Commanders To Sign WR Olamide Zaccheaus

Following a one-year stop in Philadelphia, Olamide Zaccheaus will be sticking in the NFC East. The veteran wide receiver has agreed to a contract with the Commanders, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The former undrafted free agent made a name for himself in Atlanta, where he spent the first four seasons of his career. Zaccheaus earned a larger role each season during his time with the Falcons, culminating in a 2022 campaign where he hauled in 40 receptions for 533 yards and three touchdowns. The wideout spent two of his four seasons with the Falcons playing under current Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.

He caught on with the Eagles last offseason and proceeded to get into every game for his new squad. Zaccheaus mostly served as the third receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but that still only resulted in 10 catches.

In Washington, Zaccheaus could settle into that familiar WR3 role behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Swiff Army Knife weapon Curtis Samuel won’t be part of Kliff Kingsbury‘s first offense in Washington, so there are some WR snaps to go around. The team gave Dyami Brown a look last year, and the 2021 third-round pick should compete for reps behind the top-two wideouts. The team also re-signed veteran Jamison Crowder, so there’s a bit of competition for Zaccheaus to overcome.

Bengals Intend To Keep Tee Higgins; Ja’Marr Chase Extension Talks Have Not Begun

It came as no surprise when the Bengals used the franchise tag on Tee Higgins, but he has since requested a trade. Questions about the standout receiver’s future have lingered in the absence of a long-term contract, but a deal sending him out of Cincinnati should still not be expected.

When speaking at the league meetings earlier this week, head coach Zac Taylor confirmed (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer) Higgins is firmly in the team’s plans for 2024. That falls in line with recent reporting on the matter, which indicated no trade talks have taken place to date. EVP Katie Blackburn has echoed Taylor’s sentiment.

“The plan is to certainly get through this year,” Blackburn said of Higgins (via Conway). “Our job is to get to these next phases, start looking at the whole overall roster and see how we can fit everything together. We’ll see how it all comes out.”

Higgins is due $21.82MM on the tag this season, a massive raise compared to his rookie contract earnings and likely a rough starting point on the value of a long-term agreement. The 25-year-old has topped 900 yards three times in his career, but a monster second contract would of course be more viable for Higgins on a team using him as its top wideout. That role belongs to Ja’Marr Chase in Cincinnati, and he is expected to be a higher financial priority moving forward.

Chase is eligible for an extension, having played three seasons in the league. The former No. 5 pick has lived up to expectations when healthy, racking up 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns to date (despite missing five contests last year and one more in 2023). Chase is a candidate to land the most lucrative WR deal in the NFL, something which is also true of former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson.

Notably, Blackburn acknowledged (in a separate Conway piece) extension talks with Chase have not yet begun. “That’s sort of the next thing is just to piece together some of those things to consider and give it some thought,” she said. “I can’t say for sure where any of it will go. But we certainly are going to study up on it and see what we can figure out to try to get the best result we can for the club one way or another.”

With Joe Burrow on the books via the $55MM-per-year extension he signed last offseason, the challenge of retaining both Higgins and Chase long term will be a notable one. The latter can (and no doubt will) be retained through 2025 via the fifth-year option, buying the team as much as another offseason to work out a mega-deal. Chase’s market will be shaped by that of Jefferson, who was unable to finalize an agreement with the Vikings last offseason.

As a result, Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM AAV still leads the field at the receiver position. Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb are among the extension-eligible wideouts who could surpass that figure, along with Chase. The Bengals’ financial approach will remain one to watch closely with plenty still to be determined in the short- and long-term future.

DB Cody Davis Announces Retirement

Cody Davis‘ NFL career dates back to 2013, but he will not pursue a 12th season in the league. The defensive back and core special teamer announced his retirement on Thursday.

The 34-year-old entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and he spent his first five seasons with the Rams. Davis made the only five starts of his career during his time with the franchise, but he also established his presence as a key special teams contributor along the way. He carried on in that capacity with the Jaguars in 2018 and ’19.

Davis spent his final four seasons in New England, working alongside third phase ace Matthew Slater during his Patriots run. The former played only one snap on defense over that span, but he logged 905 on special teams. Now, the team will be without both Slater and Davis for the 2024 campaign, something which will represent a notable absence for new head coach Jerod Mayo.

“I am eternally thankful for this football journey and what it has meant to me and my family,” Davis’ announcement reads in part. “For 22 years football has been what I have done, but it is not who I am… I have more dreams and look forward to chasing them!”

The Texas Tech product secured a deal averaging $2.5MM per season during his Jacksonville tenure, and he played on three separate Patriots contracts, the last two of which had an AAV over $2MM. In all, he racked up over $16MM in career earnings. Davis will hang up his cleats in lieu of pursuing a free agent deal with New England or another team, and instead turn his attention to his post-playing days.

QBs Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy To Work Out For Giants

Pro Days are continuing around the country this week, and the Giants are one of many teams with a large contingent attending Washington’s today. While that will entail evaluations of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (among many others), the team still has Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy on its radar.

[RELATED: Jayden Daniels To Visit Giants]

The former will conduct a private workout with the Giants in the coming days, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. Head coach Brian Daboll is one of the Giants’ evaluators at the Huskies Pro Day, but the team will no doubt regroup by the time Maye joins them. McCarthy, meanwhile, will be watched by New York during a private throwing session on Sunday, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.

A report from last week indicated both passers already held a ’30’ visit with the Giants. As such, it comes as no surprise the team will take a longer look at them. Set to select sixth overall, New York is in an interesting position given the potential to add a long-term Daniel Jones replacement on one hand and a true No. 1 receiver on the other. Jones is in place atop a QB depth chart which also includes Drew Lock for the 2024 campaign, but the position is unsettled beyond that.

Jones’ injury history has given New York pause about keeping him as a starter through the duration of his four-year, $160MM deal signed last offseason. Owner John Mara is on board with selecting a quarterback sixth overall (or potentially higher, if the team moves up the board slightly). A trade down is also a possibility, of course, but that would leave the team out of range of the top signal-callers.

Maye and McCarthy are the focus of many teams these days, with Caleb Williams being the only presumed sure thing at the top of the board at this point. Chicago is on track to select the 2022 Heisman winner first overall, but there is plenty of uncertainty with respect to whom the Commanders and Patriots will add. The Cardinals and Chargers are not in need of a quarterback, something which would limit the Giants’ wide receiver options if they were to retain the fourth and fifth slots, respectively.

Both Arizona and Los Angeles are open to trading down, though, and teams like the Vikings, Broncos and Raiders have been connected to an aggressive move in search of a passer. New York remains at the heart of the QB evaluation for now, as the team continues to do its due diligence at the position.

Lions Eyeing Free Agent CB Addition

With Cameron Sutton having been released, the Lions have a vacancy at the cornerback spot. The upcoming draft will present the opportunity to add a rookie at the position, but a veteran signing should not be ruled out.

“Certainly, there are still some guys we are looking at in free agency that can bring in some competition,” Campbell said during the league meetings (via the team’s website). “That may or may not be done before the draft.”

Many veteran signings do not take place until after the draft has been completed in large part because those pacts do not factor into the compensatory pick formula. Detroit has already been active in the secondary this offseason, trading for Carlton Davis and signing Amik Robertson. The team also retained Emmanuel Moseley, but Sutton served as a full-time starter in his single campaign in the Motor City.

The latter is the subject of an arrest warrant on the charge of domestic battery by strangulation. That became public knowledge on March 20, which is also the day the Lions became aware of Sutton’s situation. As detailed by Justin Rogers of the Detroit News, the 29-year-old was at the team’s facility when the news of the arrest warrant broke. Team president Rod Wood confirmed at the league meetings he encouraged Sutton to turn himself in. That has not happened, leading to the decision to release him.

As things currently stand, Davis, Robertson and Moseley will be joined by 2023 second-rounder Brian Branch atop the Lions’ CB depth chart. The team owns seven draft picks, including three of the first 73 selections; as a result, the addition of a rookie would come as little surprise. A number of veterans – a list headlined by Xavien Howard – are still on the market, though, and it will be interesting to see if the Lions pursue one before the draft. Detroit entered Thursday with over $26.5MM in cap space.

Bills Sign DT DeShawn Williams

Continuing to bring in depth along the defensive front, the Bills have added DeShawn WilliamsThe 31-year-old signed a one-year deal on Thursday, per a team announcement.

Williams spent his rookie season in Cincinnati in 2016, but his next regular season action did not come until 2020 with the Broncos. The former UDFA remained in Denver for three years, starting 34 of his 46 games with the team. His final Broncos campaign produced a career-high 4.5 sacks, and it resulted in a one-year Panthers contract.

In Carolina, Williams started 10 of 16 games and logged a healthy 44% snap share while playing alongside Derrick Brown. The Clemson product recorded 33 tackles and one sack, earning a PFF grade of 50 along the way. While his sack total dropped, his 18 QB pressures (per PFF) marked a personal high and fell in line with those of his previous campaigns. Williams will look to replicate that rotational production in Buffalo.

The Bills entered free agency with a number of question marks along the defensive interior. DaQuan Jones was quickly retained on a two-year deal, however, and Buffalo has since added Austin Johnson. Williams will look to carve out a role alongside that pair and Ed Oliver, who is on the books through 2027 via the lucrative extension he inked last offseason.

Buffalo entered Thursday with just under $9MM in cap space, a figure which will be lowered to an extent with the Johnson and Williams deals now official. Those two will give the Bills experienced depth along the D-line, though, as the team transitions to new contributors in a number of areas on that side of the ball.

Saquon Barkley Addresses Texans Interest, Free Agent Offers

Saquon Barkley recently appeared on the New Heights podcast with now-retired Eagles center Jason Kelce and his brother Travis. He spoke about his free agent period, which ultimately led to a Philadelphia agreement including $26MM fully guaranteed.

Barkley confirmed, via Matt Ehaly of the New York Post, the Texans were the first team he was drawn to with the new league year approaching. That matches a report from the same time, and Barkley noted he and reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud communicated about a potential partnership. After interest from the Eagles picked up, though, the two-time Pro Bowler’s attention began to shift.

“As it got closer, and you start hearing word and Philly, I probably never imagined myself playing for Philly six years ago, but I get to come back to Pennsylvania,” Barkley said. “My family is from Pennsylvania, my lady, our kids, grandmas all that is from Pennsylvania and we’re already close and we can even get to get closer and get a chance to compete. I got to admire [the Eagles] from afar, admire what he was able to build over there and get to be part of that culture. It was a no-brainer for me.”

Philadelphia had interest in retaining 2023 starter D’Andre Swift, but his market became more lucrative than expected. That led the Eagles to prioritize Barkley, and the sides were able to agree to a three-year, $37.75MM pact on the second day of the negotiating window. The NFL has launched a tampering investigation into the matter, but no developments on that front have emerged.

Barkley also noted that four teams (the Giants not being among them) made a formal offer. The Texans – a team which ultimately traded for Joe Mixon to take the place of Devin Singletary – were a “serious suitor,” as Ehaly notes. In the end, though, Barkley preferred to return to the state of his decorated college career amidst solid interest from a shortlist of suitors.

“I had a good bit of teams that really was like all about me coming there and with the price point being up there,” the Penn State alum added. “I wanted to get what I deserved that I thought was fair for me to take care of me and my family. That’s the goal you want to get to, that second contract. “When I had my offers in place, I was like, ‘Alright, what best fits me? Where can I go and have the best opportunity to win?’… When you put all the pieces together, it made sense to be in Philly.”

Jaguars Sign TE Josiah Deguara

Upon playing out his rookie contract, Josiah Deguara is set to join a new team. The veteran tight end has agreed to a one-year deal with the Jaguars, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The move is now official.

Deguara was limited to two games in his rookie season due to an ACL tear, but he has managed to remain mostly healthy since then. He played in 16, 17 and 15 contests across the past three seasons, occupying a rotational role along the way. The 27-year-old was one of several members of Green Bay’s youth movement in recent seasons at the pass-catching spots, but he did not establish himself as a starter.

Deguara’s best campaign came in 2021, when he recorded 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 25 receptions. He made just 21 scoreless catches in the two subsequent years, though, seeing a decreasing offensive role during that time. The former third-rounder was primarily used on special teams in 2022 and ’23 while the Packers turned to Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft at the tight end spot last year.

That pair will remain in place for Green Bay for years to come, so Deguara’s departure comes as little surprise. The latter will aim to carve out a depth role in Jacksonville, a team which already has Evan Engram in place as its primary pass-catching tight end. Engram had a successful one-year audition period with the Jaguars, and he parlayed that into the franchise tag and, ultimately, a three-year, $41.25MM extension last offseason.

Deguara could contribute as a blocker to complement Engram with the Jaguars. The Cincinnati alum will also be able to provide special teams play, particularly if he is unable to generate significant usage in the passing game. A successful run in Duval County could help his free agent stock ahead of the 2025 offseason.

Latest On Vikings’ Draft Plans

Armed with two first-round picks, the Vikings are a team worth watching in the build-up to next month’s draft. Minnesota is a strong candidate for a move up the board to land a quarterback, although the presence of Sam Darnold means the position could be a priority after Day 1.

[RELATED: Vikings Among Teams Set To Host Jayden Daniels]

The Vikings made a deal with the Texans to add pick No. 23 earlier this month, giving the team that selection along with their own 11th pick. Minnesota thus has the capital to move into the top five, and in the wake of the trade a report quickly emerged pointing to a deal with Arizona (which owns the fourth selection) being in play. Both the Cardinals and Chargers (No. 5) are open to trading down.

With that in mind, ESPN’s Matt Miller notes the expectation around the league remains that Minnesota will trade into the top five. Specifically, many point to J.J. McCarthy being the target of that move, although the matter of whether he will be on the board after No. 3 is in the air. The Michigan product has seen his stock consistently rise over the past few weeks, and he may have worked his way into consideration for the second overall pick.

Neither head coach Kevin O’Connell nor general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah attended the Wolverines’ Pro Day (although QBs coach Josh McCown was part of the large contingent of NFL evaluators present). As Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes, however, Minnesota’s preference is to host quarterback prospects on private workouts, something which holds true of other teams as well. The team’s evaluation of McCarthy, Daniels and whichever other passers are brought in will determine much of their plans ahead of the draft.

Darnold is in place on a one-year, $10MM deal. The former No. 3 pick is thus in place to serve as the Vikings’ short-term Kirk Cousins replacement, but a long-term investment via the draft would be a reasonable approach. As could be expected this time of year, though, Adofo-Mensah has not confirmed the chances of a trade-up being executed or a signal-caller even being a Round 1 target.

“We just thought that [the Texans trade] gave us the best flexibility for whatever can happen,” Adofo-Mensah recently said, via Miller’s colleague Kevin Seifert“Ultimately team building isn’t this one-size-fits-all exercise. There are ways you can build a championship team with certain types of quarterbacks, certain types of players around them and we’re trying to set ourselves up to be one of those and ultimately be in that last game which we’re trying to be in.”

Aside from Caleb Williams remaining on track to join the Bears in April, plenty is uncertain at the top of the board for the time being. Minnesota represents an X-factor at the QB spot, especially if the team makes a substantial move up the order. The Vikings’ evaluations of the top prospects over the coming days and weeks will be a key storyline to follow.

Cowboys To Make RB Addition; Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook Interested In Deal?

With Tony Pollard no longer in the picture, the Cowboys are an obvious candidate to draft a running back next month. A veteran signing before then would come as little surprise, though, and a pair of high-profile names could be eyeing a Dallas agreement.

When speaking at the league meetings, head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo) Dallas will be making at least one addition at the RB spot. The Cowboys retained Rico Dowdle, who finished second on the team in rushing yards last season. Dallas also has 2023 sixth-rounder Deuce Vaughn in the backfield, but an experienced option would be a welcomed addition to take the place of Pollard.

Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports both Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook “have interest in potentially signing” with the Cowboys. In the former’s case, a deal would of course represent a reunion. Elliott spent his first seven seasons with Dallas, twice leading the league in rushing during that span. His efficiency began to wane over time, though, and by the end of his Cowboys stint he was used more as a short-yardage specialist than a true lead back.

The Cowboys, as expected, released the former No. 4 pick last offseason with no guaranteed money remaining on his deal. Elliott signed a one-year pact with the Patriots, and he split time with Rhamondre Stevenson for much of the year. Elliott saw a career-low 184 carries in 2023, and his 3.5 yards per attempt average was also the worst figure of his NFL tenure. Especially in a year which saw several high-end backs quickly land new deals, it comes as no surprise the 28-year-old (who, in fairness, drew trade interest at the deadline) is still on the market.

Cook likewise endured a disappointing season in 2023 after seeing his long-term Vikings tenure come to an end. After being let go by Minnesota, a lengthy free agent process ensued. Cook ultimately joined the Jets, but he struggled to carve out a role alongside Breece Hall in the backfield. New York waived the 28-year-old in January, setting up a brief audition period with the Ravens.

Baltimore used Cook sparingly in the postseason, and with Derrick Henry now in place a re-up with another veteran can be considered unlikely. Plenty of snaps will presumably be available in Dallas for Elliott, Cook or another experienced back looking for a new deal. Dallas would of course still be expected to use a Day 2 or 3 pick on a back during the draft even with a veteran signing, but with $6.7MM in cap space the team can afford a low-cost addition at the position.

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