Seahawks To Release TE Will Dissly
The Seahawks’ new coaching staff is parting ways with a few Pete Carroll-era cogs Tuesday. After the team released its two highly paid safeties — Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs — word emerged the club is also moving on from one of its tight ends.
Will Dissly will be released as well, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The move will save the Seahawks $6.97MM in cap space. Signed to a three-year, $24MM deal in 2022, Dissly was due to make $6.49MM in base salary next season.
Seattle has effectively cleared the decks at tight end. With Dissly gone, the team has to fill out this position group. Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are days away from free agency; both players played out their rookie contracts in 2023.
Dissly played out his rookie deal in Seattle back in 2021, but despite a pattern of injury trouble during that time, the Seahawks still re-signed him in March 2022. Dissly, 27, seemed a bit surprised when he received that offer — which came as the Broncos (who had just acquired ex-Dissly QB Russell Wilson) pursued him as well — but he rewarded the Seahawks by avoiding major injuries on his second contract.
Valuing Dissly’s blocking, the Seahawks gave him $10.34MM fully guaranteed. He ended up receiving more than that on this contract, playing two years on the pact. But Mike Macdonald and OC Ryan Grubb are moving in a different direction. While Dissly played at the University of Washington, his college run came well before Grubb became the Huskies’ OC.
Fant led the way in terms of TE production over the past two seasons in Seattle, but Dissly made an auxiliary contribution to Geno Smith‘s Comeback Player of the Year award by catching 34 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. He finished that season on IR but returned to play 16 games in 2023. Last season, Dissly’s numbers dropped; he totaled 17 receptions for 172 yards. Dissly, who missed 24 games over his first four seasons, only missed three contests over the past two. Dissly also should command some interest on the open market; Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s third-best run-blocking tight end last season.
Colts To Tag Michael Pittman Jr.; Sides Discussing Extension
2:03pm: Although the Colts have Pittman on their extension radar, they will use the placeholder option. Indianapolis will tag Pittman, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. It does not appear the sides are too close on a long-term deal, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, but a tag gives them some time. The Colts have until July 15 to complete an extension with their top receiver.
1:45pm: Chris Ballard‘s comments at the Combine did not make it sound likely Michael Pittman Jr. would reach free agency. Indeed, it appears the Colts are preparing to use their franchise tag for the first time since 2013.
The Colts are planning to tag Pittman if they cannot reach an extension, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The sides are still talking, per The Athletic’s James Boyd. The Colts last used their tag to keep Pat McAfee off the market 11 years ago, but with the Ballard regime doing well to re-sign its own homegrown talent, it is not surprising this tag drought may soon end.
If the Colts can reach an agreement by 3pm CT, they will avoid a $21.8MM cap hold going on their books. This deadline has spurred action in the recent past, but no extension for a tag candidate has surfaced today. Pittman would be the eighth player franchise-tagged during this year’s two-week window.
Ballard has done well to keep his cornerstone players on extensions. Since taking over, the eighth-year GM has extended Ryan Kelly, Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith, Shaquille Leonard, Kenny Moore, Grover Stewart and Jonathan Taylor. The former rushing champion’s messy extension process overshadowed Pittman’s contract year, which proved vital to a Colts team frequently playing without its top back. Pittman produced career-high numbers in receptions (109) and yards (1,152) last season, helping a Colts team down Anthony Richardson for most of the season.
It is certainly possible Richardson’s injury helped Pittman compile solid stats last year, with Gardner Minshew a readier passer compared to the raw but promising rookie. Minshew indeed looked Pittman’s way often, giving the former second-round pick his second 1,000-yard season. The Colts chose Pittman before Taylor four years ago, selecting him 34th — one spot after Tee Higgins. Showing the value wideouts bring, neither player will be headed to free agency. The Bengals were the first team to use a tag this year, cuffing Higgins in February.
Without a veteran quarterback on the roster, the Colts can better afford expenditures like a Taylor extension and Pittman tag. Ballard’s team generally avoids big-ticket free agency moves, however, and came into Tuesday with more than $70MM in cap space. That number would shrink if Pittman is tagged, but the sides still have more than an hour to reach an extension.
Bears To Tag CB Jaylon Johnson
Procrastination reigns in the NFL. Coming into Tuesday, only two teams — the Bengals and Chiefs — had used their franchise tags. A host of subsequent tag calls are coming in hours before the 3pm deadline.
The Bears will follow through with their long-rumored Jaylon Johnson tag, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Although the Bears let Johnson seek a trade before last year’s deadline, they held onto the breakout corner. After an All-Pro season, the former second-round pick will be tied to a $19.8MM tag.
Given the interest from the Bears and Johnson about a long-term Chicago partnership, this was not a difficult tag to predict. As a result, the Bears will have until July 15 to work on an extension with the former second-round pick. Ryan Poles‘ team came into Tuesday with considerable cap space. The Bears will still have more than $55MM after tagging Johnson.
No cornerback had been tagged since the Rams kept Trumaine Johnson off the 2017 free agent market; this year, two corners have been cuffed. While the Chiefs have opened the window to a tag-and-trade move involving L’Jarius Sneed, the Bears look more likely to hang onto Johnson and work on an extension. The sides resumed talks recently.
Johnson, 25, did not look like a possible tag recipient coming into last season; like many have in modern NFL history, Johnson timed his breakout well. Pro Football Focus rated Johnson as the league’s best cornerback in 2023, and the former second-round pick intercepted four passes and allowed just a 50.9 passer rating as the closest defender. Johnson’s previous-best rating allowed: 94.6 in 2022. It would make some sense if the Bears made the Utah alum prove his second-team All-Pro slate was not a fluke, but the sides were talking an extension midway through last season. With Johnson floating out the prospect he wants to become the NFL’s highest-paid corner, these negotiations might be tricky.
Although Johnson has not proven to be a difference-maker over multiple seasons, the tag gives him some leverage in talks. Due to the recent cap spike, the 2024 CB tag number nearly matches Jaire Alexander‘s position-record AAV ($21MM). That said, the Bears also hold leverage by using the tag. Johnson can realistically only negotiate with one team, though the Bears would be entitled to a two-first-rounder haul if they failed to match another club’s offer sheet. That is a rare occurrence in franchise tag history.
Contract talks not progressing last fall led the Bears to let Johnson seek a trade hours before the deadline. The Bills and 49ers were among the teams to show interest, but the Bears sought a first- or second-round pick for the four-year starter. It is safe to assume no such offer emerged, and the sides regrouped. The Bears subsequently traded for Montez Sweat and extended him. With most of the Ryan Pace-era pieces off the roster on defense, Poles has some room to maneuver on defense. Although he did authorize a top-five ILB contract for Tremaine Edmunds, Poles does not have a big-ticket contract in place in the secondary at present. That could clear some runway space for a Johnson accord by July.
For now, teams in need of cornerbacks may look to the trade market. Conversely, the second-tier corners on this year’s market stand to see their price tags rise as a result of the Sneed and Johnson tags.
Panthers To Release TE Hayden Hurst
Hayden Hurst suffered a concussion that kept him from playing throughout the season’s second half. A report of the veteran tight end suffering post-traumatic amnesia surfaced.
Illustrating the importance of fully guaranteed money, Hurst is now set to be released. A year after signing Hurst to a three-year deal, the Panthers are moving on, according to The Athletic’s Joseph Person. The Panthers did give Hurst a chance to remain on the team at a reduced salary, but Person adds the former first-round pick declined the pay-cut option. The terms of the proposed pay reduction are not known.
Despite Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesicki being franchise-tagged in 2022, Hurst collected last year’s top free agent tight end contract — a three-year, $21.75MM deal. That came with $13MM fully guaranteed. No additional injury guarantees are included in Hurst’s deal, but that $13MM is certainly important in a transaction like this. Hurst missed last season’s final eight games due to the concussion he suffered against the Bears.
Because this transaction is being tabbed as one set to take place at the start of the 2024 league year, it is safe to assume Carolina will use a post-June 1 designation here. Even in that capacity, the team will only save $2.1MM while incurring more than $7MM in dead money. Hurst was set to make $5.75MM in 2024 base salary. He will be released before a $1.85MM roster bonus vests on March 16. Teams have two post-June 1 designations to use each year.
A former minor league baseball player, Hurst returned to football and crafted a first-round prospect resume at South Carolina. The Ravens took him in the 2018 first round, but after seeing third-round pick Mark Andrews become an immediate impact player, the team traded Hurst to the Falcons in 2020. Hurst and Kyle Pitts teamed up in 2021, but seeing as the Falcons used a No. 4 overall pick on Pitts, it did not make Hurst a priority. The Bengals signed Hurst to a one-year deal in 2022, and he served as an auxiliary Joe Burrow option on a team that came close to booking a second straight Super Bowl trip.
After Hurst’s father revealed the above-referenced post-traumatic amnesia diagnosis, the tight end described that label as worse than it sounded. Hurst tweeted last year he does not remember “up to 4 hours after the game (against the Bears).” The 30-year-old pass catcher was allowed to remain in the game following the hit, being placed in the protocol after the contest.
Part of a poor Panthers offense in 2023, Hurst does not stand to do too well on this year’s market. The $13MM guarantee number softens the blow. Hurst surpassed 25 receiving yards in just two games last season. He does have a 571-yard season (2020) on his resume and attracted the Panthers’ attention after a 414-yard Bengals campaign. Hurst joins Jonnu Smith, Noah Fant and Hunter Henry as the top names on this year’s market. The Texans just re-signed Schultz.
Buccaneers To Use Franchise Tag On S Antoine Winfield Jr.
Franchise tag decisions are coming in hours before the application deadline. As expected, the Buccaneers will prioritize their young All-Pro safety.
Antoine Winfield Jr. will not be given the chance to hit free agency, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting the second-generation NFL DB will be tagged. This has been the expected scenario for a bit, but with less than three hours until the deadline, the Bucs will make it official.
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This moves Baker Mayfield closer to free agency, but with the quarterback tag costing over $20MM more than the safety tag, Tampa Bay had been expected to make the cheaper move here. The Bucs have until March 11 to keep Mayfield off the market, but they now have until July 15 to hammer out an extension with Winfield.
As should be expected given Winfield’s importance to the Bucs over the past four years, this is not setting up a “prove it” season from the All-Pro safety. The Bucs intend to discuss an extension, ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine tweets. Tampa Bay was interested in a Winfield extension before last season, but little of substance emerged following that report. Winfield proceeded to put together a dominant contract year, setting himself up for a potential top-market safety contract.
It is sensible for the Bucs to use the tag on Winfield due to its $17.12MM price. If would have cost the team more than $38MM to tag Mayfield. That number being roughly $6MM north of what it cost the Ravens to cuff Lamar Jackson last year, it was a long shot the Bucs would take this route. But with Mayfield talks looming as the team’s top near-term priority, using this tool to keep Winfield on the back burner checks out. Mayfield and the Bucs remain engaged in talks about a second contract.
Winfield, 25, finished with six sacks and an NFL-leading six forced fumbles last season, including a goal-line strip of DJ Chark that allowed the Bucs to hold off the Panthers in Week 18 — a win vital to the team’s eventual journey to the divisional round. The Minnesota alum also established new career-high marks in tackles (122) and interceptions (three) in 2023. He has put himself on the radar to top Derwin James‘ safety-record AAV, which sits at $19MM. James has held that top spot since summer 2022. After Jessie Bates collected $16MM on the open market last year, the Bucs will not take that chance with Winfield, who started in Super Bowl LV as a rookie and has been an important defender during the Bucs’ run of playoff berths.
Lions To Re-Sign CB Emmanuel Moseley
The Lions are giving Emmanuel Moseley another chance. Seeing ACL tears in back-to-back years sidetrack his career, the veteran cornerback will not hit free agency next week.
Moseley agreed to terms on a one-year deal to stay in Detroit, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Part of a Lions secondary overhaul last year, Moseley encountered hurdles making it back from his 2022 ACL tear. Another tear then took place in October, but the Lions will give the former 49ers starter a shot to rehab again and make an impact in Detroit.
On a day flooded with franchise tag news, the Lions will take what amounts to a flier on a player they coveted last year. Detroit gave Moseley a one-year, $6MM deal in 2023. GM Brad Holmes had said the team would not have been able to have afforded the ex-San Francisco starter had he not gotten injured midway through the ’22 campaign. Moseley’s second Lions pact is likely close to the veteran minimum.
Although Detroit activated Moseley off its PUP list before roster-cutdown day last year, the free agency addition underwent a second knee procedure last summer and was viewed as a long shot to start the year on time. Making his debut in Week 5, Moseley went down after just two plays. The 27-year-old defender joined Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Brian Branch as Lions newcomers. More struggles ensued in coverage, and the Lions are expected to pursue more CB help in free agency. Gardner-Johnson is unsigned days away from free agency.
The 49ers used Moseley as a regular starter. He replaced Ahkello Witherspoon as the team’s Richard Sherman sidekick late in the 2019 season, which ended in Super Bowl LIV. The 49ers then re-signed Moseley to a two-year, $9.38MM deal in 2021. Moseley started 33 games with San Francisco, including 11 during a 2021 season that ended in the NFC championship game.
The 5-foot-11 cover man allowed passer ratings — as the closest defender in coverage — of 65.6 and 66.9 in 2021 and ’22. Pro Football Focus also viewed the young defender well, ranking him just outside the top 30 in both 2019 and ’21. The Lions will see if he can recapture that form after another round of rehab.
Giants Looking Into Trading Up For QB
Daniel Jones‘ contract all but ensures he will be on the 2024 Giants. Beyond that, the former Eli Manning successor’s New York future is uncertain. Rumblings continue to surface about the Giants looking into quarterbacks in this draft class.
The team is looking into what it will take to move up for a quarterback next month, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. GM Joe Schoen has indicated on several occasions the team will look at QBs this offseason, pointing out at least one will be added. The big question would be how the Giants add that passer and the to-be-determined signal-caller’s role on the team.
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Should the Giants merely add a veteran backup who would provide insurance and serve as an offseason arm while Jones recovers from an ACL tear, it is not exactly a key storyline. That passer would slide into the background, presumably between Jones and Tommy DeVito, once the incumbent starter recovered. Schoen has said the team expects Jones to be back by training camp, and the third-year GM has proclaimed the veteran will be the team’s starter once he recovers.
The more intriguing storyline would certainly be a Giants first-round QB investment. Holding the No. 6 overall pick, the Giants would not be expected to land one of this draft class’ top three quarterbacks without trading up. Caleb Williams has been a mortal lock to go first overall for months, while Drake Maye loomed the next-best option for most of that stretch. Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, however, has gained considerable ground — to the point many expect the Commanders to take the LSU product at No. 2. Maye would then be positioned to go third to the Patriots — unless they trade back.
It would seem any Giants climb would need to be tied to that Patriots pick, as the Commanders would be highly unlikely to deal with their division rivals in a trade of this magnitude. The Pats are no strangers to first-round trade-down moves, but Bill Belichick not running the show may matter here. De facto Pats GM Eliot Wolf comes from an organization that has prioritized QB investments, with the Packers taking Aaron Rodgers during the second-generation personnel man’s early years in the front office. Passing on a chance to grab a passer without trading up would be a risk for a Patriots team that has seen Mac Jones take significant steps back over the past two seasons.
The Pats are expected to address their QB need in the draft, though free agency may be part of the plan as well. The team has been linked to Baker Mayfield, as Wolf and a few others on staff have ties to the Buccaneers QB. Of course, the Bucs still have until March 11 to prevent him from talking to other teams. And it would be costly for the Pats to sign Mayfield. Even though Wolf’s team leads the NFL in cap space, it would surprise if much of it was devoted to a veteran QB in free agency.
If New England were to view Maye (or Daniels) as too risky of an investment, then the prospect of a big haul from the Giants or another team would come into play. Given the demand that may exist here, it would surprise if the Patriots and Commanders did not at least consider the prospect of moving down — even at the risk of having no long-term QB plan.
Jones did not impress before his ACL tear last season, though the Giants again fielded a low-level skill-position group and encountered several offensive line injuries. But the Giants can get out of Jones’ contract fairly easily in 2025. With Schoen not being in place when the Giants drafted Jones, it is logical he will explore avenues to a higher-upside prospect.
Jaguars To Cut S Rayshawn Jenkins
After going into last season with largely the same defense they trotted out in 2022, the Jaguars are making changes. Rayshawn Jenkins will be the latest Jacksonville cut on that side of the ball.
The Jags are releasing the veteran safety, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, with this move following the cuts of Folorunso Fatukasi and Darious Williams. Not part of the Jags’ 2022 free agency splurge like Fatukasi or Williams, Jenkins has been with the team since 2021, working as a starter throughout his tenure.
Jenkins, who turned 30 earlier this year, was due to make $8MM in base salary next season and carry a $12.3MM cap number. Unless this is a post-June 1 cut, the Jags will eat a bit of dead money due to void years existing on the veteran DB’s contract. Jacksonville will save more than $5MM while taking on just more than $7MM in dead cap.
Signed to a four-year, $35MM deal during Urban Meyer‘s offseason in charge, Jenkins came over from the Chargers and started every game he played as a Jaguar. That included 17-game seasons in each of the past two years. Jenkins intercepted five passes in that span, including a walk-off pick-six of Dak Prescott in a 40-34 Jags win in 2022. Pro Football Focus, however, rated the former fourth-round pick as one of the worst regular safeties over the past three seasons. The advanced metrics website slotted Jenkins outside the top 70 in each of his three Jacksonville seasons.
With the Jags firing most of their defensive staff shortly after a disappointing season, it is unsurprising they will look to add new starters ahead of Ryan Nielsen‘s first DC campaign. The team allowed at least 28 points five times after its Week 9 bye, leading to it going from contending for the AFC’s No. 1 seed to being bounced out of the playoffs. If this is a post-June 1 cut, Jenkins must remain on the Jags’ payroll until the start of the 2024 league year (March 13). If the team is moving on immediately, it will hold more than $34MM in cap space.
Dolphins Will Not Use Franchise Tag On Christian Wilkins
MARCH 4: Confirming the direction Sunday’s report pointed this situation in, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes Wilkins will not be tagged tomorrow. Unless an eleventh-hour agreement can be reached after the deadline but before the new league year, therefore, Wilkins will reach free agency.
MARCH 3: Even considering the recent cap spike, the Dolphins are still more than $31MM over the new NFL spending limit with 10 days left in the 2023 league year. That will create challenges, and it will impact the team’s ability to retain its top free agent.
Although GM Chris Grier said a Christian Wilkins franchise tag would be on the table, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team is unlikely to cuff the five-year defensive tackle. As it stands, Wilkins appears barely a week away from free agency. After making strides as a pass rusher, the former first-round pick would be poised to do quite well on the open market.
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This would make Wilkins one of the top free agents available, and if the Ravens follow through with their likely Justin Madubuike tag and the Chiefs can complete a Chris Jones deal before the legal tampering period, the Miami-based D-tackle’s free agency stock would be set to skyrocket. The Dolphins and Wilkins negotiated for months in 2023, but no extension agreement came out of the talks. That led to the Clemson alum playing out his rookie contract, separating him from the other high-end DTs from the 2019 first round.
The Dolphins continue to mull their options, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, but the veteran reporter indicates a tag is not expected. Three of Wilkins’ 2019 first-round DT peers — Jeffery Simmons, Quinnen Williams and ex-Clemson teammate Dexter Lawrence — signed big-ticket deals worth between $22.5MM and $24MM per year. With the cap now nearly $31MM north of its 2023 place, Wilkins surely could approach this price range.
Some hesitancy on Miami’s part regarding a long-term deal is believed to have stemmed from Wilkins’ prior lack of sack production. The interior defender made a notable effort on this front last season, tallying a career-high nine sacks. That number bettered his previous single-season best by 4.5. Wilkins, 28, has been one of the NFL’s top run-defending DTs in recent years as well. The Dolphins, however, have made other commitments up front. They extended Bradley Chubb shortly after trading for him in 2022, and DT Zach Sieler signed a new deal last year. That complicates a Wilkins South Florida future.
Trade interest emerged for Wilkins late last summer, and the Dolphins are again implementing a new defensive scheme thanks to another coordinator change. With Tua Tagovailoa squarely on the extension radar and the likes of Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips potentially behind the QB in the payment queue, the Dolphins may be prepared to pass on paying Wilkins now. A bidding war would be set to commence in that event.
Patriots Make Offer To S Kyle Dugger
MARCH 4: Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports the Patriots’ Dugger offer checks in at an annual average value of $13MM. That falls well short of the cost of a franchise tag, but the structure of the pact in terms of guaranteed money and its length will of course be major factors for Dugger’s camp to consider. If no agreement is reached by 3:00pm central on Tuesday, New England will be forced to apply the tag or allow him to test the market.
FEBRUARY 29: Rumored as a franchise tag candidate, Kyle Dugger remains a priority for the Patriots. The young safety would be among the top defenders available if he reaches the open market. The Pats are trying to prevent that.
Less than a week before the deadline to apply franchise tags, MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian and Mark Daniels report the team has submitted an offer to Dugger. Absent a tag, the Pats have until 11am CT to negotiate exclusively with Dugger. At that point, unsigned players are free to speak with other teams in the tampering window.
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The cap spiking to $255.4MM has made it more expensive to tag a safety; that number checks in at $17.12MM. This is considerably higher than what it took for the Bengals to keep Jessie Bates off the 2022 market ($12.9MM). That complicates matters for the Pats. The Giants are believed to be considering the lesser-used transition tag for safety Xavier McKinney; that would cost $13.82MM. A transition tag does open the door to offer sheets, as no compensation comes back to teams in the event of an unmatched offer. A franchise tag all but slams the door on a player signing elsewhere.
Already prepared to spend more than they traditionally do in free agency, per Jerod Mayo, the Patriots giving GM power to Eliot Wolf does make that somewhat interesting. The Packers were not known for such activity during Wolf’s time under Ted Thompson. But Green Bay regularly retained its own talent during that long-running regime. In Dugger and Michael Onwenu, the Patriots have two players who are set to be top UFAs soon. The team is also trying to retain Onwenu, but the versatile O-lineman may well reach the open market.
“You definitely want those pieces to stay,” Mayo said of Dugger and Onwenu, via MassLive. “You develop through the draft, so if those guys stay, obviously, they’ve been raised here and they can help push the culture forward. With Dugger, I would say last year going into the season, there were some questions about can he communicate and all those things. He squashed all of that last year. He did a fantastic job in his new role without having Devin (McCourty) there.”
Bill Belichick held onto Dugger and Onwenu at the trade deadline; both were rumored candidates to be moved as the team found itself in the rare position as a potential midseason seller. Dugger played 97% of the Pats’ defensive snaps last season, and with Mayo and DeMarcus Covington sticking around, the former second-round pick offers continuity for a team that just released Adrian Phillips.
Dugger, who will turn 27 next month, played ahead of the veteran in 2023. PFF only ranked Dugger 68th among safeties last season but viewed his 2022 more favorably; the Lenoir-Rhyne alum returned two interceptions for touchdowns that year. Although Dugger has fared better closer to the line of scrimmage, he has nine INTs over the past three seasons.
The Patriots are among the league leaders in cap space, holding $78.1MM as of Thursday afternoon. That sits third in the NFL, though teams have a number of days to organize their budgets ahead of the 2024 league year. Keeping Dugger — a 2020 second-round pick — would also be a notable transaction due to the team’s run of not re-signing recent high draft choices. The team has not extended a homegrown first-, second- or third-round pick since re-signing 2013 third-rounder Duron Harmon in 2017.