arrival via trade, Joe Mixon has a new deal in place. The veteran running back has agreed to a three-year, $27MM extension including $13MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
Mixon had one year remaining on his Bengals contract and was due $5.75MM with a cap hit of $6.1MM. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes this agreement is a three-year accord which will take the place of his previous deal. It has a cashflow of $10MM in 2024 along with a base value of $25.5MM, he adds. The remaining $1.5MM will comprise incentives.
Once again facing an uncertain Bengals future, Mixon was traded to the Texans after it appeared he was bound to be released. Houston needed a new lead back with Devin Singletary joining the Giants, while Cincinnati moved on from the 27-year-old by signing Zack Moss. Rather than facing 2024 as a contract year, Mixon will now have some security with his new team.
The running back position has seen plenty of multi-year deals handed out early in free agency, despite the plethora of options at the position leading to the expectation of a buyer’s market. Mixon has joined the list of veterans receiving a (relatively) long-term commitment despite his age and usage. The Pro Bowler has received at least 210 carries in a season five times over the course of his career.
Despite questions about his sustainability as an every-down back, Mixon will clearly lead the depth chart in Houston given the terms of this deal. The Texans went on an impressive run to the divisional round of the playoffs thanks in large part to the play of quarterback C.J. Stroud and their passing game, but they struggled on the ground. The team ranked 22nd in the league in rushing, making RB a priority (especially in the event Singletary departed).
Mixon will partner with Dameon Pierce in Houston’s backfield for at least 2024 with the potential for a long-term arrangement. Pierce is on his rookie contract for two more years and, depending on the guarantee structure of Mixon’s pact, he likely will remain in place at least that long. It will be interesting to see how he fares on a new team for the first time in his career with a multi-year pact in hand.
Jaguars, DT Arik Armstead Agree To Deal
Arik Armstead has not needed to wait long to find a new team, but his next opportunity will not come from one previously on the radar for an agreement. The ex-49ers defensive tackle has a deal in place with the Jaguars, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This will be a three-year, $51MM pact, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. 
Armstead was released by the 49ers at the onset of free agency, but to no surprise he generated considerable interest in short order. The Bills and Texans were among the suitors known to be showing interest in the former first-round pick, but no Jacksonville connections were in place entering Thursday. However, Jaguars GM Trent Baalke was at the helm of the 49ers when Armstead was drafted in 2015.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports the Titans were also interested in Armstead in addition to Buffalo and Houston. The latter franchise went as far as setting up a player-for-player trade, she adds. The 49ers and Texans had a swap of Armstead and Maliek Collins on the table before Houston agreed to terms with edge rusher Danielle Hunter. That pact led to the trade falling through, per Russini and colleague Matt Barrows. In spite of that, Armstead will still be headed to Duval County not long after Collins wound up being dealt to San Francisco anyway.
The former racked up five sacks in 2023, the third-highest total of his career. Especially with that figure coming in 12 regular season games, Armstead could provide an interior pass-rushing presence if he can remain healthy with Jacksonville. He managed to play in all three games in San Francisco’s postseason (which resulted in a Super Bowl berth), and his experience in multiple deep postseason runs will be welcomed on the Jaguars.
Jacksonville made the expected move of using the franchise tag on sack leader Josh Allen. Talks on a long-term deal will continue with the two-time Pro Bowler, but he and Travon Walker will remain in place along the edge for at least one more season. Armstead will play in between that pair as part of an upgraded Jags D-line. Last offseason, Baalke handed DaVon Hamilton a three-year, $34.5MM extension and he will partner with Armstead for years to come.
The Jaguars entered Thursday near the bottom of the league in cap space, though in all cases that is a situation which is especially fluid this time of year. Further big-money deals would be challenging for the team to work out, but this Armstead acquisition could prove to be an effective one if he remains productive in the second chapter of his career.
Lions To Sign DT D.J. Reader
D.J. Reader has found his next opportunity. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a two-year deal with the Lions, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The pact is worth up to $27.25MM and includes more than $9MM in guaranteed money, per Rapoport. 
[RELATED: Lions Extend Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes]
Reader met with the Lions on Tuesday, with Detroit looking to evaluate the progress of his recovery from a quad injury. That ailment ended his 2023 campaign, and it marked his second career torn quad, something which threated to limit his earning power on the open market. Another Bengals deal was on Cincinnati’s radar, but the 29-year-old will head to the Motor City instead.
After playing out his rookie contract with the Texans, Reader landed a four-year, $53MM deal to join the Bengals in 2020. He was an impactful starter over that time, being rated in the top 11 for defensive tackles by PFF in each of the past three seasons. The former fifth-rounder racked up 123 tackles and three sacks in 44 Bengals contests, proving to be a valued member of the 2021 team which reached the Super Bowl.
His absence will be acutely felt up front for Cincinnati (though Sheldon Rankins has been added as a replacement), but the Lions’ D-line will benefit greatly with Reader in the fold. Detroit already had Alim McNeill in place as a starter, but the team was in the market for another interior lineman to pair with him. Reader will fit the bill as part of a Lions front which also includes Aidan Hutchinson and, now, fellow edge rusher Marcus Davenport.
Improving up font was a goal for Detroit, a team which has also made a few notable moves in the secondary. After reaching the NFC title game, expectations will be high in Detroit given the core players which will be carried over in 2024. Reader is a high-profile addition to that group, and if healthy he will be a key contributor for the Lions over the course of his third NFL contract.
Dolphins, CB Kendall Fuller Agree To Deal
Kendall Fuller was among the top defensive options still on the market amongst 2024 free agents. He has found a new home, however. The veteran corner has agreed to a two-year, $16.5MM deal with the Dolphins, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
Fuller found himself as one of the best corners available due to Jaylon Johnson and L’Jarius Sneed receiving franchise tags. The 29-year-old has spent six of his eight seasons in Washington, having gone to Kansas City in between as part of the Alex Smith trade. Fuller served as a full-time starter during his first season with the Chiefs, but Sneed’s arrival pointed to his departure in 2020 following a smaller workload the previous campaign.
The Commanders inked Fuller to a four-year, $40MM pact, and he played out that contract while rarely leaving the field. The former third-rounder logged more than 1,000 snaps in each of the past three seasons, earning strong PFF reviews along the way. While his coverage statistics in 2023 in particular (120.4 passer rating, nine touchdowns allowed as the nearest defender) were not impressive, he posted those figures on a defense which saw its top two edge rushers traded away at the deadline.
The Dolphins were in the market for a new starting corner with Xavien Howard being released as a post-June 1 cut. A new Miami agreement briefly seemed to be a possibility, but by last week the former All-Pro confirmed that would not be happening. Fuller will step into Howard’s role as a starter opposite Jalen Ramsey moving forward.
Fuller posted 10 interceptions and 49 pass deflections during his second stint in the nation’s capital. He will aim to replicate that ball production on a defense which ranked 14th in interceptions last season and 15th in passing yards allowed. A number of changes have been made in the secondary, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio departed after a single campaign in Miami. Anthony Weaver is now in place as DC.
Weaver will oversee a unit which lost Christian Wilkins in the early portion of free agency, a departure which will weaken Miami’s defensive front. On the backend, however, the combination of Ramsey and Fuller (who has experience both in the slot and on the perimeter) will be expected to provide high-end play.
Joey Bosa Restructures Chargers Contract
The Chargers entered Wednesday needing to free up cap space ahead of the new league year. They did so by releasing Mike Williams, but edge rusher Khalil Mack remained in place via a restructure. Fellow defensive end Joey Bosa will take the latter route as well. 
Bosa has agreed to a re-worked Chargers pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. As a result, his 2024 cap figure will be lowered and he will remain in place for at least one more season. The former third overall pick was one of four players set to count more than $32MM against the cap in 2024, with a projected charge of $36.6MM. Converting the maximum amount allowable of Bosa’s $15MM base salary into a signing bonus would create $10.4MM in savings.
Given the team’s financial situation leading into free agency, it was widely expected the Chargers would cut or trade at least one member of the quartet set to occupy a major portion of their cap space (the three aforementioned players and wideout Keenan Allen). Mack and Bosa were reported as the ones Los Angeles was most likely to move on from, and the team spoke with potential suitors to gauge their markets. Any deal would not have come at market value, of course, given the contract an acquiring team would have taken on. New general manager Joe Hortiz has thus elected to run back the Mack-Bosa tandem in 2024.
The latter was due a $7MM roster bonus tomorrow, leading to urgency on Hortiz’s part to work out Bosa’s future despite the cap relief brought about by moving on from Williams and restructuring Mack. As The Athletic’s Daniel Popper reports, at least one team showed interest in trading for the four-time Pro Bowler before today’s move was worked out (subscription required). Rather than moving on with two years left on his contract, Los Angeles will keep him in place for a ninth season with the franchise.
Bosa has been limited to just 14 games over the past two seasons, so questions will be asked about his ability to remain healthy moving forward. The Ohio State alum has posted nine sacks in that span, after reaching double-digits four times in a season earlier in his career. At age 28, however, he should be able to continue playing at a high level with better luck on the injury front. The Chargers’ defense would benefit substantially if that were to be the case.
Los Angeles entered Thursday in worse cap shape than any other team in the NFL, per Over the Cap. That situation will change given today’s move with Bosa, but it will be interesting to see if another cost-clearing move is made with an Allen restructure. In any event, much more clarity has arrived for the team’s veteran nucleus compared to where things stood at the start of free agency.
Vikings To Sign DT Jerry Tillery
Continuing to re-shape their front seven, the Vikings have a deal in place with Jerry Tillery. The former first-round defensive tackle is set to join Minnesota on a one-year deal worth up to $3.25MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. 
Tillery had an underwhelming start to his career with the Chargers, despite seeing a full-time starting role 2020 and ’21. The 27-year-old saw his workload cut the following season, and he was ultimately waived midway through the 2022 campaign. He closed out that year with the division-rival Raiders, starting four of eight games. His play with Las Vegas earned him a two-year, $6.8MM contract last offseason.
However, Tillery was released last week as part of the Raiders’ cost-shedding moves. The Notre Dame product logged a 45% defensive snap share in Vegas in 2023, making 31 tackles and adding a pair of sacks. His nine pressures fell well short of his previous high marks in the pass-rush department, something of particular significance given his skillset. Tillery will get another chance to establish himself in Minnesota, though.
The Vikings have seen plenty of changes along the defensive front this offseason, with edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport departing and Jonathan Greenard being added on a big-money deal along with Andrew Van Ginkel. Along the interior, Minnesota has retained Jonathan Bullard, but Tillery will add to the list of new faces for the unit. The latter will look to carve out a starting (or at least rotational) role under DC Brian Flores.
Minnesota ranked 19th in the league in sacks last season, and the absence of Hunter will lead to questions about the team’s ability to improve on that figure (even given the additions made to replace him). Known more for his ability to generate interior pressure than his run defense, Tillery could help in that regard if he earns notable playing time. Doing so would help the Vikings transition to a new look on the defensive front while helping his 2025 free agent stock in the process.