Raiders To Sign QB Gardner Minshew
Well, a Justin Fields-Raiders union seems unlikely to come to pass now. The Raiders are in agreement with Gardner Minshew on a two-year deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
As things move fast in the early days of free agency, the Raiders were reported to be considering Fields. But they were previously mentioned as a non-suitor for the Bears passer. Minshew now looks to be the passer coming in to compete with Aidan O’Connell — and perhaps a rookie — for the job.
Minshew needed to settle for just a $3.5MM deal as a Colts bridge last year. His work replacing Anthony Richardson garnered the ex-Jaguars draftee a much bigger market. The Raiders are giving Minshew $15MM guaranteed on a deal worth $25MM, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Based on this contract, O’Connell does not seem to have much of a shot to retain his starting job.
The Colts benefited from their Minshew stopgap addition, coming close to rebounding from a four-win 2022 season by making the playoffs. That journey fell just short, with the Texans edging the Colts in Week 18, but Minshew made another extended audition count. He found believers in the Raiders, who now have a QB1 option while they assess their long-term plan.
Minshew, 27, has already made 37 career starts — mostly with the Jaguars and Colts. Last season, the popular backup became needed as a starter once again after Richardson needed shoulder surgery. The Colts’ passing attack may well have been better off — for 2023, at least — with Richardson a raw prospect on the aerial front. Minshew threw for 3,305 yards, though at just 6.7 per attempt, and tossed 15 TD passes compared to nine INTs. QBR placed Minshew 13th, as he helped the Colts to a nine-win season, going 7-6 as a starter.
Joining Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco among the bridge options on this year’s market, Minshew scoring this Raiders deal represents one fewer starter opportunity for the rest of this lot. The Vikings are believed to be interested in Darnold, however, and it is not known if the Broncos will go with 2022 Raiders backup Jarrett Stidham post-Russell Wilson or snag another veteran.
The Broncos, Vikings and Raiders have been tied to move for a rookie. Antonio Pierce has been the most transparent regarding interest in a longer-term option. The Raiders have been connected to Jayden Daniels, who was at Arizona State during Pierce’s tenure on staff, but that move would require Las Vegas surrendering significant assets. For now, the team has Minshew as a placeholder — and a well-paid one at that.
Bengals, S Geno Stone Agree To Deal
On the lookout for a safety addition, Cincinnati is set to add a new potential starter from a division rival. Geno Stone has agreed to a deal with the Bengals, as first reported by Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Stone will receive $15MM on a two-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. 
Stone has been a division rival of the Bengals in Baltimore for almost all of his career, minus a short two-and-a-half-month period in his rookie year that he spent on the Texans’ roster. After being drafted in the seventh round out of Iowa, Stone’s entire tenure as a Raven was in a backup capacity. He sat behind eventual free agent departures Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott, as well as versatile defensive back Brandon Stephens, before the eventual arrivals of Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton.
Injuries to Williams in 2022 and 2023, as well as the need to move Stephens back to cornerback for depth purposes, finally afforded Stone a chance to start. He took that chance and shined. With seven starts in 2022, Stone graded out as the league’s 28th best safety out of 88 graded players, according to Pro Football Focus. He earned more starts as an injury replacement for Williams this year and played so well that Baltimore often found themselves fielding three safeties, all in versatile roles. With his opportunities this year, Stone graded out well again as he battled DaRon Bland for the interception title with seven picks of his own.
The Ravens will be sad to watch Stone go, but they are set up well at the safety position with Willams and Hamilton both under contract through the 2026 season. They may need to add some depth at the position with such a valuable piece as Stone headed across the division, but it likely won’t be high on the priority list, perhaps necessitating a late-round pick.
In Cincinnati, Stone arrives to a bit of a muddier situation. For much of the year, the Bengals fielded Daxton Hill and Nick Scott as their starting safeties. PFF would grade both players extremely poorly with Hill ranking 90th and Scott landing dead last at 95th. Third-round rookie Jordan Battle would eventually step in for Scott as a starter next to Hill, and in a small sample size, Battle graded out much better as the league’s eighth-best safety, according to PFF.
Hill and Battle may be the incumbent starters, with lots of time left on their rookie contracts. Even Scott is under contract for the next two years, but Stone provides a new, intriguing option. If Hill continues to struggle, the Bengals now have a ball-hawking safety in Stone who plays far too hard to be kept off the field. Stone may even push for starting time to begin the year. If Scott or Hill show improvement, Stone gives Cincinnati the option of running three-safety sets, just like their rivals did with Stone last season.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Chargers To Sign RB Gus Edwards
Gus Edwards will not be playing under John Harbaugh in 2024 for the first time in his career, but he will be working alongside his brother Jim in Los Angeles. The veteran running back has agreed to a two-year deal with the Chargers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Edwards started with the Ravens as one of their usual finds in the undrafted free agent market. He benefitted from injuries to starting quarterback Joe Flacco and the late Alex Collins. With Flacco injured, the Ravens turned to then-rookie Lamar Jackson. Without a full offseason to mold the offense into what it would eventually become under Jackson, Baltimore resorted to lots of read-option plays in which the big, bruising “Gus the Bus” would either rumble forward for an average of 5.2 yards per carry or allow Jackson to run it himself.
After earning the team’s trust over longer-tenured backups like Kenneth Dixon and Javorius Allen, Edwards found himself returning each year alongside Jackson. Though he was never considered a premier back, often serving as a second, short-distance option behind Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins, Edwards routinely got his due. The only time Edwards rushed for fewer than 711 yards was when he missed half the year in 2022 with injury. In a contract year with Baltimore in 2023, Edwards delivered career numbers, scoring 13 times with 810 rushing yards.
Baltimore has been expecting the exit. They are currently only set to return Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell, so running back has been noted as a high priority for them this offseason. Many high-profile free agents are coming off the board, but Derrick Henry looms large, and the team could always choose to bring back Dobbins. If not, the draft should provide plenty of talented options to pair with Hill and the electric Mitchell.
In Los Angeles, Edwards may finally get his opportunity to be a main starter. He reunites with former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who should have quite a bit of trust in the bruising back. With Austin Ekeler headed to Washington and Joshua Kelley also a free agent, Edwards seems to be the guy in the Chargers run game. The team should return young backups like Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson, but they’re likely to remain backups. Depending on how the Chargers view Spiller and Dotson as secondary options, it may make sense for Los Angeles to continue and monitor the draft and free agency for additional supplements to the position.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Colts To Re-Sign DT Grover Stewart, DE Tyquan Lewis
Two key pieces of the Colts’ defense will remain in place for 2024 and beyond. Defensive tackle Grover Stewart is re-signing on a three-year, $39MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Meanwhile, defensive end Tyquan Lewis has re-upped on a new deal, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The latter’s pact is two years in length, per Joel Erickson of the Indy Star.
Stewart’s $13MM-per-year accord will bring $25.73MM guaranteed, topping his previous Colts contract in that department. In terms of full guarantees, Stewart will see $17.99MM. Stewart’s 2025 salary ($7.74MM) becomes guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2025 league year, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, though the team guaranteed the DT’s 2025 roster bonus ($4MM) at signing. That provides a fairly good indication he will be with the Colts next year.
Stewart was one of the best defensive tackles set to reach the market in 2024. Especially with Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins landing monster deals of their own, the 30-year-old could have fared well on the open market. Instead, he will remain an integral part of the Colts’ D-line.
A durable inside presence, Stewart incurred a six-game PED suspension last year. The veteran’s absence showed against the run. Colts allowed 107.9 rushing yards per game with Stewart suited up; during his six-game ban, Indianapolis yielded 153 on the ground. The veteran DT also provided some support in the pass rush, totaling four sacks in 2022 and a career-high eight QB hits in his suspension-abbreviated slate.
Stewart will turn 31 later this year, limiting the length on his next contract. There was some belief that the former fourth-round pick could approach the three-year, $30.75MM extension he signed with the organization following his rookie contract. Stewart managed to top that pact in terms of total money, and he earned the same term.
Lewis was a second-round pick by the Colts in 2018, but he’s struggled to provide the upside the organization surely envisioned. The defensive lineman has started only 16 of his 65 regular season games, and he’s missed major chunks of games in four of his six professional seasons.
Fortunately for the player’s free agency fortunes, he had one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2023. Lewis got into all 17 games for Indy, finishing with career highs in tackles (25), tackles for loss (nine), QB hits (13), and sacks (four, tie).
Giants, RB Devin Singletary Agree To Deal
Not long after losing Saquon Barkley, the Giants have found a replacement. Devin Singletary has agreed to a deal with New York, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes the three-year pact has a base value of $16.5MM and it can reach up to $19.5MM via incentives. That marks a major raise compared to the one-year accord Singletary played on in Houston last season. He took on lead back duties midway through the 2023 season, and he has now parlayed that into a multi-year deal.
In terms of guarantees, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan adds Singletary secured $9.5MM locked in at signing. This includes $3.5MM of the 5-foot-7 back’s 2025 base salary ($4.75). This stands to give the ex-Bills draftee a reasonable shot at being part of the 2025 Giants’ roster.
The former fourth-round pick started 56 games through four seasons in Buffalo, topping 900 yards from scrimmage in each of those campaigns. Despite showing some ability in both the run and pass game, Singletary’s lack of top-level consistency led to him settling for a one-year contract with the Texans last offseason.
Singletary was expected to be a backup to Dameon Pierce, who was coming off a productive rookie campaign. However, the sophomore RB couldn’t carry that production into 2023, forcing Singletary into a larger role than expected. The veteran ended up starting 10 of his 17 appearances, finishing with 1,091 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.
He parlayed that performance into a three-year deal with the Giants, where he’ll temporarily sit atop the depth chart. With Barkley out of the picture and Matt Breida also sitting in free agency, Singletary will surely be penciled in for the RB1 role ahead of the likes of Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray, although the team could look to add additional depth either via free agency or the draft.
Packers, S Xavier McKinney Agree To Deal
A number of teams released veteran safeties in recent days, creating a sense the position was in for a value dip. Xavier McKinney‘s market would run counter to that notion, as it took a top-five safety contract to win this sweepstakes.
The Packers will come through with the victory here, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting the team is signing McKinney to a four-year, $68MM contract. This surpasses what the Falcons gave Jessie Bates last year and checks in behind only Derwin James and Minkah Fitzpatrick at the position in terms of AAV.
[RELATED: Packers To Sign Josh Jacobs]
Helping to bring the former second-round pick to Wisconsin: McKinney will receive $25MM in the first year of this deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The Giants were not prepared to go higher than the transition tag value, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. The Packers, conversely, reached the AAV level near the franchise tag number for safeties.
The Giants considered transition-tagging McKinney; that would have cost the team $13.8MM. The Patriots went there to keep Kyle Dugger off the market, but the Giants were leery of losing McKinney in a scenario in which they did not receive a compensatory pick back. Instead, the Giants are saying goodbye to both McKinney and Saquon Barkley, who has committed to the Eagles.
While McKinney does not have a Pro Bowl on his resume, he is going into his age-25 season. That separated the Alabama alum from the lot of recently released safeties. Ranking 14th on PFR’s free agents list, McKinney played every snap for the Giants last season. McKinney intercepted three passes, forced a fumble and recorded a career-high 116 tackles in his contract year. He has run into some injury trouble, suffering a foot injury that delayed the start of his career in 2020 and then sustaining injuries in an ATV accident in 2022. These chunks of missed games did not deter the Packers, who are making one of the biggest free agency commitments in team history.
Green Bay let Darnell Savage walk in free agency; the ex-first-rounder joined the Jaguars. This left safety as the only place on the Packers’ defense without a former first-round pick in place. McKinney is close, being drafted 36th overall in 2020. The Giants will have some work to do here, having lost McKinney and Julian Love in consecutive offseasons. The Packers will add a potential impact player on their defensive back line.
Texans Expected To Sign DE Denico Autry
Houston’s defensive rebuilding efforts continue. The Texans are expected to add defensive end Denico Autry, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The deal is two years in length and is worth $20MM, colleague Tom Pelissero adds. $10.5MM is guaranteed.
Autry spent the past three seasons with the Texans’ division rivals in Tennessee. The pass-rusher originally joined the Titans in 2021, signing a three-year, $21.5MM deal. Entering his age-34 season, Autry was able to top that AAV during his latest trip to free agency.
The defensive lineman started 33 of his 46 appearances for the Titans, averaging more than nine sacks per season. This included a 2023 campaign where the veteran finished with a career-high 11.5 sacks to go along with 50 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. Despite the counting stats, Autry only ranked 78th among 112 qualifying edge defenders this past season, per Pro Football Focus.
Prior to his stint with the Titans, Autry spent time with the Raiders and Colts. He has 59 sacks on his resume, and he’s added another four sacks in five career playoff games.
Texans, CB Jeff Okudah Agree To Deal; Team To Add CB Mike Ford
Jeff Okudah has a deal in place with the Texans. The former first-round corner is set to join Houston, as first reported by Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. The one-year deal is worth $4.75MM with $2.5MM guaranteed, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 adds.
Veteran corner Mike Ford is also on his way to Houston. Ford will receive $4.5MM on a two-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The third-overall pick in the 2020 draft, Okudah struggled during his time in Detroit. He started six of his nine appearances as a rookie before a ruptured Achilles tendon limited him to only one game in 2021. He managed to get into 15 games for the Lions in 2022, finishing with 73 tackles and one interception.
He was shipped to the Falcons last offseason for a fifth-round pick, and Okudah once again struggled to carve out a consistent role. He started nine of his 13 appearances in Atlanta, finishing with 44 tackles.
Ford also got his start in Detroit and was teammates with Okudah in 2020. The former UDFA has bounced around the NFL in recent years, spending time with the Broncos, Falcons, and Browns over the past three years. He started only one of his 16 appearances in Cleveland this past season, finishing with 28 tackles.
Patriots To Release WR DeVante Parker
The Patriots attempted to trade DeVante Parker in the build-up to free agency, but no suitors have emerged. As a result, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports New England will release the veteran wideout.
This appeared in the cards recently, with reports the Pats were attempting to trade the former first-round pick. With Parker attached to an extension signed last year and the veteran north of 30 and coming off an unimpressive season, trade efforts seemed like an uphill battle. As such, the Pats are moving Parker off the roster.
New England has JuJu Smith-Schuster signed to a three-year deal that includes a guaranteed $7MM for 2024, and the team just re-signed Kendrick Bourne. With a Calvin Ridley pursuit on the team’s radar, it did not appear Parker had a place on the ’24 Pats roster.
Parker signed a Pats extension last year, but only $9.1MM of the summer accord came guaranteed. This left Parker vulnerable; it cost the Patriots just more than $3MM to release the 2015 Dolphins draftee now. New England had traded for Parker as part of an oft-criticized effort to upgrade the talent around Mac Jones. The move produced a 539-yard, three-touchdown 2022 season. The Patriots still shopped for upgrades in 2023, adding Smith-Schuster and pursuing DeAndre Hopkins. And Parker underwhelmed last year, hauling in just 33 passes for 394 yards and no TDs.
Bourne, Demario Douglas and Smith-Schuster represent the Pats’ WR pillars so far, with the recently re-signed Hunter Henry set to continue as a pivotal part of the Pats’ passing attack. Parker is unlikely to find a strong market for his services; the one-time 1,000-yard receiver turned 31 in January.
Panthers To Add G Robert Hunt
Rumored to be chasing guards, the Panthers are paying up to help Bryce Young protection in the quarterback’s second season. They are preparing a $100MM payment to fill this need.
Robert Hunt is headed to Charlotte, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reveals what it will cost. Hunt is signing a five-year, $100MM deal. A three-year Dolphins guard starter, Hunt becomes only the fourth guard in NFL history to sign a deal for at least $20MM per year. Part of Hunt’s guarantee will come via a $26.5MM signing bonus, Garafolo adds.
The Dolphins’ free agents have led the way on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. Miami was preparing to lose both Hunt and Christian Wilkins; both players have received deals near the top of their positions’ markets. Hunt will slide in as an upgrade at guard for a Panthers team that saw both its guard starters — Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett — suffer season-ending injuries last year.
These injuries were among the issues that plagued Young during his rough rookie season. The Panthers will give their diminutive quarterback a better chance by helping to protect him from inside pressure, which was a common problem during the No. 1 pick’s debut. Hunt is going into his age-28 season, making it rather important he was able to cash in this year — after the cap spike created a friendlier market.
A 2020 second-round pick, Hunt slid from right tackle to right guard in 2021 and became the Dolphins’ most consistent O-lineman. As Miami moved more players around and saw other blockers suffer injuries in this span, Hunt chugged along. That said, Hunt did aggravate a hamstring injury and miss seven games last season. But the Louisiana alum started all 34 games from 2021-22. Hunt goes 330 pounds, giving the Panthers an imposing presence as they reconstruct their line in Dave Canales‘ first year.
Pro Football Focus slotted Hunt as a top-12 guard in each of the past two seasons; he played a big role in helping Mike McDaniel‘s offense ignite. The Panthers will pay up to see if he can help Young begin a real development effort, after last season saw those hopes encounter early turbulence.