2 weeks agoTampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Russell Gage (knee) is now a free agent. When the team reworked his deal last year, it included an option for the 2024 season, and the team has declined to pick it up. The move clears what would have been $10 million in salary, but the Bucs will take on roughly $6.9 million in dead money from old restructures. Gage signed a three-year, $30 million in free agency before the 2022 season to give quarterback Tom Brady another weapon in the passing game. He did have a career-high five touchdowns in 2022, but he also had a disappointing 51 catches for 426 yards and didn't play at all last year due to a torn patellar tendon that he suffered in training camp in August. The 28-year-old should resurface with another team, but coming off a major knee injury, it's unlikely that he'll be able to make much of a fantasy impact wherever he lands.Source: FOX Sports - Greg Auman
2 weeks agoThe Detroit Lions are acquiring cornerback Carlton Davis from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, according to a source. It's unclear what the compensation is for the Buccaneers. It didn't make sense for the Bucs to keep the injury-prone Davis around due to his bloated contract, but he should be a nice addition to a Lions secondary that was regularly dominated by opposing wide receivers in 2023. The 27-year-old Davis will need to stay healthy, though, as he played in just 12 games in 2023 and has never played in more than 14 games in a single season in his six years in the NFL. In his 12 regular-season starts last year, he had 52 tackles (40 solo), two interceptions and nine passes defensed. If healthy, Davis will be a starter at cornerback for Detroit this fall.Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
2 weeks agoFormer Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu agreed to terms on a three-year deal for a maximum value of $36 million on Monday with the Washington Commanders. New Commanders head coach Dan Quinn isn't wasting any time adding to his new defense in D.C., adding both Luvu and defensive lineman Dorance Armstrong on Monday. The 27-year-old Luvu was a top-25 IDP linebacker in his third year in Carolina in 2023, recording a career-high 125 tackles (66 solo), 5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 11 QB hits, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles in 17 starts. It was the fourth straight season that Luvu set a new career-high in tackles, and he's quickly put himself on the IDP fantasy radar heading into 2024 as he joins the Commanders.Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
2 weeks agoThe Indianapolis Colts re-signed defensive tackle Grover Stewart on Monday to a three-year, $39 million deal, according to a source. Stewart played in a career-low 11 games for the Colts in his seventh year with the team in 2023 due to a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, ultimately finishing with 41 tackles (23 solo), half a sack, five tackles for loss and eight QB hits. The 30-year-old had career-highs in total tackles (70) and sacks (four) in 2022, though, and he remained pretty productive in his 11 starts last year after he served his six-game suspension. The former fourth-round selection in 2017 out of Albany State isn't much of an IDP fantasy option with only nine career sacks, but he's a steady force on the interior of Indy's defensive line with 280 career combined tackles in 107 games played.Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
2 weeks agoThe Washington Commanders are signing former Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Dorance Armstrong to a three-year deal on Monday worth $45 million in maximum value, according to a source. New Commanders head coach Dan Quinn will reunite with Armstrong after coaching Dallas' defense the last few seasons. The 26-year-old pass-rusher will stay in the NFC East after recording a career-high 38 tackles (20 solo), 7.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 12 QB hits in 2023. The former fourth-round pick by Dallas in 2018 out of Kansas has 169 career combined tackles and 23.5 sacks in his six years with the Cowboys and will now head to Washington to try to bolster their pass rush in 2024 and beyond.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoNew York Jets free-agent defensive end Bryce Huff is signing a three-year, $51.1 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles once free agency officially opens on Wednesday, according to sources. The deal will make Huff the highest-paid, non-quarterback undrafted free agent in NFL history, according to sources. The 25-year-old pass-rusher is getting paid after setting career-highs in combined tackles (29) and sacks (10). In his first three seasons in the NFL with the Jets, Huff had managed only 7.5 sacks, making it fair to wonder if his 2023 campaign was an outlier. Either way, Huff will surely help an Eagles pass rush that ranked 20th in the league last season with just 43 QB takedowns.Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
2 weeks agoSNY's Connor Hughes writes to keep an eye on the New York Giants as a potential trade destination for Carolina Panthers star pass-rusher Brian Burns, according to sources. There is mutual interest from both sides in getting something done. If a trade happens, it would be the biggest splash for general manager Joe Schoen in his tenure with the team. Burns, who turns 26 next month, has 38.5 sacks in his last four seasons, including a career-high 12.5 in 2022. Adding Burns to the Giants defense would be a big splash this offseason, but nothing has been finalized as of now. The Panthers placed the franchise tag on Burns, so he'll make $24 million in 2024 if he plays on the tag. In addition to being a highly productive pass-rushing linebacker, Burns has only missed three games in his five seasons since being taken 16th overall in 2019.Source: SNY - Connor Hughes
2 weeks agoThe Los Angeles Chargers are signing former Seattle Seahawks tight end Will Dissly to a three-year, $14 million deal with $10 million fully guaranteed in the first two years on Monday, according to a source. Veteran Gerald Everett is a free agent, so Dissly has a chance to come to LA in 2024 and play a meaningful role as both a pass-catcher and blocker in head coach Jim Harbaugh's first season in his return to the NFL. The 27-year-old Dissly was a former fourth-round selection in 2018 by Seattle out of Washington, and he caught 127 passes for 1,421 yards and 13 touchdowns in his six years with the Seahawks. Last year, Dissly had just 17 receptions for 172 yards and one score, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be much more than a touchdown-dependent tight end streamer in his new home with the Bolts.Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
2 weeks agoThe Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders have made preliminary inquiries on free-agent running back Austin Ekeler, according to a source. CBS Sports' Josina Anderson writes that Ekeler's situation remains fluid at this time, but he could choose his next landing spot relatively quickly after Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard have all agreed with new teams on Monday. The Commanders lost Antonio Gibson and the Raiders lost Jacobs, so they have obvious needs in their backfield right now. The 28-year-old Ekeler is coming off one of the worst years of his career in 2023, with 628 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground after scoring a career-high 13 TDs in 2022. A change of scenery could easily lead to a bounce-back campaign, but fantasy managers probably aren't going to treat him as the high-end RB1 like they did in 2023 drafts.Source: CBS Sports - Josina Anderson
2 weeks agoDespite a previous report saying that he was signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, kicker Wil Lutz re-signed with the Denver Broncos on an undisclosed two-year deal, according to his agent, John Perla. Lutz will continue to kick for head coach Sean Payton, although moving to Jacksonville would have likely been much more lucrative for his 2024 fantasy value. The Broncos are in rebuilding mode and have moved on from quarterback Russell Wilson, which means their offense could struggle to get into field-goal range more often under Jarrett Stidham or another signal-caller. Lutz finished as the No. 18 fantasy kicker in 2023 by making 30 of his 34 field-goal tries and 29 of his 31 extra points. With Wilson now gone and an offense in flux, Lutz's fantasy ceiling and floor are likely going to be lower in his second year with the team.Source: Denver Gazette - Chris Tomasson
2 weeks agoThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to an undisclosed three-year deal to re-sign kicker Chase McLaughlin on Monday, according to a source. McLaughlin will stay with the Buccaneers after going 29-for-31 on his field-goal attempts and 33-for-33 on his extra points in 17 regular-season games. The 27-year-old's success rate on field goals last year set a new single-season record, so it's no wonder why Tampa wanted the kicker back for another go-round in 2024 as their primary kicker. From a fantasy perspective, McLaughlin finished as the No. 16 kicker in terms of overall fantasy points in 2023. The Bucs offense should remain largely the same this year with quarterback Baker Mayfield and top wideout Mike Evans sticking around, so McLaughlin should enter the year as a matchup-based streamer at the kicking position in fantasy.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoThe San Francisco 49ers re-signed quarterback Brandon Allen to an undisclosed deal on Monday, according to a source. Allen was an excellent presence in the team's quarterback room last year and could become the team's direct backup to Brock Purdy in 2024 if Sam Darnold leaves in free agency, which is expected. The 31-year-old served as San Francisco's emergency third signal-caller last year and didn't get into any games. In his four previous seasons with the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals, Allen has appeared in 15 games (nine starts) and has completed only 56.7 percent of his pass attempts for 1,611 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoThe Atlanta Falcons have agreed to terms on a three-year, $12 million deal with free-agent tight end Charlie Woerner on Monday, according to his agent, Alex Essex. Woerner, a sixth-round selection in 2020 by the San Francisco 49ers out of Georgia, had just 11 catches on 15 targets for 120 yards and no touchdowns in 65 games (seven starts) in his four seasons in the Bay Area, so he shouldn't be expected to do much in Atlanta besides providing insurance at the tight end position behind Kyle Pitts. The 26-year-old is a blocking-first tight end anyway, so when he's in the game for new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, it will probably be to pave the way for running back Bijan Robinson.Source: ESPN.com - Michael Rothstein
2 weeks agoThe Philadelphia Eagles and Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson agreed to a four-year, $84 million contract extension, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The deal makes the 25-year-old the highest-paid guard in terms of average base salary ($21 million) after making two Pro Bowls in his first three seasons in the NFL. The loss of future Hall-of-Fame center Jason Kelce will be tough to deal with, but locking up Dickerson long-term will help Philly's chances to continue being dominant up front. He'll now block for star running back Saquon Barkley in 2024.Source: Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoThe Las Vegas Raiders are signing veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew to a two-year deal, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 27-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 and has made 37 starts for three organizations. Between his time with the Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, and Indianapolis Colts, Minshew has thrown for 9,937 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. In Las Vegas, he might have a chance to compete for the starting job, or he might get to start at the beginning of the season while the team eases a potential 2024 rookie into action. Minshew is not on the single-QB radar in fantasy football, but he should be monitored by two-QB and Superflex league fantasy managers. UPDATE: Minshew's two-year deal with Vegas is worth up to $25 million with $15 million guaranteed.Source: Ian Rapoport