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Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/24

April 15th, 2024 at 8:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: OL Lorenz Metz

Washington Commanders

Today marks the first day for teams with holdover HCs to begin offseason programs. That date frequently coincides with restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents officially coming back into the fold. McCloud’s signing and Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson inking his second-round tender leaves 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings, also given a Round 2 tender, as the lone unsigned RFA. McCloud will be tied to a nonguaranteed $2.99MM salary.

A former UDFA out of Michigan State, Bachie has been with the Bengals for the past three seasons. The young linebacker has been a regular special-teamer in that time; over the past two seasons, Bachie has been on the field for more than 60% of Cincinnati’s ST plays.

The Commanders signed Tyler Ott in free agency. The longtime Seahawks snapper spent 2023 with the Ravens; the veteran staying in the Mid-Atlantic region will lead to Addington — a three-game Washington long snapper in 2023 — being moved off the roster.

Murtaugh and Metz are coming to the NFL via the league’s International Pathway Program. Murtaugh hails from Australia and has a background in Australian Rules Football. He spent a bit of time with the Lions in 2023. A German, Metz spent time with the Bears last year but did not make their roster. He was not with a team during the season. If Murtaugh and Metz fail to make their respective team’s 53-man roster, they can be carried as a 17th practice squad player via the IPP program.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/12/24

April 12th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

Friday’s minor moves:

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Jean-Charles spilt his time between the 49ers and Saints in 2023, finishing the campaign in New Orleans. He was used all-but exclusively on special teams during that time, which has also been the case throughout the rest of his career. The 25-year-old will have the chance to carve out a larger role in his first full season with New Orleans if he can make the active roster at the start of the 2024 campaign.

Jones, Junior and Van Lanen were each tendered as exclusive rights restricted free agents, so their respective deals come as no surprise. Seattle’s OTAs began this week, and each member of the trio will now be in place to take part in on-field work when that takes place before competing for roster spots in training camp.

NFC South Rumors: Bucs, Saints, Wonnum

April 12th, 2024 at 1:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Moving on from Shaquil Barrett after four years, the Buccaneers do have some options following that release. They saw 2023 Day 3 pick YaYa Diaby lead the team in sacks, and they signed Randy Gregory to pair with the ascending rusher and 2021 first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Granted, the Bucs have not seen tremendous production from Tryon-Shoyinka. Three years after that pick, the team is looking into first-round-caliber edge rushers once again. Already hosting Jared Verse on a visit, the Bucs have done “a ton” of work on UCLA’s Laiatu Latu and Penn State’s Chop Robinson, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller notes. The team was active on the pro-day circuit as well, speaking to a host of edges. The Bucs, who saw only one front-seven player (Diaby) eclipse six sacks last season, hold the No. 26 pick in this year’s draft.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Regularly investing early-round resources in their O-line, the Saints are in a bind at tackle. All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is no longer a lock to play in 2024, and 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning has not proven the answer yet at left tackle. The player the Saints kicked outside to replace Penning last season, Andrus Peat, is unsigned. This uncertainty has brought Saints connections to Penn State’s Olu Fashanu and Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid offers. This is a good year to need a tackle, with several first-round-caliber options available. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, which slots Fuaga 10th and Fashanu 15th overall, includes seven tackles in the top 25.
  • Going into his 14th NFL season, Cameron Jordan recently underwent surgery to address a badly sprained ankle, according to NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras. The longtime Saints edge anchor suffered the injury in late November, and while he played through it, the malady limited him down the stretch. The Saints believe the ankle issue contributed heavily to Jordan’s disappointing two-sack season. Last season marked Jordan’s first with fewer than 7.5 sacks since his 2011 rookie year. Jordan, 34, joins Chase Young as Saints D-ends who will be on the mend heading into the team’s offseason program. Young, who signed a one-year deal with much of its value in per-game roster bonuses, underwent neck surgery shortly after signing with the Saints.
  • On the subject of pass rusher injuries in this division, the Panthers will not have one of their edge pickups to start the offseason. Wonnum will not be available for Carolina’s OTAs, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. The former Vikings contributor suffered a torn quad near the end of last season. The Panthers gave Wonnum a two-year, $12.5MM deal; of that amount, however, only $1.25MM came guaranteed at signing.
  • Antonio Hamilton‘s recent Falcons contract is worth $1.4MM, ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein tweets. Hamilton, who played for $1.5MM last season with the Cardinals, secured $985K guaranteed in his recent Atlanta agreement. Eddie Goldman, who has vacillated on retirement since his 2022 Bears release, did not see any guaranteed money on a vet-minimum deal. The Falcons, who have ex-Bears GM Ryan Pace in their front office, are giving Goldman a third chance. The veteran nose tackle has not played since 2021.

WR Notes: Allen, Bolts, Colts, Bills, Browns, Falcons, Jets, Panthers, Saints, Bears

April 12th, 2024 at 12:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly dealt to the Texans, Keenan Allen will soon team with D.J. Moore on the Bears. Only Malcom Floyd enjoyed a longer WR tenure with the Chargers, who surprised Allen (per ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim) by requesting a pay cut after a 1,243-yard season (career-high 95.1 per game). The process that ended with Allen shipped to Chicago for a fourth-round pick stunned the 11-year veteran, whose camp presented the Bolts with a counteroffer that would have made the 31-year-old talent one of the NFL’s highest-paid wideouts. The team quickly rejected that proposal, Rhim adds.

Cutting Mike Williams to move under the cap, the Chargers had already restructured the deals of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. The team asking Allen for a pay cut despite moving well under the salary ceiling surprised the wideout’s camp, per Rhim, though the Bolts wanted more room to work in free agency. Because of a 2023 restructure, Allen was due to count more than $34MM on Los Angeles’ cap. The Bears, who paid Allen’s $5MM roster bonus shortly after acquiring him, have the six-time Pro Bowler on the books at $23.1MM. As of now, Allen is due for free agency in 2025.

Shifting to the draft, here is the latest wide receiver news:

  • The Bills and Colts are taking a close look at this draft’s fastest player. Xavier Worthy recently visited Buffalo and is now in Indianapolis for a meeting, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. Blazing to a Combine-record 4.21-second 40-yard dash, Worthy is coming off a 75-catch, 1,014-yard season. The ex-Texas speedster added 12 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2021. Buffalo certainly needs receiving help, after losing Gabe Davis in free agency and trading Stefon Diggs to Houston, while Indianapolis has been Michael Pittman Jr.-dependent for a while. The Colts did see intriguing rookie-year work from Josh Downs (771 yards), but the 5-foot-8 wideout profiles as a slot player.
  • Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey has now met with the Browns and Falcons, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. McConkey has spoken with at least 14 teams, Rapoport adds. Several teams have placed a first-round grade on McConkey, who also fared well in his Combine 40 (4.39). The 5-foot-11 target took a backseat to Brock Bowers at Georgia, never eclipsing 800 yards in a season. While McConkey totaled 762 in 2022, that number came in 15 games. Debuting late because of a back injury last season, McConkey finished with just 30 catches for 478 yards. Viewed as a strong route runner with untapped potential, McConkey could be an outside or inside option for his NFL team.
  • The Jets, Panthers and Browns are among the teams to have hosted Oregon wideout Troy Franklin on a “30” visit, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Franklin had previously met with the Bills and Patriots. Franklin broke through for a 1,383-yard season alongside Bo Nix last year; the 6-3 target should be on the radar as a second-round pick in this deep WR class.
  • The Saints are the latest team connected to Western Kentucky target Malachi Corley, Rapoport adds. Corley will make a Saturday trip to New Orleans for a “30” visit. The Saints made an effort to trade up in last year’s first round but did not make a major investment at receiver in the draft. They have since signed Stanley Morgan and Equanimeous St. Brown, but considering the Michael Thomas release, it would not surprise to see New Orleans make a bigger move in the draft. Corley is expected to be a second-round pick.
  • Bears GM Ryan Poles has broken the front office and coaching staff into pods debating the merits of choosing a wide receiver, tackle or defensive end at No. 9, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes. This makes for an interesting behind-the-curtain look for a team that has done some work on wideouts pre-draft. Worthy, Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze appeared on Chicago’s docket of “30” visits. Odunze or Nabers being available at 9 would certainly be tempting for the Bears, though the Allen trade provides the team some flexibility following Darnell Mooney‘s free agency exit.

Saints Sign WR Equanimeous St. Brown

April 12th, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Sam Robinson

After two seasons with the Bears, Equanimeous St. Brown will move to a third NFC team. The former Packers draftee agreed to a deal with the Saints on Friday. It is a one-year agreement.

The 6-foot-5 wide receiver spent the past two seasons in Chicago, after playing out his rookie contract in Green Bay. St. Brown, 27, will join a Saints team that ended an eight-year Michael Thomas partnership recently. The team did add Cedrick Wilson Jr. in free agency, however.

Like fellow Friday signing Kellen Mond, St. Brown has a connection with Andrew Janocko. The new Saints QBs coach held the same position during St. Brown’s Bears tenure. St. Brown said (via NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett) Janocko reached out to him in free agency to help this signing across the goal line.

An injury limited St. Brown to seven games last season, but the former sixth-round pick did accumulate 323 yards on 21 receptions in 2022 — in an offense that featured a heavy emphasis on the ground game. St. Brown will join a more traditional pass offense in New Orleans.

Obviously not on the level of younger brother Amon-Ra St. Brown, Equanimeous has surpassed 120 receiving yards in just two of his six NFL seasons. After a 328-yard 2018 rookie year, St. Brown missed all of 2019 and ultimately became a role player to close out his Packers contract. He will be set to vie for a depth role in New Orleans.

Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed remain the top Saints receivers, with Wilson set for an auxiliary role after not living up to his $8MM-per-year Dolphins deal. A.T. Perry, chosen in last year’s sixth round, averaged 20.5 yards per reception as a rookie. New Orleans also signed Stanley Morgan early in free agency. The team should still be expected to add a piece in the draft, but St. Brown provides an experienced role player for the time being.

Saints Sign QB Kellen Mond

April 12th, 2024 at 9:24am CST by Sam Robinson

Although Kellen Mond worked out for the 49ers this week, the former third-round pick will end up in a similar system. The Saints are signing the young quarterback, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. The team has since announced the signing.

The Saints will be Mond’s fourth team in four seasons. The Vikings and Browns waived the young quarterback after one year apiece, and Mond spent last season on the Colts’ practice squad. Not back with Indianapolis on a futures deal, Mond hit free agency and will have a chance with a Saints team that hired Klint Kubiak as OC.

This will reunite Mond and Kubiak, who was in place as the Vikings’ play-caller when the team drafted the Texas A&M product three years ago. Mond, who also worked with Saints QBs coach Andrew Janocko in Minnesota, said (via Terrell) he has been in discussions with the Saints for weeks. While Mond figures to be running short on chances, having extensive familiarity with Kubiak’s system stands to help his quest to become one of the Saints’ backups behind Derek Carr.

Mond will join Nathan Peterman and 2023 draftee Jake Haener as Carr backup options. While Mond and Peterman’s NFL resumes do not inspire much confidence in New Orleans’ backup situation, the Saints now have four QBs. That often represents the number of passers clubs take into offseason programs. Carr did not miss much time last season, but he suffered two concussions and a shoulder injury in his first Saints season. The team let Jameis Winston join the Browns in free agency and did not replace him with a veteran option.

After attempting to trade up for Justin Fields in 2021, the Vikings regrouped with Mond at No. 66 overall. Not viewed as ready in Minnesota, Mond did not receive the call to replace Kirk Cousins when the starter contracted COVID-19 that year. Off-and-on Vikings backup Sean Mannion did. When Kevin O’Connell arrived in 2022, Mond was not part of the new HC’s plan. Ex-Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski mentored Mond from 2022-23, but the Browns did not include him on their 53-man roster. The Colts added Mond to their P-squad following Anthony Richardson‘s injury but never promoted him to the active roster.

Mond, 24, started for most of his Aggies career. He posted a 19-3 TD-INT ratio as a senior, completing a career-high 63.3% of his passes. While teams have not exactly been thrilled by Mond’s development as a pro, Kubiak will take another crack at coaching the 6-foot-3 passer.

Traded NFL Draft Picks For 2024

April 10th, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2024 draft nears, numerous picks have already changed hands. A handful of picks have already been moved twice, with a few being traded three times. Multiple deals from 2021 impact this draft. Here are the 2024 picks to have been traded thus far:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

NFL Draft Rumors: Cowboys, McCarthy, Robinson

April 6th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys hosted a number of 2024 NFL Draft prospects for “top 30” visits this week. The visiting group included potential first-round targets like Taliese Fuaga, Graham Barton, and Darius Robinson as well as projected Day 2 selection Junior Colson.

Fuaga, an offensive tackle out of Oregon State, and Barton, a projected interior offensive lineman out of Duke, make sense considering the Cowboys’ losses on offensive line this offseason of Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz. If Fuaga is able to start, this would allow Dallas to keep Tyler Smith at guard, where he earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023. In order to land Fuaga, though, the Cowboys would likely have to trade up earlier into the first round. Barton played left tackle for the Blue Devils for the last couple of years, but his early college film at center shows the versatility that he could bring at the NFL level.

Robinson, a defensive end out of Missouri, feels like the typical Cowboys pass rusher selection and adds depth to a position that saw Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler follow former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to Washington. A bigger defensive end, Robinson could provide some versatility across the defensive line and may be available long enough for the Cowboys to trade back to collect some extra picks and still select him. Colson, a linebacker out of Michigan, would be a nice addition to a position that could use some attention with Micah Parsons spending more time at end. While he’s likely a second- or third-round pick, he’s worth note as he’s expected to be the first linebacker off the board.

Here are a couple of other rumors making the rounds in the weeks leading up to this month’s draft:

  • We have seen the draft stock of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy soaring over the last few weeks. Once considered a tier-two quarterback behind Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, the polarizing McCarthy has somehow found himself in consideration for the No. 2 overall draft selection. While his stock continues to inflate, Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan pointed out some of the red flags that have some scouts feeling less than confident about the former Wolverine. McCarthy has been compared to former Steelers’ first-round pick Kenny Pickett “due to his inability to drive the ball down the field.” His strong sense of timing made up for a lack of arm strength in college, but some worry that it will prevent him from being able to make some throws at the NFL level. While he’s almost guaranteed to be a first-round pick due to the top-heavy nature of the position this year, many don’t have a first-round grade on McCarthy.
  • Chop Robinson is set to be the next pass rusher out of Penn State to be selected in the first round. The projected Day 1 edge rusher had already taken visits with the Eagles, Ravens, and Saints, but Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz informs us that visits with the Giants and Jets were scheduled for this past week, as well. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 adds that the Texans have Robinson firmly on their radar after meeting with him at the NFL scouting combine.

Saints To Sign LB Khaleke Hudson

April 5th, 2024 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 5: Hudson said (via Matthew Paras of the Times-Picayune) the Commanders did not offer him a contract, with Quinn informing him the team was eyeing a different profile amongst its linebackers. Hudson added, to little surprise, he chose to join the Saints as a result of the opportunity to see defensive playing time it will afford him.

APRIL 4: A special teams mainstay in Washington, Khaleke Hudson enjoyed his biggest opportunity on defense last season. This will lead to another opportunity.

With the Commanders retooling in Dan Quinn‘s first offseason — one that has brought many of the new HC’s former charges to Washington — Hudson will leave for a chance with the Saints. New Orleans is adding the veteran linebacker on a one-year deal, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.

This agreement comes not long after Hudson visited the Steelers. It is not known if the Steelers — who have another ex-Washington linebacker, Cole Holcomb, on their payroll — extended an offer, but Hudson will end up in the NFC South. The Saints are adding a veteran special-teamer and a player who logged eight starts in 2023.

Hudson, 26, is a Michigan alum who started just four games during his first three seasons. The former fifth-round pick played at least 77% of Washington’s ST snaps in each of those years but moved into the starting lineup in the Ron Rivera–Jack Del Rio tandem’s final season. Although this opportunity came for a team careening into last place defensively, Hudson made 74 tackles (five for loss), recorded a sack and broke up two passes.

Pro Football Focus slotted Hudson 51st overall at the position, a mid-pack placement. Following Jamin Davis‘ season-ending injury, Hudson started the Commanders’ final five games, closing with a three-TFL showing in Week 18.

The Saints gave ageless starter Demario Davis another extension last month, and they also added four-year Chiefs starter Willie Gay. With Pete Werner going into a contract year, it would seem Hudson has a backup ceiling as a Saint barring injury. But his run of ST work stands to bolster New Orleans’ third-phase options ahead of Dennis Allen‘s third season in charge.

NFC Contract Details: Bucs, Mayfield, Eagles, Sweat, Parker, Rams, Garoppolo, Saints

April 3rd, 2024 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the details from some of the recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFC:

  • Baker Mayfield, QB (Buccaneers). Three years, $100MM. Of the $50MM in Mayfield guarantees, $40MM is fully guaranteed. The other $10MM will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2025 league year. Mayfield can also earn $5MM per year via incentives, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman notes. Half of those are stat-based incentives. If Mayfield finishes in the top 10 in the NFL (or top five in the NFC) in passer rating, TD passes, yards, yards per attempt or completion percentage in any of the three years, he would earn $500K per category, Auman adds. The other $2.5MM per year comes through playoff incentives. Mayfield would earn $500K for a Bucs wild-card win, $750K for a divisional-round conquest and $500K for an NFC championship game win. If the Bucs are to win a Super Bowl with Mayfield at the helm, he would collect another $750K.
  • Darious Williams, CB (Rams). Three years, $22.5MM. Only $7MM of Williams’ $15MM guarantee is locked in at signing, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. This contract’s key date will come on Day 5 of the 2025 league year, when the remaining $8MM will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee. Barring injury, this effectively makes 2024 a “prove it” year for the now-two-time Rams CB.
  • Josh Sweat, DE (Eagles). One year, $10MM. The Eagles’ Sweat rework will bring $9.5MM guaranteed for the veteran defensive end, per OverTheCap. Philly used four void years to spread out the cap hit, which sits at $8.1MM for 2024. If Sweat signs elsewhere before this contract’s March 2025 expiration, the Eagles will be tagged with $16.4MM in dead money.
  • Cedrick Wilson, WR (Saints). Two years, $5.75MM. The Saints are guaranteeing Wilson $2.85MM, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell notes. The second-generation NFL wideout will be due a $200K roster bonus in 2025; none of Wilson’s ’25 salary ($2.7MM) is guaranteed.
  • Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (Rams). One year, $3.18MM. Previously reported as including $4.5MM in base value, the Rams’ Garoppolo contract (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe) contains $3.18MM in base pay.
  • Ben Bredeson, G (Buccaneers). One year, $3MM. Bredeson’s Bucs pact includes $1.75MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.
  • DeVante Parker, WR (Eagles). One year, $1.21MM. The Patriots are paying most of Parker’s deal, with $3.19MM guaranteed remaining on his 2023 extension. The Eagles are not guaranteeing the former first-rounder anything, Volin tweets. The Pats will receive a $1.98MM cap credit if Parker plays the whole 2024 season.
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