Titans To Sign C Lloyd Cushenberry
6:23PM: Details have come in on Cushenberry’s new deal, thanks to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus. Cushenberry heads to Tennessee where he will earn $50MM over four years. The contract includes $26MM fully guaranteed at signing and an additional $4MM for $30MM of total guarantees. His four-year average of $12.5MM per year ranks third among NFL centers, and the $30MM of cash flow over the first two seasons of the deal is the most ever for the position.
12:37PM: Another notable offensive addition is set to be made by Tennessee. The Titans plan to add center Lloyd Cushenberry, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports.
As the Broncos navigate cap trouble following the Russell Wilson debacle, they were not expected to retain Cushenberry, who had been their starting center for four seasons. The former third-round pick became a contract-year breakout, performing well as a pass protector in 2023.
Moving on from longtime starters Taylor Lewan, Ben Jones and Nate Davis, the Titans attempted to fill out their O-line with midlevel contracts in 2023. Jones had started at center for seven seasons in Tennessee; the Titans shifted Aaron Brewer into the pivot role to replace him. Although Pro Football Focus graded Brewer as the No. 11 overall center last season, the team will spend to make a hopeful upgrade.
ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric slotted Cushenberry 11th among interior O-linemen last season. The Broncos had not seen the LSU alum fortify their center spot in previous years, though he did display durability. Cushenberry, 26, did not come off the field during the 2020 and ’21 seasons. After a groin injury sidelined him for half the 2022 slate, he returned to start 17 games for the Broncos last season.
Tennessee came into free agency with no notable payments along its offensive line, potentially pointing to another move coming for a team in the top five in cap space. The Titans view guard as Peter Skoronski‘s best position, and Daniel Brunskill is signed for the 2024 season. This points to Tennessee’s other O-line moves coming at tackle, where injuries ransacked the team last year. The Titans are moving on from attempted LT solution Andre Dillard, whom they benched last season.
Lions To Add Marcus Davenport
Marcus Davenport‘s hope a value-reestablishing season in Minnesota did not work out, with an injury impeding the former first-round pick. He will still land another shot with a familiar coaching presence.
The ex-Saint will rejoin Aaron Glenn in Detroit, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Glenn was on the Saints’ staff when the team drafted Davenport, though he coached New Orleans’ defensive backs. Nevertheless, Davenport will join fellow ex-Saint defender Alex Anzalone under Glenn in 2024.
Detroit is giving Davenport half of what he made last season in base value, as Rapoport notes this deal is worth $6.5MM. The contract can max out at $10.5MM.
The Vikings gave Davenport a one-year, $13MM deal, setting him up on a high-end “prove it” deal to work alongside Danielle Hunter. This preceded a Za’Darius Smith trade, but the Vikings did not benefit from the move. Davenport posted two sacks and suffered an ankle injury that became a season-ending malady. Davenport, 27, underwent surgery to repair his high ankle sprain and ended up playing only four games in 2023.
Davenport displayed quality rush capabilities in New Orleans, but he could not deliver such form consistently. He needed to settle for a “prove it” deal due to totaling just a half-sack in 15 Saints games in 2022. The ex-Cameron Jordan sidekick did total 15 sacks and 32 QB hits between the 2019 and ’21 seasons, keeping teams interested in his potential.
Despite Aidan Hutchinson leading the NFL in pressures and mounting a sack charge late in the season, the Lions did not have much around him. Their Okwara-based efforts did not pan out in recent years. Hutchinson finished with 11.5 sacks last season; no other Lions edge defender notched more than two. It should not be expected Davenport will be all the Lions do to staff this job, but the six-year veteran is the first piece of the puzzle.
Commanders To Sign LB Frankie Luvu
The Commanders’ defensive re-tooling efforts will include a deal with Frankie Luvu. The hybrid linebacker has agreed to a three-year deal with Washington worth up to $36MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Luvu has been one of the NFL’s most versatile defenders over the past two years, offering a Demario Davis-like blend of tackles and pass-rushing talent. Despite not working as a regular off-ball linebacker in college, he has displayed this two-pronged skillset as a pro. After playing out a two-year, $9MM agreement in Carolina, Washington will reward him.
It will be interesting to see where Washington uses Luvu most. The team agreed to terms with Dorance Armstrong earlier Monday. Needing help at linebacker as well, Dan Quinn‘s team has some options here. Luvu could keep functioning as a hybrid player, and he certainly has the numbers to back that up.
Luvu combined for 236 tackles (29 for loss) over the past two seasons, pairing that productivity with 12.5 sacks. Only nine players have amassed more TFLs over the past two years. All nine are D-linemen or 3-4 OLBs, separating the ascending performer from the pack ahead of his age-28 season. Considering that production, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Panthers attempted to re-sign the linebacker with a “late push,” per JP Finlay of NBC 4 Sports.
The Commanders have nabbed one of this year’s most intriguing free agents, and it will be interesting to see what this contract’s base value is. Regardless, Luvu has secured a big raise thanks to his work on two sub-.500 Panthers teams.
The Commanders gave Cody Barton a one-year deal, adding the ex-Seahawk after letting Cole Holcomb join the Steelers. Jamin Davis has not panned out to the level the team hoped, and with a new coaching staff coming in, changes are to be expected. Luvu will join Armstrong as a key performer on Joe Whitt‘s first Washington defense.
Giants, Panthers Discussing Brian Burns Trade
Much of Monday’s action has related to the opening of free agency, which will officially take place later this week. Trades – in certain cases – are still very much on the table as a roster-building strategy this time of year.
Should the Panthers elect to trade franchise-tagged edge rusher Brian Burns, the Giants could be a landing spot. SNY’s Connor Hughes reports a mutual interest exists between Burns and New York on a trade which would be accompanied by a lucrative new deal. The sides have been discussing Burns for a while, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. No deal is final, but it appears this process has legs that could produce finality to a long-running saga. As of Monday afternoon, this process is trending toward a deal, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets. Nothing is final just yet, however.
A recent development pointed to a trade being in play. Carolina paused Burns extension talks — once again, as the sides have been at it for a while off and on — just before franchise-tagging him. A tag had long been in play for the 2019 first-round pick, but trade offers have come in as well.
Teams pursued Burns at each of the past two trade deadlines, but Carolina stood pat. One of the bigger “what if?” trades in recent NFL history transpired in 2022, when the Rams offered two-first-rounders and a third for the talented edge rusher. The Panthers declined the offer, and they did not receive any proposals in that ballpark in 2023. Burns playing out his rookie contract will make matters more difficult for the Panthers to obtain comparable value to that Rams blockbuster offer in a trade.
Burns, 25, would obviously bring a major upgrade to the Giants. Big Blue has sought an edge rusher to pair with Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the first two years of a Burns contract would align with Thibodeaux’s rookie deal. The Giants can keep the 2022 first-rounder on his rookie pact through 2025, with a fifth-year option decision for ’26. Burns has sought a $30MM-per-year deal, however, and the Panthers have been reluctant to authorize it. As Carolina shifts to a new GM and coaching staff, it does seem like a trade is in play now.
While edge rushers are obviously valuable, Burns needing a top-market contract will cut into his trade value. He has not brought the kind of production Khalil Mack did when the Raiders received two first-rounders for the former Defensive Player of the Year. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson offers that teams are hesitant to part with a first-rounder and change for Burns, who has one double-digit sack season on his resume. That said, Burns has 46 career sacks and has never totaled fewer than 7.5 in a season.
Raiders To Sign QB Gardner Minshew
Well, a Justin Fields-Raiders union seems unlikely to come to pass now. The Raiders are in agreement with Gardner Minshew on a two-year deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
As things move fast in the early days of free agency, the Raiders were reported to be considering Fields. But they were previously mentioned as a non-suitor for the Bears passer. Minshew now looks to be the passer coming in to compete with Aidan O’Connell — and perhaps a rookie — for the job.
Minshew needed to settle for just a $3.5MM deal as a Colts bridge last year. His work replacing Anthony Richardson garnered the ex-Jaguars draftee a much bigger market. The Raiders are giving Minshew $15MM guaranteed on a deal worth $25MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Based on this contract, O’Connell does not seem to have much of a shot to retain his starting job.
The Colts benefited from their Minshew stopgap addition, coming close to rebounding from a four-win 2022 season by making the playoffs. That journey fell just short, with the Texans edging the Colts in Week 18, but Minshew made another extended audition count. He found believers in the Raiders, who now have a QB1 option while they assess their long-term plan.
Minshew, 27, has already made 37 career starts — mostly with the Jaguars and Colts. Last season, the popular backup became needed as a starter once again after Richardson needed shoulder surgery. The Colts’ passing attack may well have been better off — for 2023, at least — with Richardson a raw prospect on the aerial front. Minshew threw for 3,305 yards, though at just 6.7 per attempt, and tossed 15 TD passes compared to nine INTs. QBR placed Minshew 13th, as he helped the Colts to a nine-win season, going 7-6 as a starter.
Joining Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco among the bridge options on this year’s market, Minshew scoring this Raiders deal represents one fewer starter opportunity for the rest of this lot. The Vikings are believed to be interested in Darnold, however, and it is not known if the Broncos will go with 2022 Raiders backup Jarrett Stidham post-Russell Wilson or snag another veteran.
The Broncos, Vikings and Raiders have been tied to move for a rookie. Antonio Pierce has been the most transparent regarding interest in a longer-term option. The Raiders have been connected to Jayden Daniels, who was at Arizona State during Pierce’s tenure on staff, but that move would require Las Vegas surrendering significant assets. For now, the team has Minshew as a placeholder — and a well-paid one at that.
Raiders Considering Justin Fields Trade?
With the Falcons acquiring Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields does not have a clear option to continue his starter career. Though, a team thought to be out may be considering an addition.
The Raiders were believed to be kicking the tires on a Fields-Luke Getsy reunion, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes. With the Falcons out of the mix, the Bears may need to bring down their asking price. Although Chicago wanted to deal Fields before free agency, his market has hit a snag.
An example of how fast free agency moves, the Raiders have now agreed to a deal with Gardner Minshew. The Silver and Black are signing Minshew to a two-year agreement. This stands to keep the Fields trail cold. With the Falcons and now likely the Raiders out of the mix, it is worth wondering how the Bears will proceed here.
The Bears did not find the kind of Fields market they hoped for. With the team zeroing in on Caleb Williams, Fields may soon see his 2023 development lead to a demotion. The Raiders, Falcons and Steelers have gone with other options, and the QB-needy Broncos are not expected to be interested in a player who would certainly be an upgrade on Jarrett Stidham. Considering Sean Payton‘s actions with Russell Wilson, it would be unlikely he signs off on Fields running his offense.
Fields also would not seem a fit for Kevin O’Connell‘s offense, and a Bears-Vikings trade would be unlikely. Though, the Drew Bledsoe and Donovan McNabb trades show intra-divisional QB swaps are not out of the question. It will be interesting to see where the Bears go from here, as it does not sound like they are in line to obtain much for their three-year starter at this point.
Packers, S Xavier McKinney Agree To Deal
A number of teams released veteran safeties in recent days, creating a sense the position was in for a value dip. Xavier McKinney‘s market would run counter to that notion, as it took a top-five safety contract to win this sweepstakes.
The Packers will come through with the victory here, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting the team is signing McKinney to a four-year, $68MM contract. This surpasses what the Falcons gave Jessie Bates last year and checks in behind only Derwin James and Minkah Fitzpatrick at the position in terms of AAV.
[RELATED: Packers To Sign Josh Jacobs]
Helping to bring the former second-round pick to Wisconsin: McKinney will receive $25MM in the first year of this deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The Giants were not prepared to go higher than the transition tag value, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. The Packers, conversely, reached the AAV level near the franchise tag number for safeties.
The Giants considered transition-tagging McKinney; that would have cost the team $13.8MM. The Patriots went there to keep Kyle Dugger off the market, but the Giants were leery of losing McKinney in a scenario in which they did not receive a compensatory pick back. Instead, the Giants are saying goodbye to both McKinney and Saquon Barkley, who has committed to the Eagles.
While McKinney does not have a Pro Bowl on his resume, he is going into his age-25 season. That separated the Alabama alum from the lot of recently released safeties. Ranking 14th on PFR’s free agents list, McKinney played every snap for the Giants last season. McKinney intercepted three passes, forced a fumble and recorded a career-high 116 tackles in his contract year. He has run into some injury trouble, suffering a foot injury that delayed the start of his career in 2020 and then sustaining injuries in an ATV accident in 2022. These chunks of missed games did not deter the Packers, who are making one of the biggest free agency commitments in team history.
Green Bay let Darnell Savage walk in free agency; the ex-first-rounder joined the Jaguars. This left safety as the only place on the Packers’ defense without a former first-round pick in place. McKinney is close, being drafted 36th overall in 2020. The Giants will have some work to do here, having lost McKinney and Julian Love in consecutive offseasons. The Packers will add a potential impact player on their defensive back line.
Panthers To Add G Robert Hunt
Rumored to be chasing guards, the Panthers are paying up to help Bryce Young protection in the quarterback’s second season. They are preparing a $100MM payment to fill this need.
Robert Hunt is headed to Charlotte, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reveals what it will cost. Hunt is signing a five-year, $100MM deal. A three-year Dolphins guard starter, Hunt becomes only the fourth guard in NFL history to sign a deal for at least $20MM per year. Part of Hunt’s guarantee will come via a $26.5MM signing bonus, Garafolo adds.
The Dolphins’ free agents have led the way on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. Miami was preparing to lose both Hunt and Christian Wilkins; both players have received deals near the top of their positions’ markets. Hunt will slide in as an upgrade at guard for a Panthers team that saw both its guard starters — Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett — suffer season-ending injuries last year.
These injuries were among the issues that plagued Young during his rough rookie season. The Panthers will give their diminutive quarterback a better chance by helping to protect him from inside pressure, which was a common problem during the No. 1 pick’s debut. Hunt is going into his age-28 season, making it rather important he was able to cash in this year — after the cap spike created a friendlier market.
A 2020 second-round pick, Hunt slid from right tackle to right guard in 2021 and became the Dolphins’ most consistent O-lineman. As Miami moved more players around and saw other blockers suffer injuries in this span, Hunt chugged along. That said, Hunt did aggravate a hamstring injury and miss seven games last season. But the Louisiana alum started all 34 games from 2021-22. Hunt goes 330 pounds, giving the Panthers an imposing presence as they reconstruct their line in Dave Canales‘ first year.
Pro Football Focus slotted Hunt as a top-12 guard in each of the past two seasons; he played a big role in helping Mike McDaniel‘s offense ignite. The Panthers will pay up to see if he can help Young begin a real development effort, after last season saw those hopes encounter early turbulence.
Vikings To Sign LB Blake Cashman
A Texans-to-Vikings pipeline is forming on defense. Hours after Jonathan Greenard committed to leave Houston for Minnesota, the Vikes are poaching another of DeMeco Ryans‘ troops.
Blake Cashman has a past in the Twin Cities, however, and the Eden Prairie, Minn., native is returning home. Cashman is coming back to Minnesota on a three-year deal worth up to $25.5MM, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.
Brought in as a special-teamer in Houston, Cashman became a defensive regular on the team’s divisional-round-qualifying team last season. He was expected to generate a market, and that came to fruition. This will give the Texans another defensive cog to replace.
The Texans expected Cashman to draw a notable market, which differs from where his value was before last season. Houston had employed the ex-Jet fifth-rounder as a special-teamer, but Ryans gave him a much bigger defensive role in 2023. Cashman started 13 games — after totaling just eight starts from 2019-22 — and made 106 tackles, intercepting a pass and adding two sacks. The Texans used Cashman, Christian Harris and Denzel Perryman extensively; only Harris is signed for 2024.
The Vikings have both Jordan Hicks and Troy Dye unsigned for the ’24 season. With change coming on the edge in Brian Flores’ defense, it can be expected more ILB moves are on tap as well. Hicks and UDFA Ivan Pace led the way in LB snaps for the ’23 Vikings; Pace appears set to team with Cashman on a low-cost linebacking corps.
Packers To Release RB Aaron Jones
In a move which comes as no surprise given Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs deal, Aaron Jones is on the way out. The latter has been informed by the Packers he will be released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move has now officially taken place, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. As such, Jones is free to sign at any time.
The Packers and Jones were able to work out a pay-cut agreement last year, but the sides could not come to terms after recent negotiations. Green Bay may well have wanted Jones to take another cut, having attempted to bring down his cap number recently. Failing to reach a resolution will help bring Josh Jacobs to Wisconsin and send Jones to a market that has seen big movement today. This will not be a post-June 1 cut, per OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald.
Jones accepted a $5MM trim in exchange for 2023 guarantees; that reworking inflated his 2024 cap number to $17.6MM. The Packers did not want to go into free agency with that number on their payroll, so they will sever one of the longest-tenured RB partnerships in franchise history. Jones rewarded the Pack on his four-year, $48MM deal from 2021, and although last season featured multiple injuries, the former fifth-round pick zoomed to five straight 100-yard games to close out the season. That certainly played a major role in the Packers reaching the divisional round, where they pushed the eventual NFC champion 49ers to the brink.
Excelling in the passing game and on the ground, Jones has been one of the NFL’s best backs over the past several seasons. He does join a host of big-name RBs in being released or seeing their pay reduced in recent years. Jones will follow Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook in being cut from an eight-figure-AAV contract over the past year. Other backs — Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Antonio Gibson, Devin Singletary and D’Andre Swift — have found homes already, thinning out the market. But Jones still should have a chance to start somewhere due to his talent.
Jones, 29, made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and totaled 1,500-plus scrimmage yards in 2019 and ’23. He helped a Packers team featuring next to no skill-position experience last season. Jacobs will provide that, but that move comes after GM Brian Gutekunst said he expected Jones to be back in 2024. The team is not expected to re-sign AJ Dillon, leading to a new era in the Green Bay backfield.