Chargers, Khalil Mack Agree To Restructure
At least one member of the four Chargers players thought to be potential cap casualties is on the way out. Mike Williams has been released, but edge rusher Khalil Mack will remain in Los Angeles in 2024. The latter has agreed to restructure his contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The former Defensive Player of the Year is due $23.5MM in 2024, but his cap hit was slated to sit at $38.5MM. The Bolts needed to make a few major cost-shedding moves to achieve cap compliance today, and the Williams release freed up $20MM in funds. Reworking the Mack contract will provide further breathing room.
This marks the third straight year the Chargers have restructured Mack’s contract. The 2023 adjustment created the whopping 2024 cap number, and with Mack’s Bears-constructed contract in its final year, it will be interesting to see what the Chargers do here. After Mack resurfaced with a career-best 17 sacks last season, Jim Harbaugh will keep him in the fold.
With Tom Telesco at the helm, the Chargers traded second- and sixth-round picks for Mack in March 2022. After a quiet debut, the former Raiders and Bears All-Pro posted his first double-digit sack season since 2018. The 33-year-old pass rusher has also proven durable for a Chargers team generally anything but, playing 17 games in each of his two Los Angeles seasons.
The Chargers discussed Williams, Mack, Keenan Allen and Joey Bosa in trades recently, and they pushed the Williams matter to the deadline. The team has moved under the salary cap via these two moves, but this became one of the more notable cap crunches in recent NFL history due to the team entering the compliance deadline day more than $25MM over the cap. With a new czar in charge, Mack, Bosa and Allen may not be full-on locks to stay with the Chargers — as trades could come about.
For now, however, the Bolts have checked off two of these four contracts. Allen and Bosa, however, are tied to cap hits north of $34MM. Like Mack, Allen is going into the final year of a contract. Bosa has two years remaining.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bucs To Bring Back S Jordan Whitehead
As the Buccaneers’ offseason blueprint brings a heavy retention vibe, they will bring back another familiar face. After two seasons with the Jets, Jordan Whitehead is coming back to Tampa.
The six-year veteran safety will rejoin the Bucs on a two-year deal that can max out at $10.5MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. In base value, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports Whitehead will be tied to a two-year, $9MM deal that features $4.5MM guaranteed at signing. This checks in south of Whitehead’s Jets deal (two years, $14MM) from 2022.
[RELATED: Bucs Trade CB Carlton Davis To Lions]
A 2018 Bucs draftee, Whitehead was a regular for four seasons before departing for New York. He will return to play alongside franchise-tagged safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The Jets expressed modest interest in retaining Whitehead but did not view the two-year starter as a top priority. As for the Bucs, they wanted to retain Whitehead in 2022, ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweets.
Whitehead started all 34 Jets games over the past two years. In 2023, he stood out in an ugly season for the team. Whitehead intercepted four passes — three in the team’s season-opening win over the Bills — and broke up nine more. Pro Football Focus rated Whitehead 39th among safeties last season. But Whitehead is better remembered for his Buccaneers contributions.
Whitehead started all four playoff games for the Super Bowl LV-winning team, forcing two fumbles during that four-game bracket, and has posted at least two INTs in each season this decade. He teamed with Winfield as a starter during the Bucs’ romp over the Chiefs, a win that has aged better given the AFC power’s accomplishments since, and started 55 games for the team since joining Winfield, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting as Day 2 draft investments in the Bucs’ secondary.
Despite being a six-year veteran, Whitehead will be 27 throughout the 2024 season. Ryan Neal, who joined Winfield as a starter last season after the Seahawks parted ways with him, is a free agent. This clears the runway for Whitehead to reprise his role alongside the All-Pro talent.
Raiders To Add TE Harrison Bryant
With Michael Mayer in place as the Raiders’ starting tight end, the team will bring in one of Austin Hooper‘s former teammates to fill the sidekick role at the position. 
Hooper committed to the Patriots on Tuesday night, rejoining Alex Van Pelt in New England. The Raiders will move to ex-Browns role player Harrison Bryant on a one-year deal ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes is worth $3.25MM. Bryant could earn up to $4MM, Schefter adds.
A fourth-round pick in 2020, Bryant maintained a steady role on offense across his first three seasons in Cleveland. He made 24, 21 and 31 receptions from 2020-22, recording almost identical yardage totals during that span. Bryant’s roster security was in question last spring, however, and he found himself on the trade block. No deal emerged, but the FAU alum was limited to just 13 catches this past season.
Bryant did score three touchdowns in 2023, bringing his career total in that regard to 10. The 25-year-old will aim to remain an end zone target in Vegas while seeing an uptick in usage. Mayer drew 40 targets during his rookie season, a figure which could stand to increase moving forward. Given the team’s decision to move on from slot wideout Hunter Renfrow, though, more opportunities could be available in the middle of the field for both Mayer and Bryant.
The Browns have David Njoku on the books for another two seasons, and he will remain Cleveland’s starter at the TE spot moving forward. A depth addition could be coming during the second wave of free agency or the draft to replace Bryant’s secondary contributions, however. The latter will prepare to catch passes from at least one of Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell in 2024 knowing a strong campaign could boost his market value next offseason.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Broncos To Re-Sign Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Playing a bigger-than-expected role with the Broncos last season, Lil’Jordan Humphrey is part of the team’s changing 2024 receiver plan. Denver is bringing back the ex-Sean Payton New Orleans charge.
Humphrey will re-sign with the Broncos on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Broncos traded Jerry Jeudy to the Browns over the weekend and owe Courtland Sutton a roster bonus this coming weekend. As changes come about in a Denver receiving corps that had stayed mostly the same since 2020, Humphrey will attempt to carve out a role once again.
Down Tim Patrick for a second full season, Denver opted to use Humphrey as an eight-game starter. While this run did not lead to impressive stats (13 catches, 162 yards), Patrick played all 17 games and caught three TD passes. In addition to a Week 1 score, the 6-foot-4 pass catcher reeled off an impressive catch-and-run TD during Jarrett Stidham‘s first start four months later.
In five seasons, Humphrey has crossed 100 receiving yards only twice. He did play for Payton for three years in New Orleans, bringing system familiarity on a team that could be making a significant transition. Perennial trade candidates, Jeudy and Sutton were teammates for four seasons. Although the Broncos are bringing Patrick back, Sutton is due a $2MM salary guarantee on Sunday. The six-year veteran is attached to a nonguaranteed $13MM base salary for 2024. With the Broncos in cost-cutting mode, it is not beyond the realm of possibility they separate from Jeudy and Sutton this offseason.
Texans To Trade DT Maliek Collins To 49ers
Maliek Collins signed three Texans contracts in three years; his most recent will be transferred to the 49ers’ payroll. Houston is sending the veteran defensive tackle to San Francisco, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.
The 49ers will acquire the former Cowboys, Raiders and Texans interior D-lineman for a seventh-round pick, Schefter adds. Collins, 29 next month, spent the past three seasons in Houston. He is coming off a career-best pass-rushing season. With Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw heading out of town, the 49ers are revamping their DT group alongside Javon Hargrave.
San Francisco will send this year’s No. 232 overall pick to Houston, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Texans will end up dropping eight spots in the seventh round by trading Collins and acquiring Joe Mixon, who cost only the 224th overall choice.
This should prove to be a scheme fit, considering Collins started in DeMeco Ryans‘ defense last season. After shifting away from their Ryans-Robert Saleh scheme under Steve Wilks, the 49ers scrapped that plan and promoted Nick Sorensen to lead the defense. Collins will remain a 4-3 D-tackle in San Francisco.
Collins totaled five sacks in Ryans’ defense last season, tallying a career-high — by a wide margin — 18 QB hits in his third year with the Texans. ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric ranked Collins 12th among interior D-linemen in 2023.
The team has added Denico Autry and Foley Fatukasi in free agency; those veterans look set to move into Houston’s starting lineup. Collins may not be a lock to start in San Francisco, but his contract ($11.5MM per year) would suggest that is going to happen.
Signing Collins in 2021 to work in Lovie Smith‘s system, the Texans re-signed the ex-Cowboys draftee a year later. Despite changing schemes under Ryans, the team gave Collins a two-year, $23MM extension last summer. Two years remain on that deal, which could certainly provide good value for a 49ers team that did well to grab Charles Omenihu from the Texans in 2021. On a roster that featured low-cost deals just about everywhere but the offensive line, Collins’ deal stood out. It will blend in more on the 49ers’ payroll.
Hargrave is sticking around as the highest-profile Nick Bosa sidekick, but the defending NFC champions are retooling around the two veterans. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos are coming in on midlevel deals to supplement Bosa on the edge, while ex-Browns starter Jordan Elliott will be part of the 49ers’ interior mix alongside Hargrave. Armstead started for nine seasons in San Francisco. The 49ers offered the 6-foot-7 regular a pay cut, but this trade and the Elliott pickup would suggest the team is not planning to have Armstead back at a reduced rate. The Titans are believed to be interested in Armstead, while Kinlaw joined the Jets.
Patriots Inquire About Chargers’ Trade Candidates; Latest On Bolts’ Plans
The Chargers sit in their own space regarding cap room. As of Wednesday morning, only three teams are over the cap. But only the Bolts are more than $2MM over. Jim Harbaugh‘s team remains $25.2MM over the cap, and the deadline for cap compliance looms in less then five hours.
The team has not made a move involving the contracts of Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams or Khalil Mack. These four pillars double as the Chargers’ top cap hits, with 2023 restructures creating big 2024 numbers. All four check in beyond the $32MM place, putting the Chargers in crunch time as they begin the Harbaugh era.
The team has until 3pm CT to move under the $255.4MM cap, creating one of the more interesting salary situations in years. As OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald points out, the Bolts have four of the top 12 cap hits in the NFL.
Conversations about trades have taken place, and the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes the Patriots have discussed at least some of these trade candidates with the Bolts. New England features needs at both receiver and edge defender, though the team has done some work on those fronts in free agency. Kendrick Bourne and Josh Uche are returning for the Pats, but neither player’s resume comes particularly close to any of the Bolts’ trade chips.
This Pats news comes as they are pursuing Calvin Ridley. The team has made an offer to the recent Jaguars 1,000-yard receiver. A Ridley pickup would seemingly move an Allen or Williams acquisition off the table. The Pats still have Matt Judon under contract, with Uche back as a sidekick — albeit one on the inconsistent side — for at least the 2024 season. If the Patriots were to acquire Bosa or Mack, the team would certainly not run out a Judon-Uche starting duo.
New England still holds more than $59MM in cap space, leaving the team capable of absorbing one of the Los Angeles contracts. The Bolts are widely expected to trade at least one of these contracts (possibly more) today, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske tweets. A trade or release transaction involving one of this foursome should be expected, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.
The Chargers’ cap situation will make teams less inclined to fork over major assets here, as the league knows the Bolts will have to cut a player or two if no trade can come to pass. That said, a team that does not like its chances of landing one of these players on the open market could be well served to make a trade, and the Bolts have been open to that for a bit now.
All four players are tied to deals at or north of $20MM per year. Allen, 31, has been with the Chargers since 2013. Bosa, 28, has spent eight seasons with the team. Both are among the top players at their respective positions. Mack, 33, qualifies for such a classification as well; he bounced back in a big way last season, totaling a career-high 17 sacks. Williams, 29, missed most of last season with an ACL tear. The former top-10 pick’s injury history will certainly limit his trade appeal. One season remains on Mack, Williams and Allen’s contracts; Bosa is signed through 2025.
Titans Interested In DL Arik Armstead, To Meet With LB Jerome Baker
Two recent cap casualties are on the Titans’ radar, one of them having an extensive history with GM Ran Carthon. A year after Carthon brought in Daniel Brunskill and Azeez Al-Shaair from the 49ers, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports Arik Armstead is on the team’s radar.
While other teams are expected to show interest in the departing San Francisco standout, the Titans are a known suitor. Armstead, 30, has played all nine seasons of his career with the 49ers. Carthon was not in San Francisco’s front office when the team chose him in the 2015 first round, but the veteran exec was with the team when it extended the 6-foot-7 D-lineman. Armstead is likely set to be a post-June 1 49ers cut, though he would be free to sign elsewhere beginning Wednesday.
Additionally, the Titans have scheduled a visit with former Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Spending six years with the Dolphins, Baker received his walking papers as the AFC East team made a journey under the salary cap. That odyssey involved cutting multiple regulars. The Titans saw the Dolphins sign linebacker David Long last year; they will see about adding Baker during a Thursday meeting.
Carthon’s team is changing its defense this offseason, bringing in Dennard Wilson to run the show after six years with Mike Vrabel (feat. Shane Bowen) in charge. Armstead has excelled in both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses, being moved to a full-time defensive tackle role as the 49ers found their footing under Kyle Shanahan. While Armstead has battled injury trouble over the past two seasons, he declined a 49ers pay cut and will test free agency for the first time. He will do so not long after undergoing knee surgery; knee and foot issues cost Armstead late-season time last year, though he returned for San Francisco’s playoff slate.
The 49ers gave Armstead a big-ticket extension in 2020, choosing a slightly cheaper deal there rather than giving DeForest Buckner a top-market DT deal. Armstead stayed mostly healthy from 2019-21, racking up 10 sacks to help the Super Bowl LIV-bound 49ers in 2019 and adding six as the 49ers returned to the NFC title game two years later. He totaled five sacks and 13 QB hits — matching his second-highest single-season total — despite missing five regular-season games in 2023. Pro Football Focus ranked the veteran fifth among interior D-linemen in pass rushing, while ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric slotted him 10th.
Miami gave Baker a three-year, $37.5MM extension in 2021. Showing an ability to rack up tackles and sacks with the Dolphins, Baker put together some versatile seasons to start the 2020s. He racked up seven sacks and 112 tackles in 2020 and posted a 5.5/92 pairing a year later. The former third-round pick delivered a four-sack, 100-tackle 2022. Although Baker missed time with an MCL injury and left Miami’s regular-season finale immediately after being activated off IR, he is only 27 and should have a chance to start again in 2024.
Tennessee lost multiple defensive pieces — Al-Shaair and Autry — to Houston this week, though the team did add a linebacker piece in ex-Chargers first-rounder Kenneth Murray. The retooling club will consider some additional pickups, however, with both Armstead and Baker undoubtedly available at discounted rates compared to their second contracts.
Bills To Sign WR Mack Hollins
The Bills lost Gabe Davis early during the legal tampering period, and they should be considered a mortal lock to add a high-profile replacement either in free agency or the draft. But the AFC East champions will add an auxiliary piece in the meantime.
After a season in Atlanta, Mack Hollins is committing to Buffalo, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Hollins put together a career-best season alongside Davante Adams in Las Vegas two years ago, but he did not fare as well with the Falcons. The Bills will give Hollins a one-year deal worth up to $3MM, Fowler tweets.
Despite Hunter Renfrow’s presence, Josh McDaniels turned to Hollins as the Raiders’ WR2 in 2022. He totaled 690 receiving yards that year, a number well outside the ex-Eagles fourth-rounder’s usual range. Hollins pieced together back-to-back seasons with four touchdowns — 2021 (with Miami) and 2022 — but did not score as a Falcon. Hollins caught just 18 passes for 251 yards with Atlanta, which has since agreed to bring in Darnell Mooney at a much higher price.
Buffalo is at a crossroads, having released a few veteran starters and seeing Davis join the Jaguars. The team has Stefon Diggs still in place as its ace wideout, but the Pro Bowler struggled to close out the 2023 season. Khalil Shakir stepped up for Josh Allen late, but Davis’ exit leaves a long-range void. As the team considers its options, Hollins does provide experience as a tertiary target and brings extensive run as a special-teamer as well.
Ravens To Keep LT Ronnie Stanley On Reworked Contract
Ronnie Stanley‘s inability to stay on the field consistently put him in danger of cap-casualty status, but the Ravens have reached a resolution to retain their longtime left tackle.
Previously set to earn an $11MM base salary and count more than $26MM against Baltimore’s cap, Stanley has agreed to reduce his base number for the 2024 season, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The Ravens will give Stanley a chance to earn that money back and more, presumably via incentives, on this reworking.
A central part of the Ravens’ high-powered offense when healthy, Stanley has seen his career path mirror David Bakhtiari‘s to a degree. Both All-Pros suffered major injuries shortly after agreeing to extensions in 2020. Stanley has been able to stay on the field more than the since-released Packers standout, but the 2016 first-round pick has battled injury issues throughout the 2020s. Since the 2020 setback, the Notre Dame alum has missed 35 games.
The Ravens gave Stanley a top-market extension following his 2019 first-team All-Pro campaign. The team has gone to the restructure well with its eight-year tackle, leading to a $26.2MM 2024 cap hit — behind only Lamar Jackson on the Ravens’ 2024 payroll. Stanley collecting $64.1MM fully guaranteed (on a five-year, $98.75MM deal) when he did proved pivotal, as the ankle injury he suffered in October 2020 has introduced additional setbacks down the line.
Stanley underwent three ankle surgeries from 2020-21, with the two ’21 operations leading to 16 missed games that year. Last season, Stanley missed time due to a knee injury. Pro Football Focus ranked the soon-to-be 30-year-old blocker just inside the top 40 at tackle last year. In 2022, ESPN’s run block win rate metric slotted Stanley seventh.
Stanley, Tyler Linderbaum and Morgan Moses are contracted for the 2024 season on the Ravens’ O-line, but once again, the team will need to replace a departed guard. John Simpson is heading to the Jets, while Kevin Zeitler is unsigned. The Ravens are interested in re-signing the 12-year veteran, and a new Zeitler deal will now be assured to address a still-Stanley-led O-line.
49ers To Sign LB Eric Kendricks
A cap casualty for a second straight year, Eric Kendricks will once again secure an immediate opportunity elsewhere. The 2023 Chargers starter will head north.
The 49ers are adding the nine-year veteran linebacker, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This comes after the Bolts moved on from Kendricks’ two-year contract last week. Kendricks will bring some insurance for the 49ers, who played most of Super Bowl LVIII without Dre Greenlaw, who suffered an Achilles tear while trotting onto the field. This will represent another California stop for Kendricks, a Fresno native who played collegiately at UCLA.
Last year, Kendricks commanded a two-year, $13.25MM Chargers deal shortly after his Vikings release. Last season, the eight-year Minnesota starter continued his run of solid production by registering 117 tackles (seven for loss) and 3.5 sacks. The former second-round pick added a forced fumble and six passes defensed, also finishing his season as Pro Football Focus’ No. 25 overall linebacker.
A key presence at middle linebacker during the Vikings’ Mike Zimmer era, Kendricks was tied to an eight-figure-per-year Minnesota deal two seasons ago. Kendricks, 32, has put together eight straight seasons with 100-plus tackles, mixing in 18.5 career sacks. He earned first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2019, helping the Vikings to the divisional round, while starting for four playoff teams from 2015-22. Kendricks figures to have another chance as a playoff contributor, but the 49ers have two three-down linebackers in place.
After one of the stranger injuries in recent NFL history, Greenlaw underwent surgery last month. The 49ers certainly missed their three-down ‘backer’s presence in a narrow loss to the Chiefs, and a reserve/PUP list stay — based on the timing of the injury — would not be out of the question. Kendricks would stand to serve as the team’s top Fred Warner complement in the meantime. Even if Greenlaw can recover in time for Week 1, the 49ers have a veteran in place as protection following the ill-timed setback.