Tag: NFL Free Agency

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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Ravens agree to a 2-year, $6 million contract extension with RB Justice Hill

Ian Rapoport reports that the Ravens and RB Justice Hill have agreed to terms on a 2-year, $6M contract extension

Justice Hill was set to become a free agent this off-season, but he’ll be around for the long haul after earning a contract extension.

Ian Rapoport reports that Baltimore has agreed to terms on a 2-year, $6 million deal for the reliable dual-threat running back.

Selected by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft, Hill has 208 career rushing attempts, 959 career rushing yards (4.6 avg), five touchdowns, and 61 catches for 416 yards and one score.

Hill gives Lamar Jackson another reliable threat behind Derrick Henry, with Keaton Mitchell still recovering from a torn ACL.

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Eagles to sign Jack Driscoll to the practice squad

Philadelphia Eagles to sign Jack Driscoll to the practice squad

Another familiar face has returned to the NovaCare Complex, as former fourth-round pick Jack Driscoll is signing to the practice squad ahead of the team’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

Driscoll, 27, was added by the Dolphins as a free agent earlier this year on a one-year deal.

Before joining Miami, the lineman spent four years with the Philadelphia Eagles, who picked him in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Former UCLA Bruin Atonio Mafi released by New England Patriots

A tough decision.

With the preseason in the books for all 32 NFL clubs, cut-down day is upon us. While some Bruins found themselves on rosters, one former Bruin will be looking for a new team after today.

Interior offensive lineman, Atonio Mafi, who was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2023 in the sixth round, was cut today. Mafi, who started five games for the Patriots last season, fell victim to the roster cut-down according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.

New England’s offensive line has been in disarray all summer long as they have dealt with injuries and underperformance. Despite their need for big bodies up front, Mafi’s less-than-productive preseason has him on the waiver wire for other teams to claim.

Mafi was a second-team All-Pac-12 player for the Bruins in 2022, playing in a record-tying 56 games for UCLA, and still has some upside. Able to play guard and center in a pinch, Mafi could be a reserve swing player for an NFL club looking to add depth along the offensive line.

That said, there is still a chance if Mafi slips through the waiver wire he is signed to the Patriots practice squad again.