Tag: exclusive rights free agent

Broncos make first free agent signing of 2024 offseason

The Broncos have signed LB Jonas Griffith to a one-year, ERFA tender. He is the team’s first in-house free agent signing of 2024.

The Denver Broncos have made their first free agent signing of the 2024 NFL offseason (sort of).

The Broncos can’t begin negotiating with pending free agents from other teams until March 11, but they can give extensions to their looming in-house free agents before then.

Denver has made its first in-house signing of the offseason by giving a one-year deal to Jonas Griffith, the linebacker’s agency announced Wednesday. Griffith was an exclusive rights free agent so the signing is somewhat of a formality, but it’s news nonetheless.

As an EFRA, Griffith had no leverage in negotiations. The Broncos gave him a one-year, $985,000 deal for the 2024 season. Griffith, 27, is entering his fifth year in the NFL, but he is considered a “third-year” player because he only has two accrued seasons in the league.

After spending his rookie season on the practice squads of the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers, Griffith landed in Denver via trade in 2021. He played in 13 games that season and started nine games in 2022 before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Griffith then missed the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL.

Now healthy again, Griffith might have an opportunity to compete for a starting job this summer given that Josey Jewell is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March.

Before giving a one-year extension to Griffith, the Broncos previously signed 14 players to reserve/future contracts. Those players have not officially joined the 90-man offseason roster because their contracts do not activate until the NFL’s new league year begins in March.

What is an exclusive rights free agent in the NFL?

Exclusive rights free agents are eligible for one-year tenders with a league-minimum salary. Broncos LB Jonas Griffith is an ERFA this year.

As 2023 NFL free agency approaches, Broncos Wire has discussed the differences between unrestricted free agents and restricted free agents. Today, we’ll take a quick look at a third category: exclusive rights free agents.

Exclusive rights free agents (ERFAs) have no leverage in negotiations. They are players with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expiring contract. Teams can offer their in-house ERFAs one-year, league-minimum contracts.

If an ERFA player is offered a league-minimum tender by his club, he is not eligible to negotiate with other teams. If his original club declines to offer him an ERFA tender, though, the player becomes an unrestricted free agent.

This year, the Denver Broncos have four ERFAs, most notably including inside linebacker Jonas Griffith. A one-year ERFA tender for a player with two accrued seasons like Griffith is worth $940,000 in 2023.

That would mark an increase from Griffith’s $825,000 salary last year while also representing a bargain for the Broncos after the linebacker started eight games in 2022. The deadline to place tenders on ERFAs this year is 2 p.m. MT on March 16.

[lawrence-related id=692972,686836,692604,692729,692264]

Saints re-sign OL Calvin Throckmorton to one-year contract extension

NOF’s Nick Underhill reports the Saints re-signed guard Calvin Throckmorton to one-year contract extension. He’s started 20 of his 31 games the last two years:

Here’s some good news for Calvin Throckmorton: NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports the offensive linemen has signed a one-year extension to remain with the Saints for 2023, valued at $940,000 (the veteran’s minimum for someone with his experience).

That’s noteworthy because Throckmorton was the team’s only exclusive rights free agent, which qualified him for a one-year offer maxing out at about $825,000. So the Saints gave Throckmorton a little more than they necessarily needed to.

It makes sense to reward him after all of the snaps he’s played the last two years. Since signing with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon, Throckmorton has started 20 of the 31 games he’s appeared in for relief of Andrus Peat at left guard and Cesar Ruiz at right guard. He’s been an important player for the Saints up front, and odds are they’ll be calling his number again in 2023.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[stnvideo key=”z6G2kBXopV-2549625-7618″ type=”float”]

Packers tender 6 of team’s 8 exclusive rights free agents

S Henry Black and OLB Chauncey Rivers did not receive tenders as exclusive rights free agents and are now unrestricted.

The Green Bay Packers tendered six of the team’s eight exclusive rights free agents, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The six tendered: offensive tackle Yosh Nijman, linebacker Krys Barnes, receiver Malik Taylor, tight end Dominique Dafney, outside linebacker Randy Ramsey and center Jake Hanson.

The tender brings all six back to Green Bay for the 2022 season. Nijman and Barnes could be starters.

Two exclusive rights free agents did not receive a tender and are now unrestricted free agents: safety Henry Black and outside linebacker Chauncey Rivers.

Black played in all 17 games as the team’s third safety in 2021. He was on the field for 377 total snaps, including 212 on defense. While the Packers could probably improve the third safety spot, Black was the team’s highest-graded player on special teams.

Rivers, who was signed off waivers in August, played 54 snaps on defense over four games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

As unrestricted free agents, Black and Rivers are now free to sign with any team. Not offering a tender to each player suggests the Packers will move on and let both depart.

[listicle id=78872]

Seahawks guard Kyle Fuller signs exclusive rights free agent tender

Seattle Seahawks guard Kyle Fuller will stay with the team in 20201 as he has now signed his exclusive rights free agent tender.

Seattle Seahawks guard Kyle Fuller will be staying in the Emerald City this season after signing his exclusive rights free agent tender on Tuesday. The move was noted on the NFL’s official transaction report.

Fuller was originally selected by the Texans in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft and spent two seasons with the team. He was briefly with the Redskins then Dolphins before first signing with the Seahawks as a practice-squad member in 2019 before his promotion to the active roster.

Fuller was suspended the first two games of the 2020 season for violating the league’s subtance abuse policy. He played in nine games for Seattle last year.

[lawrence-related id=72439]

Eagles tender exclusive rights free agent Boston Scott

Eagles tender exclusive rights free agent Boston Scott

The Philadelphia Eagles have quietly gone about keeping three key players in the fold after tending exclusive rights free agent Boston Scott per Over The Cap.

A key member of the Eagles offense in 2020, Scott can only negotiate a new deal with Philadelphia during the free-agent period.

A 2018 sixth-round pick, Scott started his career on the Saints’ practice squad before joining the Eagles in December of 2018.

Scott has played in 29 regular-season games for the Eagles, logging 141 carries for 618 yards (4.4 YPC) and six touchdowns, with 49 catches for 416 yards (8.5 YPR) and another score.

[listicle id=647259]

[lawrence-related id=647381,647382,647378,647376,647239]

Eagles tender exclusive rights free agent Alex Singleton

Eagles tender exclusive rights free agent Alex Singleton

The Philadelphia Eagles have quietly gone about keeping three key players in the fold after tending exclusive rights free agent Alex Singleton per Over The Cap.

A key member of the Eagles defense in 2020, Singleton can only negotiate a new deal with Philadelphia during the free-agent period.

Singleton recorded 120 tackles (75 solo), two sacks, one interception, two fumble recoveries, and one touchdown in 2020 and should be a key member of Jonathan Gannon’s defense in Philadelphia.

[listicle id=647320]

[lawrence-related id=647378,647376,647239]

Eagles tender exclusive rights free agent Greg Ward

Eagles tender exclusive rights free agent Greg Ward

The Philadelphia Eagles have quietly gone about keeping three key players in the fold after tending exclusive rights free agent Greg Ward per Over The Cap.

A key member of the Eagles offense over the past two seasons, Ward can only negotiate a new deal with Philadelphia during the free-agent period.

Ward was the only wide receiver to start all 16 games for the Eagles last season and he had the best year of his career, logging 53 catches for 419 yards and six touchdowns.

[vertical-gallery id=646501]

[lawrence-related id=647378,647376,647239,647359]

Love Me Tender: NT Antwaun Woods agrees to ERFA one-year Cowboys offer

Cowboys defensive tackle Antwaun Woods has signed his exclusive rights tender.

The Dallas Cowboys have revamped their defensive line this offseason with several key additions. Veterans Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe were added early in free agency as the team’s new anchors at defensive tackle. Aldon Smith was brought in as a reclamation project at defensive end. In the draft the team added Oklahoma DT Neville Galimore and edge rusher Bradlee Anae, both capable of having an immediate impact.

Now, the Cowboys have more firepower on their defensive front as Antwaun Woods, starter at nose tackle the last two seasons, has finally signed his exclusive rights tender.

Woods signed a two-year, $1.05 million deal in May of 2018 after being released by the Tennessee Titans, and made the final 53-man roster that August. He registered 34 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery in 15 starts. 2019 was a rough year for Woods as multiple knee issues kept him sidelined. He finished with 23 tackles and a fumble recovery.

With only two years in the league, Woods was not eligible to negotiate with any other club. If the Cowboys wanted to retain him, all they had to do was extend the exclusive rights tag and he was theirs for the minimum veteran salary of $750,000. It made sense for Woods to wait until the eve of training camp to sign the agreement.

With Woods now locked in for the 2020 season he’ll have quite the battle for snaps with Poe and Gallimore expected to have big roles. Nonetheless, having him is a huge plus not only in terms of rushing the passer but also defending the run, an area the Cowboys struggled with in 2019.

New defensive line coach Jim Tomsula now has another piece to play with.

[vertical-gallery id=650773][lawrence-newsletter]

Seattle Seahawks finalize 4 signings ahead of 2020 NFL draft

The Seahawks finalized the signings of Bruce Irvin, Joey Hunt, Branden Jackson and Bryan Mone on Thursday, a few hours before the NFL draft.

The Seattle Seahawks continued to make some of their previously announced signings official, reporting the signing of veteran Bruce Irvin and the re-signing of three players from last year’s squad: center Joey Hunt, defensive end Branden Jackson and defensive tackle Bryan Mone.

Irvin’s signing was initially reported in mid-March. The veteran pass rusher was with the Seahawks from 2012-2015 after the team made him their first pick in the 2012 NFL draft, ahead of Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson.

Irvin spent time with the Raiders, Falcons and Panthers after that, but will return to Seattle in a strongside linebacker role, while doing some pass rushing in applicable situations as well.

Hunt and Jackson were both restricted free agents who officially signed their tenders earlier this week. Hunt will compete at center, where he has been the backup since 2016 – even starting eight games last year in Justin Britt’s absence.

Jackson is a reserve defensive end who had two sacks last year and will look to make the team in a similar role again in 2020.

Mone was signed as an undrafted free agent last year, and played sparingly as an interior defensive tackle. He will compete for the snaps vacated by Al Woods this offseason.

The NFL draft will kick off at 5:00 p.m. PT on Thursday, April 23, and the Seahawks presently own one pick, No. 27 overall, in the first round.

[lawrence-related id=59622]