Falcons Expected To Sign CB Mike Hughes
MARCH 20: This visit is expected to lead to an agreement, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Falcons have bolstered their defense on all three levels this offseason. Hughes and Bates are joining the secondary, while Kaden Elliss is coming over at linebacker. Fellow ex-Saint David Onyemata will also follow new DC Ryan Nielsen from New Orleans. Hughes plans to sign a two-year contract with the Falcons, Fowler tweets.
MARCH 17: Mike Hughes may have a few potential destinations for 2023, though the former first-round pick is likely to play for a fourth team in four seasons. The Falcons are on the radar to be that team, with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reporting (via Twitter) they will host Hughes this weekend.
Although Hughes is taking a visit after a number of cornerbacks have reached agreements, he is not only on the Falcons’ radar. Other teams are interested, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets, adding that Wilson’s Atlanta visit will begin Friday.
Jerry Gray‘s presence on Atlanta’s staff could lead Hughes to Georgia. The veteran secondary coach was on Mike Zimmer‘s staff for six seasons; this span included Hughes’ first two NFL slates. Gray spent the past three seasons in Green Bay but joined Arthur Smith‘s assistant cadre this offseason.
Going into his age-26 season, Hughes has both bounced around in recent years and played regular roles while doing so. The Vikings traded the former No. 30 overall pick to the Chiefs in 2021. Following a bounce-back season in Kansas City, Hughes caught on with the Lions via a one-year, $2.25MM deal.
Hughes has experience both outside and in the slot, playing the latter role well with the Chiefs. Pro Football Focus rated Hughes as a top-30 corner during his Chiefs one-off. Last season did not go as well; Hughes allowed a 73.2% completion rate, was charged with giving up four touchdowns and permitting 9.2 yards per target. Those numbers resembled his 2020 season in Minnesota, which led the Vikings to bail on him in a late-round pick-swap trade.
The Falcons lost five-year contributor Isaiah Oliver to the 49ers, and 2022 pickup Casey Hayward is both coming off an injury-shortened season and heading into an age-34 campaign. He should not be considered a lock to be back. The team was linked to big-name corners ahead of free agency but decided to allocate resources elsewhere — most notably Jessie Bates‘ four-year, $64MM deal — thus far.
Even if Hughes ends up elsewhere, the Falcons will need to make at least one notable addition their AJ Terrell-fronted position group. Atlanta ranked 25th against the pass last season. Marcus Peters, Shaquill Griffin, Rock Ya-Sin, Anthony Brown and Bryce Callahan are some of the other notable corners still available.
Eagles To Sign S Justin Evans
After seeing his first game action since 2018, Justin Evans will parlay his 2022 Saints work into a deal with the Eagles. Philadelphia will add the veteran safety, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report (on Twitter).
The Saints gave Evans, a former Buccaneers second-round pick back in 2017, another chance after injuries sidetracked his career. Evans logged 392 defensive snaps with New Orleans last season and, despite the lengthy stay off the field, made four starts for a top-10 defense.
Philly will bring Evans into the fold after losing both its 2022 safety starters. The Raiders added Marcus Epps early in free agency, and the Lions agreed to terms with C.J. Gardner-Johnson on Sunday night. The Eagles will be starting over on their back line, though bringing back James Bradberry and keeping Darius Slay at cornerback will help the defending NFC champions’ cause here.
New Orleans took a league-minimum flier on Evans last year, adding the Texas A&M product nearly 18 months after the Bucs cut ties with him. While Evans was still with Tampa Bay during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, a foot injury sustained during the 2018 season led to his on-field Bucs run ending. An Achilles injury sent Evans back to IR in September 2019, and the Bucs cut the cord late in the 2020 season. Evans, 27, was out of football in 2021.
The first in a wave of DBs the Bucs drafted on Day 2 from 2017-20, Evans did not pan out on the level Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Mike Edwards and Antoine Winfield Jr. have. Rather than a big free agency deal, Evans played for $1MM in New Orleans. Pro Football Focus graded Evans outside the top 60 during his comeback season, but he showed renewed health after injuries threatened his career. Evans made 29 tackles, forced a fumble and logged a 39% defensive snap rate with the Saints.
The Eagles should not be expected to carry Evans into the season as a starter, but Howie Roseman‘s team has some work to do after passing on re-signing Epps or Gardner-Johnson. The latter decision proved surprising given a pre-Super Bowl LVII report indicating Philly wanted CJGJ back, but as the versatile defender surveyed his options last week, the team allocated money to Bradberry and Slay.
Texans To Sign RB Devin Singletary
Just as one notable addition has been reported on the Texans’ offense, another has emerged. Houston has agreed to a deal with running back Devin Singletary, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the one-year pact has a maximum value of $3.75MM (Twitter links).
The deal includes a base value of $2.75MM, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. Of this figure, $2.5MM will be guaranteed. There are $375K worth of incentives in the former Bills back’s deal.
Singletary, 25, essentially spent all of his four-year Bills career as the team’s lead back, though that tile led to a lower usage rate than it would have on most other teams. Now, he will head to Houston in what will be a timeshare in the backfield along with impressive 2022 fourth-rounder Dameon Pierce, who staked his claim to the top of the depth chart with a productive rookie campaign.
[RELATED: Texans To Add TE Dalton Schultz]
This free agency period, as expected, has not treated running backs especially well. As the top back available, even Miles Sanders did not hit the $7MM-per-year threshold. None of the non-Sanders contingent has surpassed $6MM per annum, but most of the starter-level backs who hit the market have now found homes. Singletary will attempt to carve out a steady role alongside Pierce in Houston.
The Bills used a second-round pick on James Cook last year and traded for Nyheim Hines, and Brandon Beane said the team plans to add another running back. The team showed interest in Jamaal Williams, but last season’s rushing touchdowns leader landed with the Saints. Buffalo may turn back to the draft to find a Cook complementary runner. Singletary’s four-year Buffalo tenure will end with 56 starts; his Houston run looks set to involve a rotational role.
Part of this year’s supply-and-demand crunch, the likely Pierce change-of-pace option is coming off a productive Buffalo stay. Singletary held off the likes of Cook and Zack Moss to remain the primary back during the Bills’ AFC East three-peat. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and cleared 800 in total in each of the past two seasons, adding three playoff touchdowns in 2021. Josh Allen still operated as the Bills’ primary goal-line option — much to the chagrin of Singletary or Moss fantasy GMs — but the team’s 5-foot-7 back still totaled 12 touchdowns over the past two seasons. The former Florida Atlantic star is just 5-foot-7 and has yet to clear 200 receiving yards in a season, but ahead of his age-26 campaign, he should still have some tread on his tires.
Although Singletary logged a whopping 301 carries during his dominant sophomore season at the Conference USA school (1,918 rushing yards in 2017), he has never topped 190 in a season as a pro. Barring an injury to Pierce, his Texans workload will likely be light as well. Singletary will join Dare Ogunbowale and Gerrid Doaks as non-Pierce options on Houston’s roster. The team has brought in several veteran backs during GM Nick Caserio‘s tenure — Rex Burkhead, Phillip Lindsay, Mark Ingram and Marlon Mack among them — and Singletary will be the latest. But Pierce, a 2022 fourth-rounder, will almost definitely begin a second season as the team’s ball-carrying centerpiece.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Raiders Sign TE O.J. Howard, DE Jordan Willis
Not long after trading away Darren Waller, the Raiders are set make an addition at the tight end position. Vegas is finalizing a deal with O.J. Howard, reports Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (on Twitter). A team announcement has confirmed the move.
The veteran visited the Raiders earlier today, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). That meeting obviously went well, and Howard can now prepare to join his fourth career NFL team, though Vegas will only be the third he has played for in the regular season. The former first-rounder’s career has not rebounded as hoped following his Buccaneers tenure.
Howard topped 500 yards only once during his five-year stint in Tampa Bay, as the team used a number of other options at the position to supplement him in recent years. It was hoped that a change of scenery would allow him to rebuild his value, and he signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the Bills last offseason. That set him up for a high-priced backup role behind entrenched starter Dawson Knox. Howard’s Buffalo tenure did not last long, however.
The Alabama product struggled in training camp and the preseason, which left his status on the Bills’ roster in question heading towards the fall. The 28-year-old was released as part of Buffalo’s roster cutdowns in August. He wound up joining the Texans, with whom he made 10 starts and 13 total appearances in 2022. Howard made 10 catches for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns, figures which point to him being best-suited as a backup or part of a tandem. Waller has plenty of production the team needs to replace, so this move will likely not be the last they make at the TE spot.
It likely does signal, however, that incumbent Foster Moreau will be headed elsewhere in free agency. The former fourth-rounder had a career-high 33 catches for 420 yards in 2022, but he could be headed to the NFC in the near future. Moreau recently visited the Saints, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). A deal with New Orleans would allow him to continue playing with quarterback Derek Carr.
While Howard is in place on offense, the Raiders are also making a defensive addition on Monday. Per a team announcement, defensive end Jordan Willis has been signed. The veteran has most recently seen time with the 49ers, though he didn’t start any of his 26 appearances in San Francisco. His 7.5 sacks in the Bay Area point to a level of production in a rotational role, and that is likely what awaits the 27-year-old in Vegas.
The Raiders’ offense continues to be reshaped, with Jimmy Garoppolo and Jakobi Meyers headlining the team’s additions so far on that side of the ball. While the absence of Waller will be felt, Howard will give Vegas an experienced option in their reconfigured passing attack.
Bills Sign WR Trent Sherfield
The Bills’ wide receiver room continues to change this offseason, with a depth addition being agreed to on Monday. Trent Sherfield is signing a one-year deal to head to Buffalo, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the move.
The 27-year-old spent the first three years of his career with the Cardinals, including the 2018 season in which he flashed potential with a 19-210-1 statline. His production dropped significantly after that campaign, however, and he made an intra-divisional move to the 49ers in 2021. His lone season in the Bay Area yielded little in the way of usage or production, so his move to Miami last offseason generated little attention.
Sherfield arrived with the Dolphins after they made a number of changes on offense, including the addition of Tyreek Hill at the WR position. Still, the former enjoyed a career-year in Miami in a number of categories, something made possible by his 58% snap share. Sherfield recorded 417 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 30 receptions, demonstrating his potential as a complimentary receiver within the right scheme fit.
Now, the former UDFA is set to join another AFC East team, with an eye on repeating his success from 2022. The Bills have Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis at the top of their depth chart, but they have moved on from slot man Isaiah McKenzie and brought in returner Deonte Harty as they continue to reshape their secondary options in the passing game. Sherfield will look to carve out a role for himself in Buffalo similar to the one he held last year in Miami. Another productive year could help earn him a more lucrative pact from the Bills or another interested team next offseason.
Titans To Sign CB Sean Murphy-Bunting
The Buccaneers were able to retain one key young member of their cornerback room this offseason, but another is set to depart. Sean Murphy-Bunting has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Titans, per Jordan Schultz of The Score (Twitter link). The pact has a maximum value of $5MM.
The 25-year-old saw his playing time peak in 2020 with Tampa, when he saw an 83% snaps share. That campaign came one year after he was named a member of the All-Rookie team, raising expectations for Murphy-Bunting. He saw his workload drop in each of the past two seasons, however, ceding playing time to fellow corners Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean.
Each of the latter have signed new deals over the past two offseasons, leaving Murphy-Bunting as the odd man out in the Buccaneers’ secondary. He has racked up 188 tackles, six interceptions and 21 pass deflections over the course of his career, adding three interceptions during the team’s Super Bowl in the 2020 postseason. In coverage, he allowed a completion percentage of 51.2% in 2022, the best mark of his career.
That could make this deal a highly effective one for the Titans, a team which ranked dead last in passing yards allowed (275 per game) last season. Tennessee has invested first- and second-round picks over the past three years in Kristian Fulton, Caleb Farley and Roger McCreary. Murphy-Bunting will provide more experience than that trio, but his age points to him still having notable upside.
The Titans will have another option to choose from at the corner spot in 2023, as they look to get more consistent production from their young personnel group at the position. Murphy-Bunting is likely in line for an uptick in usage compared to his last two seasons in Tampa Bay, as he will look to find success in his new home and in doing so, boost his value heading into next offseason. Tennessee, meanwhile, has added another starting-caliber defender, having already inked linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to a new deal.
Lions To Sign DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson
The Lions have added a huge piece to their secondary tonight, agreeing to a new deal to bring in former Saints and Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The contract is reportedly a one-year, $8MM deal with $6.5MM fully guaranteed at signing. 
Gardner-Johnson was a versatile defensive back out of Florida, playing at both nickel and safety for the Gators. The Saints selected him in the fourth round, and despite his status as a later round pick, it didn’t take long for Gardner-Johnson to make an impact. He was starting and performing a crucial role on the Saints’ defense by Week 7 of his rookie year. He became a full-time starter in New Orleans after that.
Gardner-Johnson’s ball skills seemed to improve every year. After a rookie season that saw him intercept one pass and break up eight, he improved that in 2020 with one interception and 13 passes defensed. In his final year as a Saint, Gardner-Johnson converted some of those pass breakups into picks, recording three interceptions and seven passes defensed. After being traded to the Eagles days before the season started, Gardner-Johnson became an immediate starter and led the NFL with six interceptions while adding eight passes defensed.
The Lions have made some strong moves to improve a defense that ranked fourth in points allowed while allowing the most yards in the NFL last year. This included allowing the third-most passing yards and the fourth-most rushing yards in the league. While allowing cornerback Mike Hughes and safety DeShon Elliott to walk in free agency, Detroit has reloaded, bringing in former Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton, former 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, and Gardner-Johnson.
How Gardner-Johnson ended up in Detroit is a common example of gambling in free agency. According to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Eagles offered Gardner-Johnson a multi-year contract early in the free agency period. Gardner-Johnson and his agent turned the offer down as they were seeking a higher value. Philadelphia moved past the rejection and signed James Bradberry while extending Darius Slay. This also seems to explain why Gardner-Johnson ended up with only a one-year deal. Apparently unhappy with any of the long-term deals he was presented, Gardner-Johnson opted for a one-year “prove it” deal that would allow him to increase his value for next year’s free agency.
Gardner-Johnson’s arrival in Detroit will be a reunion with head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Both were in New Orleans at the same time, with Glenn coaching his position group with the Saints. So not only did the Lions get one of the top-remaining free agents available, they also signed one they were very familiar with.
WR Mack Hollins Signing With Falcons
The Falcons have brought in some much-needed help at wide receiver, signing former Raiders wide receiver Mack Hollins, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The new deal is reportedly a one-year, $2.5MM contract including a signing bonus of $910,000 and a base salary of $1.08MM. The deal will reportedly also include a per game active roster bonus of $30,000 for a potential season total of $510,000. 
Hollins had a breakout season with the Raiders last year after four years in the league between Philadelphia and Miami. Hollins recorded career-highs in starts (16), targets (94), receptions (57), and receiving yards (690), while tying a career-high with four touchdowns last season. In his first opportunity to be a starting weapon in an NFL offense, Hollins was second on the team in receiving yards, behind only star wideout DeAndre Hopkins. He used his health and dependability to outperform last year’s leaders Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller.
Hollins immediately becomes a big piece on the Falcons offense due to an extreme lack of depth at the position. Not including young starters Drake London and Kyle Pitts, three of Atlanta’s top-five targeted receivers from last season (Olamide Zaccheaus, Damiere Byrd, and KhaDarel Hodge) are all currently free agents. The top returning wideout behind London is Frank Darby who had one catch for 15 yards last year.
Whether he’s receiving passes from second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder or recently acquired Taylor Heinicke, Hollins provides the Falcons with a breakout wide receiver who can contribute on special teams if needed. In return, Hollins receives the biggest contract of his career so far.
Chiefs To Sign DE Charles Omenihu
MARCH 19: Thanks to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, we now have some details on Omenihu’s new contract. The contract is a two-year, $16MM deal now confirmed to have that maximum value of $20MM. The deal has a guaranteed amount of $10.6MM partially consisting of a $7.5MM signing bonus and the first year’s base salary of $1.08MM. Omenihu’s deal includes annual incentives worth up to $2MM per year based on playing time and playoffs. Lastly, the deal includes a per-game active roster bonus of $30K that could add a season total of $510K in 2023.
MARCH 14: The Chiefs are adding a pass rusher. The team is signing defensive end Charles Omenihu, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a two-year deal worth up to $20MM.
Omenihu spent the first three-plus seasons of his career with the Texans, collecting seven sacks through his first two seasons with the organization. He was traded to the 49ers during the 2021 for a sixth-round pick and played sparingly down the stretch.
He took on a larger role in 2022 and had a career season. Omenihu appeared in a career-high 54 percent of his team’s defensive snaps while finishing with career-highs in sacks (4.5) and QB hits (16). Pro Football Focus ultimately ranked him 44th among 119 qualifying edge defenders, including a top-20 grade in pass rushing. He’ll provide the Chiefs with some extra depth on the edge (plus some insurance in case Carlos Dunlap signs elsewhere).
The 49ers, meanwhile, will watch as yet another key defender walks out the door. So far in free agency, the team has lost Samson Ebukam, Emmanuel Moseley, Azeez Al-Shaair, Jimmie Ward, and now Omenihu.
Panthers Finalizing Deal With WR Adam Thielen
The Panthers continue a busy offseason hellbent on improving their roster, coming to a three-year agreement with long-time Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, according to Ian Rapoport. Thielen becomes the fourth major addition to the Panthers’ offense this offseason and will be a major factor as they attempt to better a unit that finished 29th in passing yards last season. 
Thielen is an incredible story of outperforming his resume. An undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State in 2013, Thielen attended a rookie tryout with the Vikings. He was signed to an entry level contract before getting cut in final roster cuts and signed to the practice squad as a rookie. A strong preseason performance in 2014 earned him a spot on the 53-man roster, but he mostly played on special teams for the next two years, getting negligible snaps on offense.
Thielen broke out in 2016 with a 69-catch, 967-yard performance. It solidified him as a full-time starter in the years to come. He gained new highs in each of the next two seasons with career-high 91- and 113-reception seasons of 1,276 and 1,373 receiving yards, respectively. The only thing he ever improved on from those seasons was his touchdown catch totals. In those seasons, he caught four and nine touchdowns. Two years later, Thielen would catch 14 touchdowns in 2020 and 10 in 2021.
After the impressive 2017 and 2018 seasons, Thielen signed a four-year, $64MM extension with Minnesota to keep him under contract through 2024. Hamstring issues would limit him to only ten games that year. He rebounded with the 14-touchdown 2020 season and likely would have, at the very least, matched that output in 2021 if not for ankle surgery that kept him out of four games.
Thielen stayed productive in 2022, but with star wideout Justin Jefferson firmly taking the reins on offense and the emergence of K.J. Osborn, Thielen’s contract became untenable, leading to his release. His new deal is reportedly worth $25MM over the three years with $14MM guaranteed and $10MM in the first year of the contract, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News in Minneapolis. He’ll now head to Carolina as part of a completely retrofitted offense.
The new Panthers offense will feature either a rookie, No. 1 overall pick or Andy Dalton at quarterback, Miles Sanders at running back, and Hayden Hurst at tight end. With the re-signing of center Bradley Bozeman, a largely improved offensive line completely returns. Now Thielen should figure as the top option at wide receiver.
After trading away D.J. Moore in the deal that brought in the top draft pick, the team could still use some help at wide receiver. The Panthers currently roster Terrace Marshall, Shi Smith, and Laviska Shenault as their top receiving options behind Thielen. All are serviceable, especially with Thielen now in the group, but Carolina is still interested in adding another name. They recently hosted DJ Chark and would very much like to reunite him with Shenault, his former Jaguars teammate.
Regardless of whether or not they can pair Chark with Thielen, the Panthers have a new No. 1 receiver in Thielen. After years behind Stefon Diggs and Jefferson in Minnesota, Thielen will finally get a chance to be a top receiving option in Carolina.