NFL free agency: Let the dealing begin, mostly unofficial
BARRY WILNER AP Pro Football Writer
Let the dealing begin — if mostly unofficial.
The NFL’s “legal tampering period” in free agency began Monday with a slew of deals even as many teams released veterans to clear salary cap space before the league’s business year begins Wednesday.
Most aggressive was the worst team in the league. Jacksonville, which has the first overall selection in the draft next month for the second straight year, got busy early.
The Jaguars agreed to sign Arizona receiver Christian Kirk, Washington guard Brandon Scherff, Atlanta linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, New York Jets defensive tackle Folorunso “Foley” Fatukasi, New York Giants tight end Evan Engram and Las Vegas receiver Zay Jones, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
Also agreeing to move on were New England cornerback J.C. Jackson, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day and New York Giants defensive tackle Austin Johnson, all to the Los Angeles Chargers; linebacker Haason Reddick from Carolina to Philadelphia; guard Laken Tomlinson from San Francisco to the New York Jets; tight end C.J. Uzomah from Cincinnati to the Jets; running back Chase Edmonds from Arizona to Miami; offensive lineman Ted Karras from New England to Cincinnati and offensive lineman Alex Cappa from Tampa Bay to Cincinnati; offensive lineman Rodger Saffold from Tennessee to Buffalo; quarterback Mitchell Trubisky from Buffalo to Pittsburgh; safety Xavier Woods from Minnesota to Carolina; guard Austin Corbett from the Rams to Carolina; and defensive tackle D.J. Jones from San Francisco to Denver — with many more switches to come.
Staying put are Tampa Bay center Ryan Jensen, a key protector of the no-longer-retired Tom Brady; RB James Conner and QB Colt McCoy with the Cardinals; safeties Devin McCourty with the Patriots and Quandre Diggs with the Seahawks, who also retained tight end Will Dissly; All-Pro kick returner Braxton Berrios with the Jets; defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah with the Dolphins; linebacker Preston Smith with the Packers; center Brian Allen and tackle Joseph Noteboom with the Rams; center Mitch Morse with the Bills; linebacker Alex Anzalone with the Lions; center Ben Jones and tight end Geoff Swaim with the Titans; and offensive tackle Chuks Okorafor with the Steelers.
“We are excited to have Preston continue his career with the Packers,” general manger Brian Gutekunst said. “Since coming to Green Bay, he has not only contributed with production on the field but has been a great presence in the locker room and a leader for this team.”
Noteboom is nearly certain to be the Rams’ starting left tackle because NFL Man of the Year Andrew Whitworth, 40, is expected to retire.
Set free and able to sign with another team even before Wednesday were Browns receiver Jarvis Landry; Packers linebacker Za’Darius Smith and versatile offensive lineman Billy Turner; Bears nose tackle Eddie Goldman; and Panthers cornerback A.J. Bouye and defensive end Morgan Fox.
Yes, 32 teams are in scramble mode, for a variety of reasons. Some desperately need to get under the $208.2 million cap, which is up by nearly $26 million after two pandemic-impacted seasons. The Packers, Saints, Rams, 49ers and Chiefs are among those.
Others are clearing out players with large cap hits to add more spending room or because they plan to bring in replacements. Such is the case in Cleveland with Amari Cooper about to become the No. 1 wideout, so Landry is gone despite the many positives he brought to the Browns.
“Jarvis’ on-field production and fiery competitiveness speaks for itself, but his leadership and team-oriented attitude impacted our culture in a way that will last in time even beyond his release,” general manager Andrew Berry said. “These decisions are always difficult, but we wish Jarvis well and we look forward to the day when he returns as a storied Browns alumnus.”
The biggest scramble, of course, centers on adding players for positions of need. Trubisky in Pittsburgh makes some sense with Ben Roethlisberger retired. Reddick, from the Philly area and a sack force in recent years, should boost a defense in need of exactly what he brings. Miami badly needs a reliable running back and gets one in Edmonds, who would have been a backup to Conner in Arizona.
Jackson should solidify an underperforming cornerbacks group with the Chargers. The 26-year-old earned his first Pro Bowl selection last season, leading the league with 23 passes defensed, and was second with eight interceptions. He has 25 picks over the past four seasons, most in the league.
And then there is Jacksonville, which needs everything.
All six newcomers should be starters. Kirk figures to replace DJ Chark as Trevor Lawrence’s top target, while Jones could line up opposite him. Scherff has been a dependable blocker when healthy in Washington. Oluokun led the Falcons with 192 tackles last season, and Fatukasi is a force against the run. Engram is expected to replace James O’Shaughnessy and be the team’s top tight end.
Tom Brady to return to Bucs for 2022 season
Winslow Townson
New Orleans usually finds a way to keep its coveted free agents, but the cap-strapped Saints might not be able to pull it off with Armstead. The three-time Pro Bowler is one of the top pass-blocking left tackles and would leave a big void on a New Orleans offense with several question marks. Armstead has missed significant time with injuries over his career and played only eight games last season because of elbow and knee injuries.
Winslow Townson
New Orleans usually finds a way to keep its coveted free agents, but the cap-strapped Saints might not be able to pull it off with Armstead. The three-time Pro Bowler is one of the top pass-blocking left tackles and would leave a big void on a New Orleans offense with several question marks. Armstead has missed significant time with injuries over his career and played only eight games last season because of elbow and knee injuries.
Jones bounced back from an injury-plagued 2020 season to make 10 1/2 sacks in 2021 for his seventh double-digit sack season. Only 12 players have had more seasons with at least 10 sacks and Jones' 107 1/2 for his career lead the NFL since he made his debut in 2012. Arizona has Markus Golden locked up for one more season on a reasonable deal but has few proven options beyond that besides soon-to-be 33-year-old J.J. Watt, who has 10 sacks the past three seasons.
Roger Steinman
Jones bounced back from an injury-plagued 2020 season to make 10 1/2 sacks in 2021 for his seventh double-digit sack season. Only 12 players have had more seasons with at least 10 sacks and Jones' 107 1/2 for his career lead the NFL since he made his debut in 2012. Arizona has Markus Golden locked up for one more season on a reasonable deal but has few proven options beyond that besides soon-to-be 33-year-old J.J. Watt, who has 10 sacks the past three seasons.
Miller provided a big boost to the Super Bowl champions after being acquired during the season for a pair of second-day draft picks. Miller had five sacks in eight games for the Rams and added four more in the playoffs as one of the key pieces of a championship defense. Miller could choose to return to Denver, which would force the Rams to find another edge rusher to team with Leonard Floyd.
Marcio Jose Sanchez
Miller provided a big boost to the Super Bowl champions after being acquired during the season for a pair of second-day draft picks. Miller had five sacks in eight games for the Rams and added four more in the playoffs as one of the key pieces of a championship defense. Miller could choose to return to Denver, which would force the Rams to find another edge rusher to team with Leonard Floyd.
New England opted against using the franchise tag on one of the top man-to-man cornerbacks in the league, leaving an attractive option for other teams. Jackson entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and leads the NFL with 25 interceptions since then. New England already lost star cornerback Stephon Gilmore in a trade and now could be forced to replace the other half of what had been one of the top coverage duos in the league.
John Bazemore
New England opted against using the franchise tag on one of the top man-to-man cornerbacks in the league, leaving an attractive option for other teams. Jackson entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and leads the NFL with 25 interceptions since then. New England already lost star cornerback Stephon Gilmore in a trade and now could be forced to replace the other half of what had been one of the top coverage duos in the league.
The “Honey Badger" has been a key part of the Kansas City defense since signing as a free agent in 2019 with 13 interceptions, four fumble recoveries and the versatility to play in several roles. But after using the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to go with big-ticket deals already with several other stars, there might not be enough cap room for the Chiefs to keep Mathieu. His playmaking ability could provide a big boost to another contender and leave a major hole in Kansas City.
Steve Luciano
The “Honey Badger" has been a key part of the Kansas City defense since signing as a free agent in 2019 with 13 interceptions, four fumble recoveries and the versatility to play in several roles. But after using the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to go with big-ticket deals already with several other stars, there might not be enough cap room for the Chiefs to keep Mathieu. His playmaking ability could provide a big boost to another contender and leave a major hole in Kansas City.
One of last season's best free agent bargains could hit the open market again this season with the Packers up against the cap after using a franchise tag on Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers returning. Campbell figures to get a lot more than the $2.5 million he earned last season when he was an All-Pro in Green Bay. Campbell is a three-down linebacker and durable, playing 16 games in each of the last five seasons, missing only a meaningless Week 18 game last season.
Terrance Williams
One of last season's best free agent bargains could hit the open market again this season with the Packers up against the cap after using a franchise tag on Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers returning. Campbell figures to get a lot more than the $2.5 million he earned last season when he was an All-Pro in Green Bay. Campbell is a three-down linebacker and durable, playing 16 games in each of the last five seasons, missing only a meaningless Week 18 game last season.
Scherff is a top interior offensive lineman and should hit the open market after Washington used franchise tags to keep him the past two seasons. Scherff is strong in both the run and pass game but hasn't played a full season since 2016 because of several mostly minor injuries. New Commanders QB Carson Wentz has struggled when he hasn't had good protection in his career, so Washington will need to find a replacement if Scherff leaves.
Frank Franklin II
Scherff is a top interior offensive lineman and should hit the open market after Washington used franchise tags to keep him the past two seasons. Scherff is strong in both the run and pass game but hasn't played a full season since 2016 because of several mostly minor injuries. New Commanders QB Carson Wentz has struggled when he hasn't had good protection in his career, so Washington will need to find a replacement if Scherff leaves.
NFL free agency: Let the dealing begin, mostly unofficial
Adrian Kraus
FILE - Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky warms up before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y. A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press the Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms on a two-year contract that will give Trubisky a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job following Roethlisberger's retirement in January. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official. Financial details were not disclosed. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)
Adrian Kraus
FILE - Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky warms up before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y. A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press the Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms on a two-year contract that will give Trubisky a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job following Roethlisberger's retirement in January. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official. Financial details were not disclosed. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File)
