Jets To Sign DT Javon Kinlaw
Despite the 49ers planning to cut Arik Armstead, they are not re-signing Javon Kinlaw. Instead, the defensive coordinator in place when the team drafted Kinlaw will take a flier.
Kinlaw will sign a one-year contract with the Jets, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will reunite Kinlaw with Robert Saleh, who coached the former first-round pick in 2020. Saleh, who had also brought in Solomon Thomas from his 49ers days, will see if he can generate quality work from Kinlaw.
Injuries played the lead role in Kinlaw disappointing as a 49ers draftee. The South Carolina alum, brought in with the draft choice the Colts sent over for DeForest Buckner in 2020, struggled to stay healthy. Kinlaw missed 24 games between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, with knee trouble primarily plaguing the former No. 14 overall pick. But he did stay healthy last season, suiting up for all 20 49ers games.
Kinlaw appeared in 14 games (12 starts) in his rookie season, but he played in just four contests in 2021 before undergoing season-ending knee surgery (which was later reported to be an ACL reconstruction). While Kinlaw played well enough to land on the All-Rookie team in 2020, his knee trouble dates back to his college days. That will lead to this one-year agreement. Last season, however, Kinlaw totaled a career-high 3.5 sacks, adding two tackles for loss in the playoffs.
The Jets have Quinnen Williams anchoring their D-tackle contingent, but Thomas, Quinton Jefferson and Al Woods are free agents. San Francisco only used Kinlaw as a six-game starter last season. The Jets’ situation points to more DT pieces, probably at least one more starter-caliber option, being added this offseason.
Panthers, G Damien Lewis Agree To Terms
The Panthers and Rams are in a guard battle, with the bulk of the high-end payments at this position going to Carolina or Los Angeles this week. The NFC South club struck again Monday night.
Four-year Seahawks starter Damien Lewis is heading to Charlotte, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz reports. The former third-round pick has a four-year, $53MM deal in place with Carolina. After adding Robert Hunt on a monster accord, the Panthers are not stopping there. The team will give the ex-Seattle regular $26.2MM fully guaranteed, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Rostering the NFL’s shortest starting quarterback in Bryce Young, the Panthers’ new coaching staff will equip the team’s 2023 top pick with two proven starters. Lewis’ guard starter tenure ran longer than Hunt’s, with the Seahawks putting the former to work from the jump in 2020.
The bevy of guards on PFR’s top 50 free agents list are snapped up. This includes Michael Onwenu, the guard/tackle whom the Patriots re-signed this evening. The Panthers will come away with two of them. Hunt scored the fourth-highest AAV in guard history ($20MM), while Lewis will settle in just north of $13MM. Rumored to be pursuing guards in free agency, Carolina was quite serious about upgrading to better protect its 5-foot-10 quarterback.
Lewis has a history with Dave Canales, to a degree. The new Panthers HC was on the Seahawks’ staff from 2010-21, overlapping as an offensive assistant in Lewis’ first two Seattle seasons. Carolina’s new staff will ask the 26-year-old blocker to keep up his pace and help Young improve in 2024. The Panthers already have an upper-crust tackle payment (for Taylor Moton) on their books, but they cut center Bradley Bozeman and have LT Ikem Ekwonu on a rookie deal.
As the Seahawks became the third team since the 1970 merger to start two rookie tackles (in 2022), Lewis stood as a dependable guard option. While not garnering the attention Hunt, Onwenu and Jonah Jackson did entering free agency, the LSU alum comes away with a nice payday as many teams searched for upgrades here. Lewis started all 61 games he played as a Seahawk, ranking fourth in ESPN’s run block win rate metric in 2022. While his Pro Football Focus ratings yo-yoed, Lewis certainly played a role in Geno Smith‘s surprising re-emergence over the past two seasons. The Panthers will hope he can boost Young soon.
Commanders To Sign K Brandon McManus
After a Jaguars one-off, Brandon McManus will have another opportunity. The longtime Broncos kicker has a deal in place with the Commanders.
The veteran specialist informed NFL.com’s Jason McCourty of his deal, which is a one-year pact worth $3.6MM. This will be McManus’ third team in three seasons, with the Broncos having cut him last year. Despite the Jaguars missing out on Wil Lutz today, they will let McManus defect to the Commanders.
In 2023, McManus fared slightly better than he did in his final Broncos season; he made 30 of 37 field goal tries. Though, the strong-legged kicker was only 5 of 10 from beyond 50 yards. McManus has been a good, not great, option throughout his career, making between 80 and 86% of his tries in all but two seasons.
Never topping an 85.7% make rate in a season, McManus has not strayed far from his mean. That has kept the veteran, who played a key part in the 2015 Broncos’ Super Bowl-winning effort as their offense slowed during Peyton Manning‘s final season, on the radar.
Going into his age-33 season, McManus will step in for Joey Slye, who is unsigned. Slye kicked for Ron Rivera in Carolina and Washington, but with a new staff in town, it is safe to assume McManus has a clear runway to win the job. This will be the former Giants UDFA’s 11th season as a regular kicker. As for the Jaguars, they still have their 2022 kicker — Riley Patterson — signed to a futures deal.
Broncos, Vikings Submit Offers To QB Sam Darnold; Commanders In Mix
9:20pm: The Commanders are also in talks with Darnold, NFL.com’s Peter Schrager tweets. That would seem a less enticing fit, due to the team being expected to draft a passer at No. 2 overall. Though, that is not a lock. And the Commanders, Sam Howell’s status notwithstanding, are kicking the tires on adding Darnold to Kliff Kingsbury‘s offense.
8:13pm: Sam Darnold has an interesting decision to make. Two teams in need of at least a bridge starter — the Vikings and Broncos — are pursuing him. Both have made offers, per the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin.
After spending last season as the 49ers’ backup, the former No. 3 overall pick profiles as a lower-cost option for a team in need of a reset. Both Denver and Minnesota qualify, given Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins‘ respective exits. With Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew committing elsewhere, options have thinned a bit in this market.
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Darnold-to-Denver would probably make him the favorite over Jarrett Stidham to replace Wilson on a full-time basis. But the Broncos’ draft plan introduces a variable. Then again, the Vikings are now in the same boat post-Cousins. Both teams figure to be closely connected to QBs in this draft, and Darnold will be cognizant of that. But starting jobs, especially with the Raiders snagging Minshew, are running out. Darnold seems like he will be the bridge in Denver or Minnesota soon, however.
Immediately linked to Darnold in the aftermath of Cousins’ Falcons decision, the Vikings will need a lower-cost option in 2024. They are about to eat $28.5MM in dead money stemming from Cousins’ last contract. A disagreement on guarantees last year nixed another Cousins extension, leading to Minnesota using void years to make his 2023 cap hit work. Although the Vikings pursued their six-year starter and drove up the Falcons’ price, Cousins is still bolting for Georgia.
The team that misses out on Darnold here would have the likes of Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and Joe Flacco (though, probably not in Denver’s case) still available. The Raiders are also planning to cut Jimmy Garoppolo on Wednesday; the six-year 49ers starter would stand to be an option as well, but Darnold — who is still just 26 — looks to be the teams’ top priority as of Monday night.
Bengals To Cut Joe Mixon, Sign Zack Moss
Joe Mixon will not be on the Bengals’ roster when a bonus vests later this week. The Bengals are moving on from their seven-year starting running back, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.
This was a rumored scenario in Cincinnati, with Mixon agreeing to a reworked contract last summer. Cincy is also bringing in a replacement. Zack Moss will be the latest 2023 RB starter to change teams, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the recent Colt will sign a two-year deal to join the Bengals. Moss will head for the AFC North on a two-year, $8MM pact. The Bengals will save $6.1MM by releasing Mixon, who was due a $3MM bonus Saturday.
Mixon came with considerable controversy when the Bengals drafted him — due to a video catching him striking a woman while at Oklahoma, leading to a team-imposed suspension — and a 2023 arrest became a headache for the team. (Mixon was found not guilty on an aggravated menacing charge in August.)
The 27-year-old back has operated as a fixture in Cincinnati’s offense dating back to the Marvin Lewis–Andy Dalton era. But last year’s contract redo — a two-year, $11.5MM pact that significantly reduced Mixon’s pay, after he had signed a four-year, $48MM deal in 2020 — displayed some wall writing for the Bengals, whose roster blueprint is different with Joe Burrow on an NFL-record extension.
The Bengals still leaned on Mixon in 2023, having lost Samaje Perine to the Broncos in free agency. Mixon churned out his fourth 1,000-yard season. In addition to clearing that barrier, Mixon crossed 1,400 scrimmage yards (1,410) for the fourth time. He added 12 touchdowns in what amounted to a lost season due to Burrow’s injury. As the musical chairs spin at this position, Mixon is much shorter on options than he was coming into Monday.
Mixon stood 35 yards away from James Brooks for second in Bengals rushing annals, and while he should have an opportunity in 2024, Cincinnati is moving on. The team will turn to Moss, who is going into his age-26 season. Moss impressed as the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor fill-in last season and will collect a bit of guaranteed money from his new team. The ex-Bills second-rounder will collect $4.5MM in the first year of this Bengals contract. Moss tallied 794 rushing yards and five touchdowns as a Colt last season, adding two receiving scores.
One of the teams to lose a running back today, the Cowboys were also in the mix for Moss. Dallas was not quite willing to go where Cincinnati was, per the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. Whereas Mixon has 1,571 carries on his odometer — more than any back to change teams today — Moss is at just 484. At a position where mileage matters most, the Bengals are rebooting. Moss will join Chase Brown and the recently re-signed Trayveon Williams in Cincinnati’s backfield.
Thus far Monday, 12 teams changed starting running backs. A few clubs still have needs, and Mixon will join Aaron Jones — also released today — and Derrick Henry as big names in search of a new opportunity.
Bucs To Bring Back RB Chase Edmonds
Chase Edmonds enjoyed an unstable stretch following his Arizona departure, being traded and then cut. The veteran running back has since found some stability.
The Buccaneers are bringing back Edmonds, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Edmonds spent the 2023 season as a Bucs contributor, working behind starter Rachaad White. The ex-Cardinals draftee will aim to reprise that role next season. Edmonds will sign a one-year, $1.5MM deal that includes a $2MM max, ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweets.
Playing sparingly on offense, Edmonds gained 257 yards from scrimmage on 63 touches last season. This came with an injury interruption, but the Bucs reinserted the former Cardinals fourth-rounder into their RB rotation down the stretch. Edmonds played 35 playoff snaps and logged 14 touches.
The Dolphins signed Edmonds to a two-year, $12MM deal in 2022 but shipped him to the Broncos as salary filler in the Bradley Chubb trade. Changing coaches again in 2023, the Broncos cut Edmonds to create cap space in Sean Payton’s first offseason. Edmonds, 27, played on a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum last season.
Edmonds posted 850- and 903-yard seasons (from scrimmage) during his final two Cardinals offerings but has not been a regular back anywhere else. The Bucs still think enough of the Fordham alum to keep him in a new offense, as Liam Coen is stepping in for Dave Canales.
Patriots To Sign LB Sione Takitaki
After five seasons in Cleveland, Sione Takitaki will join the Patriots. Some familiar faces will greet the former Browns linebacker.
Takitaki will sign with the Patriots, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. In addition to OC Alex Van Pelt and QBs coach T.C. McCartney, the current top Pats decision-maker — Eliot Wolf — and the recently hired Alonzo Highsmith were in Cleveland when the Browns drafted Takitaki.
As Takitaki rejoins some key John Dorsey-era Browns brain-trust bastions in Foxborough, Pelissero adds he will do so on a two-year, $6.5MM accord. The Browns showed confidence in Takitaki under GM Andrew Berry as well, re-signing him following a 2022 injury. But the team will let the former third-round pick move on.
Takitaki was a third-round pick by the Browns back in 2019 but could never carve out a consistent role during his time in Cleveland. He started exactly half of his 72 regular-season appearances with the team, compiling 268 tackles and four sacks. That includes a 2023 campaign where he finished with 65 tackles and two sacks while ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 32nd-best linebacker among 82 qualifiers.
The Patriots do return much of their linebackers corps in 2024, but the team could be missing a chunk of snaps from departed free agents. Both Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche are currently free agents, and the door to a potential return could be shut with Takitaki now on board.
49ers To Add DE Yetur Gross-Matos
The 49ers are busy filling out Nick Bosa‘s latest crew of defensive end sidekicks. After already adding Leonard Floyd, the defending NFC champions will pick up a recent Panthers second-round pick.
Yetur Gross-Matos will head to San Francisco on a two-year, $18MM contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Although Gross-Matos has never enjoyed a five-sack season, the 49ers have shown a knack for getting more out of pass rushers. Still, this is a nice contract for the four-year Panthers contributor.
San Francisco is spending a bit more to fortify its D-end group this offseason. The team had used lower-cost cogs — Charles Omenihu, Clelin Ferrell, Arden Key, Samson Ebukam — in recent years, but those deals also came when Jimmy Garoppolo‘s contract was on the payroll. Brock Purdy must stay on a rookie contract until at least 2025, giving the 49ers more flexibility. The team is also moving on from Arik Armstead, freeing up some D-line funds.
The Panthers attempted to turn to Gross-Matos as their top Brian Burns complement, but the former No. 38 overall pick did not stick in that role. Carolina added Justin Houston last year, which led to the Penn State alum only starting six games. As the Panthers regroup up front, the 49ers will spend a chunk of change to add what appears to be a No. 3 edge rusher.
Gross-Matos is still just 25, and the 49ers have completed a few reclamation projects under D-line coach Kris Kocurek. The 6-foot-5 pass rusher did post 10 QB hits in each of the past two seasons, but his 2.5-sack 2022 — in 17 starts — is rather glaring. This will be an interesting challenge, though Gross-Matos’ contract suggested other teams believe in him as well.
Seahawks To Re-Sign DL Leonard Williams
Negotiations between the Seahawks and Leonard Williams will produce an agreement. Although the Giants footed most of the interior D-lineman’s bill last year, the Seahawks are still prepared to pay up to keep the 2023 trade acquisition.
Williams will stay in Seattle on a three-year deal worth $21.5MM per season, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This represents Williams’ second $20MM-per-year accord; he signed the other in 2021 as a Giant. This also makes the Seahawks’ D-line one of the NFL’s most expensive position groups, with Dre’Mont Jones tied to a $17MM-AAV accord. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the sides were closing in on a deal.
The Seahawks are guaranteeing $43.85MM of this contract, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. This might not be the guarantee at signing; nevertheless, Williams has again done well to maximize his value. The Giants guaranteed him $45MM on their three-year, $63MM accord, but that came to prevent a second franchise tag from going on the books. Williams did not have that leverage this time, but after the Seahawks gave up second- and fifth-round picks to acquire the former top-10 pick at the deadline, they are keeping the asset.
Williams, 29, has not posted more than seven sacks in a season in any year besides his well-timed 2020 showing (11.5); he tallied 5.5 (four as a Seahawk) and 16 QB hits in 2023. Williams also has an extensive track record as a quality run defender, though his best work on that front came back in his Jets days. The former top-10 pick played well in Seattle, however, and the Seahawks will put him back to work in a new defensive scheme.
This marks a multiyear pivot for the Seahawks, who were not known for interior D-line spending under Pete Carroll. They now have Williams and Jones signed to upper-crust DT contracts. Both players have worked exclusively in 3-4 schemes in their careers, and Mike Macdonald — after turning Justin Madubuike loose in Baltimore last season — will go about devising concepts to coax the most out of his high-priced D-line presences.
Dolphins To Sign OL Aaron Brewer
Losing Robert Hunt and having both Connor Williams and Isaiah Wynn unsigned, the Dolphins have some work to do up front. They have brought back fill-in starter Robert Jones, but they look more likely to use their latest free agency addition at center.
Aaron Brewer is signing with the team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Miami is giving the former Tennessee center and guard starter a three-year, $21MM deal. Brewer will head to Florida after two years as a Titans starter.
Although Williams fared better than Brewer during the past two seasons, the former UDFA has held his own. The Titans gave Brewer a second-round RFA tender, keeping him as they changed just about everything else about their O-line in 2023, and Pro Football Focus rated him as the league’s No. 11 overall center.
Jones’ return may cap the changes on Miami’s front to two, as he filled in at points last season. But the Brewer move would stand to ensure Williams does not come back. The two-year Dolphins center, who was attached to a $7MM-per-year deal as well, suffered a torn ACL in Week 14 of last season. Williams skipped minicamp in protest of his contract, but the Dolphins did not adjust his deal. The knee injury will hurt Williams this offseason, though he should still be expected to command a decent market.
Brewer, 26, has displayed durability since moving into the Titans’ starting lineup in 2022. He has not missed a game in that span, and the Dolphins will be counting on him to keep going as their offense becomes more expensive — with Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle in the extension queue.