Patriots To Re-Sign LB Mack Wilson
The Patriots will bring back 2022 trade acquisition Mack Wilson. While the veteran linebacker fielded interest from at least three teams, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) he is staying in New England.
Both the teams Wilson has played for — the Browns and Patriots — showed interest, along with the Texans. But Wilson will stay with the Pats on a one-year deal worth up to $2.2MM. Wilson, 25, started three games for the Patriots last season, working more on special teams.
New England and Cleveland swapped Wilson and Chase Winovich last year; the latter already signed with the Texans, who were attempting to bring in both pieces of that trade. But Wilson will stick around with a franchise that places a great deal of emphasis on special teams. Wilson saw action on 62% of New England’s ST snaps during his debut with the team.
A former fifth-round pick out of Alabama, Wilson logged a 21% defensive snap share with the Pats last season. He made three starts, but this contract’s value suggests the team views him more as a special teams regular and backup.
New England still has its 2022 linebacking crew on the roster. Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai and Raekwon McMillan remain under contract.
Steelers To Sign LB Elandon Roberts, Release LB Myles Jack
The Steelers’ Cole Holcomb addition will not round out their linebacker moves in free agency. They have also reached an agreement to bring in Elandon Roberts, Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com tweets.
Roberts agreed to a two-year deal with Pittsburgh. Brian Flores brought Roberts from New England to Miami in 2020. Though Flores is no longer with the Steelers, the team is bringing in a player the new Vikings DC coached in two cities. Roberts has 76 starts on his resume, including 32 over the past two seasons in Miami. Roberts’ deal is a two-year, $7MM pact, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who notes (via Twitter) the eighth-year veteran received a $2.3MM signing bonus.
Pittsburgh’s additions of Roberts and Holcomb will precede a release of Myles Jack, Adam Schefter of ESPN tweets. Jack signed a two-year , $16MM deal with the Steelers in 2022, but the team is moving to other options a year later. This marks the second straight March that a team has made Jack a cap casualty. A year after the Jaguars cut the longtime starter, the Steelers will save $8MM by making this move.
Although Roberts’ Miami tenure included a late-December knee injury in his first year with the team (2020), he bounced back and became a regular starter — both with Flores and following his firing. Roberts started every game for the Dolphins last year, totaling a career-high 107 tackles (10 for loss) and registering 4.5 sacks. That interesting combination is a bit of an outlier for Roberts, who had never produced more than two sacks in a season during his time with the Pats or Dolphins. But the versatile defender did enough to earn a multiyear commitment.
While Pro Football Focus rated Roberts just outside the top 60 at linebacker last year, he graded as the advanced metrics site’s No. 1 pass-rushing linebacker (among off-ball ‘backers). The Patriots used Roberts as a starter throughout their late-2010s run of Super Bowl appearances; he made 33 starts with the Pats from 2016-19.
Jack, who is still just 27 despite having played seven NFL seasons, made 104 tackles last season. PFF graded the former second-round pick just below Roberts — a 2016 sixth-rounder — at linebacker. The seven-year starter, who now has four 100-tackle seasons on his resume, will look for a third NFL team. He should not be expected to command a contract in the $8MM-AAV range, however.
The Steelers are making wholesale changes at linebacker. Robert Spillane, who played 59% of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps last season, signed with the Raiders this week. Devin Bush has long been viewed as a one-contract Steeler; the former top-10 pick is visiting the Seahawks today.
Patriots To Sign WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
MARCH 16: The $33MM number turned out to be the max value here. Instead, the Patriots signed the seventh-year wideout to a three-year, $25.5MM contract, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets. Like Meyers, he received $16MM guaranteed at signing, but he did not reach an eight-figure AAV. Smith-Schuster can get to that $33MM mark via performance, with Volin adding $7.5MM remains available through receiving yards-based incentives. Only $4.5MM of those incentives are achievable during the deal’s guaranteed years, with SI.com’s Albert Breer adding $3MM are part of Smith-Schuster’s 2025 potential earnings (Twitter link).
MARCH 15: While mutual interest existed between the Chiefs and JuJu Smith-Schuster, the veteran wide receiver looks set to change teams again. The Patriots are signing the seventh-year wideout, Taylor Bisciotti and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report (on Twitter).
The Chiefs made efforts to bring back Smith-Schuster, their leading wide receiver in 2022, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets. But the Pats will acquire a versatile performer to replace Jakobi Meyers, who committed to the Raiders on Tuesday.
This situation appeared to come down to how much of a hometown discount Smith-Schuster would accept; he said before Super Bowl LVII he wanted to stay in Kansas City. It is unclear how much the Chiefs offered, but Mike Giardi of NFL.com tweets the money did not reach the place the Pats went (Twitter link).
New England is giving Smith-Schuster a three-year, $33MM deal, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Guarantees are not yet known, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds JuJu will collect $22.5MM through 2024 (Twitter link). After settling for one-year deals in 2021 (with Pittsburgh) and ’22 (with Kansas City), Smith-Schuster finally scores a multiyear commitment.
Used mostly in the slot with the Steelers, Smith-Schuster shuffled across formations with the Chiefs and produced a rebound season upon teaming with Patrick Mahomes. The 26-year-old target caught 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns. The 933 yards marked Smith-Schuster’s most since his 2018 Pro Bowl season in Pittsburgh. He finished with the fifth-most YAC over expected (plus-141), per Next Gen Stats, in 2022.
Smith-Schuster’s AAV matches the money the Raiders and Jets gave to Meyers and Allen Lazard, respectively, and this represents another medium-term accord the Pats are giving out to bolster the position. They handed Nelson Agholor a two-year, $22MM contract in 2021. The former first-rounder did not live up to it, and he is unlikely to return in 2023. It is interesting the Pats passed on Meyers to pay an outside hire similar cash — something Meyers has since noticed (Twitter link) — but Smith-Schuster has shown a slightly higher ceiling. These two are also the same age, despite Meyers entering the league two years later. The Patriots did not offer Meyers the kind of guarantees the Raiders did, Giardi adds. Meyers signed for $22MM guaranteed in total and $16.5MM fully guaranteed.
Although Smith-Schuster’s 1,400-yard season during Antonio Brown‘s Steelers swansong still looks like an outlier, he showed plenty in Kansas City last season. The Chiefs signed Smith-Schuster, a free agent target for two years, to an incentive-laden deal — initially a $3.8MM pact — and the USC alum ended up adding millions to his 2022 earnings by hitting a few of those benchmarks. Kansas City obviously features a favorable setup, with Reid calling the shots in a Mahomes-piloted attack, but Smith-Schuster became the No. 1 receiver for a team that managed to win the Super Bowl after trading Tyreek Hill. It will be interesting to see who the Chiefs target to fill Smith-Schuster’s role. While the team is keen on expanding Kadarius Toney‘s responsibilities, the talented ex-Giant’s rampant injury trouble could interfere.
Mecole Hardman remains unsigned, and while the Chiefs were planning to let the speedster walk, perhaps the Smith-Schuster defection changes their thinking. Kansas City will be an attractive setup for wide receivers, and Odell Beckham Jr. remains available. OBJ would undoubtedly need to set a new price point, as his reported $20MM-per-year ask is out of step with his value. But the Chiefs were connected to OBJ in 2021 and ’22.
As for the Patriots, Smith-Schuster will join a team in transition at receiver. Kendrick Bourne enjoyed a solid season in 2021 but fell into the doghouse last season. The Pats used a second-round pick on Tyquan Thornton, but an injury halted his rookie-year development. DeVante Parker remains under contract, as does Bourne, but Smith-Schuster is now positioned to be the No. 1 receiver in Bill O’Brien‘s offense.
The team has also looked into Jerry Jeudy, per Denver7’s Troy Renck (on Twitter), and DeAndre Hopkins. It is unclear how serious it is to making more upgrades after landing JuJu. The Pats are not currently pursuing Hopkins, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.
Broncos Sign T Mike McGlinchey
MARCH 16: One of the top free agents to hit the market, McGlinchey did well to secure an agreement that features a virtual three-year guarantee. In addition to the veteran right tackle’s 2023 and ’24 base salaries being fully guaranteed, Albert Breer of SI.com notes his 2025 salary ($17.5MM) will become locked in on if he is still on Denver’s roster in March 2024. This is not an uncommon structure, but it essentially will bring McGlinchey’s full guarantee number up to $52.5MM.
While practical guarantees are present in other linemen’s contracts, no current right tackle deal included more than $43MM guaranteed at signing. Payton signed off on that deal (Ramczyk’s) as well. The Broncos have spent a decade trying to fill this position; they are paying up to do so.
MARCH 13: The Broncos are making an all-out effort to upgrade their offensive line Monday. Shortly after agreeing to terms with Ben Powers, they are signing another big fish. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey is joining the team, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets.
A five-year 49ers starter, McGlinchey hit the legal tampering period as one of the market’s top available players. The Broncos’ right tackle spot has become one of the league’s fastest-moving carousel positions. Denver has used a different right tackle starter in Week 1 in each of the past 10 seasons. While that streak will hit 11, the team is spending big bucks to ensure McGlinchey stops it for a while.
49ers GM John Lynch said he expected McGlinchey to have a robust market that would price himself out of San Francisco. With Trent Williams attached to the NFL’s top offensive line contract, McGlinchey will collect his cash elsewhere. He will join Garett Bolles in Denver, which will soon have top-10 contracts devoted to left tackle and right tackle. As of midday Monday, the Broncos are the only team that can say that.
PFR ranked McGlinchey as the market’s top right tackle, though this was a strong market at the position. The Broncos are choosing McGlinchey over the likes of Jawaan Taylor and Kaleb McGary, but the team’s dire issues at right tackle will prompt a big payment. It is a five-year, $87.5MM deal for McGlinchey, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. At $17.5MM per year, McGlinchey becomes the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid right tackle. Sean Payton authorized the top right tackle contract — Ryan Ramczyk‘s — back in 2021. Payton is continuing his O-line-centric focus in Denver.
In New Orleans, Payton continually devoted high picks to his offensive line. Extensions followed. The Broncos will now have two hired guns up front to join Bolles and Quinn Meinerz. While Denver’s center position is uncertain, it will be difficult for the team — which has some needs that are not on the O-line — to devote too much capital here. Lloyd Cushenberry is entering a contract year and is coming off an injury-abbreviated season.
McGlinchey, 28, has been one of the NFL’s top run-blocking tackles in recent years. The former top-10 pick who came to San Francisco after being Notre Dame’s left tackle, McGlinchey rated fifth in ESPN’s run block win rate last season. He started every game for the 49ers in 2022, bouncing back from a quad injury that ended his 2021 season early. McGlinchey is going into his age-28 season. The Broncos are betting on him to remain an upper-crust right tackle into his 30s. They have tried repeatedly to staff this position but have failed, with the biggest whiff coming via the four-year deal they gave Ja’Wuan James back in 2019.
The 49ers recently re-signed Colton McKivitz, giving them a much cheaper option to potentially succeed McGlinchey opposite Williams. Jaylon Moore also serves as an option for San Francisco, which has now lost five-year starting O-linemen — McGlinchey and guard Laken Tomlinson — in back-to-back offseasons.
Dolphins Re-Signing CB Nik Needham
Cornerback Nik Needham will be continuing his career with Miami after reportedly signing a new one-year, $2MM deal to remain with the Dolphins, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Needham rejoins a group that is sure to look very different in 2023. 
Needham has been in Miami since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent out of UTEP in 2019. Needham failed to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie but was promoted to the active roster in October of that year and proceeded to start in 11 of his 12 appearances for the rest of the year. Needham recorded two interceptions and 11 passes defensed as a rookie.
For the next two years, Needham was a spot starter and rotated in plenty for Miami’s defense. He nabbed two picks in each of the following two years and tallied 12 passes defensed over that span. He also recorded a sack in each of his first three seasons.
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 only was 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. The Dolphins had expressed interest in bringing the 26-year-old back earlier this year and have officially gotten the deal done.
Most of the main staff of defensive backs should be returning next season alongside Needham, but the supporting staff should look fairly different. The Dolphins acquired Jalen Ramsey in a trade with the Rams and brought in former Ravens and Lions safety DeShon Elliott to compete with Brandon Jones for starting time next to Jevon Holland. With Byron Jones and Eric Rowe hitting the free agent market, those two are expected to have a part in filling those roles.
Needham will likely return to his backup rotation role behind Xavien Howard and Ramsey. He and Kader Kohou will be the top options off the bench when the team needs an extra corner on the field. It’s a best-case scenario for both sides of the deal as Needham isn’t forced to face a discounted free agent market after his injury and the Dolphins are able to return a reliable backup with starting ability.
CB Darius Slay Staying In Philadelphia?
10:25pm: In the latest update to the Slay-scenario, the man himself has tweeted in reference to the situation. In the tweet, Slay claims to be “back like (he) never left” and asserts that he plans to “run it back” with the Eagles. Still, nothing appears to be official, but things are trending in a much different direction for the Pro Bowl cornerback’s chances of remaining in Philadelphia.
9:45pm: Not so fast. Slay’s tenure in Philadelphia may not be over, after all. Earlier this evening, Josina Anderson tweeted that the Eagles were having a “hard time” letting the cornerback go and were wishing they could keep him. Jeff Howe of The Athletic later tweeted that the Eagles were “working to find a way” to retain Slay, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter goes as far as to tweet that the defensive back is now expected to stay with the Eagles.
9:50am: The Eagles managed to bring back James Bradberry, but his partnership with Darius Slay will end up being a one-off. The defending NFC champs will move on from Slay after three seasons, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets.
Mentioned in trade rumors, Slay will end up being released. The three-year Eagle confirmed the news on his own Twitter account. This will deplete a secondary that already lost safety starter Marcus Epps. The Eagles brought back Bradberry, giving the eighth-year veteran a three-year deal, but their stacked 2022 defense has splintered during the legal tampering period.
Philly is designating Slay as a post-June 1 cut, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This will save the Eagles $17.5MM, though $13MM in Slay dead money will transfer to the team’s 2024 cap sheet. Slay was set to carry an untenable 2023 cap number — $26.1MM, tops on the Eagles’ payroll — in the final year of his deal. Slay’s cap number ballooned to this place because the Eagles restructured his deal in 2021 and ’22.
Slay wound up in trade talks after he and the Eagles did not progress on renegotiations. The team’s efforts to do a restructure with Slay failed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, leading the Eagles to give him permission to seek a trade. Nothing materializing will push him to the open market Wednesday afternoon.
Although Slay is going into his age-32 season, he should fare well as a free agent. Traded to Philadelphia in 2020, this will be the former Detroit draftee’s first time on the market. He will be officially released when the 2023 league year begins at 3pm CT today.
Philly gave Slay a three-year, $50MM extension upon trading for him three years ago. The accomplished cover man’s rocky relationship with Matt Patricia — now an Eagles target as a position coach — helped lead him out of Detroit. Despite passing 30 in Philly, Slay has continued to be one of the NFL’s better cornerbacks. Pro Football Focus graded Slay as its No. 21 overall corner last season, when teamed with Bradberry to form one of the league’s best outside duos. Slay also allowed a 74.4 rating while in coverage in 2021. The Eagles will move forward with just one 30-something — Bradberry will turn 30 this offseason — at the position, however.
The Eagles faced the Chiefs with the NFL’s third-ranked defense, and although Jonathan Gannon‘s unit did not have a good night, it featured talent on all three levels. Free agency has cut into that collection. Epps, Javon Hargrave, T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White join Slay as Eagles starters who will not be part of the 2023 team. Fletcher Cox has not committed elsewhere yet, and the team has re-signed Brandon Graham.
Trade rumblings notwithstanding, Slay said he wanted to remain an Eagle for the rest of his career. But the 6-foot cover man said he will be prepared to play elsewhere. That time is coming, and Slay will be on track to join a third team soon. Cornerback-seeking teams that missed out on this year’s top options — Bradberry, Jamel Dean, Byron Murphy, Cameron Sutton — now have another option. Slay’s age would point him to a contender, but it remains to be seen what market will form for the 11th-year veteran.
Giants Sign Former Jets WR Jeff Smith
Wide receiver Jeff Smith will be staying in New York. He won’t be re-signing with the Jets in order to do so, though. The former Jet will be swapping Big Apple franchises and signing a new contract with the Giants, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. 
Smith originally signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He was cut during final roster cuts before the regular season and signed to the team’s practice squad. Smith was promoted to the active roster for one game and recorded a catch for 12 yards as a rookie before being placed on injured reserve five days later. He would start 2020 on IR, as well, but would still play 12 games that season. He’s missed games here and there with injury, but for the most part, he’s remained on the active roster since being activated as a rookie.
Smith’s sophomore season was probably his strongest in terms of playing time and production. He received the fourth-highest offensive snap count in the wide receivers room behind Breshad Perriman, Jamison Crowder, and Denzel Mims. In the following years, Smith received the eighth- and sixth-highest snap counts in 2021 and 2022, respectively. 2020 was his strongest season statistically, too, as it saw him record career-highs in targets (37), receptions (17), and yards (167). He has yet to record an NFL touchdown. Smith signed an exclusive-rights free agent tender to remain with the Jets in 2022.
He leaves one New York team for the other as the Jets continue to target assets in an effort to satisfy Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who intends to play for the Jets once trade compensation is worked out. He makes his way to the Giants, where Kenny Golladay, Richie James, Marcus Johnson, and Darius Slayton have all found their way to free agency.
Slayton and James were the team’s top two receivers in terms of playing time and statistics last year. The Giants return a group of receivers that collectively missed a large portion of games in 2022. Smith will be competing with Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard, and Wan’Dale Robinson for the bulk of the team’s playing time. The three combined to miss 31 games last season. Should they struggle to stay on the field again, Smith will be competing with David Sills, Collin Johnson, and others for playing time behind them.
The Giants added a huge safety blanket for newly extended quarterback Daniel Jones, acquiring tight end Darren Waller from Las Vegas in a trade this week. They’ll need to add more than just Waller, though, if they expect to have a potent passing attack to supplement running back Saquon Barkley‘s ground game. Smith is a minor step towards that goal, but the team will likely need to do much more to be competitive.
Bears To Sign QB P.J. Walker
P.J. Walker is heading to Chicago. The Bears have reached an agreement with the free agent quarterback, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Walker was an impending restricted free agent but was ultimately non-tendered by the Panthers. Walker’s camp apparently moved quickly, with Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweeting that the QB is signing a two-year deal with Chicago. The deal has a max value of $5MM and includes a $1MM signing bonus.
The 2017 undrafted free agent out of Temple spent the past three seasons with the Panthers. The organization gave him a starting look each season, with the Panthers going 4-3 in those seven contests. In total, Walker has completed 57.5 percent of his pass attempts for 1,461 yards, five touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Walker got an extended look this past season, starting five games for the Panthers. He finished the campaign having tossed three touchdowns vs. three interceptions. That long look partly convinced the Panthers to look elsewhere this offseason, and the writing was on the wall when the organization acquired the No. 1 pick (which will presumably be used on a QB) and signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton.
So, Walker is off to Chicago, where he’ll presumably serve as Justin Fields‘ backup. The team is also still rostering Trevor Siemian, who inked a two-year deal with the team last offseason.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/23
Today’s tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: CB Dane Jackson
- Patriots: CB Myles Bryant, OT Yodny Cajuste
Non-tendered:
- 49ers: LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
- Lions: OL Tommy Kraemer, DB Bobby Price
- Panthers: QB P.J. Walker
- Rams: QB Bryce Perkins
- Ravens: C-G Trystan Colon-Castillo, LS Nick Moore, LB Del’Shawn Phillips, S Geno Stone, ILB Kristian Welch
- Saints: WR Marquez Callaway
- Seahawks: LB Tanner Muse
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Buccaneers: CB Dee Delaney
- Rams: DT Michael Hoecht, CB Shaun Jolly, LB Christian Rozeboom
- Titans: DT Naquan Jones
Texans To Re-Sign DB Tavierre Thomas
Tavierre Thomas is back with the Texans. Houston has re-signed the defensive back, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston (via Twitter).
Thomas got a one-year deal worth $3MM, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter). The deal includes a fully guaranteed $1.5MM base salary, a $500K signing bonus, a $250K per-game roster bonus, and $750K in playing time incentives.
The defensive back spent three years with the Browns before joining the Texans in 2021. He’s turned into a spot starter for the Texans, starting 14 of his 27 appearances. This past season, he started six of his 10 appearances, collecting 41 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles.
“Glad to be back, man,” Thomas said in a message to Wilson. “Let’s make it a great one!”
In 2023, Thomas will likely continue serving as a nickel back and contributing on special teams.