Broncos To Keep WR Tim Patrick On Reworked Deal
5:04pm: This move will bring the expected pay cut and create $8MM in cap space for the Broncos, who also restructured Mike McGlinchey‘s deal to add $11MM more in funds ahead of free agency, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. As for Patrick, he will drop his base salary from $9.5MM to the veteran minimum with a small amount in per-game roster bonuses in the equation, Yates adds.
Patrick received $18MM guaranteed when he signed his extension 2 1/2 years ago; in a likely pay-cut-or-get-cut situation, he will opt to stay in Denver rather than hit free agency coming off two season-nullifying injuries.
11:11am: The Broncos said goodbye to Justin Simmons, their longest-tenured player, and are set to likely bid farewell to other multiyear starters this offseason. But they plan to hang onto Tim Patrick, despite his run of bad injury luck.
Patrick has agreed to a reworked contract to stay in Denver, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. One year remained on Patrick’s previous contract — a three-year, $34MM extension agreed to during the 2021 season — but ACL and Achilles tears have kept him off the field over the past two seasons. The Broncos are not adding any years to the deal.
With Simmons gone, Patrick sits behind only Garett Bolles for seniority on the Broncos. The former UDFA has been with the team since midway through the 2017 season, predating Courtland Sutton in Denver. Sutton and Jerry Jeudy‘s statuses are again up in the air, but the team will again try to go into a season with the 6-foot-4 pass catcher available to suit up.
Operating as a regular for the Broncos during a period in which Sutton, Jeudy and KJ Hamler each encountered notable injury trouble, Patrick established himself as a key auxiliary option for the likes of Drew Lock, Joe Flacco and Teddy Bridgewater. The possession receiver totaled 742 yards in 2020 and 734 in 2021, finishing second on the team in receiving yardage in each season. But Patrick will effectively have skipped the Broncos’ rocky Russell Wilson era, going down in training camp in each of the past two years to weaken Denver’s receiving corps.
Acquired during the John Elway GM period, Patrick joined the Broncos as a practice squad addition in October 2017. He worked his way into a $10MM-per-year contract; the Broncos re-signed both Patrick and Sutton during the 2021 season. Patrick’s extension that proved important given the events of the following two summers, but with the Broncos needing to cut costs, no realistic chance existed they would retain Patrick on his slotted salary ($9.5MM). But the Utah alum is well-regarded as a leader in the locker room.
It is not known which of his WR teammates beyond Marvin Mims will be back, but the Broncos will give the 30-year-old target another opportunity.
Panthers Re-Sign LS J.J. Jansen
J.J. Jansen is on track to create more distance between himself and other Panthers in the franchise’s games-played column. The veteran long snapper will be back for another go-round in Charlotte next season.
The Panthers re-signed the 15-year veteran to a one-year deal on Friday, The Athletic’s Joseph Person notes. This will be Jansen’s sixth contract agreement as a member of the Panthers, who acquired the specialist via trade from the Packers back in 2009.
A 2013 Pro Bowler, Jansen has opted to sign one-year deals in recent years. The Panthers signed off on a four-year extension in 2012 and a five-year re-up in 2016. Since 2021, however, Jansen has gone year to year. The former Green Bay UDFA is going into his age-38 season.
Jansen reached 243 games played last season; that sits 22 north of John Kasay‘s previous Panthers standard. Among active Panthers, Shaq Thompson is the closest — at 119. Among active long snappers, Jansen leads the pack in terms of appearances, having also added seven playoff games.
While various issues can plague long snappers, this is one of the most stable positions in sports. Mastering this skill can lead to a steady gig toward age 40, and Jansen is as reliable as they come. The Notre Dame alum has never missed a game since debuting with Carolina 15 years ago. A near-vet-minimum salary will await Jansen, as it does all long snappers. The Panthers paid their third specialist $1.32MM last season.
Broncos To Release TE Chris Manhertz
A key blocking presence in Denver last season, Chris Manhertz is moving off the Broncos’ roster amid a cap crunch. The team will release the veteran tight end, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets.
The Broncos gave Manhertz a two-year, $6MM deal to rejoin Sean Payton last year. Better remembered for his time with the Panthers and Jaguars, Manhertz is an eight-year veteran. His release will save the Broncos just more than $2MM in cap space.
“I’ve played long enough in this league to where whatever happens, it’s just business,” Manhertz said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “Is it disappointing news? Sure. But it’s just business. You take it for what it is.”
Manhertz, 31, played 367 offensive snaps over 16 games for the Broncos last season. Denver’s rushing attack struggled for the most part, and Manhertz (two catches, 16 yards) was a non-factor in the passing game. Manhertz was viewed as one of the game’s better pass-blocking tight ends last year, per Pro Football Focus. Prior to coming to Denver, the former UDFA had spent two seasons in Jacksonville and more than four in Carolina. He only played three games for the Saints; those came in 2016.
The Broncos will need a better answer at tight end in 2024, however, as 2022 third-round pick Greg Dulcich has been an IR mainstay due to chronic hamstring trouble. Denver is close to cap compliance, being less than $1MM over as of Friday afternoon. But the team will need to do more work with its roster to be able to afford some free agency upgrades. The Manhertz release comes a day after the Broncos cut their longest-tenured player, Justin Simmons, to end an eight-season partnership.
Steelers To Release WR Allen Robinson
A year after the Rams agreed to pay much of Allen Robinson‘s salary to land minor compensation from the Steelers, the veteran wide receiver will be cut. Pittsburgh is moving on from Robinson, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets.
No guarantees remained on the 10-year veteran’s deal, giving the Steelers $10MM in cap space via this cut. Robinson’s stock has been trending downward since his 2021 franchise tag season in Chicago, though he did hold an auxiliary role in Pittsburgh last season. The Steelers will only be on the hook for $1.9MM in prorated signing bonus.
Robinson’s yardage output trailed his disappointing totals from 2021 and 2022; the ex-Jaguars draftee caught 34 passes for 280 yards and no touchdowns as a Steeler. The team has Diontae Johnson and George Pickens entrenched as starters, though it will be interesting to see how the team rounds out its receiving corps under Arthur Smith. Johnson and Pickens also trudged through inconsistent seasons. Pickens, however, caught fire late to help Pittsburgh back into the playoffs. Two years remain on the former second-rounder’s rookie contract, while Johnson is going into a walk year.
All the Rams could muster in the Robinson trade was a 17-spot jump in last year’s seventh round. The NFC West team also picked up some of the Robinson tab to entice the Steelers to take on the contract. The Rams had signed Robinson to a three-year, $46.5MM deal in 2022, but the big-bodied receiver could not bounce back after showing concerning form on the tag with the Bears.
This marks a third notable Steelers cut in two days. The team released Keanu Neal on Thursday and moved on from Patrick Peterson earlier today. Between the moves, the team has picked up more than $18MM in cap room.
Like Peterson, Robinson suited up for every Steelers game last year. But the three-time 1,000-yard receiver has lost much of the separation ability he once possessed. Serving as the Bears’ No. 1 wideout for three seasons, Robinson posted just 410 yards on the tag in 2021. He still did well to land the contract he did from the Rams, picking up significant guaranteed cash. The Bears were once rewarded for gambling on Robinson after a 2017 ACL tear, and while he is only 30 despite having been in the NFL 10 seasons, the end of the line appears near for the Penn State product.
Raiders To Release QB Brian Hoyer
Brought to Las Vegas after considering retirement last year, Brian Hoyer took a backseat after Josh McDaniels’ midseason firing. As the Raiders attempt to revamp their quarterback room, it will no longer include the veteran backup.
The Raiders are releasing Hoyer, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This will precede Jimmy Garoppolo‘s upcoming release, severing ties with the ex-Patriots wing of the Raiders’ QB room. Aidan O’Connell will remain with the team, as three years remain on the fourth-rounder’s rookie contract.
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A complex Raiders QB year featured some notable Hoyer cameos. Despite being brought aboard in April, Hoyer needed to work as the team’s first-stringer during much of the offseason program due to Garoppolo’s foot surgery. Garoppolo was not initially believed to have needed surgery, but McDaniels announced the operation last May. This led to the then-37-year-old Hoyer taking reps as Garoppolo rehabbed.
Garoppolo missed two games due to injury during his starter portion of the season. While McDaniels initially summoned O’Connell as the replacement, the coach changed course when Garoppolo missed another game and started Hoyer. The former McDaniels Patriots charge was ineffective in an ugly loss to the Bears, though he did replace Garoppolo the previous week and help the Raiders hold off the Patriots. Hoyer did not play again after the Raiders’ 30-12 loss to the Bears.
The Raiders guaranteed most of Hoyer’s two-year, $4.5MM contract; that will bring some dead money for the now-Antonio Pierce-led team. Las Vegas will take on $2.6MM in dead cap due to the Hoyer release. This could conceivably wrap a long-running career for Hoyer, who served as the starter for the Browns and Texans during a productive mid-2010s stretch. For the most part, Hoyer has been a backup during his career.
Prior to coming to the Raiders, the Cleveland-area native missed much of the 2022 season due to a concussion. Hoyer also was part of the Bill Belichick-Mac Jones back-and-forth that year, expressing frustration at the team’s widely panned decision to give Matt Patricia play-calling duties. At 38, Hoyer is the second-oldest active quarterback; only Aaron Rodgers (40) is older. Hoyer has been in the NFL since coming into the league as a 2009 UDFA.
49ers To Extend RT Colton McKivitz
Letting five-year right tackle starter Mike McGlinchey walk in free agency last year, the 49ers went through with a low-cost replacement plan by promoting Colton McKivitz. The defending NFC champions appear satisfied with the first-year regular’s performance.
The 49ers are giving McKivitz a one-year extension that keeps him under contract through the 2025 season, according to his agency. McKivitz started all 20 49ers games last season. This deal will be worth $7MM, per the agency, which indicates 65% of the contract is fully guaranteed.
While it would not surprise to see the 49ers make a bigger investment at guard this offseason, they are set to return their tackles and center. Trent Williams ended suspense about a potential retirement early, indicating he is coming back for at 15th season. The 49ers also re-signed Jake Brendel in 2023. McKivitz, 27, is on track to stay in place up front for Kyle Shanahan‘s team.
It is a bit interesting McKivitz would take himself out of the 2025 free agency equation without getting more security. But the West Virginia alum has worked his way up from a fifth-round pick who spent his first three seasons as a backup. This marks a similar path to Brendel, who spent most of his career on the bench before Alex Mack‘s retirement produced a promotion.
With Williams on a high-end tackle deal, the 49ers let McGlinchey leave for a Broncos accord that included $52.5MM guaranteed — third-most among right tackles. Previously in place as San Francisco’s swing tackle, McKivitz had agreed to a two-year, $4.65MM 49ers re-up just before McGlinchey’s defection.
Pro Football Focus graded McKivitz as a mid-pack tackle, slotting him 47th last season. Excelling more on the ground compared to his pass protection, McKivitz held up for a full season. Chris Jones‘ crucial overtime pressure on Brock Purdy during Super Bowl LVIII came against McKivitz, though guard Jon Feliciano came out in defense of the young RT by seemingly placing the blame on his injury replacement (Spencer Burford).
The 49ers are exploring re-signing Feliciano and are looking into a Laken Tomlinson reunion, but while the San Francisco guard situation is unsettled, this McKivitz pact solidifies the other spots up front.
Bears, Jaylon Johnson Agree On Extension
MARCH 8: The Bears’ successful effort to convince Johnson to accept an AAV below the franchise tag number came because of the frontloaded offer they presented. The contract will pay Johnson $28MM in 2024, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, with another $16MM in 2025. That two-year total is just north of where two tags would have gotten the four-year veteran ($43.56MM) and helps explain how the Bears locked him down days after applying the tag.
MARCH 7: After resuming extension talks with Jaylon Johnson recently, the Bears are set to remove that $19.8MM cap hold from their 2024 payroll. They have agreed to terms on an extension with the franchise-tagged cornerback, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets.
The sides are believed to have agreed to a four-year, $76MM extension that comes with $54.4MM guaranteed. This will give the Bears more cap space as they prepare to begin, in all likelihood, the Caleb Williams era. It also provides Johnson with a landmark raise considering his status going into last season.
This brings a choppy process to a conclusion; it also represents the culmination of a breakthrough year for the former second-round pick. After initial negotiations did not lead to the parties being on the same page, the Bears let Johnson seek a trade just before the deadline. The 49ers and Bills showed interest, but the Bears held out for a first- or second-round pick. After the deadline, both the Bears and Johnson expressed interest in regrouping and working on a deal. They have done so, and Johnson is now one of the NFL’s highest-paid corners.
Thursday’s extension gives the Bears a big-ticket contract on all three defensive levels; each has been agreed to over the past year. The Bears signed Tremaine Edmunds in free agency and acquired Montez Sweat via trade, extending him soon after that deal came to pass. Johnson gives Chicago a high-end DB payment. After Ryan Poles moved the last of Ryan Pace‘s high-end defender contracts (Eddie Jackson‘s) off the books this offseason, the third-year GM has reshaped Chicago’s defense.
Oftentimes, the franchise tag number serves as the floor for players regarding extensions. The Bears, despite the salary cap’s recent surge, have managed to lock down Johnson at an AAV slightly under his tag price. The $19MM-per-year salary only makes Johnson the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid CB, but it doubles as a windfall for a player who was not viewed as worthy of this type of contract going into last season. It also may set the market for L’Jarius Sneed, whom the Chiefs tagged and are believed to be OK with trading.
As far as guarantees go, Johnson’s $54.4MM figure will check in fifth at the position. ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds $43.8MM is believed to be fully guaranteed, and $28MM will come Johnson’s way in Year 1. That more important number ranks third among corners. Although Johnson came into the offseason expressing hope he could become the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, a frontloaded Bears offer likely swayed him from coming especially close to betting on himself again. Johnson, 25, will receive $60MM over the deal’s first three years, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.
Johnson said last summer he wanted to sign a second contract with the Bears; the negotiations changed course after the season the former Pace draftee put together. Pro Football Focus graded Johnson first overall among corners, and Pro-Football-Reference’s coverage metrics backed that up. After allowing passer ratings (as the closest defender) north of 94.0 from 2020-22, Johnson checked in with a 50.9 number this season — a four-INT slate that produced a second-team All-Pro honor.
Also voted a Pro Bowler, Johnson had not received recognition coming into last season. This well-timed breakout reminds of Josh Norman‘s in 2015, but the ex-Panther needed to find his payday elsewhere after the team rescinded the contract-year wonder’s franchise tag, leading to a Washington landing. The Bears are instead investing in their late bloomer.
With Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson still on rookie contracts, Johnson will be the expensive piece at the position for the foreseeable future. The Bears may well be planning more moves to bolster their roster, with Williams’ rookie deal on track to reset the team’s contract clock at the position after three Justin Fields seasons.
Dolphins To Re-Sign P Jake Bailey
Part of a punter carousel that saw two intra-AFC East changes last year, Jake Bailey will be set for a more stable offseason in 2024. The Dolphins are re-signing the five-year veteran.
The Dolphins will give Bailey a two-year, $4.2MM accord to stick around as their punter, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Bailey spent the previous four seasons with the Patriots. He replaced Thomas Morstead with the Dolphins.
Bailey bounced back following a down 2022, averaging 45.7 yards per punt — after he posted just 42.1 yards per boot during an injury-plagued Pats finale — during his South Florida debut. The Patriots had extended Bailey in 2022, but the team cut bait following the season.
A 2020 first-team All-Pro after averaging 48.7 yards per punt as a Patriot, Bailey saw an injury and a team-imposed suspension lead him out of Foxborough. Issues between the Pats and Bailey regarding rehab from his 2022 injury led to the suspension. This preceded the team bailing on the four-year, $13.5MM extension it authorized during the 2022 offseason. The Patriots had drafted Bailey in the 2019 fifth round.
Morstead, who soon signed with the Jets, had been the Dolphins’ punter for just one season. They want Bailey, 26, to stick around for longer. Though, with this being a punter contract, little security should be expected.
Patriots To Re-Sign TE Hunter Henry
10:10am: Henry’s second Patriots contract will be worth $27MM in total, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, who adds it will include $16MM fully guaranteed. Henry did not do quite as well as Schultz, who is two years younger, but this represents a nice third contract for a player trapped in some bad aerial attacks in recent years. Henry’s second Pats pact can max out at $30MM.
9:40am: The tight end market may not bring much of consequence this year. After Dalton Schultz agreed to stay with the Texans rather than hitting free agency again, the Patriots appear close to keeping Hunter Henry.
New England is working on a Henry deal, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. The sides have moved close to the goal line here, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicating the parties are finalizing an agreement. Henry played out a three-year, $37MM Pats deal, and despite the team making major changes this offseason, the former Chargers draftee remains in the Pats’ plans.
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This process is set to produce another three-year deal, Garafolo adds. While New England will need help at wide receiver soon as well, the team is planning to keep its three-year tight end starter as it transitions to another new play-caller. The parties have agreed to terms, and Henry will get to work in new OC Alex Van Pelt‘s scheme.
Although the Patriots’ offense spiraled in the two years following Josh McDaniels‘ departure, Henry was among the few bright spots. The ex-Philip Rivers target totaled 17 touchdown receptions on his previous contract, including nine in Mac Jones‘ rookie season. The Patriots are widely expected to have a new quarterback — perhaps via the No. 3 overall pick — and they will give that to-be-determined player an outlet option in Henry, who will not turn 30 until later this year.
Henry’s yardage totals decreased in each of his seasons with the Pats (603, 509, 419), but that can also be seen as a reflection of what happened to the team’s offense in this span. Even as the yards became harder to come by, Henry still provided the team with a quality red zone option. The 6-foot-5 pass catcher scored six touchdowns last season. Henry totaled back-to-back 600-yard seasons during his final two seasons in Los Angeles, but injuries limited him in each campaign. With the Pats, he shed the injury-prone label by missing only three games throughout his first three seasons in Foxborough.
The Schultz and Henry deals come as the Commanders (Zach Ertz) and Dolphins (Jonnu Smith) have made early strikes at the position. This effectively depletes the TE market for teams hoping to add pieces in free agency. This upcoming tight end draft class also does not match the buzz last year’s created. Noah Fant stands to be the top remaining option, and because of these early deals, the former first-round pick should do well next week. Gerald Everett, Colby Parkinson and likely one-and-done Patriot Mike Gesicki are among the other top receiving tight ends set to be UFAs.
Patriots Sign T Chukwuma Okorafor
MARCH 8: The Patriots are giving Okorafor a base value of $4MM on this deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Okorafor will receive $3.13MM guaranteed at signing, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed adds. The contract will max out at $8.25MM, which is just below what the veteran tackle would have made in the final year of his Steelers contract. This also checks in slightly less than the contract New England gave Reiff a year ago.
MARCH 7: Entering the week in the top three in terms of cap space, the Patriots will add a tackle before the free agent market opens. They are bringing in recently released Steeler Chukwuma Okorafor, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
The Steelers cut Okorafor, 26, earlier this offseason, doing so after benching the veteran right tackle during the 2023 season. While the Patriots should be expected to do more at tackle in free agency, Okorafor provides an early option for a team that struggled to keep its tackles healthy in 2023. It will, however, be interesting to see how this agreement impacts Mike Onwenu‘s free agency.
Okorafor signed a three-year, $29.25MM deal with the Steelers in 2022, staying on as the team’s right tackle. Two years into the deal, the Steelers demoted the veteran starter for first-round pick Broderick Jones. Okorafor started only seven games, being pulled after unspecified comments he made during the end of the team’s loss to the Jaguars. The Steelers benched him for their Week 8 game, going with Jones, and never turned back to the six-year veteran against last year.
A former third-round Steelers draftee, Okorafor made 59 starts from 2018-23. He served as the team’s primary starter at right tackle from 2020 until the mid-2023 benching. A Week 1 injury to Zach Banner moved Okorafor into the Steelers’ 2020 lineup, and he started the final 15 games for the AFC North champions that year. The Western Michigan alum did well to collect a midlevel RT contract two years ago, and the Patriots are giving him a bounce-back opportunity.
Last year, the Patriots tried to patch up their right tackle spot by giving aging blocker Riley Reiff a lower-end pact and adding ex-Broncos swingman Calvin Anderson. Neither option worked, and Reiff lasted just one game during a season featuring two IR placements. The Pats then moved Onwenu from guard back to right tackle, where he played as a rookie. That move may well help Onwenu’s free agent status, with the tackle market not especially deep. The Pats are believed to still want to bring back Onwenu, though this Okorafor pact could conceivably affect those plans. The Pats are viewing Okorafor as a potential starter, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.
New England has needs at both tackle spots, with LT Trent Brown due for free agency and likely to depart, and may need a guard as well. It is possible the Patriots could view Onwenu as a guard and attempt to re-sign him as such, but the former sixth-round find is expected to at least test the market. Okorafor could become a likely cost-effective stopgap, though if that is the case, the Pats will be expected to devote more resources to their left tackle and guard posts.