Dolphins To Sign LB Jordyn Brooks
Jordyn Brooks is heading to Miami. The former Seahawks linebacker is signing with the Dolphins, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Brooks is signing a three-year deal worth $30MM.
After an ACL tear late in the 2022 season, Brooks returned by Week 1 and managed to start 16 games for Seattle last season. Back alongside Bobby Wagner last year, he added 4.5 sacks — more than his 2020-22 season totals combined.
That performance set Brooks up for a nice pay day. Among the four linebackers to see his fifth-year option declined in 2023, Brooks was the most productive of the bunch, with 184- and 161-tackle seasons under his belt. The Texas Tech proved that he was nearly back to his previous playing level following the 2022 injury, and the Dolphins will surely be counting on big things from the LB in 2024.
David Long Jr. is expected to anchor the linebackers corps in 2024, but the Dolphins suddenly had major holes elsewhere on the depth chart. With Andrew Van Ginkel heading to the Vikings and Jerome Baker having been released, the Dolphins were actively in the market for some reinforcement at the position.
The team added Anthony Walker earlier today, providing one dependable player at the position. Brooks will provide the Dolphins with even more options at linebacker, with the organization having completely revamped their depth in only a few hours.
The Seahawks will now have a significant hole to fill at inside linebacker with Brooks gone. Bobby Wagner is also a free agent, meaning the team could be eyeing a completely new grouping in 2024.
Commanders To Sign RB Austin Ekeler
Letting Antonio Gibson walk (to the Patriots) earlier Monday, the Commanders are bringing in a bigger name. Today’s running back carousel will now see Austin Ekeler change time zones.
Ekeler is headed to Washington on a two-year deal worth up to $11.43MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Ekeler led the NFL in touchdowns in 2021 and ’22, being a vital piece during the early Justin Herbert years. But the Chargers did not budge on an extension. This will lead the dynamic back to join Kliff Kingsbury in Washington.
In terms of base value, the Commanders are set to pay Ekeler $8.43MM, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Ekeler’s $4.21MM in 2024 is fully guaranteed, and he will be tied to a $3MM number in 2025. Additionally, $510K in per-game roster bonuses are in place each season. Incentives — worth $1.5MM each season — comprise the remaining $3MM.
This will reunite Ekeler with ex-Chargers HC Anthony Lynn, who was in charge when the team extended the former UDFA. That was a four-year $24.5MM contract extension he signed with the organization back in 2020. Last offseason, Ekeler sought out a raise on a new Chargers deal, and when an extension didn’t materialize, he asked for and was granted permission to seek a trade. No suitors emerged, and he ultimately remained in Los Angeles on a re-worked contract.
The 2023 campaign was an important one for Ekeler given his status as a pending free agent. The 28-year-old was limited to 14 games, however, and he was less efficient when on the field (3.5 yards per carry) than any other season in his career. After scoring 38 total touchdowns from 2021-22, Ekeler managed only six as part of a Chargers offense which struggled across the board but especially in the ground game.
Considering his connection to the coaching staff, the Commanders surely know what they have in their new RB. The Commanders watched Gibson, their primary pass-catching back, leave for the Patriots today, opening a major hole on offense. The team is still rostering Brian Robinson, who topped 1,100 yards from scrimmage and scored nine touchdowns during his second season in the NFL. The team will surely lean on both of their top RBs, especially with Robinson showing some development in his receiving game in 2023.
The Chargers already started preparing for a new RBs corps today, as they agreed to a deal with former Ravens back Gus Edwards. 2024 backup Joshua Kelley is also a free agent, so the Chargers will surely be in the market for additional depth at the position.
Giants To Sign OL Jermaine Eluemunor
The Giants’ investment in Evan Neal has yet to pay off. While the team is not bailing on the former top-10 pick just yet, the third-year blocker may be set for an offseason position battle.
Jermaine Eluemunor is set to sign with the Giants, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Working as a starting tackle and guard in Las Vegas at points over the past three years, Eluemunor will receive a considerable raise on his most recent Raiders contract. Eluemunor could give the Giants an option at guard, but the veteran spent last season at right tackle.
The former fifth-round pick spent time in Baltimore and New England prior to his stint with the Raiders. He’s started 45 of his 87 career appearances, with 31 of those starts coming over the past two seasons.
Eluemunor finished this past season ranked 36th among 81 qualifying offensive tackles, per Pro Football Focus, with the site slightly favoring his run-blocking prowess to his pass-blocking ability. Pro Football Focus liked him even more in 2022, with the lineman barely missing a top-20 ranking at his position.
The Giants have been busy adding to their offensive line after allowing 85 sacks last season, the second-highest total in league history. The team agreed to a deal with former Packers starter Jon Runyan Jr. earlier today, and they could be in the market for even more depth with both Ben Bredeson and Justin Pugh hitting free agency.
Bucs To Trade CB Carlton Davis To Lions
Mentioned as being interested in cornerback help, the Lions might not be the team that trades for L’Jarius Sneed. Detroit will, however, stay focused on the trade market to help out here.
The Lions are set to acquire Carlton Davis from the Buccaneers, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Buccaneers will receive a 2024 third-round pick. In addition to Davis, they’ll send Detroit a 2024 and 2025 sixth-round selection, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
One season remains on Davis’ second Bucs contract, which he agreed to during the 2022 legal tampering period. Coming up recently as a trade chip, Davis will help out a Lions team that experienced injury- and performance-related issues in coverage last year.
Davis will bring plenty of starting experience to Detroit, with the former second-round pick having started 75 of his 76 regular-season games for Tampa. The defensive back hasn’t been able to make it through a full regular-season unscathed, although he has been on the field for nine postseason games over the past four seasons.
The 27-year-old got into 12 games this past year, finishing with 52 tackles and a pair of interceptions. He also compiled another 11 stops in two postseason games. Pro Football Focus ended up ranking Davis only 68th among 127 qualifying cornerbacks, although the site has never been particularly fond of his performance (Davis peaked as the 21st cornerback in 2021).
Davis inked a three-year, $45MM deal with the Buccaneers in 2022. He’ll count for about $14.3MM against the cap in 2024 before hitting free agency next winter.
Bills To Re-Sign DE A.J. Epenesa
Buffalo has lost Leonard Floyd in the early going of the negotiating window, but the team will still have A.J. Epenesa moving forward. The latter has agreed to a two-year deal with Buffalo, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. Epenesa will see $7MM in 2024 and could earn up to $20MM over the life of the pact, per Garafolo.
The 2020 second-round pick hit free agency after completing his rookie contract. The defensive end has spent his entire four-year career in Buffalo.
Epenesa hasn’t emerged into a starter in Buffalo, but he’s still served as an important member of the defensive line. The pass rusher has finished each of the past two seasons with 6.5 sacks while getting into about 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps.
The 25-year-old finished this past season ranked 31st among 112th qualifying edge rushers, per Pro Football Focus. The site also gave him one of the highest positional grades for his coverage ability, although he also earned one of the lowest grades for his run defense.
With Floyd now out of the picture, the Bills can temporarily pencil Epenesa in opposite Greg Rousseau on the defensive line. Still, the team will surely look for another body to soak up some of those departed snaps, especially with Shaq Lawson also hitting free agency.
Cardinals To Sign DT Justin Jones
Continuing to add to the defensive line, the Cardinals are set to bring in Justin Jones. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a three-year, $30.1MM deal including $19.75MM guaranteed, per NFL Network’s Peter Schrager.
Jones is coming off a productive two-year stint in Chicago. The defensive tackle started all 34 games for the Bears over the past two years, collecting 7.5 sacks. While his 2023 counting stats (17 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss) were encouraging, Pro Football Focus only ranked the veteran 107th among 130 qualifying interior defenders.
Jones started his career with the Chargers. The former third-round pick started 35 of his 51 appearances in Los Angeles, collecting 4.5 total sacks. He ended up parlaying that performance into a two-year deal with Chicago, and he’ll be earning even more this time around from Arizona.
The Cardinals have been busy adding to their defensive line corps today, as they also agreed to a deal with defensive tackle Bilal Nichols. The two additions will join a defensive line rotation that also features Dante Stills and L.J. Collier.
Titans To Sign CB Chidobe Awuzie
Chidobe Awuzie will follow Brian Callahan from Cincinnati to Tennessee. The veteran corner has agreed to a three-year deal with the Titans, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
After Awuzie served as a vital presence in Cincinnati during its Super Bowl LVI run, the Bengals saw this contract deliver diminishing returns over the following two years. A Halloween 2022 ACL tear threw Awuzie off track, and after he returned in time for Week 1 in 2023, Lou Anarumo benched the former second-rounder around midseason.
The 6-foot defender received a second chance down the stretch and fared better. Awuzie played at least 97% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps in five of six games from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Still, with the Bengals having drafted two outside CBs early in the past two drafts (Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner), it was clear his future wasn’t in Cincy.
As Callahan looks to fill out his first Titans squad, the former Bengals OC was surely looking for some reinforcement at cornerback. Kristian Fulton isn’t expected to be back in Tennesee next season while Sean Murphy-Bunting left to join the Cardinals.
The Titans can hang their hat on Pro Football Focus grading Awuzie 14th in 2021 and 33rd prior to his ACL tear. He’ll also be nearly two years removed from the injury next season, reducing any health concerns.
49ers, DE Leonard Floyd Agree To Deal
After moving on from a longtime contributor along the defensive line, the 49ers will make a notable addition. Leonard Floyd has agreed to a deal with San Francisco, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Floyd was among the several late-20s or early-30s edge rushers who needed to wait out a cold market last year. His May Bills agreement broke the ice, with the perennial AFC East champs landing the Rams cap casualty for just $7MM. Last year showed Floyd was not merely an Aaron Donald beneficiary, with the pass rusher tying a career-high with 10.5 sacks.
Once run out of Chicago for failing to deliver on his draft status, Floyd has proven to be one of the 2020s’ steadiest edge players. The former top prospect has finished with between nine and 10.5 sacks in each of the past four seasons, and his consistency was expected to make him a popular name on the market.
While Floyd could have profiled as a team’s top edge rusher, he’ll be playing second fiddle to Nick Bosa in San Francisco. The 49ers have been seeking a dependable source of sacks opposite their star pass rusher, with the team trying out the likes of Dee Ford, Samson Ebukam, Drake Jackson, Clelin Ferrell, and Chase Young at the second spot on the depth chart. Now, they’ll have an elite option playing opposite Bosa.
The 49ers clearly made Floyd a priority to fill the hole on their depth chart. New assistant coach Brandon Staley is plenty familiar with his new pass rusher; Staley was the Rams defensive coordinator when the two were in Los Angeles together, and Staley also served as the OLBs coach when the two were in Chicago.
Bucs To Re-Sign DT Greg Gaines
Having taken care of their top offseason priorities with respect to retaining incumbent players, the Buccaneers are turning their attention to depth contributors. Defensive tackle Greg Gaines is re-signing on a one-year deal, per the 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov.
Gaines joined the Buccaneers last offseason on a one-year, $3.5MM deal. The defensive lineman will now stick around Tampa Bay for a second season with the organization.
Gaines emerged as a dependable defensive piece for the Buccaneers, getting into 17 games (two starts) while appearing in more than 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. He finished the regular season with 24 tackles and one sack, and he added another sack in two playoff games. Pro Football Focus only ranked Gaines 94th among 130 qualifying interior defenders, although the site was much higher on his performance early in his career.
The former fourth-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Rams. He started 25 games for the organization between 2021 and 2022, compiling 8.5 sacks between those two campaigns.
Gaines will likely continue serving as an important depth piece behind Vita Vea in Tampa Bay. Greg Auman of FOX Sports opines that Gaines’ new contract could mean that Will Gholston isn’t back with the organization next season.
Colts To Re-Sign DT Grover Stewart, DE Tyquan Lewis
Two key pieces of the Colts’ defense will remain in place for 2024 and beyond. Defensive tackle Grover Stewart is re-signing on a three-year, $39MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Meanwhile, defensive end Tyquan Lewis has re-upped on a new deal, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The latter’s pact is two years in length, per Joel Erickson of the Indy Star.
Stewart’s $13MM-per-year accord will bring $25.73MM guaranteed, topping his previous Colts contract in that department. In terms of full guarantees, Stewart will see $17.99MM. Stewart’s 2025 salary ($7.74MM) becomes guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2025 league year, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, though the team guaranteed the DT’s 2025 roster bonus ($4MM) at signing. That provides a fairly good indication he will be with the Colts next year.
Stewart was one of the best defensive tackles set to reach the market in 2024. Especially with Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins landing monster deals of their own, the 30-year-old could have fared well on the open market. Instead, he will remain an integral part of the Colts’ D-line.
A durable inside presence, Stewart incurred a six-game PED suspension last year. The veteran’s absence showed against the run. Colts allowed 107.9 rushing yards per game with Stewart suited up; during his six-game ban, Indianapolis yielded 153 on the ground. The veteran DT also provided some support in the pass rush, totaling four sacks in 2022 and a career-high eight QB hits in his suspension-abbreviated slate.
Stewart will turn 31 later this year, limiting the length on his next contract. There was some belief that the former fourth-round pick could approach the three-year, $30.75MM extension he signed with the organization following his rookie contract. Stewart managed to top that pact in terms of total money, and he earned the same term.
Lewis was a second-round pick by the Colts in 2018, but he’s struggled to provide the upside the organization surely envisioned. The defensive lineman has started only 16 of his 65 regular season games, and he’s missed major chunks of games in four of his six professional seasons.
Fortunately for the player’s free agency fortunes, he had one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2023. Lewis got into all 17 games for Indy, finishing with career highs in tackles (25), tackles for loss (nine), QB hits (13), and sacks (four, tie).