NFL

NFL Free Agency LIVE BLOG: Steelers Quiet Early, Lions Nab Sutton

Alan Saunders   |  

Updated: Mar 13, 2023

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The NFL free agency contact period opens Monday at noon, and already deals are being reported from around the league. Stay with Steelers Now for all the updates the news comes in.

UPDATE: 8:45 p.m:

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks is signing with the Los Angeles Chargers, he announced via his own Instagram page, removing yet another linebacker from the Steelers’ wish list.

UPDATE: 8:15 p.m.

The price the Steelers paid for Patrick Peterson has been revealed.

UPDATE 7:15 p.m:

The linebackers are going fast. In addition to Okereke below, the Denver Broncos re-signed Alex Singleton on a three-year deal, keeping him off the market, and the Miami Dolphins landed former Tennessee Titans linebacker David Long, Jr. Bobby Wagner, one of the top remaining free agents at the position of need for the Steelers, has been talking with the Dallas Cowboy and the Seattle Seahawks.

UPDATE 7 p.m:

Another one of the top inside linebackers is off the board, as the New York Giants have nabbed Colts ILB Bobby Okereke.

UPDATE 6 p.m:

The Tennessee Titans have agreed to sign former Philadelphia Eagles tackle Andre Dillard and first-round draft pick Andre Dillard. The relatively thin offensive line class has been very active on the first day of free agency.

UPDATE 5:45 p.m:

Just after the Steelers got their cornerback, the Bucs kept one of theirs from hitting the free agent market, locking up Jamel Deal on a four-year deal.

UPDATE 5:30 p.m:

Of all the high-priced acquisitions today, one will come at a much lower cost. The Washington Commanders nabbed new Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson’s old running mate Cam Dantzler on waivers from the Minnesota Vikings.

UPDATE 5:15 p.m:

The Cleveland Browns are losing edge rusher Jadaveon Clowney in free agency, but they have a replacement lined up to man the opposite side from Myles Garrett in Ogbo Okoronkwo. The Browns and Okoronkwo have agreed to a three-year, $19 million deal.

UPDATE 5 p.m:

The Steelers made a move, and it’s an All-Pro cornerback coming to Pittsburgh in former Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings corner Patrick Peterson on a two-year deal.

UPDATE 4:30 p.m.

The Cincinnati Bengals are losing their second safety of the day, as All-Pro Jessie Bates III has agreed to a four-year, $64 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons, of which $23 million will come in the first season and $36 million is fully guaranteed, one of the largest safety contracts in NFL history.

UPDATE, 4 p.m: 

The early free agent signings at linebacker had all been fairly conservative, but that changed in a big way when the Chicago Bears agreed to sign former Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to a four-year, $72 million contract that has $50 million in guaranteed money.

Edmunds, the brother of Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds, had been talked about as a potential option in Pittsburgh, but his $18 million annual average salary is probably near the team’s max for the entire free agent class.

UPDATE, 3:30 p.m:

The Cincinnati Bengals are losing one of their top defensive backs, as safety Von Bell has agreed to sign with the Carolina Panthers.

UPDATE, 3 p.m: 

Chase Winovich could’ve fit the Steelers needs at outside linebacker, but the local product is headed to Houston instead.

UPDATE, 3 p.m:

The Cincinnati Bengals are keeping one of the Steelers potential linebacker targets in the division. Germaine Pratt has agreed to a three-year, $21 million deal to remain in Cincinnati, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The prices remain reasonable at linebacker, where the Steelers need to make at least two moves between now and the start of the season, with Marcus Allen, Devin Bush and Robert Spillane all free agents.

UPDATE, 2:15 p.m:

The offensive linemen are flying off the board, as the Buffalo Bills have agreed to a three-year deal with former Dallas Cowboys guard Connor McGovern and former Kansas City Chiefs tackle Andrew Wylie is headed to D.C. on a three-year, $24 million deal with the Washington Commanders. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have grabbed Jawaan Taylor from the Jacksonville Jaguars on a four-year, $80 million monster deal.

UPDATE, 2 p.m:

When the Steelers make their first trip ever to Las Vegas this fall, it will likely be Jimmy Garoppolo under center for the Raiders. Garoppolo agreed to a three-year, $34 million deal with the Raiders to re-united with Josh McDaniels, who he played for in New England. The Raiders had previously released 2022 starter Derek Carr, who has since signed with the New Orleans Saints.

UPDATE, 1:45 p.m: 

The first offensive tackle has agreed to a deal at a gigantic price, as the Denver Broncos locked up Mike McGlinchey for five years at $87.5 million and over half of it guaranteed. McGlinchey leaves San Francisco after five seasons.

UPDATE, 1:30 p.m.

The first Steelers free agent departure is a big one, as versatile cornerback Cam Sutton is off to the Detroit Lions.

UPDATE, 1:15 p.m:

Former Steelers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave gets a huge check from the 49ers.

UPDATE, 1 p.m:

The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a deal with free agent defensive tackle David Onyemata, which will come in at $12 million a season. He’s the first top defensive tackle off the board.

UPDATE, 12:45 p.m:

The Baltimore Ravens are losing a starting offensive lineman, as guard Ben Powers is departing the AFC North and signing a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos. Powers started the last two and a half seasons for the Ravens after joining the team as a fourth-round pick in 2019.

UPDATE, 12:30 p.m:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking into trading guard Shaq Mason to free up some cap space. Mason would cost $7.5 million for 2023 to a team acquiring him via trade. The 29-year-old has one season left on his contract, and could be an extension candidate, which would knock down his cap hit for this season.

UPDATE, 12:15 p.m:

Take former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards off the Pittsburgh Steelers board at inside linebacker, as Edwards has agreed to a three-year deal with the Chicago Bears.

The deal has an average annual value of $6.5 million, which suggests the number of available inside linebackers might depress salaries some.

UPDATE, 11:30 a.m:

You can add a name to the Steelers big board at defensive line, as the Seattle Seahawks are cutting Shelby Harris in a cap-saving move. Harris (6-foot-2, 290) started 15 games for Seattle in 2022 at defensive end in their 3-4 alignment and could be a potential Larry Ogunjobi replacement for the Steelers.

UPDATE, 11 a.m:

The Cincinnati Bengals have re-signed safety Michael J. Thomas to a one-year contract.

UPDATE, 10:30 a.m:

Some teams have been busy with their last-minute preparations for the contact period.

The Detroit Lions have re-signed former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Isaiah Boggs to a two-year, $6 million contract. Buggs, who played sparingly in three seasons in Pittsburgh after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, immediately became a starter for Detroit last season.

Boggs wasn’t the only former Steelers player putting pen to paper on Monday, as the Buffalo Bills re-signed former Steelers inside linebacker Tyler Matakevich on a two-year deal.

The Cleveland Browns have restructured the contract of quarterback Deshaun Watson, giving the team some much-needed salary cap breathing room for 2023. The move will save Cleveland over $35 million in 2023, but it will come with a cost. Watson will now have a $64 million salary cap hit in each of the next three seasons. The Browns now have over $21 million in current space, according to Over the Cap.

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