Bills Rumors

AFC Contract Details: Titans, Jeudy, Browns, Brown, Bengals, Broncos, Bills, Jets, Texans

Here are contract details from some of the latest deals agreed to around the league.

  • Calvin Ridley, WR (Titans). Four years, $92MM. In addition to his $20MM signing bonus, Ridley will see his first two base salaries ($4.5MM, $22,5MM) fully guaranteed. If on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, Ridley will receive a $3.02MM guarantee for his 2026 base salary ($20.24MM), per OverTheCap. If Ridley remains on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, he will earn a $1MM bonus. This still stands to give the Titans some 2026 flexibility.
  • Jerry Jeudy, WR (Browns). Three years, $52.5MM. The recently traded wideout’s base value, as expected, checks in lower than the initial numbers. The ex-Denver target will see guarantees into his the deal’s third year, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting $6MM will be guaranteed for 2026. Jeudy received $41MM guaranteed at signing.
  • Curtis Samuel, WR (Bills). Three years, $24MM. The Bills are guaranteeing $5MM of Samuel’s $6.91MM 2025 base salary at signing. The entire ’25 base is guaranteed for injury, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Samuel will be due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2026 league year; his $6.51MM 2026 salary is nonguaranteed.
  • John Simpson, G (Jets). Two years, $12MM. This number is down a bit from the initial $18MM figure, which is the deal’s max value. Simpson will see $6MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes. The Jets used three void years to spread out the cap hits; the fifth-year guard is on New York’s books at $3.2MM in 2024.
  • Folorunso Fatukasi, DT (Texans). One year, $5.2MM. The recent Jacksonville cut will receive $4.6MM guaranteed at signing on his Houston pact, Wilson tweets. The Texans tacked two void years onto the veteran nose tackle’s deal.
  • Trent Brown, T (Bengals). One year, $4.75MM. The veteran tackle will receive $2MM guaranteed, with OverTheCap indicating $1MM will be available in per-game roster bonuses with another $250K in play via a workout bonus. A bonus-laden structure is not new for Brown, who had weight clauses in his most recent two Patriots contracts.
  • Solomon Thomas, DL (Jets). One year, $3MM. The Jets are guaranteeing the former No. 3 overall pick $2.5MM, Cimini adds.
  • Mike Edwards, S (Bills). One year, $2.8MM. The former Tampa Bay and Kansas City safety can earn up to $4MM on his Buffalo deal, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. He is on the Bills’ cap at $2.8MM.
  • Cody Barton, LB (Broncos). One year, $2.46MM. The Broncos will land the veteran linebacker for more than $1MM cheaper than the Commanders did in 2023. Denver is guaranteeing $2.33MM of the deal, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
  • Desmond King, CB (Texans). One year, $1.8MM. Veteran slot cornerback/return man’s contract can max out at $2.2MM, Wilson tweets.

RB Damien Harris Retires At 27

On Instagram today, former Patriots and Bills running back Damien Harris made the announcement that he would be retiring from the NFL. It’s a short, five-year playing career for the 27-year-old from Kentucky, but it’s one he can look back on with pride.

Harris entered the NFL after a four-year collegiate career at Alabama. After sitting behind Derrick Henry as a true freshman, Harris took over lead back duties for the Crimson Tide, rushing for 2,040 yards and 13 touchdowns over the next two years. Increased roles from Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris meant decreased production for Damien as a senior, but he still led the team in carries and yards. He left Tuscaloosa with two rings denoting national championships.

As a third-round rookie for the Patriots, Harris saw very little action behind Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead during Tom Brady‘s final season in New England. An injury to Michel and a new offense led by Cam Newton allowed Harris to take lead back duties in his sophomore season. In his third year, with a rookie Mac Jones, Harris delivered his career-defining season, rushing for 929 yards and an eye-catching 15 touchdowns, all while a rookie Rhamondre Stevenson also got his share with 606 yards and five touchdowns. A bigger role in Stevenson’s sophomore season meant a reduced role for Harris, who was hampered with a hamstring injury early in the season.

His rookie contract over, Harris signed a one-year deal with his first team’s division rival, the Bills. Buffalo brought Harris in to serve the same RB2 role he had played behind Stevenson but with James Cook now taking RB1 snaps in front of him. Unfortunately, in mid-October, Harris suffered an awkward-looking stinger that created a scene immediately reminiscent of Damar Hamlin. While Harris remained conscious, he was ruled out with a neck injury and taken to the hospital for further testing. He was placed on injured reserve and wouldn’t return for the remainder of the season.

It’s unclear whether or not this serious neck injury has anything to do with Harris’ decision to hang up his cleats. Perhaps, in the near future, Harris will disclose the reasons behind his decision, but for now, he used the text in his Instagram post, rightfully, to thank his coaches, trainers, teammates, and family. His post ends with a promising “y’all will be seeing me soon,” perhaps hinting at a future role in coaching or the like.

Bills Sign DT Austin Johnson

The Bills have been forced to address their defensive line during these early weeks of free agency. After Ed Oliver, the team saw the next four top snap-getters on the interior hit free agency. After a couple of departures, they’ll add some depth and starting experience in the form of former Chargers defensive tackle Austin Johnson, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Fowler also tells us that Johnson’s one-year deal will be for $3.5MM and worth up to $4MM.

Johnson is an eight-year veteran who has seen time with the Titans and Giants before his most recent stint with the Chargers. After Tennessee drafted him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Penn State, Johnson spent his first few years rotating in for starters like Al Woods and Sylvester Williams. In his third season, Johnson started to earn more starting time with Jurrell Casey and DaQuan Jones, one of the Buffalo free agents this offseason who re-signed with the team on the second day of free agency.

When Johnson signed with New York, he regressed back into reserve duty, rotating in for Dalvin Tomlinson and Leonard Williams. When Tomlinson left for Minnesota, Johnson took over full-time starting duties for the first time in his career. He would leverage that starting experience into a two-year, $14MM contract with the Chargers, though his first season in Los Angeles would see him spend the final nine games of the season on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Johnson returned in 2023, remaining a full-time starter, but delivered what Pro Football Focus (subscription required) would call his worst season in the NFL, grading out as the league’s 118th-ranked interior defender out of 130 graded players. While he’s never been elite per PFF’s analytics, Johnson’s 2023 campaign was his worst by a long shot in their eyes. The Bills will hope to get some better production out of him as they reunite him on the line with Jones, perhaps with the intention to put him back in rotation.

Buffalo still has work to do to fill out their defensive line. They’ll return Oliver and Jones, and they signed Eli Ankou to a reserve/futures deal. Meanwhile, Tim Settle departed for Houston in free agency and Poona Ford is swapping places with Johnson, joining the defensive line for the Chargers. Last year’s veteran tackles Jordan Phillips and Linval Joseph both remain free agents for now. The Bills may opt to return one or both of them in order to fill out the line with a bit more depth, though late-round rookies may be cheaper.

Bills Sign OL Will Clapp

Will Clapp will play for a third career team in 2024. The veteran offensive lineman signed a one-year deal with the Bills on Friday, per a team announcement.

Clapp spent his first four seasons in the league with the Saints, playing sparingly during that time. The former seventh-rounder saw limited usage at guard with New Orleans, but he also occasionally played at center. He joined the Chargers in 2022, and with Los Angeles he was used exclusively in the middle.

The 28-year-old re-signed with the Bolts last offseason on a $1.23MM deal. He appeared set to remain in a backup role for the campaign, having logged only three starts the previous season. With Corey Linsley being limited to just three contests due to heart condition, however, Clapp took over as the team’s starting center. The latter started a career-high 11 games in 2023 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Keeping in line with his previous seasons, the LSU product drew a PFF grade of 56.7.

Linsley is now set to retire, but instead of retaining Clapp on a new deal, the Chargers elected to sign veteran Bradley Bozeman. Clapp will thus move on to Buffalo for 2024 in a bid to find playing time on the inside. The Bills traded away Ryan Bates earlier this offseason, a move which left the team without a depth option capable of spot-start duty at both the guard and center positions.

That deal suggested Connor McGovern and O’Cyrus Torrence would remain in place at the guard spots with Mitch Morse playing at center. The latter was one of several veterans let go in advance of free agency, though, meaning McGovern is now in place to slide to the middle. Clapp could compete for snaps at LG as a result, but he will likely be penciled in for the backup center spot. If he recovers from his injury, Clapp could effectively fill Bates’ role as a backup with starting experience along Buffalo’s new-look O-line.

DL Austin Johnson Meets With Bills; Cardinals Visit On Tap

Austin Johnson had his debut Chargers campaign cut short due to injury, but he rebounded with a healthy season in 2023. The veteran defensive lineman is now drawing interest in the second wave of free agency.

Johnson met with the Bills earlier this week, as noted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That summit will be followed by visit with the Cardinals today, Schefter adds. The 29-year-old worked as a rotational contributor for the early portion of his career, but for the past three seasons he has served as a full-time starter.

The Chargers signed Johnson to a two-year, $14MM deal in 2022 as part of the team’s efforts to improve against the run. An MCL injury limited him to eight games that year, one which came after a full slate with the Giants. The former second-rounder once again suited up for 17 games last year, posting 46 tackles (the second-highest mark of his career).

Buffalo has seen plenty of turnover on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, but the D-line will return DaQuan Jones and A.J. Epenesa after they agreed to re-ups. The Bills showed interest in Arik Armstead before he ultimately signed with the Jaguars, though, indicating their willingness to continue adding along the interior. Johnson would join Jones and Ed Oliver as another starting-caliber DT option with a Buffalo deal.

The Cardinals have made sweeping changes on the defensive line so far in free agency. Arizona has worked out deals with Bilal Nichols, Justin Jones and Khyiris Tonga, and they will be notable contributors for the team in 2024. After ranking last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed last season (143 yards per game), the Cardinals will no doubt remain active in pursuing further additions up front, however.

Arizona entered Friday with over $29MM in cap space, giving the team far more spending power than Buffalo ($7.5MM). Johnson is one of several veterans still on the market who will be available on short-term, low-cost additions given where free agency now stands. More clarity on his future could emerge after his Cardinals visit takes place.

Bills Sign S Mike Edwards

After forming one of the longest-running safety tandems of the 21st century, the Bills changed course this month. They released Jordan Poyer and have not re-signed Micah Hyde. The team is moving in a younger direction at the position.

Hosting both Julian Blackmon and Mike Edwards this week, the Bills will commit to the latter. Edwards signed with Buffalo on Wednesday, the team announced. It is a one-year contract; the two-time Super Bowl winner is going into his age-28 season.

Edwards became a Chiefs starter following Bryan Cook‘s season-ending injury. This led to Edwards starting the Chiefs’ final five regular-season games and four playoff contests last year. A Buccaneers role player in their Super Bowl LV win over the Chiefs, Edwards played nearly all of Kansas City’s defensive snaps in its Super Bowl LVIII conquest. The Chiefs already have Justin Reid tied to a veteran contract. With Cook signed for two more seasons, Edwards will follow Juan Thornhill out of Missouri.

Kansas City turned to Edwards following Thornhill’s Cleveland defection, and Cook’s December injury made the move more important. Pro Football Focus did not grade Edwards well last season, slotting him 82nd among safeties, but he gave the Chiefs full-time work after Cook’s setback turned into a season-ender. The former third-round pick made seven tackles and broke up a pass against the 49ers last month.

For his career, Edwards has made 28 starts and snagged nine interceptions. That counts his pick of Tua Tagovailoa in the playoffs and his two-pick-six game against the Falcons in 2021. The Bills still have Damar Hamlin under contract for one more season, but the team did not use the recovered defender much on defense — undoubtedly leading to Joe Flacco‘s Comeback Player of the Year win — last season. This signing points to Edwards and Rapp becoming a lower-cost safety tandem following the standout run Hyde and Poyer put together. Though, an early- or mid-round draft choice would also make sense given what Buffalo lost here.

This will keep Blackmon on the market. A four-year Colts starter, Blackmon likely set a higher price compared to Edwards. Blackmon joins the likes of Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Eddie Jackson as safety starters still available.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/19/24

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Philadelphia Eagles

Bills, Colts Interested In S Mike Edwards; S Julian Blackmon Visits Buffalo

Just ahead of free agency, the Bills disbanded one of the 21st century’s top safety duos by cutting Jordan Poyer. Micah Hyde remains unsigned, but after seven years of the Poyer-Hyde tandem, the Bills have shifted in a different direction.

With both players going into their age-33 season, it is understandable the Bills viewed another year with this successful duo as a bridge too far. The Dolphins have since added Poyer on a lower-cost contract. The Bills are still looking for answers to fill the veterans’ spots. Two options — on what quickly became a crowded safety market — have emerged.

The Bills scheduled meetings with Julian Blackmon and Mike Edwards, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz and the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson. Buffalo looks to have one box checked at the position, re-signing Taylor Rapp, but another starter-caliber solution will be necessary for the four-time reigning AFC East winners.

Colts GM Chris Ballard authorized third contracts for Kenny Moore and Grover Stewart this offseason, re-signing Tyquan Lewis and Taven Bryan as well. One of the few players from PFR’s top 50 free agents still available, Blackmon could still be in the team’s plans. But the former second-round pick is gauging his options on a market that became saturated with experienced safety starters.

In addition to Hyde, the Seahawks and Broncos made Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Justin Simmons available. The Saints cut Marcus Maye, while the Bears released Eddie Jackson. These players’ availability makes Blackmon, Edwards, Hyde and other UFAs’ quest to land notable contracts more difficult.

Blackmon is just 25, however, and should be a starter somewhere next season. Kamren Curl‘s underwhelming Rams contract did reveal a divide between what the Packers gave Xavier McKinney and the lower ceiling for the rest of the market this offseason. No other safety collected more than $7.5MM per year. It is safe to assume Blackmon, despite being a four-year Colts starter who played across the secondary in Gus Bradley‘s scheme, will land midlevel money at best — perhaps on a short-term deal as a way to improve his stock for another free agency run.

Edwards spent last season with the Chiefs, being thrust into a starting role following Bryan Cook‘s season-ending injury in early December. The former Buccaneers safety, who has now started in two Super Bowls, joined the Chiefs on a low-cost deal last year. He intercepted two passes — the second during Kansas City’s playoff run — and recovered two fumbles, returning one 97 yards during Week 18. Edwards, 27, played 97% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVIII.

The Colts also met with Edwards, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. He would seem to profile as a lower-cost solution for Indianapolis, which has been busy retaining defenders this month. Blackmon departing would leave a hole at safety — on a defense already needing more help at outside corner.

Bills Extend CB Taron Johnson

Buffalo has seen a few notable departures this offseason, but Taron Johnson will remain in place for years to come. The veteran corner has agreed to a three-year Bills extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

Schefter adds this agreement is worth $31MM, making Johnson the league’s highest-paid slot corner. That spot has seen a number of key developments recently, with the Colts and Packers respectively re-upping Kenny Moore and Keisean Nixon last week. Johnson will join that pair in securing a raise ahead of the 2024 campaign.

One year remained on the latter’s contract, and he was owed $7.7MM in 2024; $500K of that amount was due today. Johnson’s cap hit was slated to sit at $12.41MM this season, a figure which could be reduced with this through-2027 deal. In any case, the Bills’ secondary will retain a crucial component for the short- and long-term future.

Johnson took on an increasingly large role over his first three seasons in Buffalo. Having established himself as a starter by 2021, the 27-year-old inked a three-year, $24MM extension. He has been durable and productive over the life of that pact, setting himself up for another agreement. Johnson earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023, and he will be counted on to maintain that level of play moving forward. In his career, the former fourth-rounder has amassed four interceptions, seven forced fumbles, 450 tackles and seven sacks.

The $10.3MM AAV of this deal will leave Johnson well short of the overall lead in terms of cornerback compensation. Still, it slightly outpaces Moore’s newest Colts agreement in terms of value and ensures he will remain a staple of Buffalo’s secondary. That unit has seen Tre’Davious White and safety Jordan Poyer released in cost-cutting moves. Corner Dane Jackson has also departed in free agency, so replacing that trio will be a priority for the remainder of free agency and the draft for Buffalo.

The Bills have lost a number of high-profile players recently due in large part to the team’s cap situation entering the new league year. However, others have been retained or signed to new deals to avoid a trip to free agency in 2025. That includes left tackle Dion Dawkins securing a big-money extension last week. Johnson will now join Dawkins as an integral part of Buffalo’s transitioning roster for years to come.

NFL Restructures: Mahomes, Chiefs, Allen, Bills, Broncos, Browns, Martin, Cowboys

Completing a Marquise Brown signing after franchise-tagging L’Jarius Sneed, the Chiefs were able to find room due to once again taking advantage of Patrick Mahomes‘ unique contract. Kansas City created $21.6MM in cap space by restructuring the three-time Super Bowl MVP’s contract, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Chiefs have gone to this well twice before, making the move in 2021 and 2023 to create cap room. The team reworked Mahomes’ deal in September 2023, following the QB market moving well beyond the Missouri-based superstar’s $45MM AAV, by moving guaranteed money around. But the extension still runs through 2031, giving the team room to maneuver here. Even with the Sneed tag on the books — ahead of a potential trade — the Chiefs hold more than $15MM in cap space as of Friday afternoon.

Here is the latest on the restructure front:

  • After the Bills made a few high-profile cuts last week, they restructured their centerpiece player’s deal this week. Buffalo created $16.7MM in cap space by restructuring Josh Allen‘s deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. This merely moved Allen’s 2024 cap charge down to $30.4MM. No void years are on Allen’s $43MM-per-year extension, but monster cap numbers in 2026 and ’27 ($63.9MM, $56.9MM) will need to be addressed. Allen’s deal runs through 2028. The Bills also adjusted Dawson Knox‘s contract to create cap space, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
  • The Broncos may be preparing to take the bigger Russell Wilson dead money hit this year as opposed to in 2025. Though, the final number has not yet emerged. The team has created considerable cap space as of late, releasing Justin Simmons and trading Jerry Jeudy. The Broncos also restructured the contracts of 2023 UFA pickups Zach Allen and Ben Powers, per Yates, creating nearly $20MM in cap room.
  • The Cowboys reorganized Zack Martin‘s deal recently, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer, who indicates the move created roughly $13MM in cap space. To end Martin’s holdout last year, Dallas provided considerable guarantees over the final two years of the All-Pro guard’s six-year deal. That contract now features four void years. If the Cowboys do not extend Martin before the 2025 league year, they would be staring at a $24.5MM dead money blow.
  • Jedrick Wills will check in here, even though he is not on a veteran contract. The Browns restructured their left tackle’s fifth-year option, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The move created more than $10MM in cap space. Cleveland tacked four void years onto Wills’ deal. If the team does not re-sign him before the 2025 league year, it incurs an $11.8MM dead money bill. The Browns also turned to Jerry Jeudy‘s fifth-year option, which the team recently acquired from the Broncos, to create more than $10MM in space, Yates adds. The team likely used the same void years-based structure with the wide receiver’s option.