2 weeks agoThe San Francisco 49ers are signing Carolina Panthers free-agent defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos on Monday to a two-year deal worth $18 million, according to a source. In addition to Gross-Matos, the Niners added pass-rusher Leonard Floyd to their defensive line in free agency on Monday to try and give some much-needed pass-rushing help to All-Pro Nick Bosa. Gross-Matos, a former second-round pick by the Panthers in 2020 out of Penn State, had a career-high 4.5 sacks in 12 games (six starts) in Carolina in 2023 and a total of just 13 sacks in his first four seasons in the NFL, so he's not going to be on the IDP fantasy radar in San Francisco. Gross-Matos is known as more of a strong run defender, and he'll most likely be a rotational player in San Fran.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoThe Seattle Seahawks agreed to terms on Monday to re-sign star defensive end Leonard Williams to a three-year deal that averages $21.5 million per year, according to a source. Williams began last season with the New York Giants before being traded to the Seahawks, where he excelled in 10 games, recording 41 tackles (24 solo), four sacks, nine tackles for loss and 11 QB hits. The former sixth overall pick by the New York Jets in 2015 out of USC will stick around under new defensive-minded head coach Mike Macdonald in Seattle for his first full campaign with the team in 2024. The 29-year-old has high draft pedigree but has only recorded double-digit sacks once, when he came up with 11.5 sacks in 16 games (12 starts) with the G-Men back in 2020.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoThe New England Patriots plan to sign veteran free-agent quarterback Jacoby Brissett this week, according to a source. When the teams eventually agree to terms, Brissett is expected to be added for one year and $8 million. It's a reunion in New England for the 31-year-old signal-caller, who was originally taken in the third round by the Patriots in 2016. For now, Brissett will be atop New England's QB depth chart, although a rookie QB that the team takes with the third overall pick in the upcoming draft could quickly unseat Brissett if he proves worthy. Brissett has bounced around the league and has played for five different teams in his eight NFL seasons. He had his best year in 2019 with the Colts, throwing for 2,942 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions in 15 starts. At best, Brissett is going to be a low-end QB2 option in superflex leagues if he's the Patriots starter in 2024.Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
2 weeks agoThe Carolina Panthers released safety Vonn Bell on Monday, according to a league source. With the move, the Panthers will save only $1 million against the 2024 salary cap while taking on $9.9 million in dead money. Bell becomes a free agent quickly after just signing a three-year deal with the Panthers in free agency last year. The 29-year-old veteran, a former second-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2016 out of Ohio State, had 69 tackles (42 solo) and an interception in 13 starts for the Panthers last year in his lone season with the team. Bell has had IDP fantasy value in the past because of tackling ability while defending the run, but at this stage of his career he's hard to trust and is probably going to have to settle for a depth role wherever he lands.Source: The Athletic - Joe Person
2 weeks agoFree-agent cornerback Ronald Darby is signing a two-year deal worth $10 million maximum with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to a source. Darby was with the Baltimore Ravens last year and recorded 28 tackles (24 solo) and seven passes defensed in 16 regular-season games (seven starts) for their secondary. The 30-year-old veteran defensive back will join the recently signed safety Darnell Savage as Jacksonville looks to shore up their secondary in 2024. Although Darby has nine years of NFL experience with the Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos, he'll most likely serve in a depth cornerback role for the Jaguars next season. In his NFL career, he has 401 tackles (345 solo) and eight interceptions in 105 games played (95 starts).Source: CBS Sports - Josina Anderson
2 weeks agoFormer Cleveland Browns linebacker Anthony Walker (knee) agreed to terms on Monday with the Miami Dolphins on an undisclosed one-year deal, according to a source. The 28-year-old will be entering his eighth season in the NFL in 2024 after originally being the Browns' fifth-round selection in 2017 out of Northwestern. He missed 14 games in 2022 due to a torn quadriceps muscle and six games in 2023 due to a knee injury, so staying healthy will be key for him. The Dolphins also added tackle machine Jordyn Brooks in free agency on Monday. Walker hasn't played a full season since 2020 with the Indianapolis Colts, but he's had 100-plus combined tackles in three of his seven NFL campaigns. So if Walker is able to stay healthy, he could be a huge asset next to Brooks for the Dolphins.Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
2 weeks agoThe Denver Broncos are planning to sign free-agent safety Brandon Jones to an undisclosed three-year deal this week, according to a source. Jones, 25, was a former third-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2020 out of Texas. The former Longhorn spent the first four years of his NFL career in South Beach and recorded 48 tackles (36 solo), a career-high two interceptions, four passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 16 regular-season games (six starts) for Miami in 2023. Jones isn't exactly on the IDP fantasy radar at defensive back, but he was impressive nonetheless for Miami's secondary last year and will be a big help in replacing Justin Simmons, who was released late last week.Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
2 weeks agoThe Detroit Lions agreed to terms with free-agent defensive end Marcus Davenport (ankle) on an undisclosed one-year deal on Monday, according to sources. The former first-round pick (14th overall) of the New Orleans Saints in 2018 out of Texas-San Antonio spent last year with the division-rival Minnesota Vikings and produced just seven combined tackles and two sacks in four games (three starts) due to a high-ankle sprain. The 27-year-old pass-rusher is going to be forced to prove himself yet again to see if he can stay healthy for a full season, something he's never been able to do in six NFL seasons. In a career-high 15 contests in 2022 in his final season with the Saints, Davenport was only able to produce 29 tackles (16 solo) and half a sack, so anything the Lions are able to get out of him will be a plus in 2024.Source: NFL Network - Mike Garofolo
2 weeks agoFree-agent cornerback Chidobe Awuzie agreed to terms with the Tennessee Titans on an undisclosed three-year deal on Monday, according to a source. Awuzie, a former second-round selection by the Dallas Cowboys in 2017 out of Colorado, spent the last three campaigns with the Cincinnati Bengals and produced 57 tackles (43 solo), six passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 15 games (10 starts) for the Bengals last year. The 28-year-old should come to Tennessee as a guaranteed starter as they look to improve their secondary. Awuzie isn't on the IDP fantasy radar entering next season and has a total of 369 tackles (273 solo), six interceptions, 62 passes defensed, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his seven NFL seasons to date.Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
2 weeks agoThe San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent defensive end Leonard Floyd to a two-year, $20 million deal on Monday worth up to $24 million, according to a source. Floyd will receive $12 million guaranteed in the first year of the deal in 2024 and will give the Niners some much-needed pass-rush help alongside All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa. The 31-year-old former ninth overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2016 out of Georgia had double-digit sacks (10.5) for the second time in his career in 2023 with the Buffalo Bills and also added 32 tackles (21 solo), nine tackles for loss, 19 QB hits and a forced fumble in 17 regular-season games (16 starts). Floyd isn't all that trustworthy in IDP fantasy formats, but he's been extremely durable and hasn't missed a game in the last six seasons.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoFormer Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks agreed to terms with the Miami Dolphins on Monday on a three-year, $30 million deal. Despite seeing a drop in production in 16 games in his fourth season with the Seahawks in 2023, Brooks was still relevant in IDP fantasy leagues at his position with 111 tackles (62 solo), a career-high 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, five QB hits, an interception returned to the house, four passes defensed, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The 26-year-old was hurt by the return of fellow tackle machine Bobby Wagner last year, but now that he's in Miami, Brooks could once again become an every-week, must-start linebacker in IDP formats. In the last three seasons, Brooks has a whopping 274 solo tackles and 6.5 sacks.Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
2 weeks agoFree-agent tight end Noah Fant is re-signing with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday for two years and $21 million, according to sources. The former first-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2019 out of Iowa has over 2,800 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in his five NFL seasons with Denver and Seattle. He hasn't been much more than a TE2 in fantasy, though, and he really disappointed last year with a career-low 32 receptions on 43 targets for 414 yards and no touchdowns in 17 starts. The good news is that both Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson are headed elsewhere in free agency, so perhaps the 26-year-old Fant is able to rebound as a more-involved pass-catcher in 2024. Until that happens, though, he should be left on the waiver wire in 12-team fantasy leagues.Source: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
2 weeks agoNow that wide receiver Calvin Ridley is officially on the free-agent market and unlikely to re-sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars following their pickup of Gabe Davis, the New England Patriots are expected to make a push for him. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler also lists the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers as potentially being in the market for a receiver like Ridley. After being suspended for all of 2022 due to gambling, Ridley caught 76 of his 136 targets for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns with the Jaguars in 2023. The Patriots already re-signed Kendrick Bourne, but Ridley would probably be their No. 1 wideout if he were to land in New England, and he'd be a big upgrade over the likes of current starters JuJu Smith-Schuster and Demario Douglas.Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
2 weeks agoThe Buffalo Bills restructured the contract of quarterback Josh Allen on Monday, converting much of his 2024 compensation into a signing bonus to create $16.7 million in 2024 salary cap space. Allen's updated 2024 cap charge is now $30.356 million. The Bills are in a slightly better situation salary cap-wise, although they did lose receiver Gabe Davis in free agency to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. Salary cap issues for the Bills aside, the 27-year-old Allen dealt with a right-shoulder issue midway through the 2023 season but never missed a game and finished as the most valuable fantasy QB with 4,306 passing yards, 29 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, but what made him elite were his 524 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. He'll be one of the first signal-callers to be selected in the early rounds of fantasy drafts this fall.Source: ESPN.com - Field Yates
2 weeks agoThe Jacksonville Jaguars signed former Green Bay Packers safety Darnell Savage to an undisclosed three-year deal on Monday, according to sources. Savage, a first-round selection (21st overall) by the Packers in 2019 out of Maryland, played in a career-low 10 games due to injuries and 2023 and finished with 51 tackles (36 solo) and just one pass defensed. The 26-year-old looked better at the start of his career with Green Bay than he has recently, but he'll still give Jacksonville's secondary an upgrade at the safety position moving forward. Savage lost his starting job with the Packers last season, but he'll have a new opportunity to earn a starting role in the defensive backfield with a change of scenery. Obviously, Savage is off the IDP fantasy radar for now.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport