Quandre Diggs

Titans Sign Veteran S Quandre Diggs

It’s a Seattle reunion in Nashville. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, veteran safety Quandre Diggs has signed a one-year contract that will reunite him with his backfield mate of the past four years, Jamal Adams, in Tennessee. Diggs’ deal with the Titans will be worth up to $5MM, a bit more than Adams is expected to make in 2024. Diggs broke the news first on his personal X account.

The 31-year-old was released alongside Adams around the start of free agency after just over four years with the team. The former Longhorn was drafted in the sixth round by the Lions back in 2015 and took a couple years before he earned a consistent starting role in Detroit. Finally a starter in his third season, Diggs recorded three picks, a minimum he would match every year after, up until that streak ended in 2023.

Prior to the final year of his rookie deal, Diggs signed a three-year, $20.4MM extension with the Lions. After only six games under his new contract, though, Detroit traded Diggs and a seventh-round pick to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick. When Seattle traded for Adams the following summer, they formed their defensive backfield for the next four years, though Adams would struggle to stay on the field during that time.

In their first year on the field together, both players were selected to the Pro Bowl, and Adams earned second-team All-Pro honors. While Adams’ injury troubles would keep him from any other accolades during his time in Seattle, Diggs would find his way to two more Pro Bowls. After only amassing six interceptions in four-and-a-half years in Detroit, Diggs tripled that output with 18 picks in the same amount of time with the Seahawks. With the emergence of Julian Love last year and the signings of Rayshawn Jenkins and K’Von Wallace, the Seahawks were clearly looking to move on from their veteran defensive backs.

Signing with the Titans, Diggs now joins a new-look defense in Tennessee that has added Adams, cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie, linebacker Kenneth Murray, and defensive tackles Sebastian Joseph-Day and rookie T’Vondre Sweat, all playing under new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and head coach Brian Callahan. The Titans moved on from their own veteran All-Pro this past season, trading away Kevin Byard. As a result, they saw former cornerback Elijah Molden step up and take a starting role across from Amani Hooker.

It’s difficult to predict how this lineup plays out. A new-look secondary now sees Sneed and Awuzie starting at cornerback, while Roger McCreary returns to his primary nickelback role. At safety, Hooker and Molden may get the first crack at first-team snaps, due to their experience in the unit, though the scheme is set to change a bit with new coaching.

However Diggs and Adams fit into the new secondary, one can’t deny that the team has employed outstanding depth at the position. Having so many starting-caliber safeties on the roster should allow the Titans to roam their best players around the field in unique packages.

Seahawks To Release Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs

Long thought to be on the cap casualty radar, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs will indeed be released. Seattle is cutting both veteran safeties, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. In each case, the move will come as a standard (rather than post-June 1) release, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

The former in particular has often been floated as a release candidate, given the nature of his contract and the injury issues which have plagued his Seattle tenure. Adams arrived amidst massive expectations following his trade from the Jets and the four-year, $70MM extension which accompanied it. The former No. 6 pick played just 34 games in four seasons with Seattle, however.

[RELATED: Seahawks Cut TE Will Dissly]

That total includes one contest in 2022, and nine this past season. Adams ended the campaign on injured reserve with serious questions about his future in the Emerald City. They have now been answered; today’s move will create just over $6MM in cap savings while incurring a dead money charge of $20.83MM. Rather than spreading the latter figure out over two season, the team will absorb it all at once.

Diggs was entering the final year of his contract, a $40MM extension which appeared to keep him in place with the Seahawks for the long haul. None of his base salary was guaranteed, and as such the team will free up an additional $11MM in cap space. Still, the dead money figure in Diggs’ case ($10.27MM) illustrates the consequences of the investments made in both players during Pete Carroll‘s tenure at the helm of the franchise.

General manager John Schneider remains from that period, but he now has full control over roster decisions in the bid to transition under new head coach Mike Macdonald. Defensive improvement will be a key expectation for the latter given his background as well as the shortcomings Seattle has seen on that side of the ball in recent years. After being scheduled to account for over $20MM each on the cap next season, neither Adams nor Diggs will play a role in that effort.

Adams has an advantage in terms of age (28) over Diggs (31) with respect to potential market value on a deal with a new team. The former contemplated retirement following the 2022 campaign, though, and his injury history will be a major factor taken into consideration by prospective employers. A Jets reunion is not under consideration, SNY’s Connor Hughes tweets. Diggs has fared far better on the health front, earning a Pro Bowl every season from 2020-22. He recorded at least four interceptions each year over that span, but that figure fell to one in 2023.

Regardless of where Adams and Diggs wind up, Seattle will look much different on the backend in 2024. Julian Love is under contract for one more year, but at least one more starting-caliber option will be brought in this offseason.

Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Defense

While the NFL’s top 2023 cap hits go to players on offense, a number of pass rushers are tied to lofty figures as well. None check in higher than Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

Williams and Chiefs D-tackle Chris Jones carry high contract-year cap hits, while the Steelers’ two front-seven cornerstones each are set to go into training camp with cap figures north of $20MM. As the salary cap climbed to $224.8MM this year, here are the top defensive cap figures as camps near:

  1. Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $32.26MM
  2. T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $29.37MM
  3. Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $29.18MM
  4. Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $28.29MM
  5. Aaron Donald, DL (Rams): $26MM
  6. Arik Armstead, DT (49ers): $23.95MM
  7. Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.26MM
  8. C.J. Mosley, LB (Jets): $21.48MM
  9. Jonathan Allen, DT (Commanders): $21.44MM
  10. Shaquil Barrett, OLB (Buccaneers): $21.25MM
  11. Grady Jarrett, DT (Falcons): $20.63MM
  12. Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $19.99MM
  13. Shaquille Leonard, LB (Colts): $19.79MM
  14. Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $19.62MM
  15. Adoree’ Jackson, CB (Giants): $19.08MM
  16. Harold Landry, OLB (Titans): $18.8MM
  17. Justin Simmons, S (Broncos): $18.15MM
  18. Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks): $18.11MM
  19. Matt Judon, DE (Patriots): $18.107MM
  20. Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $18.1MM
  21. Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $17.9MM
  22. DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $17.25MM
  23. Emmanuel Ogbah, DE (Dolphins): $17.19MM
  24. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (Cowboys): $17.11MM
  25. Eddie Jackson, S (Bears): $17.1MM

The Chiefs are working toward a second extension agreement with Jones, who is in the final season of a four-year, $80MM contract. A new deal with the star inside pass rusher would free up cap space, and DeAndre Hopkins is believed to be monitoring this situation.

As for Williams, the Giants had wanted to adjust his deal to reduce his eye-opening cap number. As of mid-June, however, no extension appeared to be on the team’s radar. The previous Giants regime signed off on the 2021 Williams extension (three years, $63MM). The Giants are also uninterested — for the time being, at least — in extending Jackson, who was also a Dave Gettleman-era defensive addition.

Donald is in the second season of a three-year, $95MM deal. The Rams gave Donald a landmark raise last year, convincing the all-everything D-tackle to squash retirement talk. A no-trade clause exists in Donald’s contract, which pays out its guarantees this year. Mosley remains tied to the $17MM-per-year deal the Mike Maccagnan regime authorized with the Jets. That contract, which reset the off-ball linebacker market in 2019, still has two seasons remaining on it due to the deal tolling after Mosley’s 2020 COVID-19 opt-out call. The Jets restructured the deal last year.

Washington now has two D-tackles tied to deals of at least $18MM per year. While Daron Payne‘s pact is worth more ($22.5MM AAV), higher cap hits on that deal will come down the road. Three years remain on Allen’s 2021 agreement. At safety, no team is spending like the Seahawks. In addition to the big-ticket deals authorized for Adams and Diggs, Seattle gave ex-Giants starter Julian Love a two-year, $6MM accord in March.

New Titans GM Ran Carthon attempted to give Byard a pay cut. That request did not go over well, but the standout safety remains with the team and has not requested a trade. Tennessee re-signed Landry on a five-year, $87.5MM deal in 2022; the veteran edge rusher has yet to play on that deal due to the ACL tear he sustained just before last season.

The 49ers can bring Bosa’s number down via an extension, which has long been on the team’s docket. As San Francisco extended Deebo Samuel just after training camp began last year, Bosa received back-burner treatment due to the fifth-year option. The star defensive end’s price undoubtedly went up during the waiting period, with the former No. 2 overall pick earning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim in the fourth year of his rookie contract.

Seahawks To Re-Sign Quandre Diggs

Seattle has seen quite a bit of roster turnover recently, but they will be retaining one of their best defenders. Safety Quandre Diggs has re-signed on a three-year, $40MM deal (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).

Last month, it was reported that there was a mutual interest between the team and player for a new deal to get done. Diggs, 29, made it clear he would be asking for compensation putting him at or near the top of the safety market. That didn’t come as a surprise, given that he was coming off of his second straight Pro Bowl season. He totalled 10 interceptions and 17 pass breakups between the past two seasons. On the other hand, a broken leg suffered in the season finale threatened to complicate negotiations.

At an average of $13.3MM per year, this new deal is likely less than what Diggs could have landed on the open market. It is also less than what fellow pending free agent safety Jessie Bates received on the franchise tag. Still, it gives the Seahawks a very expensive safety tandem, with Jamal Adams due nearly $60MM over the next four years.

With Diggs (and Bates) off the market, the free agent safety class is now topped by the likes of Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Williams and Marcus Maye. Seattle, meanwhile, looks to continue re-shaping (as opposed to re-building) their roster.

NFC West Notes: McGlinchey, Diggs, Rams, Polite

49ers’ offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey is set to play through the fifth-year option of his rookie contact this season. McGlinchey has been a bit of a mixed-bag for the Niners early on in his career. While grading out as one of the league’s better run-blockers, McGlinchey struggled early in pass protection. Just as he was beginning to show some real improvement in the passing game, McGlinchey saw his season come to an end in Week 9 of this past season after suffering a torn quadriceps.

While McGlinchey’s cap hit for 2022 will be $10.88MM, the 49ers have nothing to gain by cutting him, as the fifth-year option for a rookie is fully guaranteed. The team does hold two options to potentially avoid the 27-year-old’s cap hit: they can trade him or extend him. According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, there is a chance that the 49ers sign McGlinchey to an extension in order to create more cap space. They would be betting on McGlinchey coming back strong from his injury, but they seem to feel good about the progress in play he showed before his injury last year.

Here are a few other notes from the NFC West, starting with a note from Seattle:

  • After breaking his ankle in Week 17 of the season this past year, Seahawks’ safety Quandre Diggs is expected to be fully cleared for all football activities by June, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Diggs is set to test free agency this offseason and teams will likely take his injury recovery into account. It’s impressive progress for the 29-year-old as his doctors say he is recovering well.
  • The Rams are hiring TCU running backs coach/assistant head coach Ra’Shaad Samples as their new running backs coach, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Samples is highly regarded as one of the up-and-coming coaches in football earning his first NFL job at the age of 27. In a corresponding move, assistant head coach Thomas Brown will now be coaching tight ends.
  • Edge-rusher Jachai Polite, who spent 11 games with the Rams in 2020 after being cut by the Jets before his rookie season, has made the move to the Canadian Football League. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, the former third-round pick signed a contract to join the Toronto Argonauts.

Mutual Interest Between Seahawks, Quandre Diggs For Return

Much of the offseason in Seattle will be dominated by what the team decides to do with quarterback Russell Wilson. On the defensive side of the ball, though, another key decision will need to be made regarding free safety Quandre Diggs. According to John Boyle of Seahawks.com, a reunion is the goal for both sides. 

[Related: Seahawks Restructure Quandre Diggs’ Deal]

Diggs has been a standout on an otherwise underwhelming Seattle defense since his midseason arrival in 2019. There have been offseason issues as recent as this past September regarding his contract status – namely, the lack of a long-term extension to the three-year, $18.6MM deal he was on when he was traded from Detroit. He did play the full season in each of 2020 and 2021, however, partly due to a compromise reached in the lead-in to this campaign.

In his two full seasons in Seattle, Diggs has established himself as one of the best playmaking safeties in the league. The former sixth-round pick recorded five interceptions in both years, as well as a combined 158 tackles and 17 pass breakups. The 10 interceptions are tied for the NFL lead during that span, and earned him his first two Pro Bowl selections. That production will garner plenty of suitors on the open market, if he reaches it for the first time in March.

The 29-year-old said there’s “no question” he wants to remain a Seahawk. “If we can make it work and it works out for both sides, and I feel fairly compensated knowing that I’m a two-time Pro-Bowler, [who received] All-Pro votes, and one of the best, if not the best free safety in the NFL – I have to be compensated as well, and I feel like I did everything the right way to be compensated as well. If it works out and they say they want to do it, let’s get it done“.

Head coach Pete Carrol has publicly expressed an interest in keeping Diggs, who suffered a broken leg in the team’s season finale. However, Seattle already signed Jamal Adams to a four-year, $70MM deal in August. Deciding to keep Diggs, then, would very likely give the Seahawks the league’s most expensive safety tandem. As The Seattle Times’ Adam Jude notes, their only other safeties under contract for next year are Ugo Amadi and Marquise Blair, both of whom are headed into the final year of the rookie deals.

If Diggs does hit the open market, he would join a free agent class that is also scheduled to include the likes of Tyrann MathieuJessie Bates and Marcus Maye.

Seahawks Restructure Quandre Diggs’ Deal

The Seahawks have revised Quandre Diggs’ contract (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Now, the safety will have $100K in per game roster bonuses converted into salary with $5.05MM of his salary switched to a signing bonus. 

[RELATED: Seahawks, Duane Brown Reach Agreement]

Diggs refused to practice with the team for a short while in an effort to secure a new contract. He likely didn’t get everything he wanted here, but it was enough to bring him back to the fold along with standout tackle Duane Brown. Diggs’ new deal will now include a void year for salary cap purposes. Meanwhile, the safety will also get additional injury protection in his platform year.

Diggs is entering his platform year, and we heard back in July that the 28-year-old DB was seeking a new deal. No reports on negotiations between the two sides have surfaced, and Henderson says its unclear if the Seahawks want to give Diggs a new contract at this point. The club is taking a similar stance with respect to Brown, though the ‘Hawks are now said to be exploring some sort of compromise that allows Brown to increase his 2021 compensation without adding years onto his existing deal.

Diggs, 28, came to the Seattle in a pre-deadline deal with the Detroit in 2019. He quickly proved his worth, collecting three interceptions in five games that year. Last year, he enjoyed perfect attendance with five INTs and 64 tackles en route to his ever career Pro Bowl nod. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus assigned him a middling 63.1 overall grade, good for 52nd out of 94 qualified players.

Even after the revision, Diggs is still playing on a $6.2MM AAV deal. That puts him just 19th among all safeties, but he could double that figure with a strong showing this year.

Seahawks S Quandre Diggs Holding In?

Sep. 5: Diggs may not be holding in after all. A source tells Adam Jude of the Seattle Times that Diggs is merely staying away from the practice field as he works to finalize an insurance policy to protect him in case he should suffer an injury this year. Diggs himself has said that he will be on the field for the Seahawks’ regular season opener next week, if not sooner.

“As soon as this little business thing that I gotta do, as soon as it’s done — signed, sealed, delivered — I’ll be back at practice,” Diggs said. “But, I mean, I wouldn’t call it a ‘hold in.’ I would say I’m just getting some things cleared up and I’ll be back with my teammates pretty soon.”

Aug. 29: The Seahawks and safety Jamal Adams finally agreed to a long-term extension earlier this month, clearing one major item off of Seattle’s agenda. The team is still in a holding pattern with left tackle Duane Brown, and now Adams’ running mate at safety, Quandre Diggs, is staging a hold-in of his own, as Brady Henderson of ESPN.com observes.

Diggs is entering his platform year, and we heard back in July that the 28-year-old DB was seeking a new deal. No reports on negotiations between the two sides have surfaced, and Henderson says its unclear if the Seahawks want to give Diggs a new contract at this point. The club is taking a similar stance with respect to Brown, though the ‘Hawks are now said to be exploring some sort of compromise that allows Brown to increase his 2021 compensation without adding years onto his existing deal.

Diggs, who held himself out of practice this week, was acquired by Seattle in a pre-deadline deal with the Lions in 2019, and he has been well worth the fifth-round choice that the Seahawks sent back to Detroit. He played in just five regular season contests for the ‘Hawks in 2019, though he did pick up three interceptions in that span. Last year, he enjoyed perfect attendance, racking up five picks and 64 total tackles en route to his first career Pro Bowl bid. Pro Football Focus assigned him a middling 63.1 overall grade, good for 52nd out of 94 qualified players, but his on-field impact belies that ranking.

When it consummated the trade, Seattle picked up the three-year, $18.6MM contract that Diggs had previously signed with the Lions. The $6.2MM AAV on that deal is now the 19th-highest figure in the safety market. While he will certainly not eclipse, or even get close to, Adams’ $17.5MM AAV, a $12MM/year contract seems to be a reasonable ask.

Head coach Pete Carroll addressed the matter on Friday, saying, “I think [Diggs is] making a bit of a statement now, but I have nothing for you to update. He deserves to do that.” Last night, Carroll was non-committal when asked if he thought Diggs would return to practice this week (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times).

Diggs has taken to Twitter to express his thoughts, saying, “Can’t deny me what I deserve,” and Adams spoke out in support of his teammate. “He deserves it and hopefully we can get that done,” Adams said. “I’m not the GM, so I don’t know when. His time is going to come. They’re going to do right by him.”

As it stands, Diggs is due to earn $5.95MM in base salary in 2021. He had a $100K offseason workout bonus and can earn another $100K in per-game roster bonuses.

Seahawks’ Quandre Diggs Wants New Deal

Jamal Adams isn’t the only Seahawks player seeking a lucrative extension. Free safety Quandre Diggs also wants a fresh contract, as Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic writes.

[RELATED: Latest On Seahawks, Adams]

Diggs reported to minicamp and participated in all of the assigned drills, but he wants a new pact to reflect his performance. As it stands, he’s set to enter the final year of the three-year, $18.6MM deal he originally signed with Detroit. Diggs is fresh off of his first ever Pro Bowl selection — last year, he notched five interceptions and ten passes defensed, solidifying himself as one of the stronger safeties in the NFL. Meanwhile, his salary ranks 19th at the position.

The Seahawks don’t have much of a contingency plan if Diggs leaves, and they haven’t been able to draft well for the safety position outside of Earl Thomas in 2010. The Seahawks certainly want to keep Diggs, but a new deal for the 28-year-old would probably cost north of $12MM. If they don’t lock Diggs up now, they’ll run the risk of a much higher price tag. The Seahawks should also be motivated to get a deal done before other safeties sign their next deals. Marcus Maye (Jets) and Marcus Williams (Saints) are both gunning for extensions to replace their one-year, $10.6MM tag for 2021.

Still, the Seahawks will have to rank and balance their priorities. In addition to Adams and Diggs, they could also explore an extension for veteran lineman Duane Brown.

West Notes: Jacobs, Jordan, 49ers

The Raiders are not completely eliminated from playoff contention just yet, but it may be in the team’s best interests to shut down rookie RB Josh Jacobs for the final two games of the year. Jacobs, who has rushed for 1,150 yards on 4.8 yards-per-carry this year, has been battling a shoulder injury, and head coach Jon Gruden said that Jacobs had trouble getting his shoulder pads off yesterday (Twitter link via Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group).

Per Gruden, Jacobs’ status for Oakland’s last two games is in doubt. The Raiders finish up their final season in the Bay Area with divisional contests against the Chargers and Broncos.

Let’s round up a few more West-related items, starting with another note from the Silver-and-Black:

  • Dion Jordan, who signed with the Raiders in November after serving a 10-game suspension for a PED violation, has performed well in his first five games with his new team. Playing in a rotational role, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2013 draft has posted two sacks and has earned positive reviews from Gruden. Jordan will be a free agent at season’s end, and Gruden said the 29-year-old is playing his way into a new contract with the Raiders (Twitter link via McDonald).
  • No surprise here, but Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area does not believe the 49ers will use the franchise tag on Arik Armstead, which means that Armstead may be plying his trade elsewhere in 2020. Maiocco also believes that the team will cut running back Jerick McKinnon and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin during the offseason.
  • Seahawks DB Quandre Diggs has been a boon to Seattle’s defense after being acquired in an October trade with the Lions, but Diggs sprained his ankle in the team’s win over the Panthers on Sunday and will likely miss next week’s matchup against the Cardinals, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s still too early to predict his status for Week 17, but given the potential magnitude of that bout with San Francisco, the Seahawks will want to make sure Diggs is as healthy as possible.