Seahawks To Release TE Will Dissly
The Seahawks’ new coaching staff is parting ways with a few Pete Carroll-era cogs Tuesday. After the team released its two highly paid safeties — Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs — word emerged the club is also moving on from one of its tight ends.
Will Dissly will be released as well, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The move will save the Seahawks $6.97MM in cap space. Signed to a three-year, $24MM deal in 2022, Dissly was due to make $6.49MM in base salary next season.
Seattle has effectively cleared the decks at tight end. With Dissly gone, the team has to fill out this position group. Noah Fant and Colby Parkinson are days away from free agency; both players played out their rookie contracts in 2023.
Dissly played out his rookie deal in Seattle back in 2021, but despite a pattern of injury trouble during that time, the Seahawks still re-signed him in March 2022. Dissly, 27, seemed a bit surprised when he received that offer — which came as the Broncos (who had just acquired ex-Dissly QB Russell Wilson) pursued him as well — but he rewarded the Seahawks by avoiding major injuries on his second contract.
Valuing Dissly’s blocking, the Seahawks gave him $10.34MM fully guaranteed. He ended up receiving more than that on this contract, playing two years on the pact. But Mike Macdonald and OC Ryan Grubb are moving in a different direction. While Dissly played at the University of Washington, his college run came well before Grubb became the Huskies’ OC.
Fant led the way in terms of TE production over the past two seasons in Seattle, but Dissly made an auxiliary contribution to Geno Smith‘s Comeback Player of the Year award by catching 34 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. He finished that season on IR but returned to play 16 games in 2023. Last season, Dissly’s numbers dropped; he totaled 17 receptions for 172 yards. Dissly, who missed 24 games over his first four seasons, only missed three contests over the past two. Dissly also should command some interest on the open market; Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL’s third-best run-blocking tight end last season.
Colts To Tag Michael Pittman Jr.; Sides Discussing Extension
2:03pm: Although the Colts have Pittman on their extension radar, they will use the placeholder option. Indianapolis will tag Pittman, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. It does not appear the sides are too close on a long-term deal, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, but a tag gives them some time. The Colts have until July 15 to complete an extension with their top receiver.
1:45pm: Chris Ballard‘s comments at the Combine did not make it sound likely Michael Pittman Jr. would reach free agency. Indeed, it appears the Colts are preparing to use their franchise tag for the first time since 2013.
The Colts are planning to tag Pittman if they cannot reach an extension, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The sides are still talking, per The Athletic’s James Boyd. The Colts last used their tag to keep Pat McAfee off the market 11 years ago, but with the Ballard regime doing well to re-sign its own homegrown talent, it is not surprising this tag drought may soon end.
If the Colts can reach an agreement by 3pm CT, they will avoid a $21.8MM cap hold going on their books. This deadline has spurred action in the recent past, but no extension for a tag candidate has surfaced today. Pittman would be the eighth player franchise-tagged during this year’s two-week window.
Ballard has done well to keep his cornerstone players on extensions. Since taking over, the eighth-year GM has extended Ryan Kelly, Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith, Shaquille Leonard, Kenny Moore, Grover Stewart and Jonathan Taylor. The former rushing champion’s messy extension process overshadowed Pittman’s contract year, which proved vital to a Colts team frequently playing without its top back. Pittman produced career-high numbers in receptions (109) and yards (1,152) last season, helping a Colts team down Anthony Richardson for most of the season.
It is certainly possible Richardson’s injury helped Pittman compile solid stats last year, with Gardner Minshew a readier passer compared to the raw but promising rookie. Minshew indeed looked Pittman’s way often, giving the former second-round pick his second 1,000-yard season. The Colts chose Pittman before Taylor four years ago, selecting him 34th — one spot after Tee Higgins. Showing the value wideouts bring, neither player will be headed to free agency. The Bengals were the first team to use a tag this year, cuffing Higgins in February.
Without a veteran quarterback on the roster, the Colts can better afford expenditures like a Taylor extension and Pittman tag. Ballard’s team generally avoids big-ticket free agency moves, however, and came into Tuesday with more than $70MM in cap space. That number would shrink if Pittman is tagged, but the sides still have more than an hour to reach an extension.
Patriots To Place Transition Tag On S Kyle Dugger
Amid a flurry of franchise tag decisions, the transition tag will make a rare appearance. The Patriots will take this route to keep Kyle Dugger off the market, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
A rumored franchise tag candidate, Dugger will become just the fifth player transition-tagged over the past 10 years. It will cost the Patriots $13.8MM to use this tag; a franchise tag would have cost them $17.1MM. Considering New England has extended at least one offer on a multi-year pact so far, the team will no doubt continue negotiating on that front moving forward.
Previous extension talks have not gained much traction, but Dugger would have courted numerous suitors had he reached the open market. The Patriots have prevented that from taking place, although today’s move confirms highly-regarded offensive lineman Michael Onwenu will not receive a tag. That comes as little surprise in the latter’s case, but it still sets him up for free agency.
Onwenu is on New England’s radar for a new contract, but his ability to play both tackle and guard will no doubt help his market. Regardless of if he departs in the near future, however, Dugger is set to remain in place as the Patriots aim to repeat their strong showings in a number of defensive categories from 2023. The 27-year-old has been a full-time starter for most of his four-year career, racking up nine interceptions and 20 pass deflections along the way. Better used near the box than as a traditional safety, Dugger eclipsed 100 tackles for the first time in 2023.
Issues in coverage have hurt the Lenoir-Rhyne alum’s PFF evaluations – particularly last year – but he has cemented his status as a key figure in New England’s secondary. Attention will now turn to the latest round of extension talks. $13MM was the reported AAV of the Patriots’ last offer, a figure which falls short of what Dugger will receive in 2024 if he plays on the tag. It will be interesting to see how far the team is willing to go with respect to length and guarantees on a multi-year pact, and the degree to which outside suitors monitor the situation.
Players hit with the non-exclusive franchise tag are allowed the negotiate and sign offer sheets with outside teams. In that event, parent clubs receive two first-round picks as compensation if it is not matched, something which serves as an effective deterrent. New England would not be compensated if Dugger were to sign an unmatched offer sheet due to the transition tag, though. For the time being, he is in place with the Patriots at a reasonable second contract rate.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Bears To Tag CB Jaylon Johnson
Procrastination reigns in the NFL. Coming into Tuesday, only two teams — the Bengals and Chiefs — had used their franchise tags. A host of subsequent tag calls are coming in hours before the 3pm deadline.
The Bears will follow through with their long-rumored Jaylon Johnson tag, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Although the Bears let Johnson seek a trade before last year’s deadline, they held onto the breakout corner. After an All-Pro season, the former second-round pick will be tied to a $19.8MM tag.
Given the interest from the Bears and Johnson about a long-term Chicago partnership, this was not a difficult tag to predict. As a result, the Bears will have until July 15 to work on an extension with the former second-round pick. Ryan Poles‘ team came into Tuesday with considerable cap space. The Bears will still have more than $55MM after tagging Johnson.
No cornerback had been tagged since the Rams kept Trumaine Johnson off the 2017 free agent market; this year, two corners have been cuffed. While the Chiefs have opened the window to a tag-and-trade move involving L’Jarius Sneed, the Bears look more likely to hang onto Johnson and work on an extension. The sides resumed talks recently.
Johnson, 25, did not look like a possible tag recipient coming into last season; like many have in modern NFL history, Johnson timed his breakout well. Pro Football Focus rated Johnson as the league’s best cornerback in 2023, and the former second-round pick intercepted four passes and allowed just a 50.9 passer rating as the closest defender. Johnson’s previous-best rating allowed: 94.6 in 2022. It would make some sense if the Bears made the Utah alum prove his second-team All-Pro slate was not a fluke, but the sides were talking an extension midway through last season. With Johnson floating out the prospect he wants to become the NFL’s highest-paid corner, these negotiations might be tricky.
Although Johnson has not proven to be a difference-maker over multiple seasons, the tag gives him some leverage in talks. Due to the recent cap spike, the 2024 CB tag number nearly matches Jaire Alexander‘s position-record AAV ($21MM). That said, the Bears also hold leverage by using the tag. Johnson can realistically only negotiate with one team, though the Bears would be entitled to a two-first-rounder haul if they failed to match another club’s offer sheet. That is a rare occurrence in franchise tag history.
Contract talks not progressing last fall led the Bears to let Johnson seek a trade hours before the deadline. The Bills and 49ers were among the teams to show interest, but the Bears sought a first- or second-round pick for the four-year starter. It is safe to assume no such offer emerged, and the sides regrouped. The Bears subsequently traded for Montez Sweat and extended him. With most of the Ryan Pace-era pieces off the roster on defense, Poles has some room to maneuver on defense. Although he did authorize a top-five ILB contract for Tremaine Edmunds, Poles does not have a big-ticket contract in place in the secondary at present. That could clear some runway space for a Johnson accord by July.
For now, teams in need of cornerbacks may look to the trade market. Conversely, the second-tier corners on this year’s market stand to see their price tags rise as a result of the Sneed and Johnson tags.
Panthers To Release TE Hayden Hurst
Hayden Hurst suffered a concussion that kept him from playing throughout the season’s second half. A report of the veteran tight end suffering post-traumatic amnesia surfaced.
Illustrating the importance of fully guaranteed money, Hurst is now set to be released. A year after signing Hurst to a three-year deal, the Panthers are moving on, according to The Athletic’s Joseph Person. The Panthers did give Hurst a chance to remain on the team at a reduced salary, but Person adds the former first-round pick declined the pay-cut option. The terms of the proposed pay reduction are not known.
Despite Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesicki being franchise-tagged in 2022, Hurst collected last year’s top free agent tight end contract — a three-year, $21.75MM deal. That came with $13MM fully guaranteed. No additional injury guarantees are included in Hurst’s deal, but that $13MM is certainly important in a transaction like this. Hurst missed last season’s final eight games due to the concussion he suffered against the Bears.
Because this transaction is being tabbed as one set to take place at the start of the 2024 league year, it is safe to assume Carolina will use a post-June 1 designation here. Even in that capacity, the team will only save $2.1MM while incurring more than $7MM in dead money. Hurst was set to make $5.75MM in 2024 base salary. He will be released before a $1.85MM roster bonus vests on March 16. Teams have two post-June 1 designations to use each year.
A former minor league baseball player, Hurst returned to football and crafted a first-round prospect resume at South Carolina. The Ravens took him in the 2018 first round, but after seeing third-round pick Mark Andrews become an immediate impact player, the team traded Hurst to the Falcons in 2020. Hurst and Kyle Pitts teamed up in 2021, but seeing as the Falcons used a No. 4 overall pick on Pitts, it did not make Hurst a priority. The Bengals signed Hurst to a one-year deal in 2022, and he served as an auxiliary Joe Burrow option on a team that came close to booking a second straight Super Bowl trip.
After Hurst’s father revealed the above-referenced post-traumatic amnesia diagnosis, the tight end described that label as worse than it sounded. Hurst tweeted last year he does not remember “up to 4 hours after the game (against the Bears).” The 30-year-old pass catcher was allowed to remain in the game following the hit, being placed in the protocol after the contest.
Part of a poor Panthers offense in 2023, Hurst does not stand to do too well on this year’s market. The $13MM guarantee number softens the blow. Hurst surpassed 25 receiving yards in just two games last season. He does have a 571-yard season (2020) on his resume and attracted the Panthers’ attention after a 414-yard Bengals campaign. Hurst joins Jonnu Smith, Noah Fant and Hunter Henry as the top names on this year’s market. The Texans just re-signed Schultz.
Texans, TE Dalton Schultz Agree To Deal
A mutual interest was known to exist between the Texans and tight end Dalton Schultz. An agreement has been worked out between the sides; Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports a three-year, $36MM contract is now in place. 
The pact includes $23.5MM fully guaranteed at signing, making the negotiating process a highly successful one for Schultz and his representation. After joining Houston on a one-year agreement last offseason, the former Cowboys starter has secured a long-term investment with an up-and-coming AFC contender.
Schultz made it clear last month that he intended to remain with the Texans if possible. Likewise, Houston remained interested in working out an agreement after the success of his debut season with the team. With wideout Nico Collins and Tank Dell in place for at least one more season, Schultz will comprise an effective third element in the Texans’ passing game.
The latter developed into a solid producer with the Cowboys beginning in 2020 in particular. He upped his value considerably during his Dallas tenure, peaking with a statline of 78-808-8 the following year. No agreement could be worked out on a long-term deal, though, and Schultz played on the franchise tag in 2022. His play that season set him up for free agency, where he only landed a $6.25MM Texans contract. Today’s accord will essentially double his AAV compared to last year’s.
Entering his age-28 season, Schultz will be counted on to remain a consistent contributor over the life of the contract. He recorded 635 yards and five touchdowns on 59 receptions in 2023, helping Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud lead the team to the divisional round. Their relationship will now continue for the foreseeable future, as Houston looks to keep as many core pieces in place as possible.
A splashy addition at the running back spot has been circulated in the Texans’ case, and it will be interesting to see if that plays out. In any event, though, Schultz is locked in as an integral component of the team’s efforts to build off last year’s success.
Buccaneers To Use Franchise Tag On S Antoine Winfield Jr.
Franchise tag decisions are coming in hours before the application deadline. As expected, the Buccaneers will prioritize their young All-Pro safety.
Antoine Winfield Jr. will not be given the chance to hit free agency, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reporting the second-generation NFL DB will be tagged. This has been the expected scenario for a bit, but with less than three hours until the deadline, the Bucs will make it official.
[RELATED: Buccaneers, Mike Evans Agree To Deal]
This moves Baker Mayfield closer to free agency, but with the quarterback tag costing over $20MM more than the safety tag, Tampa Bay had been expected to make the cheaper move here. The Bucs have until March 11 to keep Mayfield off the market, but they now have until July 15 to hammer out an extension with Winfield.
As should be expected given Winfield’s importance to the Bucs over the past four years, this is not setting up a “prove it” season from the All-Pro safety. The Bucs intend to discuss an extension, ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine tweets. Tampa Bay was interested in a Winfield extension before last season, but little of substance emerged following that report. Winfield proceeded to put together a dominant contract year, setting himself up for a potential top-market safety contract.
It is sensible for the Bucs to use the tag on Winfield due to its $17.12MM price. If would have cost the team more than $38MM to tag Mayfield. That number being roughly $6MM north of what it cost the Ravens to cuff Lamar Jackson last year, it was a long shot the Bucs would take this route. But with Mayfield talks looming as the team’s top near-term priority, using this tool to keep Winfield on the back burner checks out. Mayfield and the Bucs remain engaged in talks about a second contract.
Winfield, 25, finished with six sacks and an NFL-leading six forced fumbles last season, including a goal-line strip of DJ Chark that allowed the Bucs to hold off the Panthers in Week 18 — a win vital to the team’s eventual journey to the divisional round. The Minnesota alum also established new career-high marks in tackles (122) and interceptions (three) in 2023. He has put himself on the radar to top Derwin James‘ safety-record AAV, which sits at $19MM. James has held that top spot since summer 2022. After Jessie Bates collected $16MM on the open market last year, the Bucs will not take that chance with Winfield, who started in Super Bowl LV as a rookie and has been an important defender during the Bucs’ run of playoff berths.
Ravens Place Franchise Tag On DT Justin Madubuike
Justin Madubuike profiled as the Ravens’ top pending free agent and to no surprise, he will not reach the open market. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle received the franchise tag on Tuesday, per a team announcement. 
A statement from general manager Eric DeCosta confirms Baltimore will continue negotiating a long-term agreement. Talks on that front took place during last week’s Combine, but no agreement was reached. Now, Madubuike will be tied – at least temporarily – to a 2024 salary and cap hit of $22.1MM.
The 26-year-old put up modest but improving numbers across his first three seasons in the league. A jump in production (particularly in the pass-rush department) was expected to an extent entering 2024, but the degree to which it took place was surprising. Madubuike posted 13 sacks and 33 QB pressures, shattering his previous marks in those and other categories while earning second-team All-Pro acclaim.
As a result, the expectation grew throughout the season that the Texas A&M product would be the next in line to secure a major DT pact. Reports recently made it clear the tag would be used the ensure such an offer would not come from an outside suitor, and now Baltimore will be tasked with hammering out a long-term agreement. Talks on that front can continue through to July 15.
The 2022 offseason saw several young producers along the defensive interior land new deals. A clear second tier behind Aaron Donald in terms of annual compensation emerged; Quinnen Williams, Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence and Daron Payne each agreed to multi-year contracts averaging between $22.5MM and $24MM per year and including almost identical guarantee figures. Maduibuike will no doubt be seeking an accord along the same lines after his breakout campaign.
The former third-rounder is one of several key pending free agents the Ravens have to deal with, however. Linebacker Patrick Queen, right guard Kevin Zeitler and edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney are among the starters at risk of departing once the new league year opens, and the same is true of multiple other starters on both sides of the ball. Locking in Madubuike on a multi-year pact will be necessary to avoid carrying his $22.1MM cap hit in full during the 2024 season. The ability of both team and player to come to an agreement will therefore remain a storyline worth following.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic noted early today that the Ravens still believed a long-term Madubuike deal was possible with the understanding the tag would otherwise come into play as a placeholder. That will be the case for now, but Baltimore will continue to seek a deal beyond 2024 while juggling other pressing free agent matters.
Lions To Re-Sign CB Emmanuel Moseley
The Lions are giving Emmanuel Moseley another chance. Seeing ACL tears in back-to-back years sidetrack his career, the veteran cornerback will not hit free agency next week.
Moseley agreed to terms on a one-year deal to stay in Detroit, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Part of a Lions secondary overhaul last year, Moseley encountered hurdles making it back from his 2022 ACL tear. Another tear then took place in October, but the Lions will give the former 49ers starter a shot to rehab again and make an impact in Detroit.
On a day flooded with franchise tag news, the Lions will take what amounts to a flier on a player they coveted last year. Detroit gave Moseley a one-year, $6MM deal in 2023. GM Brad Holmes had said the team would not have been able to have afforded the ex-San Francisco starter had he not gotten injured midway through the ’22 campaign. Moseley’s second Lions pact is likely close to the veteran minimum.
Although Detroit activated Moseley off its PUP list before roster-cutdown day last year, the free agency addition underwent a second knee procedure last summer and was viewed as a long shot to start the year on time. Making his debut in Week 5, Moseley went down after just two plays. The 27-year-old defender joined Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Brian Branch as Lions newcomers. More struggles ensued in coverage, and the Lions are expected to pursue more CB help in free agency. Gardner-Johnson is unsigned days away from free agency.
The 49ers used Moseley as a regular starter. He replaced Ahkello Witherspoon as the team’s Richard Sherman sidekick late in the 2019 season, which ended in Super Bowl LIV. The 49ers then re-signed Moseley to a two-year, $9.38MM deal in 2021. Moseley started 33 games with San Francisco, including 11 during a 2021 season that ended in the NFC championship game.
The 5-foot-11 cover man allowed passer ratings — as the closest defender in coverage — of 65.6 and 66.9 in 2021 and ’22. Pro Football Focus also viewed the young defender well, ranking him just outside the top 30 in both 2019 and ’21. The Lions will see if he can recapture that form after another round of rehab.
Buccaneers, Mike Evans Agree To Deal
MARCH 5, 11:24am: The upfront payout will be critical for Evans, because this contract will carry a base value of $41MM, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates. Of that $41MM, $29MM is fully guaranteed. The contract guarantees Evans $6MM of his 2025 salary at signing and an additional $6MM comes in the form of an injury guarantee. The other $6MM of Evans’ 2025 money is nonguaranteed.
This still represents a nice third contract for Evans, though it is interesting, given the drama that came when Evans set a hard negotiating deadline late last summer, it was enough to keep him off the market.
MARCH 4, 9:35pm: We’ve got some more details on Evans’ new deal with the Buccaneers. Greg Auman of FOX Sports says the $52MM total represents the maximum value, meaning the receiver will likely have to earn a chunk of that money via incentives. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jenna Laine passes along that Evans will earn $29MM of his $35MM guarantee in the first year of the two-year pact.
8:15am: Instead of testing the market next week, Mike Evans will remain in Tampa Bay on a new pact. The veteran wideout has agreed to a two-year Buccaneers contract, per his agents (via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network).
ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that the contract is worth $52MM and includes $35MM guaranteed. Evans had been linked to an asking price of $25MM per season, and he has managed to land it without needing to reach free agency. Projected to be one of the top available wideouts on the market, he will now be able to continue his decorated Bucs tenure for an 11th and 12th season. 
As Garafolo notes, Tampa Bay’s urgency to get a deal hammered out picked up in recent days, with the franchise tag deadline and the start of free agency not far away (video link). The team still has agreements with quarterback Baker Mayfield and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to work out, but one major piece of business has now been taken care of.
Evans was expected to at least gauge his market next week once the new league year began. That update came as little surprise given the gap which continued to exist between team and player during negotiations, something which dated back to last summer. Talks were shut down once the 2023 campaign started, and signs pointed to the five-time Pro Bowler facing the possibility of heading elsewhere. Now, though, he has secured one of the most lucrative WR pacts in the league in terms of annual average value while remaining in place.
This $26MM-per-year agreement will slot Evans behind only Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Cooper Kupp in terms of AAV. The short-term nature of the pact will help Tampa Bay aim to keep its offensive core in place for the time being while preventing a lucrative investment deep into Evans’ 30s. The uber-consistent producer is entering his age-31 season, but his ability to continue delivering 1,000-yard seasons (as well as his chemistry with Mayfield) should make this a relatively safe proposition for the Bucs.
The Texas A&M product recorded 1,255 yards in 2023, Mayfield’s first in Tampa Bay. That figure was his highest since 2018, and – coupled with a league-leading 13 touchdown receptions – it no doubt helped boost his value on a third contract. Evans landed a five-year, $82.5MM pact in 2018, and he has to no surprise secured a much larger AAV on his latest deal given the receiver market’s jump in value and the length of this new contract. The 2018 deal included only $3MM more in guaranteed money at the time of signing, so today’s news is certainly a success from his perspective.
Schefter notes the Chiefs were expected to be among the suitors for Evans if he had reached the open market. A number of other teams would have been interested as well, though few serious suitors likely would have had the means of reaching his asking price if he had landed a similar or more valuable contract than this latest Bucs one. The list of high-end wideouts set to reach free agency next week has now been notably shortened.
Tampa Bay’s offense lost coordinator Dave Canales this offseason when he took the Panthers’ head coaching gig. While the unit will face questions related to its ability to replicate Canales’ success, having Evans in the fold will give the Buccaneers a familiar and consistent option in the passing game. The team can now turn its attention to getting a Mayfield deal on the books before the new league year begins in a bid to keep his partnership with Evans intact moving forward.