Titans To Release Janoris Jenkins
The cost-cutting moves continue in Nashville. The team has released cornerback Janoris Jenkins, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The move saves the team just over $6.9MM in cap space.
The 33-year-old signed with the Titans one year ago, as they re-vamped their secondary. He represented a veteran starter to help offset the losses of Malcolm Butler and Adoree’ Jackson, but his stay in Tennessee was short lived. In 14 games (including 13 starts), he registered 54 tackles, one interception and six pass deflections.
A second round pick in 2012, ‘Jackrabbit’ established himself as a quality starter early in his time with the Rams. He then moved on to the Giants, where he earned his only Pro Bowl nod, along with being named second-team All Pro. In 2019, New York traded him to the Saints but one year later, he found himself in the same position he is in today.
From an analytical standpoint, the veteran’s 2021 season was on par with his recent history. With a PFF grade of 65.4, he remains a solid cover man whom plenty of teams will likely be interested in. While his passing rating allowed (100.2) this year shows he may not be the high-end starter he once was, he will rank among the better options at the position on the open market.
Cowboys To Re-Sign Malik Hooker
Malik Hooker is staying put. On Tuesday, the Cowboys agreed to a new two-year, $8MM deal with the veteran safety (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). 
[RELATED: Cowboys, Lawrence Agree To Deal]
The Ohio State product joined the Cowboys in the 2021 offseason, reuniting with old pal Dan Quinn. At the time, Hooker was coming off of an injury-riddled season in which an Achilles tear limited him to just two games. He inked a one-year prove-it deal and he indeed proved it. Hooker suited up for a career-high 15 games with three starts, notching 44 stops, two passes defensed, and an interception against the Giants in Week 14.
Last time around, the Steelers and Dolphins also showed interest in Hooker. This round of free agency would have seen even more suitors, so the Cowboys didn’t want to roll the dice. Hooker, 26 in April, still has room to grow, so this deal could wind up being extremely team-friendly.
In other Cowboys news, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is set to return on a revised deal that will lower his 2022 cap hit.
Jaguars To Release Myles Jack
Something had to give. After signing scores of high-end free agents on Monday, the Jaguars are releasing linebacker Myles Jack, according to a source who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
Jack led the Jags with 108 tackles last year, his sixth season in Jacksonville. Ultimately, however, he was the victim of a numbers crunch, and the team had no room for the remainder of his four-year, $57MM deal.
It was less than a month ago that newly-hired defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell told reporters how much he was looking forward to working with Jack.
“With Myles he was just, ‘Coach, I’m ready to go, whatever he wants to do,”‘ Caldwell said (via Sports Illustrated). “He’s that type of guy that whatever the team asks him to do, he’s a team-oriented guy. Whatever we want him to do, he’s going to go out there and do it to the best of his ability. But as coaches, it’s our job to let him go do what he does well, and that’s what we plan on doing.”
The “Jack Of All Trades” was a true disruptor in 2020 when he notched 118 stops, one sack, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one interception, and five passes defensed. He was less of a factor in 2021, though the overall situation in Jacksonville certainly didn’t help.
Jack won’t turn 27 until September and should garner plenty of attention on the open market this week.
Rams To Cut Johnny Hekker
The Rams will release longtime punter Johnny Hekker, according to talk show host Pat McAfee (on Twitter). The move will save the Rams $2.05MM in cap room while leaving a dead money hit of $1.142MM. 
Hekker, a four-time first-team All-Pro, spent his entire career with the Rams, starting in St. Louis before moving on to Los Angeles. He’s had perfect attendance throughout his career, appearing in all 161 regular season games plus ten playoff contests. Now, the league’s All-Decade punter of the 2010s will be moving on.
The Rams considered moving on from Hekker last year, but the punter agreed to a pay cut. As a part of the restructuring, the Rams agreed to remove the 2023 season from Hekker’s contract, enabling him to reach free agency one year earlier. Now, he’s on the open market two years ahead of schedule.
Still only 32, Hekker should have little trouble finding work elsewhere. While his per-punt average dipped to 44.2 yards last year, he’s long been regarded as one of the best at his position.
Patriots Trade Chase Winovich To Browns
The Patriots have agreed to send outside linebacker Chase Winovich (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). In exchange, the Browns will send linebacker Mack Wilson to the Patriots. The trade will be processed tomorrow at 4pm ET/3pm CT, when the new league year officially begins.
“I am so grateful for my experience in New England,” Winovich tweeted. “The love, spirit, and support have been absolutely unreal. This entire region will always hold the most special of places in my heart. The time is now for the next chapter of my journey. ”
Winovich, 27 in April, notched 5.5 sacks in each of his first two pro seasons. Last year, he saw a little less action as he appeared in 13 games with zero starts and notched just eleven tackles in total. For his career, Winovich has 45 regular season appearances (nine starts) with 85 tackles, eleven sacks, one interception, two passes defensed, and one forced fumble.
It’s a similar story for Wilson, who has slipped down the Browns’ depth chart in each pro season. Last year, he saw a near even split between special teams and defense, notching 42 tackles across his 14 games. Across the last three years, he’s got 163 tackles, one sack, nine passes defensed, one forced fumble, and one interception to his credit.
Lions To Sign DJ Chark
Another free agent wide receiver is set to be on the move. DJ Chark is signing a one-year deal with the Lions, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). 
In a follow-up tweet, he adds that the deal has a maximum value of $12MM. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that Chark will receive $10MM in guaranteed money (Twitter link). The news comes not long after it had been reported new Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson wanted to keep the 25-year-old.
On the other hand, it comes one day after Jacksonville was the busiest team in terms of reaching agreements with some of the biggest names on the open market, especially on the offensive side of the ball. That included two contracts for new wideouts, most notably a sizeable deal for Christian Kirk. The money committed to the former Cardinal, along with Evan Engram and Zay Jones, left Chark on the lookout for a new home.
A second round pick of Jacksonville in 2018, Chark’s best season came in 2019. That year, he totalled 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. Injuries have become a concern since then, as he has played 17 total games in the last two seasons. Still, he will provide a boost to the Lions’ WR room, which retained Josh Reynolds earlier this month. Between those two, along with Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end T.J. Hockenson, Detroit figures to have an improved pass-catching corps in 2022.
49ers To Sign CB Charvarius Ward
Charvarius Ward is signing with the 49ers, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The cornerback confirmed the news on Twitter.
It’s a three-year deal worth $42MM, including $26.7MM in guaranteed money.
Ward joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee in 2018. After seeing time in 13 games as a rookie, Ward ended up starting 16 games in 2019 for the eventual Super Bowl champs. Ward finished that season with 74 tackles, ten passes defended, and two interceptions. He also added another nine tackles in three postseason games.
The 25-year-old started 13 of his 14 games in 2020, finishing the year with 51 tackles, one sack, and six passes defended. Then, he started in each of Kansas City’s three playoff games, collecting 18 tackles. He ended up inking his second-round tender with the organization last offseason, and he proceeded to start 12 of his 13 games in 2021, collecting 67 tackles, 10 passes defended, and two interceptions. He also got into all three playoff games.
Patriots To Re-Sign K Nick Folk
Nick Folk is sticking around New England. The Patriots are re-signing the veteran kicker, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
Folk signed a two-year extension worth $5MM, including $2.19MM in guaranteed money. The deal can max out at $5.6MM with incentives.
After spending 2018 out of the NFL, Folk caught on with the Patriots for a brief stint in 2019. He ended up sticking around for the 2020 season, and he’s appeared in each of New England’s games since that time. During his two-plus seasons with the organization, Folk has connected on 90.5 percent of his field goals and 91.3 percent of his extra point tries.
Folk started his career with the Cowboys, earning a Pro Bowl trip as a rookie in 2007. He had a seven-year stint with the Jets before a dreadful 2017 campaign with the Buccaneers.
Vikings To Release DT Michael Pierce
Michael Pierce‘s stint with the Vikings is about to come to an end. Minnesota is planning to cut the the veteran defensive tackle, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
According to the reporter, the Vikings tried to convince Pierce to take a “moderate pay cut,” but the player clearly refused. The team also tried working out a trade, but despite “some feelers,” a deal never materialized. While the wording of Rapoport’s tweet seems to indicate that the Vikings are holding out hope for a deal, a release still seems imminent.
Pierce signed a three-year, $27MM deal with the Vikings in 2020, but that deal was pushed to 2021 after Pierce opted out of the 2020 campaign. The 29-year-old was attached to a $10.5MM cap hit in 2022, and his release will leave behind $4MM in dead cap.
Pierce made his Vikings debut in 2021, collecting 20 tackles and three sacks in eight starts. He suffered an elbow injury that forced him to miss the middle chunk of the season. The Stanford product spent the first four seasons of his career with the Ravens, starting 30 of his 60 games.
Frank Clark Reworks Contract, Staying With Chiefs
Frank Clark will be sticking around Kansas City after all. The Chiefs have reworked the defensive end’s contract to keep him in Kansas City, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Clark inked a new two-year pact worth $29MM with upside of $36MM. This will greatly reduce Clark’s cap numbers, which were set at $26MM in 2022 and $27MM in 2023.
Considering those pricey charges, Clark was mentioned as a cut candidate heading into the offseason. Cutting Clark before June 1st would have saved the Chiefs $12.7MM, and that number would have climbed to $19.5MM after that date. Instead, Clark was willing to take a significant pay cut to stick with the team.
Clark has earned three Pro Bowl nods during his three seasons in Kansas City, but his numbers have continued to decline. After totaling eight sacks during his first season with the Chiefs, he’s collected 10.5 sacks over his past two seasons (29 games).