NFL Investigating Eagles, Falcons For Potential Tampering
Although the NFL calls its unofficial free agency the legal tampering period, the league is looking into whether two teams went too far during this year’s window. The Eagles and Falcons are under investigation, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano tweets.
The league is looking into potential violations from these teams during their respective Saquon Barkley and Kirk Cousins negotiations. Penn State coach James Franklin, who coached Barkley in college, said GM Howie Roseman spoke directly with the running back prior to the new league year. Teams are not permitted to speak directly with players during the tampering period unless they are self-represented; the Eagles have denied any violation occurred, ESPN.com’s Tim McManus notes.
Cousins said Wednesday night he spoke with the Falcons’ trainer during the tampering window, which is not permitted under league rules. While tampering ahead of the days that comprise the legal tampering period happens annually, as some deals come to pass rather quickly once the signing window opens. But the league is investigating these two high-profile team changes. Fines or potential loss of draft picks can come out of tampering violations.
“For him now to come back and be able to play within the state, in Philadelphia, he said that was one of the first things that Howie said to him on the phone as part of his sales pitch to him was not only the Philadelphia Eagles and that but obviously the connection with Penn State and the fan base as well,” Franklin said (via McManus) of Barkley’s Eagles talks.
As of Thursday morning, the Giants had not contacted the league about tampering, per McManus. By most accounts, the Giants were prepared to move on from the two-time Pro Bowler. While New York did add a veteran replacement in Devin Singletary, the ex-Brian Daboll Bills charge comes cheaper than Barkley, who signed a three-year, $37.75MM deal with $26MM guaranteed at signing. The Vikings did make a more concerted effort to retain Cousins, but the Falcons came in with a big offer — four years, $180MM with a $100MM practical guarantee — to lure him out of Minneapolis.
Rehabbing a torn Achilles sustained in late October, Cousins wants to be ready for the Falcons’ summer workouts. Falcons buzz began building coming out of the Combine, which often serves as a preview of the market. After battling uphill against Cousins during negotiations for years, the Vikings held tight against the kind of guarantee the Falcons are authorizing. As he prepares to move to his wife’s hometown, the 35-year-old passer will be working with the Falcons’ medical staff soon. The NFL will look into whether the Falcons’ staff violated tampering policies during this high-profile recruitment.
Latest On Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
There’s a new sheriff in Atlanta and he brings with him a surprising amount of bling. Kirk Cousins officially signed today to join the Falcons, the third NFL franchise of his 12-year career. He’s played six seasons in Washington and six seasons in Minnesota, and if things go well, it sounds like Cousins could play the last six years of his career in Atlanta. 
The decision to leave the Vikings was certainly not a sudden one. Cousins joined the team after being franchise-tagged twice in Washington. He signed a fully guaranteed three-year, $84MM salary to head to Minnesota. After narrowly missing the playoffs in his first season as a Viking and then making it to the Divisional Round of the playoffs in his second, the Vikings rewarded his success. While technically a multi-year extension, Minnesota only signed him to two more fully guaranteed years. Going into the final year of that deal, the Vikings gave him one more fully guaranteed season.
Shortly after signing the deal that would keep him in town through this past season, Cousins led the Vikings to a 13-4 record, though the season ended in a first-round knockout. Pleased with the success in 2022, the Vikings spent much of the offseason, and eventually the regular season, working towards another extension for Cousins. The deal never ended up getting done.
All of these short-term solutions sent a message to Cousins who told ESPN’s Michael Rothstein that it felt like his time in Minnesota “was trending year-to-year” over his last few seasons with the team. Whether or not it came up in negotiations, it doesn’t seem like a true long-term solution was ever in play. On the flip side, Cousins said that “when he talked to Atlanta, it seemed like, if things went well, he could retire with the Falcons when he was done.” What seems to have won Atlanta his services was the fact that they seemed more willing to commit to him long-term, something most recently displayed when Matt Ryan played with the team until he was 36 years old.
Now, Cousins is currently working his way back from a torn Achilles that cost Cousins his last 10 weeks in Minnesota. He’s certainly not ready to suit up in red and black just yet. According to James Palmer of NFL Network, his current goal is “to be full speed before the Falcons break for the summer after spring workouts.”
He believes that to be a feasible goal. For right now, he says he’s able to take drops and make throws with no problems, something we saw from Aaron Rodgers‘ ambitious attempt to return from the same injury in a length of time shorter than the NFL regular season. He adds that, were he to attempt to break from the pocket, that’s when it would become noticeable that he’s still recovering from the Achilles injury.
Falcons fans will just have to be patient. If they are, they will eventually get to see Cousins leading their team. If they’re patient and things go well, they could get to see him leading their team for the remainder of his career.
Vikings To Re-Sign DE Jonathan Bullard
Jonathan Bullard is inking a third contract with the Vikings. The team announced that they’ve resigned the veteran defensive lineman.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Bullard inked a one-year deal worth a max value of $3.25MM.
Bullard has spent the past two seasons in Minnesota, starting 21 of his 29 appearances. During his age-30 season in 2023, he got into a career-high 644 defensive snaps, compiling 44 tackles and a pair of sacks. Pro Football Focus ranked him 115th among 130 qualifying interior defenders, although the site did give him a glimmer of hope for his run-stopping ability.
The former third-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Bears, where he got into 46 games. He bounced around the league a bit before finding a home in Minnesota, spending time with the Cardinals, Seahawks, and Falcons.
The Vikings will be counting on Bullard to provide some continuity on their defensive line. The veteran will likely continue to slot in next to Harrison Phillips on the Vikings defensive line in 2024.
Vikings, S Harrison Smith Agree To Restructure
A number of veteran safeties have seen their tenures with their respective teams come to an end this offseason, but Harrison Smith will not be one of them. The Vikings All-Pro will remain with Minnesota for 2024 on a restructured contract, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. 
Smith has spent his entire 12-year career with the Vikings, and his continued presence will be welcomed given his high-end play over the course of his decorated tenure. A report from last month indicated he would likely be required to take a pay cut to remain with the team, though, so today’s news comes as little surprise. Smith’s agency has announced (via Pelissero) the new agreement is worth $9MM, and it will lower his 2024 cap figure.
The 35-year-old had two years remaining on his deal entering Wednesday. His scheduled cap hits over that span were set to reach $19.22MM and $22.02MM, so Minnesota was unsurprisingly looking to lower those figures. Smith accepted a pay cut last year, and he has remained willing to re-negotiate his existing deal to continue his career.
The six-time Pro Bowler has been one of the league’s top ballhawks at the safety spot, racking up 34 interceptions. Smith was held without one in 2023, however, marking just the second time in his career in which that was the case. He recorded 93 tackles, three sacks and a trio of forced fumbles during the campaign, showcasing a continued ability to produce in other areas.
In an offseason in which both edge rusher Danielle Hunter and linebacker Jordan Hicks have agreed to deals with outside teams, Smith’s continued presence will also be helpful from a leadership standpoint. The latter will be counted on as one of the veterans of Brian Flores‘ unit for at least one more campaign as he looks to add further to his legacy.
Vikings To Sign RB Aaron Jones
MARCH 13: The pay cut the Packers offered checked in south of what Jones will make with the Vikings. Green Bay proposed slashing Jones’ $11MM 2024 base salary to less than $4MM, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, with $2MM in incentives dangled. The Vikings are giving Jones a $6MM base salary on a deal that includes $1MM in incentives.
After Jones agreed to a $5MM pay cut in 2023 — in exchange for 2023 guarantees — Schneidman adds the seven-year veteran did not want to take another reduction in this range. Although Jones will end up taking a cut from his original 2024 salary number, he lessened the damage by leaving for the Vikings, who will give him an opportunity to remain a starter.
MARCH 12: Aaron Jones‘ time with the Packers is up, but he will remain in the NFC North in 2024. The Pro Bowl running back has agreed to a one-year, $7MM deal with the Vikings, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. 
Green Bay attempted to work out a pay cut with Jones to ensure his time with the team continued. No agreement could be reached, however, and the team pivoted by releasing him and agreeing to terms with Josh Jacobs on a four-year, $48MM deal. The latter will carry the load moving forward with his new team, but plenty of touches will be available for Jones in Minnesota.
Jones was due to earn $12MM in 2024 on his Packers contract, but the team wanted him to take a 50% pay cut. It will be interesting to see how this Vikings deal is arranged with respect to guaranteed money as a result. In any case, today’s agreement comes as no surprise, given a Monday report indicating Minnesota was eyeing Jones on a deal which can be finalized at any time since he was released.
The 29-year-old topped 1,000 rushing yards three times during his seven-year stint in Green Bay. Jones has also been a notable contributor in the passing game during his career, recording between 395 and 474 yards through the air each season from 2019-22. He was limited to 11 games last season, however, and as a result his production fell considerably (889 scrimmage yards, three total touchdowns). His 4.6 regular season yards per carry average was also the lowest of his career.
In much better shape from a health perspective down the stretch, however, Jones showed flashes of his old self in the postseason. The former fifth-rounder racked up 226 yards and three touchdowns across the wild-card and divisional rounds, suggesting he could remain a productive lead back in the future. He will certainly have the opportunity to do so with Minnesota, given the team’s decision to move on from Dalvin Cook last offseason as well as his RB1 replacement (Alexander Mattison) last month.
The Vikings’ offense will of course look much different under center with Sam Darnold (or a passer added in the first round of April’s draft) in place as a Kirk Cousins replacement. Minnesota ranked fifth in the league with respect to passing yards per game in 2023 – despite the time Cousins missed with an Achilles injury – but only 29th on the ground. Jones and the team will look to improve in the latter regard during what will be a transition year in Minnesota.
Vikings Have “No Intent” To Trade Justin Jefferson
MARCH 13: Kirk Cousins‘ free agency departure for Atlanta has not changed Minnesota’s plans with Jefferson. The team is not considering a blockbuster trade involving its elite wide receiver, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Alec Lewis note. The All-Pro undoubtedly served as a key selling point for Sam Darnold, who is positioned — before the draft, at least — to take over for Cousins.
FEBRUARY 27: The Vikings made a late push to extend Justin Jefferson last offseason, and while both sides made it clear that they were fine with tabling talks until this year, that hasn’t stopped pundits from speculating on a potential divorce. Head coach Kevin O’Connell was quick to dismiss those rumors, stating during an appearance on PFT Live that the organization has no intention of trading their star wideout.
[RELATED: Justin Jefferson Wants To Remain With Vikings]
“I can tell you we have no intent to trade Justin Jefferson,” O’Connell said (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “We have had zero discussions, dialogue about that either internally, externally, on this planet or another planet. I feel very strongly that Justin is best in his position in football. Any time you’re trying to reset the receiver market — we know who he is, we know what Justin’s earned through his first four years in this league — you know how hard it is. . . . It was never gonna be something that was just be easy to get done, but the intent was there. The intent is still stronger than ever to get something done with Justin.”
The former first-round pick is set to play the 2024 campaign on his fifth-year option worth $19.74MM, so it’s only natural for both Jefferson and the Vikings to explore an extension. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted this week that the two sides got “unbelievably close” to an extension last offseason (per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert), and the executive reiterated that the Vikings want Jefferson to stick around Minnesota “for a long time.” Adofo-Mensah also said that any whispers of difficult negotiations were “completely false.”
Jefferson has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Vikings, but it doesn’t sound like he’s overly interested in giving the team a hometown discount. The 2022 first-team All-Pro said he wants to “break the bank,” a hint that he’s looking to surpass the position-leading $30MM average annual value set by Tyreek Hill. Three other WRs are currently making $25MM or more per season (Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, A.J. Brown), and Jefferson will surely be looking to join that accomplished group with his next contract.
While the organization may be willing to commit to Jefferson’s AAV, it sounds like they’re drawing a line in the sand with the guaranteed money. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, it’s common for the Vikings organization to only commit to one year of guaranteed money in extensions. However, while that’s been their “typical structure,” the organization did make an exception with tight end T.J. Hockenson, a factor that Jefferson’s camp will presumably point to during negotiations.
After not missing a game through his first three seasons in the NFL, Jefferson was limited to only 10 appearances this past season. He still managed to pass 1,000 yards from scrimmage, and his 107.4 yards per game actually established a new career-high.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/24
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OT Hakeem Adeniji
- Re-signed: OL Michael Dunn
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LS Trent Sieg
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: FB Michael Burton
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: OL Dan Skipper
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: CB Corey Ballentine, TE Tyler Davis
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: S Deon Bush
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: LB William Kwenkeu
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: LB Christian Elliss, OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: LS Rick Lovato, P Braden Mann
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: P Cameron Johnston
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Pharaoh Brown
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Saahdiq Charles
Washington Commanders
- Signed: LS Tyler Ott
Vikings To Re-Sign WR Brandon Powell
Brandon Powell is returning to Minnesota. The free agent wide receiver is signing a new one-year deal with the Vikings, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The former UDFA has bounced around the NFL during his brief career, but he seemed to find a role with the Vikings in 2023. The wideout got into all 17 games last season, finishing with career highs in receptions (29) and receiving yards (324). Powell also served as the team’s primary punt returner, leading the league with 37 punt returns.
Powell previously had stints with the Lions, Falcons, Bills, Dolphins, and Rams. He’s appeared in 61 career games, hauling in 76 receptions. He also has some experience in the running game, garnering 17 carries for the Rams in 2022.
The Vikings face an uncertain offensive future in a post-Kirk Cousins era, but the organization is apparently valuing continuity in their receivers room. With K.J. Osborn sitting in free agency, Powell could have a path to a significant role in 2024 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The Vikings are also rostering the likes of N’Keal Harry, Jalen Nailor, and Trishton Jackson at the position.
Vikings To Sign QB Sam Darnold
11:37am: Although the Broncos monitored Darnold’s market, 9News’ Mike Klis indicates the team did not make an offer. Darnold’s asking price landing in the $10MM-per-year neighborhood looks to have moved the Broncos out of the mix. Despite the team having only Jarrett Stidham in place post-Russell Wilson, it passed on making this a true bidding war.
12:12am: Competing against multiple other suitors, the Vikings will bring in their preferred Kirk Cousins fallback option. Sam Darnold has joined DaQuan Jones in making a wee-hours call on his 2024 NFL team.
Darnold will rejoin his former teammate — new Vikings QBs coach Josh McCown — in Minnesota, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting the recent 49ers back will sign a one-year deal worth $10MM. The Vikings appear to have beaten out the Broncos and Commanders for the former No. 3 overall pick.
[RELATED: Falcons To Give Kirk Cousins $180MM Deal]
This will bring what looks to be a clear-cut starter opportunity for Darnold, who has not gone into a season as a starter since 2021 with the Panthers. With Cousins’ Atlanta departure set to bring $28.5MM in dead money due to the void years Minnesota tacked onto their previous starter’s deal, Darnold at a significantly reduced rate will help the Vikings pick up the pieces.
Darnold, 26, emerged on the Vikings’ radar minutes after Cousins chose to leave. The team had made its pitch to its six-year starter up until Sunday night, but the 35-year-old passer will camp in Georgia on a $45MM-per-year accord. Cousins certainly is a more stable option compared to Darnold, who could not stick as the Jets or Panthers’ starter. But the Vikings will not be devoting anything close to their QB spot compared to the past six seasons. The Cousins era taxed the Vikings, who were battling uphill in negotiations since giving the ex-Washington franchise tag recipient a fully guaranteed deal in 2018.
With the salary cap ballooning to $55.4MM, the Vikings will need to give Darnold more than the Buccaneers handed Baker Mayfield in the wake of Tom Brady‘s void years-generated bill hitting their books last year. Mayfield collected some incentives but signed for just $4MM in base value last year. Darnold has not reached the heights Mayfield did merely in Cleveland, and the USC alum has made 56 career starts. But an argument can also be made — even after six seasons — the former top prospect landed in two bad situations as a starter.
The Jets chose to ship Darnold out after three seasons, which came under Todd Bowles and Adam Gase and with clear issues on the offensive line and at the pass-catching positions. And the Panthers acquired Darnold — for three draft picks, including a second-rounder — during an unstable period in which Matt Rhule was ready to move on from the trade pickup by his second season. Mayfield then replaced Darnold as Carolina’s starter, and while the latter recaptured his job, the Panthers were on the verge of another regime change. Darnold has a career 63-56 TD-INT ratio and has averaged just 6.7 yards per pass as a pro. In his most recent season with enough usage to qualify (2021), Darnold ranked 29th in QBR.
The Vikings will give Darnold a Justin Jefferson–T.J. Hockenson–Jordan Addison trio to target, and while the former Trojans standout will probably never live up to his draft slot, Kevin O’Connell‘s offense looks like his best opportunity to show he can be a decent starter. Of course, the Vikings will certainly be connected to QBs in the draft; they hold the No. 11 overall pick. But Darnold would be in place as the bridge in that circumstance. He could also buy the NFC North team time if a trade-up maneuver proves elusive come April.
Vikings Release DL Dean Lowry, Sign K John Parker Romo
The Vikings were active in adding to their front seven on Monday, but one veteran member of their D-line will not be in place for 2024. Dean Lowry is being released, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. In a separate move, Minnesota has agreed to a deal with kicker John Parker Romo, per Pelissero. 
The Lowy release – which the team has made official – means his Minnesota tenure will be limited to one season. The 29-year-old spent his first seven years of his career in Green Bay before making the intra-divisional move to the Vikings. Lowry started four games in 2023, but his campaign was cut short due to a pectoral injury.
The former fourth-rounder landed on IR in November, marking another disappointing development on the health front. Lowry had not previously missed a game from 2017-21. His base salary ($3.7MM) would have become guaranteed on March 16, so it comes as little surprise Minnesota will move on now. This cut will create just over $2MM in cap space while generating a dead money charge of $2.4MM.
The Vikings have relied on Greg Joseph in the kicking game for the past three seasons. He is a pending free agent, though, and the Romo addition means a competition could be in the cards or Joseph could be playing elsewhere in 2024. The latter had a strong debut Minnesota season in 2021 with a success rate of 86.8% on field goals. That figure dropped to 78.8% the following year before rebounding to 80% in 2023.
If the Vikings turn to Romo as their kicker, he would be in line for his first regular season NFL action. The 26-year-old has spent time with the Lions, Saints and Bears but he has not been able to win a training camp battle. Romo played for the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas in 2023, going 17-for-19 on field goals. He was named to the All-XFL team, and he will look to parlay that into an NFL gig in Minnesota.