Chiefs Re-Sign DT Derrick Nnadi
The Chiefs are bringing back a starter on their defensive line. Derrick Nnadi is returning to Kansas City, agency SportsTrust Advisors announced on Twitter.
The former third-round pick has spent his entire career with the Chiefs, starting 69 of his 81 regular season appearances and 11 of his 14 postseason appearances.
After starting only 10 of his 17 appearances in 2021, Nnadi started all 17 games for Kansas City in 2022. His lone sack came during the Chiefs’ postseason run to a Super Bowl, and he finished the years ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 119th interior defender among 124 qualifiers. He last graded as a top-end interior defender in 2020.
Even if Nnadi profiles as more of a situational player, the Chiefs will continue to lean on him in 2023. Khalen Saunders left in free agency, leaving Nnadi as the veteran member of the defensive tackles room.
Bills Re-Sign OL David Quessenberry
The Bills are bringing back a depth piece on their offensive line. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the Bills are re-signing offensive lineman David Quessenberry.
The former sixth-round pick turned into a useful OL piece during his time with the Titans, culminating in him starting all 17 games at right tackle for Tennessee in 2021. The advanced stats point to a productive showing that year, with Quessenberry finishing as Pro Football Focus’ 18th-best offensive tackle.
He joined the Bills last offseason and ended up seeing time in all 17 games. He started three total games at both tackle spots while filling in for Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown. He graded last season as PFF’s 66th offensive tackle (among 81 qualifiers).
The Bills added guard Connor McGovern last week, but they’ll otherwise return the same depth from last season. That means Quessenberry will likely enter the season as a backup OL.
Broncos Sign P Riley Dixon
Riley Dixon is back in Denver. The Broncos announced that they’ve signed the free agent punter. Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets that Dixon will be getting a two-year deal.
Dixon was a seventh-round pick by the Broncos back in 2016 and would go on to earn PFWA All-Rookie Team honors. He spent two years in Denver before getting traded to the Giants, where he’d spend four seasons. Dixon landed more than 42 percent of his punts inside the 20 between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, but after averaging a career-low 44.4 yards per punt in 2021, he was let go.
He caught on with the Rams for 2022 and saw a significant improvement on his average, boosting his yards per punt to a career-high 48.4 yards. If Dixon can continue performing to his standard career levels, he’ll be able to outperform incumbent Corliss Waitman.
The former UDFA averaged 46.6 yards per punt and landed 31.3 percent of his punts inside the 20 last year in Denver. Waitman was tendered as an exclusive rights free agent after the season, but Renck notes that the offer has since been withdrawn.
Giants To Sign DB Bobby McCain
Bobby McCain‘s Washington stay ended after two seasons, but he will land with one of the franchise’s rivals. The Giants are signing the veteran defensive back, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
A full-time starter for the past two Washington editions, McCain is headed to New York on a one-year deal. The Giants just lost Julian Love to the Seahawks, and although they still roster Xavier McKinney, McCain has extensive experience as a back-line defender.
The former Dolphins starter has also spent time as a slot defender, logging reps in that role as recently as last season. Going into his age-30 season, McCain will offer versatility to a Giants team that exited last season somewhat thin at cornerback. Love’s exit created a Big Blue need at safety as well.
Picked up after the Dolphins made him a cap casualty in 2021, McCain intercepted four passes with Washington that season. The team then gave him a two-year deal worth $11MM. Former fifth-round pick Darrick Forrest‘s emergence at safety moved McCain into the slot during the 2022 season, and the Commanders opted to move on from the eight-year veteran to create some cap space.
The Giants used Love across the formation as well, but they’ll return slot options Darnay Holmes and Cor’Dale Flott. They have a greater need at safety, considering Love logged 1,000-plus snaps last season. McKinney has missed chunks of both the 2020 and 2022 seasons as well. McCain has proven durable, starting 32 Washington games since 2021 and having not missed a game since 2019. Other than that 2019 campaign, McCain has only missed two career games.
It should not be expected McCain did as well on this Giants pact compared to his second Washington contract, but the Giants’ decision-makers are certainly familiar with him given Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll‘s AFC East ties and McCain being a Commander when the current New York power structure arrived. McCain could become a cheap solution to the Love defection.
Cardinals Sign DE L.J. Collier, Re-Sign CB Antonio Hamilton
Former Seahawks first-round defensive end L.J. Collier will have another chance in the NFC West. The Cardinals are bringing in the edge rusher, according to the team.
They also announced Tuesday cornerback Antonio Hamilton is staying. Both defenders signed one-year contracts with the retooling team. Hamilton joins a few Steve Keim–Kliff Kingsbury-era additions in coming back. Kelvin Beachum and Matt Prater also agreed to stay in Arizona to start the Monti Ossenfort–Jonathan Gannon regime.
One of a few off-board first-round picks the Seahawks have made in recent years, Collier represented the John Schneider–Pete Carroll regime’s biggest swing and miss in the round. Collier was barely seeing playing time by the time his rookie contract ended, with healthy scratches coming at points during his rookie deal. The TCU product ended his Seattle career with just three sacks; each of those came in 2020.
This will be an uphill battle for a reclamation project, considering Collier’s scant production. The Seahawks tried him as a starter in only 2020, when he started 16 games. They moved on to other first-string options over the past two seasons. Collier, 27, maxed out at six sacks in a season in college as well. The former Horned Frogs edge player’s modest college production left him off the first-round radar, but as the Seahawks have shown with Rashaad Penny and Jordyn Brooks, they care little for consensus options in the draft. The Cards will attempt to use Collier at multiple positions up front, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.
Hamilton rebounded from a late-summer kitchen accident, which resulted in serious burns on his feet and landed him on the Cardinals’ reserve/NFI list to start the season. The well-traveled cornerback re-emerged to play in 10 games and start a career-high five. The 6-foot defender notched his first interception and allowed a career-low 82.0 passer rating as the closest defender in coverage. Pro Football Focus also assessed Hamilton’s work positively, ranking him 36th at the position after his 418-snap 2022.
The Cardinals looked into ex-Gannon charge James Bradberry and were interested in re-signing Byron Murphy, but after Murphy — now a Viking — worked as Arizona’s No. 1 corner over the past two seasons, the team remains in dire need at the position. Hamilton, 30, should represent an early piece of this puzzle. The veteran will come on an affordable contract, earning $1.5MM guaranteed and a max value of $2MM, per Fowler (on Twitter). The Cards, who did not move aggressively at corner last year, will need to add multiple additional corners before the offseason ends.
Cowboys To Re-Sign DE Dante Fowler, Want To Re-Sign DT Johnathan Hankins
Following a bounce-back season, Dante Fowler plans to stay in Dallas. The Cowboys are bringing back the first-rounder-turned-rotational pass rusher, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports (on Twitter).
Fowler will be back on another one-year deal, per Watkins. The deal is worth $3MM in base value, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Fowler will collect a $1MM signing bonus and earn $1.5MM in base salary in 2023. The contract includes another $1.25MM available via incentives, Wilson adds.
The ex-Jaguars No. 3 overall draftee totaled six sacks last season, working behind the likes of DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons. DC Dan Quinn, who was the Falcons’ HC when they signed Fowler back in 2020, will have him back in this role soon.
The Cowboys aimed to re-sign Randy Gregory last year, but negotiations fell apart late in the process. After Gregory trekked to Denver, Dallas brought in Fowler, re-signed Dorance Armstrong and drafted Sam Williams in the second round. This quantity-based approach ended up paying off for the team, and Fowler — after flaming out on a $16MM-per-year Falcons agreement — fared well as a second-stringer in Dallas.
Fowler is going into his ninth NFL season, but he is headed for only his age-29 campaign. In addition to the six sacks — his most since 2019 — the former Florida prospect added two forced fumbles and nine quarterback hits. He got there in just 343 defensive snaps. The Cowboys still have Armstrong under contract as well; the Fowler addition looks to ensure the team will run it back at defensive end in 2023.
Consistency has eluded Fowler as a pro. He missed his entire rookie season, due to an injury at the Jags’ rookie minicamp, but played a key off-the-bench role for Jacksonville’s AFC championship game-bound team two years later. After Fowler’s eight-sack 2017, he tallied just four with the Jags and Rams in 2018. In a 2019 contract year, however, the then-Aaron Donald teammate racked up career-high numbers in sacks (11.5) and QB hits (16). That preceded a rough Falcons stay, one that ended a year early. Quinn looks to have unlocked Fowler’s higher gear; can the veteran edge defender sustain it?
Clearly sensing an opportunity in what looks to be the weaker of the two conferences, the Cowboys have been aggressive since the legal tampering period began. They have added Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks and re-signed both Fowler, Donovan Wilson and Leighton Vander Esch.
This retention effort may also soon include Johnathan Hankins. The Cowboys want to bring back the veteran defensive tackle, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. The Cowboys acquired Hankins from the Raiders before the deadline and used the 10-year vet as a starter and rotational D-tackle. Hankins, 31 next week, played in seven games for the Cowboys and recorded a sack in the playoffs. The journeyman run-stopper will not cost much to retain, and he looks to have another opportunity in Dallas.
Falcons Reinstate DT Eddie Goldman From Reserve/Retired List
Eddie Goldman looks to be attempting a comeback. The longtime Bears nose tackle landed on the Falcons’ reserve/retired list shortly after signing with Atlanta last year, but he is now back on the team’s active roster.
The Falcons reinstated Goldman from the retired list Tuesday, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. Goldman signed a one-year deal worth $1.3MM with the Falcons last summer. But he had played three seasons on a lucrative Bears extension and exercised his right to opt out due to COVID-19 concerns in 2020.
It cannot be assumed Goldman, 29, will be part of the Falcons’ 53-man roster next season. But he is back on Atlanta’s 90-man offseason roster. The former second-round pick operated as the Bears’ starting nose tackle throughout Vic Fangio‘s time with the team and continued to do so following the acclaimed DC’s exit. Former Bears GM Ryan Pace, who made Goldman his second draft choice upon taking that job back in 2015, also remains in the Falcons’ front office.
Goldman started for a No. 1-ranked Bears defense in 2018. That unit, which featured accomplished veterans at most spots, helped snap an eight-season Bears playoff drought. More pivotal to Goldman’s path, the Bears took care of him shortly before that season commenced. Goldman signed a four-year, $42MM extension during the 2018 offseason. That deal came with $25MM guaranteed. Will he end up playing on the bottom-end deal the Falcons authorized last year?
Atlanta is transitioning to Ryan Nielsen‘s defense. The six-year Saints staffer has added ex-charge David Onyemata to his defensive tackle group. With Onyemata joining Grady Jarrett, there would not appear a path — barring injury — to Goldman starting inside. Nielsen has not committed fully to installing a 4-3 defense in Atlanta; Goldman played exclusively in 3-4 schemes in Chicago. But the team is inexperienced up front beyond these two veterans. Goldman has made 73 career starts.
Cowboys, RB Ronald Jones Agree To Deal
Ronald Jones‘ second Super Bowl ring did not involve many miles added to his odometer. The Chiefs largely used other backs ahead of the former Buccaneers second-round pick, but he will land another opportunity.
The Cowboys are signing Jones on Tuesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. Jones met with the team Monday and agreed to a one-year deal. This signing comes days after Dallas separated from Ezekiel Elliott. While the door is not believed to be slammed shut on the seven-year vet re-signing at a (significantly) reduced rate, another veteran coming in does not improve the prospects of a quick reunion.
In what amounted to a mid-career redshirt season, Jones logged just 17 carries for 70 yards with the Chiefs. Kansas City did end up replacing Clyde Edwards-Helaire as its primary starter, but seventh-round rookie Isiah Pacheco stepped in. Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon operated as the Super Bowl champions’ top backs. Although Jones dressed for Super Bowl LVII, he did not see any action.
Jones, 25, contributed far more to the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV-winning season in 2020, leading the team with 978 rushing yards at 5.1 per carry. He ripped off a 98-yard run against the Panthers that season and enjoyed a three-game stretch in which he cleared the 100-yard barrier in each. Even as Jones’ career-best season came after a 724-yard year in 2019, the Bucs leaned on Leonard Fournette in those playoffs and veered further in that direction in 2021. Jones did rush for 61 yards in Super Bowl LV, but aside from Fournette’s late-season injury in 2022, he never regained his job in Tampa.
The USC product will join Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle as Tony Pollard‘s backups. The Cowboys’ Elliott release ensured the 2022 Pro Bowler will be the team’s centerpiece back next season. The Cowboys kept Pollard’s mileage low (631 career touches) during his rookie contract, so it will be interesting to see if they give Jones a legitimate opportunity to be a between-the-tackles complement or lean more on Pollard going forward. Jones’ 2022, however, certainly does not ensure he will be the team’s first choice to become Pollard’s top backup.
Vikings Re-Sign DL Jonathan Bullard
For the first time in four years, Jonathan Bullard will be remaining in the same NFL home for more than one season. The veteran defensive lineman agreed to a new deal with the Vikings on Tuesday, per a team announcement. 
The 29-year-old played in Chicago for the first three seasons of his career, his longest stint with any one team. He primarily worked in a rotational role with the Bears, but saw an uptick in playing time in 2019 with the Cardinals, starting six of nine game played. His career-high 1.5 sacks that season earned him an intra-divisional move to the Seahawks.
In Seattle, and Atlanta the following year, Bullard was limited to just 15 games played. He saw his usage rate drop over that span, which limited the value of his first Vikings deal. That pact represented the fifth consecutive one-year contract Bullard played on, but it allowed him to take on a larger role than years past. The former third-rounder saw a snap share of 40% in 2022, the third-highest of his career.
Bullard started seven of the 12 games he appeared in during the regular season. A December biceps injury led to a stint on IR, but the Florida product still managed 23 tackles (including five for loss) in his debut Vikings campaign. He was able to return in time for the playoffs, and recorded a sack in the team’s wild card loss to the Giants.
Now, Bullard will continue his stay in the Twin Cities after years of bouncing around the NFC. The Vikings have, to little surprise, seen a number of changes to their defense this offseason, after the unit struggled in 2022 in spite of the team’s overall success. That has included fellow interior d-lineman Dalvin Tomlinson signing with the Browns, and former Packer Dean Lowry being added. Bullard will look to occupy a similar role to the one he had last season as Minnesota aims for a set forward on defense in 2023.
Colts To Sign WR Isaiah McKenzie
Isaiah McKenzie‘s time with the Bills came to an end last week, but he has quickly found a new home. The receiver has agreed to a deal with the Colts, per his agency (Twitter link). 
The 27-year-old had a four-plus-year spell in Buffalo, following his time with the Broncos. His production became consistent over that span, and he earned a two-year deal to remain with the Bills last offseason. However, he became a cap casualty in the opening days of free agency amidst other moves the team has made in its receiver room.
McKenzie had a career-year in 2022, posting 423 yards and four touchdowns on 42 catches. Those totals, along with his 1,112 career yards on kick returns, made the slot man one of the more intriguing options available in the second wave of free agents in this year’s class. His roster spot with the Bills became much less secure after they signed Deonte Harty to add to their return game, but McKenzie will now turn his attention to a third AFC employer.
The Colts have a number of taller receivers on their roster, including recent draftees Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce. Their most expensive wideout in terms of AAV, Ashton Dulin, also comfortably dwarfs McKenzie in size. The latter stands at 5-foot-8, so he will be a unique member of the unit in that regard. He will look to build off of his recent success with Buffalo in particular, though the Colts’ quarterback situation is far different than the one he is departing.
Indianapolis saw Parris Campbell sign with the Giants last week, so McKenzie will look to fill his spot in the lineup. The Colts’ struggles in the passing game over the past few years has no doubt been linked to their never-ending search for a long-term quarterback, but it is also a reflection of their struggles in finding multiple productive wideouts. McKenzie could give them a complimentary option in the slot to match with Pittman and Co. on the outside as the team looks to take a step forward on offense in 2023.