It has been a busy two weeks in the NFL as teams have worked hard to reload their rosters amid a big drop in the salary cap. Recent updates include a few high-profile returns: T.Y. Hilton to the Colts, Ndamukong Suh to the Buccaneers and Kevin King to the Packers; some familiar names changing places: Joe Flacco to the Eagles and DeSean Jackson to the Rams; and some surprising cuts, like Steven Nelson’s departure from the Steelers.
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Follow along here as we’ll track where the NFL’s biggest names are headed.
The Athletic’s free agency resources
Big board of best available players
Sheil Kapadia’s grades
Free agency predictions
Team-by-team needs
Salary cap space
Sunday, March 28
Jarran Reed finds a new team after surprising cut
The Chiefs have made a key addition to their defensive front, signing defensive tackle Jarran Reed, who was dropped by the Seahawks in a salary-cap cut.
Reed, 28, gets a one-year deal reportedly worth $5 million, giving Kansas City a strong inside complement to Chris Jones. Reed had 6.5 sacks this past season, his second-best total behind 10.5 in 2018.
Saturday, March 27
Minnesota strikes deal for a safety
The Vikings have their Anthony Harris replacement.
Minnesota on Saturday agreed to a one-year deal with Xavier Woods worth up to $2.25 million, according to NFL Network. Woods is expected to start at safety opposite All-Pro Harrison Smith.
Woods ranked 83rd on The Athletic’s free agent big board. After the Cowboys drafted him in the sixth round in 2017, he served as a full-time starter for three seasons. In 60 games with the Cowboys, Woods intercepted five passes and recorded 28 pass breakups.
Friday, March 26
Sammy Watkins leaves Chiefs for fourth team
Receiver Sammy Watkins, having played in the last two Super Bowls with the Chiefs, has a new home, signing a one-year deal with the Ravens reportedly worth $6 million.
Watkins, 27, is a former top-five pick now on his fourth NFL team. He totaled eight touchdowns in three years in Kansas City, as many as he had in one year with the Rams in 2017. He missed eight games with injuries in 2020, finishing with 37 catches for a career-low 421 yards and two touchdowns. Active in the Super Bowl, he had one catch for 13 yards in the Chiefs’ loss to the Bucs.
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It’s a new target for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, and Watkins was ranked No. 73 among the available free agents from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Leonard Fournette returns to Buccaneers
Running back Leonard Fournette, thought to be the one free agent who might get away from the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl team, is coming back for another season, agreeing Friday to a one-year, $3.25 million deal.
Fournette was huge for the Bucs in the playoffs, scoring a touchdown in all four games and topping 100 yards from scrimmage in three of them. He’ll combine with Ronald Jones in the backfield as the Bucs try to become the league’s first repeat champs since 2004.
He was ranked as the No. 72 available free agent on the latest big board from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Thursday, March 25
Carlos Dunlap back to Seahawks
Carlos Dunlap will stay in Seattle after all.
The 32-year-old defensive end, cut by the Seahawks earlier this month in a salary-cap move, agreed Thursday night to a two-year contract reportedly worth $16.6 million to return to Seattle.
It’s been a busy week for Seattle’s pass rush, which already added Benson Mayowa and Kerry Hyder before Dunlap. He had five sacks in eight games last year after the Bengals traded him to Seattle. He spent his first 10 NFL seasons in Cincinnati, totaling 82.5 sacks and making the Pro Bowl in 2015 and 2016.
The Seahawks saved $14.1 million in cap space when they released Dunlap, and they’re bringing him back for close to half of that figure. So it’s a win for Seattle.
Cowboys add a disciple of Dan Quinn
Former Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn has brought another Falcons defensive starter to his new job as Cowboys defensive coordinator.
Safety Damontae Kazee, 27, who led the NFL with seven interceptions in 2018 and missed much of last season with a torn Achilles tendon, agreed to a one-year deal with the Cowboys on Thursday night.
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Kazee follows former Atlanta teammate Keanu Neal, who signed with the Cowboys last week. Kazee was a starter in each of the last three seasons after arriving in Atlanta as a fifth-round pick in 2017.
Malcolm Butler to sign 1-year deal with Cardinals
Cornerback Malcolm Butler, cut by the Titans two weeks ago, has landed with the Cardinals, returning to the site of his game-clinching goal-line Super Bowl interception six years ago.
Butler, 31, had four interceptions and a career-high 100 tackles for the Titans last year but was cut in a series of salary-cap moves. In Arizona, he’ll have a chance to replace Patrick Peterson, who signed with the Vikings last week. Terms were undisclosed, but the team announced a one-year deal for Butler reportedly worth up to $6 million including incentives.
Butler, best-known for his Super Bowl interception for the Patriots against the Seahawks, now gets to face Seattle twice a year. He was ranked as the No. 55 available free agent on the latest big board from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Wednesday, March 24
T.Y. Hilton to return to Colts on 1-year deal
Receiver T.Y. Hilton, who has played his entire nine-year NFL career in Indianapolis, is back for a 10th year with the Colts, agreeing to a one-year deal reportedly worth $10 million.
Hilton, 31, led the Colts in catches (55), receiving yards (762) and touchdowns (5) last year, and now will work with a new quarterback in Carson Wentz. He made four straight Pro Bowls from 2014-17, and while his yardage totals have dropped the last two years, he’s had between four and seven touchdowns in every year of his career.
Hilton was ranked No. 34 on the big board of available free agents from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Damien Williams headed to Bears on 1-year deal
Running back Damien Williams, cut by the Chiefs last week, has reportedly landed with the Bears on a one-year deal.
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Williams, who turns 29 in April, was last seen rushing for 104 yards and scoring two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win after the 2019 season. He opted out due to COVID-19 concerns last year but now gets a fresh start in Chicago.
Williams is reunited with Bears coach Matt Nagy, who coached him in Kansas City, and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, who worked with him with the Dolphins.
Browns to sign S Ricardo Allen
The Browns are signing safety Ricardo Allen to a one-year deal, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Allen, 29, ranked 98th on The Athletic’s free agent big board. He started 76 games for the Falcons over the past seven years, including 12 last season, but became a cap casualty.
Allen is primarily a free safety who can be a centerfielder-type in single-high safety schemes. Cleveland previously signed safety John Johnson to a three-year, $33.75 million deal earlier in free agency.
Buccaneers to re-sign Ndamukong Suh, extend Donovan Smith
Buccaneers defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, a leader up front for the NFL’s No. 1 run defense, has agreed to terms on a one-year deal to return to the Super Bowl champs, who continue to keep their championship roster intact for 2021. Suh’s deal is for $9 million with voidable years that lower his cap number to about $4 million.
Suh, 34, had a strong year even when linemate Vita Vea was injured, finishing with six sacks, his highest total since 2015, and 19 quarterback hits, one off the team high. He got his first championship ring in his 11th NFL season, and now goes for another as the Bucs try to be the league’s first repeat champs since 2004.
To create cap space, Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith has agreed to a two-year extension with the Super Bowl champs, freeing up $10.6 million.
Smith, 27, has started at left tackle for Tampa Bay for the last six years, and his $14.25 million 2020 base salary was reduced to the league minimum, with the remainder converted to a signing bonus spread out not only over the two new years on the contract, but two voidable years as well. His cap number is reduced to $3.65 million, which gives the Bucs much-needed cap flexibility.
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Smith’s 2021 salary now is fully guaranteed, as is his $15.75 million salary for 2022.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B | Greg Auman’s analysis
Tuesday, March 23
Eagles add veteran QB Joe Flacco
The Eagles have a new veteran quarterback to pair with Jalen Hurts, signing former Super Bowl champ Joe Flacco to a one-year deal on Tuesday.
Flacco, 36, joins his fourth team in four years, having bounced from the Ravens to Broncos to the Jets. He went 0-4 as a fill-in starter for New York last year with six touchdown passes and three interceptions.
The Eagles have moved on from Carson Wentz, trading him to the Colts, leaving Hurts as the starter with a new coaching staff. It’s the fourth straight year Flacco has been paired with a young quarterback, following Lamar Jackson in Baltimore in 2018, Drew Lock in Denver in 2019 and Sam Darnold last year in New York.
Flacco won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in the 2012 season, throwing 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions that postseason.
Steelers release CB Steven Nelson after failing to find a trade
The Steelers released cornerback Steven Nelson on Tuesday as Pittsburgh shed $8.25 million in salary.
Nelson, 28, was a two-year starter for the Steelers after spending his first four years with the Chiefs. He totaled three interceptions and 109 tackles in Pittsburgh.
The move comes just days after the Steelers re-signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to an $8 million contract and a little more than a week after they re-signed cornerback Cam Sutton to a two-year, $9 million deal, possibly signaling their plans for the position.
Kevin King returns to Packers
Cornerback Kevin King is going back to the Packers on a one-year deal, reportedly worth $6 million.
King, 25, was a second-round pick in 2017 and had five interceptions in 2019, but didn’t have any this past season. He’s best known now for allowing Bucs receiver Scotty Miller to get behind him for a touchdown just before halftime in Green Bay’s NFC Championship Game loss to Tampa Bay.
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King, who has 123 tackles over the last two seasons, was the No. 96 available free agent in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: C- | Matt Schneidman’s analysis
Mike Davis, Falcons agree on 2-year deal
Running back Mike Davis is joining the Atlanta Falcons on a two-year deal with $3 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.
Davis, No. 149 on The Athletic’s free agent big board, ran for a career-high 642 yards with a 3.9 YPC average for the Panthers last season. He started 12 games while Christian McCaffrey appeared in just three. Now Davis replaces Todd Gurley in Atlanta as the Falcons shift to a play-action heavy attack under new head coach Arthur Smith.
Monday, March 22
Giants to sign former Titans CB Adoree’ Jackson
Just a couple of days after sign wide receiver Kenny Golladay, the Giants made another splash in free agency. According to multiple reports, they’ve signed cornerback Adoree’ Jackson to a three-year, $39 million deal.
Jackson, a 2017 first-round pick, ranked 44th on The Athletic’s free agent big board. He played in 14 games over the past two seasons, including just three in 2020. The Titans released him before his fifth-year option became guaranteed.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: C+ | Dan Duggan’s analysis
Titans to sign WR Josh Reynolds
The Titans have found their Corey Davis replacement. According to multiple reports, Tennessee is signing 26-year-old receiver Josh Reynolds to a one-year deal.
A 2017 fourth-round pick of the Rams, Reynolds ranked 76th on The Athletic’s free agent big board. The 6-foot-3 receiver set career highs with 52 catches for 618 yards last season but ranked 66th out of 78 qualifying wide receivers in yards per route run.
Sunday, March 21
DeSean Jackson heading to the Rams
DeSean Jackson is going home to Los Angeles.
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The 34-year-old receiver, limited by injuries to just eight games over the last two years with the Eagles, is signing with his hometown Rams, NFL Network reported.
Jackson, released by Philadelphia last month, joins a talented Rams receiving corps that already has Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, as a potential replacement for Josh Reynolds, who remains unsigned as a free agent. Jackson had just 14 catches (on 26 targets) for 236 yards and one touchdown last year with the Eagles.
Saturday, March 20
Colts re-sign Xavier Rhodes
The Colts are bringing back another key defensive starter, re-signing cornerback Xavier Rhodes on a one-year deal.
Rhodes, 30, started all 16 games last year in his first year with the Colts, intercepting two passes and getting 12 passes defensed. He made the Pro Bowl three times in the previous four years with the Vikings, who drafted him in the first round in 2013.
Rhodes was ranked as the No. 54 available free agent in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Kyle Fuller, Broncos agree on 1-year deal
It didn’t take long for Kyle Fuller to find another NFL job.
Two days after he was cut by the Bears, Fuller has agreed to terms with the Broncos on a one-year, $9 million contract. Fuller, 29, had 19 interceptions in six seasons playing in Chicago, but was due $14 million and became a salary-cap cut.
The Broncos get a starting corner only a year removed from two straight Pro Bowls. Chicago has already replaced Fuller, signing former Falcons and Lions corner Desmond Trufant to a one-year deal.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B+ | Nick Kosmider’s analysis
Kenny Golladay, top WR in free agency, headed to Giants
Receiver Kenny Golladay was the top free agent available entering the weekend, according to The Athletic’s big board. Now he’s found a team.
Golladay, 27, is joining the New York Giants on a four-year, $72 million deal, including $40 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports.
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Golladay, who previously played for the Lions, visited with the Bears and Giants before picking a new team. He played in just five games in 2020 but enjoyed 1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019. For his career, Golladay has averaged 16.8 yards per reception.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: C | David Lombardi’s analysis | Giants offseason preview
Cowboys to sign S Keanu Neal
Falcons safety Keanu Neal, who bounced back in 2020 after missing most of two seasons with injuries, is reportedly signing with the Cowboys on a one-year deal.
Neal, 25, will be reunited with Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who was his head coach in Atlanta. The former first-round pick missed most of 2018 with a torn ACL and then much of 2019 with a torn Achilles tendon, but played healthy in 2020, finishing with 100 tackles for the Falcons.
Neal was ranked No. 94 among available free agents in the latest ranking from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Friday, March 19
Texans sign Phillip Lindsay to 1-year deal
Texans general manager Nick Caserio continues to be one of the busiest GMs during the opening week of free agency. On Friday, he agreed to a contract with running back Phillip Lindsay. It’s a one-year deal worth $3.25 million, according to multiple reports.
After going undrafted out of Colorado, Lindsay ran for over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons but was limited to 11 games in 2020. While splitting carries with Melvin Gordon, he ran for 502 yards with a 4.3 YPC average. He now joins a backfield that also includes David Johnson and Mark Ingram. Like Lindsay’s contract, Johnson and Ingram’s deals also are up after the 2021 season.
Former Eagles’ DT Malik Jackson signs with Browns
Defensive tackle Malik Jackson, cut on Thursday by the Eagles, has landed quickly, signing a one-year deal with the Browns according to an NFL Network report.
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Jackson, 31, had only 2.5 sacks and 28 tackles in Philadelphia. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 with the Jaguars, getting eight sacks and four fumbles, and scored a defensive touchdown in the Super Bowl five years ago for Denver in the Broncos’ win over Carolina.
Jackson was ranked No. 87 among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Chris Carson re-signs with Seahawks
The Seahawks are keeping Chris Carson in Seattle on a new contract.
Carson, 26, has had two 1,000-yard rushing seasons and had a career-best 4.8-yard average in 2020. He was arguably the best back remaining in free agency, and his new deal is reportedly for two years and worth $14.6 million. He missed four games this past season with a foot injury, rushing for 681 yards and five touchdowns.
Carson was a seventh-round pick in 2017, so he’d earned about $3.7 million in four years before this new deal. He was ranked No. 47 among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: C+ | Michael-Shawn Dugar’s analysis
Eagles signing S Anthony Harris for 1 year, $5 million
The Eagles are signing safety Anthony Harris, who played last year on the franchise tag for the Vikings but is now signing for less than half that on a reported one-year, $5 million deal.
Harris, 29, had a career-best six interceptions in 2019, with a seventh in the playoffs, drawing the franchise tag from Minnesota. But he had no interceptions in 2020 while totaling a career-high 104 tackles.
Harris, who came to Minnesota as an undrafted rookie in 2015, now is part of a new secondary in Philadelphia. He was ranked 21st among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B- | Bo Wulf’s analysis
Bears sign Desmond Trufant
The Bears have found a replacement for cornerback Kyle Fuller, reaching a one-year agreement with veteran corner Desmond Trufant, per an ESPN report.
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Trufant, 30, was just released by the Lions after one season, limited by injuries to six games and one interception. The former first-round pick spent his first seven seasons in Atlanta, with one Pro Bowl appearance.
Fuller was released Thursday in a salary-cap move, and Trufant will be less costly but with a corresponding dropoff likely. Trufant was ranked No. 59 among all available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
JuJu Smith-Schuster re-signs with Steelers for 1-year, $8 million
Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is staying in Pittsburgh. He’s signing a one-year deal worth $8 million, according to multiple reports.
This is my home, they’re gonna need a wrecking ball to take me outta here! PITTSBURGH I LOVE YOU, LET’S GO!!!!! 💛🖤💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/SPFvCLUmFl
— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) March 19, 2021
Smith-Schuster, 24, was the second-ranked receiver left on The Athletic’s free agent big board, behind only Kenny Golladay. He had 111 catches for 1,426 yards in 2018, his last season playing with receiver Antonio Brown. Since then, the slot receiver has been far less productive. He was hurt by terrible quarterback play in 2019, and even a bounce-back 2020 season left him far short of his career highs. He recorded 97 catches for 831 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: C | Mark Kaboly’s analysis
Broncos sign Justin Simmons to 4-year, $61 million extension
Broncos safety Justin Simmons, who was to play on the franchise tag for a second straight year, has agreed to a long-term extension that makes him the highest-paid safety in the league at four years and a reported $61 million.
Simmons, 27, made the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2020 after getting five interceptions, giving him 16 in his first years in Denver. The former third-round pick from Boston College has topped 90 tackles in each of the last three years.
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He was to make $13.7 million, which is the 20 percent raise that comes with a franchise tag, but now will much just over $15 million per year, the first safety to cross that barrier.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B+ | Nick Kosmider’s analysis
Geno Atkins released by Bengals
Defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who was named to eight Pro Bowls in 11 seasons in Cincinnati, was released by the Bengals on Friday morning.
Atkins, who turns 33 later this month, had two years left on a four-year, $62 million contract and was due to make $11.7 million in base salary this season. His release frees up $9.1 million in cap space for the Bengals. He leaves Cincinnati with 75.5 sacks but was limited last season by a shoulder injury, getting one tackle total in eight games before he went on injured reserve.
Atkins is the second longstanding Bengals player to move on this offseason, following receiver A.J. Green, who just signed with Arizona.
Bengals to sign tackle Riley Reiff
The Bengals knew they had to protect quarterback Joe Burrow better in his second NFL season, and that challenge got much easier with the addition of veteran tackle Riley Reiff.
Reiff, 32, agreed to terms with Cincinnati on Friday, having been cut by the Vikings last week in a salary-cap cut. Reiff, a first-round pick of the Lions in 2012, has started at least 13 games in eight straight years, making him one of the most experienced and proven options for a new tackle for the Bengals.
The Bengals gave up 48 sacks last season, tying for the fifth-highest total in the league. Reiff is ranked No. 38 among available free agents in the latest ranking from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Thursday, March 18
Patriots re-sign center David Andrews
The Patriots, so active this week in adding new free agents, still had room for one of their core leaders, re-signing center David Andrews on Thursday night.
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Andrews, 28, came to New England as an undrafted rookie in 2015 and has started ever since, including Super Bowl wins after the 2016 and 2018 seasons. He missed 2019 after a pulmonary embolism but came back healthy this past season.
Andrews, who reportedly signed a four-year deal to stay in New England, ranked 44th among the available free agents in the latest ranking from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: A | Jeff Howe’s analysis
Bears cut Kyle Fuller
Cornerback Kyle Fuller, due to make $14 million this season, has been cut by the Bears in a salary-cap move.
Fuller, 29, has played his entire career in Chicago, totaling 19 interceptions in seven years. He had just one last season but made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019. He was entering the final year of a four-year, $56 million contract, and had a $20 million cap hit; cutting him saves $11 million, but he leaves $9 million in dead money.
The former first-round pick becomes one of the best corners available in free agency.
Texans adding DB Desmond King
The Texans continue to rebuild their cornerback depth, a major need entering this offseason. They’ve signed cornerback Desmond King to a one-year, $3.5 million deal, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
King, a slot corner, ranked 68th on The Athletic’s updated free agent big board. Drafted by the Chargers in the fifth round in 2017, he was an All-Pro in his second professional season, but his performance has not returned to that level. The Chargers traded him to the Titans midway through last season, and he played just 40 percent of defensive snaps for Tennessee, one of the NFL’s worst defenses.
Breshad Perriman to sign with Lions
Breshad Perriman is headed to his father Brett’s old team.
Perriman, 27, is signing with the Lions, where his father played from 1991-96. It’s the fifth team in five years for Perriman, who caught 30 passes for 505 yards and three touchdowns with the Jets last season. He played for the Ravens and Browns before breaking out with the Bucs in 2019, catching six touchdown passes. Three of them came in a late-season win in Detroit.
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It’s a one-year deal reportedly worth $3 million. The Lions just lost receiver Marvin Jones to the Jaguars. Perriman was ranked as the No. 81 available free agent in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Will Fuller to sign with Dolphins
The Dolphins have agreed to a one-year contract with Will Fuller, The Athletic’s Josh Tolentino confirmed. The deal is worth more than $10 million, per NFL Network.
Fuller, a 2016 first-round pick of the Texans, has been injury-prone through five seasons, appearing in just 53 games. He also received a six-game suspension for PED usage that will also sideline him for Week 1 of the 2021 season. But when available, there’s no doubting Fuller’s production. Among 66 wide receivers with at least 100 catches since 2018, Fuller ranks seventh in yards per route run.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B- | Josh Tolentino’s analysis
Bills sign Mitch Trubisky to back up Josh Allen
Mitch Trubisky is officially a backup quarterback, signing with the Bills on a one-year deal Thursday afternoon.
Trubisky, 26, spent four years as the starter in Chicago, throwing for 10,609 yards and 64 touchdowns against 37 interceptions. He went 29-21 as a starter and made a Pro Bowl in 2018, but the Bears declined to pick up his fifth-year option for 2021 and just signed Andy Dalton as their expected starter for the upcoming season.
It’s another high-drafted quarterback becoming a backup after his rookie contract, just as the Bucs’ Jameis Winston (Saints) and Titans’ Marcus Mariota (Raiders) did last year.
Trubisky was ranked 64th among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: A | Joe Buscaglia’s analysis
Giants sign Kyle Rudolph for 2 years, $16M
Tight end Kyle Rudolph, cut by the Vikings two weeks ago after a decade there, is headed to the Giants on a two-year, $16 million deal.
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Rudolph, 31, spent 10 years in Minnesota, totaling 30 touchdown receptions from 2015-19 but catching only 28 passes for 334 yards and a career-low one touchdown in 2020.
The Giants can pair him with Evan Engram, who made the Pro Bowl last year and will play this season on his fifth-year option.
Rudolph is ranked 80th among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: C- | David Lombardi’s analysis
Kenyan Drake agrees to 2-year deal with Raiders
Kenyan Drake is taking a pay cut from last year, but he’s headed to Las Vegas.
The Raiders are signing the former Dolphins and Cardinals running back to a two-year contract, reportedly worth $11 million, with incentives that could push it to $14.5 million.
Drake, 27, made $8.48 million last year on a transition tag in Arizona, but his rushing average dropped to a career-low 4.0 yards per carry as he rushed for 955 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Las Vegas already has a solid running back in Josh Jacobs, and Drake will be an upgrade on Devontae Booker, who left the Raiders to sign with the Giants on a two-year deal.
Drake was ranked 78th among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: F | Vic Tafur’s analysis
Chargers sign Jared Cook for 1 year, $6 million
The Chargers have found their new tight end, agreeing to terms with veteran Jared Cook on a one-year contract reportedly worth as much as $6 million.
Cook, who turns 34 next month, has had his best years a decade into his NFL career, with 16 touchdown receptions in the last two years with the Saints. He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019 — his 10th and 11th NFL seasons — but was cut as part of New Orleans’ salary-cap moves. He is now poised to step in for Hunter Henry, who signed for twice as much per year with the Patriots.
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Cook was ranked 79th among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B+ | Daniel Popper’s analysis
Broncos make Phillip Lindsay a free agent
The Broncos rescinded their restricted free agent tender on running back Phillip Lindsay, making him an unrestricted free agent who will now look to join a new team.
After going undrafted out of Colorado in 2018, Lindsay has already recorded two 1,000-yard seasons. But the Broncos have money tied up in Melvin Gordon, who signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the team last offseason.
Lindsay will be 27 by Week 1.
Nick Kosmider’s analysis | Broncos free agent tracker
Wednesday, March 17
Larry Ogunjobi signs with Bengals
Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi is staying in the state and in the division, signing a one-year deal with the Bengals on Wednesday night.
Ogunjobi, 26, is a three-year starter in Cleveland, with 14.5 sacks in the four seasons since he was drafted in the third round in 2017. He’s been productive with 180 career tackles, and is ranked as the 67th best available free agent in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Kyle Van Noy returning to New England
Kyle Van Noy is headed back to the Patriots after one year in Miami.
The Patriots brought back the outside linebacker, who announced his return on Twitter, writing “We backkkk!!! #patsnation #LFG #personal”
Van Noy, 29, had left New England last year to join the Dolphins on a four-year, $52 million deal, and he had 69 tackles and six sacks in Miami. But he was abruptly cut last week, and now goes back to New England, which got a fourth-round compensatory pick in this year’s draft for losing Van Noy last year. NFL Network reported he is getting a two-year deal worth up to $13.2 million.
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He was ranked 33rd among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B+ | Jeff Howe’s analysis
Browns re-sign Rashard Higgins
The Browns have re-signed receiver Rashard Higgins, who has agreed to return to Cleveland on a reported one-year, $2.38 million deal.
Higgins, 26, had a career-best 599 receiving yards in 2020, stepping up after Odell Beckham Jr. was lost to injury. The 2016 fifth-round pick had 37 catches and four touchdowns, and was deemed one of the league’s best free-agent steals by The Athletic’s Tim Nguyen.
Higgins also was ranked No. 75 among the available free agents in the latest ranking from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: A | Zac Jackson’s analysis
Vikings sign Patrick Peterson to 1-year deal
The Vikings are signing cornerback Patrick Peterson to a one-year, $10 million deal, according to multiple reports.
Minnesota returns solid starting corners in Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney but lacked depth at the position last season. Peterson, who will be 31 by Week 1, is no longer in All-Pro, but he’s still a useful player. He ranked 42nd on The Athletic’s updated free agent big board.
Peterson was the Cardinals’ first-round pick in 2011 and has played his entire career in Arizona.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: C | Chad Graff’s analysis | Vikings’ offseason needs
Raiders trade guard Gabe Jackson to Seahawks
The Raiders have traded their second offensive lineman of the day, this time sending guard Gabe Jackson to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur confirmed.
Earlier Wednesday, the Raiders traded center Rodney Hudson to the Arizona Cardinals.
Jackson addresses the Seahawks’ need for better interior offensive line play, which is a point of tension between the team and quarterback Russell Wilson. And for the Raiders, this is another move to spread out resources rather than investing heavily in their offensive line. Their collective 2021 cap hits were set to count for more than $20 million on the Raiders’ books.
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Related: Analysis of Raiders’ earlier moves
Curtis Samuel to sign with Washington for 3 years
Curtis Samuel is reuniting with Ron Rivera, as the former Carolina receiver is signing a three-year deal with Washington, reportedly worth $34.5 million.
Samuel, still just 24, was a versatile offensive weapon for the Panthers, with 19 total touchdowns in the last three seasons. He set career highs with 77 catches for 851 yards in 2020 while rushing for another 200 and two scores.
He’ll help a Washington receiving corps that hasn’t had much behind Terry McLaurin, with no other receivers getting more than 32 catches last year. It’s been a slow week on the NFL receiver market, but Samuel got one of the bigger paydays so far.
Samuel was ranked 24th among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Seahawks signing Gerald Everett to 1-year deal
Gerald Everett announced his free-agent news excitedly: “12!!!!!!” he tweeted. That’s a nod to Seattle and the 12th man as the Seahawks are signing the former Rams tight end to a one-year deal reportedly worth $6 million.
Everett, 26, was a second-round draft pick in 2017 out of South Alabama, and he reset his career highs in 2020 with 41 catches for 417 yards, but also totaled just eight touchdowns in four years with Los Angeles.
He’s ranked No. 66 among available free agents in the latest rankings from The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia.
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B | Michael-Shawn Dugar’s analysis
Eagles release WR Alshon Jeffery and DT Malik Jackson
As expected, the Eagles have released two veterans in receiver Alshon Jeffery and defensive tackle Malik Jackson, a day before their 2022 contracts would have been guaranteed.
Philadelphia moves on from both players — Jeffery, 31, saw diminishing returns with injuries, going from nine touchdowns in 2017 to six to four to just one in 2020. Jackson, 31, wasn’t the same player he was in Jacksonville, getting just 2.5 sacks in two years.
Both players had adjusted their contracts to facilitate their release and some cap savings and now become unrestricted free agents.
(Photo of Jarran Reed: Otto Greule Jr. / Getty Images)