Saints Sign TE Jesse James
For the third straight year, Jesse James has found a new team. The Saints announced on Wednesday that they have signed the veteran tight end. 
James’ longest and most productive stint came with the Steelers to begin his career. His four-year tenure in Pittsburgh saw him start 36 of 56 games, and record a personal-best 423 receiving yards in 2018. He has bounced around the league since then, however, spending two years in Detroit followed by one in Chicago.
The 28-year-old inked a one-year deal with the Browns last year, as he aimed to rebuild his value in a depth role. James wound playing only 18 offensive snaps across two games in Cleveland, however, before a biceps injury ended his season. He will now look to find more playing time and better luck on the health front in New Orleans.
James will join a Saints TE room which includes returnee Juwan Johnson and Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill. New Orleans traded away Adam Trautman during the draft, but they have since signed Foster Moreau in an encouraging sign with respect to his recent cancer diagnosis. James will thus have plenty of competition for playing time in 2023, a season in which the team’s expectations on offense have been raised given the addition of quarterback Derek Carr.
In addition to James, the Saints announced that they have signed fullback Jake Bargas. The former UDFA entered the league with the Vikings, making one appearance with them in each of the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He spent much of the the past campaign on the Dolphins’ practice squad. To make room for those additions, kicker Alex Quevedo has been waived, leaving the Saints with two players (Wil Lutz and Blake Grupe) at that position.
Broncos To Sign K Elliott Fry
The Broncos jettisoned their nine-year kicker last week, moving on from the final link to their Super Bowl 50 roster. In place of Brandon McManus, the team will bring in a far less experienced option.
Denver is adding Elliott Fry on Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The McManus cut left no kickers on the Broncos’ roster. Fry will step in. The well-traveled kicker has played three NFL games. It is a one-year deal, 9News’ Mike Klis adds (on Twitter).
Fry, 28, took part in a three-kicker workout last week in Denver. He joined Brett Maher and Parker White in auditioning for the team. Of that trio, Maher brings by far the most NFL experience. He also served as the final kicker during Sean Payton‘s Saints tenure, being the team’s most successful Wil Lutz fill-in during the 2021 season. But Maher also endured one of the worst kicking days in playoff history, missing four extra points during the Cowboys’ wild-card win over the Buccaneers. He also missed a PAT the following week in San Francisco.
As for Fry, he has attempted six field goals in his career, making five. He is 5-for-7 on extra points. The former South Carolina kicker played one game apiece with the Falcons, Bengals and Chiefs from 2020-21. He did not kick in a regular-season game last year.
The kicker the Jaguars traded to make room for McManus, Riley Patterson, ended up as the team’s kicker via waiver claim last year. That transaction came shortly after the team booted Fry. The Jags cut Fry with an injury settlement in August 2022, leading to a return to the Chiefs (via a practice squad deal) and a Cardinals reserve/futures contract. Arizona waived Fry in March.
Fry’s workout ledger is extensive. He has regularly made trips to auditions over the past few years, remaining a coveted option when kicking competitions emerge. Initially entering the NFL as a Bears UDFA in 2019 — after a run in the short-lived Alliance of American Football — Fry resided on nine teams’ rosters or P-squads from 2019-23. The Broncos will make it 10 for the nomadic specialist, who likely will not be handed the Denver job. It would be surprising if the Broncos did not add a camp competitor at kicker, but for now, Fry is the team’s McManus replacement choice.
Broncos To Re-Sign T Cameron Fleming
MAY 31: Fleming will be tied to a deal worth $2.1MM in base value, 9News’ Mike Klis notes, adding that the veteran tackle’s third Broncos contract will include $850K guaranteed (Twitter link). Fleming will count $2.35MM on Denver’s 2023 cap sheet.
MAY 23: Right tackle continuity has eluded the Broncos for over a decade, and they will have a different Week 1 starter (Mike McGlinchey, barring an injury) for an 11th straight season. But a steady option at that position is on his way back to town.
Denver is re-signing Cameron Fleming, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The sides agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $4MM on Tuesday. Fleming has made 19 starts for the Broncos over the past two years. With McGlinchey in the fold, the well-traveled veteran will be positioned to be Denver’s swingman. Fleming met with both the Jaguars and Dolphins in April, but each team made moves during or after the draft.
McGlinchey signed a five-year, $87.5MM deal to stop the Broncos’ revolving door at right tackle. With the practical guarantees on the ex-49er’s deal surpassing $52MM, the former first-round pick is on track to be Denver’s right-side starter for the foreseeable future. But the team entered the week without four of its tackle regulars from 2022. Billy Turner signed with the Jets, while Calvin Anderson joined the Patriots. Tom Compton, who saw injuries allow him little time as a Bronco, is a free agent. Fleming’s return certainly gives the Broncos better depth.
Fleming played both right and left tackle for the Broncos, who lost longtime left tackle Garett Bolles to a broken leg in Week 5. Injuries besieged the Broncos’ Russell Wilson protection crew last season, with Bolles, Turner, Compton and center Lloyd Cushenberry missing large chunks of the campaign. This made Fleming valuable. He suited up for 15 games and started all 15. Tuesday’s agreement will give the journeyman an opportunity to play a 10th NFL season.
The Broncos initially signed Fleming once well-paid right tackle Ja’Wuan James suffered an offsite injury during the 2021 offseason, when the NFLPA lobbied to nix voluntary workouts at team facilities. As a result, the Broncos cut James with a non-football injury designation. Fleming lost the right tackle competition to Bobby Massie, but the latter was not retained last season. Denver brought in ex-Nathaniel Hackett Packers charge Turner, but he missed nine games due to injury.
Pro Football Focus viewed Fleming as a solid option last season, ranking him just inside the top 30 at tackle. His work at both positions last season makes for an ideal swing option. Fleming has played the swing role previously, working in that capacity for the Patriots and Cowboys. He operated as a full-time Giants right tackle starter in 2020, leading to the Broncos accord. The former fourth-round Pats pick has 61 starts on his resume.
Fleming, 30, stands to bridge the gap between Denver’s experienced Bolles-McGlinchey starter tandem and a cast of unseasoned backups. Isaiah Prince, who missed all of the 2020 and ’22 seasons, and Christian DiLauro (five career games) reside as the other swing options in Denver.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/30/23
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Released from IR (injury settlement): DT Taylor Stallworth (story)
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Tyler Johnson
New York Jets
- Waived: OL Eric Smith
Washington Commanders
- Signed: S Terrell Burgess, TE Brandon Dillon
Johnson has bounced around a bit since his two-year Buccaneers stay. After a 360-yard receiving season in 2021, the former fifth-round pick has failed to catch on with the Texans or Raiders. Johnson played in two Houston games last year and, after signing a reserve/futures deal with the Raiders, received his Las Vegas walking papers earlier this month. In addition to the notable 2021 showing, Johnson has seven playoff receptions on his resume.
Stallworth re-signed with the Texans in February but ended up on IR — due to what his agent called a short-term injury — earlier this month. This settlement will allow Stallworth to heal up and attempt to play this season elsewhere. Stallworth played in seven games (six with the Chiefs, one with the Texans) last season but logged 32 as primarily a Colts backup from 2020-21. The veteran D-tackle is going into his age-28 season.
Cardinals Release DeAndre Hopkins
MAY 30: Hopkins’ release is now official, per the NFL’s transaction wire. Officially a free agent as of Tuesday afternoon, the 10-year veteran wide receiver — who has since hired a certified agent — is free to sign with another team.
MAY 26: The DeAndre Hopkins situation has come to an abrupt and unexpected end. The Cardinals have released the veteran receiver, per a team announcement.
The move proves that trade talks never progressed as far as Arizona would have liked, with his contract representing a major impediment to teams becoming willing to part with assets to acquire the three-time All-Pro. As a result, they will now move on from him without receiving anything in return. The Cardinals will save $8.9MM in cap space in 2023 via this release, while generating a dead money charge of $21.1MM. He will be off the books entirely in 2024. 
The 30-year-old was due $19.45MM in salary this season, the second-to-last of his current contract. That figure would have been relatively reasonable given the current nature of the WR market, but Hopkins’ scheduled cap hit was a far more burdensome $29.99MM in 2023, and $25.5MM in 2024. That led interested teams to ask the Cardinals to eat a portion of his contract to facilitate a trade, but not much progress was made on that front. Now, Hopkins is free to explore his options amongst the teams he has mentioned as potential destinations this offseason.
That list includes a number of AFC contenders, such as the Chiefs and Bills. The Ravens – who have already made signficant WR additions in the form of free agent signing Odell Beckham Jr. and first-round rookie Zay Flowers – have also been linked to a Hopkins move this offseason. In the NFC, the Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts have been floated as a possibility by Hopkins himself and others.
From Arizona’s perspective, this move marks a staunch about-face with respect to the public remarks made by new general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon on their intentions of retaining Hopkins for at least one more year. The former said around the draft that they planned to move forward with the five-time Pro Bowler for 2023, but this season is expected to be a rebuilding one in Arizona, so trade talks were logical.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes (on Twitter) that the Cardinals actively tried to move Hopkins, rather than simply listening to offers from potential suitors. As expected, though, Howe adds that his compensation, along with age and missed time due to injuries and suspension weighed down Hopkins’ trade market. The former Texans first-rounder played a full season in 2020, his first year in the desert, but has suited up for just 19 contests in two years since then.
In his time on the field last year, Hopkins remained a productive element of the Cardinals’ passing attack with 717 yards and three touchdowns on 64 receptions. His 1,407-yard campaign in 2020 marked the sixth time in 10 seasons that he eclipsed the 1,000 yard plateau. If he is able to do so again in 2023, a deal from any interested team will be worthwhile.
Today’s news leaves Arizona with Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, Zach Pascal, Greg Dortch and third-round rookie Michael Wilson on their WR depth chart, They will be leaned on during a transition year for the Cardinals, while Hopkins embarks on free agency for the first time in his decorated career. Where he lands on the open market will be no doubt a major storyline to follow.
Titans Sign Round 1 OL Peter Skoronski
The Titans now have their top 2023 draft choice under contract. No. 11 overall pick Peter Skoronski signed his four-year rookie pact (feat. the fifth-year option) Tuesday.
Skoronski is the 18th first-round pick from this year’s class to sign. The Titans will can keep the Northwestern product under contract through 2027 by extending it via the option in May 2026, but we are obviously a ways away from that decision. For now, the Titans will need to determine where Skoronski will play.
Viewed by most NFL evaluators as a guard, Skoronski nevertheless went off the board ahead of tackle Broderick Jones. The Bears passed on the Chicago-area product by taking Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright at No. 10, however. Skoronski suited up as a Northwestern tackle but drew pre-draft scrutiny due to his arm length. Ex-Wildcats teammate Rashawn Slater fell victim to criticism that his 33-inch arms were too short for him to be a successful NFL tackle. Lo and behold, Skoronski’s arm length is reportedly almost an inch shorter.
Still, Skoronski only played tackle at Northwestern, starting all three seasons before declaring for the draft after his junior year. He earned first-team All-Big Ten acclaim as a sophomore and junior, after landing on the conference’s second team in 2020. While Skoronski and Slater were technically teammates, Slater opting out of the 2020 season provided a clear runway for Skoronski to become the top Wildcats tackle.
The Titans’ offseason moves would point to Skoronski playing guard. They gave ex-Eagles first-rounder-turned-backup Andre Dillard a three-year, $29MM deal. Dillard stands to team with 2022 right tackle starter Nicholas Petit-Frere. The Titans signed ex-49ers guard Daniel Brunskill and retained 2022 guard starter Aaron Brewer, but the latter is on track to replace Ben Jones at center. This opens the door for Skoronski to work opposite Brunskill at guard.
The Titans have been using Peter Skoronski — the grandson of 1960s Packers left tackle Bob Skoronski — at both guard and tackle early in his offseason run. Where he lines up in training camp will obviously be a better indicator of the organization’s plans. Skoronski’s agreement leaves only second-rounder Will Levis as the only unsigned Titans draftee.
Commanders Cut CB Cameron Dantzler, Expected To Release G Andrew Norwell
The Commanders claimed Cameron Dantzler off waivers from the Vikings in March, but the NFC East team will end this partnership. Washington announced Tuesday that Dantzler will be cut.
Not yet a vested veteran, the fourth-year cornerback will head back to the waiver wire. Washington has also announced the placement of guard Andrew Norwell on the reserve/PUP list. Norwell started 16 games for the Commanders last season. This designation is expected to precede a release, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who notes the team is planning to cut the veteran guard once he passes a physical (Twitter link).
Washington signed Norwell last year, giving the ex-Ron Rivera Panthers starter a two-year, $10MM deal with $4.7MM guaranteed. The Commanders can gain $4.38MM in cap space by releasing Norwell after June 1. Norwell, who also joined ex-Rivera charge Trai Turner on Washington’s O-line last season, has played nine NFL seasons. Turner is no longer on Washington’s roster.
Rivera said last month the team is planning to give Saahdiq Charles and Chris Paul opportunities to win the left guard job, which Norwell held until Week 18. Norwell played every offensive snap until Washington’s season finale, sitting out Sam Howell‘s debut due to a hip injury. Rather than the hip malady, ESPN’s John Keim notes Norwell is battling a right elbow issue.
The Jaguars gave Norwell a five-year, $66.5MM contract in 2018. He had accepted a pay cut in 2021, with that agreement removing a year from his contract. The Commanders gave Norwell a chance in 2022, after they lost Brandon Scherff to the Jags in free agency. Pro Football Focus slotted Norwell just inside the top 50 at guard last season. While that middle-of-the-pack placement could be considered respectable, it marked his worst career assessment from the advanced metrics site. PFF graded Norwell as a top-30 guard every season from 2014-20.
The Commanders’ offseason approach has likely contributed to Norwell’s impending exit. They signed O-linemen Nick Gates and Andrew Wylie in free agency. While the early plan was for Gates to return to center, where he had lined up in New York before a severe injury sustained in Washington in September 2021, the Commanders also chose interior O-linemen Ricky Stromberg in Round 3. Veteran Tyler Larsen also remains on Washington’s roster. Norwell could be appealing to other teams as a stopgap option, with 127 starts on his resume. This is assuming he surmounts the hip issue soon.
Since claiming Dantzler in March, the Commanders have been busy at corner. The team used its top two draft choices on corners, taking Emmanuel Forbes in Round 1 and Jartavius Martin in Round 2. Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste remain in place as the team’s top veteran options at the position. Dantzler missed part of last season with a hamstring injury but started nine games for the Vikings in 2022. Overall, the former third-round pick started 26 with Minnesota.
Titans, DT Jaleel Johnson Agree To Deal
The Titans have made a depth addition to their defensive front. Tennessee has agreed to a deal with veteran defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (Twitter link).
The 28-year-old spent the first four years of his career with the Vikings, seeing a larger workload with each passing season. His best year in the pass rushing department came in 2019, when he registered 3.5 sacks in a rotational role. That earned him added playing time the following year, one in which he started all 16 games and logged a snap share of 61%.
Johnson has bounced around the league since then, however. He signed with the Texans in 2021, the most recent campaign in which he remained with one franchise for the full season. The former fourth-rounder made 12 appearances in Houston, but no starts, while seeing the field for 40% of defensive snaps. He followed that up by signing with the Saints last April; despite the being his second contract with New Orleans, though, he never saw any game time with them.
The Iowa alum split his time between the Falcons and Texans in 2022, making 15 tackles in nine combined appearances. Johnson will look to earn a more consistent workload in Tennessee, and in doing so set himself up for another contract next offseason while helping his new team remain dominant in its run defense.
The Titans led the league in yards allowed per game on the ground in 2022 (76.8). Much of that success came from their defensive front, a unit which is led by two-time Pro Bowler Jeffery Simmons. The 6-3, 316-pound Johnson will seek a role allowing him to see time alongside Simmons as a nose tackle. Tennessee’s other options in that capacity include the likes of Teair Tart, Naquan Jones and Tyler Shelvin. Johnson will aim to carve out at least some rotational playing time amongst them on what should once again be a strong Titans D-line.
Jets To Sign OL Yodny Cajuste
Yodny Cajuste‘s trip to the Big Apple has quickly resulted in a contract. The veteran offensive lineman is signing with the Jets, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link). 
Cajuste visited both the Jets and Giants last week, and he will elect to remain in the AFC East. The 27-year-old saw his time with the Patriots come to an end earlier this month, but he has not needed to wait long to find another opportunity.
The former third-rounder made 17 total appearances over the past two years in New England, including five starts. His play this season drew a solid PFF evaluation in run blocking in particular, and did enough for the Patriots to tender him as an RFA. However, the team has been busy along the offensive front this offseason, signing veterans Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson. Their additions left Cajuste on the outside looking in at the tackle spot, and he will now join another crowded room at that position.
The Jets suffered a slew of injuries up front last season, and they have plenty of unanswered questions at the tackle spots this offseason. Former first-rounder Mekhi Becton has gone public with his displeasure at being used at right tackle, though the door may still be open to him claiming the starting role on the blindside. Doing so would require Becton remaining healthy and beating out veteran Duane Brown during training camp, after the latter made 12 LT starts last season. Brown is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, though, and will be 38 by the start of the season.
On the right side, New York added Billy Turner as a starting-caliber option who has plenty of familiarity with new offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The Jets also have 2022 fourth-rounder Max Mitchell as an option on that side, after he made five starts as a rookie. New York spent another Round 4 selection on a tackle this year, adding Carter Warren. Cajuste will use the coming weeks to carve out a role for himself on the team’s tackle depth chart, as the Jets look to take a much-needed step forward in protection in 2023.
Bills Expected To Sign T Brandon Shell
Brandon Shell had expressed interest in staying with the Dolphins, but the veteran tackle looks set to join another AFC East squad. The Bills are finalizing an agreement, Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com tweets.
Austin Jackson‘s Week 1 ankle injury led to Shell going from not being on a roster to start last season to becoming the Dolphins’ primary right tackle. Miami brought former New England tackle Isaiah Wynn in as Jackson insurance this year. That will help lead Shell, 31, to Buffalo. The sides are moving toward a one-year agreement, with the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson indicating the pact can be worth up to $2.1MM.
The Bills have made a few additions along their offensive line this offseason. They signed guards Connor McGovern and David Edwards in free agency and drafted guard O’Cyrus Torrence in the second round. The team has been quieter at tackle, and Shell will bring seven seasons’ worth of experience to Buffalo.
Shell’s Bills agreement coming to pass will mean a third AFC East employer for the former fifth-round pick. The Jets drafted Shell in 2016 and turned to him as a starter early during his rookie-contract years. After starting two seasons for the Seahawks and 11 games for last year’s Dolphins edition, Shell has totaled 72 as a pro. He stands to provide the Bills with a proven swing option.
The Dolphins gave Shell a one-year deal worth the league minimum, signing the South Carolina alum ahead of Week 2. They made the in-season addition a practice squad call-up initially, using the standard elevation tactic the 2020 CBA permits, but turned to him as a starter beginning in Week 5. Despite Shell’s late arrival, Pro Football Focus graded him as a middle-of-the-pack tackle last season and slotted him in the top 15 in the run-blocking department. Overall, PFF has rated Shell consistently as a midlevel option, placing him between 38th and 56th among tackles each year from 2017-22.
A knee injury ended Shell’s season early, sidelining the veteran for the Dolphins’ wild-card game in Buffalo. And Miami moved in a different direction to protect Tua Tagovailoa‘s blind side this offseason. Planning to give Jackson another shot to stick at right tackle, the Dolphins are letting Shell walk. Wynn and veteran backup Cedric Ogbuehi are in place as insurance options.
Buffalo has Dion Dawkins locked in at left tackle, while Spencer Brown has operated as the team’s primary right tackle since he arrived as a 2021 third-round pick. PFF rated Brown as one of last season’s worst tackle regulars. The team still has David Quessenberry as a swing option, and 2021 fifth-round pick Tommy Doyle remains rostered as well. Doyle played in one game last season.