Jaguars Release TE Evan Engram, WR Devin Duvernay
MARCH 7: The Jags have announced the Engram and Reynolds releases. This will mean Engram cannot be designated a post-June 1 cut. While the eight-year veteran is free to sign with any team now, the Jags will take on more dead money as a result of making him a standard release.
MARCH 6: A Jacksonville skill-position purge will continue with two more veterans. Following the team’s intra-division Christian Kirk trade, Evan Engram and Devin Duvernay are also out.
The Jags are releasing the veteran tight end and All-Pro return man, ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero respectively report. One season remained on Engram’s extension, which was signed after the Jags franchise-tagged him in 2023.
Count Josh Reynolds among the skill-player cap casualties as well, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. The Jags had claimed Reynolds off waivers from the Broncos late last season. This release will save the Jags $4.26MM, as they had taken Reynolds’ two-year, $9MM contract from the Broncos.
If the Jaguars are moving on from Engram via a standard release, they would take on $13.5MM in dead money. If they wait to officially cut the former first-rounder on March 12 and give him a post-June 1 release designation, the team would be tagged with just $4MM in 2025 dead cap and would save $15.5MM in cap room. Engram, 30, was due to count $19.49MM on Jacksonville’s 2025 cap — the second-highest total on the team’s payroll.
The Duvernay release will save the Jags $2.7MM this year. Jacksonville added Duvernay last March, doing so as it signed Gabe Davis as well. Davis did not live up to his $13MM-per-year contract in his first season, but he is the only veteran skill player left standing after this week’s moves. While the team is prepared to build around Brian Thomas Jr., it will need to fill out some spots alongside the blossoming first-rounder.
Given the tag over Jawaan Taylor in 2023, Engram signed a three-year, $41.25MM extension. That deal called for a $14.75MM 2025 base salary. Three void years tacked onto the end of it will bring the dead money, which would stretch to 2026 if the Jags make Engram a post-June cut. This could certainly make Engram the top tight end on the market, one that includes the likes of Mike Gesicki, Juwan Johnson and Tyler Conklin.
A 2017 Giants first-round pick, Engram has a Pro Bowl (2020) on his resume but became more consistent with the Jags. He twice set the franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end, accumulating 766 in 2022 and then 963 in ’23. Engram was not a strong red zone option for Trevor Lawrence, but the now-well-paid QB peppered him with targets. Engram caught 114 passes in 2023; only Jimmy Smith‘s 1999 featured more receptions (116) by a Jaguar.
Even as Engram scored only nine touchdowns in three seasons and is heading into his age-31 season, he should be in line for a starting job elsewhere soon. The Jags have given him a few days to beat the market. This release does come after Engram closed last season on IR with a labrum tear; he totaled 365 receiving yards in nine games.
Duvernay, 27, arrived during an offseason that saw the departures of Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones. The Jags had attempted to re-sign Ridley, being outbid by the Titans, before releasing Jones. In 2023, the team had deployed four veteran skill-player contracts around Lawrence’s rookie deal. They are now down to one (Davis’), and the ex-Bills WR2 totaled just 239 receiving yards last season.
Known more for his return-game skills than at receiver, Duvernay caught 11 passes for 79 yards in 2024. The two-time Ravens Pro Bowler served as the Jags’ kickoff and punt returner, leaving more jobs open amid this transition. Reynolds, 29, caught just one pass in four games as a Jaguar. He does have two 600-plus-yard seasons on his resume — including the 2023 season in Detroit — but has now been cut twice since December.
Kirk and Engram both had signed with the Jags in 2022, with each helping Lawrence after a woeful rookie season. Kirk is Houston-bound, while Engram — who has five seasons of at least 575 yards on his resume — should find a new home soon. The Jags have moved past $40MM in cap space with these moves and will be on the lookout for new Thomas supporting-casters soon.
Patriots Expected To Pursue Chris Godwin
Although many big-name receivers are available in free agency, Chris Godwin is probably the top prize — now that Tee Higgins is again out of play. PFR’s No. 7 free agent in this year’s class, Godwin is indeed expected to draw major interest.
Leading the way in cap space, the Patriots are expected to be a lead the way in driving Godwin’s market, per the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi. Considering the work the Pats did at wide receiver last year, it is unsurprising they are readying for a major pursuit to help Drake Maye on a rookie contract.
Maye’s rookie deal plays into one of the strongest hands in free agency history. The Patriots lead the way in cap space, by a wide margin, with more than $125MM. They chased Calvin Ridley last year, seeing the Titans outbid them, and explored the trade market. New England is believed to have submitted the top AAV to Brandon Aiyuk, at around $32MM, but the late-summer trade chip opted to stay with the 49ers on an extension. With Pats target Higgins again franchise-tagged (and again being kept out of trades), the team may need to focus on Godwin.
The longtime Mike Evans sidekick’s price will be high, as the cap has climbed another $24MM. The Godwin derby could go beyond $25MM per year, Giardi adds, even though he is coming off a dislocated ankle. Godwin, who played out a three-year deal worth $60MM, also suffered ACL and MCL tears in 2021 but responded with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Although Godwin was second in the NFL in receiving yards when he went down last year, as he had looked like his pre-ACL-tear version, a second major injury could induce some pause.
Godwin is going into an age-29 season and has four 1,000-yard years on his resume. The Super Bowl-winning wideout will have options. One of them appears to be a return to the Buccaneers, with Jason Licht expressing a desire to retain him once again. Franchise-tagged twice, Godwin has never hit free agency previously. The Bucs were able to keep Evans and Baker Mayfield off last year’s market, but time is running out here. Godwin can begin talking to other teams at 11am CT Monday. While the Bucs were able to convince Shaquil Barrett, Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean to re-sign after they had hit the market earlier this decade, Godwin’s price may be too high for a team still paying Evans and one that handed out market-setting deals at left tackle (Tristan Wirfs) and safety (Antoine Winfield Jr.) last year.
The Giants figure to need a Malik Nabers complementary piece, and the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy notes they were interested in Godwin as a trade target back in 2023. Though, Dunleavy expects the Giants to be priced out here. New York is still on the hook for more than $20MM in Daniel Jones dead money, and its cap-space figure ($45MM-plus) is dwarfed by the Patriots’ number.
Cardinals To Meet With Roy Robertson-Harris, Want To Re-Sign Baron Browning
One of several Seahawks contributors cut this week, Roy Robertson-Harris is generating some interest within the NFC West. The Cardinals will see about a fit.
The veteran interior defensive lineman is heading to Arizona for a free agency visit Friday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Robertson-Harris is an eight-year vet who has played with three teams. The Cardinals are still seeking answers along their front seven, with free agency likely to be a key avenue for them to retool there.
The Seahawks cut Robertson-Harris months after acquiring him from the Jaguars via trade. The former Bears UDFA did not see a big role in Seattle, seeing his snap share drop from 50% as a Jaguar to 25% as a Seahawk. Robertson-Harris, 31, tallied two sacks (both with the Jags) last season. Pro Football Focus graded him 81st among interior D-linemen in 2024. For his career, the career-long 3-4 defensive end has 19 to go with 27 tackles for loss and 67 QB hits.
Robertson-Harris (62 career starts) signed two Jags contracts, the second a three-year deal worth $23.4MM. The Cardinals do not have much allocated to their D-linemen, contract-wise, but they did draft Darius Robinson in last year’s first round. L.J. Collier and nose tackle Roy Lopez are due for free agency.
Also carrying questions at outside linebacker, Arizona sent a sixth-round pick to Denver for Baron Browning at the 2024 deadline. The former Broncos third-rounder totaled two sacks in eight Cardinals games last season, and USA Today’s Howard Balzer indicates the Cards do want him back. Browning, 26, will be free to speak with other teams beginning Monday.
Showing intermittent promise in Denver, Browning moved from ILB starter to OLB rotational presence during his Broncos run. While he did end up starting 28 games in Denver — 19 of those at OLB from 2022-24 — injuries played a regular role in limiting the Ohio State alum. Browning missed three games in 2022, seven in 2023 and four in ’24. An offseason knee injury sidelined Browning into the ’23 season, and a foot issue led him to short-term IR last year. The Broncos had just paid Jonathon Cooper, and with Nik Bonitto midway through a breakout year, the team did not plan to re-sign Browning.
Titans To Release OLB Harold Landry
The Titans’ top edge rusher for nearly his entire career, Harold Landry is now available in free agency. After giving Landry permission to seek a trade during Combine week, the Titans are cutting him, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
Landry joins Joey Bosa and Jonathan Allen as standout pass rushers cut this week. A year younger than both, Landry stands to generate considerable interest ahead of his age-29 season. Landry made it back from the ACL tear that wiped out his 2022 season, having played in all 34 Titans games since coming back.
As the Titans repeatedly tried to find outside help to complement Landry — from Vic Beasley to Cameron Wake to Jadeveon Clowney to Bud Dupree — the team could not find a solid complementary rusher. Arden Key remains in Tennessee, and he has been the best of this bunch, totaling 12.5 sacks over the past two seasons. But the Titans now have work to do at OLB, with Landry anchoring this group since becoming a 2018 second-round pick. This release comes as the Titans are set to meet with Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, who is in play to go No. 1 overall.
The Landry cut, assuming no post-June 1 designation is on tap, will save the Titans $10.95MM while leaving $13.1MM in dead money. No guaranteed salary remained on Landry’s five-year, $87.5MM deal, but two years of signing bonus proration will leave the dead cap. This move will bump the Titans beyond $60MM in cap space.
Cutting Landry with two years left on his deal signals big-picture changes for a team coming off a 3-14 season. The Titans are now two GMs removed from the one (Jon Robinson) who authorized Landry’s extension, with the team hiring Mike Borgonzi to work with Chad Brinker (after Ran Carthon‘s ouster) this offseason.
Chosen 41st overall out of Boston College, Landry teamed with 2019 first-rounder Jeffery Simmons to form a quality inside-outside tandem. The Titans paid both, but Simmons is all that remains from the pass rush that sacked Joe Burrow nine times during a narrow Tennessee divisional-round loss three seasons ago. Landry posted a career-high 12 sacks that year, leading the Titans to pay him just before he hit free agency. While the ACL tear sapped his momentum, Landry had inked his extension months before going down.
Landry posted 10.5 sacks in 2023, also posting his second-most QB hits (21) that season. He tallied nine sacks, including a safety, in 2024. That production did not exactly matter much for the Titans, who obtained the No. 1 pick after their downward spiral continued. Although Landry has only forced three career fumbles, the productive OLB has 50.5 career sacks despite missing all of 2022. Landry will join Bosa, Josh Sweat and Khalil Mack as productive veteran OLBs seeking third contracts in free agency.
Players given permission to shop at the Combine are starting to be released or traded. The 49ers found a taker for Deebo Samuel, while the Rams reunited Jonah Jackson with his former OC (new Bears HC Ben Johnson). Others in this position have been released (Allen, Landry, Rayshawn Jenkins) so far. More such resolutions are coming, with the 2025 league year starting Wednesday.
49ers Interested In Jonathan Allen; Vikings In Play For DT?
Jonathan Allen came up during the 49ers’ talks with the Commanders on Deebo Samuel. While the All-Pro wide receiver was eventually traded to Washington, the sides could not agree on an Allen inclusion. Now free from his second-tier defensive tackle contract, Allen will be available to the 49ers.
As they are with Joey Bosa, the 49ers are expected to show interest, per the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch. Allen, 30, will likely hear from a few teams. The Vikings may be ready to explore an addition as well, NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay adds.
The Commanders had given Allen permission to seek a trade, during a Combine week in which many teams did the same. These moves regularly lead to releases, and Allen is now off his four-year, $72MM contract. He was set to earn a $17MM base salary next season, which impacted a minimal trade market. The proven interior pass rusher was entering a contract year; he can now explore the market after multiple waves of DT deals dropped his Washington extension in the pecking order.
San Francisco’s Allen interest also comes as the team is releasing Javon Hargrave. The 2023 free agency addition — given a $21MM-per-year deal — will be a post-June 1 cut. Teams cannot officially move on from post-June 1 players until Wednesday, but Hargrave is no longer in the team’s plans. With Hargrave set to follow Arik Armstead out the door, the 49ers have some work to do at D-tackle. The 49ers also have Kevin Givens set for free agency.
Jordan Elliott and fellow 2024 acquisition Maliek Collins remain on the 49ers’ roster at DT, but Allen is much more accomplished. The eight-year Washington cog has 42 career sacks, having teams with Alabama teammate Daron Payne for seven seasons in the nation’s capital. Payne is all that remains from Washington’s four-first-rounder D-line stable, as the team traded Montez Sweat and Chase Young in 2023. Allen has more Pro Bowls than any of those players, having made two (in 2021 and ’22). After posting 19 QB hits in 2023, Allen suffered a partially torn pec and missed nine games last season.
The Vikings still have Harrison Phillips up front, but starters Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery are on track for free agency. Minnesota, which has most of its starting secondary uncertain to return in 2025, saved some money by not franchise-tagging Sam Darnold. Although the team is interested in retaining the QB at a lower rate, it has work to do on defense.
Travis Kelce On Decision To Play In 2025
Travis Kelce‘s future was a talking point leading up to Super Bowl LIX, and that remained the case after the game. It was learned during last week’s Combine, however, that the future Hall of Famer will remain with the Chiefs for at least one more season. 
“I love playing,” Kelce said during an episode of his New Heights podcast (via NFL.com). “I still feel like I can play [football] at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don’t think it was my best outing. I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them, especially if you look at my track record and how I’ve been in years past.
“I got a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended last year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was to the people around me… I just feel like there’s a responsibility in me to play out the contract that I initially signed, to give Kansas City and the Chiefs organization everything that I’ve got, and that’s what I’m going to do, man.”
One year remains on Kelce’s contract, and in the absence of an extension being worked out he will no doubt continue to face questions about his playing future. The 35-year-old remained a focal point of the Chiefs’ passing attack in 2024, drawing 133 targets in 16 games. Kelce saw his yards per reception average drop to 8.5, however, by far the lowest mark of his career (aside from his one-game rookie campaign).
Kansas City will likely look to make at least one notable receiver addition to complement Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy this offseason, something which could lead to a decrease in Kelce’s role on offense. The 10-time Pro Bowler is nevertheless set to remain atop a tight end depth chart which also features Noah Gray, who inked a three-year extension this past September. Kelce has already won three Super Bowls, but to no surprise he noted the manner in which the Chiefs lost to the Eagles in this year’s title contest played a role in his decision to come back.
The 2010s All-Decade Team member already has one of the most decorated resumes at the tight end position, and Kelce will continue to add to it in 2025. As the Chiefs aim for another Super Bowl berth, one of the most impactful players in franchise history will look to return to his previous form on at least a short-term basis.
Texans To Cut G Shaq Mason
Movement is coming at the guard position for the Texans. Part of the team’s plans at the position will involve cutting Shaq Mason. 
The veteran has been informed he will be released, as first reported by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Two years remained on Mason’s contract, with just over $1MM in guaranteed salary in place for 2025. If it does not include a post-June 1 designation, this move will create $2.12MM in cap space but generate $12.48MM in dead money.
Mason was dealt from the Patriots to the Buccaneers in 2022, and he occupied a starting role with Tampa Bay that year. He once again found himself on the move the following offseason, though, with a swap sending him to the Texans. The 31-year-old started each of Houston appearances, missing only two contests along the way.
Since his rookie campaign, Mason has exclusively worked at right guard. The interior of Houston’s offensive line was a major sore spot during the year, and to no surprise Wilson notes renovating at that spot is a clear goal for the team. As free agency approaches, making at least one notable addition at guard is something to watch for in the Texans’ case. The team entered Friday with roughly $5MM in cap space.
PFF gave Mason a string of highly impressive evaluations for much of his Patriots tenures. The Georgia Tech product has seen his overall grades decline recently, however, and it checked in at 62.3 in 2024 after allowing eight sacks and 34 pressures. Pass protection was a clear issue for Houston this past season, and finding an upgrade from Mason will go a long way in improving in that regard.
Trey Smith was set to be the best option available at the guard position (or any others along the O-line) in free agency, but the Chiefs kept him off the market by applying the franchise tag. As a result, the free agent group does not include a long list of attractive blockers, particularly along the interior. That could help Mason’s bid to land a new deal in the near future, but his Texans performances could steer suitors elsewhere.
Commanders To Release Jonathan Allen
Efforts to trade Jonathan Allen came up short. As a result, the veteran defensive tackle is now set to become a free agent.
The Commanders have informed Allen he will be released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This move will give him a small window of opportunity to test his market before the start of the new league year next week. After eight years in Washington, a change of scenery will now take place.
Allen recently emerged as a cut candidate given the fact one year remained on his contract. None of his base salary ($15.5MM) was guaranteed, and the two-time Pro Bowler was set to carry a cap hit of $22.47MM. This release will free up $16.47MM for the Commanders while generating a dead money charge of $6MM. Washington will have roughly $80MM in available funds once the move is processed.
The Commanders granted Allen permission to seek a trade during last week’s Combine, a clear indication that a parting of ways would be coming in the near future. The 30-year-old was discussed in the negotiations between Washington and San Francisco on the Deebo Samuel trade, but he was ultimately not included. Now, Allen will get a head start on free agency while Washington moves forward with a DT group which still features Daron Payne on one of the position’s most lucrative contracts.
Washington supplemented the Payne-Allen tandem by drafting Johnny Newton in the second round last year. The Illinois product wound up making 11 starts during his rookie season (thanks to the pectoral tear which sidelined Allen for a notable stretch), registering 44 tackles and a pair of sacks. Newton will be counted on to handle a first-team role moving forward now that Allen is out of the picture.
Selected in the first round in 2017, Allen has started all but one of his 113 career games. The Alabama product has reached 5.5 sacks or more on five occasions, with his personal best in that regard coming in 2021 with nine. Expectations on his next team will not include a repeat of that feat, but he can still be counted on to provide starting-caliber play during the next phase of his career. It will be interesting to see how strong of a market Allen can generate before free agency officially opens.
Lions To Re-Sign LB Derrick Barnes
Derrick Barnes was on track for free agency but that will no longer be the case. The fourth-year linebacker has agreed to remain in Detroit for the foreseeable future. 
Barnes and the Lions have a three-year deal in place, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The pact is worth $25.5MM and includes $16MM fully guaranteed at signing. Barnes will eschew a trip to the open market in exchange for considerable security on his second career contract.
During his first two seasons in Detroit, the Purdue product served in a rotational role on defense while also chipping in on special teams. Barnes took on an increased workload in 2023, making 13 starts and setting a new career high in tackles (81). Expectations were high for a strong follow-up campaign this past year, but things did not go according to plan.
A knee injury limited Barnes to just three games in 2024. A return deep into the postseason was considered a possibility at times, but as the Lions navigated a multitude of injuries on defense in particular it eventually became clear that would not be possible. That missed time threatened to hinder the 25-year-old’s market had he reached free agency, but he has nevertheless managed to secure a notable commitment from the Lions.
Detroit has Jack Campbell attached to his rookie contract, while veteran Alex Anzalone is on the books for 2025 (albeit without any guaranteed salary remaining on his deal). The team’s linebacker depth chart was recently thinned out to an extent by the decision to release Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Today’s news ensures Barnes will remain a key figure at the second level for 2025 and beyond, though.
The pending free agent class includes a few notable linebacker options, although one of the most attractive ones (Zack Baun) has already re-signed with the Eagles. Barnes coming off the market represents an unwelcomed development for his potential suitors, a group which may well have included the Jets. It will be interesting to see if any other deals at the position are worked out prior to the start of the new league year next week. In any case, Barnes is set to continue his career in the Motor City.
Bills, LB Terrel Bernard Agree To Extension
Another major piece of business has been taken care of by the Bills in the lead-in to free agency. Terrel Bernard is the latest in-house player on the team to land a lucrative new deal. 
The third-year linebacker and the Bills have agreed to terms on a four-year extension, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. The pact – which is now official – is worth $50MM and includes $25.2MM in guarantees. Bernard is now under contract through 2029.
Selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, Bernard was used sparingly on defense during his rookie season while handling a regular role on special teams. Over the past two campaigns, however, he has been a full-time starter and a key figure in Buffalo’s front seven. In 2023, the Baylor product broke out with 143 tackles, 6.5 sacks and three interceptions.
Bernard was unable to match that production this past campaign, one in which he was limited to 13 games. Buffalo was hit hard by injuries at the linebacker spot for much of the season, but when in the lineup the 25-year-old was invaluable. Bernard reached triple digits in tackles once again, adding another pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery along the way. As one of several impactful members of Buffalo’s 2022 draft class, he represented a prime extension candidate this offseason.
Now, an agreement has been reached before the start of free agency. The $12.5MM annual average value of Bernard’s deal places him in a tie for sixth at the position, slightly below the AAV of Matt Milano‘s pact. Questions have been raised about the latter’s future based on the absence of guarantees in the final two years of his contract and his missed time due to injuries in recent seasons. Whereas the Bills have allowed high-end linebackers depart in free agency in the recent past (like Tremaine Edmunds), the team has worked early on this occasion to keep an ascending contributor in place for the foreseeable future.
Buffalo’s 2025 offseason has also, of course, included an extension for wideout Khalil Shakir. Two key members of the team’s 2022 draft class are now on the books for years to come, and more work on that front could be coming. Running back James Cook is angling for a new deal which will move him near the top of the position’s market, while corner Christian Benford is also eligible for a payday.
The Bills entered Friday as one of five teams in the NFL currently over the 2025 cap ceiling. Further cost-shedding moves – like yesterday’s release of punter Sam Martin – will be needed as a result to achieve compliance and free up funds for outside additions. Buffalo’s attention can increasingly turn in that direction now that Bernard’s long-term future has been worked out.