Jets Re-Sign S Ashtyn Davis
APRIL 15: Davis’ one-year pact is worth $2.7MM, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports. Notably, he adds that only $167K of that figure is guaranteed. A strong season on defense in particular (should he see the field often) would no doubt help his market ahead of free agency next offseason, though.
APRIL 11: Rather than heading elsewhere in search of more playing time, Ashtyn Davis is set to remain in New York for 2024. The rotational safety and special teams mainstay is re-signing with the Jets, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The deal is now official, per a team announcement.
As Garafolo notes, Davis drew interest from outside teams during his first trip to the open market in his career. He has elected to remain where he played out his rookie contract, though, allowing himself the opportunity to continue playing under head coach Robert Saleh and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in the process. SNY’s Connor Hughes notes New York remained open to a re-signing throughout free agency.
Davis, 27, started 16 games across his first two seasons in the league. Since, then, however, he has primarily been relegated to special teams duties. Logging a 19% snap share on defense in 2023, the former third-rounder notched new career highs in interceptions (three) and pass deflections (eight). He could have parlayed that production into a deal with a new team providing a clearer path to a first-team role, though playing time could still come his way with New York.
The Jets have Tony Adams and Chuck Clark in the fold at the safety spot. The latter missed all of last season due to a torn ACL, but he re-upped with New York on a one-year deal this offseason. The team saw Jordan Whitehead depart on the open market when he returned to the Buccaneers. That, coupled with Davis’ uncertain status, led to questions about New York’s depth on the backend heading into the draft.
Now, though, the Cal alum’s return to the fold will give the Jets a familiar face in sub packages and on special teams. Davis has racked up six interceptions and four fumble recoveries during his career, and improvements in coverage led to a career-high PFF grade of 74.7 last year. Building off that strong play during training camp could open the door to a starting defensive spot for the 2024 campaign.
The Jets entered Thursday with just $1.43MM in cap space, the second-lowest figure in the league and one which will be insufficient to afford the team’s rookie class. It will be interesting to see how lucrative this Davis pact is, and how the team will proceed with other financial priorities in the near future.
Broncos, DL Angelo Blackson Agree To Deal
Angelo Blackson is in line to play for a sixth career NFL team. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a one-year deal with the Broncos, Mike Klis of 9News reports. 
Blackson has served as a rotational defender for much of his career, but he served as a full-time starter with the Texans in 2019. That campaign was followed up by a single season in Arizona, where he played under Vance Joseph. The latter is in place as Denver’s defensive coordinator.
Since his Cardinals stint, Blackson has spent time with the Bears and Jaguars. The 31-year-old matched his career high with 2.5 sacks in 2021, his first season in Chicago; Blackson also set a new personal high with 43 tackles that year. He saw a notable drop in playing time the following season, though, leading to a free agent departure.
Blackson initially joined the Ravens last offseason, but he was among the team’s final roster cuts. That left him free to find a new team in advance of the campaign, and he took a one-year pact with Jacksonville. That agreement did not lead to a notable role (30% defensive snap share), nor any production in the pass-rush department. It did, though, allow Blackson to play with a third AFC South team after he began his career in Tennessee and Houston.
Rather than attempting a sweep of the division in Indianapolis, the Auburn product will look to earn a roster spot in Denver. The Broncos have already added Malcolm Roach to their defensive interior this offseason, signing the former Sean Payton Saints contributor to a two-year deal. Blackson could help fill the void created by the departure of Jonathan Harris, and his addition could impact Mike Purcell‘s chances of being re-signed.
Raiders To Sign OL Cody Whitehair
The Raiders have added a veteran presence along the offensive line ahead of the draft. Cody Whitehair has agreed to a one-year deal with Las Vegas, Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network reports. 
Caplan notes that the agreement has a base value of $2.5MM, and it can reach a maximum of $3MM. Whitehair will collect $1.4MM guaranteed in his first season spent outside of Chicago.
The 31-year-old has been a mainstay along the Bears’ offensive line since his arrival in the NFL in 2016. Whitehair has started 118 of his 124 appearances, so he will offer plenty of experience to the Raiders as an interior contributor. The former second-rounder spent much of his first three years at center, and in 2018 he earned his first and only Pro Bowl nod. Since then, he has seen considerable time at left guard.
Whitehair (who drew interest from the Seahawks prior to their Laken Tomlinson addition) has been charged by PFF with three or four sacks allowed in each of the past five seasons, and he has surrendered between 14 and 33 pressures each year in that span. As a result, his overall grades have fluctuated but fallen well short of the 87.5 mark he received during his rookie campaign. The Kansas State product has drawn strong reviews in the past based on his run blocking, although that too has taken a step back recently.
In any case, Whitehair will be reunited with Luke Getsy as a result of this deal. The latter served as Chicago’s offensive coordinator for the past two years, and he now holds the same title for the Raiders. Vegas re-signed center Andre James ahead of free agency on a three-year deal, and as such the team is set at the center spot. Whitehair could see notable time at guard, though, with Jermaine Eluemunor departing on the open market, Greg Van Roten remaining unsigned and D.J. Fluker being released.
The Raiders entered Monday with over $24MM in cap space, giving them more pre-draft flexibility than most other teams around the league. This Whitehair deal will eat into that figure somewhat, but Vegas should still be able to afford its incoming draft class without issue while adding a starting-caliber lineman deep into free agency.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/12/24
Friday’s minor moves:
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: CB Shemar Jean-Charles
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Tim Jones, CB Gregory Junior, OL Cole Van Lanen
Jean-Charles spilt his time between the 49ers and Saints in 2023, finishing the campaign in New Orleans. He was used all-but exclusively on special teams during that time, which has also been the case throughout the rest of his career. The 25-year-old will have the chance to carve out a larger role in his first full season with New Orleans if he can make the active roster at the start of the 2024 campaign.
Jones, Junior and Van Lanen were each tendered as exclusive rights restricted free agents, so their respective deals come as no surprise. Seattle’s OTAs began this week, and each member of the trio will now be in place to take part in on-field work when that takes place before competing for roster spots in training camp.
Giants Sign LB Matthew Adams
The Giants have added depth at the linebacker spot head of the upcoming draft. New York has signed Matthew Adams, per a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Giants Sign DT Jordan Phillips]
Adams spent his first four seasons with the Colts, playing 58 games with Indianapolis. He started nine games across his first two seasons in the league, but throughout his career his primary contributions have come on special teams. That remained true during his one-year stints in Chicago and Cleveland.
The former seventh-rounder was limited to 10 games with the Bears in 2022, but he still managed to record the second-most tackles of his career (26). Upon seeing his one-year Chicago deal expire, Adams joined the Browns on another low-cost contract of the same length. He played every game in 2023, logging a career-high 85% snap share on special teams.
The Giants have a number of options in place for the time being at the linebacker spot. That contingent includes Isaiah Simmons, who re-signed on a one-year deal last week. The former Cardinals first-rounder logged a rotational defensive role last season alongside Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden. Each of the latter two are under contract for 2024 and beyond, so Adams will be hard-pressed to carve out a workload unrelated to his special teams duties on his latest team.
Still, the 28-year-old will be able to contribute in the third phase with New York. Adams will aim to help the Giants improve on special teams in 2024 after they ranked 21st in DVOA in that regard last season. The team entered Friday with $6.3MM in cap space, but this agreement will not dramatically lower that figure if it is in line with the deals Adams played on over the past two years.
Browns Trade T Leroy Watson To Titans
The Browns and Titans have pulled off a minor swap in advance of this month’s draft. Cleveland has sent offensive tackle Leroy Watson to Tennessee in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round selection (No. 227). Both teams announced the move Friday. 
Watson entered the league as an undrafted free agent. He joined the Patriots’ practice squad ahead of the 2022 season, but in matter of days he took a spot on the 49ers’ taxi squad. San Francisco signed him to a reserve deal at the end of the campaign, one in which he did not see playing time. Watson was waived during 2023 roster cutdowns, but he was retained on the practice squad to begin the season.
As Cleveland dealt with a number of injuries along the offensive line, however, additions were needed up front. That led the Browns to sign the UTSA product to their active roster in November, paving the way for Watson to see his first regular season action. He made a total of seven appearances last season, playing sparingly at both left and right tackle. In a total of 55 offensive snaps, Watson did not commit a penalty and PFF did not charge him with any sacks or pressures allowed.
The 23-year-old will now be able to continue working alongside Bill Callahan. The longtime Browns offensive line coach took the same position with Tennessee this offseason to work with his son, first-time head coach Brian Callahan. Watson will aim to carve out a roster spot during the summer while working under a familiar face on the coaching staff.
The Titans still have two seventh-round selections in 2024 as a result of this deal (although No. 227 was the team’s highest pick in the round), and seven in total. The Browns, meanwhile, will see their pick total increase to six (including a pair of Round 7 selections) with this swap. 2024 marks the third and final draft in which Cleveland will not have a first-rounder owing to the Deshaun Watson trade, but the team will now have extra Day 3 capital.
Saints Sign WR Equanimeous St. Brown
After two seasons with the Bears, Equanimeous St. Brown will move to a third NFC team. The former Packers draftee agreed to a deal with the Saints on Friday. It is a one-year agreement.
The 6-foot-5 wide receiver spent the past two seasons in Chicago, after playing out his rookie contract in Green Bay. St. Brown, 27, will join a Saints team that ended an eight-year Michael Thomas partnership recently. The team did add Cedrick Wilson Jr. in free agency, however.
Like fellow Friday signing Kellen Mond, St. Brown has a connection with Andrew Janocko. The new Saints QBs coach held the same position during St. Brown’s Bears tenure. St. Brown said (via NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett) Janocko reached out to him in free agency to help this signing across the goal line.
An injury limited St. Brown to seven games last season, but the former sixth-round pick did accumulate 323 yards on 21 receptions in 2022 — in an offense that featured a heavy emphasis on the ground game. St. Brown will join a more traditional pass offense in New Orleans.
Obviously not on the level of younger brother Amon-Ra St. Brown, Equanimeous has surpassed 120 receiving yards in just two of his six NFL seasons. After a 328-yard 2018 rookie year, St. Brown missed all of 2019 and ultimately became a role player to close out his Packers contract. He will be set to vie for a depth role in New Orleans.
Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed remain the top Saints receivers, with Wilson set for an auxiliary role after not living up to his $8MM-per-year Dolphins deal. A.T. Perry, chosen in last year’s sixth round, averaged 20.5 yards per reception as a rookie. New Orleans also signed Stanley Morgan early in free agency. The team should still be expected to add a piece in the draft, but St. Brown provides an experienced role player for the time being.
Saints Sign QB Kellen Mond
Although Kellen Mond worked out for the 49ers this week, the former third-round pick will end up in a similar system. The Saints are signing the young quarterback, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. The team has since announced the signing.
The Saints will be Mond’s fourth team in four seasons. The Vikings and Browns waived the young quarterback after one year apiece, and Mond spent last season on the Colts’ practice squad. Not back with Indianapolis on a futures deal, Mond hit free agency and will have a chance with a Saints team that hired Klint Kubiak as OC.
This will reunite Mond and Kubiak, who was in place as the Vikings’ play-caller when the team drafted the Texas A&M product three years ago. Mond, who also worked with Saints QBs coach Andrew Janocko in Minnesota, said (via Terrell) he has been in discussions with the Saints for weeks. While Mond figures to be running short on chances, having extensive familiarity with Kubiak’s system stands to help his quest to become one of the Saints’ backups behind Derek Carr.
Mond will join Nathan Peterman and 2023 draftee Jake Haener as Carr backup options. While Mond and Peterman’s NFL resumes do not inspire much confidence in New Orleans’ backup situation, the Saints now have four QBs. That often represents the number of passers clubs take into offseason programs. Carr did not miss much time last season, but he suffered two concussions and a shoulder injury in his first Saints season. The team let Jameis Winston join the Browns in free agency and did not replace him with a veteran option.
After attempting to trade up for Justin Fields in 2021, the Vikings regrouped with Mond at No. 66 overall. Not viewed as ready in Minnesota, Mond did not receive the call to replace Kirk Cousins when the starter contracted COVID-19 that year. Off-and-on Vikings backup Sean Mannion did. When Kevin O’Connell arrived in 2022, Mond was not part of the new HC’s plan. Ex-Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski mentored Mond from 2022-23, but the Browns did not include him on their 53-man roster. The Colts added Mond to their P-squad following Anthony Richardson‘s injury but never promoted him to the active roster.
Mond, 24, started for most of his Aggies career. He posted a 19-3 TD-INT ratio as a senior, completing a career-high 63.3% of his passes. While teams have not exactly been thrilled by Mond’s development as a pro, Kubiak will take another crack at coaching the 6-foot-3 passer.
CB Tre’Davious White Signs With Rams
APRIL 12: White’s Rams pact will check in considerably south of that $8.5MM mark if the former All-Pro cannot become a defensive regular. This contract features a base value of $4.25MM, per OverTheCap, and carries a $3.25MM guarantee. White must play 60% of the Rams’ defensive snaps to bump the value to that $8.5MM place.
MARCH 26: 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.
Rams Re-Sign LB Troy Reeder
Troy Reeder‘s run in Los Angeles will continue. After leaving the Rams for the Chargers in 2022, the veteran linebacker returned to the NFC’s L.A. franchise last year. The Rams still have Reeder in their plans.
The Rams re-signed Reeder on Thursday, per a team announcement. The former UDFA started six games for the 2023 Rams edition and has made 31 starts for the team since arriving in the NFL in 2019. Also lining up as a Super Bowl LVI contributor, Reeder is readying for a fifth season with the team.
[RELATED: Rams Pursued LB Andrew Van Ginkel]
Reeder’s only NFL stretch outside L.A. came when he signed a one-year deal with the Vikings last year. Minnesota did not carry Reeder onto its initial 53-man roster, leading to a return to the Rams via the practice squad. The Rams quickly called up the veteran defender and used him in all 17 regular-season games. Reeder, 29, logged 192 snaps on defense and was on the field for 59% of the Rams’ special teams plays. The Delaware native will be back as a key depth piece.
Sean McVay‘s team has turned to Reeder regularly, and he has offered a low-cost solution for a Rams team that has continually kept LB costs low — save for its 2022 Bobby Wagner contract — since releasing Mark Barron. Reeder was not teammates with Wagner, playing with the Chargers in 2022. The Bolts used Reeder strictly as a backup, doing so despite the ex-Blue Hen notching 91 tackles and two sacks for the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning iteration in 2021.
Pro Football Focus offered Reeder a much better assessment in 2020 compared to 2021, when he dropped from 27th to 72nd in LB rankings on the advanced metrics site. Reeder recorded three sacks and 81 tackles in 2020, making seven starts. He made 10 in 2021 and was in the starting lineup for three Los Angeles playoff games. Reeder played 21 snaps in Super Bowl LVI, which came after he was out there on 96% of the Rams’ defensive plays in the NFC championship game — an eight-tackle performance.
The Rams still have Ernest Jones as their LB centerpiece, though extension talks are not on tap ahead of the season. PFF ranked L.A.’s other off-ball LB regular — Christian Rozeboom — as a bottom-five player at the position in 2023. The Rams have not made any outside additions at this spot this offseason, but with Jones going into a contract year and the team regularly opting to save money at this position, it would be surprising if help was not coming via the draft.