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
2 weeks agoThe Arizona Cardinals agreed to terms with free-agent cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting on an undisclosed deal on Monday, according to a source. The former second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will now head to the desert to try and fortify a struggling defense after spending one year with the Tennessee Titans. Last year with Tennessee, Murphy-Bunting had 57 tackles (42 solo), two interceptions, eight passes defensed, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 14 starts. The Cardinals added to all levels of their defense on Monday as they look to bolster a defense that was routinely carved up by opposing quarterbacks last year. The 26-year-old Murphy-Bunting should be expected to start across from Garrett Williams in Arizona's secondary in 2024, but he won't really be on the IDP radar.Source: NFL Network - Mike Garofolo
2 weeks agoVeteran cornerback Troy Hill re-signed an undisclosed one-year deal on Monday with the Carolina Panthers, according to a source. Hill, a former undrafted free agent, will return to Carolina's secondary in 2024 after picking up 48 tackles (30 solo), an interception returned for a touchdown, six passes defensed and a forced fumble in 16 games (three starts) in his first year with the team in 2023. The 32-year-old won't be guaranteed a starting role in his return to the organization, but the nine-year NFL veteran will give the Panthers some depth in their secondary nonetheless. In his nine NFL campaigns with the Panthers, Bengals, Rams and Browns, Hill has 382 tackles (281 solo), three sacks, nine interceptions (three returned for touchdowns), 40 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries (one returned for a TD).Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
2 weeks agoFormer New England Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson agreed to terms with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday on a three-year, $12.75 million deal worth up to $15 million, according to a source. The Cardinals have been busy adding to their defense in free agency on Monday, also adding defensive tackles Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols. The 26-year-old Wilson was formerly a fifth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2019 out of Alabama. After spending the first three years of his career with the Browns, he recorded 39 solo tackles, five sacks, six tackles for loss, six QB hits, four passes defensed and three forced fumbles in 34 games (four starts) for the Patriots the last two seasons combined. While Wilson will give Arizona more linebacking depth, he can be avoided for IDP fantasy purposes.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
2 weeks agoThe Cleveland Browns re-signed defensive end Za'Darius Smith to an undisclosed deal on Monday, according to sources. Coming off his third Pro Bowl season in 2022 in his only year with the Minnesota Vikings, Smith disappointed in 2023 in his first season in Cleveland, recording 27 tackles (18 solo), 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, 20 QB hits and a forced fumble in 16 starts. Despite his lack of on-field production, the 31-year-old pass-rusher rated out well and started every game in which he was active. Smith will be playing in his age-32 season in 2024, and although he might not be able to secure double-digit sacks at this point in his career, he should remain a strong contributor on Cleveland's defensive line across from All-Pro Myles Garrett.Source: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
2 weeks agoFormer Miami Dolphins linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel agreed to terms on Monday on a two-year deal for $20 million with the Minnesota Vikings, according to his agents, Drew Rosenhaus and Ryan Mathan. The deal includes $14 million guaranteed. Van Ginkel heads to Minnesota after five years in Miami, where he recorded a total of 250 tackles (156 solo) and 17 sacks in 73 games played (42 starts). He had 69 tackles (42 solo), a career-high six sacks, eight tackles for loss, 19 QB hits, an interception returned for a touchdown, eight passes defensed and a fumble recovery in 17 regular-season games (11 starts) in 2023. While not exactly on the IDP fantasy radar entering the 2024 campaign, Van Ginkel should definitely have a starting role in his new digs next season.Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
2 weeks agoVeteran free-agent running back Austin Ekeler is signing with the Washington Commanders on Monday on a two-year deal worth up to $11.43 million, according to sources. Ekeler is headed to the East coast after seven seasons and 69 total touchdowns with the Los Angeles Chargers. The 28-year-old was extremely productive in his time with the Bolts, but he's coming off one of his worst statistical seasons in 2023 and is now heading to a Commanders backfield where he'll be expected to split the workload with Brian Robinson. On a side note, former Commanders RB Antonio Gibson agreed to join the New England Patriots. Gone are the days of Ekeler being a no-doubt RB1 for fantasy managers, although he still has the talent to be a highly productive RB3/flex option, especially in PPR leagues. In addition, the Commanders' signing of Ekeler is going to be bad news for B-Rob's fantasy ceiling.Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
2 weeks agoFormer Las Vegas Raiders free-agent defensive tackle Bilal Nichols reached an agreement on Monday on a three-year, $21 million deal that includes $14.4 million guaranteed with the Arizona Cardinals, according to a source. The Cardinals also added defensive tackle Justin Jones in free agency on Monday, so the addition of both interior linemen will really shore up a weak spot in the middle of the defensive line for the Cardinals. The 27-year-old Nichols spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Chicago Bears before racking up 41 solo tackles, three sacks, eight tackles for loss, 13 QB hits and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in the last two seasons with the Raiders. Nichols can be ignored in IDP fantasy leagues, but he'll no doubt be a boost to Arizona's interior defensive line next season.Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
2 weeks agoThe Minnesota Vikings signed free-agent linebacker Blake Cashman to a three-year deal worth up to $25.5 million on Monday, according to his agent, Blake Baratz. It's a big deal for the Minnesota native, who grew up in Eden Prairie and played for the Minnesota Gophers. Cashman cashes in on free agency after a career year for the Houston Texans in 2023 in which he recorded a career-high 106 tackles (56 solo), two sacks, nine tackles for loss, five QB hits, his first career interception, five passes defensed and a fumble recovery in 14 games (13 starts). The 27-year-old's boost in production came as the Texans moved him from outside linebacker to middle linebacker due to injuries in the middle of their defense. For fantasy purposes, there should be better linebackers with higher ceilings to choose from than Cashman in IDP setups.Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
2 weeks agoThe San Francisco 49ers tendered restricted free-agent wide receiver Jauan Jennings at the second-round level on Monday. Jennings is set to make $4.89 million on the tender for the 2024 season, and the sides can now continue to negotiate a multi-year extension. Any other NFL team that signs Jennings to an offer sheet that the 49ers decide to match must part ways with a second-round draft pick. It means that Jennings is going to stay with the 49ers in 2024, unless he's traded. The 26-year-old pass-catcher had a career-low 19 receptions on 33 targets for 265 yards and only one touchdown in 13 regular-season games (two starts) for San Fran in his third year in the league in 2023. Although he caught a touchdown and threw for a TD in the Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs, Jennings is unlikely to produce much in 2024 for a loaded Niners offense.Source: NBC Sports Bay Area - Matt Maiocco
2 weeks agoThe New York Giants are acquiring outside linebacker Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers on Monday in exchange for a second- and fifth-round draft pick, according to multiple reports. In addition, the Giants are extending Burns on a five-year deal worth a maximum of $150 million with $87.5 million in guarantees. The Panthers placed the franchise tag on Burns last week, but that goes away now that he's been traded to a team that gave him a long-term extension. The 25-year-old former first-round pick is a massive addition to the Giants defense moving forward. Burns was a Pro Bowler in both 2021 and 2022 and has recorded 46 sacks in his five years in the NFL. He could form a nice pass-rushing tandem for the G-Men with Kayvon Thibodeau moving forward.Source: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
2 weeks agoFree-agent defensive tackle Justin Jones agreed to terms with the Arizona Cardinals on Monday on a three-year, $30.1 million deal with $19.75 million guaranteed, according to a source. Jones, a former third-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018 out of North Carolina State, just had the best two seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears in 2022-23 after playing his first four seasons in LA. The 27-year-old finished the 2023 campaign with 49 tackles (29 solo), a career-high 4.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits and four passes defensed in 17 starts. Jones earned more playing time in Chicago and should become an integral part of Arizona's interior defensive line moving forward, although he's not on the IDP fantasy radar.Source: FOX Sports - Peter Schrager
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