RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/24
During a busy day of transactions and headlines, teams still had time for a few free agent tender decisions:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Chiefs: G Mike Caliendo, LB Cole Christiansen, LB Jack Cochrane, DE Malik Herring, CB Nazeeh Johnson
RFAs
Tendered:
- Seahawks: DT Myles Adams
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/24
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OT Hakeem Adeniji
- Re-signed: OL Michael Dunn
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LS Trent Sieg
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: FB Michael Burton
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: OL Dan Skipper
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: CB Corey Ballentine, TE Tyler Davis
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Del’Shawn Phillips
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: S Deon Bush
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: LB William Kwenkeu
New England Patriots
- Re-signed: LB Christian Elliss, OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: LS Rick Lovato, P Braden Mann
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: P Cameron Johnston
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Pharaoh Brown
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL Saahdiq Charles
Washington Commanders
- Signed: LS Tyler Ott
Patriots To Sign TE Austin Hooper
After agreeing to a new deal with Hunter Henry, the Patriots aren’t done adding to their tight ends room. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots have agreed to a deal with Austin Hooper.
[RELATED: Patriots To Re-Sign TE Hunter Henry]
The veteran is inking a one-year deal with New England, per Rapoport. The contract can hit a max value of $4.25MM.
The move reunites Hooper with Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was Hooper’s OC during the tight end’s two years in Cleveland. Hooper had 84 catches and seven touchdowns across two seasons with the Browns.
Hooper has struggled to match his Falcons numbers in recent years. The former third-round pick topped 500 receiving yards for Atlanta each season between 2017 and 2019. He earned Pro Bowl nods in both 2018 and 2019, and he finished that latter season with career highs in receptions (75), receiving yards (787), and touchdowns (six).
That performance earned him a four-year, $44MM deal with the Browns in 2020, but Hooper only lasted two seasons in Cleveland before getting released. He hauled in 41 catches for the Titans in 2022 before catching on with the Raiders in 2023. He finished this past season with 25 catches, his lowest total since his rookie campaign. Pro Football Focus ended up ranking him 41st among 72 qualifying tight ends, although he finished second at his position for his pass-block ability.
The Patriots brought in Mike Gesicki to replace Jonnu Smith in 2023, but the former Dolphins tight end struggled during his lone season in New England. Gesicki finished the season with 29 catches for 244 yards, his lowest totals since his rookie year.
With the Patriots eyeing a new offense in 2024, there’s a chance the organization gets more out of their tight ends. Henry is still atop the depth chart in New England, but the team has leaned heavily on their backup tight end in recent years. Besides Henry and Hooper, the only other tight end currently on the roster is La’Michael Pettway, so the Patriots may not be finished adding players at the position.
Vikings To Re-Sign WR Brandon Powell
Brandon Powell is returning to Minnesota. The free agent wide receiver is signing a new one-year deal with the Vikings, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The former UDFA has bounced around the NFL during his brief career, but he seemed to find a role with the Vikings in 2023. The wideout got into all 17 games last season, finishing with career highs in receptions (29) and receiving yards (324). Powell also served as the team’s primary punt returner, leading the league with 37 punt returns.
Powell previously had stints with the Lions, Falcons, Bills, Dolphins, and Rams. He’s appeared in 61 career games, hauling in 76 receptions. He also has some experience in the running game, garnering 17 carries for the Rams in 2022.
The Vikings face an uncertain offensive future in a post-Kirk Cousins era, but the organization is apparently valuing continuity in their receivers room. With K.J. Osborn sitting in free agency, Powell could have a path to a significant role in 2024 behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The Vikings are also rostering the likes of N’Keal Harry, Jalen Nailor, and Trishton Jackson at the position.
Broncos To Re-Sign TE Adam Trautman
Acquiring Adam Trautman during the draft last year, the Broncos needed to turn to the former Saint often due to Greg Dulcich‘s injury trouble. The Broncos are bringing back the trade acquisition.
Trautman is re-signing with the team on a two-year deal, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. While the Broncos feature some questions at tight end after Dulcich’s injury-plagued first two seasons, they will have Trautman back to help the transition to another new starting quarterback.
Sean Payton was quick to add his former TE to the Broncos roster, and the move ended up working out for Denver. Trautman had one of the most productive seasons of his career, finishing the season with 22 catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games (12 starts).
The tight end was mostly brought to Denver for his blocking ability, and he finished last season with one of the top run-blocking grades at his position. Trautman will likely be eyeing a similar role in 2024, especially if the Broncos end up limiting Dulcich’s snaps. The Broncos are also rostering Lucas Krull and Nate Adkins at the position.
Giants To Sign WR Isaiah McKenzie
A mini-Bills reunion is taking shape with the Giants, who have deep Buffalo ties at present. In addition to Devin Singletary being set to sign with the Giants, they are adding Isaiah McKenzie.
McKenzie will rejoin Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen in the Big Apple, according to his agency. Like Singletary, the return man/slot receiver’s Bills tenure overlapped with Daboll and Schoen’s. McKenzie spent the 2023 season with the Colts.
A fifth-round pick by the Broncos, McKenzie made a name for himself in Buffalo. He spent time as both a receiver and return man, appearing in 68 games during his time with the Bills. That included a career year in 2022 when he finished with 42 catches for 423 yards and four touchdowns.
He was released by the Bills last offseason and ended up catching on with the Colts. He saw an even lesser offensive role than he experienced in Buffalo, hauling in only 11 catches in 13 games in Indy. In December, he was hit with a three-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.
Now, the Giants will be hoping they can get something out of the veteran. The Giants will return much of their WR depth next season, including Jalin Hyatt, Darius Slayton, and Wan’Dale Robinson, with the likes of Sterling Shepard and Parris Campbell hitting free agency.
The Giants are still waiting for one of their wideouts to emerge as a clear-cut WR1. They can’t expect that from McKenzie, but the veteran should at least provide some reliability towards the bottom of the depth chart.
Saints To Sign LB Willie Gay
After the Chiefs gave Drue Tranquill another contract, Willie Gay will head elsewhere. The longtime Kansas City regular will resurface in New Orleans.
The Saints are adding Gay on a one-year contract worth up to $5MM, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. Considering the value Tranquill received, the Chiefs made their choice. Gay, a four-year Chiefs starter, will now look to raise his stock with the Saints.
After grading as at least an above-average linebacker through his first three seasons in the NFL, Pro Football Focus ranked Gay only 72nd among 82 qualifying linebackers this past season. The former second-round pick’s snaps declined throughout the year, although that was also due to a shoulder injury.
Still, Gay managed to finish the season with 58 tackles, and he’s only a year removed from a career year in 2022 when he finished with 88 stops and 2.5 sacks. Heading into his age-26 season, there may not be a whole lot of untapped potential, but Gay has shown that he can at least be a dependable option in the linebackers room.
The Saints have been busy working on deals with linebackers during the opening days of free agency. We learned yesterday that the organization was extending Demario Davis despite the LB still having a year left on his contract.
Dolphins To Sign S Jordan Poyer
After getting cut by the Bills last week, Jordan Poyer is joining a division rival. The veteran safety is signing with the Dolphins, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’ll be a one-year deal for Poyer.
The safety was set to earn $5.5MM in 2024 and was attached to a $7.72MM cap hit. With a roster bonus due later in March, the Bills decided to move on from their defensive mainstay. The move created $5.72MM in cap space for Buffalo while generating a dead money charge of $2MM.
The former seventh-rounder tested his value on the open market last offseason. After failing to receive much in the way of outside interest, he agreed to a two-year, $12.5MM re-up in Buffalo. That was his third contract with the organization, with Poyer having originally signed with the Bills back in 2017 before inking an extension in 2020.
Poyer earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2021, and he received a Pro Bowl invite the following season. After racking up a combined nine interceptions and 17 pass deflections during that span, however, those totals fell to zero and four in 2023. Pro Football Focus graded Poyer 46th among 95 qualifying safeties in 2023, the second-straight year he’s finished near the middle of the pack at his position.
Considering the relatively deep safeties free agent class, Poyer’s declining production, and the veteran’s rising age, he wasn’t expected to garner a long-term commitment from any teams. The Dolphins are a logical landing spot considering both DeShon Elliott and Brandon Jones hit free agency. The team did re-sign Elijah Campbell, but he profiles as more of a backup. The Dolphins can now confidently pencil in Poyer opposite Jevon Holland.
Danielle Hunter To Sign With Texans
The Texans’ talks with Danielle Hunter will produce an agreement, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. After the Vikings poached Jonathan Greenard, the Texans will bring in the longtime Minnesota sack artist. Hunter will join the Texans on a two-year deal worth $49MM, Rapoport adds.
Although Hunter ran into significant injury trouble to start this decade, he bounced back in a big way over the past two years. That recent surge will allow for a uniquely structured Texans contract. Houston is guaranteeing nearly the whole contract, with Schefter adding the nine-year veteran will receive $48MM fully guaranteed.
The Colts also pursued Hunter, but they are not known for big spending on outside FAs under Chris Ballard. The Texans’ payroll also lines up well with this two-year Hunter guarantee. Hunter will receive $29.5MM in the first year of this deal, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News tweets.
This marks a homecoming for Hunter, who went to high school in the Houston area. Hunter spent the past six seasons tied to a contract that was widely viewed as Vikings-friendly in the moment. After two reworkings, the former third-round pick made his way to free agency. The second of those adjustments prevented the Vikings from franchise-tagging Hunter, which will lead him out of town. While the Vikes will lean on Greenard, the Texans will pair reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson with a more established sack ace.
While Greenard notched his first double-digit sack season last year, Hunter has five such seasons on his resume. Despite Hunter entering the NFL in 2015, he is still just 29. The youngest player in league history to reach 50 sacks, Hunter was a mainstay during Mike Zimmer‘s Minnesota years and played the lead role in the past two Vikings pass rushes.
This included a 16.5-sack performance last year, which also featured Hunter leading the NFL with 23 tackles for loss. That generated trade interest, and while the Texans were not pursuing Hunter at the time, they will come away with one of this year’s top free agents today.
Tied to a $14MM-per-year deal for an extended period — albeit with multiple adjustments, coming in 2021 and 2023 — Hunter will do well on this short-term agreement. The Texans will also take advantage of their setup. Last year, the team effectively had low- or mid-level deals across its roster save for along the offensive line. With Anderson and C.J. Stroud on rookie deals through at least 2025, Houston will capitalize. Hunter’s contract will overlap fully with the Anderson and Stroud rookie accords. He will join Azeez Al-Shaair and Denico Autry as new starters on DeMeco Ryans‘ defense.
Jets To Sign DT Leki Fotu
Leki Fotu is heading to New York. The Jets are expected to sign the former Cardinals defensive tackle, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
It’s a one-year deal worth $2.5MM, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The deal can hit $4MM via incentives and/or bonuses.
With Quinton Jefferson, Solomon Thomas, and Al Woods all hitting free agency, the Jets have been hunting for some reinforcement at defensive tackle. The team already agreed to a deal with former 49ers defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw, and now they’re adding another former NFC West option.
Fotu was a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2020 and had spent his entire career in Arizona. He started only 21 of his 56 appearances with the organization but was consistently playing around 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. He started nine of his 11 appearances in 2023, finishing with 28 tackles and a career-high 2.5 sacks.
As ESPN’s Rich Cimini passes along, Fotu had a run-stop percentage of 6.7 percent last season, which ranked 22nd among 117 defensive tackles. That number would have ranked second on the Jets behind Quinnen Williams, the team’s lone holdover at the position.