Broncos To Add DT Malcolm Roach
The Saints-Broncos pipeline remains active, as Sean Payton prepares for his second season in Denver. The longtime New Orleans HC will bring in one of his former defensive linemen.
Malcolm Roach is heading to Denver on a two-year deal worth up to $8MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Broncos have two eight-figure-per-year contracts on their defensive line, but the team has some depth questions behind the Zach Allen–D.J. Jones duo. Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette notes Roach drew interest from the Rams, Cardinals, Bills and Bengals. Instead, he will continue playing under Payton.
Roach’s Saints role did not change much during his four-season Louisiana run. Starting five games in that time, Roach worked primarily as a rotational defensive lineman. Payton was in place when the Saints signed Roach as a UDFA; the Texas alum has only played for the Saints. Roach will join ex-college teammates Caden Sterns, P.J. Locke and Brandon Jones on Denver’s defense, with Payton also obviously being a familiar face.
Pro Football Focus viewed Roach as a lower-end D-tackle from 2020-22 but viewed him as an improved product last year, slotting the four-year veteran just outside the top 25 among interior D-linemen. Roach, 25, totaled a career-high 38 tackles (three for loss) last season while batting down three passes. Roach stands to help the Broncos in run defense, having logged those numbers last season despite missing five games. While skewed by a brutal start, the Broncos’ defense ranked 30th against the run last year.
Roach will join a Broncos team that saw 2022 starter Jonathan Harris hit free agency. Denver has Matt Henningsen still under contract, though 2022 fourth-rounder Eyioma Uwazurike‘s NFL future is in doubt after the gambling suspension he received last summer.
Chiefs To Add TE Irv Smith Jr.
Quiet early in free agency, the Chiefs will add a piece to their offense. The two-time reigning Super Bowl champions are bringing in former Vikings and Bengals tight end Irv Smith Jr., ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
A second-generation NFL tight end, Smith has been unable to find consistency as a pro. Multiple teams have given the former Alabama pass catcher opportunities, however, and Chiefs pickups have resulted in a host of recent free agents collecting Super Bowl rings. Smith will join a Kansas City threepeat push, doing so on a one-year deal worth $1.29MM, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Only $384K of this deal is guaranteed.
Despite being a five-year veteran, Smith is only 25. A 2019 second-round pick, Smith has been unable to establish himself as a trusted receiving option. The Bengals’ flier on Smith produced only 18 receptions for 115 yards. Smith has not topped 300 yards in a season since 2020, when he notched a career-high 365 alongside Kyle Rudolph in Minnesota.
Injuries dogged Smith in Minnesota. He missed all of the 2021 campaign due to a knee injury and did not contribute much to the Vikings’ 2022 NFC North title, sustaining a high ankle sprain — an injury that played a role in Minnesota trading for T.J. Hockenson at the ’22 deadline. With the Bengals moving to Mike Gesicki, the Chiefs will gauge Smith’s form alongside one of the best to ever do it.
As Travis Kelce goes into his age-35 season — a 12th NFL slate for the superstar talent — the Chiefs still have his top wingman (Noah Gray) rostered. Blake Bell, however, played out a one-year contract last season.
Vikings To Sign QB Sam Darnold
11:37am: Although the Broncos monitored Darnold’s market, 9News’ Mike Klis indicates the team did not make an offer. Darnold’s asking price landing in the $10MM-per-year neighborhood looks to have moved the Broncos out of the mix. Despite the team having only Jarrett Stidham in place post-Russell Wilson, it passed on making this a true bidding war.
12:12am: Competing against multiple other suitors, the Vikings will bring in their preferred Kirk Cousins fallback option. Sam Darnold has joined DaQuan Jones in making a wee-hours call on his 2024 NFL team.
Darnold will rejoin his former teammate — new Vikings QBs coach Josh McCown — in Minnesota, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting the recent 49ers back will sign a one-year deal worth $10MM. The Vikings appear to have beaten out the Broncos and Commanders for the former No. 3 overall pick.
[RELATED: Falcons To Give Kirk Cousins $180MM Deal]
This will bring what looks to be a clear-cut starter opportunity for Darnold, who has not gone into a season as a starter since 2021 with the Panthers. With Cousins’ Atlanta departure set to bring $28.5MM in dead money due to the void years Minnesota tacked onto their previous starter’s deal, Darnold at a significantly reduced rate will help the Vikings pick up the pieces.
Darnold, 26, emerged on the Vikings’ radar minutes after Cousins chose to leave. The team had made its pitch to its six-year starter up until Sunday night, but the 35-year-old passer will camp in Georgia on a $45MM-per-year accord. Cousins certainly is a more stable option compared to Darnold, who could not stick as the Jets or Panthers’ starter. But the Vikings will not be devoting anything close to their QB spot compared to the past six seasons. The Cousins era taxed the Vikings, who were battling uphill in negotiations since giving the ex-Washington franchise tag recipient a fully guaranteed deal in 2018.
With the salary cap ballooning to $55.4MM, the Vikings will need to give Darnold more than the Buccaneers handed Baker Mayfield in the wake of Tom Brady‘s void years-generated bill hitting their books last year. Mayfield collected some incentives but signed for just $4MM in base value last year. Darnold has not reached the heights Mayfield did merely in Cleveland, and the USC alum has made 56 career starts. But an argument can also be made — even after six seasons — the former top prospect landed in two bad situations as a starter.
The Jets chose to ship Darnold out after three seasons, which came under Todd Bowles and Adam Gase and with clear issues on the offensive line and at the pass-catching positions. And the Panthers acquired Darnold — for three draft picks, including a second-rounder — during an unstable period in which Matt Rhule was ready to move on from the trade pickup by his second season. Mayfield then replaced Darnold as Carolina’s starter, and while the latter recaptured his job, the Panthers were on the verge of another regime change. Darnold has a career 63-56 TD-INT ratio and has averaged just 6.7 yards per pass as a pro. In his most recent season with enough usage to qualify (2021), Darnold ranked 29th in QBR.
The Vikings will give Darnold a Justin Jefferson–T.J. Hockenson–Jordan Addison trio to target, and while the former Trojans standout will probably never live up to his draft slot, Kevin O’Connell‘s offense looks like his best opportunity to show he can be a decent starter. Of course, the Vikings will certainly be connected to QBs in the draft; they hold the No. 11 overall pick. But Darnold would be in place as the bridge in that circumstance. He could also buy the NFC North team time if a trade-up maneuver proves elusive come April.
Jaguars To Re-Sign RB D’Ernest Johnson
Plenty of running backs have reached agreements with new teams recently, but D’Ernest Johnson will be staying in place. The depth rusher is re-signing with the Jaguars on a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The former UDFA started his career as Nick Chubb‘s backup in Cleveland. Serving as a RB2 behind a workhorse RB naturally limited Johnson’s snaps, but the RB did get an extended look in 2021. He started two of his 17 appearances that season, finishing with 671 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.
He caught on with the Jaguars last offseason but started the year as the RB3 behind Travis Etienne and rookie Tank Bigsby. He eventually supplanted his rookie teammate as the RB2, with the bulk of his 194 snaps coming in the second half of the season. Johnson ultimately finished the year with 248 yards from scrimmage, the second-highest total of his career.
The Jaguars will likely return the same RB corps in 2024. After missing his rookie season, Etienne hasn’t missed a game over the past two years. However, an injury could occur at any time, and Johnson may get the first look ahead of Bigsby in such a scenario.
Falcons, WR Darnell Mooney Agree To Deal
The Falcons have a deal in place for a new quarterback, and the team is now set to add to its receiving corps. Atlanta has agreed to a deal with Darnell Mooney, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.
Mooney will head to Atlanta on a three-year pact, per Rapoport. The deep threat will receive $39MM on the deal, including $26MM fully guaranteed. Expectations will therefore by high for him as a starting member of the Falcons’ pass-catching corps.
This year’s receiver market did not include Mike Evans or the franchise-tagged duo of Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. While Pittman has since signed a Colts extension, Indianapolis took him off the FA board last week via the tag. Mooney is among the players to benefit from bigger names being unavailable. He soared well off the “prove it” tier, despite back-to-back seasons with fewer than 500 receiving yards.
Tuesday’s move will reunite Mooney with former Bears GM Ryan Pace, who resides in the Falcons’ front office. Pace drafted Mooney in the 2020 fifth round, after he had clocked a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the Combine. While the Tulane alum struggled in Luke Getsy‘s offense, he was better under Matt Nagy. Mooney’s two best receiving seasons — including a 1,055-yard showing in 2021 — came during the Pace-Nagy years. Nagy’s current team, the Chiefs, pursued Mooney as well. But the Falcons, despite authorizing a monster Kirk Cousins contract, will win this derby.
Mooney, who is going into his age-26 season, will be set to join Drake London and Kyle Pitts as Atlanta pass-game pillars. The Falcons have taken some heat for their top-10 skill-position investments’ early inconsistency. While the team is betting on Cousins to stabilize its passing attack, it still viewed the WR2 role as an area to upgrade. The Falcons had Mack Hollins in place in that role last year; he finished with 251 receiving yards.
Although more proven receiving options existed on the market compared to Mooney, the Falcons will bet on upside. Mooney, who memorably dropped a Hail Mary pass that would have given Chicago a win in Cleveland last season, will be among the many UFAs to benefit from the recent cap spike. The Bears remain in search of a No. 2 wideout opposite D.J. Moore. While the team has since extended its other two regular starters from the 2020 draft (Jaylon Johnson, Cole Kmet), Mooney needed to land his money elsewhere.
Colts To Re-Sign P Rigoberto Sanchez
Rigoberto Sanchez has spent his entire career with the Colts, and that is set to continue in 2024 and beyond. Indianapolis is finalizing a new deal with the veteran punter, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Sanchez will remain in place on a three-year deal, Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star adds. The 29-year-old played out a four-year, $11.6MM deal signed in 2019. Instead of testing the market for outside suitors, he will continue in Indianapolis on a deal which Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes is worth $7.5MM.
Sanchez has been a mainstay for the Colts since the 2017 campaign, appearing in 96 games over his seven-year career. After missing the entire 2022 campaign with an Achilles injury, he bounced back and appeared in all 17 games in 2023. He actually set a new career high with 48.3 yards per punt this past year, and he was the only punter in the NFL to not record a touchback.
The 29-year-old watched the punter market unfold over the past 24 hours, as Cameron Johnston and Tommy Townsend joined new squads. Instead of switching cities, Sanchez will be sticking in Indy for the foreseeable future.
Browns To Sign RB Nyheim Hines
Running back moves continue around the NFL as the negotiating window enters its third day. Nyheim Hines has agreed to a one-year deal with the Browns worth up to $3.5MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The former fourth-round pick emerged as a dependable pass-catching back in Indianapolis, where he had 235 receptions in four-plus seasons with the organization. He was traded to the Bills during the 2022 campaign, and he appeared in nine games for his new squad down the stretch.
He didn’t have the same offensive role in Buffalo, collecting only 11 touches. However, he did have a significant role on special teams, returning 19 kickoffs and 16 punts. He returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns during the team’s regular season finale against the Patriots.
He missed the entire 2023 campaign while recovering from a leg injury stemming from an offseason watercraft accident. He was cut by the Bills earlier this month.
The Browns had to dip into their RB depth in 2023 following Nick Chubb‘s season-ending injury. The team will return that same depth in 2024, with backups Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong expected to stick around. The team may be looking for some additional bodies at the position as Chubb gets back to full health, although Hines’ pass-catching ability will likely earn him some snaps either way.
Dolphins To Sign OLB Shaquil Barrett
After seeing his Buccaneers tenure come to an expected end, Shaquil Barrett became one of the top veteran edge-rushing options on the market. He has now found a new home, having agreed to a deal with the Dolphins (h/t Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz).
Barrett will land a one-year Dolphins deal worth up to $9MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will be team No. 3 for Barrett, who began his career in Denver before ascending to a Pro Bowl-caliber pass rusher in Tampa. The Bucs were open to bringing Barrett back at a reduced rate, but their recent cap-casualty decision will lead the former UDFA to another Florida destination.
This signing will reunite Barrett with Bradley Chubb; the two were teammates on the 2018 Broncos. Chubb and Von Miller served as Denver’s top edge rushers that year, and Barrett angled for more playing time by taking a “prove it” Bucs deal in 2019. The former Miller sidekick certainly proved it in Tampa, leading the NFL in sacks in 2019 and playing a lead role in the Bucs going from the No. 5 seed to a Super Bowl title a year later.
Mounting consistent pressure on Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes to close out the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV-winning season, Barrett then scored a four-year, $72MM deal. Barrett collected his second Pro Bowl nod in 2021, a 10-sack season, but saw the 2022 campaign stall his momentum. After sustained a torn Achilles midway through the ’22 season, Barrett only produced 4.5 sacks and eight QB hits last season. That production and a restructure-generated high cap hit for 2024 made Barrett a Bucs release candidate.
Barrett now moves into position to return to a role as a rotational rusher. Should Chubb and Jaelan Phillips recover from their ACL and Achilles tears, respectively, they will be Miami’s starters with Barrett the top bench rusher. After the Dolphins needed to turn to veteran free agents to fill out their roster late last season, they are planning ahead this time. They will bet on Barrett, 31, regaining some of his pre-injury form being nearly two years removed from his setback.
Bengals To Sign TE Mike Gesicki
Cincinnati retained tight end Drew Sample on Monday, and the team is now set to make an outside addition at the position. The Bengals have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $3.25MM with Mike Gesicki, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Despite a down year on the franchise tag in 2022 and being trapped in a mess of a Patriots offense last season, Gesicki is not too far removed from quality production in Miami. His 2020 and ’21 seasons prompted the Dolphins to apply the tag; the Bengals will make a low-risk bet on upside to accompany the Sample deal.
More of a slot player than a multipurpose tight end, Gesicki surpassed 700 receiving yards during Tua Tagovailoa‘s first two seasons. Gesicki’s presence during inconsistent Tagovailoa seasons helped influence Mike McDaniel‘s regime to unholster the tag in 2022, and while the Penn State alum did not prove a fit in the 49ers-derived scheme, he has shown quality form — his post-TD Griddy work aside — in the recent past.
Gesicki caught six touchdown passes in 2020 and added a career-high 780 receiving yards the following season. Over the past two years, the former second-round pick has combined for 606 yards. Hence this low-level agreement. Gesicki also did not find much of a market last year, settling for $4.5MM from the Patriots. Dalton Schultz, Hunter Henry and Noah Fant fared much better than he did this offseason, suggesting some pessimism on the receiving-oriented TE. The Bengals do offer some hope at a value-reestablishing season.
Barring another addition, Cincinnati will have Gesicki in place as its top receiving tight end. The Bengals have not received Gesicki-level production from a pass-catching tight end since Tyler Eifert‘s non-injury-marred work several years ago, despite the team taking fliers on Hayden Hurst and Irv Smith Jr. following C.J. Uzomah‘s 2022 Jets signing. Uzomah and Hurst are still available, making reunions something to monitor. For now, Cincy is going with a Gesicki-Sample duo.
Browns, Jameis Winston Finalizing Deal
The Jameis Winston sweepstakes appears to have come to an end. Connected to a number of teams as a backup quarterback addition, the former No. 1 pick is finalizing a deal with the Browns, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. The one-year agreement will have a maximum value of $8.7MM, he adds.
Winston as a Cleveland option came up Monday night, and the former No. 1 overall pick will indeed have another opportunity as a backup. The Browns have made some major changes to their coaching staff this offseason, firing OC Alex Van Pelt and QBs coach T.C. McCartney. Ken Dorsey will step in as Kevin Stefanski‘s top lieutenant, and Joe Flacco will be headed elsewhere if he wants to continue his career.
Not only have the Browns passed on re-signing the reigning Comeback Player of the Year, but the team was not closely linked to a reunion with Deshaun Watson‘s 2022 backup — Jacoby Brissett, who rejoined Van Pelt with the Patriots. The Browns preferred a younger option compared to Flacco, and cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes Watson is a Winston backer. That undoubtedly will help influence this agreement.
Brissett was, in fact, on the Browns’ radar, but Cabot adds the team did not want to authorize an $8MM payment like the Pats did. Flacco had resided as the team’s Brissett backup plan, Cabot indicates. But Cleveland will go in another direction. Winston’s agreement will surely settle south of that point, with incentives likely comprising a notable part of the former Buccaneers and Saints passer’s pact.
Best known for his 30-30 season in Tampa, the 30-year-old QB is coming off a four-year tenure in New Orleans. After the Bucs brought in Tom Brady to replace him in 2020, Winston followed Teddy Bridgewater as Drew Brees‘ backup. Cap-strapped in 2021, the Saints turned to the ex-Heisman winner to succeed Brees. While Winston produced decent numbers despite a bottom-tier receiving corps that year, an ACL tear ended his season midway through.
The Saints brought Winston back on a two-year deal in 2022 but ended up renegotiating it ahead of the ’23 season after Andy Dalton usurped the high-variance passer. Winston still stayed on as Derek Carr‘s backup, making multiple cameos as the ex-Raider ran into injury trouble during a season that featured two concussions.
Watson joined Carr in sustaining multiple injuries in 2023, but the high-priced Browns passer could not stay on the field. Watson’s November shoulder surgery prompted Cleveland to sign Flacco, who displayed stunning form in helping a battered offense do enough to sneak into the playoffs. Flacco did not play well in the Browns’ wild-card game, but the 39-year-old passer expressed interest in staying. The Browns were believed to share that interest, but the sides are set to go their separate ways after a memorable stretch.