2022 NFL free agency news summary: Wednesday 16 March
NFL Free Agency
Baker Mayfield pens a strange "maybe so, maybe not" breakup letter to Cleveland.
Jarvis Landry deals to be done
Jarvis Landry is reportedly being pursued seriously by both Atlanta and the Saints, but after hearing of the Amari Cooper deal, Landry spoke to his agent expressing a wish to play alongside Cooper so it is just possible that Landry will stay in Cleveland after all.
Jameis Winston landing spot
With the New Orleans Saints being touted as the front-runner in the league wide scrum for Deshaun Watson, where would that leave Jameis Winston? After the Carson Wentz trade, the Colts will be a likely and strong candidate for the former number one draft pick and Heisman winner.
Another possible move would be a straight quarterback swap with Houston, where Jameis takes on the Texans rebuild. Stranger things have happened.
NFL Free Agency WINNERS and LOSERS: Who's on top after wild few days?
CBS Sports breakdown of the big winners and losers so far in the free agency action.
Benson Mayowa released
According to ESPN, the Seahawks are releasing edge rusher Benson Mayowa, to save $1.45 million against the 2022 cap and leaving behind $2.25 million in dead money. The 30-year-old Mayowa had one sack in 15 games for Seattle last season.
Raiders take Averett
The Las Vegas Raiders add another corner back in dealing for Anthony Averett with the Ravens.
A slow evening ater a few big signings earlier on, none bigger than Von Miller announcing that he would be moving to the Buffalo Bills. A reminder of the best players still lurking in the first few hours of free agency:
Terron Armstead, OT
Allen Robinson, WR
Stephon Gilmore, CB
Bobby Wagner, LB
Tyrann Mathieu, S
Click here for the full list of the top talent still left from our friends at CBS Sports
Miami Mack moves to the Raiders
Chris Godwin gets 3 year deal
Buccaneers' franchise player Chris Godwin reached agreement on a 3-year, $60 million deal that includes $40 million fully guaranteed at signing, say sources.
Terron Armstead is one of the hottest properties in the NFL. The 3 time Prow Bowl offensive tackle is being courted by virtually every team in the league, with Miami and Chicago trying to outdo each other for his attention. He will command a salary in the region of $60 million. But with each passing day, there is a frustrating silence from Armstead. What is holding him back?
Carson Wentz goes to Washington
The Commanders pick up a Super Bowl champion quarterback in Carson Wentz to revitalize this team.
Giants pick up Ricky Seals-Jones from Washington
Steelers pick up Jack from Jags
The Steelers have signed linebacker Myles Jack for a two-year $16 million deal.
Conklin beefs up Jets TE unit
Tyler Conklin had a breakout season with the Vikings after four years in Minnesota. His 61 catches for almost 600 yards and three TDs were enough to catch the eye of the New York Jets who picked him up shortly after bringing in former Bengal C.J. Uzomah
Von calls dibs on #40
Von Miller is on vacation after winning Super Bowl LVI, but he had a message for Bills Mafia after today's big news. Buffalo is 40 open? Von there was no one on the Buffalo roster with the number 40, and I don't think anyone coming in during the offseason dares take it from you.
With Von Miller off the board there are now just five of the Top 20 players left in the free agent market according to CBS Sports.
These are the best players still lurking in the first few hours of free agency:
Terron Armstead, OT
Allen Robinson, WR
Stephon Gilmore, CB
Bobby Wagner, LB
Tyrann Mathieu, S
Click here for the full list of the top talent still left from our friends at CBS Sports
Bills bring in another champ
Maybe going a bit overlooked thanks to some unfortunate timing, but the Bills are bringing in another Super Bowl Champion in OJ Howard who was with the Bucs for the last four years.
Howard had 14 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown for Tampa Bay last year.
Mack joins the Mafia
It is official. The two time Super Bowl champion is heading to the Buffalo Bills. Will he be that missing piece that the Bills have needed in their path to the Super Bowl?
Miller the newest member of Bills Mafia
We have out first bombshell of the day!!! Von Miller is off to Buffalo!!! And he GOT PAID!!! He has agreed to a six year, $120 million deal with the Bills.
Von is coming off of a Super Bowl winning season with the Los Angeles Rams, and will not return for a chance at a back-to-back bid. Instead he goes to a team that has been on the fringe of winning the AFC for the last three years. The Bills defense had their high points and low points in the season, think the AFC Championship against the Chiefs.
Miller is less than two weeks away from turning 33.
Will Watson find a team after chargers were dropped?
We have gone this long without mentioning Deshaun Watson, partly because he is not a free agent. He signed a four-year, $156 million deal with the Texans in 2020, but since has faced legal issues that have been dismissed in recent week, but teams still may be wary of taking a chance on the former Clemson QB with a fat contract attached to him.
The 22 criminal charges brought on after he was accused of harrasment and sexual assault were dropped last week which makes him more likely to find a team this offseason. However, Watson still faces civil suits and a potential suspension from the league.
It's time for another rapid fire update
Cincy is keeping saftey Michael Thomas.
The Radiers have signed ex-Pats fullback Jakob Johnson
Carolina is keeping hold of their WR Brandon Zylstra for another year.
Top free agents still in the market
According to CBS Sports the there are just six of their Top 20 free agents still available. Here is the list of the top free agents still on the board:
Terron Armstead, OT
Von Miller, EDGE
Allen Robinson, WR
Stephon Gilmore, CB
Bobby Wagner, LB
Tyrann Mathieu, S
Mack makes LA introduction
Khalil Mack going to the LA Chargers was one of the moves of the early stages of the legal tampering period, and he got a chance to speak to the Los Angeles media. He talked about his shock upon hearing about the being traded from Chicago to LA, said he's loving the weather in Southern California and also talked about the winning energy and attitude at his new team.
It's time for some more rapid fire updates around the league
The Titans have reached a deal with former Niner RB and and special teamer Trenton Cannon.
TE Johnny Mundt is heading to Minnesota on a two-year deal.
Former Browns WR Jarvis Landry will visit with the Atlanta Falcons
What's the action?
I must admit, I expected a bit more action in the first hour of the free agent market. I do think the the legal tampering rule has maybe diluted the first hours of the market opening. There were a whole lot of deals set in stone, waiting on 4 p.m. today to make it official. There is still a lot of time and some big names available, and we are just at the tip of the free agent market iceburg.
Smith headed to Landover
The Ravens have been a historically defensive team with their line backing corp at the heart of their smashmouth unit. Coach Harbaugh and the Ravens will now have Za'Darius Smith at their service after the former Packer signed a four-year $35 million dollar deal with the AFC North side.
Will Smith make a name for himself in Baltimore like Ray Lewis and Tyrell Suggs made in the middle of the Ravens defense?
Mathieu message means he's on his way out?
Tyrann Mathieu is one of the most sought after DB's in the free agent market this offseason, and seems to be a bit bitter that the Kansas City Chiefs appear to be looking in other directions. Mathieu posted this message on Twitter last week, causing people to believe that his Chiefs career is coming to an end.
Wilson is officially a Bronco
Russell Wilson is finally a Bronco, and wasted no time giving a press confernce. As elegant and eloquent as always Wilson gave a bit of his history in Colorado in his early career, while giving thanks to Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks.
Jones out in Nashville
It looks like the Tennessee Titans are parting way s with Julio Jones after a year. He caught 34 passes for 434 yards and had just one touchdown in his year in the Music City.
We are five minutes into the market. Let's go rapid fire on the latest signings
Center Austin Blythe is leaving the Chiefs after signing for the Seahawks.
OL Chris Hubbard is returning to Cleveland on a one year deal.
Washington will keep their kicker Joey Slye on a tender of $2.4 million
Tom Brady will have Cam Brate at tight end on his return to Tampa after Brate signs a two-year $8 million deal.
Former Cleveland Brown WR Rashard Higgins is headed to Carolina on a one year deal.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
THE NEW NFL SEASON IS OFFICALLY UNDERWAY AND WITH THAT BRINGS THE OPENING OF THE FREE AGENT MARKET!!!
DBs never take their eyes off WRs
The DB's have something to say about Christian Kirk's $72 million deal with the Jaguars. Darius Slay put out a tweet, and Jalen Ramsey who got a nine-figure deal last year was quick to respond.
Pass catchers still to be snatched
There is a deep corp of WR's that are yet to reach deals with their next team. Of the long list of names,
Former Chicago Bear Allen Robinson sit's high on the top of each teams' wish list.
Cleveland look like they aren't interested in bringing back Jarvis Landry so he could know his new home shortly.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is also on the market after his contract with Pittsburgh came to an end.
Odell Beckham Jr. is also out there, but after teaing his ACL in the Super Bowl, how many teams will want to take a chance on him?
Wide receivers already snagged
The wide receiver market it scorching, and there have alrady been some big shake ups and some big money thrown at the top pass catchers in free agency this offseason.
Christian Kirk is headed to Jacksonville on a four- year $72 million dollar dea.
Russell Gage is moving from Atlanta to NFC South rival Tampa Bay of a three year deal worth $10 million a season.
Zay Jones is joing Kirk in Jacksonville from the Raiders on a 3-year deal for $24 million.
Cedrick Wilson is out in Big D as the Miami Dolphins have scooped him up for over $22 million over the next three years.
DJ Chark is headed to Detroit on a one year deal from $10 million.
Reports out of Dallas is that the Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are heavily pursuing the Super Bowl Champion pass rusher. Miller joined the Rams midseason, and was a big part of their Super Bowl winning running. Those in Big D will be hoping Miller opts for America's team and can take them to the promise land.
Let the countdown begin
We are just about a half hour away from the start of the NFL Free Agent Market opening! Ladies and gentleman, start your engines.
Jags hit the ground running
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been very busy already after coming into the offseason on the heels on a season in which they finished with the worst record on the league. Here's who they have signed so far:
Brandon Scherff, G
Christian Kirk, WR
Evan Engram, TE
Foley Fatukasi, DT
Foye Olokun, LB
Darious Williams, CB
QB's on the move already
We were talking about free agents that have not come to terms with a team yet, but lets talk about the quarterbacks who will be on the move as of 4 p.m. ET.
Mitchel Trubisky is leaving Buffalo after agreeing to a two-year $14 million dollar with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Will he be the guy to fill the big shoes left by Big Ben's retirement?
Tyrod Taylor's nightmare in Texas is over after signing with the New York Giants on a two-year $11 million dollar deal. The Giants are committed to Daniel Jones, but Taylor coming into the Meadowlands means Jones will have some competition at the QB position if Jones doesn't start playing like the New York expected him to when they drafted the QB.
Teddy Bridgewater's days in Denver were numbered after Russell Wilson signed with the Broncos. Bridgewater is on his way to Miami where there has been much speculation about Tua Tagovailoa's job security in South Florida. Bridgewater is on a one-year $6.5 million deal.
Football is back baby!
Sorry to all, I haven't introduced myself since taking control. I'm Dane Arlauckas and I will be with you for the the next seven hours or so. In that time we will officially kick off the new NFL year, all the while opening up the free agent market in what's being called the Free Agent Frenzy.
Fasten you seat belts and hold on to your butts. Football season is very much alive today, but all the action is happening in the front offices as teams make their first reinforcements for the upcoming season.
Raiders scoop up one of NFL's best pass rushers
Former Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones has just signed a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. The AFC West is looking like the most stacked offensive division in football, so the Raiders making a big move to sure up their defensive unit.
Jones has 107.5 sacks since entering the league in the 2012, which is more than anyone else in the league. Vegas' defense came into question more than a few times last season, but this move shows Mark Davis is serious about contending in the division again this season.
Winston one of most sought after QB's
There are some big names in the market for those teams looking to beef up their quarterbacking corp. Cam Newton is a free agent after an unsuccessful return to Carolina. Andy Dalton looks like he's headed out of Chicago, whle Ryan Fitzpaticks's time in Washington seems to have come to an end. Jameis Winston is probably the most desired quarterback in the market, but he is coming off of a serious knee injury last year that may make teams a bit skiddish to sign the signal caller
Mayfield stay or Mayfield go now?
What will the Brown's do about their quarterback situation? Baker Mayfield sent a very cryptic message over his Instagram, which has thrown the Cleveland QB's future in the Dog Pound in the air.
Fine like Redwine
The name of the free agent market isn't Tyrann Mathieu, Terron Armstead or Jameis Winston. It's Sheldrick Redwine who is being brought back to Miami on a one-year deal. Redwine played in just 4 games at saftey last year for the Dolphins.
Legal tampering over the last two days
At 4 p.m. ET free agency will officially start as the new NFL year begins. The market isn't techniaclly open just yet, but there have been deals struck as of a couple days ago as there is a legal tampering phase that allows teams and players to begin talks before the market opens. The oxymoron of the legal tampering was introduced to the free agent market in 2013.
Washington keeping hold of McKissic
One of the Football Team, turned Commanders' best dual threat running backs, J.D. Mckissic, is staying put in Washington after agreeing to a two-year $7 million. While both parties have come to terms the deal won't be made official until 4 p.m. ET when the league year officially starts.
McKissic ran for just 212 yards on 4 carries, but had 43 catches for 397 yards.
It was thought that McKissic was on his way to Buffalo, but Washington matched the offer in the moments leading up to the beginning of the free agent market.
Carl Nassib set to join the open market
The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to let go of defensive end Carl Nassib, resulting in $3 million in savings on the team’s salary cap.
This amount could increase to $8 million if they release the 28-year-old with a post-June 1 designation.
The Jackson Jaguars are beefing up their lineup and are expected to add Los Angeles Rams cornerback Darious Williams to their roster via a substantial three-year contract that provides for $18 million in guaranteed money.
If this pushes through, it will be a homecoming of sorts for the 28-year-old, who was born in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Cleveland Browns are set to let go of tight end Austin Hooper.
The team will be able to save $9.5 million against the salary cap by letting the 27-year-old go with a post-June 1 designation. This will spread out the Browns' dead cap hit to future years.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the process of making their team Super Bowl worthy, and after re-signing Tom Brady, they made sure another Bucs talent was going to stay put.
The Bucs have also re-signed their reliable cornerback, Carlton Davis. AS USA's Reem Abdalazem with the details.
Marcus Maye has joined the New Orleans Saints after a sometimes-rocky relationship with the New York Jets. Maye is seen as a good fit for the Saints' defense.
More on the versatile free safety from AS USA's Jeffrey May.
Players who find themselves out of a contract can have a possible field day on the free agency market, if they successfully negotiate a new deal that was significantly better than what they used to have.
Some free agents however are coming from pretty generous contracts that might be difficult to top or even equal. Here are some free agents who have already managed to sign new deals and how much they stand to earn.
One of the biggest headlines this past week was the "un-retirement" of Tom Brady. When he announced that he would once more suit up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he enigmatically hinted at some "unfinished business" that he had to attend to.
AS USA's Jeffrey May tells us about some possible interpretations of Brady's cryptic statement.
Acquiring the right talent for your team on the open market can greatly aid your campaign to be a serious contender for the Super Bowl.
It's not just a matter of a player's ability, it's also a matter of a team's needs.
Here are some of the best potential fits for this year's free agency cycle, using advanced metrics.
Even as teams want to snatch up promising players who will be available at the free agency market, they will be limited by considerations of their salary cap.
Some teams, like the Green Bay Packers, had to do some serious number-crunching to be able to sign Aaron Rodgers and lessen their cap digits so they can allocate funds for other players on their roster.
Other teams however, have more leeway in their cap room that they can afford to spend on hiring the best talents in free agency.
The negotiating period in the run up to free agency has been a whirlwind of activity headlined by Aaron Rodgers, who eventually signed a new deal with the Green Bay Packers, and defensive end Randy Gregory, who reportedly agreed to a deal with the Dallas Cowboys then backed out and signed up with the Denver Broncos.
Here are some of the other agreements that went downover the past two days.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of NFL free agency 2022, an event which signals the beginning of the new league year.
Even before free agency officially starts at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT, some players and teams have already begun talks and reached agreements so that they can be ready to put their signature on them today.
We’ll be giving you all the latest updates including contract signings, trades, rumors, and other kinds of news involving the free agents and the teams that want to sign them up.