Patriots Release OL Conor McDermott
Despite changing coaches for the first time in 24 years, the Patriots have made retention a key component of their offseason. This continued Monday, with the now-Eliot Wolf-run team extending defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
But the team will bid farewell to one of its recent offensive linemen, releasing Conor McDermott on Monday. McDermott, 31, started 11 games for the Patriots over the past two seasons. Barring another reunion, this wraps McDermott’s second stint with the team that drafted him in the 2017 sixth round.
The Pats began their McDermott partnership via waiver claim midway through the 2022 season. Despite McDermott not being one of the Jets’ initial solutions at tackle, the Pats — as they lost Isaiah Wynn to injury — plugged him in for six starts that year. Although he spent time on New England’s practice squad last season, the UCLA alum started five games in 2023.
A Dolphins signing away from completing the AFC East cycle, McDermott spent the 2017 and ’18 seasons in Buffalo after being cut by New England. The Jets used McDermott as a backup tackle from 2019 until his return to the Pats in 2022. He played 589 snaps for the Patriots over the past two seasons, working at left tackle last season and right tackle in 2022.
Of the Pats’ Wolf- and Jerod Mayo-overseen re-signings, Michael Onwenu profiles as the most expensive. The tackle/guard is back on a three-year, $57MM deal; the plan is for Onwenu to stay at right tackle. The team signed Chukwuma Okorafor and is set to give the veteran Steelers RT a chance to start at LT; third-round pick Caedan Wallace should have a shot there as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/29/24
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: LS Matt Hembrough
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: T Roy Mbaeteka
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: S Tyreque Jones
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DT Noah Elliss, WR Griffin Hebert, CB Tiawan Mullen, OL Lecitus Smith
The Eagles gave reserve/futures contracts to each of these players in January. Of this lot, only Smith — a 2022 Cardinals sixth-round pick — has played in a game. The young blocker started two games with Arizona as a rookie.
Mbaeteka will receive a second crack at developing with an NFL team through the league’s International Pathway Program. A Nigerian who did not play in high school or college, Mbaeteka spent last year on the Bears’ practice squad. Chicago cut the aspiring offensive lineman in March. Mbaeteka will not count against the Browns’ 90-man roster limit.
Vikings Sign 17 UDFAs
With the draft in the rearview mirror, teams are bringing in undrafted free agents. The Vikings added 17 players to their offseason roster via the UDFA route; here is Minnesota’s class:
- Matt Cindric, OL (Cal)
- K.J. Cloyd, LB (Miami)
- Jeremy Flax, OL (Kentucky)
- Dallas Gant, LB (Toledo)
- Devron Harper, WR (Mercer)
- Ty James, WR (Mercer)
- Jeshaun Jones, WR (Maryland)
- Trey Knox, TE (South Carolina)
- Tyler Manoa, DL (Arizona)
- Donovan Manuel, LB (Florida International)
- Dwight McGlothern, CB (Arkansas)
- Gabriel Murphy, EDGE (UCLA)
- Doug Nester, OL (West Virginia)
- Owen Porter, EDGE (Marshall)
- Bo Richter, EDGE (Air Force)
- Spencer Rolland, OL (North Carolina)
- Taki Taimani, DL (Oregon)
Not exactly a hotbed for NFL talent, Mercer will send two wide receivers to the same team. These two pass catchers are the second and third Mercer products to land an NFL opportunity in the past decade. James is the Division I-FCS program’s all-time receiving leader; he earned first-team All-American honors in 2023. The former Georgia recruit surpassed 1,100 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, adding 20 receiving TDs. Operating as an all-purpose player, Harper combined for four return scores for the Bears. Harper set a school record with 78 grabs alongside James last season.
ESPN’s Scouts Inc. ranked Knox as this draft class’ No. 205 overall prospect; he is heading to Minneapolis after five college seasons (the recent norm for UDFAs due to the COVID-19 waiver). After four seasons at Arkansas, Knox transferred to South Carolina. He caught 37 passes for 312 yards and two TDs last season. Murphy was part of UCLA’s Laiatu Latu-led edge-rushing contingent. After a 7.5-sack 2021 season, he registered eight — along with 16 tackles for loss — last year. Murphy will attempt to make a Vikings team that is revamping on the edge, bringing in Jonathan Greenard and first-rounder Dallas Turner after losing Danielle Hunter, D.J. Wonnum and Marcus Davenport.
Gant is a former four-star recruit who transferred from Ohio State, earning first-team All-MAC honors after heading north to Toledo. Rolland — a Harvard transfer — started as one of Drake Maye‘s pass protectors for the past two seasons, while Cindric started 17 games at center and 17 more at guard at Cal.
Raiders To Sign WR Michael Gallup
The Raiders will give Michael Gallup a second chance. After the Cowboys cut the veteran wide receiver earlier this year, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports the former 1,000-yard performer has a deal in place with the Raiders.
Gallup is heading to Las Vegas on a one-year deal worth up to $3MM. This certainly represents a steep drop from Gallup’s five-year Cowboys agreement, but the former third-round pick is coming off three straight underwhelming seasons. The Cowboys had given Gallup permission to seek a trade, but the team cut him — as a post-June 1 release — before a $4MM salary guarantee was due.
Las Vegas did not draft a wide receiver, and new GM Tom Telesco signed off on cutting Hunter Renfrow last month. Gallup, 28, will join Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers as veteran Raider wide receivers. This profiles as a bounce-back opportunity for Gallup, who has not displayed the form he once showed before a December 2021 ACL tear.
Although Gallup’s ACL tear did not occur until late in the ’21 season, he battled a calf injury earlier that year. Gallup has not surpassed 500 receiving yards since the 2020 season, going 445-424-418 over the past three years. The Cowboys then bailed on his five-year, $57.5MM deal. Dallas had opted for a cheaper Gallup contract alongside CeeDee Lamb, trading ex-Raider Amari Cooper to the Browns. That move created a void for the Cowboys, who spent 2022 searching for more receiving help. The team has 2023 trade pickup Brandin Cooks installed in that role for the time being.
In Gallup’s last full season before the tear, he totaled 59 receptions for 843 yards and five touchdowns. He bettered that work in 2019, teaming with Cooper — before Lamb’s arrival — in an 1,100-1,100 tandem. Gallup produced 1,107 yards on 66 catches, delivering a career-high six touchdown grabs in his second season. The 6-foot-1 target is now running out of time to return to these heights, and the Raiders’ receiving corps does not point to this deal providing the opportunities necessary to get there.
A regular in trade rumors over the past several months, Adams remains with the team. Telesco confirmed the 31-year-old star was not available at the Combine, and a report earlier this month indicated Mark Davis wants to pair the All-Pro with the team’s next long-term QB. With the Raiders left without a chair during a six-QB first round last week, it is unclear if Adams will be around by the time the Raiders do add that passer. But he remains in place with Gardner Minshew. Despite Meyers having close ties to the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regime, he remains on a three-year, $33MM deal — one that includes a fully guaranteed base salary in 2024.
Gallup has a path to becoming a third option, as the team is a bit light on depth at this position. Though, the Raiders have slot presence Tre Tucker — another acquisition from the brief McDaniels-Ziegler period — on the roster as well. The team hosted ex-Telesco Chargers wideout Jalen Guyton earlier today. Gallup met with the Ravens and Panthers this offseason but will end up working with OC Luke Getsy in Vegas.
Saints To Sign G Shane Lemieux, OL Justin Herron
Facing some uncertainty on the offensive line, the Saints reinvested — via their second first-round tackle pick in three years — over the weekend and are continuing to add to the group. They are bringing in two veteran pieces Monday.
Shane Lemieux and Justin Herron are signing with the team, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Lemieux came to town on a visit today, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates. Lemieux played out his rookie contract with the Giants last season, while Herron split his with the Patriots and Raiders.
The Saints added Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga at No. 14 overall but did not draft any more O-linemen over the weekend. Lemieux and Herron will now represent potential depth pieces for an offensive front that is going into OTAs with significant questions. Trevor Penning, a 2022 first-rounder, has not panned out. Three-year starter James Hurst, who filled in at both guard and left tackle, retired just before the draft. All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is not certain to play this season, putting his career at a crossroads.
Injuries on their rookie deals left Lemieux and Herron at crossroad points early in their careers — Lemieux more so than Herron. The Giants used Lemieux as a regular guard starter in 2020, but a severe foot injury sidelined him for almost all of the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Lemieux returned in 2022 but played in only one game. This represents an interesting flier by the Saints, as Lemieux has only suited up for five contests since that 2021 foot injury. A biceps injury in practice last October ended Lemieux’s contract year on a familiar note.
Chosen a round after Lemieux in 2020, Herron — a sixth-round selection by the Patriots — started 10 games for New England from 2020-21. Herron saw most of his work at left tackle, filling in for Isaiah Wynn, in 2020 before splitting time between left and right tackle the following year. Traded to the Raiders in a pick-swap deal in September 2022, Herron played in only seven games (one start) with Las Vegas. He suffered a torn ACL in October 2023.
While Herron and Lemieux could represent swing options for the Saints up front, both qualify as reclamation projects. The team has not re-signed longtime starter Andrus Peat and has added Vikings spot starter Oli Udoh. Penning could continue as an overdrafted swing tackle — though, the Saints may well need the Northern Iowa alum to start, given Ramczyk’s status — while the Saints also traded up for O-lineman Nick Saldiveri in last year’s fourth round.
Falcons To Exercise TE Kyle Pitts’ Fifth-Year Option
While Kyle Pitts has not delivered the consistency the Falcons hoped for when they selected him fourth overall, the team has the young tight end talent now paired with a high-priced free agent quarterback (and a No. 8 overall pick at the position). They are extending Pitts’ contract through 2025 as well.
The team is picking up Pitts’ fifth-year option, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates. This will lock in the 2021 draftee to a $10.88MM salary in 2025; that number is fully guaranteed. As Pitts prepares to develop with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. throwing him passes, the Falcons are fine locking him down for a fifth season.
Pitts’ season with Matt Ryan targeting him produced a 1,026-yard showing and ended with the Florida alum receiving an original-ballot Pro Bowl invite; that qualifies the 23-year-old weapon for the second tier on the option hierarchy. This will give Pitts a nice 2025 guarantee. The 6-foot-6 tight end remains attached to a $1.1MM base salary this season, but the option will barely increase his cap number from 2024-25. Pitts checks in at $10.47MM on Atlanta’s 2024 cap sheet.
The last time Pitts paired with a proven passer, he became just the second tight end in NFL history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie. This had not happened since the Bears unleashed Mike Ditka (1,076 yards) in 1961. It is certainly within reason, despite less impressive statistical showings over the next two years, to believe Pitts remains capable of top-flight production. Even saddled with Desmond Ridder for most of last season, Pitts caught 53 passes for 667 yards.
Terry Fontenot‘s first draft choice has not proven a strong red zone threat yet, totaling just one touchdown during his impact rookie season and six over the course of his career. The Falcons teamed Pitts with ex-Arthur Smith pupil Jonnu Smith last season; each tight end scored three touchdowns. The Falcons cut Smith this offseason. As the Falcons transition to Zac Robinson‘s Sean McVay-derived offense, Pitts will be expected to play a lead role. The Cousins acquisition, while now hotly debated thanks to the Penix pick, still presents a great opportunity for Pitts and Drake London.
Pitts is also more than a year removed from the grade 2 MCL tear he suffered midway through the 2022 season. This injury affected Pitts last season as well, as it was confirmed the top Falcons tight end was not yet fully recovered. Nearly 18 months after that injury, it should be expected Pitts will be ready to go once Cousins is cleared.
Even after Sam LaPorta‘s 889-yard showing last year, no 21st-century rookie tight end has come within 100 yards of Pitts’ 2021 performance. It makes sense for the Falcons to keep betting on Pitts’ upside, as the TE option numbers are not particularly costly. It will be interesting to see how Pitts fares alongside Cousins, as the Falcons will be monitoring — as Pitts is now extension-eligible — as they plan for a future in which Penix takes over for Cousins at some point. The team will be hoping Penix-Pitts becomes a connection down the line.
Cowboys To Sign LB Damien Wilson
The Cowboys have already put together one reunion today, but the team is not done on that front. Linebacker Damien Wilson is set to head back to Dallas, the starting point of his NFL career. 
[RELATED: Cowboys Moving Markquese Bell Back To Safety]
Wilson has agreed to terms with the Cowboys, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports. He will be in place on a one-year pact qualifying for the veteran salary benefit ($168K), Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News adds. The former Dallas fourth-rounder joined the team late in the regular season last year, though he did not see any game action. With the 2024 draft having come and gone, he will now try and carve out a roster spot on a Cowboys team which has made a few moves at the linebacker spot so far.
Dallas has drawn considerable criticism with respect to free agent additions this offseason, but one of the team’s few transactions has been a one-year deal with Eric Kendricks. The former Vikings and Chargers starter will be able to provide first-team snaps for the Cowboys and in doing so help offset the loss of Leighton Vander Esch. The latter was forced to retire this offseason as a result of his neck surgery.
The Cowboys have Damone Clark and Buddy Johnson in place as returnees at the linebacker spot. 2023 third-rounder DeMarvion Overshown missed his entire rookie campaign, but he faces high expectations entering the coming season. Dallas added further depth by selecting Notre Dame product Marist Liufau in the third round of this year’s draft.
Wilson, 30, began the 2023 season by serving a four-game suspension stemming from a personal conduct violation. He last played in 2022 with the Panthers, but his most productive campaign came one year earlier with the Jaguars. The Minnesota product racked up 106 tackles in 2021 while serving as a full-time starter (something which was also generally the case during his time with Chiefs). Wilson was a rotational defender in Dallas while playing out his rookie contract, and that will likely be the case again in 2024 if he makes the team’s opening roster.
Vikings Pick Up LT Christian Darrisaw’s Fifth-Year Option
To no surprise, Christian Darrisaw will remain in place with the Vikings for at least the next two years. The standout left tackle had his 2025 fifth-year option picked up on Monday, per a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Darrisaw has started all but two of his games with Minnesota to date, serving as the team’s blindside protector. The 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft does not have a Pro Bowl invite to his name, but his snap shares easily qualify him for the second-highest tier in terms of option values. As a result, he will earn $16.04MM in 2025.
A multi-year extension is no doubt one of the Vikings’ top priorities in Darrisaw’s case, though, and a long-term commitment will be much more expensive. The top of the left tackle market reached $25MM per season when Laremy Tunsil worked out his latest Texans agreement. Penei Sewell recently signed the league’s most lucrative deal at any O-line spot with his Lions extension ($28MM per year). Darrisaw could command a deal near the top of the pecking order on a second contract.
The latter received a PFF grade of 71.9 as a rookie, but his second season in the league produced a notable step forward in performance. Darrisaw saw his overall grade jump to 90.4 in 2022, the second-highest mark in the league amongst tackles. This past season, he graded out in seventh at the position. Darrisaw was charged with six sacks allowed and seven penalties by PFF, but continued development through the coming years would make a long-term investment a sound one on the part of the Vikings.
Minnesota already has right tackle Brian O’Neill on the books through 2026 on his own lucrative extension. The team also retained center Garrett Bradbury last offseason on a three-year pact worth $15.75MM. Keeping Darrisaw in the fold for years to come will add further to the cash and cap investments made up front, but it would come as little surprise if a long-term pact were to be worked out. At a minimum, today’s decision will serve as a placeholder buying extra time for negotiations.
Chiefs, TE Travis Kelce Agree To Deal
The Chiefs have kept their decision-making nucleus in place for years to come, and the same is also true of All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce. The latter has agreed to a two-year extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The team has since announced the move.
This deal will make Kelce the league’s highest-paid tight end, Rapoport adds. That comes as little surprise considering the success Kelce has had in recent years and the pivotal role he has played in Kansas City’s three Super Bowl titles across the past four seasons. The future Hall of Famer is now on the books through 2027.
Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero notes Kelce will receive $34.25MM in new money tacked onto the two years which were in place on his previous pact. Guaranteed compensation is now in place for 2024, and Pelissero notes year-over-year vesting will lock in money for future years.
In terms of annual compensation, Darren Waller entered this offseason atop the tight end pecking order ($17MM). This new Kelce deal will surpass that mark, meaning he will receive a raise compared to the remainder of his existing contract. That deal carried an AAV of just over $14.3MM, which ranked fourth at the position. The 34-year-old was due $13MM in 2024 and $17.25MM the following year, but his remaining base salaries those seasons were not guaranteed.
Kelce was inactive for the Chiefs’ regular season finale in 2023, and that left him just short of the 1,000-yard mark for the campaign. That ended a streak of reaching 1,000 or more yards in seven straight seasons, but it still yielded a ninth consecutive Pro Bowl nod. The Cincinnati product has added four first-team All-Pro nods and a place on the 2010s All-Decade team list to his decorated resume.
Of course, Kelce’s significance to the Chiefs’ title-winning teams will be a major aspect of his legacy. The former third-rounder is one of only three players in NFL history to lead a Super Bowl champion in receiving yards three times (the other two being Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin). Kelce will be counted on as Patrick Mahomes‘ top target for years to come.
Kansas City dealt with inconsistencies in the receiving corps during the 2023 season, and many of the team’s top WR options are still in the fold. Rashee Rice faces a potential suspension, and the likes of Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson have not lived up to expectations so far. The Chiefs signed Marquise Brown in free agency and selected Xavier Worthy in the first round of the draft, but Kelce is by far the most known commodity in the team’s skill position room.
Concerns about the latter’s age will likely be raised with this new pact, one which runs counter to his previous stance regarding being paid below market value. Kelce made it clear during the postseason that retirement is not on his mind, though, and this agreement confirms he will be in place for years to come. As such, the foundational elements of Kansas City’s success are set to return for the 2024 campaign and beyond.
Bills Exercise Greg Rousseau’s Fifth-Year Option
With the deadline for fifth-year options approaching, teams around the league are required to make firm decisions on 2021 first-round picks. In the Bills’ case, they will retain edge rusher Greg Rousseau for at least the next two years. 
[RELATED: Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Buffalo will pick up Rousseau’s option, Peter Schrager of NFL Network reports. This comes as little surprise, as a report from earlier this month indicated that would be the Bills’ preference. Rousseau will collect $13.39MM in 2025 as he remains a full-time starter moving forward. The option decision is now official, per a team announcement.
The 24-year-old was one of his draft class’ more intriguing prospects after he opted out of the 2020 college season. As a result of that decision, he played only 14 games at Miami, one of which came in his freshman campaign. The following year, though, he racked up 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss with the Hurricanes, showcasing his upside at the pro level.
Rousseau went 30th overall to the Bills, a team which has incrementally increased his usage year over year. The 6-6, 266-pounder has logged snap shares of 49%, 56% and 60% during his three years in Buffalo. Despite being limited to 13 games in 2022, that season represents his most productive one to date (eight sacks). Rousseau notched five sacks last year, though he reached a new career high with 25 QB pressures.
The Bills saw Leonard Floyd depart in free agency this offseason, and Von Miller was held without a sack in his second campaign with the team. As a result, Rousseau will be counted on as a key member of Buffalo’s front seven for at least the next two years. Fellow defensive end A.J. Epenesa recently signed a two-year deal which prevented him from heading elsewhere on the open market, and he will also take on a notable role.
The latter’s pact carries a base value of $12MM, though, and Rousseau will outpace him in earnings during the 2025 season given the decision to pick up his option. An extension could also be in play down the road, especially if he enjoys a career year in 2024. It will be interesting to see if Rousseau joins Miller in landing a lucrative long-term deal tying him to Buffalo for the foreseeable future. For now, though, he is positioned to continue in a first-team role as the Bills transition at a number of spots on defense.