Jets To Release TE C.J. Uzomah
C.J. Uzomah will not play out the final year of his Jets contract. The veteran tight end is expected to be released, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
Uzomah was set to carry a cap hit of $11.22MM in 2024. By releasing him now, the Jets will see $5.3MM in savings while creating $5.92MM in dead cap charges. Given the financial benefits, as well as the knee injury which ended his 2023 campaign prematurely, Uzomah’s release comes as little surprise.
The 31-year-old finished the season on IR due to MCL and meniscus damage. Even when on the field, though, Uzomah was not able to match the production he delivered in his best Bengals campaigns. Across 27 games with New York, he totaled 290 yards and three touchdowns. Expectations were higher after he joined the team on a three-year, $24MM deal in 2022.
The former fifth-rounder saw fluctuating usage in the passing game during his seven-year Cincinnati run. He remained a key member of the offense with respect to playing time for much of that span, though, and he twice recorded 40-plus catches and over 400 yards as a Bengal. Those past showings could help his market as a complementary target for his new team, although his health and underwhelming Jets showing could give potential suitors pause.
Today’s move will leave the Jets with roughly $26MM in cap space as free agency draws nearer. New York will move forward with Tyler Conklin and Jeremy Ruckert atop the tight end depth chart; those two are under contract for one and two more years, respectively. The team could be in the market for an addition at the position either in free agency or the draft to replace Uzomah, who will now turn his attention to the search for a new opportunity.
Eagles’ Jason Kelce Confirms Retirement
In the wake of the Eagles’ wild-card loss, it was reported center Jason Kelce informed his teammates of his intention to retire. The future Hall of Famer confirmed that decision in a press conference on Monday.
Kelce’s future remained uncertain until Monday, as he declined to make a formal announcement. He spoke about a desire to remain with the Eagles in some capacity, while also looking into a potential transition to the broadcast booth. The 36-year-old has done extensive homework with multiple networks, and there will no doubt be a considerable market for his services in his post-playing days.
A sixth-round pick in 2011, Kelce was a full-time starter in his rookie season and he maintained his place atop the depth chart throughout his storied career. He was forced to miss considerable time only once in his 13-year tenure, and he was able to suit up for every game from 2015 onwards. Across that span, Kelce cemented his status as one of the best O-lineman (at any position) of his generation.
The Cincinnati alum earned at least a Pro Bowl invitation or a first-team All-Pro nod every year from 2016 through his final campaign. The waning years of his career proved Kelce was still capable of playing at an elite level while remaining an integral part of the Eagles’ offensive front. Instead of pursuing a 14th campaign and the chance at a third Super Bowl appearance (and second championship), though, he will hang up his cleats and turn his attention elsewhere.
Kelce ranks second on the franchise’s all-time games played list with 193, just behind fellow ‘Core Four’ member Brandon Graham. The latter’s future is in question, although he and right tackle Lane Johnson have stated a desire to play in 2024. The final member of the illustrious quartet – defensive tackle Fletcher Cox – is believed to be leaning toward hanging up his cleats at some point this offseason. Regardless of what happens with the other Philadelphia mainstays, Kelce’s absence will be acutely felt.
Over each of the past three years, he and the Eagles have worked out one-year contracts knowing a retirement decision would looming in relatively short order. Kelce’s latest pact is set up so he can remain on the team’s roster beyond June 1 before being placed on the retirement list. Once that procedural move takes place, Philadelphia will begin a new era under center. Cam Jurgens – who was drafted in 2022 as Kelce’s successor and played at right guard in 2023 – could move to center with the sizable challenge of replacing a franchise icon.
“It has always been a goal of mine to play my whole career in one city,” Kelce said during his press conference, via ESPN’s Tim McManus. “I couldn’t have dreamt a better one if I tried.”
Kelce will walk away from the game with more than $85MM in career earnings. His next endeavor will be worth following closely, especially if he elects to try his hand at broadcasting in 2024 or down the road. In any event, a spot in Canton no doubt awaits him with his playing career now in the books.
Chiefs Place Franchise Tag On CB L’Jarius Sneed
One day out from the franchise tag deadline, the Chiefs have followed through with the expected move of placing the one-year tender on cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. The non-exclusive tag was applied on Monday, per a team announcement. 
The move will keep Sneed off the open market, but his future with the defending champions is of course still uncertain. Kansas City was reported last week to be prepared to use the tag, but the team gave Sneed permission to seek out a trade sending him elsewhere. Now (at least temporarily) locked into a 2024 salary of $19.8MM, the standout cover man can continue that process.
To no surprise, Sneed is on the radar of interested teams looking to make a notable cornerback addition. Any suitor willing to send trade capital the Chiefs’ way would no doubt do so with a long-term arrangement worked out with the 27-year-old. Sneed has been an integral part of Kansas City’s secondary over the course of his four-year tenure, playing a major role in the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl runs the past two seasons.
The former fourth-rounder totaled five interceptions and 30 pass deflections across regular and postseason play between 2022-23. Given his age and production, Sneed would be counted on as a defensive anchor on any acquiring team, and the Chiefs could solicit several offers if a tag-and-trade is determined as the preferred direction. Any and all developments on the Sneed front will take place against the backdrop of defensive tackle Chris Jones‘ pending free agency.
The latter appears to be the Chiefs’ higher priority with respect to working out a deal for 2024 and beyond, and the sides may manage to accomplish that goal before free agency. Jones’ asking price – after a hold-out which lasted into the regular season and preceded another stellar campaign – will be a major factor in negotiations, one which both team and player hope will result in a new contract. A pact coming anywhere near the $30MM range in AAV (or even eclipsing Aaron Donald‘s market-setting $31.67MM figure) will leave fewer resources for other offseason moves, like a long-term Sneed extension.
Kansas City already has Trent McDuffie on his rookie contract, and he will remain a foundational member of the team’s defense moving forward regardless of if Sneed remains with the Chiefs or not. The latter can negotiate a multi-year deal as late as July 15 before signing the tag and playing out the season with the full $19.8MM figure landing on his team’s cap sheet in the absence of an agreement. The question of whether that team will be Kansas City will be a key one in the 2024 offseason.
Jaguars To Release DT Folorunso Fatukasi
Folorunso Fatukasi was a key part of the Jaguars’ defensive rebuilding efforts in 2022. His time with the team has come to an end, however. 
The veteran defensive tackle is being released, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. One year remained on Fatukasi’s pact, and this move will create $3.52MM in cap space; Jacksonville will incur a dead money charge of $9.27MM. He was set to count $12.79MM against the cap in 2024.
Fatukasi began his career with the Jets, and he took on a larger workload with each passing season. After establishing himself as a stout run defender, the former sixth-rounder landed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars. That pact was restructured last offseason, though, and none of his $7MM base salary for 2024 was guaranteed. Now, the team will move on with other offseason priorities to attend to.
Chief among those is a new deal for edge rusher Josh Allen. The two-time Pro Bowler will not reach the open market, and an agreement keeping wideout Calvin Ridley in place is also in the team’s plans. New contracts in both players’ cases will be costly, especially since the latter will likely be allowed to test free agency given the conditions of his trade acquisition from the Falcons. Creating funds for those efforts and others has included moving on from Fatukasi after a pair of seasons.
The 29-year-old started 29 of his 30 regular season games with Jacksonville, but he was unable to develop into a difference-maker with respect to interior pass-rush production. Fatukasi totaled 1.5 sacks and nine QB pressures during his time with the Jaguars, recording 48 tackles along the way. For the second time in his career, he will reach the open market, although he will be able to sign a deal with an interested team before the start of free agency next week. Given the nature of his time in Duval County, however, it would be a surprise if he were targeted as a priority by interested teams.
Panthers To Move On From Donte Jackson
As cost-cutting season continues around the NFL, the Panthers are among the teams which will be shedding veteran contracts. Carolina is expected to trade or release cornerback Donte Jackson, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
Jackson is due a $4MM roster bonus on March 16, meaning a decision one way or another will likely be made by that point. The Panthers will no doubt attempt to find a trade partner before proceeding with a release if necessary. In the latter case, the team will see $5.94MM in cap savings against $9.78MM in dead cap charges for 2024.
One year remains on Jackson’s pact, a three-year, $35.18MM deal signed after the expiration of his rookie contract. The former second-rounder has spent his entire six-year career in Carolina, but he was due to count $15.72MM against the cap in 2024. He was on the trade block in advance of this year’s deadline, but no takers emerged. Now, he will again be available.
Jackson was limited to nine games in 2022 due to an Achilles tear. He managed to recover in full, though, and he suited up for 16 contests in 2023. He totaled 53 tackles while remaining a full-time starter, although he was held without an interception for the first time in his career. The LSU alum also had a down year in coverage, allowing three touchdowns as the nearest defender and surrendering an opposing passer rating of 107.7.
Nevertheless, the LSU alum could have suitors as a free agent in particular. Jackson recorded 14 interceptions and 41 pass breakups across his first five seasons, and managing to play a full campaign in 2024 coming off the Achilles tear will help his value on the health front. It will be interesting to see if any suitors show a willingness to trade for him (and take on the remainder of his contract in doing so) to prevent him from reaching the open market.
Carolina – a team which entered Monday with roughly $35MM in cap space – will now need to find a new starting CB option to pair with Jaycee Horn. The Panthers, of course, also have a number of financial matters to work out with their incumbent defensive nucleus. Edge rusher Brian Burns is a pending free agent, as is hybrid linebacker Frankie Luvu. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown is also eligible for an extension, and talks on that front have begun. In any case, the team’s secondary will have a new look without Jackson in the fold any longer.
Bucs, S Antoine Winfield Jr. Making Progress On Contract Talks?
The Buccaneers have already taken one major priority off their to-do list. A new deal is in place for wideout Mike Evans, and the same could soon be true of safety Antoine Winfield Jr. 
[RELATED: Buccaneers Discussing Baker Mayfield Deal]
The latter has long been considered a franchise tag candidate as the expiration of his rookie contract approaches. Tampa Bay has until tomorrow afternoon to apply the one-year tender, which will cost just over $17MM. After delivering a first-team All-Pro campaign last season, though, Winfield could command a higher price on a long-term pact. On that note, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline reports traction was gained on a new deal during last week’s Combine.
Pauline adds that the sides are “zeroing in” on an agreement which will check in at an annual average value of $20MM on a three- or four-year pact. That would allow Winfield to reset the top of the safety market, overtaking Derwin James ($19MM per season) as the highest-earning player at the position on an annual basis. Such a deal would also allow the Buccaneers to keep one of the foundational members of their defense in place for years to come and avoid having to use the franchise tag.
Winfield already had a Pro Bowl on his resume entering the 2023 season, but he upped his market value considerably over the course of the year. The 25-year-old set a new career high in tackles (122), interceptions (three), pass deflections (12) and sacks (six) while leading the league with six forced fumbles. Those figures have him on track to secure a major raise on his next pact, either one negotiated following the application of the tag or a deal hammered out in the immediate future.
Players who are tagged can continue negotiating with their respective teams until July 15. If no deals are reached by that point, they are required to play out the season on the tag (or, as Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs demonstrated last offseason, a one-year deal taking its place). Winfield’s case will be one to watch closely as the franchise tag deadline approaches, particularly if he and the Bucs are indeed moving toward a long-term agreement.
Cowboys Aim To Re-Sign Dorance Armstrong; DE Expected To Draw Interest
Dorance Armstrong has spent his entire six-year career with the Cowboys, but he is on track to reach the open market. Both Dallas and outside suitors have the veteran defensive end on the radar. 
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After his rookie contract expired, Armstrong landed a two-year, $12MM deal to remain with the Cowboys. He had produced little as a pass rusher across his first three campaigns in the league, but in 2021 the former fourth-rounder notched five sacks. That helped his value, but it will now stand at a higher rate after he totaled 16 sacks in 2022-23.
Armstrong’s deal voided last month, creating a dead cap charge of $1.5MM in 2024 for the Cowboys regardless of where he plays. The 26-year-old is valued by the team, though, as Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News notes. Another Cowboys agreement could thus be in store, but Armstrong will likely draw interest if he reaches free agency.
The Kansas product is not expected to re-up with Dallas for a second time, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Armstrong could have a number of suitors given his age and production in recent seasons (which includes 20 tackles for loss and 55 QB pressures over the past three years). A raise compared to his previous pact would come as little surprise, and the Cowboys would not be in position to win a bidding war considering they are currently projected to be $10.6MM over the cap.
Fowler names the Commanders as a team to watch with respect to Armstrong. Washington is now led by Dan Quinn, who served as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for the last three years. It would not surprise to see Armstrong or other Dallas defenders make the intra-divisional move to continue working with Quinn. Washington traded away both Montez Sweat and Chase Young in advance of the 2023 trade deadline, leaving the team in need of additions along the edge. The Commanders will have ample spending power in free agency, so they could make a healthy bid for Armstrong if they intend to add him to the D-line.
Dallas will likely be eyeing additions along the defensive interior and at the middle linebacker spot this offseason, but losing Armstrong would create a notable absence in the front seven. It will be interesting to see if talks on a new deal can keep him with the Cowboys for 2024 and beyond or if he will find himself in a new environment on his third contract.
Cardinals Open To Trading No. 4 Pick?
Presuming the Bears replace Justin Fields with Caleb Williams and the Commanders and Patriots keep their respective places in the draft order, three quarterbacks could very well hear their names called with the first three picks in April. That would leave the Cardinals’ top draft slot as one worth monitoring. 
Arizona has made repeated commitments to Kyler Murray as the quarterback of the present and future, so the team will not be looking for a starting-caliber addition this spring. Regardless of how the first three picks play out, though, teams further down the draft board could be inclined to move up to secure the next available signal-caller. For that reason, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports the Cardinals are “open” to trading down (subscription required).
After a 4-13 campaign, Arizona’s roster certainly has a number of holes to fill. Adding further draft capital would assist in the effort on the part of second-year general manager Monti Ossenfort in taking the organization’s rebuild to its next step. Ossenfort proved willing to maneuver on draft day last year, moving out of the third overall slot before ultimately trading back up from 12th to sixth in the order. That process landed the Cardinals Houston’s first-rounder in 2024; as such, Arizona is set to select fourth and 27th as things currently stand.
A top-five selection would provide the Cardinals a chance to add a much-needed No. 1 wideout. The status of pending free agent Marquise Brown is uncertain, but even if he were to be retained, a noteworthy addition at the position would be welcomed. For much of the season, the most common prospect linked with Arizona was phenom wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. If Ossenfort were to elect to stay put, the former Ohio State star would represent a logical target.
In the event a trade-down was executed, though, several other high-profile receiver options could still be within reach. Malik Nabers (LSU) and Rome Odunze (Washington) have both drawn considerable praise in the build-up to the draft, and Arizona could select either one with a slightly lower top-10 pick. Adding an impact offensive tackle (such as Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu) could also be an option in the back half of the top 10.
The Cardinals ranked 31st in scoring defense in 2023, so improvements in that regard will no doubt be an offseason priority. Most of the 2024 class’ top prospects are on the other side of the ball, though, and an addition helping Murray and Co. remains a likely outcome. Whether or not that comes at the No. 4 slot will be interesting to watch as the draft approaches.
Panthers Pause Brian Burns Extension Talks
Brian Burns is an obvious franchise tag candidate in the event a long-term Panthers deal cannot be worked out. The latest development in this situation points further to the tag being necessary. 
[RELATED: Panthers Discussing Derrick Brown Extension]
The Panthers informed Burns’ camp during the Combine that talks are on hold, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports. Negotiations on a sizable second contract have run hot and cold as a decision on a tag draws nearer. Burns was to no surprise on the radar of several teams – including the Commanders – in advance of the trade deadline. Even after it became clear he would not be on the move, the former first-rounder confirmed midseason extension talks were not taking place.
Mutual interest is known to exist between team and player in Burns’ case, but time is running out to come to terms on a mega-pact. The franchise tag deadline is March 5, and using it will create a window until mid-July to work out an agreement or a trade sending him to a new team. Carolina turned down an offer of two first-round picks from the Rams, as well as overtures from other suitors in the hopes of keeping the two-time Pro Bowler in the fold. General manager Dan Morgan recently all-but guaranteed the tag would be used if needed to avoid Burns reaching free agency.
The franchise tag would cost $24MM in the event the Florida State alum was classified as an outside linebacker or $21.32MM if designated a defensive end. Even if a compromise were worked out, questions would continue regarding Burns’ future in Carolina. He has posted 46 sacks in five seasons, and he earned $16MM on the fifth-year option last season. A new pact will check in at a much larger rate given his success as a sack artist, although limitations against the run could hinder his value on the open market.
Still, several suitors would no doubt be prepared to execute a tag-and-trade if Burns does indeed become available. Entering his age-26 season, he will be expected to continue producing at a high level in 2024 and beyond. Without a resumption of talks (and tangible progress being made in short order), however, it will remain up in the air whether or not Burns will be suiting up for the Panthers in the future.
Teams Showing Interest In Saints CB Marshon Lattimore
As part of the Saints’ 2024 cap maneuvering, cornerback Marshon Lattimore had his contract restructured. An option bonus is now due one week before the start of the coming campaign, and his base salary has been reduced to $1.2MM. 
As a result, many have pointed to Lattimore as a potential trade candidate. Indeed, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported last month that it would not come as a surprise if teams kicked the tires on a potential swap. His most recent update on the matter notes that “several teams” believe the four-time Pro Bowler is in fact on the market. No guaranteed salary remains on Lattimore’s deal, but he is due a $2MM roster bonus in 2025 and ’26, the final non-void years of his pact.
The former Defensive Rookie of the Year has a reasonable $14.62MM cap hit in 2024, but that figure is set to spike to $31.41MM and $28.56MM in the following years. Dealing him before June 1 would create a monster dead cap charge, but doing so after that date would spread out the financial penalty ($13.41MM) across two seasons while yielding added cap space in 2025. Given his pedigree, Lattimore would have plenty of suitors, and Fowler names the Lions and Dolphins as teams to watch on the CB market generally speaking.
Detroit in particular has been touted as a buyer with respect to a cornerback addition, and Lattimore would certainly fit the bill. Miami is set to move on from Xavien Howard, although he could be retained on a new deal. Other teams would no doubt be willing to acquire Lattimore, provided the Saints were prepared to move on from him. When speaking on the subject, head coach Dennis Allen praised the 27-year-old while coming up short of a firm endorsement of his short- and long-term future.
“Yeah, really, I think it’s about guys that we feel like can help us win football games, guys that we feel like can continue to build the right type of culture here, and guys that are willing to do the things that it’s necessary to do to succeed,” Allen said via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras. “And so, look, like I said, Marshon’s a part of our football team. He’s been a big part of our football team.”
Allen notably stated that Lattimore is a member of the Saints “for now.” As Nick Underhill and Mike Triplett of New Orleans Football Network add, no final decision on Lattimore’s future appears to have been made, nor is his desire to be traded known (video link). Given the time remaining until the former first-rounder’s bonus is due, clarity on both fronts may not emerge for some time.
Lattimore has remained an impact defender when on the field over the past two seasons. During that span, however, he has been limited to 17 games through injury, and his ball production (two interceptions, 12 pass deflections) has seen a downturn. Still, the Saints could field numerous offers if Lattimore were to become available, and his status will be a key offseason storyline to follow.