Grading 2024 NFL Free-Agency Signings and Trades for Thursday's Latest Moves
The first full day of 2024 NFL free agency is finally here. Now teams can get finally get down to business.
General managers across the league have already done plenty of work this week. Starting with the beginning of the legal tampering period Monday, dozens of players have already signed. Hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts have been doled out, with the likes of quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Calvin Ridley and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins all hitting the proverbial jackpot.
Some of those deals will wind up making massive positive impacts for their respective teams. Others will be looked back on in a few seasons with a combination of indigestion and hindsight-induced befuddlement.
But we don't want to wait to pass judgment on this year's crop of free-agent signings. So as has been the case all week long, we'll be grading Thursday's signings (and any trades that may come) as they happen.
Chargers Trade WR Keenan Allen to Bears
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Chargers Get: 2024 fourth-round pick
Bears Get: WR Keenan Allen
Source: Jay Glazer of Fox Sports
One of Thursday's latest moves was arguably the biggest of the day—late in the evening, the Los Angeles Chargers dealt six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears for a fourth-round pick in this year's draft.
Yes, you read that right.
It's not hard at all to imagine why the Bears made the move. The team has an extra fourth-rounder in 2024, and pairing Allen with D.J. Moore, tight end Cole Kmet and new running back D'Andre Swift gives the Bears an impressive array of offensive weaponry to surround their new quarterback with.
Somewhere, Caleb Williams is smiling.
Justin Herbert, on the other hand? Not so much.
Yes, Allen is nearing his 32nd birthday. He also carries a massive $34.7 million cap hit in 2024--$23.1 million of which comes off the Chargers' books in the trade. That's a big help for a Chargers team that had all kinds of salary-cap issues not that long ago.
But in trading Allen (who caught 108 passes for 1,243 yards in 2023), the Bolts have completed gutted the offense. Allen is gone. Running back Austin Ekeler is gone. Wideout Mike Williams is gone. Herbert's No. 1 receiver is now either Joshua Palmer or Quentin Johnston, who was a massive disappointment as a rookie.
General manager Joe Hortiz and head coach Jim Harbaugh have officially punted the 2024 season.
And wasted a year of Herbert's prime.
For a Day 3 pick.
Bears Grade: A
Chargers Grade: F
Chiefs Sign WR Marquise Brown
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Contract Terms: One year, $7 million (up to $11 million)
Source: The MMQB's Albert Breer
From the moment Super Bowl LVIII ended, fans of the Kansas City Chiefs have coveted one thing. OK, two things—they want a three-peat. But they also wanted a high-end wide receiver for Patrick Mahomes to terrorize offenses with.
Well, the Chiefs didn't get Calvin Ridley. Or Mike Evans. Or Tee Higgins. But they did most assuredly get a sizable upgrade at the position—much to the chagrin of the rest of the NFL.
Granted, Marquise Brown's 2023 numbers weren't great—51 catches for 574 yards and four scores. The 26-year-old has had some durability issues as well—Brown has missed eight games the past two years and hasn't played in every game since his lone 1,000-yard campaign in 2021.
But there's no way to look at Brown's arrival as anything but a major upgrade for the Chiefs opposite promising youngster Rashee Rice and all-everything tight end Travis Kelce. And with Brown coming in on a one-year deal, the risk is minimal. If it pays off, the Kansas City offense could go back to being abjectly terrifying. If it doesn't, no real harm done.
This is how great teams stay great—they consistently make wise personnel decisions.
As if Justin Herbert wasn't already depressed enough.
Grade: A
Jaguars Sign DL Arik Armstead
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Contract Terms: Three years, $51 million
Source: Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz
The Jacksonville Jaguars have already invested heavily in the defensive front, whether it's the financial commitment of franchise-tagging edge-rusher Josh Allen or the 2022 first overall pick used on fellow edge-rusher Travon Walker.
As it turns out, Jacksonville wasn't finished yet. On Thursday, they dropped another $17 million per season on beefing up the interior of their defensive line.
On one hand, adding Arik Armstead is a big get for the Jaguars. He can play defensive end on base downs and kick inside in passing situations. He has eclipsed 50 total tackles twice and has shown that he can post double-digit sacks.
However, that 10-sack season came back in 2019. Armstead has only 14.5 sacks over the four seasons since. Over the past two years, he has missed 13 games and managed just 38 tackles and five sacks.
It's no secret the Jaguars have lofty aspirations in 2024. But much like the Gabe Davis signing earlier this week, this is a contract where the production doesn't merit the paycheck.
Grade: D+
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Lions Sign DT D.J. Reader
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Contract Terms: Two years, $27.25 million (max)
Source: Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz
The Detroit Lions made the NFC Championship Game last year, but their defense required improvement this offseason. They already bolstered the edge opposite Aidan Hutchinson with the addition of Marcus Davenport, and on Thursday, they addressed the interior of the line with arguably the best 1-technique tackle left on the market.
D.J. Reader isn't a household name, and he has only 9.5 career sacks, including just one over the past two seasons combined. But the 29-year-old is a formidable run-stuffer and lane-clogger who has surpassed 40 total tackles in a season three times.
Handing $13-plus million per season to a player who turns 30 in July and who has missed 10 games over the past two seasons isn't without risk.
But if Reader can stay healthy and play close to his potential, Detroit could field the best defensive line in the NFC North in 2024.
Grade: B
Bills Sign WR Curtis Samuel
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Contract Terms: Three years, $24 million, $15 million guaranteed
Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter
Earlier this week, this analyst cautioned fans of the Buffalo Bills to be patient. Yes, the early days of free agency had been bumpy for the cap-strapped Bills. But Brandon Beane hasn't built the franchise he has by not having a plan.
Beane put that plan into action Thursday, replacing the departed Gabe Davis with wide receiver Curtis Samuel on a three-year deal that could be worth up to $30 million.
Samuel admittedly isn't as big as Davis. Or as fast. But he's a better route-runner. He has better hands. He is a more dangerous player in the open field. And while Samuel didn't post the stats a year ago that Davis did, he also wasn't playing with Josh Allen as his quarterback.
Even if you believe that Davis is the better player, the gap isn't especially wide. What is is the difference in salary between the two after Davis got $13 million per season to replace Calvin Ridley in Jacksonville.
Beane and the Bills acquired a viable second receiver the team should be able to deploy in a multitude of ways. And they did so for a reasonable cost.
Grade: B+
Eagles Sign LB Devin White
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Contract Terms: One year, $7.5 million (max)
Source: Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz
The Philadelphia Eagles collapsed down the stretch last season, in no small part because a defense that helped lead Philly to the Super Bowl the year before couldn't stop anyone.
The Eagles added talent up front in free agency in edge-rusher Bryce Huff and in the secondary with the return of safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. Thursday, the Eagles focused on the linebacker corps by adding one of the top available options at the position.
White's 2023 campaign admittedly wasn't his best—his 83 total tackles were a career low, and the five-year veteran's 2.5 sacks tied his lowest mark in that category as well. But in each of the three seasons preceding 2023, the 26-year-old topped 120 total stops. He also averaged six sacks per season over that span.
The Eagles needed a reliable second linebacker to pair with youngster Nakobe Dean, and White should more than fill that need. Getting a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker on what amounts to a below-market "prove it" deal is just another example of why Howie Roseman is one of the most highly regarded general managers in the NFL.
Grade: A
Bengals Sign S Vonn Bell
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Contract Terms: One year, $1.2 million
Source: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport
Safety Vonn Bell spent the 2020 through 2022 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before departing the Queen City for Carolina last offseason on a three-year, $22.5 million contract. After one disappointing season with the Panthers. Bell is right back with the Bengals again.
During most of his tenure with the Bengals, Bell was a box safety. He topped 77 total tackles in all three of his seasons in Cincinnati. But last year, he played deep more and actually held his own in coverage, allowing a passer rating of only 79.2.
Bell missed four games last season, but he's a solid, versatile safety who started 16 games and racked up 97 stops in Cincinnati's Super Bowl season in 2021. As Rapoport noted, the Panthers are paying most of his $6 million salary this year, too.
Whenever you can get another team to pay to make you better, that's a win.
Grade: A-
Dolphins Sign CB Kendall Fuller, DT Benito Jones
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Fuller Contract Terms: Two years, $16.5 million
Source: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler
The Miami Dolphins came into free agency in a precarious situation relative to the salary cap. As a result, they had some major departures on defense, including defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, edge-rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerback Xavien Howard.
On Thursday, the Dolphins signed the player whom they hope will be able to replace Howard. In doing so, they got one of the bigger bargains of free agency to this point.
Entering his ninth NFL season, Kendall Fuller has gone from Washington to Kansas City back to Washington and now to Miami. He's never been to the Pro Bowl. And like so many players for the Commanders last season, Fuller's 2023 campaign wasn't his best.
But the 29-year-old has allowed a passer rating against below 100 in three of the past four seasons and has made 62 starts over that span. When Fuller does allow a catch, he usually makes the tackle. Fuller has eclipsed 75 total tackles three times in his career, including 79 last year. He only missed five tackles last season, too.
Fuller is a solid veteran player at a premium position. Getting one of those for less than $10 million per season is good value, plain and simple.
Grade: A-
Jones Contract Terms: Undisclosed
Source: The Athletic's Dianna Russini
Jones isn't the "splash" signing that Fuller is, but he could also wind up being a solid value for a Dolphins defense that needs to get as much bang for its free-agent buck as possible.
This will actually be a homecoming of sorts for the 26-year-old, who spent the first two seasons of his career bouncing back and forth between Miami's active roster and the practice squad. But Jones truly blossomed once he landed in Detroit.
Last season, Jones was a 15-game starter for a Lions team that won the NFC North for the first time ever. His numbers weren't eye-popping (26 total tackles and one sack), but he emerged as a solid run-stuffer up front.
To be clear, Jones isn't as productive or as potent a pass-rusher as Christian Wilkins. But the Dolphins needed a big body on the defensive line after Wilkins signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the 335-pounder certainly fits that bill.
Grade: C+
Falcons Trade QB Desmond Ridder to Cardinals for WR Rondale Moore
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Source: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport
Two years ago, the Atlanta Falcons spent a third-round pick on Desmond Ridder in the hope that he might develop into their quarterback of the future. Two years later, the Falcons now have Kirk Cousins, so they dealt Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals for a similarly disappointing wide receiver.
That might sound like a harsh thing to say about fourth-year wideout Rondale Moore. To be fair, he has shown flashes of being dangerous with the ball in his hands. But since the Cardinals took him with a second-round pick in 2021, Moore's numbers have declined in each season. He caught a career-low 40 passes for 352 yards and one touchdown last year.
Ridder made 13 starts for Atlanta last year, completing 64.2 percent of his passes for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was Bleacher Report's No. 1 quarterback prospect in the 2022 class, but if last year was any indication, he's better suited to being a high-end backup than an NFL starter.
Essentially, this trade boils down to a swap of two players who have yet to meet expectations and who could potentially benefit from a change of scenery. Ridder is younger and a quarterback, though, so the Redbirds got the better of the deal—if only slightly.
Falcons Grade: B-
Cardinals Grade: B
Commanders Trade QB Sam Howell to Seahawks
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Commanders Get: 2024 third-round pick (No. 78), 2024 fifth-round pick (No. 152)
Seahawks Get: QB Sam Howell, 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 102), 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 179)
Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter
If there was any question that the Washington Commanders plan to draft a quarterback with the second overall pick, they answered it Thursday by sending Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks.
In some regards, Howell wasn't that bad in 2023. His 3,946 passing yards were 12th in the NFL, and the second-year pro threw 21 touchdown passes. However, Howell also threw an league-leading 21 interceptions and got sacked a league-high 65 times.
For the Commanders, this is essentially a best-case scenario. Although they sent two Day 3 picks to Seattle as part of the deal, they got a Day 2 pick and a fifth-rounder for a player whom they drafted 144th overall in 2022.
For Seattle, the deal is a bit more curious. Yes, the team needed a backup for Geno Smith after Drew Lock left, and Howell will be a dirt-cheap one for the next two years. But a third-rounder plus is a lot to give up for a turnover-prone quarterback whose team gave up on him after two seasons.
Apparently, the Seahawks see more in Howell than the Commanders do.
Commanders Grade: B+
Seahawks Grade: C-
Texans Sign RB Joe Mixon to Three-Year Extension
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Contract Terms: Three years, $27 million, $13 million guaranteed
Source: Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz
Joe Mixon only just recently got to Houston—after the Cincinnati Bengals signed Zack Moss, the 27-year-old became expendable and was shipped to Houston for a seventh-round pick.
Apparently, the Texans view Mixon as more than just a one-year rental—because just after acquiring the Pro Bowler, Houston agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension that averages $9 million per season.
It's a gesture that was no doubt well received by Mixon, and there's a good chance it was done in part to lessen his 2024 cap hit. Houston has been one of the busiest teams in the league in free agency, and the spending is adding up.
But it's also a rather curious move to commit to Mixon past 2024. The Bengals were ready to move on mainly because Mixon's 2023 campaign was wholly unimpressive. He surpassed 1,000 rushing yards more through volume than efficiency, and for the sixth time in seven seasons Mixon averaged 4.1 yards per carry or fewer. Mixon has over 1,800 career touches, and he's nearing the age when running backs historically begin to decline.
It just seems unnecessary—and like a move that will come back to bite Houston a year from now.
Grade: D
Titans Re-Sign WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
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Contract Terms: One year, terms undisclosed
Source: NFL Network's Mike Garafalo
The Tennessee Titans made a massive splash at wide receiver on Wednesday, signing Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million megadeal. On Thursday, they rounded out their new-look passing game by bringing back a familiar face in Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
In his four seasons with the Titans, Westbrook-Ikhine has never caught 40 passes or topped 500 yards in a season. But the soon-to-be 27-year-old has started 30 games for Tennessee, including nine last year, and he has found the end zone at least three times in each of the last three seasons while averaging 13.7 yards per reception.
This signing likely won't generate a ton of buzz. But considering how much money the Titans have doled out to Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins, they needed some inexpensive, complementary pass-catchers as well.
With that in mind, it makes a ton of sense to bring back Westbrook-Ikhine.
Grade: B
Browns Sign DT Quinton Jefferson
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Contract Terms: One year, terms undisclosed
Source: Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland.com
The Cleveland Browns had a need along the interior of their defensive line this offseason. But given their financial constraints, it would have been difficult for them to add a big name at the position.
What the Browns needed was a capable veteran player who was willing to sign a short-term deal. On Thursday, they got one.
Quinton Jefferson turns 31 later this month and missed three games last season. The 469 snaps played last season with the New York Jets were his fewest since the 2017 campaign, when he was with the Seattle Seahawks. However, Jefferson tallied a career-high six sacks last season, and his 34 total tackles were the second-most of his eight-year career.
Jefferson is the definition of a journeyman. The Browns will be his fifth team. And he's a better pass-rusher than run-stuffer.
But much like the Jordan Hicks signing, the Browns were able to get experience and production here, presumably without breaking the bank. It's hard to fault that.
Grade: B
Panthers Sign EDGE D.J. Wonnum
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Contract Terms: Two years, terms undisclosed
Source: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler
It's been a tough week for the Carolina Panthers defense. Edge-rusher Brian Burns. Linebacker Frankie Luvu. Cornerback Donte Jackson. Safety Jeremy Chinn. All are gone. On Thursday, the Panthers made an effort to stem the bleeding a bit, inking former Minnesota Vikings edge-rusher D.J. Wonnum to a two-year deal.
On at least some level, it's a move the Panthers all but had to make. Wonnum logged a career-high 62 tackles and eight sacks in 15 games last year, the second time in three seasons the fifth-year pro has hit that latter mark. With the pass-rusher market rapidly evaporating, the Panthers had to make an effort to bring in at least one established option.
However, in the Twin Cities, Wonnum benefitted from playing opposite an elite pass-rusher in Danielle Hunter. The 26-year-old has never had to be "The Guy." Never had to be the focal point of opposing offenses and regularly beat double-teams.
Maybe Wonnum is an ascending talent. But he could also be a product of his environment whose best we have already seen.
Grade: C
Falcons Re-Sign OT Storm Norton
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Contract Terms: Undisclosed
Source: ESPN's Michael Rothstein
Solid offensive tackles are worth their weight in gold in the NFL. Not just the starters, either. Having a capable "swing" tackle can be huge for an organization as well.
Storm Norton emerging as such a player for the Falcons last year came as a surprise.
Norton is an undrafted free agent who spent time on a handful of practice squads before a stint in the XFL. During his lone year as a full-time starter with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021, he allowed nine sacks in 1,078 snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
However, Norton was much better in a more limited role in Atlanta last year. In 283 snaps, he surrendered only sack and committed just one penalty, per PFF.
The Falcons are set on the edges with Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary starting. But having an insurance policy whom they know can step in and hold his own doesn't hurt.
Grade: B
Steelers Sign S DeShon Elliott
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Contract Terms: Two years, $6 million
Source: Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz
The starting safety spot next to Minkah Fitzpatrick in Pittsburgh has been a sore spot for some time now. On Thursday, the Steelers made another effort to address that by signing a 15-game starter for a playoff team last year.
Deshon Elliott had an up-and-down 2023 campaign with the Miami Dolphins. He tallied 82 total tackles and a career-high seven pass breakups, but he also allowed a passer rating of 140.8. He posted a career-best 96 tackles with the Detroit Lions in 2022, but he allowed a passer rating of 125.3.
Three million per season isn't an exorbitant sum, and Elliott's arrival will add some physicality to the back end of the Steelers defense. But his struggles in coverage can't be ignored. The last time Elliott allowed a passer rating below 110 was his rookie season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019.
Grade: C
Bears Sign C Coleman Shelton
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Contract Terms: One year, terms undisclosed
Source: ESPN's Adam Schefter
With the Bears almost universally expected to draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, upgrading the offensive line should be an offseason priority in the Windy City.
The team took a step toward doing that Thursday by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with veteran center Coleman Shelton.
The 28-year-old was a 17-game starter for the Los Angeles Rams last season. He surrendered two sacks and committed six penalties across 1,113 snaps in that role, per PFF.
Shelton is a better pile-mover in run blocking than he is in pass protection. But he appears to be an upgrade over Jerome Carvin at that spot, and whenever you can bolster the O-line without breaking the bank, it's a wise course of action.
Grade: B+
Vikings Sign DT Jerry Tillery
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Contract Terms: One year, $3.75 million (max)
Source: NFL Network's Tom Pelissero
When the Los Angeles Chargers selected Jerry Tillery with the 28th overall pick in the 2019 draft, they were hoping that the former Notre Dame standout would become the league's next disruptive interior force.
That didn't come to pass. And now, after three-plus years with the Chargers and 1.5 seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, Tillery is moving on to a third team in the hope that he can finally get his career untracked.
To be fair, it hasn't all been bad. Tillery had 5.1 total tackles and 4.5 sacks with the Bolts in 2021. But his 31 tackles and two sacks from last year hardly scream "impact player."
However, the Minnesota Vikings needed to add some beef up front, and Tillery can play end in odd-numbered fronts and kick inside in sub-packages. For a deal that maxes out at less than $4 million, the 27-year-old is worth a roll of the dice.
Grade: B
Cowboys Re-Sign CB Jourdan Lewis
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Contract Terms: One year, terms undisclosed
Source: Jon Machota of The Athletic
There are some annual rites of passage in Dallas. The first is entering the offseason with aspirations of a Super Bowl run. The second is entering free agency with little wiggle room under the salary cap.
Often times, the best course of action for teams in that position is to retain in-house talent. Dallas did that Thursday by bringing back veteran cornerback Jourdan Lewis on a one-year contract.
Lewis doesn't get the attention that Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland do in Dallas, largely because he doesn't pile up interceptions or set NFL records for the most pick-sixes in a season. But make no mistake, the 28-year-old is a quality cornerback in his own right. He hasn't allowed a passer rating above 95 in any of the past six seasons.
Dallas was fifth in the league against the pass last year, so it makes sense for the Cowboys to keep the band together in the secondary. Why fix that which is not broken?
Grade: B
Seahawks Sign LB Tyrel Dodson
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Contract Terms: Undisclosed
Source: Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz
After watching both Jordyn Brooks (Miami Dolphins) and Bobby Wagner (Washington Commanders) depart in free agency, the Seattle Seahawks need a complete overhaul of their off-ball linebackers.
It appears the team is going to try the bargain route—at least to start. Terms of the deal that will bring fifth-year veteran Tyrel Dodson to the Emerald City have not been disclosed, but it's fair to assume the 25-year-old didn't carry the sticker price of the bigger names at the position in free agency this season.
The good news for the Seahawks is that Dodson had the best season of his career in 2023, starting 10 games and setting career highs across the board. The bad news for the Seahawks is that Dodson's 74 total tackles last season constitute over half of his career total.
Now, it may be that last year was a coming-out party of sorts for Dodson and he's coming into his own as a player. But it's also possible that unless the Seahawks add another linebacker, Dodson will struggle in a lead role.
Dodson could be a bargain. But there's risk present with counting on him to be.
Grade: C+
Chiefs Re-Sign DT Derrick Nnadi
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Contract Terms: Undisclosed
Source: Pro Football Talk
Fans of the Kansas City Chiefs have been waiting for general manager Brett Veach to start making moves in free agency. However, while what they wanted was a high-end wide receiver, what they got (first, at least) was a re-upped defensive tackle.
Then they got the high-end wideout.
Derrick Nnadi has been a big part of the Chiefs defense for some time now—the seventh-year veteran has started 86 games in six years in Kansas City, including all 34 over the team's back-to-back Super Bowl titles. Last year, the 6'1", 317-pounder played just under 500 snaps, logging 29 tackles, a sack and a pass defensed.
To be clear, Nnadi is nowhere near the talent that batterymate Chris Jones is—he isn't an impact player who forces opposing offenses to adjust. He's a situational run-stuffer.
But the Chiefs have won the last two Super Bowls and ranked second in the NFL in total defense last year. You can't fault Kansas City for making an effort to keep the band together as much as possible.
Grade: B
Other Signings
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Falcons Re-Sign WR KhaDarel Hodge
Per the team's website, the Falcons have agreed to terms with wideout KhaDarel Hodge on an undisclosed contract.
The 29-year-old, who spent the last two seasons in Atlanta, finished third among Falcons wide receivers last year with only 232 receiving yards. With Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore now in town, Hodge could find himself fighting for a roster spot in camp if Atlanta adds more receivers in the draft.
Grade: C+
Commanders Sign LB Anthony Pittman
The Washington Commanders signed linebacker Anthony Pittman to an undisclosed contract, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
The 27-year-old spent the first four years of his career in Detroit, although he played almost exclusively on special teams. If Pittman sees time on defense in Washington, something likely would have gone terribly wrong.
Grade: C
Ravens Sign QB Josh Johnson
Over a professional career that started back in 2008—one that has included stints in the UFL, AAF and XFL—Josh Johnson has racked up more frequent flyer miles than TWA. He's now re-joining the Baltimore Ravens for the fourth time, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The 37-year-old, who got a one-year deal, last started a game for the Ravens in 2021. He lost that game, just as he has eight of his nine career starts. Enough said.
Grade: C-
Saints Sign QB Nathan Peterman
Speaking of journeyman quarterbacks who should never be allowed anywhere near an actual NFL game...Nick Underhill tweeted Thursday that the New Orleans Saints inked Nathan Peterman to an undisclosed deal to compete for the role of Derek Carr's backup.
Peterman held that role with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 and 2021. But the 29-year-old has barely completed 53 percent of his passes across his six NFL seasons and threw more interceptions in a single game (five) than he has career touchdown passes (four).
Grade: D
Dolphins Re-Sign DT Da'Shawn Hand
Benito Jones wasn't the only beefeater whom the Dolphins signed on Thursday. Per The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the team also came to terms on an undisclosed contract with veteran defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand.
Hand has never been able to match the success he had as a rookie (27 tackles, three sacks) with the Detroit Lions, and he was limited to less than 200 snaps last year in Miami. But the Dolphins need bodies up front, and Hand knows the defense.
Grade: C
Browns Sign LB Devin Bush
That a former first-round pick has been relegated to "other signings" status tells you just about all you need to know about Bush's career trajectory—after logging 109 tackles as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bush tore his ACL and eventually fell out of favor in Pittsburgh before eventually landing in Seattle last year as a part-time player and injury fill-in.
That's probably the role he'll play for the Browns as well after signing a one-year deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter—the Browns were ravaged by injuries at linebacker a year ago.
Grade: C
Texans Sign DT Tim Settle
The Texans have been hailed mainly for their additions on defense in 2024. But there have been departures as well, and the team made an effort to offset the loss of defensive tackle Maliek Collins Thursday by signing veteran tackle Tim Settle to a two-year contract, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
Over his six-season career, Settle has never played even 40 percent of his team's defensive snaps, but he did show some pass-rushing chops with a five-sack season in Washington back in 2020.
Grade: C+
Vikings Sign WR Trent Sherfield
As reported by ESPN's Kevin Seifert, the Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms Thursday on a one-year deal with six-year veteran wide receiver Trent Sherfield, who caught 11 passes for 86 yards and a touchdown last year with the Buffalo Bills.
As those modest numbers indicate, Sherfield hasn't been an especially productive receiver over his career—his career high in receiving yards is 430, and in four of six seasons he has failed to tally even 100 yards. The Vikings need wide receiver help behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison—but this ain't it.
Grade: C-
Chargers Sign DT Poona Ford
The Los Angeles Chargers have Justin Herbert at quarterback, but the new regime inherited a salary-cap mess that has resulted in many more players leaving than arriving so far in free agency--including Keenan Allen on Thursday. The team has been forced to look for lower-priced veteran free agents, and per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, it found one in the trenches on defense in seventh-year pro Poona Ford.
As a full-time starter in Seattle from 2020 to 2022, Ford posted an average of over 40 tackles per season with at least two sacks each of those years. If Ford can put last year's injury-marred season in Buffalo behind him, he could be a value on a one-year "prove it" deal.
Grade: B-
Saints Sign WR Cedrick Wilson
The New Orleans Saints have two things right now—a need at wide receiver and precious little cap space with which to sign one. But general manager Mickey Loomis is doing what he can, agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with Cedrick Wilson according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The sixth-year veteran's two seasons in Miami were disappointing, but back in 2021 Wilson posted a 45/602/6 stat line on 61 targets with the Dallas Cowboys. If the playing time and targets are there for Wilson in the Big Easy, it's possible he could surprise.
Grade: B-
Giants Sign TE Jack Stoll
The New York Giants need pass-catching talent in the worst possible way, and as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Thursday they added some, inking former Philadelphia Eagles tight end Jack Stoll to a one-year deal.
It's a move that isn't going to make up for the Eagles poaching Saquon Barkley—Stoll has 20 career catches for 183 yards in three seasons. However, if Giants tight end Darren Waller follows through on his talk of retirement, the Giants may need Stoll to step into the largest role of his career.
Grade: C
49ers Re-Sign LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
As reported by Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team, the Niners are bringing back linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles on a one-year deal. Normally, Flannigan-Fowles would be a core special teams contributor and part-time player on defense.
But with Dre Greenlaw recovering from an Achilles tear suffered in the Super Bowl and Eric Kendricks spurning the 49ers to sign with the Dallas Cowboys, there's a possibility that Flannigan-Fowles could be asked to assume a larger role early in the 2024 season. If that's the case, his familiarity with San Francisco's defensive scheme could come in handy.
Grade: B
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