Falcons To Re-Sign P Bradley Pinion, FB Keith Smith
The Falcons have re-signed a pair of key special teamers. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta has re-signed punter Bradley Pinion. Meanwhile, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports (on Twitter) that the Falcons have re-signed fullback Keith Smith.
Pinion is inking a three-year pact worth $8.65MM, putting him in the top-eight of the highest-paid punters. The deal includes $4.325MM in guaranteed money, with Pinion taking home $3.5MM of that guaranteed money in 2023.
Pinion was the only punter selected during the 2015 draft, going in the fifth round to the 49ers. He spent four years in San Francisco before a three-year stint with the Buccaneers that saw him earn a Super Bowl ring. He spent this past season with the Falcons, where he recorded a career-high 45.9 average yards per punt.
Smith has spent the past four seasons in Atlanta, collecting four tackles while appearing in more than 1,000 special teams snaps. Smith has also had a minor role as a blocker on offense, and he’s even had some brief cameos in the receiving game. In four years with the Falcons, the 30-year-old has collected 22 receptions.
Dolphins Re-Signing LB Duke Riley
After two years in Miami, linebacker Duke Riley has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Dolphins, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The 28-year-old linebacker is a veteran who rotates in on defense and anchors on special teams. 
Riley entered the league as third-round draft pick out of LSU for the Falcons. While he failed to reach his draft potential, Riley’s been able to produce in limited time for whatever defense he’s been a part of. After losing playing time, and eventually his starting job, in Atlanta to Foyesade Oluokun in 2018, Riley was traded to the Eagles.
In Philidelphia, Riley once again got an opportunity to carve out some starting time while still helping on special teams. He dealt with some injuries here and there in 2020, ending the season on injured reserve. When his contract expired, the Eagles allowed him to hit free agency and he found his way to South Beach.
In Miami, Riley continued his role as a rotational linebacker and special teamer, starting three games in his first season with the team. He earned a second one-year contract with the Dolphins to play through the 2022 season and appeared in every game, starting two. Riley hasn’t provided the top production numbers of other free agent linebackers who will sign massive deals, but he is reliable and consistent in what he does provide.
With fellow inside linebackers Elandon Roberts and Sam Eguavoen also headed towards free agency in Miami, Riley becomes the primary backup for the inside linebacker position behind Jerome Baker and the newly acquired former Titan, David Long. The two-year contract will be the first multiyear contract for Riley since his entry level draft contract. It’s a fitting reward for a grinder who gives his all on special teams and fills in well when needed on defense.
Chargers To Re-Sign QB Easton Stick
The Chargers are retaining their backup QB. The team has agreed to a new contract with quarterback Easton Stick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
It’s a one-year, $1.8MM deal for the backup, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Considering Stick’s struggles to take control of the QB2 spot on the Chargers depth chart, this contract seems to be a strong indication that he’ll be the definitive backup heading into next season.
Following a prolific career at North Dakota State that saw him set the record for most wins by a starting QB in NCAA Division I FCS history, Stick was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. He’s only seen time in one game since entering the league, completing one four-yard pass during the 2020 season. The Chargers didn’t give a QB2 any snaps during the 2021 season, and Chase Daniel got the brief call in 2022.
Now heading into 2023 with a new contract, there’s a good chance Stick will finally hold the second spot on the depth chart. At the very least, he’ll provide the coaching staff with a familiar face in case something happens to Justin Herbert.
49ers Re-Sign DT Kevin Givens To One-Year Deal
Despite the star power the 49ers are planning to bring over from Philadelphia in Javon Hargrave, San Francisco has no plans of allowing its depth at the position to suffer. One of those moves to secure depth was re-signing defensive tackle Kevin Givens.
An undrafted free agent out of Penn State from 2019, Givens has slowly earned the trust and confidence of the coaching staff in San Francisco. After factoring into the team’s defense as a rotation piece off the bench for much of his first three years, Givens was given plenty of starting opportunities in 2022.
With injuries plaguing the position room and holding players like Javon Kinlaw and Arik Armstead to a combined 15 total games this past year, Givens heard his named called. Givens started 11 games for the 49ers this season in their absence. He could’ve started a few more if not for a few games missed with a sprained MCL. He matched or tallied career-highs in total tackles (20), tackles for loss (7), quarterback hits (3), and sacks (2.0). Givens struggled in run defense, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), but graded out much better as a pass rusher.
Givens doesn’t provide the 49ers with a top-level of play on the defensive line, but the team isn’t asking him to give that. They expect that high-level of play from their top draft picks and acquisitions like Hargrave, and Givens is expected to fill in as an injury or rotation replacement without missing a beat. Givens provides that for San Francisco, and his success when called into action this season has been rewarded with another one-year deal.
Panthers Re-Sign C Bradley Bozeman
Both Bradley Bozeman and the Panthers wanted the sides’ one-year partnership to extend beyond 2022; they reached an agreement to make this happen Monday.
The Panthers are re-signing Bozeman, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. The Panthers’ starting O-line from 2022 is now entirely locked in for the ’23 season. The Panthers have announced the move.
After only scoring a one-year deal during the 2022 free agency period, Bozeman will receive a midlevel accord to stay in Charlotte. It is a three-year, $18MM contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This year featured a few comparable centers on the market, with Bozeman joining Garrett Bradbury, Ethan Pocic, 49ers resurgent starter Jake Brendel and the recently released Ben Jones. Although the Panthers have a new coaching staff in place, they ended up prioritizing continuity up front.
Bozeman, 28, will stay in place alongside Ikem Ekwonu, Brady Christensen, Austin Corbett and Taylor Moton in Carolina. The Panthers had gone through some issues up front, save for Moton, leading up to 2022. But the Scott Fitterer-Matt Rhule tandem did well to patch up the unit. Frank Reich will inherit a much better O-line — one Pro Football Focus ranked 15th last season — and Bozeman’s re-up ensures Carolina will be the rare team to keep its five O-line starters.
ESPN slotted Bozeman sixth in its pass block win rate metric, and Bozeman played a significant role in the Panthers still managing to deploy a quality run game — largely on the legs of D’Onta Foreman — after trading Christian McCaffrey. Bozeman has been a starter for the past four seasons, lining up as a Ravens guard in 2019 and ’20. The Ravens produced historic rushing totals in those seasons, with Lamar Jackson breaking the quarterback rushing record in 2019. Bozeman moved to center in 2021 but could not generate much interest on the market. After outlasting Pat Elflein in the pivot with the Panthers, Bozeman finally scored his coveted payday.
Giants To Re-Sign RB Matt Breida, Sign DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches
The Giants have made moves on both sides of the ball. Jordan Schultz of The Score reports (via Twitter) that running back Matt Breida is re-signing with New York. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports (via Twitter) that the Giants are signing defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches.
Breida is inking a new one-year contract that can peak at $2.3MM with incentives. The veteran RB spent the 2022 campaign as Saquon Barkley‘s backup, with Breida ultimately seeing time in all 17 games (one start). The 28-year-old finished the campaign with 338 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.
The former UDFA spent the first three seasons of his career with the 49ers, collecting 2,463 yards from scrimmage. He’s since bounced around the NFL, also spending time with the Dolphins and Bills. He’ll continue to be a backup in 2023, with Gary Brightwell and Jashaun Corbin also around as depth at the position.
Nunez-Roches has spent eight seasons in the NFL, including the past five years in Tampa Bay. He started 10 of his 17 appearances for the Buccaneers in 2022, finishing with 33 tackles and two sacks. The veteran hasn’t missed a game since the 2018 season, and he’ll provide the Giants with some reliable depth on their defensive line.
Broncos To Re-Sign LB Alex Singleton
During a woeful Broncos season, Alex Singleton became a pleasant surprise. The team’s new coaching staff intends to bring him back. The veteran linebacker is re-signing with the Broncos, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.
Denver is keeping Singleton on a three-year deal worth $18MM, per Klis, who adds $9MM is guaranteed. Singleton will earn $5.49MM in base salary this year, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets, adding that his other $4MM guaranteed comes via signing bonus. This contract is fairly similar to the deal the Broncos gave Josey Jewell to start free agency last year, and the two will stay together as a second-level pair on Denver’s defense.
While Jewell has a history with new Denver DC Vance Joseph, this will be new territory for Singleton, who joined the Broncos on a low-level pact in 2022. The Eagles non-tendered Singleton as an RFA, but he made his 2022 season count. As a result, Singleton will collect a nice payday before he turns 30. Although Singleton debuted in 2019, he will turn 30 in December. That certainly raised the stakes for this particular free agency journey.
The former Eagles regular dropped a 163-tackle season during his Broncos debut. That included two games with at least 20 stops. Little went right for the Broncos last season, but Singleton was one of the key reasons the team’s defense stayed afloat despite a run of injuries and the midseason Bradley Chubb trade.
A former UDFA out of Montana State, Singleton has churned out high tackle totals for years. He put together 120- and 137-tackles seasons in 2020 and ’21 in Philadelphia, respectively, but the Eagles punted on keeping the Division I-FCS product via the low-end RFA tender. Pro Football Focus ended up slotting Singleton 10th among off-ball ‘backers last season. PFF did not view Singleton as a coverage liability and assessed both he and Jewell (128 tackles in 13 games) as top-30 off-ball linebackers last season.
Spending big on their offensive line today and having Russell Wilson tied to the second-most lucrative quarterback contract, the Broncos are keeping costs low at linebacker. Jewell and Singleton are tied to $5.5MM and $6MM in terms of AAV.
Giants To Sign LB Bobby Okereke
The off-ball linebacker market continues to produce action on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. Bobby Okereke reached an agreement to join the Giants, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
This transaction will relocate the productive Colts linebacker to a team in dire need of help at the position. The former third-round pick will end up doing pretty well in his first free agency foray, with Rapoport adding this is a four-year, $40MM deal that comes with $22MM guaranteed (Twitter link).
Known previously for Pat McAfee’s emphatic draft-pick announcement and being a Shaquille Leonard sidekick, Okereke shined in Gus Bradley‘s first season as Indianapolis’ DC. He posted 151 tackles during his contract year last season, one that largely came without Leonard. Even alongside the Colts’ All-Pro turnover machine in 2021, Okereke recorded 132 stops. Seventeen of Okereke’s 151 tackles in 2022 came in the Colts’ loss to the Giants.
The Giants have added Okereke and defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches to start the legal tampering period; they featured a bigger need at Okereke’s spot. Blake Martinez‘s early-season ACL tear in 2021 ended up altering the Giants’ path at linebacker. The team benched and waived previous starter Tae Crowder last season, months after cutting the now-retired Martinez, leaving Don Martindale looking for troops on his defensive second level. Okereke, 26, now stands to become the team’s anchor here, joining a Giants team that did employ long-term pieces up front and in its secondary.
This continues a trend for the Colts, who have now let Leonard wingmen Okereke and Anthony Walker walk in recent offseasons. Indianapolis is paying Leonard at a top-market rate, so another eight-figure-AAV contract at linebacker never made sense. The Colts do, however, still have Zaire Franklin under contract. E.J. Speed, who also saw his role increase as a result of Leonard’s health issues last season, is a free agent.
Texans To Sign RB Mike Boone, FB/TE Andrew Beck
The Texans remain busy, this time adding two players on the offensive side of the ball. Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports (via Twitter) that the Texans will sign running back Mike Boone. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager reports (via Twitter) that the Texans will also add fullback/tight end Andrew Beck.
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Boone is inking a two-year deal worth $3.1MM, including a $300K signing bonus. The veteran should provide the Texans with another option (alongside Dare Ogunbowale) behind starter Dameon Pierce.
The former UDFA spent the first three seasons of his career with the Vikings, collecting 407 yards from scrimmage in 40 games. He spent the past two seasons with the Broncos, adding another 255 yards in 17 games. With only 18 career receptions, Boone doesn’t necessarily profile as a third-down back, so there’s a chance he serves as a traditional backup to Pierce.
Beck is signing a two-year, $6.75MM deal with $4MM guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The fullback/tight end spent the past four seasons with the Broncos, appearing in 51 games. He mostly served as a special teamer and a blocker, although he did contribute i14 receptions in four years.
LB David Long To Sign With Dolphins
After providing new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio with a top-tier cornerback, via the Jalen Ramsey trade, the Dolphins are handing their highly paid DC one of the better free agent linebackers available.
David Long is signing a two-year deal with the Dolphins, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Long spent the past four seasons with the Titans, playing out his rookie contract. He is heading to Miami on an $11MM deal.
This could turn out to be a team-friendly move for the Dolphins, who are adding a player Pro Football Focus labeled as a top-20 linebacker from 2021-22. PFF also slotted Long, who became a regular in Tennessee’s defense in 2021, as a top-five run-defending linebacker last season.
The 26-year-old linebacker, however, likely came available at this price because of injuries. Long has missed 12 games over the past two seasons, leading to Mike Vrabel wondering about his durability at his end-of-season presser. Hamstring trouble, in particular, has interfered with Long’s ascent. Long still finished with a career-high 86 tackles (seven for loss) and two INTs last season; he also intercepted two passes in 2021.
Rather than bet on the former sixth-round find turning the corner on the health front, Titans are moving on from Long. Although they have a new GM running the show (Ran Carthon), continues a pattern for the team in recent years. The Titans also let Jayon Brown and former first-round pick Rashaan Evans walk, doing so years after allowing Zach Brown to depart following the expiration of his rookie deal. They also released Zach Cunningham this offseason. Considering this lower rate was what it took to pry Long away, it can be assumed Tennessee has other plans at this position.
Although Tremaine Edmunds cashed in with the Bears on a top-five off-ball linebacker deal, this position was one of this free agency class’ deepest. Edmunds’ $18MM-per-year pact has not resulted in others in this market moving near that price range. The second-tier linebackers in this market should not be pleased by what Long commanded in free agency.