Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/24
Saturday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: CB Kris Boyd, DT Khalil Davis
Retired
The Texans’ efforts to retain several key contributors includes both Boyd and Davis landing new deals, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. The former joined Houston after he was released by the Cardinals in October. Boyd made a pair of appearances with the Texans, playing almost exclusively on special teams. Davis, meanwhile, earned an extended Houston stay after logging a 41% defensive snap share and recording two sacks in his debut Texans campaign. After playing for three teams in as many years, the 27-year-old will have a degree of stability in 2024.
Scarbrough entered the league as a Cowboys seventh-rounder in 2018, but it was one year later (and with the Lions) that he made his regular season debut. The Alabama alum received 89 carries that season, and followed it up with a much smaller workload in 2020 with the Seahawks. After not seeing any further NFL action, the 29-year-old was set to play with the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions (the team with which he won a pair of USFL titles) this spring. Instead, he has elected to hang up his cleats.
Broncos To Re-Sign S P.J. Locke
The Broncos moved on from a franchise mainstay earlier this week by releasing Justin Simmons. While he will not be in place for 2024, P.J. Locke will be. The latter has agreed to a new Denver deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. 
Rapoport notes Locke will receive $7MM in base compensation on a two-year deal. The maximum value sits at $9MM, which will mark a hefty raise from his previous deals. The former UDFA had amassed less than $4MM in career earnings across five seasons. He will now remain in Denver and avoid a trip to the open market.
Simmons’ release created the possibility that all three safeties which played signficant time in 2023 (he, Locke and Kareem Jackson, who was waived and finished the campaign with the Texans) could be gone by the 2024 campaign. However, a recent report noted interest from the team to work out a new deal in Locke’s case. The 27-year-old took on starting duties filling in for Jackson last year, and he will be counted on as a first-teamer moving forward.
Locke tallied 53 tackles, one interception, five pass deflections, two forced fumbles and three sacks last season. Each of those figures represented career highs, and he could have generated a notable market given his age and play down the stretch even with numerous veterans now available. After playing each of his 59 games with the Broncos, however, Locke has elected to take another new deal in lieu of gauging his outside value.
The Texas alum joins Caden Sterns and a pair of other recent draftees (Delarrin Turner-Yell, JL Skinner) in being on the books for Denver ahead of free agency. That group is severely lacking in experience compared to the Broncos’ longtime Simmons-Jackson tandem, so an addition at the position would come as no surprise. The team will have several options to choose from on the open market. Regardless of what happens on that front, though, Locke will face significant expectations ahead of 2024 and ’25.
The Broncos entered Saturday with roughly $30.5MM in cap space with free agency on the horizon. Locke’s new deal will lower that figure to a slight extent, but his continued presence will be welcomed on a Denver defense which will feature a number of new faces next year.
Texans Finalizing Deal With CB Desmond King
Taking care of a number of their own pending free agents on Saturday, the Texans are set to have a key member of their defense and special teams in the fold for 2024. Houston is finalizing a new deal with slot corner and returner Desmond King, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. 
[RELATED: Texans Re-Sign Eric Murray]
The one-year King deal will have a base value of $1.8MM with the potential to max out at $2.2MM, Wilson adds. The 29-year-old spent the 2021 and ’22 campaigns in Houston before being part of the team’s final roster cuts ahead of this past season. That led to a brief stint in Pittsburgh, but his lack of usage drove the Steelers to shop him ahead of the trade deadline.
With no takers emerging, King was waived and ultimately re-joined the Texans in November. The Iowa alum started three of seven regular season games upon return, as well as both of the team’s postseason contests. He totaled 64 tackles, two sacks and a pair of pass deflections in that span, proving his continued value to Houston. King logged 15 starts during his first Texans stint, and he will likely remain a key defender in 2024.
The former fifth-rounder also returned eight kicks and one punt in his limited time with Houston in 2023. King earned All-Pro acclaim for his special teams work with the Chargers in 2018, and he has maintained his role as a returner through much of his career. He will aim to improve on his 12.6 yards per return average with respect to kickoffs next season if he maintains his role as Houston’s top returner in 2024.
Houston entered Saturday with nearly $63MM in cap space, leaving plenty of flexibility for when free agency opens next week. The new deals for Murray and King will eat into that total slightly, but they will ensure stability on the backend as the team looks to replicate 2023’s surprise run to the divisional round.
CB Nik Needham Re-Signs With Dolphins
The Dolphins are bringing back a key depth piece in their defensive backfield for another year, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Nik Needham, a five-year veteran in Miami, has been a crucial backup who can contribute at both cornerback and safety. 
Needham joined the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent out of UTEP in 2019. After failing to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and signing to the practice squad, Needham was elevated, due to an injury to starter Xavien Howards, and proceeded to start 11 of his 12 appearances for the rest of the year. As a surprise undrafted rookie starter, Needham recorded two interceptions and 11 passes defensed.
Needham was a spot starter over the next two seasons, figuring generously into the defensive rotation at cornerback. He continued a tradition of two interceptions and one sack per year in each of those seasons, upping his career total for passes defensed to 23.
In 2022, Needham was forced back into a starting role after starting cornerback Byron Jones sat out the year with an Achilles injury. Unfortunately, Needham suffered an Achilles tear of his own and was only able to appear in six games before spending the rest of the season on injured reserve.
After playing out his initial entry level deal, Needham was given an exclusive-rights free agent tender for 2021 and a restricted free agent tender in 2022. He signed a one-year, $2MM deal a year ago but found his role severely reduced after coming back from injury. Howard and Kader Kohou, another undrafted addition to the team, started most every game last year, while Jalen Ramsey contributed as a full-time starter after coming back from injury in Week 8 and Eli Apple started games here and there, as well. Needham filled in as a fifth corner behind those four but was limited even more due to his prior injury.
Apple heads to free agency at the conclusion of his one-year deal, so perhaps Needham will slide back into the role Apple played in 2023. Regardless, a 2021 season that proved he could be a productive contributor all over the defense has made Needham a valuable asset to retain. He’ll get another chance to carve out his role in the defense in 2024.
Texans Re-Sign S Eric Murray
Veteran safety Eric Murray will return to Houston for a fifth year with the Texans in 2024, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The 29-year-old defensive back had previously signed a three-year contract and a two-year extension with the Texans and will now return on a one-year deal. 
Murray started in the NFL as a fourth-round rookie out of Minnesota for the Chiefs. He was able to earn 11 starts in the first three seasons of his rookie contract but found himself getting traded to Cleveland (straight up for outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah) for the final year of his rookie deal. He started four of nine games played for the Browns before departing in free agency.
Houston was the team to sign Murray off the market, and he immediately stepped into the first full-time starting role of his career. Murray slowly lost his starting safety role until, in 2022, he didn’t start a single game as a fourth option at safety. When Jonathan Owens signed with the Packers, though, Murray earned a new opportunity to start in 2023. Unfortunately for Murray, that opportunity came to an end when a torn meniscus concluded his season.
After he finished the year on injured reserve, the Texans will give Murray another chance to carve out a role on the team. It will be difficult to carve out a starting role, as both Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward are set to return in 2024, but Murray can serve as a third safety or emergency starter in the case of injury.
S Johnathan Cyprien Retires
Johnathan Cyprien is calling it a career. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the veteran safety is signing a one-day deal with the Jaguars to retire with the organization. The team has made the move official, placing Cyprien on the reserve-retired list.
Despite only spending four seasons in Jacksonville, Cyprien made a big impact on the organization. The 2013 second-round immediately emerged as a starter for the Jaguars, and he proceeded to start all 60 of his appearances through his first four seasons in the NFL. He topped 100 tackles in each of those four campaigns, earning him a top-10 spot in the franchise’s all-time tackles leader board.
Following a 2016 campaign where Pro Football Focus ranked Cyprien as a top-10 safety, the Jaguars let him walk via free agency. The defensive back ended up earning a four-year, $25MM deal with the Titans, and he started all 10 of his appearances during his first season in Tennessee (plus both of the team’s playoff contests). However, he suffered a torn ACL during 2018 training camp, wiping out that season and ultimately leading to his release in 2019.
Cyprien spent the 2019 campaign bouncing around the NFL, spending time with the Eagles and Falcons. He caught on with the 49ers in 2020, appearing in four games. He hasn’t earned another gig since getting released from IR towards the end of that 2020 campaign.
The 33-year-old was honored by the Jaguars during a private event on Thursday.
Raiders To Release DE Jerry Tillery
Jerry Tillery‘s stint with the Raiders has come to an end. The team informed the defensive end that they will release him following the start of the league year, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
After spending the second half of the 2022 campaign in Las Vegas, Tillery re-signed with the Raiders last offseason, inking a two-year, $6.8MM contract. Releasing the defensive lineman will free up around $3.8MM in cap space for the organization.
The former first-round pick disappointed during his three-plus seasons with the Chargers. Tillery steadily earned more snaps through his first three seasons in the league, but he wasn’t able to provide the Chargers with the top-end DL skills that they were seeking.
2021 marked a career year for Tillery from a counting stats perspective, with the defensive end compiling 51 tackles and 4.5 sacks while starting 15 of his 16 appearances. That extended look was apparently enough for the Chargers to determine he wasn’t a future piece, as the front office declined his fifth-year option the following offseason. Tillery found himself with a backup role in 2022 before ultimately getting waived midway through the season.
The Raiders ended up claiming the former first rounder, and he proceeded to start four of his eight appearances in Las Vegas. He started six of his 17 games this past year, finishing with 31 tackles and a pair of sacks. Pro Football Focus graded Tillery 40th among 130 qualifying interior defenders, although none of his skills graded out as anything more than above-average.
Considering his first-round pedigree, there’s a good chance Tillery can find a new home for 2024. However, following another underwhelming season, those changes may soon dry up for the 27-year-old.
Eagles Re-Sign DE Brandon Graham
Brandon Graham is sticking around Philadelphia for a 15th season. The team announced that they’ve re-signed the veteran defensive end to a one-year extension.
[RELATED: Eagles, DE Brandon Graham Moving Toward Deal?]
There were rumblings earlier this week that the two sides were working towards a new deal, and Graham confirmed his plan to re-sign with the Eagles the other day.
There was some speculation that the veteran could call it a career following the Eagles’ disappointing end to the 2023 campaign. However, the defensive lineman was quick to dismiss that notion, stating that he still has a “little bit of juice” left in his tank. Graham also expressed interest in a farewell tour, an indication that 2024 will likely mark his final NFL season.
When he takes the field in 2024, Graham will set the record for the longest tenure with the Eagles organization. He tied Philly legend Chuck Bednarik by playing a 14th season with the team last year. Graham set another franchise mark last season, passing David Akers for the most games played in Eagles history.
Once one of the Eagles’ most dependable starters, Graham has transitioned to a backup role in recent seasons. He only started one of his 17 appearances in 2022, appearing in 43 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Still, the former first-round pick managed to compile 11 sacks, earning him a one-year, $5MM extension last offseason.
He continued to serve as a backup for Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat in 2023, appearing in all 17 games. However, he was limited to only 395 defensive snaps; ignoring his two-game stint in 2021, that was Graham’s lowest total since 2013. Despite the drop in playing time, Pro Football Focus still ranked Graham 17th among 118 qualifying edge defenders.
The future of the Eagles’ pass-rushing corps is in doubt, as both Reddick and Sweat are reportedly on the trade block. The organization could be eyeing a new and/or inexperienced edge grouping in 2024, highlighted by 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith. In that scenario, Graham’s veteran know-how will certainly come in handy as the team transitions to new defensive leaders.
Bengals Re-Sign OL Cody Ford
The Bengals are holding on to one of their top depth offensive linemen. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Bengals have re-signed guard Cody Ford. It’s a one-year deal for the lineman. The Bengals have since announced the move.
The former second-round pick had stops in Buffalo and Arizona before landing with the Bengals last offseason on a one-year, $1MM deal. Ford ended up emerging as the team’s “sixth offensive lineman,” although thanks to the team’s relative health on the OL, that didn’t result in many offensive snaps.
The veteran ended up starting one of his 17 appearances last season, and he lined up at both left tackle and right guard for his new squad. He was limited to only 79 offensive snaps during his first season in Cincinnati after averaging close to 490 offensive snaps per season through his first four years in the NFL.
Ford will likely be eyeing a similar role in 2024, although he should see more playing time assuming the team doesn’t have the same health luck. Jonah Williams‘ impending free agency opens a temporary spot on the depth chart, although it sounds like the Bengals value Ford’s versatility off the bench vs. handing him a starting gig.
Ravens Extend DL Justin Madubuike
Two franchise-tagged players have signed extensions this week. Justin Madubuike will follow Jaylon Johnson. The Ravens now have their breakthrough defensive tackle locked down.
After a monster contract year, Madubuike agreed to terms on a four-year, $98MM deal, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The contract includes $53.5MM guaranteed at signing and $75.5MM in total guarantees. Both the guarantee numbers represent highwater marks for NFL interior D-linemen, which almost definitely will affect the free agent market soon.
Like Johnson, this represents a staggering value spike for a player who was not on the radar to score a contract in this neighborhood a year ago. But Madubuike stepped up in his platform year, registering a Ravens-high 13 sacks — the most by a Raven since Elvis Dumervil in 2014 — to power a No. 1-ranked defense. The Ravens viewed Madubuike and Broderick Washington as extension candidates last summer; both are now signed, with Madubuike breaking new ground for a Baltimore D-line contract.
Madubuike, 26, eclipsed Quinnen Williams‘ marks for full guarantees and total guaranteed cash. The Jets standout received $47.8MM at signing when he agreed to his $24MM-per-year deal last July, with Gang Green guaranteeing the former top-five pick $66MM in total. Those represented incremental gains from the previous position standards; Madubuike’s numbers create a clear gap between Nos. 1 and 2 on these lists.
The Ravens did not go near Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM-per-year salary, which remains the runaway leader for AAV at the position. But they navigated this gap by showing a willingness to guarantee a greater portion of Madubuike’s contract. That undoubtedly pushed this process past the finish line. This agreement will reduce the $22.1MM cap figure on Baltimore’s payroll as a result of Tuesday’s tag and bring some good news for Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins as they prepare to — barring 11th-hour agreements — head into free agency.
Like Chicago, Baltimore now has high-end extensions allocated to players on all three defensive levels. Madubuike joins Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey in that regard. The Ravens have signed off on the Smith payment — still an ILB AAV record — and Madubuike pact within a 14-month span. While Smith was always a candidate to land big money — as he had leverage via a trade and Lamar Jackson being primed for last year’s franchise tag — Madubuike represents more of an underdog story.
The No. 71 pick in the 2020 draft, the Texas A&M alum had never totaled more than 5.5 sacks or nine QB hits in a season prior to his contract year. His walk-year numbers of 13 and 33 in those categories could have given the Ravens pause, potentially calling for a “prove it” year on the tag. But after they carried a $32MM-plus Jackson tag number into late April last year, the AFC North champions will have their payroll more organized going into free agency this year.
After the Ravens released Calais Campbell last year, Madubuike stormed ahead as the team’s top sack artist. Helping late-arriving free agents Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy produce surprising sack numbers, Madubuike also tied an NFL record by recording at least a half-sack in 11 consecutive games. That secured the ex-Day 2 pick his first Pro Bowl nod. By Thanksgiving, Madubuike had shown enough to the point he would not be permitted to reach free agency. The Ravens unholstered their tag but will not come close to the July deadline. As Zach Orr takes over as DC, the Ravens will make sure he has an impact D-line presence locked down.