Jaguars To Sign TE Evan Engram
The Jaguars continue to add to their offense. Jacksonville is signing tight end Evan Engram, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
[RELATED: Jaguars To Sign Christian Kirk]
It’s a one-year deal worth $9MM, and the contract could be worth up to $10MM with incentives. PFF’s Doug Kyed tweets that the deal contains $8.25MM in guaranteed money, which includes a $3MM signing bonus and $5.25MM base salary. The tight end has $800K worth of reception and receiving yard incentives.
A first-round pick by the Giants in 2018, Engram had an inconsistent five years in New York. After missing 13 combined games between 2018 and 2019, Engram earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2020 after finishing with 63 receptions for 654 yards and one touchdown. However, his numbers took a step back in 2021, with the tight end finishing with 46 receptions for a career-low 408 receiving yards.
Still, those numbers would represent an upgrade at the position for the Jaguars. The team’s top receiving TE in 2021 was Dan Arnold, who finished with 28 receptions for 324 yards. Engram will join a tight ends depth chart that already includes Arnold, James O’Shaughnessy, Chris Manhertz, and Luke Farrell.
However, there’s a chance Engram doesn’t even line up as TE for his new squad. There were recent reports that teams were looking into Engram as a wide receiver, with the player’s combination of speed, agility, and size making him a potential matchup nightmare. We’ll see if that ends up being the case in Jacksonville. According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post (on Twitter), the Colts, 49ers, and Bills were among the teams to express interest in Engram before he landed in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars have been busy adding to their offense this afternoon. After agreeing to a deal with offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, the organization inked receiver Christian Kirk to a lucrative deal.
Jaguars To Sign Christian Kirk
The Jaguars are set to sign former Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero). 
[RELATED: Jaguars To Sign Fatukasi]
The Jaguars are giving Kirk a four-year, $72MM deal, one that Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicates (via Twitter) can max out at $84MM. A lot will be on the former second-round pick’s shoulders, as the Jaguars will expect him to be Trevor Lawrence‘s No. 1 target.
Kirk will collect a $20MM signing bonus, with ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson tweeting his 2022 and ’23 base salaries ($1.5MM and $15.5MM, respectively, are guaranteed). The deal comes with $37MM fully guaranteed, Pelissero tweets. Each year contains $3MM in incentives, creating the $84MM ceiling. Kirk is now among the NFL’s top 10 for receiver contracts, something that has not gone unnoticed among the wideout community Monday.
Kirk, 26 in November, put up solid complementary numbers in his first three seasons in the desert. His best campaign of that stretch came in 2019, when he posted 69 catches for 709 yards. The 2018 second-round pick took a big step forward in 2021, however, notching career-highs in receptions (77) and yards (982) while finding the end zone five times. That was Kirk’s first full slate as a pro and his first where he truly lived up to his pre-draft hype.
The cash-strapped Cardinals didn’t have the space to keep him, but the Jaguars were happy to put him on their books. He’s just the latest high-priced addition for Jacksonville, joining offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, linebacker Foye Oluokun, and defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi.
Without Kirk, the Cardinals will have to find more pass-catchers to support DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore. On the plus side, they’ve re-upped tight end Zach Ertz on a three-year contract.
Jaguars To Sign Folorunso Fatukasi
The Jaguars have agreed to sign Folorunso Fatukasi (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Peter Schrager). Once finalized, it’ll be a three-year, $30MM deal with $20MM fully guaranteed.
The run-stuffing defensive tackle had a lot going for him heading into this week. The four-year veteran started 15 games in 2021, after combining for just eight starts across his first three seasons. The Jets were already bracing for this, knowing that the former sixth-round pick would be out of their price range.
The Jets have deployed below-average defenses over the last two seasons, but Fatukasi has played well on an individual level. The UConn product, who just recently turned 27, should offer the Jags multiple prime seasons on this deal. The Jets, meanwhile, will look to add another piece to join Quinnen Williams (under contract through 2023) and Sheldon Rankins, who will see $1.25MM of his $4.5MM base salary become guaranteed on March 20, the fifth day of the 2022 league year.
Jaguars To Sign Foye Oluokun
The big spending continues in Jacksonville. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the Jaguars have agreed on a three-year, $45MM deal with linebacker Foye Oluokun (Twitter link). He adds that there is $28MM in guaranteed money.
[RELATED: Brandon Scherff Intends To Sign With Jaguars]
The 26-year-old Yale product has emerged as a highly productive linebacker in the past two seasons in particular. In 2021, he played in all 17 games, registering a league-leading 192 combined tackles. He also added two sacks, three interceptions and a forced fumble, as he was an integral part of the Falcons’ defense.
That production had Atlanta eager to keep him. However, it was believed he would garner enough interest to land outside of the team’s price range. At an average value of $15MM per season, that has certainly turned out to be the case.
That figure stands in stark contrast to what an analytical evaluation might deem him to be worth. In his two seasons as a starter, Oluokun has received PFF grades of 56.6 and 46.5. While that is principally driven by underwhelming numbers in coverage, his run-stopping ability will be put to good use in Jacksonville. His addition, along with that of defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi, should improve a Jacksonville defense that gave up 125 yards per game on the ground in 2021.
Brandon Scherff Intends To Sign With Jaguars
One of the biggest free agents amongst offensive linemen – and in this year’s class overall – may have found his destination. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Brandon Scherff “intends” to sign with the Jaguars. It’s a three-year, $49.5MM deal for Scherff, including $30MM guaranteed and $33MM paid out through the first two years (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Twitter).
[RELATED: Jaguars To Sign Foye Oluojun]
The 30-year-old had spent his entire seven-year career with Washington. The three most recent of those campaigns each earned him trips to the Pro Bowl, bringing his career total to five. 2020 also saw him recognized with first-team All Pro honors for the first time. PFF assigned him an overall grade of 73.6 in 2021, which continued his trend of consistent, high-level play.
A first round pick out of Iowa, Scherff has long been considered one of the top offensive linemen (at any position) in the NFL. Size, athleticism, technique and strength have never been an issue for him. Availability, however, has. He has missed 14 games over the past three years, which was part of the reason for a growing riff between him and the team.
After playing two consecutive years on franchise tags, it became increasingly clear Scherff would be headed elsewhere. Washington reportedly offered a contract which would have made him the highest-paid guard in the league this time last year, but nothing could be agreed upon for a long-term pact.
With Scherff in place, the Jaguars have taken a massive step forwards in terms of protecting quarterback Trevor Lawrence. With left tackle Cam Robinson having been franchised tagged, the signing of an interior linemen represents, in the eyes of many, another sign that the Jags could draft Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson with the first overall pick in April’s draft.
Browns To Acquire WR Amari Cooper From Cowboys
Amari Cooper is heading to Cleveland. The Browns are trading for the Cowboys wide receiver, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), Cleveland is trading 2022 fifth- and sixth-round picks to Dallas for Cooper and a sixth-round pick. Josina Anderson was first with the news (on Twitter) that the two teams were zeroing in on a trade. This move clears $16MM in cap space for the Cowboys while arming the Browns with a Pro Bowl receiver in his prime.
The Jaguars, Dolphins and Jets also pursued Cooper, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Given the modest return the Cowboys are collecting, the other AFC teams’ offers did not appear to impress Dallas. Had the Cowboys cut Cooper, ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini adds he was not expected to garner a similar contract on the open market (Twitter link). This ends a four-season partnership between Cooper and the Cowboys, who traded their 2019 first-round pick to acquire the ex-Raider ahead of the 2018 deadline.
Cooper landed on the trade block this time because of his contract, which calls for $20MM base salaries from 2022-24. That said, none of that money is guaranteed for the Browns, making this a similar arrangement to their previous big-ticket wide receiver trade.
Wideout did not reside especially highly among the Browns’ needs for a bit, but the team could not establish a fit with Odell Beckham Jr., leading to a messy separation. Cleveland’s latest marquee wide receiver trade has proven far less costly. It cost the team a first-round pick and Jabrill Peppers to acquire Beckham in 2019, and the Giants had recently given Beckham a monster extension. The Cowboys handed Cooper a five-year, $100MM deal in 2020 but made it known this week they were planning to move on from him, limiting the compensation.
Despite having been in the NFL since 2015, Cooper is still just 27. His high salary aside, the former Alabama target will be a welcome addition for a Browns team leaning toward — per the bulk of this offseason’s reports — giving Baker Mayfield another opportunity. (That said, the Browns have also been linked to Derek Carr, which is now a bit more interesting with Cooper in the fold.) The Browns ended their season thin at receiver, and Jarvis Landry is not a lock to return. Landry, 29, has fallen off his Pro Bowl pace in recent years, though he did aid the Browns’ playoff push after Beckham’s 2020 ACL tear.
Cooper provided vital assistance to Dak Prescott, with the Cowboys turning their 2018 season around after his midseason arrival. The former No. 5 overall pick is one of the NFL’s best route runners. He topped 1,100 yards in both 2019 and ’20, doing so in the latter year despite Prescott’s early-season injury. Overall, Cooper is 5-for-7 in 1,000-yard seasons. His presence freed up opportunities for CeeDee Lamb and Dalton Schultz last season, but Dallas will go with its cheaper cogs moving forward. The team is also trying to lock down Michael Gallup to a lower-cost extension.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/11/22
The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: RB D’Ernest Johnson
- Chiefs: CB Deandre Baker
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Chargers: TE Donald Parham
- Jaguars: DE Jamir Jones, LB Chapelle Russell, RB Mekhi Sargent
Non-tendered:
- Bengals: OLB Wyatt Ray
Jaguars To Release Carlos Hyde
The list of veteran cuts continues to grow. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are releasing running back Carlos Hyde (Twitter link). 
The 31-year-old had one season remaining on the contract he signed almost exactly one year ago. His scheduled cap hit was just under $2.4MM, and the move save Jacksonville nearly $2MM. Already in one of the best situations in the league from a financial perspective, the Jaguars will now have roughly $40MM in cap space.
A second round pick of the 49ers in 2014, Hyde started taking on a significant role in 2016 and 2017, receiving over 200 carries in each of those seasons. He topped 1,100 scrimmage yards both times, earning him plenty of outside interest as a free agent. That offseason began a stretch which saw him land in Cleveland, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Houston, Seattle and, most recently, a second trip to Duval County. A 1,000-yard rushing campaign with the Texans in 2019 showed he was still capable of producing as a No.1 back. Since then, however, he has started only three games and totalled less than 800 yards.
Hyde will now look to get a head-start on free agency to find a new home. The Jaguars, meanwhile, will move forward with James Robinson and 2021 first-rounder Travis Etienne at the top of the backfield depth chart.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/10/22
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: WR Jake Kumerow
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: LB Rashod Berry, C Ryan McCollum
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Brandon Murphy
New York Jets
- Re-signed: S Will Parks
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: DL Kevin Givens, RB JaMycal Hasty, DL Maurice Hurst, OL Colton McKivitz
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: LS Morgan Cox
- Released: RB Darrynton Evans
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/22
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released: OLB Duke Ejiofor
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: LB Julian Stanford
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-Signed: LB Tyrell Adams
Minnesota Vikings
- Re-signed: DT T.Y. McGill
New York Giants
- Signed: OT Matt Gono
New York Jets
- Re-Signed: OL Conor McDermott
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: OL Jake Brendel
Tennessee Titans
- Re-Signed: WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, DT Teair Tart, QB Logan Woodside