Texans To Sign DT Tim Settle
After a two-year stop in Buffalo, Tim Settle is heading south. The free agent defensive tackle is signing a two-year deal with the Texans, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
The two-year pact is worth up to $7MM with incentives, according to NFL Mike Garafolo.
Settle inked a two-year deal with Buffalo back in 2022 and only missed a pair of games during his two seasons with the team. He played mostly a backup role in Buffalo, getting into more than a third of his team’s defensive snaps. In his 32 games, he compiled 33 tackles and two sacks. He finished this past season ranked 81st among 130 qualifying interior defenders on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.
The former fifth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career in Washington, where he started two of his 63 appearances. He had a career-high five sacks in 2020 but otherwise had two sacks in his other three seasons with the organization.
The Texans have been eyeing some DT depth after losing Sheldon Rankins to the Bengals and trading Maliek Collins to the 49ers. The team also attempted to sign Arik Armstead before the veteran signed with the Jaguars. Folorunso Fatukasi ended up catching on with the organization and can fill in at one of the starting spots, while Settle profiles as more of a depth piece in Houston.
Packers To Re-Sign RB AJ Dillon
AJ Dillon is sticking in Green Bay after all. Following plenty of speculation that the running back could be playing elsewhere in 2024, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Dillon is expected to re-sign with the Packers.
[RELATED: Packers Expected To Sign RB Josh Jacobs]
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarifies that the organization used the “rare” four-year qualifying offer to retain Dillon. This deal allowed the Packers to retain Dillon, and they’ll owe him $1.35MM more than his five-year minimum salary (h/t Matt Schneidman of The Athletic). That would mean Dillon is attached to a $2.6MM deal for the 2024 campaign.
Dillon played sparingly as a rookie, but he’s seen a consistent role on the Packers’ offense over the past three years. The team rolled with the Dillon/Aaron Jones duo for each of those three seasons, but the team’s sudden decision to pivot to Josh Jacobs put the two-headed monster’s Green Bay future in doubt. The team already cut Jones, and Dillon’s free agency made it seem like he wasn’t going to return to the Packers.
Even before the start of free agency, there were rumblings that Dillon wouldn’t be back in Green Bay. As a result, a handful of suitors started to line up for the former second-round pick’s services. We learned yesterday that Dillon was eyeing deals with the Cowboys, Giants, and Colts, and Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report notes that the RB garnered interest from at least two teams.
Instead, Dillon will return to the only NFL team he’s ever played for. Despite generally seeing the same number of touches over the past three seasons, Dillon’s numbers have dropped. After peaking with 1,116 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns (on 221 touches) in 2021, Dillon was limited to only 836 yards from scrimmage and two scores (on 200 touches) in 2023, and that was despite the fact that he started a career-high six games this past season. Despite the downtick in counting stats, Pro Football Focus still ranked Dillon 22nd among 59 qualifying running backs in 2023.
Dillon will likely see a similar role on offense in 2024, although he’ll now be playing behind one of the league’s top workhorse RBs. Still, Jacobs missed at least one game in each of his five seasons with the Raiders, so Dillon will likely be called on to lead the running backs room at some point next year.
Panthers To Sign D.J. Wonnum
The Vikings have already lost Danielle Hunter in free agency, and his edge partner will depart Minnesota as well. D.J. Wonnum has a two-year deal in place with the Panthers, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
[RELATED: Panthers Trade OLB Brian Burns To Giants]
Wonnum’s two-year deal with Carolina will be worth $12.5MM, according to Sheena Quick of 1340 Fox Sports.
The former fourth-round pick spent his entire career in Minnesota. His role fluctuated through his four years with the organization, with the edge rusher alternating between part-time player and full-time player. The 2023 campaign represented the latter, as Wonnum started 14 of his 15 appearances while appearing in more than 80 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.
In each of his two seasons as a starter (including 2023), Wonnum compiled eight sacks. That performance didn’t earn him the best spot on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings in 2023. The 26-year-old ended up ranking only 74th among 112 qualifying edge defenders, although the pass-rusher did earn a surprisingly strong grade for his run defense.
The Panthers have been hunting for some depth to replace Pro Bowl defender Brian Burns, was was traded to the Giants earlier this week. The team hosted Chase Young earlier today, and they’re set to meet with Jadeveon Clowney. Wonnum will be part of the equation when it comes to Burns’ replacement, but he surely won’t be the only answer.
With Hunter and Wonnum out of the picture, the Vikings have completely revamped their pass-rushing corps. Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Blake Cashman are among the recent acquisitions who should get looks on the edge in 2023.
Bengals To Host OT Mekhi Becton
As the Bengals seek a replacement for Jonah Williams on the offensive line, they’ll be hosting one of the more intriguing tackle options on the market. Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that free agent OT Mekhi Becton is scheduled to meet with the Bengals tomorrow.
[RELATED: Jets Not Expected To Re-Sign T Mekhi Becton]
The former-first round pick disappointed during his stint with the Jets, although injuries obviously played a major factor. A knee injury limited him to only a single game in 2021, and a fractured kneecap wiped out his entire 2022 campaign.
To Becton’s credit, he managed to return for 16 starts this past season, providing the snakebitten Jets offense with a bit of consistency. While the health was an encouraging development, Pro Football Focus only ranked Becton 66th among 81 qualifying offensive tackles in 2023.
As a result, it was believed that the injury-prone lineman would have to settle for a one-year deal during his first trip to free agency. Considering his age (24) and draft pedigree, Becton was expected to still command some attention as a free agent, although his injury and weight-related issues would surely cause some organizations to be wary. Regardless, Becton wasn’t expected to re-sign with the Jets.
The Titans and Falcons were previously mentioned as potential suitors, and the Bengals are now among the teams considering the reclamation project. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, a “handul of other teams” have interest in Becton, and Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported that Becton had two more visits lined up after his summit with the Bengals.
Williams served as Cincinnati’s starting right tackle this past season, but it shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise to the organization that he’d look to play elsewhere. After all, the Bengals opted to pay Orlando Brown Jr. last offseason and shift Williams away from LT, leading to a trade request.
The Bengals can count on Brown at left tackle in 2024, but they’ll need to figure out their right tackle situation. The team’s currently options for the position include former fourth-round pick D’Ante Smith and former second-rounder Jackson Carman.
Baker Mayfield Discusses Bucs Contract
Before agreeing to a new three-year, $100MM deal with the Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield was uncertain if he’d be returning to Tampa Bay for the 2024 season.
[RELATED: Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield Agree To Deal]
After inking a one-year prove-it deal with the organization last offseason, Mayfield rehabilitated his value with a bounce-back season. There wasn’t any guarantee that the Buccaneers front office would be willing to pony up the money it’d take to retain the quarterback, but the two sides ultimately agreed to a new deal before the start of free agency.
“There were times that the couple days prior we didn’t know if we were going to get it done before free agency hit. So it was a lot of ups and downs,” said Mayfield (via ESPN’s Jenna Laine). “Unfortunately I had to think about that. I had to think about the fact that we would be here for the birth of our daughter before we even move. We wanted to be back, but if it wasn’t going to be the right fit for us, we were going to let God take control again and that was the big thing. We tried to be as patient as we could. I would be lying if I said we were happy the whole time, but it worked out how it’s supposed to…”
Mayfield admitted that he started to think of backup plans in case a deal with the Buccaneers fell through. Ultimately, it was a text sent by Mayfield to GM Jason Licht that got the wheels in motion, and the front office was quick to draw up an offer after learning of the quarterback’s clear desire to stick with the organization.
“He had us circled as the best place to go and we had him circled as the best player to come and follow the legend, Tom Brady,” Licht told reporters. “Not many quarterbacks would have the confidence to do that, but Baker certainly did. We love his leadership – we love his ability on the field – but his leadership, his ability to rally the team, the city, the fanbase has been surreal.”
Considering the Buccaneers took a chance on Mayfield, it wasn’t a surprise that the QB wanted to stick around after rehabilitating his value. Mayfield admitted that he “had fun playing football again” last season, and he opined that the coaching staff allowed him to be the “best version” of himself. The quarterback also put a clear emphasis on stability; in addition to being wary of a move with a child on the way, Mayfield revealed that he was previously experiencing “dark times” after bouncing between four teams in less than a calendar year.
With the weight of a contract year now off his shoulders, Mayfield will look to build off his strong 2023 campaign. The 28-year-old finished this past season with career-highs in completion percentage (64.3), passing yards (4,044), and touchdowns (28). More notably, he helped guide the Buccaneers to a 9-8 record and a postseason victory, only the second of his career.
Dolphins To Sign DB Siran Neal
Siran Neal will be sticking in the AFC East. The former Bills defensive back/special teams ace is signing with the Dolphins, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
The 2018 fifth-round pick had spent his entire career in Buffalo, missing only a pair of regular season games in six seasons with the organization. Neal got a look on defense for a handful of years before mostly playing on special teams between 2022 and 2023 (108 defensive snaps vs. 658 special teams snaps). Over that two-year span, Neal has compiled 32 tackles, giving him 115 for his career.
Thanks to his special teams performance in Buffalo, Neal was becoming a popular name on the free agent circuit. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported earlier this week that the special teamer was expected to meet with the Giants, and Wolfe later added that Neal was set to meet with the Falcons.
Ultimately, the Dolphins won out. Neal will be following his teammate Jordan Poyer to Miami, as the veteran safety agreed to a deal with the organization yesterday. While Neal will likely see a similar role with his new squad, he could end up earning some defensive snaps. At the moment, the Dolphins are only rostering five other cornerbacks in Jalen Ramsey, Cam Smith, Kader Kohou, Nik Needham, and Ethan Bonner.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/24
Here are today’s free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Giants: CB Nick McCloud
- Rams: LB Michael Hoecht
- Seahawks: CB Michael Jackson, LB Jon Rhattigan
Non-tendered:
- Cardinals: DL Jonathan Ledbetter
- Commanders: LB Jabril Cox, RB Derrick Gore, LB De’Jon Harris
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Panthers: RB/KR Raheem Blackshear
- Titans: LB Jack Gibbens
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/24
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Amen Ogbongbemiga, OL Matt Pryor
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Tony Brown, TE Giovanni Ricci
- Re-signed: P Corey Bojorquez
Houston Texans
- Signed: OT David Sharpe
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: LB Caleb Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: RB Salvon Ahmed
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: FB Adam Prentice
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: DL Kevin Givens
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: OL Nick Harris
- Re-signed: CB Artie Burns
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: RB Julius Chestnut
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: S Jeremy Reaves
Patriots To Sign DT Armon Watts, G Nick Leverett
Armon Watts is heading to New England. The veteran defensive tackle is signing with the Patriots, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
It’s a one-year for Watts, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The contract is worth $3MM.
The former sixth-round pick spent the 2023 campaign in Pittsburgh, collecting 15 tackles in 15 games. He had plenty of starting experience in his prior stops, including a career-high 12 starts with the Bears in 2022.
Watts has shown some ability to get after the QB, as he finished the 2021 campaign with a career-high five sacks while playing for the Vikings. The Patriots moved on from Lawrence Guy earlier this offseason, so there could be an opportunity for some snaps on the Patriots defensive line. Still, the 27-year-old Watts probably profiles as more of a backup piece on New England’s depth chart.
The Patriots also added some reinforcement on the offensive line today. Josina Anderson reports that the Patriots are signing offensive lineman Nick Leverett. The guard spent the past three seasons in Tampa Bay, appearing in 16 games. 11 of those appearances came during the 2022 campaign when he started a career-high 10 games.
Leverett will be hard pressed to carve out a starting role in New England, but his ability to play center and both guard spots could afford him a backup spot. He’ll compete with the likes of Jake Andrews, Michael Jordan, and Atonio Mafi for reps.
Chiefs To Re-Sign DL Mike Pennel
Currently on his second stint with the organization, Mike Pennel will be sticking with the Chiefs for at least another year. The team announced that they’ve re-signed the veteran defensive lineman. It’ll be a one-year deal for Pennel.
The former UDFA had stints with the Packers, Jets, and Patriots before landing with the Chiefs in 2019. He ended up getting into 22 regular season games during his first two seasons in Kansas City. He also appeared in six playoff games, including a 2019 Super Bowl-winning run when he started two postseason contests.
Pennel spent time with the Bears and the Falcons between 2021 and 2022 before landing back in Kansas City last October. He initially joined the practice squad and only got into three regular season games, but he saw a much larger role in the playoffs, starting three of his four appearances. This included a Super Bowl win where he compiled six tackles.
The Chiefs have been busy retaining their DT depth. Of course, Pennel’s new deal will pale in comparison to the massive contract that fellow DT Chris Jones earned from the organization.