Jaguars, WR Gabe Davis Agree To Deal
One of the top vertical threats in the 2024 free agent WR class has quickly found a new home. Gabe Davis is headed to the Jaguars on a three-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
[RELATED: Jaguars To Sign Mitch Morse]
Davis took to social media last month in a farewell of sorts to Buffalo. Given that, and the lack of extension talks, it was widely expected he would be playing elsewhere in 2024. Davis will receive $39MM in base value on this Jacksonville agreement, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. However, the pact has a maximum value of $50MM.
Across four years in Buffalo, Davis proved himself as one of the league’s top deep-ball specialists. His all-around receiving game did not develop as hoped, though, and consistency was a challenge holding him back from becoming the genuine No. 2 option Buffalo has long been seeking. Still, the 24-year-old was well-positioned to cash in on the open market, and he will play a key role in Jacksonville’s offense.
The Jags have Christian Kirk as a top receiver, but the team remains interested to retaining former trade acquisition Calvin Ridley. The latter will not be re-signed until the new league year given the conditions of his acquisition, but Jacksonville has consistently been named a landing spot for Ridley on his next deal. It will be interesting to see if the team can keep Ridley in the fold having made a big-money investment in Davis.
In any event, the latter will aim to remain a vertical option in Jacksonville, having averaged at least 15.7 yards per catch every year of his career. Davis’ best campaign came in 2022 when he posted a 48-836-7 statline. A repeat of that performance could be in store with his new team, especially if Ridley is indeed headed elsewhere. The Jags had roughly $18MM in cap space entering Monday, so further lucrative additions would come as a surprise at this point.
Bengals Re-Sign TE Drew Sample
The tight end spot has been the source of speculation with respect to the Bengals. An addition could still be coming, but an in-house contributor will remain in place. The team announced on Monday that Drew Sample re-signed on a three-year deal.
After playing out a one-year contract in 2023, Sample will be tied to a $10.5MM accord (per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). The Bengals will probably still be on the hunt for a pass-catching option at tight end, but they have one piece of the puzzle solved.
Sample has been with the Bengals since they chose him in the 2019 second round. Cincinnati drew some scrutiny for making that pick, as Sample did not have an extensive pass-catching history at Washington. That has continued in Ohio, though Sample has been a key presence in the Bengals’ run game.
The 6-foot-4 tight end has only topped 175 receiving yards in one season — back in 2020. Pro Football Focus graded Sample as a top-15 run-blocking tight end last season, which came after he re-signed on a one-year deal worth just $1.23MM. The Bengals saw enough from the 27-year-old tight end to make a bigger investment this time, though the guarantees will tell the tale.
Cincinnati let C.J. Uzomah walk in 2022 and Hayden Hurst leave for Carolina in 2023; both players are back on the market, bringing an interesting opportunity for the team. Hunter Henry and Dalton Schultz re-signed before free agency, thinning out the TE market.
Titans To Sign RB Tony Pollard
Running back dominos continue to fall early in the negotiating window. Tony Pollard is expected to join the Titans, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. 
Pollard will receive $24MM on a three-year pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. That marks a notable multi-year investment for Pollard, albeit one averaging less money per season than the franchise tag he played on last year. Of course, this move represents yet another indication that franchise icon Derrick Henry will not be back.
The Cowboys were interested in a re-up for Pollard. The Giants and Vikings were also suitors for the 26-year-old, Dianna Russini of the Athletic reports. She notes Pollard took a larger offer to head to Tennessee, something which is notable given a recent report indicating he was prepared to take less on a new Dallas accord.
Pollard was one of three running backs who played on the franchise tag last year. Like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs, he delivered an underwhelming performance in 2023. The former fourth-rounder reached 1,000 rushing yards for the second straight season, but he did so while averaging 1.2 fewer yards per carry than the year before. That low-mark in efficiency came about while logging 252 carries, by far the most of his five-year Dallas tenure.
The Cowboys aimed to make Pollard a feature back by releasing Ezekiel Elliott last offseason. The former struggled in that role considering his drop in efficiency. With Tennessee, Pollard will still remain atop the RB depth chart, one featuring a major vacancy with Henry no longer in place. However, he will be joined by 2023 third-rounder Tyjae Spears, who impressed in a quasi-committee setup with Henry last year.
The ground game will look much different in 2024 in Nashville with Pollard in place and new head coach Brian Callahan operating the offense. The team has moved quickly in securing a Henry replacement, though; Dallas will now be a team to watch as a team in need of a starting back.
Bills Extend LT Dion Dawkins
The Bills made a number of cost-cutting moves recently, releasing several veterans. One mainstay who will not be leaving is left tackle Dion Dawkins, however. The veteran announced on Monday that he will remain in the fold in 2024 and beyond, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a new deal is in place. The team has since announced the move. 
The new accord is worth $60.5MM over three years, per Schefter. It will move Dawkins into fifth in terms of annual average value amongst left tackles (although David Bakhtiari‘s Packers tenure is expected to soon come to an end). Dawkins could thus find himself fourth in the LT pecking order shortly.
The 29-year-old was on the books for 2024 at a cap hit of $16.6MM. The coming campaign could have been a walk year as a result, but instead Dawkins will ensure he stays in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. He has played his entire career with the Bills, earning a Pro Bowl nod in each of the past three campaigns. Keeping him in the fold thus represented a logical priority for the team.
Buffalo enjoyed strong play up front last season, one in which the midseason OC change produced a notable commitment to the ground game. Joe Brady will remain in his coordinator post for 2024, so a repeat of the usage of running back James Cook should be expected. Of course, the Bills will be in the market for a new center after moving on from Mitch Morse, and depth will be needed with Ryan Bates having been traded. Dawkins will provide stability on the blindside, though.
The latter secured a $58.3MM extension in 2020, and he has managed to land an even larger accord four years later. Dawkins will remain a foundational member of the Bills’ offense in 2024 and beyond as the team transitions away from a number of pricey veterans in the immediate future. This re-up will no doubt affect Dawkins’ cap hit for this season, given Buffalo’s financial situation. In any event, he will be counted on for years to come as one of the league’s best-compensated O-linemen.
49ers To Re-Sign QB Brandon Allen
Brandon Allen will remain in San Francisco for at least one more offseason. The veteran quarterback has agreed to a new 49ers deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
A report from January tapped Allen as the likely backup for San Francisco in 2024. Sam Darnold held that role last season, but his play under head coach Kyle Shanahan could price him out of the Bay Area. Retaining Allen marks another sign that Darnold could be playing elsewhere next season.
Allen, 31, entered the league as a Jaguars draftee in 2016, but it was three years later that he saw his first regular season action. He made three starts with Denver in 2019 before a three-year span in Cincinnati. The former sixth-rounder worked as Joe Burrow‘s backup during that time, but the Bengals did not retain him last offseason.
That left Allen free to head elsewhere, and he did so by joining the 49ers. Even with Trey Lance in the fold at the time, San Francisco set a high asking price for any potential Allen trade. It was Lance who wound up being dealt to the Cowboys, setting up Darnold and Allen to hold down the backup and third-string roles, respectively. Brock Purdy will retain the starting gig moving forward, but a Darnold departure would line up Allen for a new QB2 position.
The latter has only won two of his seven career starts while posting a passer rating of 78 along the way. While those figures help explain why he will no doubt be relegated to backup duties for the remainder of his career, he will once again be in a QB-friendly environment working with Shanahan for the 2024 campaign.
Colts, WR Michael Pittman Jr. Finalizing Deal
Michael Pittman Jr.‘s immediate future was already assured given the Colts’ decision to place the franchise tag on him. The team’s top wideout could be in place well beyond 2024, however, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the sides are working on a long-term deal which could be finalized today. 
[RELATED: Colts Extend Zaire Franklin]
Providing financial details on the agreement, Rapoport notes it will be a three-year deal with a base value of $70MM. $46MM of that total is guaranteed, and Pittman could earn up to $71.5MM. This accord will take the place of his $21.8MM franchise tag.
Pittman represented an obvious candidate for a new Colts deal given his importance to the team’s passing game. The 26-year-old saw his target share increase in each of his four seasons in the NFL, and that figure has comfortably reached triple-digits every year since 2021. He topped 1,000 receiving yards that year and again in 2023, but his number have pointed to good-not-great production in the eyes of many. Paying out a one-year tender (via the tag) at an average of the top-five receiver earners was thus seen as challenging for the team.
Instead, that situation has now been avoided with a multi-year pact, albeit one which will increase Pittman’s AAV. This new deal will bring an average of $23.3MM, a figure which ranks eighth in the league amongst wideouts and outpaces the value of the tag. The Colts are banking on continued development while also getting ahead of the next wave of WR deals. Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk are among the up-and-coming producers at the position in line for monster extensions as early as this offseason. They could each move past Pittman on their respective accords.
Indianapolis has made multiple draft investments in recent years in a bid to find other cost-effective wideouts to complement Pittman. That effort has included using a second-round pick on Alec Pierce in 2022 and a third-rounder on Josh Downs last April. No pass-catcher has matched Pittman’s importance to the Colts’ offense, however, and the USC product will remain a focal point moving forward. He, along with quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor will comprise the backbone of Indianapolis’ offense in 2024 and beyond.
The Colts will still have plenty of spending power for the offseason; this extension will likely lower Pittman’s 2024 cap number despite the AAV coming in at a higher rate than the franchise tag. More moves involving offensive playmakers could be coming, but the team’s top internal priority has now been taken care of.
Buccaneers To Re-Sign K Chase McLaughlin
Chase McLaughlin had a strong debut season with the Buccaneers in 2023, and he will remain in place for years to come as a result. The veteran kicker has agreed to a new deal, as first reported by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. It is a three-year agreement, ESPN’s Jenna Laine adds. 
McLaughlin initially joined the Bucs last offseason, but he was not the unquestioned kicker at the time. Rodrigo Blankenship served as competition during the summer – as had been the case for that pair during their time together with the Colts. The latter was waived in August, however, paving the way for McLaughlin to hold down kicking duties.
The 27-year-old had bounced around to several teams prior to his Tamp a stint, despite delivering relatively solid accuracy on field goal attempts along the way. McLaughlin enjoyed a career year with the Bucs, however, going 29-for-31 on field goal tries (including seven-for-eight beyond 50 yards). He was also perfect on extra point kicks, upping his value compared to the one-year pact he played on in 2023. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports this new deal is worth $12.3MM, marking a sizable raise from each of McLaughlin’s previous pacts.
Tampa Bay had used Ryan Succop in the kicking game for three years prior to signing McLaughlin. The former had a strong season in 2020, but his field goal accuracy declined in the following years. That led to the efforts to find a younger option, and McLaughlin fit the bill perfectly given his 2023 performance. In an offseason which has seen the Bucs retain several key players, he will join the list of contributors seeing their futures clarified.
Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. received the franchise tag as expected, meaning he will remain in Tampa Bay for at least the 2024 campaign (although a long-term deal is of course a priority for the team). Wideout Mike Evans avoided free agency on a two-year agreement, meanwhile, and quarterback Baker Mayfield finalized a massive raise via a new deal on Sunday. McLaughlin understandably found himself lower in the pecking order for a re-up, but one has nevertheless arrived before free agency or even the opening of the negotiating window.
Bengals Re-Sign RB Trayveon Williams
Questions remain about Joe Mixon‘s future with the Bengals. Regardless of what happens atop the running back depth chart this offseason, though, Cincinnati will have familiar complementary options in 2024. Trayveon Williams has been re-signed, per a team announcement.
Parked behind Mixon and Samaje Perine for most of his Bengals career, Williams is best known thus far for his role as the team’s kick returner over the past two years. It would surprise if the team cut Mixon with designs on promoting the Texas A&M product to RB1 duty, even though it would help on the financial front.
Post-Perine last year, the Bengals used rookie Chase Brown as Mixon’s top backup. Williams could be in line to compete for the backup role in his sixth season, but it would seem Brown has the much better chance of being a Mixon successor in the starting lineup. Williams received only 15 carries last season and has logged all of 62 over the course of his career.
The Bengals owe Mixon a $3MM roster bonus on March 16. The veteran back’s summer reworking last year included this bonus, as the seven-year starter wanted more clarity — on an uncertain RB market — this year compared to how the Bengals dragged out this process in 2023. Mixon will have it, and the Bengals now have Brown and Williams signed behind him.
Cardinals To Re-Sign OL Trystan Colon
Trystan Colon joined the Cardinals on the eve of the 2023 season, but his future has received clarity much earlier this offseason. The utility lineman is being re-signed on a one-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
The Cards are keeping Colon off the market via a $1.75MM deal that can max out at $2MM. Given Colon’s past as a backup, this deal points to a similar role with the NFC West team for the 2024 season.
Colon could not make the Jets’ 53-man roster last year but drew some trade interest ahead of the August roster deadline. No team ended up forking over assets for Colon, who wound up in Arizona via waiver claim. The Cardinals gave the interior offensive lineman four starts, matching his total number logged with the Ravens from 2020-22.
Arizona still has 2023 center starter Hjalte Froholdt under contract, with guard Will Hernandez signed as well. The team may well be set to add a piece at its other guard post, however, with 2023 starter Elijah Wilkinson out of contract for the 2024 slate.
Patriots Plan To Release LB Chris Board
Chris Board played every game in his debut Patriots season in 2023, but he will not be retained for a second campaign with the team. New England plans to release the veteran linebacker and special teamer this week, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. 
Board was on the books for one more season, and he was due $2.4MM. Moving on will create $1.96MM in cap savings while creating a dead money charge of $938K. Waiting until after the new league year opens would allow New England to designate the former UDFA a post-June 1 release, but doing so would not change the financial elements of the move in this case.
The 28-year-old had a four-year stint with the Ravens to begin his career. Board started only two contests on defense across his 63 games in Baltimore, but he established himself as a core special teams player along the way. His subsequent deals in Detroit and New England also kept him sidelined with respect to defensive workloads, and he logged only one defensive snap with the Patriots. Board saw a career-high special teams snap share of 89%, though, and his third phase contributions will be missed.
Franchise mainstay (and special teams ace) Matthew Slater retired earlier this offseason, marking an end to his decorated career with New England. Losing Slater and Board in the same offseason will create a notable vacancy on special teams for the Patriots, a team which ranked 28th in that capacity last season in terms of DVOA. Board will now look to find a new home as he faces the possibility of playing for a third different team in as many years in 2024.
New England entered Monday with nearly $83MM in cap space, the second-most in the NFL. That figure will grow slightly once the Board release is processed. The Patriots are already a team worth watching closely with respect to free agent additions given the holes on their roster and their ability to make multiple major additions. Part of that process will involve at least a few moves aimed at re-building their special teams units with Slater and Board no longer in the fold.