What happened in the first week of NFL free agency: From Kirk Cousins to the Falcons to Justin Fields' trade to the Steelers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren’t letting quarterback Baker Mayfield near free agency as the two sides agreed on a three-year, $100 million deal, including $50 million guaranteed with a max value of $115 million, league sources confirmed to The Athletic on Sunday.

Mayfield and the Buccaneers gambled, figuratively, on each other last season after Tom Brady retired. Mayfield inked a one-year deal last offseason and competed with Kyle Trask for the starting job. The 2018 No. 1 pick won the job and delivered one of his best seasons as a professional, leading the Bucs to the NFC South title and a wild-card win.

Now Mayfield has found another chance to be a franchise QB, while the Bucs have solidified the position.

Mayfield, who turns 29 in April, threw for 4,044 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 94.6 passer rating last season in Tampa Bay. The yardage and TD totals are career highs and the passer rating was his second best. All of this added up to his first Pro Bowl appearance for the 2023 season.

In his career, Mayfield has thrown for 20,332 yards with 130 touchdowns and 74 interceptions with an 88.1 passer rating having played for the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams before joining the Bucs.

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Most teams can’t lose their starting QB for the rest of the season in Week 5 and fall just one win, and really a few plays, short of the playoffs. But most teams didn’t have backup QBs like Gardner Minshew. Though his play could be head-scratching and even frustrating at times, there’s something to be said about how Minshew kept the Colts’ season afloat and, at times, even led them to victories (his play in the Pittsburgh Steelers game was masterful). Minshew racked up 18 total TDs (15 passing, three rushing) against 14 total turnovers (nine interceptions, five lost fumbles), which sums up his ceiling as a backup QB.

As we all know, not every team locates its long-term solution at the most important position in football. One franchise is bound to miss out this offseason, and after a respectable campaign in Indy, Minshew might have a chance to serve as QB1 somewhere else. Neither Minshew nor the Colts have explicitly said they want to continue their marriage, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Minshew was one and done in Indianapolis as he seeks a bigger role.

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More numbers on the Baker Mayfield contract:

2024: $30 million guaranteed

2025: $30 million ($20 million guaranteed)

2026: $40 million

He’s eligible to earn $5 million each year in incentives ($2.5 million in statistical incentives and $2.5 million in playoff incentives).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just days before the NFL’s free-agency period began, the Kansas City Chiefs were able to retain one of their most notable veterans who was set to be an unrestricted free agent: linebacker Drue Tranquill.

Thursday night, the Chiefs and Tranquill, a five-year veteran, agreed to a three-year contract worth $19 million, including $13 million fully guaranteed, league sources confirmed to The Athletic.

“Unfinished business,” Tranquill wrote Thursday night on his X (formerly Twitter) account. “Chiefs Kingdom LETS GOOOOO.”

Almost a year ago, Tranquill joined the Chiefs on a one-year, $3 million contract to be one of the team’s top role players under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Tranquill excelled in his role, too. In 16 games last season, including eight starts in place of injured starter Nick Bolton, Tranquill recorded 79 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup.

His production was also noteworthy in the Chiefs’ memorable postseason run, as he recorded 21 tackles in four elimination games.

“I felt like this was a place where I could come and get better as a player, a place where I could thrive,” Tranquill said last month before the Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl LVIII. “I felt I could make a big impact.”

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Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed to a three-year, $100 million deal, including $50 million guaranteed, a league source confirmed. The deal carries a max value of $115M.

The Eagles need another reliable option at safety to pair with Reed Blankenship, especially with Brown recovering from a torn ACL. It should be pointed out the Eagles chose not to dedicate $14.4 million of their cap space for a soon-to-be 31-year-old Kevin Byard.

They saved over $13 million by releasing the two-time All-Pro (only four months after trading for him). So, if Howie Roseman were to turn around and spend a large chunk of those savings on another proven veteran in his 30s (which the market is currently flooded with), there would have to be a firm conviction in that decision. Simmons, 30, could make sense due to his ties to Vic Fangio.

Justin Simmons, who has 30 career interceptions, earned the first of his two Pro Bowl selections with the Broncos while playing for Fangio. Christian Parker, Fangio’s newly hired defensive passing game coordinator, was also Simmons’ defensive backs coach in Denver. But the free-agent market is flush with younger options such as Xavier McKinney, Kamren Curl and Jordan Whitehead. The Eagles can afford to sign someone entering their prime.

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Foley Fatukasi's strength is at the point of attack. He uses his hands well to disengage and flashes enough quickness to get penetration. He's also a bull rusher who can push the pocket, though he isn't going to pile up sacks or QB hits. He should be a solid rotational option.

Fatukasi ranked No. 143 in our NFL free agent rankings.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi is signing with the Houston Texans on a one-year deal, a league source said.

Fatukasi, 29, started 16 games for the Jaguars last year, recording 24 tackles and three tackles for loss. Jacksonville released him last week.

He has started at least eight games in each of the last four seasons with the New York Jets and Jacksonville.

It’s actually a win that the Patriots got anything more than a pick swap for Mac Jones because teams knew he was on the way out.

But it’s hard to separate the transaction from the failure to develop a quarterback who once represented the future of the franchise. Jones beat out Cam Newton in a legitimate quarterback competition during the Patriots’ 2021 training camp, and the Alabama product seemed to be on his way to a long career in Foxboro before the failed Matt Patricia experiment in 2022 and the subsequent falling out with Belichick.

There’s a reason why the phrase is “draft and develop,” and not “draft and see what happens.” Again, maybe Jones wasn’t the guy all along and the Patriots simply whiffed on the pick. But it’s inarguable that they didn’t set him up to succeed over the past two years, and they’re starting over again as a result — after a season in which the Patriots hit their lowest point of Robert Kraft’s three-decade ownership.

If the Patriots turn the pick into a long-term contributor, the trade will look much different. But for now, it was a necessary step in freeing themselves from Jones and starting anew.

The Denver Broncos are trading wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns for fifth- and sixth-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, team and league sources confirmed to The Athletic on Saturday.

The trade can not be officially processed until the start of the new league year next week.

Jeudy, a 2020 first-round pick, had 54 catches for 758 yards and two touchdowns last season. Denver picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract last May, fully guaranteeing his $12.99 million salary for 2024. The Broncos will save that amount in cap space by trading Jeudy.

The teams had discussions about a trade for Jeudy near the deadline last November, according to a source, but Denver ultimately held onto Jeudy.

The Browns give up picks No. 135 and 202, they will keep 155 and 205. Pick No. 155 in the fifth round is currently their first of the draft’s final day. Their fourth-round pick is the final piece of the 2022 Deshaun Watson trade.

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The Cowboys opted to not place the franchise tag on Tony Pollard so he will test the market. For the right term and right price, exploring Pollard as part of the running game isn’t a terrible idea. However, it has to be done in a team-friendly manner and can’t be the only notable move at the position. Pollard may be better more than a year removed from his injury but he hasn’t proven to be anything more than a supplemental piece. Even if Pollard returns, his usage — volume and style — would need to change.

Rico Dowdle (89-361-2) was solid last season in his limited opportunities and can be had at a fair price to be a depth piece. One way or the other, it doesn’t register on the scale in the Cowboys’ efforts to be better at the position.

The external options have some intrigue. Derrick Henry is a popular name linked to the Cowboys recently. As a free agent, the Cowboys could look to bring him in on a short-term deal but it comes with obvious risks. Henry is a bruiser who turned 30 a couple of months ago. His 2,000-yard season in 2020 feels like a lifetime ago but his durability the past two seasons has been impressive. With the right combination of backs on the roster, Henry could be a nice fit.

Saquon Barkley is one of the top running backs available. Although Barkley has played in at least 13 games in each of the last three seasons, he’s often playing through injuries and hasn’t played every game since his rookie year in 2018. He is a multidimensional back who could be viewed as a lead back in a pass-first offense.

Josh Jacobs, Gus Edwards and D’Andre Swift could also provide a boost. There are a handful of other players available but they each come with their own red flags that the Cowboys will have to consider. It is important for the Cowboys to not get into a bidding war and overpay for a player at a position that has proven to be expendable and quickly drops off a cliff.

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Two years after reaching the Pro Bowl as a rookie who was viewed as the next franchise quarterback for the New England Patriots, Mac Jones is being sent to his hometown Jacksonville Jaguars as part of a trade that gives Jones a fresh start after a tumultuous last two years with the Patriots, team sources confirmed on Sunday.

The Patriots will acquire the Jaguars’ sixth-round pick in exchange for Jones, the sources said. The trade cannot be processed until the new league year, which begins Wednesday.

It’s the end of a labored saga between Jones and the Patriots, one that crumbled under three different offensive coordinators in three years and a locker room that lost faith in Jones amid his handling of multiple benchings from then-coach Bill Belichick.

For the Patriots, it’s the clearest sign yet of something that’s been known — that the Patriots are looking for a new quarterback. They’re expected to be active in the free-agent market for a veteran quarterback once negotiations are allowed at noon Monday, potentially eyeing a reunion with Jacoby Brissett. A move like that would still keep the option open for them to draft a quarterback with the No. 3 pick.

For Jones, it’s a much-needed re-set after trust fractured with the Patriots. After a promising rookie season, Belichick tapped former defensive specialist Matt Patricia to run the offense, and Jones’ production cratered from there. Relationships frayed too over disagreements with the way Jones was coached and how he behaved on the field. Then last season with Bill O’Brien running the team’s offense, Jones’ performance didn’t improve. He completed 65 percent of his passes in 11 starts, while throwing 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, eventually losing his job for good to Bailey Zappe. Now he heads to Jacksonville to backup Trevor Lawrence before Jones, the No. 15 pick in 2021, becomes a free agent next year.

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The Denver Broncos’ decision to release star safety Justin Simmons could easily be written off as collateral damage and a regrettable but necessary step toward recalibrating their salary cap.

But digging deeper, a trend seems to be forming at Simmons’ position, as a group of safeties have flooded the free-agent market with teams seemingly prioritizing other areas of the roster. Kevin Byard, Jordan Poyer, Jamal Adams, Eddie Jackson, Quandre Diggs, Rayshawn Jenkins and Marcus Maye were all cut (or designated a post-June 1 cut in Maye’s case) while Antoine Winfield Jr. was franchise tagged by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kyle Dugger was transition tagged by the New England Patriots and Xavier McKinney wasn’t tagged in any capacity by the New York Giants.

There was a brief moment Tuesday when McKinney seemed to be in a prime position to monopolize the top tier of the safety market in free agency. But within 48 hours, he was shoulder to shoulder with more peers than he likely expected.

The supply is in line to outweigh the demand, which could drive down the value of the position. It’s unlikely to be as dramatic as the running backs’ sinking market, but seven personnel executives and coaches around the NFL told The Athletic something has been developing, even if it only becomes a short-term trend.

“(It’s part of a) larger financial trend,” an executive said. “The market got too high for the position’s impact overall.”

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The Minnesota Vikings’ future is uncertain. This week, quarterback Kirk Cousins will decide whether he’ll return to the team or sign a massive contract elsewhere. The news might be the domino for the quarterback market, but it’s also the starting point to what the Vikings will look like in the years to come.

Minnesota expects to hear Sunday night about Cousins’ decision to explore free agency, multiple league sources confirmed to The Athletic. The NFL’s “legal tampering period” begins Monday, allowing teams to start negotiations with the representatives of free agents.

Cousins, 35, is expected to have a competitive market that includes the Atlanta Falcons. He is rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon, but since 2018, the year he arrived in Minnesota, he ranks in the top 10 among starting quarterbacks in passing yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating.

The Vikings have openly and continuously expressed their desire to keep Cousins in Minnesota. Securing his services prior to Wednesday is likely to be a priority, considering the details of Cousins’s dead cap hit. If Minnesota cannot come to terms with Cousins before Wednesday, $28.5 million will accelerate onto the Vikings’ salary cap for 2024.

Conversely, if Minnesota can agree to an extension with Cousins before Wednesday, it’ll have the ability to spread out that money over future years.