Chargers, CB Kristian Fulton Agree To Deal
The Chargers hosted Kristian Fulton on a free agent visit earlier this week, and that meeting has produced an agreement. The former Titans cornerback is headed to Los Angeles on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Fulton played out his four-year rookie contract with Tennessee, but 2023 did no go according to plan. The former second-rounder missed time due to a benching as well as a stint on injured reserve, limiting him to 12 contests. He started 11 of those, however, reprising the first-team role he held for much of his time in Nashville. Fulton could provide the Chargers with a low-cost starter in the secondary as a result of this deal.
ESPN’s Turron Davenport reports Fulton declined offers from the Bengals, Broncos and Cardinals before agreeing to this one-year Chargers pact. That could point to a notable financial component of the deal, but in any case it demonstrates the market he commanded despite an up-and-down tenure in Tennessee. The 25-year-old posted four interceptions and 25 pass breakups in 42 Titans games, but he struggled in coverage (114.1 passer rating allowed) last season in particular.
The Chargers moved on from J.C. Jackson midway through the 2023 campaign, while veteran Michael Davis signed with the Commanders in free agency. Those departures left Los Angeles in need of a new first-team option to work alongside Asante Samuel Jr. and Ja’Sir Taylor. Fulton – who saw notable time in the slot as a rookie but has primarily been used on the perimeter since then – will look to lock down a starting spot this offseason.
The LSU alum could help his market value considerably with a healthy and productive stint in Los Angeles. Given his age, a multi-year pact could come his way if 2024 were to include an end to the injury issues which have marred his career so far (Fulton has yet to play more than 13 contests in a campaign). As the Chargers continue to re-tool on both sides of the ball with a new coaching staff and front office in place, the team has taken a flier on an upside addition during the second wave of free agency.
Lions Release CB Cameron Sutton
One day after it was learned an arrest warrant is out for Cameron Sutton, his Lions tenure has come to end. The veteran corner has been released, per a team announcement. ESPN’s Field Yates notes this will come with a post-June 1 designation, creating $1.5MM in cap space beginning June 2.
A report from Wednesday detailed how a warrant for Sutton’s arrest has been in place for nearly two weeks. Police currently cannot locate the 29-year-old, who is facing a charge of domestic battery by strangulation. In advance of potential legal and NFL punishments, his Lions contract has now been terminated.
The former third-rounder is wanted in connection with an incident which took place in Lutz, Florida. Sutton is alleged to have been involved in a domestic incident with a woman, with evidence of wounds found on the victim’s body. He fled the scene at the time of the incident, and Yates’ colleague Eric Woodward reports Sutton has still yet to surrender himself to police.
The Lions signed Sutton to a three-year, $33MM contract last offseason. That deal called for $10.5MM in base salary in 2024, $9MM of which was guaranteed. NFL suspensions void guaranteed compensation, however, and while it is too early in this case to know if it will be relevant or not, convictions are not necessary for league bans to be imposed. Detroit could also attempt to recoup the outstanding $8.72MM of Sutton’s $10.9MM signing bonus which has not already been paid out on the cap.
The Lions made Sutton a central part of their efforts to add in the secondary in 2023, and the former Steeler was a full-time starter in his debut campaign with Detroit. The team once again prioritized CB moves with respect to free agency this offseason, and that resulted in the trade acquisition of Carlton Davis from the Buccaneers. Amik Robertson was also added on a two-year deal, and those arrivals will be joined by returnee Emmanuel Moseley in 2024.
With Sutton no longer in the picture, cornerback will be a position of focus for the Lions ahead of next month’s draft. For Sutton himself, meanwhile, today’s news puts his NFL future in jeopardy.
Patriots To Sign S Jaylinn Hawkins
The Patriots are adding some experienced safety depth to go along with Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers. Jerod Mayo‘s team is bringing in Jaylinn Hawkins, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.
A former full-time Falcons starter, Hawkins appears on track to back up Dugger and Peppers in New England. He is signing a one-year contract, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss adds. Hawkins, 26, split last season in Atlanta and Los Angeles.
In between their Ricardo Allen–Keanu Neal tandem and the Jessie Bates signing, the Falcons turned to Hawkins as a full-time starter for a season. They used the former fourth-round pick as a 16-game starter alongside Richie Grant in 2022, but Bates’ arrival on a $16MM-per-year contract led to a 2023 Hawkins demotion. The Falcons waived Hawkins in October, preceding a Chargers claim.
The Cal product intercepted four passes from 2021-22; he forced a fumble and totaled 84 tackles during the ’22 season. Pro Football Focus slotted Hawkins just outside the top 60 that season, leading to Atlanta’s Bates move under one-and-done DC Ryan Nielsen. Hawkins started three Chargers games last season.
As they transition to Mayo and DC DeMarcus Covington, the Patriots moved on from multiyear contributor Adrian Phillips. They slapped the transition tag on Dugger, and no offer sheet has emerged. Peppers is attached to a two-year, $9MM contract that expires after the 2024 season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/21/24
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: LB Eric Wilson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Re-signed: S Isaiah Pola-Mao
Washington Commanders
- Signed: CB James Pierre
A former Vikings starter, Wilson has spent the past two seasons with the Packers. While he started 25 games in Minnesota, the seven-year veteran has worked mostly on special teams in Green Bay. Wilson, 29, did play 121 defensive snaps last season and stands to give the Pack some LB depth post-De’Vondre Campbell.
Pierre will come to Washington from Pittsburgh, where he played out his rookie contract. Pierre started six games with the Steelers, clearing 260-snap barrier in 2021 and ’22. Last season, however, the former UDFA returned to a special teams-only role.
Giants Re-Sign WR Isaiah Hodgins, Add OL Matt Nelson
The Giants did not tender Isaiah Hodgins as a restricted free agent, but the team will circle back to its two-year contributor. Hodgins will stay with the Giants, agreeing to terms Thursday night.
A key target during the Giants’ 2022 playoff season, Hodgins has a history with Brian Daboll from their time together in Buffalo as well. While the Giants will not use the RFA system to retain the big-bodied wideout, they will keep him around. Daboll was the Bills’ OC when the team drafted Hodgins in the 2020 sixth round.
It would cost the Giants $2.98MM to keep Hodgins. While that would not have been especially difficult to pull off, teams regularly pass on tendering a player only to bring him back at a lower rate. He almost certainly will be tied to a salary south of that tender number in 2024.
Claimed off waivers from the Bills in November 2022, Hodgins became an instant contributor in the Big Apple. A Giants team that traded Kadarius Toney, had seen Kenny Golladay become a historic free agency bust and had lost Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson to season-ending injuries turned to Hodgins and Darius Slayton in 2022. They became Daniel Jones‘ top targets down the stretch that year. Hodgins totaled 351 receiving yards and four TDs in just eight games; he delivered one of the better receiving performances by a Giant in the playoffs, adding eight catches for 105 yards and touchdown against the Vikings.
Although the Giants added some pass-catching talent last year, they still needed Hodgins as a rotational cog. He was not utilized as often, finishing a 17-game season with 21 catches for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Hodgins’ 6-foot-3 frame stood out on last year’s Giants, a squad that took several slot receivers to training camp. Their 2024 group will likely have more help coming.
The Giants have already used “30” visits on Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. While the team has been connected to trading up for a quarterback, staying at No. 6 would be a way for the long-receiver-needy club to stock this position with a WR1-level talent. Regardless of how the Giants proceed in Round 1, Hodgins will be given a chance to stick around as a potential backup.
Matt Nelson is also signing with the Giants, per the team. A former Lions offensive lineman, Nelson is coming off a season that ended early due to injury. A Week 3 ankle injury ended Nelson’s 2023 campaign; he had worked as a swing tackle with the team.
The Lions turned to Nelson as their Taylor Decker replacement in 2021, sliding then-rookie Penei Sewell to left tackle and then using Nelson as an 11-game right-side starter. The Lions re-signed Nelson to a one-year, $1.3MM deal in March 2023 and needed him as a two-game starter. But the Iowa alum could not hold up for longer than that, undergoing surgery.
Nelson, 28, will attempt to carve out a role with a Giants team busy adding potential swing players. In addition to bringing in Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor, the Giants added Aaron Stinnie and Austin Schlottmann.
Texans To Sign CB C.J. Henderson
The Texans will give C.J. Henderson a chance to bounce back. The former top-10 Jaguars pick, who played most of the past three seasons with the Panthers, is signing with the Texans, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.
Henderson visited Texans brass Thursday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Florida alum has seen his stock dip considerably since coming off the 2020 draft board ninth overall, but he will land another opportunity. Henderson’s Houston deal is worth up to $3.25MM, Fowler adds.
Going from Jacksonville to Carolina early in the 2021 season — for a third-round pick and tight end Dan Arnold — Henderson could not reestablish his value with the NFC South team. The Panthers gave the 6-foot-1 cover man extensive run (22 starts) but did not see him provide an answer. Carolina initially acquired Henderson due to the first of Jaycee Horn‘s NFL injuries, later trading for Stephon Gilmore that year. Henderson again ended up being a Horn replacement, when the 2021 top-10 pick went down with a significant hamstring injury last season, but was not especially effective.
Pro Football Focus’ ratings at this position can fluctuate, partially illustrating cornerback volatility, but the advanced metrics site ranked the the ex-Gator outside the top 100 in each of the past three seasons. Henderson, 25, also allowed a passer rating north of 103 as the closest defender in each of the past three seasons. This resume points to the Texans taking a flier on a player who was once viewed as a high-end prospect.
Henderson is the second former top-10 CB investment the Texans have added this offseason, with Jeff Okudah — chosen third overall in 2020 — signing with the team last week. Houston also features the 2022 No. 3 overall pick — Derek Stingley Jr. — at corner, giving DeMeco Ryans a crew of once-elite prospects. Okudah and Henderson’s trajectories do not match Stingley’s at this point, and Houston will probably do more work at this position. The team was interested in re-signing Steven Nelson, but no deal has been reached more than a week into free agency.
Eagles Sign WR Parris Campbell
Parris Campbell came to the Giants amidst notable expectations last offseason, but his time in New York did not go according to plan. The veteran wideout will remain in the NFC East for 2024, though. 
Campbell has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Eagles, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter; the deal is now official, per a team announcement. The 26-year-old endured multiple injuries during much of his four-year tenure with the Colts to begin his career. He remained healthy for the final season of his rookie contract, however, posting career-high totals (632 yards, three touchdowns on 63 catches) along the way.
That production earned him a one-year, $4.7MM deal with the Giants last spring. Campbell was in place to serve as a starter in New York’s receiver room as a result of the pact, but he failed to carve out a notable role. He was a healthy scratch in Week 14, something which was unprecedented in his NFL career. That remained the case for the remainder of the campaign, limiting the former second-rounder to just 104 scoreless yards on 20 receptions.
To no surprise, Campbell will head elsewhere in a bid to rebuild his free agent stock. The Eagles already have A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith firmly atop the WR depth chart, but adding secondary options has been a priority this offseason. Especially if Quez Watkins signs with a new team in free agency, Philadelphia will need added depth amongst its pass-catchers. The team signed DeVante Parker last week in a bid to fulfill that goal.
The latter represented a low-cost addition in part due to the offset language present in his Patriots contract. While that is not the case for Campbell (a free agent since the start of the new league year), he too will no doubt be joining the Eagles on an inexpensive investment. The Ohio State alum will spend the offseason looking to compete with Parker and others for a roster spot on Philadelphia’s re-vamped offense.
Ravens Sign OL Josh Jones
The 2024 offseason has seen three starters from the Ravens’ 2023 offensive line depart. Additions up front will thus be a priority for the team, and a move in that regard has been made. 
Josh Jones has signed with Baltimore, the team announced on Thursday. The 26-year-old has seen time at both guard and tackle spots between his time in Arizona and Houston. That positional versatility could could lead to him seeing at least depth usage on the inside or outside with the Ravens.
A third-round pick in 2020, Jones made 47 appearances during his three-year Cardinals tenure. That stretch included 21 starts, most of which came in 2021 when he played primarily at right guard. Arizona then used him on the blindside the following year, and Jones drew strong PFF reviews. He earned a 75.8 grade on the back of strong play both in the run game and with respect to pass protection.
Jones was traded to the Texans last offseason as Houston aimed to find quality depth amidst multiple injuries up front. He wound up starting three games in 2023, splitting time at left tackle, left guard and right tackle. The Houston alum surrendered one sack and nine QB pressures in that limited action, which led to his PFF evaluation (49.3) landing in line with that of his first two seasons. This Ravens agreement will no doubt represent a short-term, low-cost investment as a result.
Still, Jones could find himself occupying a notable role in 2024. The Ravens have lost both starting guards from last season (Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson) to free agent departures; the team also traded away right tackle Morgan Moses in a cost-shedding move. None of those developments came as much of surprise, but they have added urgency to the need on Baltimore’s part to bring in replacements via free agency and next month’s draft.
Adding another blocker early in April will remain a priority even with Jones’ arrival. The latter will nevertheless likely have the chance to compete for the swing tackle role or playing time on the inside. At a minimum, Jones will be capable of serving as depth and a spot-starter at multiple positions up front. Considering the turnover Baltimore has experienced on the O-line, that could make this second-wave free agent addition an effective one.
Saints Re-Sign S Johnathan Abram
The Saints were able to retain a bit more depth at safety today by re-signing Johnathan Abram, according to Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. With a bit of change in New Orleans’ secondary this spring, Abram may have a chance to earn a more prominent role. 
A former first-round pick for the Raiders in 2019, Abram’s NFL career got off to a rough start when a torn rotator cuff and labrum put him on season-ending injured reserve after his NFL debut game. Abram rebounded well, starting 27 games over his second and third seasons. In those respective seasons, Abram finished first and second on the team in tackles while also intercepting three passes and recording 10 passes defensed, though he was often criticized for being a liability in coverage.
After Las Vegas declined Abram’s fifth-year option, the team opted to waive him midseason. Abram was claimed off waivers by Green Bay, where he spent three weeks playing special teams before being waived again. He was then picked up off waivers by the Seahawks who started him for a couple games down the stretch of the regular season. After not re-signing in Seattle, Abram joined New Orleans as a free agent.
In 2023, Abram served as a fourth safety option behind Tyrann Mathieu, rookie fifth-round pick Jordan Howden, and Marcus Maye. With Maye’s release being announced in February, Abram should get an opportunity to step into a bigger role as the team’s third option at safety moving forward. He joins Ugo Amadi as the second backup safety to re-sign with the team in as many days.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/24
Wednesday’s minor transactions:
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: WR Steven Sims
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: WR River Cracraft
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Tyler Hall
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Zeke Turner
Sims was not tendered by the Texans as a restricted free agent, but Houston found a way to bring him back on a new deal regardless. Sims is now five years removed from his rookie year in Washington, in which he caught for 310 yards and four touchdowns.