Vikings Eyeing QB Sam Darnold
The Vikings are not only set to lose Kirk Cousins; they are starting at a $28.5MM dead money hit stemming from the void years it used to afford the experienced quarterback previously. Minnesota is set to regroup here.
As the Vikings aim to transition from Cousins, a cheaper alternative is on the radar. Minnesota is eyeing a Sam Darnold addition, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. The recent 49ers backup has other suitors — on a market filled with bridge-type QB options — but it is clear the Vikings are one of them. And they would now present an appealing offer: a chance at a starting role.
The 49ers re-signed Brandon Allen earlier today, completing a rumored move that is likely to send Darnold elsewhere. It is likely the former No. 3 overall pick will make more than the $4.5MM he did as a San Francisco backup.
Darnold joins Jacoby Brissett, Ryan Tannehill, Gardner Minshew and Joe Flacco as bridge-type options or high-end backups. In addition to Minnesota, Denver and Las Vegas make sense for such a passer. The Patriots may be in the market for a QB on this tier as well. Teams who need backups will be pursuing this group, potentially driving up prices. But it is unlikely Darnold will be incredibly expensive based on his history.
Although Darnold has been in the NFL for six seasons and has made 56 starts for the Jets and Panthers, he is still just 26. It is possible a team in need of a low-cost option will add him hoping for a Baker Mayfield-like resurgence. Darnold showed less than Mayfield’s pre-Tampa peak, however. The Vikings did not accomplish what they wanted with Cousins, advancing further with Case Keenum at the controls. Their next QB will have Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison to target, which would stand to appeal to many of the available arms.
Broncos To Re-Sign K Wil Lutz
Wil Lutz had a three-year deal in place with the Jaguars earlier today, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Instead, the veteran kicker has elected to remain with the Broncos on a two-year agreement, Mike Klis of 9News reports in an update. Lutz will stay on a two-year deal worth just more than $8MM, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
This marks the second straight offseason the Broncos and Jaguars are intertwined at kicker. Denver’s release of Brandon McManus prompted a Jacksonville offer. The Jaguars only gave McManus a one-year contract, opening their kicker position for next season. Lutz has worked with Sean Payton on two occasions now, and the partnership will continue.
Denver acquired Lutz from New Orleans just before last season, scrapping Brett Maher plans. The Broncos struggled in the red zone at points in Wilson’s second season, and Lutz became a key part of the team’s five-game midseason win streak. Lutz memorably missed a game-winning field goal in Buffalo, only for a Bills offside infraction to give him another chance. Overall, Lutz made 88.2% of his FG tries; that marked Lutz’s best connect rate since his 2019 Pro Bowl campaign.
The Lutz pursuit is interesting due to Riley Patterson‘s presence back on the Jags’ offseason roster. Jacksonville’s primary kicker in 2022, Patterson bounced between Detroit and Cleveland last year. The Lions booted Patterson once again after giving the job back to Michael Badgley; the Jags gave Patterson a reserve/futures contract in January.
The Broncos have enjoyed kicker continuity on par with the Packers’ quarterback timeline. The team only employed three primary kickers (Jason Elam, Matt Prater, McManus) from 1993-2022. Lutz’s age (29) and relationship with Payton qualifies him as a potential long-term option, as the two worked together for six years in New Orleans.
Texans To Bring Back CB Lonnie Johnson Jr.
Lonnie Johnson Jr. started his career with the Texans, and he will now return to Houston. The veteran corner is signing a one-year deal, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Johnson himself confirmed talks on a new Saints deal did not produce an agreement.
This comes after the former second-round pick has bounced around. The Texans traded Johnson to the Chiefs in 2022. After the Chiefs cut him, he finished that season on the Titans. Last year, Johnson served as a Saints backup.
Working as both a cornerback and a safety during his career, Johnson has spent more time with the Texans compared to any other team. The former No. 54 overall pick — during Brian Gaine‘s second and final draft as GM — has played 44 games with Houston. The Texans used Johnson as a starter in 19 of those, but the Kentucky product — now 28 — has settled onto the backup tier. The Titans and Saints did not use Johnson as a starter at any point.
The Saints used Johnson on 76% of their special teams plays last season. The Texans have Derek Stingley Jr. and the recently re-signed Desmond King in place at corner. Another Steven Nelson deal is on the radar as well. This will be an interesting homecoming for Johnson, though new front office and coaching staffs are in place this time around.
Rams To Sign TE Colby Parkinson
As part of a spending spree on offense, the Rams will add to their pass-catching corps. Los Angeles is set to sign tight end Colby Parkinson on a three-year, $22.5MM deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The pact includes $15.5MM in guaranteed money.
This gives the Rams a tight end to pair with Tyler Higbee, who has been in Los Angeles for eight seasons now. Should Parkinson reach certain performance thresholds, he can void the deal after two years, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
[RELATED: Rams Agree To Terms With Jonah Jackson]
The Seahawks opted to re-sign Noah Fant, but the team will move on from both Parkinson and Will Dissly. Seattle cut Dissly last week, seeing him land in Los Angeles under Jim Harbaugh. Parkinson will join Dissly in L.A., and this contract suggests the Rams have bigger pass-game plans for the Stanford alum than the Seahawks did.
The Rams also could have some decisions to make at tight end, where 2023 trade pickup Hunter Long joins Dissly and now Parkinson. A former fourth-round pick, Parkinson served as an auxiliary Geno Smith weapon over the past two years. After playing little on offense from 2020-21, the 6-foot-7 pass catcher caught 25 passes in each of the past two seasons, catching two TDs in each campaign. Parkinson’s market certainly points to other teams believing there is more meat on the bone here. A 6-7 receiving option with Matthew Stafford does provide intrigue, though Parkinson’s next 350-yard season will be his first.
Parkinson rounds out a Rams receiving corps returning its top receivers, thanks to the Demarcus Robinson re-signing, and regular tight ends. One season remains on Long’s rookie contract, which the Rams obtained in the Jalen Ramsey trade.
Eagles To Sign DE Bryce Huff
Bryce Huff‘s primary wardrobe color will not change, but the ascending defensive end is leaving New York. The Jets will lose their 2023 sack leader to the Eagles.
Philly will pick up Huff on a three-year, $51.1MM deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Although the Eagles are big on fortifying their offensive and defensive lines, the Huff addition would seem to point to one of the team’s trade candidates being moved. The team has dangled Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat in potential deals thus far this offseason.
This contract will make Huff the highest-paid UDFA in NFL history, Schefter adds. Huff broke out during a 2023 contract year, leading the NFL in pressure rate. The Jets did not seem to trust Huff as an every-down player, as suspect run defense was an issue for the former post-draft find. But he played well enough last season to advance beyond the “prove it” tier of free agency. The Eagles will bet on Huff on a deal more expensive — on a per-year basis — than Reddick’s.
The Eagles have let Reddick seek a trade and have taken calls on Sweat. Both players are going into contract years, with Reddick having outplayed the $15MM-per-year deal he signed with his hometown team in 2022. While Reddick has not requested a trade, he will certainly take interest in Huff making more than him.
As the Eagles sift through some moving parts here, they will rely on Huff, who had not compiled more than four sacks in a season during his first three years with the Jets. Armed with a quick first step, Huff posted a 21.8% pressure percentage but did so on just 480 defensive snaps. That fell outside the top 70 among edges last year, and Pro Football Focus graded the Memphis alum as a bottom-tier run defender.
It will be interesting to see how the Eagles navigate their DE setup, but after the team saw Reddick and Sweat go cold as its defense cratered late last season, it will invest in a Jets-developed sack artist going into his age-26 season.
Rams, G Jonah Jackson Agree To Deal
One of the top guards in the 2024 free agent class is coming off the market. Jonah Jackson has agreed to terms on a three-year, $51MM deal with the Rams, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The pact includes $34MM in guaranteed money.
The Rams are betting big at guard, giving Jackson this money after authorizing a three-year, $48MM payment for Kevin Dotson. With Matthew Stafford‘s 2022 injuries submarining the Rams’ Super Bowl title defense two years ago, they will do more to protect him this coming season.
This move may well move Steve Avila off his guard spot, but the 2023 second-round pick has experience at center. TCU deployed Avila at center during his 2021 junior season. He also saw time there as a sophomore. The Rams look to be designing a Jackson-Avila-Dotson interior. This move probably means 2023 starting center Coleman Shelton will be out of the picture.
While guard represented one of this free agent class’ deepest positions, it is interesting one team will nab two of the top players here. This combination will be the most costly guard duo in NFL history, topping that of the Browns’ Joel Bitonio–Wyatt Teller tandem, which comprises just more than $30MM in combined AAV. The Rams are at $33MM between the Dotson and Jackson signings.
The Lions have Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow on upper-crust accords, with Penei Sewell squarely on the extension radar. With Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown payments coming as well, Detroit had been expected to pass on extending a player it developed from the third round.
Jackson has started all 57 games he has played as a pro. He has been a better run blocker compared to his pass-pro work, which would bode well for a Rams team that saw Kyren Williams take off during his second season. This is a surprising commitment to the guard position, but the team still has Alaric Jackson in the RFA pay window and Rob Havenstein on an affordable deal. If the Rams keep that setup intact for 2024, this is an affordable scenario — even around Stafford’s $40MM-AAV contract. But choices will need to be made come 2025.
Commanders To Sign C Tyler Biadasz
Another former Cowboy is set to join Dan Quinn in the nation’s capital. Center Tyler Biadasz is expected to join the Commanders, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk adds the pact is three years in length. 
Biadasz will follow Dorance Armstrong in trekking from Dallas to Washington. While Quinn was obviously stationed on the defensive side in Dallas, the new Washington HC obviously has considerable familiarity with Biadasz. The former fourth-round pick operated as the Cowboys’ starting center for most of his tenure.
The Commanders are giving Biadasz a three-year, $30MM pact, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 adds it includes $17.5MM in guaranteed money. This will be the second straight offseason in which the team authorized an $8MM-year-per payment to a center. Washington gave Nick Gates a three-year, $24MM accord in 2023, though that came with Ron Rivera and Dan Snyder in charge. With Josh Harris and Adam Peters overseeing the offseason effort now, Gates will be out — via a post-June 1 cut — an a Quinn pick is coming in.
As the Cowboys saw Travis Frederick‘s career end early, they turned to Biadasz as the heir apparent. From 2021-23, Biadasz started 49 games. Pro Football Focus graded the Wisconsin alum as the league’s 14th-best center last season.
The Commanders are retooling up front. They do not exactly have any cornerstone blockers; this contract will aim to ensure Biadasz becomes one. But the team has more work to do along its O-line.
Broncos Plan To Sign S Brandon Jones
Denver parted ways with Justin Simmons recently, leaving a vacancy at the safety spot. The team plans to fill it by signing Brandon Jones, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. It will be a three-year deal, he adds.
Although Jones will not land in the same salary range as Simmons, the Broncos are guaranteeing him a notable sum. The ex-Dolphin is signing with Sean Payton‘s team for $12.5MM guaranteed, via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. Jones can earn up to $22.5MM on the deal.
This may conclude Denver’s safety spending, as Payton viewed Simmons’ top-five contract as a luxury the team could not afford presently. Given the Russell Wilson development, the Broncos trimming at other positions makes sense. They stripped two of their better starters — Simmons and Jerry Jeudy — off the roster last week.
If the Broncos are done at safety, they will have a trio fairly familiar with one another. Jones joined P.J. Locke and Caden Sterns at Texas; all three safeties were with the Longhorns in 2018, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
Jones, 25, is coming off his best season. The 2020 third-round pick graded as a top-20 safety, in the view of Pro Football Focus, which rated the four-year Dolphin as a high-end coverage player and blitzer. Jones ripped off five sacks in 2021. Last season, he intercepted two passes. The 6-foot-1 defender also forced a fumble in each of his four NFL seasons.
The Broncos used Simmons as a seven-year starter, and he camped on the All-Pro second team; four such honors came the veteran’s way over the past five seasons. While the Broncos may be battling uphill without their secondary leader, their top three in 2024 may consist of three college teammates who each have at least three years’ experience.
Commanders To Sign DE Dorance Armstrong
This year’s coordinator carousel gave Dorance Armstrong multiple logical landing spots outside of Dallas. One of them will indeed produce a deal. Armstrong will reunite with his former defensive coordinator in Washington.
The Commanders are signing the longtime Cowboys pass rusher, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Dan Quinn coached Armstrong for three seasons as Dallas’ DC. While the Seahawks hired former Cowboys D-line coach Aden Durde as their DC, Armstrong has a deal to stay in the NFC East.
The Commanders are giving Armstrong a three-year deal that maxes out at $45MM, Fowler adds. For base value, Washington will give Armstrong a three-year, $33MM pact, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.
Re-signed as a Randy Gregory fallback option in 2022, Armstrong fared better than the former Dallas starter since. The Cowboys gave Armstrong a two-year, $12MM deal after Gregory talks fell through at the 11th hour. The team rostering Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence helped Armstrong along, and the Cowboys will have to replace one of their auxiliary pass-rushing pieces as a result of that production.
Armstrong, 26, totaled 8.5 sacks in 2022 and 7.5 last season. He outproduced Lawrence in this span from a sack perspective, and Quinn will bring him aboard as the Commanders regroup following their Montez Sweat and Chase Young trades. The Commanders will still have another DE spot to fill alongside Armstrong, but the six-year veteran will represent a key part of Quinn and Joe Whitt‘s first Washington defense.
A fourth-round pick out of Kansas, Armstrong had all of 2.5 sacks through three seasons and did not surpass 20 pressures in either of the past two. Even following Gregory’s exit, the Cowboys used Armstrong as a rotational rusher on their deep defensive line. More will be expected of Armstrong, who is surely ticketed to become a Commanders starter. Quinn having seen Armstrong for three seasons in Dallas will better position him for success in the nation’s capital. The Cowboys still have Sam Williams under contract, though they will need some help on the edge with Dante Fowler having played out his second Dallas deal.
Packers To Release LT David Bakhtiari
For some time now, David Bakhtiari has been expected to be released by the Packers. The All-Pro left tackle confirmed that is the route being taken by Green Bay in a social media post on Monday.
This move has been expected for a while, as Bakhtiari’s body has betrayed him over the course of the monster contract he signed during the 2020 season. A New Year’s Eve knee injury sustained in practice that year re-routed the All-Pro’s career, and after more knee trouble came in 2023, the Packers are rebooting at left tackle.
The Packers will save just more than $20MM by cutting Bakhtiari, who was due to count more than $40MM on Green Bay’s 2024 cap. Although no void years are present in this contract, past restructures ballooned that 2024 total. Bakhtiari was set to make $20.2MM in 2024 base salary. A post-June 1 move would increase the cap savings here, dividing the $19.1MM in dead money over two offseasons. The Packers, however, took their medicine on Aaron Rodgers in one year. They may well do the same with his longtime blindside protector.
Since that seminal knee injury, Bakhtiari has missed 39 regular-season games and five playoff contests. He spent most of the 2021 season out of action, only returning for a handful of snaps in Week 18. Work in that meaningless contest led to Bakhtiari sitting in the Packers’ divisional-round follow-up, a loss to the 49ers. Bakhtiari returned to a high performance level in 2022, playing 11 games, but was only able to suit up for one last season.
A five-time All-Pro (two first teams), Bakhtiari thrived after being a third-round Packers pick back in 2013. He was in uniform for three NFC championship games. His absence against the Buccaneers in 2020 became glaring, as Tampa Bay’s edge rushers teed off on Rodgers in the second half that day. Bakhtiari still did well to collect a four-year, $92MM extension weeks before his knee injury in 2020. The Packers, unfortunately, did not get much from that investment.
Green Bay primarily used Rasheed Walker in Bakhtiari’s place last season, keeping former sub Elgton Jenkins entrenched at guard. Pro Football Focus ranked Walker 44th among tackles last season. The former seventh-round pick could certainly be an option, but it would also make sense for the team to make a bigger investment — perhaps in a tackle-rich draft — to succeed Bakhtiari, who would be going into his age-33 season. Despite five knee surgeries, the decorated left tackle had not indicated he was preparing a retirement. The Jets could be in play for Bakhtiari, but it would be with the understanding he would compete for the LT role rather than being handed the gig.