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Jaguars Sign TE Josiah Deguara

Upon playing out his rookie contract, Josiah Deguara is set to join a new team. The veteran tight end has agreed to a one-year deal with the Jaguars, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The move is now official.

Deguara was limited to two games in his rookie season due to an ACL tear, but he has managed to remain mostly healthy since then. He played in 16, 17 and 15 contests across the past three seasons, occupying a rotational role along the way. The 27-year-old was one of several members of Green Bay’s youth movement in recent seasons at the pass-catching spots, but he did not establish himself as a starter.

Deguara’s best campaign came in 2021, when he recorded 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 25 receptions. He made just 21 scoreless catches in the two subsequent years, though, seeing a decreasing offensive role during that time. The former third-rounder was primarily used on special teams in 2022 and ’23 while the Packers turned to Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft at the tight end spot last year.

That pair will remain in place for Green Bay for years to come, so Deguara’s departure comes as little surprise. The latter will aim to carve out a depth role in Jacksonville, a team which already has Evan Engram in place as its primary pass-catching tight end. Engram had a successful one-year audition period with the Jaguars, and he parlayed that into the franchise tag and, ultimately, a three-year, $41.25MM extension last offseason.

Deguara could contribute as a blocker to complement Engram with the Jaguars. The Cincinnati alum will also be able to provide special teams play, particularly if he is unable to generate significant usage in the passing game. A successful run in Duval County could help his free agent stock ahead of the 2025 offseason.

Panthers Sign OLB Jadeveon Clowney

After five seasons on one-year agreements, Jadeveon Clowney will land a deal that covers more than one season. The Panthers will provide it, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Carolina is giving Clowney a two-year deal worth $20MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The contract can max out at $24MM. The Panthers have announced the signing, one that will send Clowney back to the region where he grew up. The Rock Hill, South Carolina, native — who became a No. 1 overall pick after a standout career with the Gamecocks — will be tasked with helping a Panthers team that is starting over at edge rusher.

The Jets and Ravens were in on Clowney as well, but the Panthers may well have edged the AFC squads out with a better offer. Clowney will collect a far better deal compared to his 2023 Ravens pact — a one-year, $2.5MM agreement that came to pass during training camp — and has scored his first multiyear agreement since his Texans rookie contract back in 2014.

Panthers GM Dan Morgan said this week the Panthers had not given up on Clowney, despite a report of aggressive Jets interest. The 31-year-old edge defender will join D.J. Wonnum and K’Lavon Chaisson as Carolina free agency pickups in the wake of the Brian Burns trade. While none of these players is a Burns-level pass rusher, Clowney is coming off a 9.5-sack season — more than Burns totaled in 2023 — and has been productive for multiple teams.

Although Clowney is not a lock to play for the Panthers beyond 2024, this agreement will end his string of one-year accords that stretches back to his 2019 franchise tag season. The Texans tagged Clowney but traded him to the Seahawks, with the trade terms preventing Seattle from tagging the former South Carolina phenom a second time. That did not turn out to be an issue, as Clowney has never checked in as a high-level pass rusher. He then signed a one-year deal with the Titans, two one-year pacts with the Browns and landed with the Ravens on a low-cost accord just before last season.

Not exactly a consistent pass rusher, Clowney has offered plus run defense at points and has been a player capable of providing pressure inside. In addition to coming off a career-high sack total, Clowney posted 19 QB hits and forced two fumbles to help the Ravens lead the NFL in scoring defense. The Ravens were interested in keeping the 6-foot-5 defender, with Clowney’s wife (via CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson) confirming he had spoken with the AFC North team about another deal. Baltimore was probably not as interested at that price. Baltimore is still interested in re-signing Kyle Van Noy, who nearly matched Clowney by reaching nine sacks despite joining the team in late September.

Clowney has battled injuries, with knee trouble a particular issue in Houston. He missed eight games for the Titans, completing a sackless season, and clashed with Browns coaches during his second Cleveland season — a two-sack campaign. Opposite Myles Garrett in 2021, however, Clowney reached nine sacks. Despite Clowney’s low sack total in 2022, Pro Football Focus graded him 27th among edge rushers — ahead of an 18th-place assessment last season. PFF ranked Clowney as a top-20 run defender in 2023 as well. While Clowney’s three Pro Bowl nods all came during his Texans tenure, he has remained a productive performer into his early 30s.

Two of the three edges that trekked to Charlotte on a visit early in free agency have signed. Chase Young did not, opting for a Saints deal amid neck concerns, but Clowney and Wonnum will be key parts of Ejiro Evero‘s defense in 2024. Burns anchored Carolina’s edge rush for five seasons, with Yetur Gross-Matos — who landed a 49ers deal early in free agency — providing inconsistent supplemental work. Hybrid pass rusher Frankie Luvu also left, joining the Commanders.

The Panthers probably are not done staffing their edge positions, with a draft choice seemingly prudent considering the free agency-heavy makeup at the position. But Clowney gives the team a versatile piece to deploy as it attempts to recover from last season’s 2-15 debacle.

Chiefs Sign Rugby Star Louis Rees-Zammit

The Chiefs are getting creative as they seek some additional offensive firepower. The team is set to sign rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

The 23-year-old worked out for the Chiefs earlier this week and impressed the staff. According to Schultz, Rees-Zammit attracted interest from around the NFL, as the rugby wing also visited with the Jets, Browns, and Broncos. Rees-Zammit previously announced that he’d be leaving Gloucester Rugby with the hopes of catching on with the NFL International Player Pathway Program.

In Kansas City, Rees-Zammit will be utilized in a running back/wide receiver hybrid role. The six-foot-three athlete will also be utilized in the return game, with Schultz noting that the NFL’s recent kickoff rule changes could make Rees-Zammit a “significant” addition. Per the new rule, only the kicker and returner can move before the ball hits the ground, a change that the NFL is hoping will reduce high-speed collisions.

Rees-Zammit posted a 4.43-second 40-yard dash time during his pro day last week. He also recorded a 9’7″ broad jump and 29″ vertical jump, per Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report. The rookie certainly possesses the physical attributes to contribute in both the receiving and running game, and he could earn a roster spot on an uncertain Kansas City depth chart.

The Chiefs brought in Marquise Brown to partly solve their WR woes, adding him to a grouping that already includes holdovers like Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, and Kadarius Toney. Rees-Zammit might have an easier path to playing time at the RB position, where the team still hasn’t re-signed Jerick McKinnon. That opens up a third-down role behind Isiah Pacheco, where Rees-Zammit could compete with the likes of La’Mical Perine, Deneric Prince, and Keaontay Ingram.

Panthers To Re-Sign S Sam Franklin

While another Panthers move will steal the headlines, the team also managed to retain one of their special teams aces today. According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the Panthers are re-signing safety/core special teamer Sam Franklin. It’s a one-year deal for the veteran.

[RELATED: Panthers Sign OLB Jadeveon Clowney]

Franklin has spent his entire career in Carolina, joining the organization as an undrafted free agent out of Temple in 2020. He’s had an inconsistent defensive role through his first four seasons in the league, starting only nine of his 64 appearances. However, he’s managed to make an impact on special teams, averaging more than 270 ST snaps during that four-year span.

The 28-year-old actually got into a career-high 289 defensive snaps in 2023, finishing the season with a career-high 30 tackles. He also snagged his first career interception, returning it 99 yards for a touchdown.

While Franklin will continue to see a significant special teams role in 2024, he may not have the same opportunity on defense. The safety’s snaps last season mostly came when Xavier Woods and Vonn Bell were out of the lineup. While Bell is gone, the team has brought in Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott via free agency, pushing Franklin back towards the bottom of the depth chart.

Texans To Re-Sign LB Neville Hewitt

Neville Hewitt is returning to Houston. The linebacker/special teams ace is re-signing with the Texans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’ll be a one-year deal for the veteran.

After bouncing around the AFC East to begin his career (including a three-year stint with the Jets where he started 32 games), Hewitt landed with the Texans in 2021. He started five of his 17 appearances during his first season in Houston, finishing with 60 tackles.

His defensive role was greatly reduced in 2022, but he turned into one of the team’s most reliable special teams player. It was the same story in 2023, as Hewitt’s 13 special teams tackles (of 14 total) paced the entire league. The 30-year-old finished this past season having appeared in a career-high 366 special teams tackles, although he was limited to a career-low three snaps on defense.

“Kind of a tone setter,” Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross said last season (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston). “I think three special teamers ran the fastest in that game. Our two gunners ran 20.7 and 20.8 mph I believe and then Neville Hewitt ran 20.1. That dude was humming and you ever seen Neville Hewitt? … You don’t want to get in front of him if he’s running 20 miles per hour, so he is a juggernaut when he gets going.”

Now on his fourth contract with the organization, Hewitt will likely be eyeing a similar ST-centric role in 2024.

Lions Re-Sign QB Nate Sudfeld

While Teddy Bridgewater‘s early retirement will create an opening for Hendon Hooker behind Jared Goff, the Lions are still taking care of the other quarterback on last year’s team.

Nate Sudfeld re-signed with the team Wednesday. The Lions are bringing Sudfeld back months after he suffered a torn ACL during the preseason. Should Sudfeld stick with the Lions — via the 53-man roster or practice squad — this will be his ninth NFL season.

Sudfeld, 30, has been with the Lions since they signed him shortly after roster-cutdown day in 2022. The team brought him back — on a one-year, $1.6MM deal — in 2023 but added Bridgewater as Goff’s top backup weeks before the former’s knee injury. Goff, Hooker and Sudfeld now comprise the QB contingent on the Lions’ roster.

Still perhaps most famous for being inserted into the Eagles’ 2020 regular-season finale — as Doug Pederson benched a healthy Jalen Hurts late in a game that gave Washington the NFC East title — Sudfeld has become a steady reserve option around the NFL. Sudfeld backed up Nick Foles during the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII run, as Carson Wentz had gone down with an ACL tear.

Sudfeld’s failure to beat out Brock Purdy for the 49ers’ third-string job in 2022 has also aged quite well. The Indiana alum has appeared in two Lions games but has not thrown a regular-season pass since that 2020 finale.

The Lions moved Hooker onto their active roster as a third-stringer late last season, a move that prevented the third-round pick’s contract from tolling. Hooker’s deal still runs through 2026, but with Bridgewater leaving the game at 31, the Tennessee alum is slated to move up the depth chart behind Goff. Barring something unexpected, Sudfeld would have a ceiling as a third-stringer for the 2024 Lions. He could be in line to dress as Detroit’s emergency backup. A Tuesday rule change will allow teams unlimited elevations for P-squad QBs for the purpose of dressing a third as the emergency option.

Broncos To Sign WR Josh Reynolds

After trotting out mostly the same wide receiver group for the past four seasons, the Broncos moved on from Jerry Jeudy to signal a shift under Sean Payton. They are now adding a key piece to Payton’s second Denver roster.

Josh Reynolds is signing with the Broncos, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who indicates the ex-Lions and Rams wideout agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $14MM. The Ravens were also pursuing Reynolds, hosting him on a visit last week, but he will join Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Marvin Mims in Denver.

[RELATED: Broncos Keeping Tim Patrick After Pay Cut]

The former Rams fourth-rounder transitioned from midseason waiver claim — on a Lions team in need of receiving help during Dan Campbell‘s first season — to regular starter. As Detroit made its climb to the NFC North championship and the Super Bowl LVIII precipice, Reynolds operated as a key Amon-Ra St. Brown sidekick — even as Jameson Williams‘ role expanded. Reynolds finished last season with 40 catches for 608 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The Lions did make an attempt to re-sign Reynolds, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Reynolds, 29, playing for Campbell could make a transition to Payton easier when considering the popular Lions HC spent five years as a Saints assistant. This will, however, mark a transition from Jared Goff, Reynolds’ QB for most of his career. The Rams let Reynolds walk after his rookie deal expired, moving on despite the 6-foot-3 target’s career-high 618 receiving yards in 2020. Los Angeles was carrying then-recent extensions for Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods at that point, and Reynolds signed with the Titans. That fit did not take, with the Lions claiming the Texas A&M alum following a November cut.

The Lions used Reynolds as a key St. Brown complement for two-plus seasons, as an injury and a gambling suspension sidetracked Williams’ NFL start. Even with Williams back in action following his six-game 2023 ban, Reynolds maintained a regular role. That said, he did not eclipse 45 receiving yards after Williams returned to action. While operating mostly as a decoy, Reynolds did resurface with an 80-yard showing in the Lions’ wild-card win over the Rams. Reynolds also caught a touchdown pass in the Lions’ second-round win over the Buccaneers, but he dropped a crucial fourth-down pass against the 49ers in the NFC title game.

While the Reynolds contract’s base value is not yet known, this deal qualifies as more than a flier. It stands to crowd Denver’s receiver group, though Reynolds also represents insurance in case Patrick — he of ACL and Achilles tears in consecutive training camps — is unable to recapture his pre-Russell Wilson-era form. Denver keeping Sutton on the roster as of March 18 guaranteed the seventh-year veteran $2MM of his $13MM 2024 base. That would point to Denver’s 2023 receiving leader sticking around, but the Broncos dangled the former second-round pick in trades last year — nearly sending him to Baltimore — before turning to him as Wilson’s top target. Jeudy recently signed a Browns extension, after being dealt for fifth- and sixth-round picks.

It is not known who exactly will be targeting the Broncos’ receivers in 2024, but the team has its group nearly rounded out a month ahead of the draft.

Rams’ Aaron Donald Announces Retirement

MARCH 27: Details of a Donald restructure surfaced shortly before the all-time great’s retirement announcement. Information about how much dead money the Rams will eat has since emerged.

Due to void years proration, the Rams will eat approximately $24MM in dead money this year and $9MM in 2025, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. The Rams did not exercise Donald’s 2024 option bonus, but the void years utilized — as was the case on the Buccaneers’ payroll when Tom Brady retired — will create considerable dead money.

MARCH 15: Aaron Donald threatened retirement two years ago, leading to a monster contract. The superstar defender played two seasons on that deal. Despite the second of those producing yet another first-team All-Pro honor, the all-time great announced Friday he will walk away from the game.

The Rams icon confirmed he is retiring after 10 seasons. This bombshell announcement will certainly wound the Rams’ defense, as Donald is among the greatest defenders in NFL history. The 10-year veteran will step away from football at just 32.

While this comes as a surprise, Donald has accomplished just about everything he could in the NFL. The 2014 first-round pick stampeded to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, matched Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt as the only three-time Defensive Player of the Year honorees and led the way in the Rams winning Super Bowl LVI. Donald’s 2023 rebound from a high ankle sprain produced his eighth first-team All-Pro honor, tying Reggie White and Bruce Smith for the most by a D-lineman in NFL history.

A year after his retirement threat produced a three-year, $95MM raise — an unprecedented move considering three years remained on the extension Donald signed in 2018 — the Pittsburgh alum said he was not considering retirement in 2023. But Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager notes this announcement does not come as a shock to the Rams’ coaches and front office staff. One season remained on Donald’s contract, which he restructured recently.

It is certainly arguable Donald is the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history. Offensive linemen did not enjoy the freedom they do now when tasked with blocking the likes of Joe Greene, Merlin Olsen and Alan Page, though those All-Century-teamers are firmly in the conversation. And rule changes have given offenses advantages they did not have in past eras. Donald reached unrivaled heights in a 10-year career; as injuries slowed Watt’s historic surge, Donald had no peer among modern D-linemen.

The great players in our league elevate the people around them and Aaron has modeled the way for our team as long as I’ve been with the Rams,” head coach Sean McVay said. “He’s an elite competitor, someone who leads by example in a way that’s authentic to him, and an exceptional teammate who inspires everyone around him to be the best version of themselves.”

The lightning-quick DT will retire with 111 career sacks and 176 tackles for loss. The 2014 first-rounder only sustained one notable injury as a pro — the 2022 ankle ailment; otherwise, his dominance lasted uninterrupted for a decade. Donald collected Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017, 2018 and 2020, being the best player on two Rams Super Bowl teams and leading the way in preserving the franchise’s first Los Angeles-based title since 1951. Donald sacked Joe Burrow twice in Super Bowl LVI, and his fourth-down pressure cemented the team’s first Super Bowl win in 22 years.

Standing just 6-foot-1, Donald lasted until the No. 13 pick in 2014. The Les Snead-Jeff Fisher regime nabbed him there during the Rams’ penultimate year in St. Louis. Donald did not begin his career as a starter, but it became quickly apparent what kind of player the team had acquired. Donald moved into the St. Louis starting lineup in Week 5, never looking back.

Prior to 2022, Donald’s only previous absences came due to a 2017 holdout. Seeking an extension before his fourth season, the Pittsburgh native skipped training camp and sat out Week 1. Donald did report without an extension, with the Rams waiving his fines (when that was allowed under the 2011 CBA), but scored a record-setting payday a year later. Soon after the Bears extended Khalil Mack, the Rams gave Donald a six-year, $135MM extension with $50MM guaranteed at signing. Donald remained the top D-line earner throughout that contract, but after edge rushers began to surpass his deal by a notable margin, the 2022 retirement threat emerged.

Donald retirement noise stopped via the Rams contract agreement that June, but he had gone so far as to send the team a retirement letter that offseason. Before Donald’s 2022 contract came to pass, Rams brass had discussed how they would celebrate the unrivaled DT if he did step away. Those conversations will need to be revisited, as few players will have ever required a shorter Hall of Fame argument when that time comes. Donald will join Jason Kelce as Canton-bound players to retire this year. Donald made $171MM over his career.

Coming back from the ankle malady, Donald played in 17 games and notched eight sacks and 23 QB hits. Illustrating what the Rams are losing, ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric slotted Donald first among D-tackles; Pro Football Focus graded him as the second-best interior D-lineman. While Chris Jones has produced better pass-rushing numbers over the past two years, the Chiefs standout — who used Donald’s framework to craft a contract bringing a staggering $95.3MM in practical guarantees — his two first-team All-Pros are six off Donald’s pace. Donald ripped off seven straight such honors from 2015-21, peaking with a 20.5-sack season in 2018. The Rams booked a Super Bowl LIII berth that year.

In 2022, the Rams also rewarded Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp with extensions. Their 2023 offseason brought skepticism about playoff chances, with the exits of several Super Bowl LVI starters — including Jalen Ramsey and Leonard Floyd — leaving Donald to join a host of unproven defenders. Multiple rookies stepped up, but Donald’s presence has aided numerous players — including Floyd and Von Miller during their stopovers — over the course of his career. As DC Chris Shula takes over, Los Angeles will have a tall order filling its defensive centerpiece’s shoes.

CB Tre’Davious White To Sign With Rams

The Rams continue to build a new look secondary, stacking serious talent at cornerback. After reuniting with Darious Williams two weeks ago, Los Angeles will set him up with an All-Pro on the other side of the field. Former Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White has announced his intentions to sign with the Rams. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, White will join the team on a one-year, $8.5MM deal with a maximum value of $10MM.

White was designated as a post-June 1 release, becoming a cap casualty shortly before the start of free agency. Buffalo will recover $10.2MM of cap space come June 2. Once it’s official, White will become a Ram, playing for a team other than the Bills for the first time in his NFL career.

A 2017 first-round pick out of LSU, White has enjoyed a seven-year career in Buffalo since getting drafted. In his first four years, White was the picture of elite cornerback play. Through four seasons, White tallied 54 passes defensed and 15 interceptions, as well as four forced fumbles and fumble recoveries apiece. For his efforts, White finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, made two Pro Bowls, and was voted to both first- and second-team All-Pro honors.

In 2021, he suffered a torn ACL after 11 games, cutting his season short. A three-sport athlete since middle school, White’s mental health suffered as a result of his forced inactivity during recovery. Slow-playing his recovery meant spending the first seven weeks of 2022 on injured reserve and missing three more games before finally making his return. Things went from bad to worse four games into 2023, when White suffered a torn Achilles tendon, another season-ending ailment.

Before signing, White made the rounds in his first bout with free agency. White spent time visiting the Rams, Raiders, Giants, and Titans. As much as these visits were for White to determine where he wanted to go, they also served as an opportunity for team doctors to feel out how White’s recovery was progressing. A big plus for both White and Los Angeles is that the Rams currently employ Dr. Neal ElAttrache as their team doctor. ElAttrache is the surgeon who repaired White’s Achilles tendon, and he and White have spent time together since with rehab, according to Schefter.

In Los Angeles, White should be allowed to return at his own pace. Derion Kendrick returns after starting 12 games last season, as does Cobie Durant who started nine games while manning the nickelback role in 2023. Although top cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon‘s contract expired, the addition of Williams more than makes up for his absence.

As White works to return to the field with the doctor that fixed his injury, the Rams should be able to field Williams, Kendrick, and Durant in the secondary. The value of White’s new contract, though, seems to imply that Los Angeles doesn’t anticipate being without White for long.

Steelers To Sign Cordarrelle Patterson

Cordarrelle Patterson has been a dominant return specialist during the period in which that job decreased in importance. As the NFL prepares to revive this play, the Steelers are bringing in a perennial All-Pro.

Pittsburgh is signing Patterson to a two-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will reunite the versatile performer with Arthur Smith, who was at the controls when Patterson shifted to running back in Atlanta.

[RELATED: Owners Approve Kickoff Change]

The NFL moved its kickoff line from the 30-yard line back to the 35 — its location until 1994 — in 2011. This did not stop Patterson from impacting games in the years that followed. The 2013 first-round pick was never able to catch on as a wide receiver, but he has been this NFL period’s premier kick returner and one of the greatest in NFL history. Not dabbling much in the punt-return game, Patterson has racked up four first-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner. He has the most kick-return touchdowns (nine) in NFL history.

While Patterson’s return accomplishments are well known, he made a decent impact at a new position under Smith in Atlanta. The Falcons moved the former wide receiver to running back in 2021, making him their starter despite being at an age when running backs struggle to gain employment. Patterson became a running back at 30 and functioned as a regular for the Falcons at that post in 2021 and ’22.

The ex-Vikings top pick racked up 1,166 scrimmage yards in 2021, helping a team that had traded Julio Jones and saw Calvin Ridley leave early in the season due to mental health reasons. Despite Patterson being north of 30 at the time, the Falcons then gave him a two-year, $10.5MM deal. The 2022 arrival of Tyler Allgeier minimized Patterson’s backfield role, but he still gained a career-high 695 rushing yards despite missing four games that season. The Falcons ranked third in rushing that year. However, Bijan Robinson‘s 2023 arrival slowed the Patterson-at-RB experiment; he logged 50 carries last season.

Patterson, who turned 33 earlier this month, does not appear to have a clear path to a running back role in Pittsburgh. The team has Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on rookie contracts. That said, Smith coached the veteran playmaker for three seasons; gadget plays could certainly be in the offing. Though, the Steelers will obviously be set to put Patterson to work on special teams.

Overall, the Tennessee alum has six All-Pro honors (two second-team nods) on his resume. Earning first-team acclaim in 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2020, Patterson has returned a kickoff for a score in seven separate seasons. Only one such jaunt came in Atlanta — as the others occurred while Patterson was with the Vikings, Patriots and Bears — but that 2022 TD broke Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington‘s NFL record. The extended production earned the 220-pound talent an All-Decade honor. He will soon get to work for a fifth NFL team.