NFL: Free Agency 2021 in the live ticker – rumors, layoffs and transfers at a glance

The Free Agency in the NFL is imminent, but already today there was a lot of news from the NFL. Drew Brees retired, and Aaron Jones stayed with the Green Bay Packers. Here you can follow the day in the live ticker for reading.

An eventful day lies behind us. Above all, of course, is the end of Drew Brees’ career, who is stepping down as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history after around 20 years. All information about Brees’ resignation can be found here.

In addition, Aaron Jones, one of the most exciting free agents, signed a new contract with his old team, the Green Bay Packers. This means that the most sought-after running back will not even hit the market in 2021.

We also saw two trades: The Houston Texans brought in Marcus Cannon from the New England Patriots. In addition, the franchise linebacker Bernardrick McKinney exchanged for pass rusher Shaq Lawson. You can read all the news of the day here.

NFL – Free Agency 2021: Sunday in the live ticker to read

11 p.m.: That’s it for today in the ticker country. I hope you read with interest, there was enough news today. Tomorrow it should be even wilder. From 3:30 p.m. colleague Adrian Franke will be at the start with the ticker, at 5:00 p.m. the Free Agency will go into full swing! Take care!

10.45 p.m.: And who will start for the Saints in 2021? Most likely, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network: Jameis Winston. Rapoport reports that the team has already negotiated with Winston. Will these be finalized before the league-wide negotiations start tomorrow at 5 p.m.? We are excited.

10.40 p.m.: By the way, you can find all the information about Brees’ resignation in our news. It’s this way.

New contract for Taysom Hill

10:35 p.m.: Welcome to the craziest phase of the year in the NFL! Why crazy? Well, the Saints have given Taysom Hill a four-year, $ 140 million contract extension! “$ 140 million, have the Saints gone crazy?” The answer: No, or: at least not completely.

Because: Every four years of the contract are so-called void years. So the years can simply be deleted again, they are not “real” contract years. It’s all very complicated, I know. Here’s everything you need to know: The Saints will save $ 7.5 million in 2021, which they can stretch over four more years. Hill gets a little more money, but nothing changes in the term of his contract.

10:25 p.m.: The fact that Brees is now ending his career is no longer a big surprise. The 42-year-old had clearly lost weight in the previous year and also played significantly weaker than in previous years due to injuries. Most recently it was assumed that Brees would end his career. It is currently unclear who will be his successor in New Orleans.

10:20 p.m.: This is the end of the career of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Brees had won the Super Bowl with the Saints and set numerous records, including for the best completion percentage, most passing yards and most touchdowns. He will certainly have his place in the Hall of Fame in Canton.

10:15 p.m .: “After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it’s time for me to say goodbye to football,” wrote Brees. He put “his heart and soul” into his existence as a quarterback every day.

Brees announces the end of his career

10:10 p.m.: And we have an even fatter monster news! Drew Brees has retired. The Saints quarterback himself announced this on Instagram.

Bills hold Feliciano

10:00 p.m.: And we still have a deal: Jon Feliciano stays with the Bills. That’s what Matt Parrino reports from syracuse.com . Accordingly, the Guard signs a contract for three years and $ 17 million in Buffalo. Feliciano is already the third player after Matt Milano and Daryl Williams to be held by the Bills before the start of the Free Agency.

9:50 p.m.: Where is AJ Bouye moving to? The cornerback was recently sacked by the Broncos and is now looking for a team. Mike Klis reports that Bouye recently met with the Bengals. There has also already been a meeting with the Raiders.

9.40 p.m.: Jones’ signature should also be good news for Chris Carson. After the Packers star deal, Carson is now the biggest name in the running back market. Teams with a need in this position (Miami?) Could knock on his door first – and possibly wave a few notes.

9:35 p.m.: A question that must be allowed in view of this extension: Why did the Packers Jones not hold a franchise day? With his new contract, the running back receives an average of 12 million dollars a year, with the franchise day it would have been only around 8 million dollars. It is also well known that long-term contracts with running backs are usually not a good idea …

9.30 p.m.: Jones’ extension also means: Corey Linsley is now guaranteed to hit the market. The center played an outstanding season in 2020 – and could be hotly coveted in the free agency.

9:25 p.m.: Jones signs a four-year contract for $ 48 million. The running back receives 13 million dollars as a signing bonus. This was confirmed by Jones’ agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Aaron Jones stays with the Packers

21:20: We have our hammer news! Aaron Jones stays with the Packers. Different media report this unanimously. Jones has already confirmed it on Twitter.

8:50 p.m .: What are the San Francisco 49ers doing? The Niners definitely have cap space, but they also have some well-known free agents. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Californians want to keep their players at best. Kyle Juszczyk is scheduled to extend today, and Trent Williams and Jason Verrett are also to be held, according to Rapoport. Williams in particular is likely to be really, really expensive.

8:20 p.m.: An answer to Schmitza from the comments – sorry that I have only seen this now: My name is Jan and I actually do it with the Ravens as a team. Unfortunately, I wasn’t on the Saturday Kickoff Podcast. So there has to be a double of mine out there.

8:05 p.m.: The Rams apparently want to hold pass rusher Leonard Floyd. Tom Pelissero reports for the NFL Network . Accordingly, Los Angeles would hope to be able to make Floyd the best offer in the coming days. In view of the tense cap situation of the Rams, this is a bold undertaking …

7:35 p.m.: Zach Ertz, about whom we have already written a few times today, is apparently becoming increasingly impatient. This is reported by the NFL Network . Ertz’s departure from Philadelphia seems decided, but the Eagles are still hoping for a trade. Allegedly they want to win a fourth or even a third round pick. Ertz would apparently prefer a dismissal, after which he could choose his team himself.

7:25 p.m.: Yannick Ngakoue is known to be a free agent this year. The pass rusher once demanded almost $ 20 million a year from the Jaguars, after a not too convincing year with the Vikings and Ravens, he would probably have to be satisfied with less money this year. Salary cap expert Joel Corry therefore considers a one-year contract for around 12 million dollars for Ngakoue to be realistic. What do you think? Would you like the bag specialist with such a contract with your team?

6:55 p.m.: Houston remains extremely active and performs a lot of moves before the Free Agency. In addition to today’s trades, the Texans recently signed running back Mark Ingram, linebacker Christian Kirksey and cornerback Vernon Hagreaves.

6:50 p.m.: I wrote at 3:15 p.m. that Cannon would have no future with the Patriots. The Raiders’ trade for Trent Brown had strongly suggested it.

In Houston, the trained right tackle could now take on a new role. Tytus Howard is actually set in Houston, and Laremy Tunsil is the left tackle. Cannon could henceforth play guard for the Texans.

Texans trade cannon from the Patriots

6.45 p.m.: And there is the next news! The Texans remain active and thread the next deal: Marcus Cannon comes from the Patriots, but the two teams apparently swap their fourth, fifth and six-round picks. That’s what Jim McBride reports from the Boston Globe .

6.40 p.m.: With a little more seriousness: At least layoffs or trades to ensure cap space should still exist today. The focus is particularly on the Rams, the Saints and the Eagles.

The Rams could restructure the deals of Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey or Matthew Stafford. The Eagles are likely to sack Zach Ertz and Alshon Jeffery. And the saints? There we are still waiting for a contract extension with Marshon Lattimore or Ryan Ramczyk, which would significantly reduce their cap hit in 2021.

6:35 p.m.: After the Lawson and McKinney trade, things have now calmed down in the NFL landscape. We just assume that this is the calm before the storm. Deshaun Watson – is there something going on ?!

6.10 p.m.: With Kyle van Noy and now Shaq Lawson, the Dolphins have given two of their best pass rushers. So it stands to reason that Miami will be looking for such a player in the Free Agency. Shaq Barrett leads the pass rushing class, but with Yannick Ngakoue, Bud Dupree, Carl Lawson and Co. there are numerous other interesting alternatives. One can be curious!

5:50 p.m .: How’s Dak Prescott doing? The quarterback recently signed a mega-contract but is still fighting for his comeback after his serious injury. He told Jane Slater from the NFL Network that he was already feeling well again. The OTAs in the summer are probably a little early, but Prescott should be back at 100 percent in the training camp.

5.30 p.m.: Even more news: The Bears extend with defensive tackle Mario Edwards. After a good season in which he collected four sacks, he is apparently signing over $ 11.55 million for three years. That’s what Ian Rapoport reports from the NFL Network .

5:20 p.m.: A look at the contracts: Both Lawson and McKinney are on the books with a cap hit of more than $ 10 million in 2022. Happig, but both can then be discharged almost completely without a dead cap. So it is quite possible that the trade will only be a one-year affair on both sides.

5.15 p.m.: It’s an interesting deal. Lawson was hired as a free agent by the Dolphins last spring and came from Buffalo. So far he’s never been more than a situational pass rusher for around 500 snaps a season, but in this role Lawson can be valuable.

McKinney has been a starter for the Texans for many years and was seeded in the middle of the defense. In the past two seasons, however, the 29-year-old has clearly played below his potential. Miami will hope that McKinney will regain its former strength in Brian Flores’ flexible scheme.

Dolphins and Texans trade defense attorneys

5:10 p.m.: We have a trade! The Texans send linebacker Bernardrick McKinney to Miami, but Pass-Rusher from the Dolphins comes back. This is what Adam Schefter reports from ESPN. In addition, both teams apparently swap late draft picks.

5 p.m .: 24 hours left, friends! Then the window opens in which teams and free agents can officially contact each other. Experience has shown that the first deals will come in from 5:05 p.m. at the latest. So tomorrow you should definitely read our ticker carefully.

4.30 p.m.: Everything is still quiet out there. Therefore we look at a candidate who is likely to fall victim to the cut today: Zach Ertz. The tight end of the Eagles is likely to end after a weak preseason. Most recently, the franchise apparently tried to trade Ertz. So far, however, has not happened, so Ertz could be fired today.

4.10 p.m.: Colleague Adrian Franke asks himself on Twitter why the Bears – unless they are in hot negotiations with the Seahawks – not trade for Gardner Minshew? In fact, the Jaguars QB should be an interesting option for some teams. Minshew has shown good approaches, is only 24 years old and will earn less than two million dollars in total for the next two seasons. Personally, I’d rather trade Minshew than Sam Darnold of the Jets. But I’m not an NFL GM either. Not yet…

Dustin Hopkins stays in Washington

3:55 p.m.: Dustin Hopkins apparently stays in Washington. The football team will keep their kicker by renewing their contract, NBC’s JP Finlay reports. Hopkins hit only 27 of his 34 field goals last year, less than 80 percent. It was the worst year of his career so far, Washington obviously believes that the 30-year-old will be able to improve again.

3:50 p.m.: In the comments to this article the question arose whether Patrick Mahomes can really restructure his contract every offseason and thus save the Chiefs a lot of money? Answer: Yes, he can. A roster bonus can always be converted into a signing bonus and thus spread over several years instead of one year. Does that reduce the salary cap to absurdity? I would say: no. The roster bonus does not disappear in the event of a restructuring, it is only spread over more years.

Mahomes’ cap hit in 2023, for example, is already $ 46.8 million – a large sum. Restructuring the Chiefs Mahomes’ Roster Bonus in 2022, this cap hit would continue to grow. Of course, Kansas City could then convert Mahomes’ 2023 roster bonus ($ 34.4 million) back and so on. Mahomes’ cap hits would get higher and higher and at some point this bill has to be paid. The best example of this are Drew Brees and the cap situation of the Saints, who also repeatedly restructured Brees’ contract and pushed money into the future. Restructuring also needs to be carefully considered.

3:40 p.m .: A supplement to our entry from 2:50 p.m. Joe Linta, Kyle Juszczyk’s advisor, spoke up on the tweet from John Lynch. He would also like to have juice himself, says Linta. But this is very expensive at this time of year. So maybe the Niners and Juszczyk aren’t that close after all? My assessment: the agreement will come. No other team should enjoy a fullback as much as Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers.

3:30 p.m .: Do we see a reunion between the Buccaneers and Gerald McCoy this spring? When it comes to the defensive tackle: Of course. “I would love to go to Tampa,” said McCoy at SiriusXM . “I’m not looking for a big contract, I want to win.” McCoy played for the Bucs for the first nine years of his career, collecting 54.5 sacks. He missed the previous year completely due to an injury.

3:15 p.m.: One dismissal that could follow in the coming days is that of Marcus Cannon from the Patriots. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that the two sides are likely to break up. However, the right tackle has not even done the medical check after suspending the preseason due to Covid-19 concerns. It is possible that the Patriots will want to wait for this before they make a final decision …

3 p.m.: Some teams are still above the permitted cap limit of 182.5 million dollars – sometimes even significantly. So today we should see some contract restructuring and layoffs again, that was correctly noted in the comments. You can see here how much cap space which team currently has available.

2:50 p.m.: One free agent who could extend before the start of the free agency is San Francisco’s Kyle Juszczyk. The former Raven was once made the highest-paid fullback by the Niners and should remain so for years to come. “I’m thirsty. Niners fans, you want some” Juice? “” Wrote 49ers GM John Lynch on Twitter today. Seems like an agreement is near – Juszczyk’s nickname is “Juice” after all.

2.40 p.m.: Which stars have been fired from their teams and could therefore sign with a new team today? A brief overview:

• Kevin Zeitler, Guard, Giants
• Casey Hayward, Cornerback, Chargers
• Justin Coleman, Slot Cornerback, Lions
• Mitchell Schwartz, Offensive Tackle, Chiefs
• Eric Fisher, Offensive Tackle, Chiefs
• John Brown, Wide Receiver, Bills
• Emmnauel Sanders, Wide Receiver, Saints
• Janoris Jenkins, Cornerback, Saints
• Jared Cook, Tight End, Saints
• Thomas Morstead, Punter, Saints
• Carlos Dunlap. Edge Defender, Seahawks
• Alex Smith, Quarterback, Football Team

Well, there should be something for every team, right? Who would you like for your team?

2.30 p.m.: The second point, of course, focuses on Shaq Barrett. The pass rusher was not held by the Bucs via franchise tag, but should – if possible – stay in Florida. With Tom Brady’s contract extension yesterday, Tampa Bay shoveled up a lot of cap space – to be able to extend today with Barrett? We’ll keep an eye on that.

2.25 p.m.: Today is the last day before teams and free agents can officially contact each other tomorrow. Today, our focus is mainly on the obligations of players who have been sacked, as they are already allowed to sign with new teams, and possible contract extensions.

2.20 p.m.: Let’s go! We are live, with us you will not miss any information today.

Welcome to the second day of our free agency coverage! Here we will keep you up to date on the latest developments in the NFL in terms of layoffs, commitments and trades.

You can read about yesterday’s day here!

NFL: Free Agency 2021 – the most important dates

The NFL’s new league year doesn’t officially begin until March 17th at 9 p.m. CEST. And only then can teams officially make contracts with free agents. In the same way, trades may only then be submitted to the league office in New York.

But that doesn’t mean that nothing happens beforehand. On the contrary! One or the other trade has already been initiated. The Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams have swapped quarterbacks – Matthew Stafford now plays in California, Jared Goff in Michigan. This is not officially yet, but everyone is aware of it.

The same applies to Carson Wentz, who no longer plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, but for the Indianapolis Colts.

The teams and free players can officially begin negotiations on Monday . Today, Saturday, on the other hand, is likely to be marked by the dismissal of players, as the upper salary limit must be adhered to by all teams. To do this, as every year, it is necessary to lay off a few players who may be too expensive.

NFL: Free Agency 2021 – these players will receive Franchise Day

One way to keep a player who becomes a free agent is through Franchise Day. As a result, the player automatically receives a one-year salary at a lucrative salary for the coming season and can only be recruited from another team for considerable compensation.

You can find all information about the Franchise Day here!

In the past few days, the deadline for awarding the Franchise Tag expired and the following players have received one:

NFL: players under the franchise tag

*) Player receives the day for the second time and thus 120 percent of his previous year’s salary.

**) Exclusive franchise day for the second time in a row. However, Prescott signed a new four-year contract in Dallas shortly afterwards.