Seahawks, Nick Bellore To Part Ways
Another veteran member of the Pete Carrol-era Seahawks will not be in place for 2024. Seattle and special teamer Nick Bellore will part ways on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. 
One year remained on Bellore’s latest Seahawks contract; he was due to count $4MM against the cap. Seattle will see $2.85MM in cap savings by releasing him just ahead of free agency. Monday marks the beginning of the legal tampering window, and the 34-year-old will be free to discuss a new deal with teams before signing one as early as Wednesday.
The former UDFA served as a starting linebacker with the 49ers in 2016, but throughout the rest of his career he has seen most of his playing time on special teams. Bellore has notably seen usage both at linebacker and fullback, although he only had six offensive touches during his five seasons in the Emerald City. He earned a second career Pro Bowl nod in 2023 after logging an 83% snap share on special teams. In spite of that, the team will move on.
Bellore joins a long list of veterans which have been (or will be) released as part of a financial reset this offseason. Safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, along with tight end Will Dissly and defensive tackle Bryan Mone will not return in 2024. Bellore’s absence will not be acutely felt on offense or defense, but his third phase contributions on a Seahawks team which ranked eight in special teams DVOA last season will be missed.
The Central Michigan product has experience with the Jets, 49ers and Lions in addition to his time as a Seahawk. Bellore has played in 200 regular season games (as well as four in the postseason), and Pelissero notes he intends to continue his career. It will be interesting to see how much of a market develops for him in the near future.
Bears, S Kevin Byard Agree To Deal
Kevin Byard saw his brief Eagles tenure come to an end recently, but he has not needed to wait until the new league year to find his next home. The veteran safety has agreed to a two-year deal with the Bears, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports. 
This contract will carry a base value of $15MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. Byard was set to visit a non-Chicago suitor today, per a previous Rapoport report. Instead, he has an agreement in place which will send him to the Windy City. Like all players released prior to free agency, he was free to sign with a team at any time.
Considering the Bears (a team which had nearly $63MM in cap space as of Sunday) hosted Byard yesterday, this news comes as little surprise. The 30-year-old was one of several decorated safeties on the open market after a large number of them were let go in the build-up to the new league year. The Eagles traded for Byard at the deadline in 2023, but they cut him earlier this month as part of a notable re-shaping of their secondary.
Prior to his Philadelphia stint, the former third-rounder had a productive tenure with the Titans from 2016 through to this fall. Byard earned a Pro Bowl nod as well as first-team All-Pro honors in the 2017 and 2021 seasons, and he has remained a full-time starter for the past seven years. He will be expected to provide experience and high-end production in Chicago given the terms of his new deal.
The Bears released Eddie Jackson this offseason, marking an end to his seven-year run with the franchise. Byard will take on Jackson’s starting role alongside Jaquan Brisker on the backend. Given the latter’s play to begin his career, along with the other young pieces in place in the Bears’ secondary, the team could be well-positioned to improve on its 25th place finish against the pass from 2023.
Standout corner Jaylon Johnson will be a major part of that effort, as he landed a lucrative extension shortly after receiving the franchise tag. Johnson had a breakout campaign in terms of ball production in particular last season, and continued play in that regard will go a long way to ensuring defensive success for Chicago. Byard will aim to play a central role in that regard as well.
The latter notched one interception and three pass breakups in his Eagles tenure; when taking his time with the Titans into account, Byard recorded over 100 tackles for the third time in the past four seasons. This pact represents a step back financially compared to his Titans extensions (averaging $14.1MM, then $12.55MM per season), but it comes during what could be a buyer’s market at the S position. Byard’s deal will likely be used as a barometer as other safeties find new teams over the course of free agency.
Jets To Sign CB Isaiah Oliver
The Jets have agreed to terms with cornerback Isaiah Oliver on a one-year deal, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. Oliver, who spent the 2023 campaign with the 49ers after a five-year run with the Falcons, was released by San Francisco last month. 
This is the second move to fortify the defensive backfield that New York has made today, as reports on the club’s one-year agreement with safety Chuck Clark surfaced a little over an hour before the Oliver news. As The Athletic’s Matt Barrow observes, New York is adding the latter with the intention of also using him at safety. Oliver spent time practicing at that spot toward the end of his 49ers tenure.
The 27-year-old was brought to San Francisco to man the slot corner role, but things did not go according to plan in that regard. Oliver allowed a completion percentage of 84% and a passer rating of 101 as the nearest defender in 2023. He also surrendered three touchdowns in coverage, and those factors no doubt informed San Francisco’s decision to move on. Oliver will be reunited with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich with this move, after the pair worked together in Atlanta.
The Jets have Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed in place as cornerback starters; rather than joining that tandem in the slot, Oliver will aim to carve out a role on the backend. Clark’s new deal will provide the Jets with a first-team option at one safety spot, and Oliver could compete for the other one. Jordan Whitehead – who started all 17 games in each of the past two seasons after signing with New York in 2022 – is a pending free agent.
New York entered Sunday with nearly $21MM in cap space, flexibility which will be useful this week once the legal tampering begins and free agency opens two days later. It will be interesting to see if Whitehead is retained given the Oliver acquisition, but the latter could serve as experienced depth if another starter is also brought in. In any case, Oliver will aim to rebuild his value in 2024 after a disappointing one-and-done tenure in the Bay Area.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Panthers To Release C Bradley Bozeman
Bradley Bozeman‘s tenure in Charlotte has come to an end. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Panthers will release the veteran center at the start of the league year on Wednesday. Bozeman was due a $1.5MM roster bonus on March 16, so Carolina will avoid that payment. 
Bozeman began his career with the Ravens, seeing first-team playing time at both guard and center. It was in the latter role that he finished his rookie contract in 2021, remaining a full-time starter over the course of that campaign. In his first trip to free agency, the former sixth-rounder headed to Charlotte on a one-year pact. Bozeman made 17 appearances (and 11 starts) in that time.
A mutual interest existed between team and player to work out a new arrangement, and that was indeed the case last March. Bozeman inked a three-year, $18MM deal to remain with the Panthers. After only one year on that pact, however, Carolina – now led by general manager Dan Morgan – will cut bait and begin to search out a replacement. Joe Person of The Athletic notes Bozeman declined to take a pay cut to remain with the team. By timing the release after the new league year begins, the Panthers will have the option of designating this move a post-June 1 cut. That route would yield $2MM in cap savings and $5.64MM in dead money.
Bozeman earned a PFF grade of 62.2 in 2023, a figure which falls roughly in line with most of his past performances . Strong play as a run blocker was overshadowed by shortcomings in terms of pass protection; the 29-year-old was charged with eight sacks allowed as part of a Panthers’ O-line which struggled to keep quarterback Bryce Young upright. Major changes up front will be a top priority for Morgan and Co. in free agency and/or the draft.
The 2024 free agent class already featured a few center options for teams to choose from, but Bozeman will be a notable addition to the group. Highly regarded for his work off the field, the Alabama product has earned the Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination in both Baltimore and Carolina. He will be hard-pressed to land another pact averaging $6MM as he did last offseason, but he should manage to find a new home in relatively short order.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Eagles DT Fletcher Cox To Retire
We heard last week that longtime Eagles DT Fletcher Cox was widely expected to retire. Cox is following through on that decision, announcing on his Instagram page that he is hanging up the cleats (via Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network). 
Cox, 33, joins center Jason Kelce as a member of Philadelphia’s storied ‘Core Four’ who will not be in place moving forward. Cox will end his Eagles tenure ranked third in franchise history in games played behind only Kelce and defensive end Brandon Graham. The latter is working on a new deal, but Cox’s absence will still leave a major vacancy along the defensive line.
The former first-rounder spent his entire 12-year career in Philadelphia, although in recent seasons he faced a relatively uncertain future. Cox was released in 2022 before re-joining the team on a less expensive contract. The following year, he fielded outside offers before electing to sign another one-year pact with the Eagles. Cox turned down more money in doing so, and over the course of the 2023 campaign he remained a full-time starter along the interior.
The Mississippi State alum notched five sacks last season, adding to his consistent production in that regard throughout his decorated career. Cox reached the double-digit sack mark only once (in 2018), but he was a Pro Bowler six consecutive times in a stretch from 2015-20. He earned second-team All-Pro honors three times, along with a first-team inclusion in 2018. Cox’s decorated resume includes a spot on the 2010s All-Decade team.
A major contributor to the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2017 as well as the one which reached the title game in 2022, Cox will leave the game with a championship ring and a reputation as one of the top defensive linemen of his generation. Replacing him will be a tall order, though the Eagles have prepared for this news in recent offseasons by selecting Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter in the first round of the past two drafts. That duo will face increased expectations in 2024 and beyond.
“I gave everything I had to this team and to this city,” Cox’s announcement reads in part. “I don’t know what’s next for me, but I do know that I’m forever grateful for my time here in Philadelphia and with the Eagles organization.”
Cox continued to land eight-figure deals after the conclusion of his rookie pact, highlighted by his 2016 extension. That six-year, $102.6MM deal allowed him to build much of his illustrious Philadelphia tenure while adding considerably to his financial success in the NFL. In all, Cox will depart with more than $128MM in career earnings.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Latest On Kirk Cousins
MARCH 10: Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (subscription required) report that while Cousins is indeed the Falcons’ top target, the Vikings are by no means out of the running. The Vikes and Cousins were still negotiating as of the end of the week, and Graziano noted that Cousins and his family like Minnesota, and the fans like him (to say nothing of the presence of star wideout Justin Jefferson and head coach Kevin O’Connell, a well-respected play-caller).
A team source tells Fowler that there is a 50-50 chance the Vikings will re-sign Cousins. Though Atlanta is a major threat here, and though Minnesota will have its financial limits after paying Cousins $185MM over the past six years, a re-up remains a distinct possibility.
MARCH 5: Today marks the franchise tag deadline, but plenty of other questions loom around the NFL with free agency only one week away. Kirk Cousins remains the subject of considerable attention and speculation given his status as the top quarterback set to be available on the open market. 
Talks with the Vikings are ongoing, but reports from the weekend suggested Minnesota is preparing to at least let the 35-year-old gauge his value with outside suitors. A number of teams would no doubt show passing interest in the four-time Pro Bowler at a minimum, but the Falcons have increasingly emerged at the forefront of a Cousins pursuit. Further developments continue to point in that direction.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes he has received “very credible indications that Cousins is seriously considering moving his family to Atlanta.” While athletes often own real estate in a number of markets, a step such as this would of course point to a deal with the Falcons being agreed upon. Atlanta is well known as being in position to add at the QB spot, and the team may prefer a contract with Cousins to a trade resulting in the acquisition of Georgia native Justin Fields.
The latter’s future with the Bears will of course represent a major domino in the 2024 offseason as it pertains to quarterbacks. Chicago is expected to deal Fields in a move setting the team up for Caleb Williams being selected first overall in April’s draft. The market for Fields will be complicated by the fact the Bears are willing to move on (presuming that decision is the one ultimately made by GM Ryan Poles) as well as the availability of more established options in Cousins and Baker Mayfield.
Cousins’ Achilles tear ended his sixth Vikings season, one in which he posted strong numbers prior to the injury. Minnesota has remained steadfast in terms of public endorsements of a new agreement, although length and the guarantee structure of any new pact will no doubt be sticking points. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports neither side has set a final price point for negotiations, which can continue through to the start of the legal tampering period (March 11).
The Vikings do not have an obvious Cousins successor on the roster, and the No. 11 draft slot will keep the team out of reach of the best QB prospects barring a sizable trade-up maneuver. Unless an agreement can be worked out in short order, though, the team could very well be tasked with finding a new starter for the first time since 2018. Should Cousins reach free agency, the Falcons will remain a team to watch closely.
Chiefs, Chris Jones Agree To Extension
Chris Jones will not be reaching the market. The three-time Chiefs Super Bowl winning defensive tackle has been retained on a monster extension, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal is five years in length and includes a staggering $95MM in guaranteed money, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. 
Jones’ agency has since confirmed the move, which will ensure his Kansas City tenure continues and add considerably to his career earnings. The five-time Pro Bowler was on track to be the top prize amongst defenders in free agency, but the Chiefs made consistent efforts recently to retain him. That has now taken place, with the agreement shattering the record for guaranteed compensation at the D-tackle spot.
Schefter clarifies Jones will receive the $95MM figure – which is guaranteed – over the first three years of the pact. That $31.67MM average matches the AAV mark set by Aaron Donald on his historic Rams extension, but it far outpaces the $46.5MM guaranteed which Donald’s deal includes. The deal is still being ironed out, per Schefter, but once finalized it will move Jones to the top of the DT pecking order.
The 29-year-old had been seeking a deal in the $30MM-per-year range, and he has indeed landed it. Jones was always Kansas City’s top free agent priority, despite a younger defensive stalwart (cornerback L’Jarius Sneed) also being in need of a new deal. The latter has been franchise-tagged, but it remains to be seen if he will be retained or traded to avoid a 2025 free agent departure. Regardless of what happens in the team’s secondary, Kansas City’s defensive front will remain strong given Jones’ continued presence.
Earning first-team All-Pro honors in each of the past two seasons, Jones has not slowed. The Mississippi State product has totaled 26 sacks over the that span in the regular season, adding 2.5 in the postseason. Game-changing plays in the playoffs have remained a fixture for Jones, as he as contributed immensely to the Chiefs’ dynasty construction. Given his durability (multiple missed games in only two seasons), a long-term investment could be less risky from the team’s perspective than most others with players his age.
Kansas City has seen head coach Andy Reid commit to playing at least one more season (and likely more) in an offseason after Patrick Mahomes had his own mega-deal restructured. Jones agreeing to a re-up means all three pillars of the Chiefs’ core will be intact moving forward. In the latter’s case, it comes with the added benefit of avoiding a repeat of the holdout which began the 2023 regular season.
Jones remained out of the lineup through Week 1 this past campaign, missing out on a game check in addition to fines incurred from missed training camp time. He and the team worked out a one-year deal laden with incentives, but hammering out another multi-year pact was an obvious priority for team and player. Working one out before free agency was the expectation of many around the league, and to no surprise Jones has landed a raise from the four-year, $80MM pact he inked in 2020.
As of Saturday, the two-time defending champions sat at just $1.2MM in cap space, a figure which of course did not include Jones given his pending free agency (although he will account for $3.4MM in dead money with his previous deal already having voided). The structure of the guaranteed payouts – along with whatever compensation is included in Years 4 and 5 – will be interesting given the importance of Kansas City maintaining cap flexibility in the immediate future.
The team is expected to devote finances to the offensive side of the ball (aside from this historic Jones agreement, of course) this offseason. That comes as no surprise given Kansas City’s inconsistency relative to its defense in 2023. Jones will remain an anchor of DC Steve Spagnuolo‘s unit for the foreseeable future, though, something which will have a ripple effect around the league next week.
Jones coming off the board leaves a major vacancy at the top of the DT market. Christian Wilkins is now positioned as the best player at the position on track to land a deal with an outside suitor. In the short term in Wilkins’ case, as well as the long term given the upward financial trajectory along the defensive interior, this Jones deal will keep moving the bar higher in terms of both annual and guaranteed compensation.
Cowboys Grant WR Michael Gallup Permission To Seek Trade
With his Cowboys future on shaky ground, Michael Gallup could soon find himself in a new environment . The veteran wideout has been given permission to seek a trade, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports. 
Gallup has already been tapped as a release candidate, so it comes as no surprise the Cowboys are prepared to move on from him. However, three years remain on his contract, and an acquiring team would need to absorb it in any potential swap. As Watkins notes, therefore, a tepid trade market exists at the moment.
The Cowboys (or his next team, if traded) would see $4MM of Gallup’s $9.5MM 2024 compensation become guaranteed on March 17. Moving on before that date would be logical, especially if it were to take place via a post-June 1 release. That route would create $9.5MM in cap space, although those extra funds would not be available until June 2.
Should Dallas elect to retain the 28-year-old, the team would likely need to work out a restructure or extension to lower his cap figures. Gallup is set to count $13.85MM against the cap in 2024, with that figure rising to $15.85MM in 2025 and ’26. None of his base salaries are guaranteed in that span, and devoting such a notable amount of cap resources to a depth contributor would be problematic for the team.
Gallup posted an underwhelming 34-418-2 statline in 2023 as his role in the Cowboys’ offense continued to dwindle. CeeDee Lamb confirmed his status as one of the league’s best wideouts, and he will remain the focal point of Dallas’ passing game for years to come provided he secures a mega-extension in the relatively near future. Fellow receivers Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks could take on larger complementary roles in the event Gallup were to be traded or released.
The 2024 free agent class has a few young deep threats in its WR ranks, something which could hinder Gallup’s earning power provided he reaches the open market. If suitors wish to add him without entering a financial bidding war, though, they could move quickly in swinging a trade before free agency begins next week. That would be an unlikely outcome given the cap implications, but the interest Gallup generates over the coming days will be worth monitoring.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/24
Saturday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: CB Kris Boyd, DT Khalil Davis
Retired
The Texans’ efforts to retain several key contributors includes both Boyd and Davis landing new deals, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The former joined Houston after he was released by the Cardinals in October. Boyd made a pair of appearances with the Texans, playing almost exclusively on special teams. Davis, meanwhile, earned an extended Houston stay after logging a 41% defensive snap share and recording two sacks in his debut Texans campaign. After playing for three teams in as many years, the 27-year-old will have a degree of stability in 2024.
Scarbrough entered the league as a Cowboys seventh-rounder in 2018, but it was one year later (and with the Lions) that he made his regular season debut. The Alabama alum received 89 carries that season, and followed it up with a much smaller workload in 2020 with the Seahawks. After not seeing any further NFL action, the 29-year-old was set to play with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions (the team with which he won a pair of USFL titles) this spring. Instead, he has elected to hang up his cleats.
Broncos To Re-Sign S P.J. Locke
The Broncos moved on from a franchise mainstay earlier this week by releasing Justin Simmons. While he will not be in place for 2024, P.J. Locke will be. The latter has agreed to a new Denver deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Rapoport notes Locke will receive $7MM in base compensation on a two-year deal. The maximum value sits at $9MM, which will mark a hefty raise from his previous deals. The former UDFA had amassed less than $4MM in career earnings across five seasons. He will now remain in Denver and avoid a trip to the open market.
Simmons’ release created the possibility that all three safeties which played signficant time in 2023 (he, Locke and Kareem Jackson, who was waived and finished the campaign with the Texans) could be gone by the 2024 campaign. However, a recent report noted interest from the team to work out a new deal in Locke’s case. The 27-year-old took on starting duties filling in for Jackson last year, and he will be counted on as a first-teamer moving forward.
Locke tallied 53 tackles, one interception, five pass deflections, two forced fumbles and three sacks last season. Each of those figures represented career highs, and he could have generated a notable market given his age and play down the stretch even with numerous veterans now available. After playing each of his 59 games with the Broncos, however, Locke has elected to take another new deal in lieu of gauging his outside value.
The Texas alum joins Caden Sterns and a pair of other recent draftees (Delarrin Turner-Yell, JL Skinner) in being on the books for Denver ahead of free agency. That group is severely lacking in experience compared to the Broncos’ longtime Simmons-Jackson tandem, so an addition at the position would come as no surprise. The team will have several options to choose from on the open market. Regardless of what happens on that front, though, Locke will face significant expectations ahead of 2024 and ’25.
The Broncos entered Saturday with roughly $30.5MM in cap space with free agency on the horizon. Locke’s new deal will lower that figure to a slight extent, but his continued presence will be welcomed on a Denver defense which will feature a number of new faces next year.