FA Notes: Chiefs, Jones, Evans, Titans, Pats, Giants, Panthers, Falcons, Jags, Bucs, Rams
Buzz about the Chiefs re-signing Chris Jones surfaced last week, and while that trail has gone a bit cold, some optimism still exists the defending champions can keep their top defender off the market. Many around the league do not expect Jones to leave Kansas City, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but they do not anticipate a discount coming to pass. Jones stuck to his guns last year during a holdout that cost him more than $3MM between fines and a missed game check; that would make it rather shocking if he agreed to a team-friendly deal now.
The Chiefs reaching the $27-$28MM-per-year range should help move this close to the finish line, Fowler adds. That said, Jones could probably — given the cap spike — make a run at Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM AAV standard and the position’s guarantee record (Quinnen Williams‘ $66MM) if he reaches free agency. The Chiefs were not willing to go near the Donald AAV neighborhood during talks last year, and it will surely take a monster offer to keep Jones from testing free agency now.
With the legal tampering period less than a week away, here is the latest free agency news:
- The Chiefs were also among the teams interested in Mike Evans, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who details what would have been a big market for the veteran wide receiver. Evans opted to re-sign with the Bucs on a frontloaded deal that included $29MM fully guaranteed. The Falcons, Giants, Jaguars, Panthers, Patriots, Rams and Titans were preparing to see what it could take to lure Evans out of Tampa. High-profile FAs regularly use the Combine to gauge markets before the legal tampering period, and Evans evidently determined this Bucs deal compared favorably to what he could have collected on the market. But with Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. franchise-tagged, Evans would have been the top WR available. That distinction may now fall to Calvin Ridley.
- Speaking of the Bucs, they are not ruling out a reunion with Shaquil Barrett at a reduced rate, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com notes. Tampa Bay cut Barrett last week, removing an $18MM-per-year contract from their payroll. Barrett stands to generate interest as a street free agent, but the former Super Bowl standout and NFL single-season sack leader is going into an age-32 season and coming off a 4.5-sack showing in 2023.
- Darnell Mooney may be one of the players who could benefit from Evans, Pittman and Higgins being off the market. Despite the Bears target failing to eclipse 500 receiving yards in each of the past two years, he posted a 1,000-yard season in 2021 and has been in a low-volume passing offense. Teams figure to check in on the deep threat, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler suggests the Chiefs and Titans as potential players. The Chiefs’ receiver woes were well documented last season, and they recently cut Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Titans beat out the Chiefs for DeAndre Hopkins last year, but he is going into an age-32 season and signed for just one more year. Treylon Burks has also not shown much consistency yet.
- Barring 11th-hour deals, this year’s safety market will feature Xavier McKinney and Kamren Curl. These two could do quite well without Antoine Winfield Jr. and Kyle Dugger in the mix, with ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan noting Curl’s market could come in around $14MM per year. A line of demarcation may emerge after these NFC East starters, with Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline adding a lucrative second wave should not be expected to transpire at this position. This is how the 2023 market played out, with a gulf forming between Jessie Bates and the field. Though, multiple others (Juan Thornhill, Vonn Bell, Donovan Wilson) collected eight-figure guarantees.
- The Rams have talked terms with Kevin Dotson‘s camp, per GM Les Snead. They expect both he and center Coleman Shelton to hit the market. Dotson delivered a big contract year and should be expected to become one of the top earners on a crowded guard market. The Rams want Shelton back as well.
Jaguars Use Franchise Tag On Josh Allen
6:15pm: The Jaguars have officially announced that they’ve applied the franchise tag to Allen.
“We were not able to reach agreement on a contract extension with Josh before today’s deadline, and thus, we have tagged him,” general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. “We certainly value Josh’s leadership on the field, in the locker room and in the community. Our objective to keep Josh in Jacksonville in the coming years remains unchanged and negotiations will continue.”
12:49pm: Shortly after the season ended, Trent Baalke confirmed Josh Allen would be a Jaguar in 2024. The third-year GM will make the expected move to ensure that happens.
The Jags are franchise-tagging their top pass rusher, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Making some changes on defense to create cap space, the Jags will not let Allen get away. The freed-up funds, however, will be necessary due to the $24MM coming on a linebacker tag this year.
[RELATED: NFL Franchise Tag Recipients Since 2013]
One of this year’s easiest tags to predict, Allen is coming off a monster contract campaign. The former top-10 pick broke through at a good time for his earning power, setting a Jaguars single-season record with 17.5 sacks last year. With Travon Walker tied to a rookie contract, the Jags will cuff Allen with presumptive hopes of working out an extension with him by the July 15 deadline.
The Jags have used their tag in each 2020s offseason. They cuffed Yannick Ngakoue in 2020, kept Cam Robinson off the 2021 and ’22 markets and then slapped the tag on Evan Engram last year. The team reached extension agreements with Robinson and Engram but traded Ngakoue soon after tagging him. Allen and Ngakoue only played together for one season. Since, the Jags have looked to the Kentucky alum as their premier edge rusher.
Allen’s career arc could point the Jags to making him prove his 2023 was not a fluke, but the team has some other priorities. Trevor Lawrence extension talks have begun, and Baalke has said on multiple occasions this offseason a Calvin Ridley re-up is a goal. Ridley’s situation is more complicated due to the terms of the 2022 trade with the Falcons, but the Jags extending Allen would help on all fronts due to the $24MM cap hold on their payroll as long as he is tagged. The Jags cut Folorunso Fatukasi, Rayshawn Jenkins and Darious Williams over the past two days, creating necessary cap room for their Allen move.
The Jags would owe the Falcons a second-round pick if they reached an agreement with the free agent-to-be before the 2024 league year. If they wait until Ridley hits the market to re-sign him, they would send Atlanta their 2024 third-rounder. The Jags already sent a 2023 fifth as part the exchange, and while Baalke said the pick is not a major factor here, it would surprise if the Jags re-upped Ridley early. That said, Mike Evans and Tee Higgins being off the market and the Colts likely to tag Michael Pittman Jr. before the 3pm CT deadline would stand to drive up Ridley’s price. WR-needy teams will view Ridley, despite his inconsistent past, as a prime option.
As for Allen, he has said he wants to stay in Jacksonville — but not on a hometown discount. Trade interest came in for the veteran pass rusher at the 2022 deadline, but the team stood pat. After not recording more than eight sacks in a season from 2020-22, Allen erupted in 2023 — a season that also included 33 QB hits. Allen, 26, is in line for a big-ticket extension. The Jags passed on giving one to Ngakoue, but they sound far more eager to reward Allen.
Jaguars To Cut S Rayshawn Jenkins
After going into last season with largely the same defense they trotted out in 2022, the Jaguars are making changes. Rayshawn Jenkins will be the latest Jacksonville cut on that side of the ball.
The Jags are releasing the veteran safety, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, with this move following the cuts of Folorunso Fatukasi and Darious Williams. Not part of the Jags’ 2022 free agency splurge like Fatukasi or Williams, Jenkins has been with the team since 2021, working as a starter throughout his tenure.
Jenkins, who turned 30 earlier this year, was due to make $8MM in base salary next season and carry a $12.3MM cap number. Unless this is a post-June 1 cut, the Jags will eat a bit of dead money due to void years existing on the veteran DB’s contract. Jacksonville will save more than $5MM while taking on just more than $7MM in dead cap.
Signed to a four-year, $35MM deal during Urban Meyer‘s offseason in charge, Jenkins came over from the Chargers and started every game he played as a Jaguar. That included 17-game seasons in each of the past two years. Jenkins intercepted five passes in that span, including a walk-off pick-six of Dak Prescott in a 40-34 Jags win in 2022. Pro Football Focus, however, rated the former fourth-round pick as one of the worst regular safeties over the past three seasons. The advanced metrics website slotted Jenkins outside the top 70 in each of his three Jacksonville seasons.
With the Jags firing most of their defensive staff shortly after a disappointing season, it is unsurprising they will look to add new starters ahead of Ryan Nielsen‘s first DC campaign. The team allowed at least 28 points five times after its Week 9 bye, leading to it going from contending for the AFC’s No. 1 seed to being bounced out of the playoffs. If this is a post-June 1 cut, Jenkins must remain on the Jags’ payroll until the start of the 2024 league year (March 13). If the team is moving on immediately, it will hold more than $34MM in cap space.
Jaguars To Release CB Darious Williams
In need of funds to retain two key pending free agents, the Jaguars are set to move on from Darious Williams. Jacksonville plans to release the veteran cornerback, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports. 
[RELATED: Jaguars Release Folorunso Fatukasi]
Williams has indeed been let go, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. He adds that teams have already begun showing interest, something which comes as little surprise given his level of play last season. The 30-year-old was set to count $12MM against the cap in 2024, but this move will yield major financial savings. Jacksonville will free up $11.5MM via his release.
A former Ravens UDFA, Williams established himself as a starter during his tenure with the Rams. That span – from 2018-21 – helped his free agent value and landed him a three-year Jags pact. That agreement included $18MM in guaranteed money, but only $500K of that total remained for 2024. Now, Williams will be on the move once again while Jacksonville will have extra cap room to keep edge rusher Josh Allen and wideout Calvin Ridley.
The team has made it clear the former will not reach the open market, meaning a franchise tag will be used later today if necessary. The latter, by contrast, is in the Jags’ plans for 2024 and beyond, but allowing him to test free agency will lower the trade compensation sent to the Falcons in the event a re-up emerges. Jacksonville will have roughly $45MM in cap space when taking the Williams release into account.
The Alabama-Birmingham product posted four interceptions, 19 pass deflections and a pair of forced fumbles in 2023. That ball production will make him an enticing add for any number of teams, especially on a short-term deal. Williams remained strong in coverage last year, allowing a 55% completion percentage and an opposing passer rating of 63.9 as the nearest defender. While his age could turn away some suitors, he could be in line to land a new pact rather quickly.
Tyson Campbell has one year remaining on his rookie contract, and he will again be counted on as a full-time starter next season. Veterans Tre Herndon and Tevaughn Campbell are pending free agents, however, so the Jaguars could see considerable turnover at the cornerback position. The team recently took a flier on Amani Oruwariye via a futures deal, but further investment will be needed to replace Williams’ production.
Jaguars To Release DT Folorunso Fatukasi
Folorunso Fatukasi was a key part of the Jaguars’ defensive rebuilding efforts in 2022. His time with the team has come to an end, however. 
The veteran defensive tackle is being released, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. One year remained on Fatukasi’s pact, and this move will create $3.52MM in cap space; Jacksonville will incur a dead money charge of $9.27MM. He was set to count $12.79MM against the cap in 2024.
Fatukasi began his career with the Jets, and he took on a larger workload with each passing season. After establishing himself as a stout run defender, the former sixth-rounder landed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars. That pact was restructured last offseason, though, and none of his $7MM base salary for 2024 was guaranteed. Now, the team will move on with other offseason priorities to attend to.
Chief among those is a new deal for edge rusher Josh Allen. The two-time Pro Bowler will not reach the open market, and an agreement keeping wideout Calvin Ridley in place is also in the team’s plans. New contracts in both players’ cases will be costly, especially since the latter will likely be allowed to test free agency given the conditions of his trade acquisition from the Falcons. Creating funds for those efforts and others has included moving on from Fatukasi after a pair of seasons.
The 29-year-old started 29 of his 30 regular season games with Jacksonville, but he was unable to develop into a difference-maker with respect to interior pass-rush production. Fatukasi totaled 1.5 sacks and nine QB pressures during his time with the Jaguars, recording 48 tackles along the way. For the second time in his career, he will reach the open market, although he will be able to sign a deal with an interested team before the start of free agency next week. Given the nature of his time in Duval County, however, it would be a surprise if he were targeted as a priority by interested teams.
Jags, Trevor Lawrence Begin Extension Talks
Trevor Lawrence‘s ascent encountered some turbulence last season; the Jaguars flopped down the stretch and missed the playoffs. That ending has not changed the organization’s plans with its centerpiece player.
Franchise-caliber quarterbacks often sign extensions before their fourth season. Lawrence is now in that window, becoming extension-eligible in January. Proceeding down that path, GM Trent Baalke confirmed Thursday (via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe) the team has begun Lawrence extension talks.
Baalke said earlier this offseason “no doubt” existed the team would extend Lawrence at some point. It may not be a lock that happens this offseason; exercising Lawrence’s fifth-year option will buy the Jags some time. That said, a host of QBs have inked their first extensions before Year 4.
Since Ryan Tannehill‘s Dolphins re-up in 2015, 11 more QBs — Russell Wilson, Derek Carr, Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow — have signed extensions before their fourth seasons. Not having a deal done in this timeframe has been the exception, with the promise of a monster guarantee — rather than playing a fourth year on a rookie salary — factoring in prominently here.
This would be a new chapter for the Jags, who have seen their two other first-round QBs chosen in the slot-system era (Blaine Gabbert, Blake Bortles) not prove worthy of a big-ticket extension.
Lawrence, 24, is the only member of five-first-rounder 2021 QB contingent who is a lock to be the 2024 starter for the team that drafted him. Trey Lance has been traded, while Zach Wilson has been granted permission to find a trade partner. Justin Fields will probably be on the move soon, and Mac Jones‘ future in New England is murky. That said, Lawrence has not yet distinguished himself as a top-tier passer despite generational prospect status back in ’21.
After a late-season Lawrence surge drove the Jaguars to the 2022 playoffs and a historic wild-card comeback, the Clemson product ranked 17th in QBR last season — a 9-8 Jacksonville showing. Lawrence, whose INT count spiked from eight to 14 from 2022-23, did battle through extensive injury trouble last year. Ankle and knee sprains did not end up sidelining the durable QB last season, but a Week 16 AC joint injury — during a woeful performance in Tampa — shelved him in Week 17. The Titans then upset the Jaguars to end their playoff push in Week 18.
The Dolphins waited a year before talking a Tua Tagovailoa extension; those talks are taking place this offseason. Far more significant injury issues clouded Tagovailoa’s future going into last season, whereas Lawrence has missed just one career game. The former national championship-winning QB did effectively go through a lost rookie season, with the Urban Meyer experiment backfiring spectacularly. That could lead to this Jags regime pressing pause. But with talks already beginning, the prospect of a Lawrence contract topping $50MM per year — a price that obviously will change the Jags’ roster-building blueprint — coming to pass this year is in play.
Minor NFL Transactions: 2/28/24
Today’s only minor NFL transaction:
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived from reserve/retired list: TE Sammis Reyes
Formerly a basketball player with aspirations of an NBA career, Reyes chose to go the football route through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program coming out of Chile. Having only appeared in a regular season game during his time in Washington, Reyes made an early retirement announcement after just two years with three different teams. Healthy again and with his rights now waived, Reyes is reportedly free to pursue opportunities with any interested teams.
Jags In Talks With Calvin Ridley, Josh Allen
Trent Baalke said in January the Jaguars will have Josh Allen back on their 2024 team, pointing to a franchise tag as a mortal lock. The team is not closing up shop on reaching an extension with its top edge rusher just yet.
Stopping short of confirming the Jags will tag Allen, Baalke said the sides remain in talks. Given Allen’s contract-year surge that ended with a 17.5-sack season — a Jags single-year record — this might be a tricky negotiation that requires more time. The 2019 first-round pick had not previously eclipsed 10.5 sacks in a season. Allen is set to turn 27 in July.
The tag will allow the Jags until July 15 to reach a deal. They have used the tag each year in the 2020s, cuffing Yannick Ngakoue, Cam Robinson and Evan Engram. The team extended Robinson and Engram, after trading Ngakoue.
While Allen’s place on the 2024 Jags appears a near-certainty, Calvin Ridley is tied to unique contract conditions that complicate his future in Jacksonville. Already sending a 2023 fifth-round pick to the Falcons, the Jaguars would owe them an additional 2024 third if they were to let Ridley hit the market. If Ridley re-signs once there or departs, Jacksonville owes Atlanta its 2024 third. If the team views the wideout as a true priority and reaches what is technically an extension — a deal before the 2024 league year begins March 13 — the Jags would owe a second-rounder instead of a third.
It would seem the Jags would be better served by waiting out Ridley and protecting their second-rounder, but the team wants to retain the former first-round pick — regardless of how that comes to pass. Baalke and Ridley met one-on-one recently, and the team is set to talk with the veteran pass catcher’s camp at the Combine.
“We’re not real concerned with that, whether it’s a second or third round,” Baalke said of the second pick to be conveyed in the Falcons trade. “We’re just going to work with the player and see if we can come to an agreement. Whether that’s before the compensation changes or not, that remains to be seen. We’re more focused on the player.
“I had a great talk with Calvin, know exactly where he’s at and and he knows where we’re at.”
Thanks to the end-of-season collapse that left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, their second-round pick checks in 48th. Their third-rounder sits 79th. Barring a Ridley extension before 3pm CT on March 13, that pick will transfer to the Falcons. The Jags have a little more than $24MM in cap space; an Allen tag would account for all of that, as the cap spike moved the linebacker tag to $24MM.
If Ridley were to hit the market, however, the Jags will have likely intense competition. If the Colts follow through with a Michael Pittman Jr. tag, the absences of he and Tee Higgins on the market would boost Ridley’s value.
Do not look for the team to consider Cam Robinson‘s contract as one to move to create space. Baalke expects the team’s 2021 and ’22 franchise tag recipient to be back with the team. The longtime Jags left tackle is due a $16.25MM base salary and is set to carry a $21.19MM cap number. Another extension would reduce that cap charge, though it is unclear if that is the cards just yet for the 2017 second-round pick.
Robinson signed a three-year, $52.75MM extension in April 2022. Although the Dave Caldwell regime drafted Robinson and he was first tagged during Urban Meyer‘s offseason in charge, Baalke was at the helm when the Jags finalized the extension. Pro Football Focus graded Robinson, who missed much of last season due to a PED ban and a subsequent knee injury, 46th overall among tackles.
Jaguars Make Final Changes To 2024 Staff
The Jaguars were one of several teams that were forced to make adjustments to their coaching staff, most notably after parting ways with defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and company. The new staff under Caldwell’s successor, former Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, has been finalized, as have a few updates to the offensive side of the ball, as well. 
On defense we were already aware of the hires of defensive backs coach Kris Richard and inside linebackers coach Matt House, as well as the retention of assistant defensive line coach Rory Segrest, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey, and defensive quality control coach Patrick Reilly. We had originally reported that Cory Robinson would be joining the staff as the team’s cornerbacks coach, but the team’s update tells us that, more specifically, he will be a defensive assistant and cornerbacks coach.
To round out the new defensive staff, the team has hired Jeremy Garrett as their new defensive line coach, Michael Gray as assistant secondary coach and defensive analyst, and Mario Jeberaeel as assistant outside linebackers coach. Garrett replaces Brentson Bucker, who was fired alongside Caldwell. He has NFL experience with the Browns and most recently worked at the collegiate level with Auburn and Liberty. Gray and Jeberaeel both follow Nielsen from Atlanta. Gray joined the Falcons last year as a football analyst, while Jeberaeel came into the title of special projects: defense coach last season.
On the offensive side of the ball, Jacksonville announced the hires of running backs coach Jerry Mack and offensive quality control coach Jamel Mutunga, as well as the promotion of former offensive quality control coach Greg Austin to assistant offensive line coach. Mack replaces Bernie Parmalee, who took the same position with the Panthers after being fired alongside Caldwell. This will be Mack’s first NFL coaching gig after spending 20 years coaching at the collegiate level. Most recently, Mack coached a Volunteers team at Tennessee that finished top-12 in rushing yards per game twice in his three years.
Austin takes the position of Todd Washington, who also was let go with Parmalee and Caldwell. Mutunga takes his spot in quality control after serving as an offensive assistant with the Panthers last year. His first year of experience came in 2022, when he was the inaugural recipient of the Tony Dungy Diversity Coaching Fellowship in Indianapolis.
That sets the stage in Duval for the 2024 season. A few adjustments on offense and a changing of the guard on defense define the early portion of Jacksonville’s offseason. It will be worth watching to see if a new defensive staff can help a young Jaguars squad take the next step in the new league year.
2024 NFL Cap Space, By Team
The NFL provided clarity to its teams on Friday by setting the salary cap ceiling ($255.4MM). Franchise tag figures have been locked in as well, and clubs can now proceed with their offseason planning knowing exactly where they stand with respect to financial flexibility. Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is the current landscape in terms of salary cap space:
- Washington Commanders: $79.61MM
- Tennessee Titans: $78.66MM
- Chicago Bears: $78.34MM
- New England Patriots: $77.96MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $72.34MM
- Houston Texans: $67.58MM
- Detroit Lions: $57.61MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $51.1MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $50.67MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $43.68MM
- Los Angles Rams: $43.11MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $42.94MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $35.81MM
- Carolina Panthers: $34.57MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $33MM
- New York Giants: $30.8MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $27.35MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $24.68MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $18.19MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $16.63MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $12.97MM
- New York Jets: $12.76MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $9MM
- Green Bay Packers: $2.3MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $5.07MM over the cap
- Cleveland Browns: $7.76MM over
- Dallas Cowboys: $9.86MM over
- Denver Broncos: $16.81MM over
- Los Angeles Chargers: $25.61MM over
- Miami Dolphins: $27.92MM over
- New Orleans Saints: $42.11MM over
- Buffalo Bills: $43.82MM over
All teams must be cap compliant by the start of the new league year, but it will of course be more than just those currently over the limit which will make cost-shedding moves in the near future. Cuts, restructures and extensions are available as tools to carve out space in advance of free agency. Several have already taken place around the league.
That includes the Dolphins’ release of defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and the planned cut of Xavien Howard. The latter cannot be designated a post-June 1 release until free agency begins but once it happens, Miami will move much closer to cap compliance. The Saints have moved considerable commitments into the future via restructures (as usual), but more transactions on that front will be required even with the cap seeing an historic single-season jump.
The roughly $30MM spike from 2023 will provide unforeseen spending power for teams already set to lead the pack in cap space while also making the task of those at the bottom of the list easier. Spending more on backloaded contracts this offseason at the expense of future space obviously carries risk, however. Still, the news of a higher-than-expected ceiling will add further intrigue to each team’s financial planning.
With Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson each set to carry record-breaking cap hits for 2024, the Cowboys and Browns will be among the teams most in need of working out a deal to lower those figures. In Dallas’ case in particular, an extension would provide immediate breathing room in addition to clarity on his future beyond the coming season. For Cleveland, Watson’s fully-guaranteed deal has already been restructured once and will need to be again to avoid consecutive years of a $64MM cap charge over its remaining term.
If the Commanders and Patriots add a quarterback with the second and third picks in this year’s draft, each team currently in the top six in space will enjoy the benefits of having a signal-caller on their rookie contracts. That would allow for an aggressive approach to free agency, although the Chiefs’ success after Patrick Mahomes signed (and re-worked) his monster extension has proven it is possible to win Super Bowl titles with a substantial QB investment on the books.