Tag: NFL Free Agency

49ers have tough decisions to make with 2 star free agents

San Francisco is weighing stardom vs. availability when evaluating LB Dre Greenlaw and S Talanoa Hufanga’s pending free agencies.

San Francisco will have a series of franchise-altering decisions to make when the 2025 offseason arrives.

Among those are what to do with pending defensive free agents in linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga.

Greenlaw has been a staple of San Francisco’s defense during his six seasons with the franchise. Alongside Fred Warner, Greenlaw has helped form one of the NFL’s best linebacking duos.

Even before his Achilles injury in Super Bowl LVIII that sidelined him until last Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, Greenlaw’s career has been hampered by nagging quad, groin, calf and hamstring injuries. Since being selected in the 2019 NFL draft, Greenlaw has missed 34 games.

The results speak for themselves, though. As ESPN’s Nick Wagoner shared, San Francisco’s defense limits opponents to 19.7 points per game and boasts a 44-19 record in its 63 regular season games with Greenlaw.

In the 34 games without Greenlaw, San Francisco is just 16-18 and allows 21.1 points per game.

Selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, Hufanga was a first-team All-Pro in the 2022 season. Hufanga has played in just four games this season and entered the year working his way back from a torn ACL in his right knee that ended his 2023 season in November of last year.

After returning from his ACL injury to begin the 2024 campaign, subsequent ankle and wrist injuries shelved him for most of this season.

On Wednesday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked how the team will weigh the duo’s respective star power against their availability when the offseason and their pending free agencies arrive.

“That goes into factoring everything. That’s what’s unfortunate. Nothing those two guys can do differently about it. But those are two of the better players I’ve been around and two of the better players on our team and two of the main reasons we’ve had the success here we’ve had. So, hopefully we can do everything we can to work out keeping them here because they’re as much of examples of 49ers as anyone I can think of,” Shanahan said.

It’s clear that Shanahan has an affinity for the duo and would like to keep both Greenlaw and Hufanga around.

Shanahan wasn’t surprised that both stepped right in and played well in their respective returns either.

“That’s what they’ve done the other times. One of the best games I’ve seen a linebacker play is, I think ’21, when Dre played in Week One versus Detroit and didn’t come back until Week 17 versus the Rams. We needed that game to go to the playoffs and that was the first time I’ve seen someone miss 16 games and come back and play at that level. So it doesn’t surprise me at all,” Shanahan said of Greenlaw.

“Huf’s, he came back earlier in this year and with having a wrist injury and stuff, he’s been able to get ready for this opportunity a little bit more than coming off his ACL that he had before that. So Huf’s been chomping at the
bit to get back and he was more ready for that moment.”

In his season debut, Greenlaw played just 30 defensive snaps before exiting with knee and Achilles soreness, but he racked up a quick eight tackles and the 49ers limited the Rams to just 12 points.

Hufanga tallied five tackles in a 38-13 blowout win over the Chicago Bears in Week 14. San Francisco held Chicago to just four yards of first-half offense in that victory over the Bears, which was the lowest mark of any NFL offense in a first half this season.

Then, against the Rams last week, Hufanga totaled eight tackles and 1.5 stuffs.

Even with possible free agency looming, Shanahan said that pair can help provide an energy to the 49ers’ locker room during these final three games of the season.

“A ton. I think you guys can see how, I think Huf going out there the Sunday before, and I think our safeties have played pretty good this year too, but just Huf the person and his communication and just having him out there I think was very inspiring.

“And then adding Dre the next week, or four days later, one, how good of a player he is and how big of a difference he makes just from that, but the style of how he plays really adds to our defense and makes everyone else better around him, not just adding a good player,” Shanahan said.

San Francisco (6-8) hopes that the spark from that duo can roll on into this week when the 49ers travel to Miami (6-8) to battle the Dolphins from Hard Rock Stadium. Kickoff on Sunday is set for 1:25 p.m. PT.

49ers should part ways with $84 million DL in offseason

The 49ers may have to part with some good players this offseason as part of a roster overhaul.

There are a handful of tough calls for the San Francisco 49ers to make in the wake of a disastrous 2024 season.

This year was one that may push the 49ers to make wholesale changes to their roster in hopes of re-opening a new Super Bowl window after the window with this year’s group appeared to close in a blaze of injuries, special teams woes and red-zone issues.

One of the biggest changes they can make is along the defensive line where parting with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave may become a necessary move for salary cap purposes.

Hargrave signed a four-year, $84 million deal in the 2023 offseason and never quite hit the level of game-wrecker the 49ers hoped he would be. He did have a terrific Week 3 game vs. the Los Angeles Rams this season, but he also suffered a triceps tear in that contest that ended cut his season short.

The 49ers need an overhaul on the defensive line and letting the 31-year-old walk ahead of his Age 32 season is a step the team can take in revamping a defensive position group that, bluntly, hasn’t been good enough the last two years.

Signing Hargrave was supposed to help the 49ers replicate some of the success they had along the defensive front in the 2019 season. While the veteran defensive tackle was productive as a pass rusher with 72 pressures and nine sacks in 22 games (including the postseason) per Pro Football Focus, he wasn’t a particularly effective run defender and he didn’t make life much easier on the rest of the defensive line.

Hargrave’s release would cost the 49ers $24.86 million in dead cap next year, while saving them $3.245 million and opening a spot on the defensive line for a younger player to get snaps. Not to mention the additional $3 million in cap savings will be significant for a team that will have to carefully manage the cap with a sizable contract likely due soon for quarterback Brock Purdy.

They could also designate him as a post-June 1 cut where his dead cap number would fall to $7.375 million and the savings would leap to $20.73 million.

There’s still something in the tank for Hargrave who can still be productive on a good defensive line. The 49ers are just in a place now where the cap savings of cutting him may outweigh the reward of keeping him in red and gold for another season.

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Former Bengals player reunites with Brian Callahan on Titans

A former Bengals player is in the news for a reunion.

Former Cincinnati Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd isn’t the only guy linking up with Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan this season.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, former Bengals wideout Stanley Morgan has signed on with the Titans via the practice squad.

Morgan was extremely popular with fans when he joined the Bengals via undrafted free agency in 2019. He eventually worked his way up to a prominent role as a gunner on special teams and earned a two-year extension.

This past March, Morgran signed with the New Orleans Saints but didn’t make the final roster by August. Now, he’s linking back up with Callahan.

Notably, the Bengals will actually see Morgan in less than a month when they visit the Titans in Tennessee for a Week 15 game.

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It may be time for 49ers to part with superstar playmaker in offseason

It might be time…

It appears the San Francisco 49ers are headed toward an offseason full of difficult decisions.

The salary cap and quarterback Brock Purdy’s impending contract extension were always going to make the 2025 offseason a rough one, but the team’s sluggish 5-5 start to the 2024 campaign is an indicator that significant changes need to be made to their roster.

One of those changes may be parting ways with wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

It’s nigh impossible to envision the Kyle Shanahan 49ers without Samuel. His rookie season was in 2019, the year the club turned around a sustained run of mediocrity and catapulted to the Super Bowl. In that year we saw glimpses of what eventually made him an All-Pro in 2021.

He is a unique play maker whose 1,405 receiving yards, 365 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 2021 may be a stat line we never see again from a wide receiver.

Samuel was also a consistent offensive spark for San Francisco, and Shanahan wasn’t afraid to lean on him when the team needed to generate offense.

It appears this season that version of Samuel may not be there anymore for the 49ers. In nine games he’s produced 33 receptions, 490 yards and one touchdown on 52 targets. He’s also carried 27 times for just 79 yards and one touchdown. Of his 27 carries, only two have generated either a touchdown or a first down, and his longest run of the season is just 12 yards.

In Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks where the 49ers didn’t have tight end George Kittle, there was a prime opportunity for Samuel to have a major impact. Instead he hauled in four balls for 22 yards and lost one yard on his only carry of the game.

Samuel’s yards after catch per reception are a career-low 7.7 so far this season. His yards-per-route run of 1.98 are the second-lowest mark of his career. He’s also forced only eight missed tackles on 33 receptions after forcing 40 on 73 catches last year. That trend continues in the run game where he has eight missed tackles forced on 27 carries this year, down from 22 missed tackles forced 43 carries a season ago per Pro Football Focus.

The explosiveness that made Samuel the NFL’s most dangerous playmaker through the early portion of his career seems to have evaded him. It’s hard to blame him given the physicality that defined his playmaking ability.

However, the 49ers need to start devising new ways to create offense, and parting ways with Samuel is starting to look like more of a necessity if they want to turn the page to the next chapter of football in San Francisco.

If they make Samuel a post-June 1 designation, they’ll have a $10,751,753 dead cap hit while saving $5,206,105 against the cap per Over the Cap.

With the type of high-priced contracts the 49ers are holding, that extra $5 million in room would be helpful, and Samuel would be able to find a new opportunity with a team that can differently maximize him.

It also opens the door for players like Ricky Pearsall, Jacob Cowing and Jauan Jennings to be more involved in whatever the next evolution of the 49ers’ offense looks like.

Parting ways with the 2021 All-Pro wouldn’t be easy, and it would be perhaps the single biggest move the 49ers could make to signal that a new era has arrived. It may be a necessity though given everything we know after 11 weeks of the 2024 season.

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Loss to Eagles highlights major Commanders’ need

Thursday’s loss to the Eagles highlighted a major need for the Commanders.

Terry McLaurin entered Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles ranked No. 3 in the NFL in receiving yards. Against the Eagles, McLaurin would finish the game with one reception for 10 yards.

After the game, the narrative was that Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell put the clamps on McLaurin and didn’t let go. As always, people love a good narrative. That’s not to discount Mitchell. He’s really good already. And he played a terrific game against the Commanders. In Mitchell, the Eagles found a star.

But there was more to the story. Mitchell did have some help. Philadelphia’s safeties chipped in to help limit McLaurin’s impact and force quarterback Jayden Daniels to look elsewhere.

Which brings us to this — and stop us if you’ve heard it before — McLaurin needs more help. So does Daniels. Washington has been looking for a quality No. 2 or 1b to McLaurin’s 1a since his second season (2020). The loss to the Eagles highlighted why that remains a need, especially when facing the top teams.

Noah Brown has excelled for the Commanders this season. However, he profiles more as a No. 3 receiver. Rookie Luke McCaffrey continues to get open, but he has yet to develop that chemistry with Daniels. He’ll be fine. Daniels needs another outside playmaker who will make opponents regret double-teaming McLaurin or even draw double teams himself.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins comes to mind. The 25-year-old is playing on the franchise tag and is expected to depart Cincinnati this offseason. He has the size and pedigree to give the Commanders another star wideout for years to come and grow with Daniels.

Higgins will come with a premium price tag. The good news is that Washington has cash, cap space, and a young quarterback with whom other receivers want to play.

Whether it’s Higgins, another free agent, or a rookie, the Commanders must get Jayden Daniels more help. Defenses can’t get double McLaurin the entire game if Washington has another player opposite him who can routinely make them pay. Adding another playmaking wide receiver can also help Daniels take his game to the next level.

49ers free agency prediction: Former All-Pro walks for big contract

The 49ers have telegraphed their plans at safety.

The San Francisco 49ers have been telegraphing their plans in the back end of their secondary since the 2023 draft, and those plans don’t involve bringing back former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga.

In the 2023 draft they weren’t slated to pick until late in Round 3, but they traded up to the No. 87 overall pick where they selected safety Ji’Ayir Brown. His versatile skill set made him an easy fit in the 49ers defense, and they needed to get younger at that position.

They affirmed their commitment to their plans in the 2024 draft when they used a fourth-round pick to select safety Malik Mustapha. That choice confirmed Hufanga’s time in San Francisco wouldn’t likely last beyond his rookie contract, which is up after the 2024 season.

Choosing to move on from Hufanga isn’t because he hasn’t had a strong four seasons with the 49ers. He was a quality special teams contributor as a rookie, then earned a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2022 in his first season as a starter on defense.

Injuries cut his 2023 season short and may cost him a majority of the 2024 campaign, but he’s still a quality player who will likely earn a contract in free agency north of what the 49ers can afford.

At some point the 49ers have to decide where they’re going to trim their roster financially, and the two safety spots are an easy choice given the other talent they’ve paid on the defensive side of the ball. That they used two draft picks at the position was confirmation they’d be going with rookie contracts at the two safety spots.

There’s always a chance Hufanga’s market is muted and he returns to the 49ers, which gives San Francisco a good problem on their depth chart. However, his penchant for generating turnovers and creating big plays for a defense should make him a valuable asset on the free agent market. If there’s even a handful of teams interested, his value will quickly sail above what the 49ers can realistically afford.

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Carolina Panthers players who are free agents in 2025

With the trade deadline now behind us, let’s take a look at the Panthers who are set to become free agents following the 2024 season:

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The 2024 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and it didn’t go without a few moves from the Carolina Panthers.

Last week, the team shipped off wideout Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens in a trade involving a late-round pick swap for the 2025 draft. And yesterday, in a much more favorable return, they sent fellow receiver Jonathan Mingo over to the Dallas Cowboys.

So now that those departures are official, we could start looking ahead towards free agency for quite a few more.

Here are Panthers whose contracts are set to expire following the season:

  • QB Andy Dalton
  • RB Chuba Hubbard (Signed four-year extension)
  • RB Raheem Blackshear (RFA)
  • WR David Moore
  • WR Jalen Coker (ERFA)
  • TE Tommy Tremble
  • TE Ian Thomas
  • TE Feleipe Franks (RFA)
  • OL Brady Christensen
  • OL Cade Mays
  • C Austin Corbett
  • DL LaBryan Ray
  • DL DeShawn Williams
  • DL Jonathan Harris
  • DL Raequan Williams (ERFA)
  • OLB Charles Harris
  • OLB Thomas Incoom
  • OLB Cam Gill
  • ILB Shaq Thompson
  • CB Mike Jackson
  • CB Lonnie Johnson Jr.
  • CB Anthony Brown
  • S Xavier Woods
  • S Jordan Fuller
  • S Sam Franklin Jr.
  • S Nick Scott
  • S Demani Richardson (ERFA)
  • K Eddy Piñeiro
  • P Johnny Hekker
  • LS JJ Jansen

*RFA = Restricted free agent
*ERFA = Exclusive rights free agent

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Will Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry’s success change how RBs are viewed in free agency?

Will Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry’s success change how the running back position is viewed in free agency?

Five of the NFL’s top ten leading rushers in 2024 were on different teams in 2023, and three of those players, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, and Josh Jacobs, were vocal about running backs getting the short end of the stick when it comes to contracts, and a fair pay scale for the position.

Before this season, only Christian McCaffrey ($19M) and Alvin Kamara ($15M) were the outliers for massive contracts for running backs. Since then, Jonathan Taylor scored a deal for $14 million per season, while Barkley ($12.5M) and Jacobs ($12M) have proven the doubters the wrong on dishing out considerable contracts to running backs.

Ahead of the Week 8 matchup against the Bengals, Barkley was asked if his and Derrick Henry’s success this season can change how the position is viewed in free agency and when new deals are discussed.

Barkley is among the top five in rushing yards, while Henry is on pace to shatter the league’s single-season rushing record. Joe Mixon, David Montgomery, and Aaron Jones flourish with new teams or deals.

James Conner (Cardinals), Jones, Najee Harris, Nick Chubb, J.K. Dobbins, and Chuba Hubbard are among the big names who’ll test free agency, and this new theory that dual-threat running backs deserve to be paid like their counterparts at wide receiver.

Former Eagles linebacker Devin White signs with the Houston Texans

Former Eagles linebacker Devin White signs with the Houston Texans

Devin White has landed, as the former Eagles linebacker has signed a deal with the Houston Texans.

White missed the Buccaneers’ week four loss and had been inactive for games against the Packers, Falcons, and Saints.

The Eagles have had Nakobe Dean and Zach Baun starting the first four games, and Baun had been one of the most impressive linebackers in the NFL through the first three weeks.

White exited Tampa Bay for Philadelphia with the hope of retooling his career while becoming the missing piece that gets this Eagles team over the Super Bowl hump.  During the summer, it looked like White had shown he was the best linebacker on the roster while assuming a leadership role, resulting in the former Buccaneers star becoming a defensive general.

White, a 2024 free agent signing, talked about being a team leader and upgrading Philadelphia’s linebacker position.

He’ll now join a playoff contender.

Jevon Holland ranked as No. 1 free agent of 2025 by PFF

PFF thinks there will be a huge market for Jevon Holland if he hits free agency in the spring.

The Miami Dolphins are set to receive two compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL draft after a pair of their former players, Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt, were two of hottest commodities on the free agency market earlier this year. According to Pro Football Focus, the Dolphins may once again be in line to lose a coveted player.

In a ranking of the top 50 players set to become free agents in March 2025, Dolphins safety Jevon Holland sits atop the list at No. 1.

“Holland ranked as one of the five highest-graded safeties in two of his first three seasons in the league,” PFF wrote in a post published Thursday. “Having earned a 60.9 PFF grade through five weeks in 2024, he’s currently on track for a career-low in that category, but there’s a long way to go this season, and his body of work previously speaks for itself.”

Holland, 24, was a second-round pick for the Dolphins in 2021 and has five interceptions, five forced fumbles, and four sacks in 50 career games played. He’s currently dealing with a potentially serious hand injury suffered in Miami’s Week 5 win.

“It should be about week-to-week,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of Holland. “A little ahead of schedule to kind of determine that, but it feels like it’ll be a week-to-week thing so we’ll see what that looks like in about a week.”

In May, Holland told reporters that contract talks with the Dolphins were “on the back burner” while the team worked on a deal with Tua Tagovailoa. Since his comments, Miami has agreed to new contracts with Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill, and Jalen Ramsey.

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