The NFL’s free agency period for the 2021 offseason officially begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 17 – the point when players with expiring contracts can sign with new teams and also the juncture at which all 32 of the league’s teams must comply with this year’s $182.5 million salary cap.
Prior to March 17, only players who had been released from their previous contracts were eligible to join new clubs, new Arizona Cardinal J.J. Watt and Baltimore Raven Kevin Zeitler being examples.
Other pending free agents could begin negotiating (and agreeing to) new deals Monday, like the mega-pact outgoing Patriots guard Joe Thuney is getting from the Chiefs or Yannick Ngakoue’s agreement with Las Vegas. Players were also eligible to re-sign with their current club, as Buccaneers Shaq Barrett and Rob Gronkowski did Monday.
Meanwhile, in a year when the cap falls by nearly $16 million due to revenue losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, several name players suddenly find themselves looking for work as teams slash salaries to get under the cap – Casey Hayward and Emmanuel Sanders among that group.
Below is a list of the most prominent players on the move in 2021 … and a few who will not be going anywhere.
AFC
Baltimore Ravens
Released: RB Mark Ingram
Re-signed: OLB Tyus Bowser (4 years, $22M), NT Justin Ellis, OLB Pernell McPhee, TE Eric Tomlinson
Signed: G Kevin Zeitler (3 years, $22M)
Buffalo Bills
Released: WR John Brown, DT Quinton Jefferson
Re-signed: G Jon Feliciano (3 years, $17M), LB Tyler Matakevich (1 year), LB Matt Milano (4 years, $44M, $24M guaranteed), OT Daryl Williams (3 years, $28.2M, per NFL Network)
Cincinnati Bengals
Released: C B.J. Finney
Re-signed: QB Brandon Allen
Signed: CB Chidobe Awuzie (3 years, official March 17), DE Trey Hendrickson, 4 years, $60M, official March 17)
Cleveland Browns
Released: DE Adrian Clayborn
Signed: S John Johnson (3 years, $33.75M, $24M guaranteed, per NFL Network, official March 17)
Denver Broncos
Club option activated: OLB Von Miller
Club option declined: FS Kareem Jackson (free agent)
Franchise tag: S Justin Simmons
Released: CB A.J. Bouye, DT Jurrell Casey, NT Kyle Peko
Re-signed: DL Shelby Harris (3 years, $27M)
Signed: CB Ronald Darby (3 years, $30M, official March 17)
Houston Texans
Released: RB Duke Johnson, G Senio Kelemete, C Nick Martin, QB Josh McCown, DE J.J. Watt
Re-signed: CB Vernon Hargreaves
Signed: OL Justin Britt (1 year, $3.2M), S Terrence Brooks (1 year, $2M, official March 17), DL Maliek Collins (1 year, $6M, official March 17), LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (1 year, $3.25M, official March 17), RB Mark Ingram (1 year, max $3M, per ESPN), LB Christian Kirksey (1 year, max $4.5M), G Justin McCray (2 years, $4M, official March 17), WR Chris Moore (1 year, $2M, official March 17), LB Kevin Pierre-Louis (2 years, official March 17), KR/WR Andre Roberts (2 years, $6M, official March 17), DT Vincent Taylor (1 year, $2M, official March 17), LB Joe Thomas (1 year, $2M, official March 17)
Traded: LB Benardrick McKinney (official March 17)
Traded for: OT Marcus Cannon (official March 17), DE Shaq Lawson (official March 17)
Indianapolis Colts
Traded for: QB Carson Wentz (official March 17)
Jacksonville Jaguars
Franchise tag: OT Cam Robinson
Released: OLB Kamalei Correa, TE Tyler Eifert
Re-signed: CB Sidney Jones, G Tyler Shatley, DE Dawuane Smoot (2 years, $14M)
Signed: WR/KR Jamal Agnew (3 years, official March 17), WR Phillip Dorsett (official March 17), S Rudy Ford (2 years, $4.2M, official March 17), RB Carlos Hyde (2 years, $6M, official March 17), CB Shaquill Griffin (3 years, max $45M, per NFL Network, official March 17), S Rayshawn Jenkins (4 years, official March 17), TE Chris Manhertz (2 years, $7.25M, official March 17), DT Roy Robertson-Harris (3 years, $24.4M, official March 17), DL Jihad Ward (official March 17)
Kansas City Chiefs
Released: OT Eric Fisher, OT Mitchell Schwartz
Re-signed: DE Taco Charlton
Retired: FB Anthony Sherman
Signed: G Joe Thuney (5 years, $80M, official March 17)
Las Vegas Raiders
Released: G Richie Incognito, G Gabe Jackson, DB Lamarcus Joyner, WR Tyrell Williams
Re-signed: DL David Irving
Signed: DE Yannick Ngakoue (2 years, $26M, official March 17)
Traded: OT Trent Brown (official March 17)
Los Angeles Chargers
Released: CB Casey Hayward, G Trai Turner
Re-signed: K Mike Badgley (1 year), CB Michael Davis (3 years)
Retired: C Mike Pouncey
Signed: OL Matt Feiler (3 years, $21M, per ESPN, official March 17), C Corey Linsley (5 years, $62.5M, official March 17)
Miami Dolphins
Released: OLB Kyle Van Noy
Re-signed: LB Vince Biegel (1 year)
Signed: TE Cethan Carter (3 years, $7.8M, official March 17), P Michael Palardy
Traded: DE Shaq Lawson (official March 17)
Traded for: LB Benardrick McKinney (official March 17), OT Isaiah Wilson (official March 17)
New England Patriots
Re-signed: DB/ST Justin Bethel (3 years, $6M), DL Carl Davis, QB Cam Newton (1 year, approximately $14M, per reports), DL Deatrich Wise (4 years, $30 million)
Signed: WR Nelson Agholor (official March 17), DL Henry Anderson (2 years, official March 17), WR Kendrick Bourne (3 years, $22.5M, official March 17), DT Davon Godchaux (2 year, official March 17), TE Hunter Henry (3 years, $37.5M, per ESPN, official March 17), OLB Matt Judon (4 years, $56M, official March 17), DB Jalen Mills (4 years, $24M, official March 17), TE Jonnu Smith (4 years, $50M, $31.3M guaranteed, official March 17)
Traded: OT Marcus Cannon (official March 17)
Traded for: OT Trent Brown (official March 17)
JARRETT BELL: Patriots spending big, and Bill Belichick’s competitive juice is still hot
New York Jets
Franchise tag: S Marcus Maye
Released: DL Henry Anderson
Signed: WR Corey Davis (3 years, $37.5M, per ESPN, official March 17), LB Jarrad Davis (1 year, $7M, official March 17), DE Carl Lawson (3 years, $45M, per NFL Network, official March 17)
Pittsburgh Steelers
Re-signed: CB Cameron Sutton (2 years, $9M)
Retired: C Maurkice Pouncey
Signed: C B.J. Finney
Tennessee Titans
Released: CB Malcolm Butler, WR Adam Humphries, S Kenny Vaccaro
Re-signed: WR Marcus Johnson, TE Geoff Swaim (1 year)
Signed: DL Denico Autry (3 years, $21.5M, official March 17), LB Bud Dupree (official March 17), OT Kendall Lamm (2 years, $8.5M, per NFL Network, official March 17)
Traded: OT Isaiah Wilson (official March 17)
WINNERS AND LOSERS: From NFL’s 2021 franchise tag deadline
MIKE JONES: Salary cap crunch means teams must get creative as free agency looms
WINNERS AND LOSERS: From Dak Prescott’s new contract with Dallas
NFC
Atlanta Falcons
Released: CB Ricardo Allen, DE Allen Bailey, G James Carpenter
Re-signed: K Younghoe Koo
Arizona Cardinals
Released: K Zane Gonzalez
Re-signed: CB Robert Alford, OLB Markus Golden (2 years, $9M), P Andy Lee, LB Tanner Vallejo (2 years, $4.1M)
Signed: DE J.J. Watt (2 years, $28M, $23M guaranteed)
Carolina Panthers
Franchise tag: OT Taylor Moton (signed tender)
Released: S Tre Boston, DT Zach Kerr, P Michael Palardy, DT Kawann Short, DL Stephen Weatherly
Re-signed: LS J.J. Jansen
Signed: G Pat Elfelin (3 years, $13.5M, official March 17), OL Cameron Erving (2 years, $10M, official March 17), WR Keith Kirkwood
Chicago Bears
Franchise tag: WR Allen Robinson
Released: CB Buster Skrine
Re-signed: DE Mario Edwards (3 years, $11.55M), P Pat O’Donnell, K Cairo Santos (5 years, $16M)
Dallas Cowboys
Franchise tag/re-signed: QB Dak Prescott (4 years, $160M, $126M guaranteed)
Released: FB Jamize Olawale
Re-signed: WR Noah Brown (1 year), CB C.J. Goodwin (2 years, $3.5M) to a two-year, $3.5 million contract
Signed: LS Jake McQuaide (1 year, official March 17)
Detroit Lions
Released: C Russell Bodine, CB Justin Coleman, G Joe Dahl, TE Jesse James, LB Christian Jones, CB Desmond Trufant
Re-signed: DE Romeo Okwara (3 years, $39M)
Signed: TE Josh Hill, WR Tyrell Williams (1 year, $4M)
Traded: QB Matthew Stafford (official March 17)
Traded for: QB Jared Goff (official March 17)
Green Bay Packers
Released: LB Christian Kirksey, FB John Lovett, RT Rick Wagner
Re-signed: RB Aaron Jones (4 years, $48M, $13M signing bonus)
Los Angeles Rams
Re-signed: OLB Leonard Floyd (4 years, $64M, per NFL Network)
Traded: QB Jared Goff (official March 17)
Traded for: QB Matthew Stafford (official March 17)
Minnesota Vikings
Released: K Dan Bailey, CB Tae Hayes, OT Riley Reiff, TE Kyle Rudolph, DT Shamar Stephen, CB Cordrea Tankersley
Re-signed: OT Rashod Hill (1 year)
Signed: K Greg Joseph, DT Dalvin Tomlinson (2 years, $22M, official March 17), DL Stephen Weatherly (1 year, $2.5M), LB Nick Vigil (1 year, $1.35M, official March 17)
New Orleans Saints
Franchise tag: S Marcus Williams
Released: LB Kwon Alexander, DT Malcom Brown, TE Jared Cook, OL Nick Easton, TE Josh Hill, CB Janoris Jenkins, P Thomas Morstead, WR Emmanuel Sanders
Re-signed: OL James Hurst (3 years, $9M), DL Noah Spence, RB Dwayne Washington, QB Jameis Winston (1 year, max $12M)
Retired: QB Drew Brees
New York Giants
Franchise tag: DL Leonard Williams
Released: WR Cody Core, G Kevin Zeitler, LB David Mayo, WR Golden Tate
Re-signed: DT Austin Johnson
Signed: RB Devontae Booker (2 years, $6M, official March 17)
Philadelphia Eagles
Released: WR DeSean Jackson
Traded: QB Carson Wentz (official March 17)
San Francisco 49ers
Released: DL Ronald Blair, LB Mark Nzeocha
Re-signed: FB Kyle Juszczyk (5 years, $27M, per NFL Network), CB Emmanuel Moseley (2 years, $10.1M, per ESPN), CB Jason Verrett (1 year, $5.5M)
Signed: OLB Samson Ebukam (2 years, $12M, official March 17)
Seattle Seahawks
Released: DE Carlos Dunlap, WR Josh Gordon, G Chance Warmack
Retired: G Mike Iupati, TE Greg Olsen
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Extended: QB Tom Brady
Franchise tag: WR Chris Godwin
Re-signed: OLB Shaq Barrett (4 years, max $72M, $36M guaranteed, per NFL Network), LB Lavonte David (2 years, $25M), TE Rob Gronkowski (1 year, max $10M, per reports), LB Kevin Minter
Washington Football Team
Franchise tag: G Brandon Scherff
Released: QB Alex Smith
Re-signed: K Dustin Hopkins
Retired: OLB Thomas Davis
Signed: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (1 year, $10M, per reports, official March 17)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL free agency tracker 2021: Updates on offseason’s major moves
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