Minor NFL Transactions: 4/24/24
Wednesday’s minor moves:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: CB Richard LeCounte
- Placed on exempt/international list: OL Chukwuebuka Godrick
LeCounte made a pair of regular season appearances with the Buccaneers in 2023, and he landed a futures deal from Tampa Bay in January. He will now look for a new opportunity after the draft has concluded. Godrick joined the NFL via the International Player Pathway last spring, signing with the Chiefs. The 23-year-old did not see game action during the campaign, but today’s move suggests he will spend the 2024 season with the Buccaneers. Teams are provided one practice squad roster exemption for international players such as Godrick.
Lions, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown Agree On Extension
5:25pm: St. Brown will collect $35.28MM fully guaranteed at signing, as detailed by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. That figure includes a $16.5MM signing bonus and guaranteed base salaries in 2024 and ’25. St. Brown’s salary in 2026 is set at $27.5MM, and it will shift to a full guarantee next year. Likewise, much of his 2027 salary ($23.37MM) will be guaranteed by 2026.
St. Brown’s cap hit will check in at $4.86MM this season, per Over the Cap. It will jump to $13.9MM next year before ranging between $28.9MM and $41MM after that. One void year is present in the deal.
10:51am: One of the Lions’ top extension tasks is now complete. The defending NFC North champions have a deal in place with Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is set to become the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver.
St. Brown agreed to terms on a four-year extension NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports is worth more than $120MM. Of that total, $77MM is guaranteed. This deal will lock St. Brown down through the 2028 season.
[RELATED: Lions, Jared Goff Begin Extension Talks]
The guarantees at signing are not yet known, but the AAV eclipsing $30MM will make St. Brown the clubhouse leader at wide receiver. Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM-per-year Dolphins extension stood as the top WR payment for two years, but in an offseason in which Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb in contract years, St. Brown now sits atop the position. In terms of total guarantees, St. Brown’s $77MM surpass Cooper Kupp‘s $75MM.
The structure of this contract will be key, as it took lofty final-year numbers to balloon Hill and Davante Adams‘ deals to their AAV places. St. Brown’s 2028 pay will assuredly be nonguaranteed, but its value will determine how well his camp did. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson adds some clarity here, noting the deal will average $28MM per year over its first three seasons. St. Brown has $14MM-plus due in injury guarantees in 2026; those will likely convert to full guarantees in either 2025 or ’26.
Regardless of how this deal is structured, St. Brown has done remarkably well for himself. The USC product entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick in 2021. Being a positional salary leader represents the value he has brought to the Lions over the past three seasons.
Famously able to name every wideout chosen in front of him in the 2021 draft, St. Brown has shown improvement in each of the past two seasons. After a 912-yard rookie year, the former 112th overall pick posted a 1,161-yard 2022 season. Helping the Lions secure their first division title since 1993, St. Brown delivered his best work last season. The 6-foot wideout totaled 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns, firmly entrenching himself as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers. The Lions have rewarded him for the early-career production.
A March report placed the likely value of St. Brown’s second contract between $26-$28MM per year. Bettering that — should the final numbers support the above-referenced WR AAV record — serves as a reflection of the 24-year-old’s importance to the Lions and does well to set the stage for the Jefferson and Lamb negotiations. The league now having two $30MM-AAV wideouts will be good news for the Vikings and Cowboys stars; both should be expected to eclipse this number when the times comes. For now, though, St. Brown leads the pack.
The Lions are not strangers to authorizing megadeals for wide receivers. The team’s March 2012 extension for Calvin Johnson served as the receiver highwater mark for many years. Illustrating how times have changed around the league, that was a seven-year agreement. It also came during a period in which the salary cap was stagnating in the early years of the 2011 CBA. The 2020 CBA has brought bigger cap spikes, including this year’s record-setting rise that elevated the spending ceiling by more than $30MM. Players are increasingly agreeing to shorter-term deals, and St. Brown’s will allow him — should he stay on his rookie-contract production pace — to push for a third contract while still in his 20s.
In terms of production and accolades, St. Brown is ahead of Megatron’s pace. The Hall of Famer was 1-for-3 in 1,000-yard seasons — granted, he was part of considerably worse teams in the late 2000s — at this point in his career and did not make a Pro Bowl until Year 4. St. Brown, of course, will need to unlock another level to be mentioned in Johnson’s class. But he has become Jared Goff‘s go-to player. St. Brown joins Johnson and Herman Moore as the only Lions to produce a 1,500-yard receiving season. The 17-game schedule benefits today’s players in this area, but the Lions will be on St. Brown building on his 2023 performance.
St. Brown’s deal comes during an offseason in which a Goff extension is squarely on Detroit’s radar. Penei Sewell is also now extension-eligible; Aidan Hutchinson will be eligible for a new deal in 2025. The Lions’ roster math will change substantially this year, and this deal serves as the first domino.
Cowboys Pick Up Micah Parsons’ Fifth-Year Option
With the draft approaching, teams continue to make decisions on 2021 first-round selections’ futures. To no surprise, the Cowboys will keep edge rusher Micah Parsons in the fold for at least the next two years. 
Dallas has picked up Parsons’ option, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports. The move – which the team has since announced – will come at a cost of $21.32MM, since the former No. 12 pick has been designated as a defensive end. A tender with an outside linebacker classification would have been costlier, but Parsons is nevertheless in line for a monster second contract.
Dallas, of course, has massive financial decisions to make with respect to Parsons, quarterback Dak Prescott and wideout CeeDee Lamb. Each member of that trio is due for a considerable raise, although Prescott is currently entering a walk year and Lamb – having been drafted one year before Parsons – represents a more pressing priority. The latter has said he is willing to wait on contract talks, but classifying defenders as defensive ends (rather than outside linebackers) often leads to grievances.
In many cases, compromises are made with time to spare in terms of multi-year deals being worked out or middle ground figures being agreed to on an option. Parsons has certainly made a case to take the top spot in the league in terms of annual compensation amongst edge rushers, a title which currently belongs to Nick Bosa ($34MM). That extension was signed on the eve of the 2023 campaign, and it has been followed by an historic jump in the salary cap ceiling. Parsons delivered a third straight Pro Bowl campaign this year, leading to a third-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The 24-year-old has recorded 13, 13.5 and 14 sacks during his decorated career so far. That has earned him first-team All-Pro acclaim on two occasions (along with a second-team nod in 2023), cementing his status as a foundational member of Dallas’ defense. That will remain the case for at least the intermediate future, but progress on a long-term deal will be a story to follow this offseason.
A recent report on the Parsons situation indicated an agreement is still expected to be reached on a mega-extension. The Cowboys have been notably hesitant on the quarterback and receiver fronts this offseason, aiming to gauge the outside market at those positions before committing to Prescott and/or Lamb. Regardless of what happens with those two, a massive Parsons investment will be needed relatively soon to keep him in the fold and avoid any contractual conflict over his classification.
Saints OL James Hurst Retires
A valuable player on the Saints’ offensive front for the past four seasons, James Hurst will not factor into the team’s plans any longer in 2024. The veteran offensive lineman announced his retirement Wednesday.
Further complicating matters for a Saints team that has seen its O-line plan endure multiple setbacks, Hurst’s retirement strips away a key option for the team. Hurst has seen extensive time at tackle and guard in New Orleans, but the former Ravens blocker will call it quits after 10 seasons.
Hurst started all 15 games he played last season and has been a first-stringer 46 times for the Saints over the past three seasons. Last year, Hurst saw most of his snaps at left guard. But the versatile blocker played mostly left tackle in 2021 and ’22; he operated as the Saints’ regular starter on the blind side during that span. With Ryan Ramczyk‘s career in jeopardy and 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning having not yet panned out, the Saints enter the draft with major questions up front.
The Saints gave Hurst a $1.5MM roster bonus on March 17, and he restructured his contract last month as well. The team reduced Hurst’s cap number from $6.5MM to $2.9MM, adding void years. This retirement will only leave a small amount of dead money on New Orleans’ 2024 cap sheet, as Hurst was set to be a free agent in 2025. But it could leave a bigger hole on the team’s O-line.
After splitting time between left tackle (in relief of Terron Armstead) and left guard in 2021, Hurst worked as the Saints’ Penning bridge for most of the ’22 season. Hurst logged 913 LT snaps that year, and Penning did not boot him out of the lineup upon returning to full strength in 2023. The Northern Iowa alum wound up benched, but Andrus Peat slid from guard to tackle to replace him. Hurst ended up at left guard primarily, starting 15 games last season. Pro Football Focus viewed Hurst as a better tackle than guard, rating him as a plus pass blocker from 2021-22. Even upon being shifted to a different position, Hurst graded as PFF’s No. 41 overall guard last season.
Peat is unsigned, and Ramczyk — after knee trouble in 2023 — is uncertain to suit up at all this year. After five years featuring the Armstead-Ramczyk tandem, with regulars like Peat and Erik McCoy inside, the Saints are backed into a corner presently. This is a good time to need a tackle, and the Saints are being linked to capitalizing on this deep draft class and bringing one in at No. 14. That path would mean two first-round tackle picks in three years, but the team would be taking a considerable risk by not going this route given what has happened at the position.
A UDFA out of North Carolina, Hurst did well for himself as a pro. He made 95 career starts with the Ravens and Saints. The Ravens used him as a frequent spot starter — at both right and left tackle — and plugged him in as a full-time guard in 2017. Hurst earned a four-year, $17.5MM deal to stay in Baltimore in 2018 but only played two years on that accord; Baltimore cut him following a 2020 PED suspension. Hurst landed in New Orleans on a low-cost deal but scored a three-year, $9MM deal to stay with the team.
Bengals Exercise Ja’Marr Chase’s Fifth-Year Option
A day after the Broncos officially extended Patrick Surtain‘s contract through 2025, the Bengals are making a similarly easy decision. They picked up Ja’Marr Chase‘s fifth-year option.
Chase became an instant-impact player for the Bengals, representing a central piece in the team’s rise during Joe Burrow‘s early years. This transaction gives the Bengals two more years of control with Chase, who will be tied to a $21.82MM guarantee in 2025.
[RELATED: Tee Higgins Expects To Play For Bengals In 2024]
The former No. 5 overall pick’s 2025 guarantee checks in on the top option tier, joining Surtain and Micah Parsons (whenever the Cowboys officially exercise his option) as 2021 draftees eligible for the highest option price at their respective positions. Chase being a three-time Pro Bowler made him eligible for that WR option number, which matches Tee Higgins‘ current franchise tag price.
Chase, 24, is 3-for-3 in 1,000-yard seasons, getting there in 2022 despite missing five games. Burrow lobbied for his former LSU teammate ahead of the 2021 draft, when a Chase-or-Penei Sewell debate played out. The latter has become a standout for the Lions, even beating Chase to first-team All-Pro acclaim. But Chase follows a long line of standout Bengals wideouts, potentially presenting a higher ceiling than all of them. This option decision will almost definitely precede an eventual extension — likely a record-setting agreement.
The Bengals tagged Higgins in March, but as seven of the nine teams to roll out tags have already agreed to extensions, Cincy has not. No rumors of a Higgins extension have emerged. That is likely because the Bengals have a Chase deal budgeted. In the fifth-year option era, teams have traditionally made first-round wide receivers wait until Year 5 before extensions surface. The Eagles did break that trend for DeVonta Smith, becoming the first team in the option era (2014-present) to extend a first-round WR with two years of rookie-contract control remaining. It would be interesting to see the Bengals go here for Chase, but Higgins’ situation may interfere with that concept.
Picking up Chase’s option would allow the Bengals to squeeze in one more year of he and Higgins. Chase is tied to only a $1.1MM base salary ($9.8MM cap number) in 2024. The fourth-year WR’s cap hit matches up well with Higgins’ $21.82MM tag tender, and Burrow’s cap numbers do not skyrocket until 2025. The Pro Bowl quarterback is tied to a $29.7MM cap hit in 2024; that spikes beyond $46MM next year.
After Burrow’s season-ending injury eventually sank the Bengals last year, this profiles as a pivotal campaign for a team that strung together AFC championship game appearances (and a Super Bowl LVI berth) in the QB’s previous two healthy seasons. Chase played a vital part in that success, and the Bengals are preparing to see if perhaps the final Chase-Higgins season will lead to an elusive championship.
RB J.K. Dobbins Signs With Chargers
APRIL 24: The Bolts’ Dobbins deal carries a base value of $1.61MM, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. The fifth-year running back can collect another $750K in incentives. Considering the injuries Dobbins has encountered over the past three years, a near-veteran-minimum deal is not surprising. He will team with Edwards in a Ravens-centric Chargers backfield in 2024.
APRIL 17: It’s a full Baltimore reunion in Los Angeles this offseason. After former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman brought in a familiar face at running back in former Raven Gus Edwards, the Chargers will now be adding Edwards’ former backfield teammate J.K. Dobbins, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Dobbins joins the Chargers on a one-year deal. 
Dobbins, a former second-round pick for the Ravens out of Ohio State, will likely be one of the bigger cases of “what if” in Baltimore’s recent history. Dobbins came to Baltimore following quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s unanimous MVP season in which the team went 14-2. With veteran Mark Ingram getting into his 30’s, Dobbins was brought in to add an exciting, young kick to the run game.
In his rookie season, Dobbins gave a small taste of the production he was capable of. Splitting the backfield with Edwards nearly 50-50, Dobbins led the team in rushing touchdowns (9) and led the running backs room in rushing yards (805) while averaging an impressive 6.0 yards per carry. A promising follow-up sophomore campaign was put to an end before it could even begin when Dobbins suffered a torn ACL in the team’s final preseason game, taking him out for the entire 2021 season.
Injuries continued to dog Dobbins into the 2022 season. He came back from his torn ACL in Week 3 of that year but saw limited use and production as the Ravens played it a bit safe early. After feeling some knee tightness in Week 6, though, Dobbins returned to injured reserve in order to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery. Dobbins made his second return of the season in Week 14 and announced his reemergence with a bang, eclipsing 120 rushing yards in each of his first two games back. A Tyler Huntley-led version of the offense rode Dobbins to a first half lead in their Wild Card game before seemingly abandoning that gameplan in the loss.
The Ravens were excited to finally field an offense with a healthy backfield featuring Jackson, Dobbins, and Edwards in 2023. An extension for Dobbins was even very much on the table for the Ravens. Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario occurred in the team’s season opener when Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles tendon, his second season-ending injury in three years.
Now, after a tough going over his rookie contract, Dobbins will hope to turn a new corner with a new team. He had visited Los Angeles and Kansas City and was thought to be a favorite to sign with the Chiefs before they opted to re-sign Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Talent has never been the issue when considering Dobbins as a free agent. The corny saying applies here: his biggest ability moving forward will be his availability.
The Chargers are well set up to accommodate any setbacks for Dobbins. With Edwards on the roster, Los Angeles can function in quite the same way as Baltimore did with the two. They will be able to utilize Dobbins as much as they desire while relying on the much sturdier Edwards to produce regardless. Dobbins should be getting the best of both worlds here: a second chance with a change of scenery while still be supported by familiar faces that he knows he works well with. If he doesn’t fit in LA, it’s only a one-year audition before he returns to free agency.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/23/24
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: LB Jack Cochrane
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Mitchell Wilcox
The Patriots have recently been seeking some depth at tight end, as the team hosted three players at the position last week (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss). The team ultimately opted for the six-foot-four, 250-pound Wilcox. The former UDFA out of South Florida spent his first four seasons in Cincinnati, where he often alternated between the practice squad and active roster. He had a career year in 2022, finishing with 17 catches. However, he followed that up with a 2023 campaign where he caught only nine passes.
Hunter Henry will continue to lead New England’s tight ends depth chart in 2024 after he re-signed with the organization. The Patriots also signed veteran Austin Hooper to replace Mike Gesicki, who left via free agency. Mitchell will likely compete with La’Michael Pettway for the third TE spot.
In Kansas City, the Chiefs retained Cochrane, who was tendered as a restricted free agent earlier this offseason. The former UDFA out of South Dakota has won a pair of Super Bowls in two seasons in Kansas City, appearing in 32 regular season games and seven postseason contests along the way. He’s turned into a key special teams player for the Chiefs, appearing in 336 ST snaps in 2023. He also got some run on defense, finishing the campaign with 28 total tackles.
Broncos Exercise CB Patrick Surtain’s Fifth-Year Option
A formality given Patrick Surtain‘s accomplishments on his rookie contract, the Broncos are extending their top player’s deal through 2025. Denver officially is picking up Surtain’s fifth-year option, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.
GM George Paton confirmed the team would go this route with Surtain in February, and as a multi-time Pro Bowler, the former top-10 pick is tied to the highest option price for a cornerback. That number checks in at $19.8MM, matching this year’s CB franchise tag tender.
The Broncos are the second team to officially exercise an option for a 2021 draftee; in extending DeVonta Smith, the Eagles picked up his option. Smith’s former teammate at Alabama, Surtain joins Micah Parsons and Ja’Marr Chase as 2021 draftees eligible for the top option price at their respective position. Players need to have made two original-ballot Pro Bowls on their rookie deal to become eligible for the franchise tag number.
Surtain, 24, has become one of the NFL’s best corners. With the Broncos cutting four-time second-team All-Pro Justin Simmons, there is little doubt Surtain enters the team’s offseason program as its top player. The second-generation NFL corner earned first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2022, helping keep Denver’s defense afloat during a miserable season on offense. Surtain did not quite reach that level in 2023, but the 6-foot-2 cover man earned a Pro Bowl nod.
This expected transaction does come amid a bit of uncertainty regarding Surtain’s Denver status. The Broncos have expressed obvious interest in extending the ascending defender, and the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson adds extension talks are expected to ramp up after the draft.
While Paton drafted him back in 2021, Sean Payton was still in New Orleans at that point. Granted, the Saints were rumored to be interested in Surtain then. But the Broncos need a quarterback — their Zach Wilson trade notwithstanding — and Surtain may be the chip required to vault the team up the board in Round 1. Previously mentioned as hesitant to give up Surtain in a deal that would allow them to move up from No. 12 into QB territory, the Broncos seem a bit more open to the prospect as the draft nears.
It would certainly represent risk for the Broncos to bail on this type of asset so early in his career, and such a move would then create a glaring CB need. But the Broncos have, for the most part, carried a QB need for the past eight years. As mentioned in this week’s Trade Rumors Front Office installment, Payton may view Surtain as a necessary trade chip — in an AFC flooded with high-end passers — in a quest to climb into range for J.J. McCarthy or Drake Maye. Payton is believed to be high on the former, which is interesting given the buzz tying the Giants and Vikings to the latter this week.
The Broncos wanted two first-rounders to merely start a conversation about Surtain before last year’s deadline. Three teams made offers, though none were believed to be in that ballpark. As the draft nears, Surtain — used as one of the models for the Broncos’ new uniforms Monday — could be discussed further in deals. For now, he is on the Broncos’ books at $1.1MM in base salary this season. That certainly makes him an attractive trade piece, should this process rev into high gear leading up to the draft.
NFL Reinstates Eagles CB Isaiah Rodgers
A week after the NFL reinstated five gambling offenders, Isaiah Rodgers now has the green light to resume his career. Banned for the 2023 season after a gambling scandal, the veteran cornerback has since been reinstated.
Tuesday’s decision will give Rodgers the opportunity to move to the Eagles’ active roster. While the Commanders cut Shaka Toney rather than add him to their offseason roster, they have a new regime in place. The staff that signed Rodgers following his Colts release remains, providing a good indication he remains in the Eagles’ 2024 plans.
Rodgers’ reinstatement is interesting given what he was accused of doing before being popped under the gambling policy. A 2020 sixth-round pick, Rodgers is believed to have made “hundreds” of wagers; some of those were believed to be bets on Colts games. Most of the bets were worth between $25-$50, though one wager was believed to be in the four-digit range. The NFL banned a number of players for all of the ’23 season due to betting on NFL games; six-game bans came as a result of other players making non-NFL bets while on team grounds.
The Colts waived the former starting corner once news of his ban emerged in June 2023. The Eagles made what amounted to a stash addition two months later, moving Rodgers to their reserve/suspended list upon setting their 53-man roster in August. Rodgers was with Philly throughout last season, but he stands to begin practicing soon.
In an aging Eagles CB corps, Rodgers is going into his age-26 season. He joins Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox as Eagles corners with notable starting experience. Slay and Bradberry will each be north of 31 by Week 1, with the injury-prone slot player now 28. The Eagles also used a fourth-round pick on Georgia’s Kelee Ringo last year.
A UMass alum, Rodgers intercepted three passes in 2021 and returned a kick for a score in 2020. The latter skill is now more relevant, seeing as the NFL greenlit a rule experiment that will see the kickoff return make its way back to a regular sequence. Working as Indianapolis’ primary kick returner throughout his three-season stay, Rodgers started nine games at corner for the team in 2022. He showed some promise in an expanded defensive role that year, ranking (per Pro Football Focus) as the NFL’s fifth-best corner that year.
This assessment came on just 283 defensive snaps, however, and Rodgers does not profile as a player who will have a fast track toward an Eagles starting job. But he should have an opportunity to contribute soon.
Jets To Trade QB Zach Wilson To Broncos
Zach Wilson‘s time in New York is set to come to an end. The Jets have found a trade partner for the former No. 2 pick in the form of the Broncos. 
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the Jets will send Wilson to Denver as part of a Day 3 pick swap. The teams will exchange sixth- and seventh-round picks, with New York acquiring No. 203 and the Broncos adding Wilson and No. 256. Both clubs will evenly split Wilson’s $5.45MM in 2024 compensation, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes this agreement has been in the works “for weeks.” The Broncos have long been linked to a quarterback addition this offseason, with Russell Wilson unsurprisingly being released. That move left a vacancy under center, but in the lead-in to the draft Jarrett Stidham was in place atop the depth chart. That will remain the case for the time being, but Wilson represents a young depth option for Denver. One year remains on the latter’s rookie contract.
Having failed to secure a long-term answer under center with Sam Darnold, the Jets selected Wilson second overall in 2021. That made him one of five first-round QBs that year, but only one (Trevor Lawrence) is still with his original team. Wilson – who logged 33 starts in three seasons as a Jet – joins Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones in having been dealt at a fraction of the cost relative to the draft capital used in their selection.
Following a rookie season in which Wilson struggled with accuracy and turnovers, he did not progress as hoped in Year 2. The 24-year-old was limited to nine contests in 2022 and saw Mike White take over as New York’s starter. That led to an aggressive pursuit of Aaron Rodgers last offseason, and while his Achilles tear prompted Wilson to once again see game action, things did not go as planned. Wilson in particular and the Jets’ offense as a whole struggled mightily.
As a result, it came as no surprise when the BYU alum was given permission to seek out a trade partner. Wilson’s cap charge ($11.1MM) and poor play hindered his value, and as expected the Jets have needed to attach draft capital to him to land a pick in return. Considering the gap between when New York began fielding offers and today’s agreement being reached, this marks a miniscule (but nevertheless expected) price from the Jets’ perspective.
New York has Rodgers and veteran backup Tyrod Taylor on the books, but the team could use the upcoming draft to add a developmental third option. Denver, meanwhile, will add Wilson to a depth chart featuring Stidham and Ben DiNucci. The lack of proven passers has led to considerable speculation tying the Broncos to an aggressive trade up the board for a first-round quarterback. Head coach Sean Payton himself is believed to be on board with such a move.
This deal has not tangibly taken away the draft capital which would be needed for Denver to move into the top five or top 10 in the first-round order. With Wilson in place, though, Payton has a depth signal-caller to work with for at least the 2024 campaign. Where Wilson slots on the Broncos’ depth chart following the draft – and as such the opportunities for playing time he receives in the Mile High City – will be interesting to watch.