Commanders Sign LB Mykal Walker
Dan Quinn clearly views scheme familiarity as a priority during his first offseason as Commanders HC. Players from his past in Dallas and Seattle have surfaced in Washington. Now, a former Quinn Atlanta charge is coming to town.
Mykal Walker signed with the Commanders on Tuesday. Quinn and the former Falcons linebacker starter were not together long, as the team fired Quinn early in the 2020 season. But he was still calling the shots when Walker was drafted in the 2020 fourth round. This will continue a busy stretch of transactions for Walker, who is now on team No. 5 over the past eight months.
Spending time with the Bears, Raiders and Steelers following his summer Atlanta exit, Walker will join some recent Quinn charges in Washington. The Commanders have signed Bobby Wagner, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler and Noah Igbinoghene on defense. They also added former Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz.
Walker will presumably be aiming to find some stability in Washington. Since mid-August, three teams have cut the Quinn-era Falcons draftee. Transitioning to then-DC Ryan Nielsen‘s scheme, the Falcons waived Walker during training camp. The Bears submitted a claim but did not make room on their 53-man roster for him on cutdown day. That led Walker to the Raiders’ practice squad, but the AFC West team released him a month later. It took multiple Steelers injuries to provide another opportunity for Walker, though he did finally see action again in Pittsburgh.
Kwon Alexander and ex-Washington starter Cole Holcomb suffered season-ending injuries. This led the team to give Walker five starts during the season’s second half. Walker, 26, played in eight games with Pittsburgh and started in the team’s wild-card game in Buffalo. Walker added his fourth career interception last season. He posted two INTs and added 107 tackles (four for loss) during a 2022 season that featured 12 Falcons starts. Pro Football Focus graded Walker 55th among off-ball linebackers in 2022 and slotted him outside the top 75 at the position during his half-season run in 2023.
While Wagner will be expected to start, Walker profiles as more of a flier at this point. The Commanders still roster former first-round pick Jamin Davis, and their will pair Wagner with hybrid ‘backer Frankie Luvu. Quinn will, however, give Walker a chance to fill in behind the regulars, it would appear.
Browns Sign CB Justin Hardee
The Browns’ special teams have received a boost. Veteran cornerback Justin Hardee was signed on Tuesday, per a team announcement. 
Hardee has seen a total of two defensive snaps over the past four seasons, with his contributions coming all-but exclusively on special teams. The 30-year-old gunner has excelled on kick and punt coverages during his career, which began with a four-year run in New Orleans. Following his time with the Saints, Hardee signed with the Jets on a three-year, $6.75MM deal.
The former UDFA served as New York’s special teams captain during his time there, including the 2022 season which resulted in a Pro Bowl nod. Hardee made 14 special teams tackles that year, the second-highest total of his career. A hamstring injury interrupted his 2023 campaign, however, limiting him to 11 contests.
Instead of re-upping with the Jets, Hardee has elected to join his hometown team. He is originally from Cleveland and attended Glenville High School before his college career, which took place at Illinois. Hardee will now look to continue working as a special teams ace, something which has allowed him to remain in the league for 107 combined regular and postseason NFL games.
In addition, Hardee will of course be able to serve as a depth option in the secondary. Cleveland has a strong CB trio of Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson Jr. and Greg Newsome set to serve as starters. Hardee will line up as a second-team option in that capacity while providing his new team with considerable third phase experience.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/1/24
One minor move to pass along today:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-signed: G Jordan Meredith
After spending his rookie season with the Rams, Meredith caught on with the Raiders in 2022. He spent most of that season on the practice squad but earned a larger role in 2023. The lineman finished this past season having appeared in all 17 games, including one start. A major portion of his snaps came on special teams, but he still got looks on offensive beyond his one start.
Commanders Sign RB Jeremy McNichols
The Commanders are continuing to add to their running backs room. The team announced that they’ve signed running back Jeremy McNichols.
The 2017 fifth-round pick will now be joining his 10th NFL team. The running back got his longest look in Tennessee in 2020 and 2021, getting into 30 total games. He served as Derrick Henry‘s primary backup/third-down back during his first season with the Titans, finishing with 259 yards from scrimmage.
When Henry missed half of the 2021 campaign, McNichols still only served as a change-of-pace back, although he did garner a career-high 69 touches for 396 yards. The 28-year-old spent the 2023 season bouncing between the 49ers’ active roster and practice squad.
Austin Ekeler is now atop the depth chart in Washington, and the Commanders are still rostering Brian Robinson, who is coming off a season where he topped 1,100 yards from scrimmage and scored nine touchdowns. McNichols will likely compete for the RB3 spot with 2023 sixth-round pick Chris Rodriguez, who got 53 touches as a rookie playing behind Robinson and Antonio Gibson.
Broncos To Sign G Calvin Throckmorton
The reach of Saints-based inside jokes expanded once again for the Broncos on Monday. Sean Payton is bringing in another of his former New Orleans charges, with 9News’ Mike Klis indicating offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton is joining the Broncos.
Although the Broncos released Chris Manhertz this offseason, they re-signed Wil Lutz, Adam Trautman and Lil’Jordan Humphrey last month. The team also signed defensive tackle Malcolm Roach from the Saints. Throckmorton competed against Roach in practice for two seasons but spent the 2023 campaign with the Panthers and Titans.
[RELATED: Broncos Sign T Matt Peart]
The Panthers waived Throckmorton last year, doing so after he had made seven starts for a team that lost guard starter Brady Christensen in Week 1 and had Austin Corbett out of the mix until late October. Also sustaining a number of injuries up front, the Titans claimed Throckmorton and used him as a backup in six games. The Titans made Throckmorton an offer, per Klis, but he will instead opt to rejoin Payton (and former O-line coach Zach Strief) in Denver.
Throckmorton, 27, made 14 starts for the Saints in Payton’s final New Orleans season (2021). He has worked almost exclusively at guard in the pros. During the 2021 slate in New Orleans, the 2020 UDFA logged 626 snaps at left guard and 282 at right guard. The Saints lost Andrus Peat to a torn pec midway through that season, and they played five games without center Erik McCoy as well. Throckmorton added six starts in 2022.
Pro Football Focus has not viewed Throckmorton as a quality guard, ranking him near the bottom among regulars throughout his career. The Oregon product, however, obviously brings familiarity with Payton and Strief. The Broncos enjoyed good health along their O-line last season; starting guards Quinn Meinerz and Ben Powers started throughout. Both remain under contract, but Throckmorton will enter the mix to work as an interior swingman. Peart is tentatively in place as the team’s swing tackle, with The Athletic’s Dan Duggan noting his one-year deal is for $1.3MM ($368K guaranteed).
The team losing center Lloyd Cushenberry (to the Titans) in free agency could lead to one of the 2023 backups — 2023 seventh-rounder Alex Forsyth or 2022 fifth-rounder Luke Wattenberg — moving into the lineup, though the team could still add a higher-level investment at the spot as well. One of the holdovers moving into the lineup would free up an interior backup spot. Throckmorton supplying 27 career starts, along with his familiarity with the Broncos’ offensive system, would stand to help his cause at making Denver’s 53-man roster.
Eagles Extend S Reed Blankenship
3:07pm: The Eagles will give Blankenship $3.94MM fully guaranteed over the next two years, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Another $1.38MM is available in Pro Bowl- and playing time-based incentives. The third-year safety would receive $375K by playing 70% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps, which he did last year. That number would spike to $875K if Blankenship reaches the 90% rate; he fell short of that in 2023. The Pro Bowl component would bring a $500K bonus.
2:14pm: Reed Blankenship spent last season as a full-time safety starter for the Eagles. The team is making a move that will keep the former UDFA under contract beyond the 2024 season.
Blankenship’s rookie deal runs through 2024; he entered Monday eligible for restricted free agency next year. The Eagles reached a deal that will bypass the RFA process; the new contract runs through 2025. This will keep Blankenship signed until he is eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2026.
While the Eagles ran into considerable trouble on defense last season, Blankenship was a bright spot. He intercepted three passes, made 113 tackles (18 more than any other Eagle last season) and added 11 pass breakups. The Middle Tennessee State product finished the season ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 19 safety.
The Eagles saw Blankenship, a 2022 post-draft signee, become a locked-in starter after they let Super Bowl LVII regulars C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps walk in free agency. Despite Philly signing Terrell Edmunds and drafting Sydney Brown in Round 3, Blankenship remained a regular whom Kevin Byard joined upon being acquired before the trade deadline.
The Eagles have made some changes at safety once again. Brown went down with an ACL tear in January, and the team released Byard despite trading two draft picks for him in October. Philly turned back to Gardner-Johnson this year, giving the brash DB a three-year, $27MM deal that includes $10MM guaranteed at signing. Brown may well begin next season on the reserve/PUP list.
Blankenship, 25, was set to make $985K in base salary this season. While the Eagles’ 2022 draftees are not extension-eligible, Blankenship is due to his UDFA status. Considering this move merely shifts his RFA year — one that would have required a tender for retention — into a contract campaign, it would surprise if this was a substantial raise. But it will prevent Philly from needing to consider a second-round RFA tender in 2025. That number ballooned to $4.89MM this year, making it likely it would cost more than $5MM to use in ’25.
Commanders Sign QB Jeff Driskel
Jeff Driskel will soon have a chance to play a ninth NFL season. An eighth team will give the veteran quarterback an opportunity.
The Commanders signed Driskel on Monday, putting him on track to compete for one of the team’s reserve jobs. Driskel joins Marcus Mariota and Jake Fromm as Washington QBs presently, though a rookie passer is almost definitely going to join this trio — most likely at No. 2 overall. Driskel will turn 31 later this month. It is a one-year deal, per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala.
[RELATED: Commanders Trade Sam Howell To Seahawks]
Although Driskel is 1-10 as a starter since coming into the league as a 2016 sixth-round pick, he has continued to find work as either a backup or third-string option. The 49ers draftee has bounced to the Bengals, Lions, Broncos, Texans, Cardinals and Browns. He split last season between Arizona and Cleveland, starting the Browns’ Week 18 game despite joining the team just before New Year’s Day.
Driskel’s Cardinals stay did not overlap with Kliff Kingsbury‘s; the Cards added the former Florida and Louisiana Tech passer just before the 2023 draft. Arizona shook up its QB room just before last season, cutting Colt McCoy and David Blough and adding Joshua Dobbs via trade. But Driskel remained part of the equation, residing on the Cardinals’ practice squad — behind Dobbs, Clayton Tune and later Kyler Murray — for most of last season.
The QB-needy Browns poached Driskel off the Cards’ P-squad in late December. Resting Joe Flacco for the playoffs, Cleveland gave Driskel the Week 18 start. He completed a 13-for-26 outing with two touchdown passes and two interceptions. For his career, Driskel is a 58.6% passer (6.1 yards per attempt) who has thrown 16 TD passes and 10 INTs. Most of his starts came in place of an injured Andy Dalton back in 2018; he went 1-4 for the Bengals down the stretch that year.
Washington’s decision at No. 2 overall represents the lead plotline in this year’s draft, with the Bears all but certain to draft Caleb Williams. The Commanders have been connected to Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy with the second pick. Dan Quinn effectively confirmed Washington would leave this draft with a quarterback, though the new HC did not specify where that passer would be drafted. That said, it would be quite surprising if the rebuilding team did not select a passer at 2. Driskel will likely have a chance to compete for the third-string job, with Mariota receiving $5.39MM guaranteed on a one-year, $6MM deal.
Rams Re-Sign WR Tyler Johnson
Already re-signing Demarcus Robinson this offseason, the Rams will continue their receiver-retention effort weeks later. They have circled back to Tyler Johnson, re-signing the veteran wideout Sunday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
The Rams are set to return their top receivers from last season. Employing Cooper Kupp for an eighth year, the Rams have Puka Nacua, Robinson and Tutu Atwell under contract. Johnson spent most of the 2023 season on the Rams’ practice squad, but the team will see how the former fifth-round pick looks in a second year in Sean McVay‘s offense.
Johnson, 25, initially caught on with the Rams midway through last year; the Raiders had cut the Minnesota alum not long after adding him. Johnson played in one Rams game last year but joins Ben Skowronek in rounding out a Rams receiving corps that should look quite similar from their 2023 edition. While it would not surprise to see the team add a draft choice to vie for a job, continuity reigns at this position group for the time being.
Best known for his early-career work with the Buccaneers, Johnson joined ex-Golden Gophers teammate Antoine Winfield Jr. in being a 2020 Tampa Bay draftee. The 6-foot-1 wideout caught two touchdown passes as a rookie during a season that earned him a Super Bowl ring and produced a career-high 360 receiving yards during a rather eventful season for Bucs receivers — due largely to Antonio Brown‘s timeline — the following year.
Johnson logged two Texans games in 2022 and caught two passes for the Rams last season, scoring a touchdown during a Week 18 game against the 49ers in which both teams rested several regulars. He will again vie for a backup job this year.
49ers Sign Lions TE Brock Wright To RFA Offer Sheet
MARCH 30: The 49ers signed Wright to a three-year, $12MM offer sheet that features $6MM in guaranteed money, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes that the 49ers have no interest in negotiating “a contract for another team,” and they executed the offer sheet with the belief that the Lions won’t match.
The Lions now have until Wednesday to match. If they don’t, they’ll lose the tight end to the Niners for nothing in return.
MARCH 29: The Lions tendered Brock Wright as a restricted free agent earlier this month, keeping the young tight end around. The team did not use a second-round tender, opening the door to a potential offer sheet.
Although RFA offer sheets are fairly rare, the 49ers have submitted one to Wright, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The Lions have five days to match. The 49ers are looking for a backup tight end to replace Charlie Woerner, per the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman. The NFC champions have identified a target.
The Falcons gave Woerner a three-year, $12MM deal in free agency, adjusting the 49ers’ depth chart behind George Kittle. A former UDFA out of Notre Dame, Wright has spent the past three seasons with the Lions. The 25-year-old pass catcher worked as one of Sam LaPorta‘s backups last season, enjoying a bigger aerial role previously.
Wright, 25, played 44% of Detroit’s offensive snaps last season. In 2022, that number came in at 52%. The 6-foot-5 pass catcher totaled 18 receptions for 216 yards and four touchdowns in 2022. This included a 51-yard game-winner against the Jets. Pro Football Focus did not rate Wright well as a run blocker last season, grading him in the bottom quartile at the position. Still, 263 of Wright’s 423 offensive snaps came on run plays. Woerner ranked second in this department, which has long been critical in a run-focused and play-action-oriented 49ers offense.
The Lions tendering Wright at the original-round level cost $2.99MM; due to applying the low-end tender, Detroit would not receive any draft compensation if it failed to match San Francisco’s offer. The Lions used a fifth-round pick on James Mitchell in 2022, and veteran Shane Zylstra joins the third-year player on Detroit’s TE depth chart. Wright would represent a modest loss for the Lions while strengthening the roster of the team that narrowly beat them for the NFC title.
The terms of this offer sheet are not yet known, but Wright no longer appears on schedule for unrestricted free agency in 2025. If the Lions do not match, Wright would join a 49ers team rostering two 2023 draftees — Cameron Latu (Round 3) and Brayden Willis (Round 7) — behind Kittle. Latu did not play as a rookie, suffering a season-ending knee injury during the preseason.
While offer sheets are rare, a few notable players — a list including Bills guard Ryan Bates, Cardinals D-tackle Xavier Williams and Broncos running back C.J. Anderson — have received them over the past decade. Teams regularly construct offer sheets to make it difficult for the player’s current club to match, but it will likely not be too costly for the Lions to match this one.
Dolphins, RB Raheem Mostert Agree To Extension
MARCH 30: The deal is official, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mostert inked a new two-year deal worth $9.075MM.
MARCH 29: Coming off by far the most productive season of his career, Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert has been rewarded with a revised contract. Team and player have agreed to a new deal which includes one year being added onto the existing pact, as announced by agent Brett Tessler. 
Mostert will now be on the books through the 2025 season. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the pact has a maximum value of just over $9MM. That represents a significant raise compared to his previously scheduled compensation for 2024, while ensuring the Pro Bowler remains in Miami for at least two more years.
The 31-year-old was due to earn $2.75MM this season, which would have represented a bargain for the Dolphins considering his play last year. His $3.36MM cap charge will be lowered, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Mostert topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career in 2023, and he led the NFL with 18 touchdowns on the ground. He added another three scores in the passing game, proving to be a key weapon in Miami’s No. 1 ranked offense.
Mostert was among the league’s journeymen at the running back spot prior to his lengthy 49ers tenure. In San Francisco, he operated in a rotational role while showing efficiency in Kyle Shanahan‘s scheme. During his time in the Bay Area, the former UDFA also worked with Mike McDaniel, and the pair continued their relationship with Miami in 2022. That year, Mostert ran for 891 yards, earning him a new deal as a result.
The Dolphins continued a committee approach heading into 2023, though rookie De’Von Achane proved to be worthy of a large role when healthy. He averaged 7.8 yards per carry, showing his high-end speed in the process; Mostert, by contrast, checked in with an average of 4.8 yards per attempt. That essentially matches his mark from the previous season, so despite his age a renewed commitment should not be considered a particularly risky move on the team’s part.
In addition to Mostert and Achane, Miami has Jeff Wilson and Salvon Ahmed under contract in the backfield. Each of the latter two backs are only on the books for 2024, though, and neither would incur a notable dead cap charge if traded or released this offseason. While they face an uncertain future, the top of the Dolphins’ RB depth chart will be secure for two more seasons.