The Latest on NFL free agency. Teams can negotiate with representatives of free agents for the second day Tuesday but cannot finalize any agreements until Wednesday (all times EDT):
5 p.m.
A person familiar with the deal says veteran tight end Jason Witten has agreed to a one-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be signed until the league year starts on Wednesday.
Witten turns 38 in May and will team up with the coach he once replaced in the “Monday Night Football” announcing booth. Witten retired from the NFL following the 2017 season to take a job as an analyst for ESPN after Jon Gruden left the broadcast booth to return to the Raiders.
Witten changed course a year later and returned to the Dallas Cowboys. He had 63 catches for 529 yards and four TDs last season.
Witten has 1,215 catches for 12,977 yards and 72 TDs in 16 seasons with Dallas. He will provide depth behind starter Darren Waller on the Raiders.
— Josh Dubow reporting.
4:50 p.m.
The New York Jets continued to address their offensive line by agreeing to terms with guard Alex Lewis on a three-year contract.
Lewis was acquired by New York from Baltimore last August and started 12 out of 15 games after taking over at left guard for the injured Kelechi Osemele.
The Jets announced the move Tuesday to bring back the 27-year-old Lewis, but financial terms weren’t immediately disclosed. The New York Daily News reported the deal is worth $18.6 million, with $6 million guaranteed.
The offensive line is a top priority for general manager Joe Douglas this offseason, and he began restructuring the unit by agreeing to terms Monday night with former Seattle tackle George Fant. A person familiar with that deal told The Associated Press it’s a three-year deal worth up to $30 million. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract can’t be signed until Wednesday, when the new league year begins.
Lewis was a fourth-round pick of Baltimore in 2016 out of Nebraska. He missed the 2017 season with a shoulder injury suffered during the Ravens’ preseason opener and played in 10 games the following year.
He came to the Jets as a backup, but was pushed into the starting lineup when Osemele injured a shoulder and was ultimately released after having season-ending surgery that wasn’t approved by the team.
Lewis played 764 snaps on offense last season, third-most among offensive linemen behind only starting right tackle Brandon Shell (806) and left tackle Kelvin Beachum (805) — both of whom are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents.
— Dennis Waszak Jr. reporting from New York.
4:45 p.m.
The Los Angeles Rams have declined their contract option on cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, a valuable part of their defense for the past three seasons.
Robey-Coleman has been the Rams’ nickel cornerback and their top defender on slot receivers since the team signed him in 2017. The USC product had three interceptions and 122 tackles for Los Angeles.
Robey-Coleman was the defender who admittedly got away with pass interference against New Orleans receiver Tommylee Lewis in the NFC championship game in January 2019.
His option would have counted for only $4.5 million against the cap for the Rams, who have little available space.
The Rams also have lost defensive tackle Michael Brockers and leading tackler Cory Littleton in the opening days of free agency. Their defense will look much different in the fall under new coordinator Brandon Staley.
— Greg Beacham reporting from Los Angeles.
4:40 p.m.
The Chicago Bears have released outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, parting with a former first-round draft pick who never boosted their pass rush the way they envisioned.
Floyd contributed against the run and in pass coverage. But he did not develop as a pass rusher the way the Bears thought he would when they traded up to draft him at No. 9 overall in 2016.
Floyd had 18 1/2 sacks in four seasons, including a career-low three last year. The Bears agreed to a five-year, $70 million deal with former All-Pro pass rusher Robert Quinn on Tuesday to join forces with Khalil Mack. That made it clear Floyd was on his way out of Chicago.
Only two of general manager Ryan Pace’s four first-round draft picks since taking over in 2015 remain with the Bears — quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and linebacker Roquan Smith. Receiver Kevin White, taken seventh overall in 2015, was limited to 14 games in three seasons in Chicago and is out of the league.
— Andrew Seligman reporting from Chicago.
4:30 p.m.
The Tennessee Titans have added a pass rusher, agreeing to terms with defensive end Vic Beasley.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft led the NFL with 15 1/2 sacks in 2016 for the Falcons. Atlanta declined to re-sign Beasley after he managed only 18 sacks combined over the past three seasons.
The Titans limited their risk by agreeing to terms with Beasley for only one season, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the deal cannot be completed until the new league year starts Wednesday.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs exposed the Titans’ issues at outside pass rush in the AFC championship game in January. Beasley led Atlanta with eight sacks last season, which would’ve ranked him second to Harold Landry in Tennessee. But 6 1/2 of those came in the second half of the season.
— Teresa M. Walker reporting from Nashville, Tennessee.
3:50 p.m.
The Eagles released safety standout Malcolm Jenkins, who led their secondary for the last six years and helped them win the 2017 NFL title. Jenkins, 32, had one year left on his contract at $7.6 million. He will cost the team $6 million under the cap, but the Eagles also save nearly $5 million by cutting Jenkins.
“Malcolm Jenkins has been an outstanding player for us and and we are proud of everything he accomplished both on and off the field during his time in Philadelphia,” the team said in a statement. “Malcolm was a great teammate and leader, as well as one of the toughest and most reliable players to ever play in our city.”
Jenkins also has been a strong voice in the players’ union, and a leader in the players’ social justice initiatives.
3:35 p.m.
Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips has agreed to sign with the Arizona Cardinals, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be completed until the league’s business year begins on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-6, 341-pound Phillips just finished a breakout season for the Buffalo Bills, where he played in 16 games, starting nine and finishing with a career-high 9 1/2 sacks. The Bills revived Phillips’ career by claiming him off waivers after he was released by the Miami Dolphins, shortly after getting into a sideline argument with an assistant coach.
Phillips fills a big need for Arizona’s defense, which gave up the most total yards in the NFL last season. The Cardinals hope Phillips can be another playmaker who can put pressure on the quarterback, joining linebacker Chandler Jones, who led Arizona with 19 sacks and eight forced fumbles last season.
— John Wawrow and David Brandt reporting.
3:30 p.m.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to terms with free agent linebacker Joe Schobert, filling one of the team’s biggest needs.
Schobert spent the past four years in Cleveland, where he led the team in tackles twice and made a Pro Bowl.
A person familiar with the transaction says Schobert will sign a five-year contract worth $53.75 million and includes $22.5 million guaranteed. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the deal won’t become official for another day.
Jacksonville had been looking to upgrade its linebacking group after failing repeatedly to adequately replace retired starters Paul Posluszny and Telvin Smith.
— Mark Long reporting from Jacksonville, Florida.
2:50 p.m.
A person familiar with the deal says defensive end Ronald Blair has agreed to a one-year contract to remain with the San Francisco 49ers.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been signed yet.
Blair has been a valuable depth player for the 49ers since being drafted in the fifth round in 2016. He has 13 1/2 sacks in 47 games as mostly a part-time player.
Blair had three sacks in nine games last season before tearing his ACL in a loss to Seattle in November. He is expected to he healthy by the start of training camp.
— Josh Dubow reporting
2:35 p.m.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have given contract offers to a pair of restricted free agents, linebacker Austin Calitro and receiver Keelan Cole.
Jacksonville tendered Cole a second-round offer and applied an exclusive rights tender on Calitro. Both are expected to sign the deals. Cole will earn $3.259 million next season and Calitro will make $750,000.
The team also released veteran tight end Geoff Swaim, a move that will create $3.73 million in salary cap space. Swaim played in six games last season before ending up on injured reserve with a concussion and an ankle injury.
Cole has 104 receptions for 1,600 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons with the Jags. Calitro has played in 29 games with nine starts during three years with the New York Jets, San Francisco, Seattle, Cleveland and Jacksonville.
2:05 p.m.
The Baltimore Ravens fortified their defensive front by obtaining free agent Michael Brockers, who agreed to terms on a three-year contract after spending the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Rams.
Brockers had a career-high 63 tackles with Los Angeles in 2019, along with three sacks. The 29-year-old defensive tackle played in all 16 games in each of the past three years and did not miss a game in six of seven seasons since his rookie year.
His agent, Scott Casterline, confirmed the deal Tuesday morning. The move does not become official until the start of the NFL’s new calendar year on Wednesday.
Brockers will join a three-man front that features nose tackle Brandon Williams and newcomer Calais Campbell, obtained Sunday in a pending trade with Jacksonville.
The moves could spell the end of free agent lineman Michael Pierce’s tenure in Baltimore.
Selected by the Rams out of LSU with the 14th overall pick in the 2012 draft, Brockers has 229 solo tackles and 23 sacks over 123 career games. The 6-foot-5, 305-pounder had five tackles in the Rams’ loss to New England in the 2019 Super Bowl.
It’s already been a busy offseason for Ravens second-year general manager Eric DeCosta, who affixed the franchise tag on linebacker Matthew Judon, traded tight end Hayden Hurst to Atlanta for draft picks and released tackle James Hurst.
James Hurst had been suspended the first four games of next season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances. He played six seasons for the Ravens, mostly as a backup, although he had two starts at left tackle in 2019.
1:55 p.m.
The Chicago Bears have agreed to a five-year, $70 million deal with former All-Pro defensive end Robert Quinn, giving them another elite pass rusher to line up opposite outside linebacker Khalil Mack.
Agent Sean Kiernan confirmed the deal, which includes $30 million guaranteed, to the NFL Network on Tuesday. He did not immediately return messages from the Associated Press.
Quinn bounced back with 11 1/2 sacks last year following a trade to Dallas from Miami despite a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs. He finished with single-digit sacks the previous four seasons for the St. Louis and Los Angeles Rams and the Dolphins. Quinn, who turns 30 in May, had 19 sacks for St. Louis in an All-Pro season in 2013 and had 10 1/2 the following year on the way to his second straight Pro Bowl selection. He has 80 1/2 in nine seasons.
He joins a team that missed the playoffs at 8-8 after going 12-4 and winning the NFC North championship the previous year.
The Bears are counting on Quinn to take some of the pressure off Mack, who often faces double- and triple-teams, and boost a defense that has ranked among the league’s best in recent years.
Chicago was eighth overall and ninth against both the run and pass last season. But the Bears had just 19 takeaways after leading the league with 36 in 2018. Mack also finished with 8 1/2 sacks after four straight years in double digits.
1:30 p.m.
A person familiar with the deal says the Las Vegas Raiders have agreed on a three-year contract with free agent linebacker Cory Littleton.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract can’t be signed until the start of the new league year. NFL Network reported the contract is worth up to $36 million.
Littleton is the second big free agent addition at linebacker for the Raiders. That position has been a revolving door of late for the team but Littleton will team with Nick Kwiatkoski to anchor that spot on the defense.
A second person said on condition of anonymity that the team earlier agreed to a three-year deal with Kwiatkoski.
— Josh Dubow reporting from Alameda, California
12:25 p.m.
The Panthers are moving on from quarterback Cam Newton.
The team announced they have given the 2015 league MVP permission to seek a trade — although Newton responded by saying he never requested one.
Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said Tuesday via Twitter that “every year difficult decisions are made and they are never easy.” Hurney said the Panthers are working with Newton’s agent to find the best fit for him moving forward.
Newton was quick to respond to the Panthers on social media, saying he didn’t ask for the trade.
Newton advised the Panthers to “stop the word play” and “please do not try and play me or manipulate the narrative and act like I wanted this: You forced me into this.”
12:20 p.m.
The Arizona Cardinals have tendered contracts to two restricted free agents, including right tackle Justin Murray and kicker Zane Gonzalez.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Murray was a surprise starter at right tackle last season after being claimed off waivers just before the first game of the season. The exclusive rights free agent played in 14 games last season, starting 12, and played well enough that he’s become part of the team’s long-term plans.
The 26-year-old had played in just two NFL games before joining the Cardinals.
Gonzalez made 31 of 35 field-goal attempts and 34 of 35 extra points last season in his first full year with the Cardinals. The kicker received a one-year qualifying offer, which will likely keep him with the team. Arizona could also sign him to a long-term contract.
— David Brandt reporting
12:15 p.m.
A person familiar with the negotiations says defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah has agreed to a $15 million, two-year contract with the Miami Dolphins.
The person confirmed the deal on condition of anonymity because the NFL signing period doesn’t begin until Wednesday.
Ogbah had 5½ sacks last year for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. He also spent three years with the Cleveland Browns and has 18 sacks in four seasons.
The Dolphins are using free agency to shore up a pass rush that ranked last in the NFL with 23 sacks in 2019. On Monday they agreed to terms with linebacker Kyle Van Noy and defensive end Shaq Lawson, who each had a career-high 6½ sacks last year.
— Steven Wine reporting from Miami.
12:15 p.m.
The Green Bay Packers have announced the signings of ex-Cleveland Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey and ex-Detroit Lions offensive tackle Rick Wagner, who had both been released by their former teams last week.
Kirksey’s agent, Brian Mackler, had confirmed Monday that Kirksey had agreed to terms with the Packers.
The 30-year-old Wagner spent the past three seasons with Detroit after playing four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He has made 87 starts. He made 12 starts last season but dealt with knee problems late in the year.
Kirksey, 27, had 148 tackles in 2016 and 138 more in 2017 for the Browns but played just nine games because of a hamstring injury in 2018 and appeared in only two games last year before going on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle.
Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine previously worked with Kirksey as the Browns’ head coach from 2014-15.
11:30 a.m.
Former Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins has agreed to a new three-year deal with the Detroit Lions. Collins’ agent, David Canter, confirmed the pact on Twitter.
Collins, who spent his first three seasons in New England, was traded to Cleveland in 2016. He was cut by the Browns in March 2019 and re-signed by the Patriots. He was a standout for New England last season with a career-high seven sacks and three interceptions.
In Detroit he will be reunited with Lions coach Matt Patricia, who was defensive coordinator during Collins’ first stint in New England.
— Kyle Hightower, reporting from Boston
10:40 a.m.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took another step toward retaining some of the key pieces of an improved defense by agreeing to re-sign linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul to a two-year, $27 million contract.
The deal comes on the heels of the Bucs placing the franchise tag on NFL sack leader Shaquil Barrett, whose salary leaps from $4 million in 2019 to nearly $16 million for the upcoming season.
Pierre-Paul has 21 sacks since being acquired in a trade from the New York Giants two years ago. He had 8½ in 10 games last season after recovering from a neck injury suffered in an offseason automobile accident.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection has 79½ sacks in 10 NFL seasons.
— Fred Goodall reporting from Tampa, Florida.