NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY

What will the Packers do with C COREY LINSLEY now a Charger?  Brandon Carwile of USA TODAY:

Now that Corey Linsley has a new home with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Green Bay Packers have to find a new starting center for the 2021 season. In seven years with the Packers, Linsley started 99 games. He earned his first All-Pro selection in 2020, which surely helped lead to his massive payday.

Linsley’s new contract is worth $62.5 million over five years, per NFL Network. It’s a well-deserved contract for arguably the best center in football. Last year, Linsley was the highest-rated center in the league by Pro Football Focus.

Linsley will reunite with former teammate Bryan Bulaga and help with a promising young quarterback in Justin Herbert. However, Green Bay now has to find a new player to snap the ball to MVP Aaron Rodgers.

Linsley won’t be easy to replace, but the Packers will have plenty of options to explore this offseason. Here are four options they have to replace Linsley at center:

Elgton Jenkins

Jenkins has to be the leading candidate to be the starting center in 2021. During his final two seasons at Mississippi State, he started 26 games at center. Green Bay used the 44th pick of the 2019 NFL draft to select Jenkins, which turned out to be a tremendous value. Jenkins started 14 games as a rookie and all 16 games in his second season. Most of his time has been spent at guard, but Jenkins has shown the versatility to fill in just about anywhere. When Linsley missed time due to an injury last season, Jenkins took his place, and the offense didn’t falter. Jenkins was named a Pro Bowl guard for his performance in 2020, but it’s possible that he transitions back to his natural position.

Lucas Patrick

Patrick can be somewhat of a forgotten man along the Packers’ offensive line, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. He’s a solid player, and as long as he’s not making costly mistakes, he’s probably fine with flying under the radar. Patrick played 939 snaps at left and right guard last season and allowed three sacks and 16 pressures, per PFF. As a center, Patrick has played 136 total snaps over his four-year career, including 128 in 2019. He saw a career-high 58 snaps at center in 2019 against the Dallas Cowboys. PFF handed Patrick a lousy grade of 32.4 for his performance, but he did earn a respectable 69.2 as a pass blocker. When Linsley missed practice during last year’s training camp, Patrick shared snaps at center with Jenkins.

Jake Hanson

Probably the least-likely scenario is Hanson making the jump to starting center in 2021. Hanson was a sixth-round pick in last year’s draft and failed to make the 53-man roster. He spent the entire year on the practice squad and later signed a reserves/futures contract at the beginning of the year. Hanson has a treacherous uphill battle to unseat either Jenkins or Patrick for center duties, but he did start 49 games at center for Oregon.

Free agent or draft pick

During the last two offseasons, the Packers signed a free agent offensive lineman that went on to play a prominent role. First was Billy Turner in 2019, and last year it was Rick Wagner. Therefore, it’s possible that Green Bay explores a cheap free agent option to replace Linsley, such as Brett Jones or Matt Skura. However, the much more likely scenario is that they address the center spot via the draft. The Packers have an outstanding track record of drafting and developing linemen that go on to have outstanding careers, like Linsley. Jenkins is the latest example. Green Bay could land on a guy they like in the draft and use one of their 10 picks with the hope of finding their next starting center.

MINNESOTA

The Vikings big signing is DT DALVIN TOMLINSON.  Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com:

The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a deal with former New York Giants defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, his agency confirmed on Twitter.

The deal is worth $22 million over two years, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, with $20 million in total guarantees and $16 million fully guaranteed. Tomlinson’s signing bonus is $15 million.

The Vikings on Monday also reached agreement with former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Nick Vigil on a one-year deal that includes $1.35 million guaranteed, a league source told Cronin.

Tomlinson, who turned 27 in February, was a stalwart in the middle of the defensive line for the Giants this past season, finishing with 49 tackles (8 for loss), 3.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits. He also batted down a team-high four passes at the line of scrimmage, and his 5.1% run-stuff rate was third among interior linemen, according to NextGen Stats.

Showing that kind of performance and consistency since he was drafted in the second round out of Alabama in 2017, Tomlinson generally was considered one of the top interior defensive linemen on the market this offseason.

NFC EAST

WASHINGTON

With QB ALEX SMITH gone, the WFT turns to QB RYAN FITZPATRICK for veteran leadership. ESPN.com:

Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has reached agreement with the Washington Football Team on a one-year deal worth $10 million that could grow to $12 million with incentives, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.

Fitzpatrick is expected to head to camp as the starter, the source said, with competition from Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen.

Washington knew it would struggle to add a long-term solution at quarterback this offseason, but it also realizes it can contend for another NFC East title. Fitzpatrick provides the team with someone who can play at a solid level for a less-expensive contract, allowing WFT to build the rest of its roster on offense.

Washington needs to add more help at wide receiver — one of its primary goals this offseason — and particularly wanted to add more speed at the position.

Fitzpatrick would be the organization’s 32nd starting quarterback since it won the Super Bowl after the 1991 season. Washington started three quarterbacks last season: Allen, Dwayne Haskins and Alex Smith. It released Haskins before the end of the season and earlier this month let go of Smith.

Fitzpatrick, 38, is entering his 17th NFL season. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to start and throw touchdowns with eight different teams. Now, he’ll have a chance to do it for a ninth.

Fitzpatrick is the ultimate journeyman, and he relishes the role — particularly over the past two seasons when he was the bridge starter for the Miami Dolphins. Though he is year to year at this point in his career, Fitzpatrick told ESPN in February that it was a “really easy” decision to return to play in 2021.

He played a huge role in guiding the Dolphins from a rebuilding team to one of the NFL’s best stories in 2020, as Miami made a five-win jump to a 10-6 record. In 2019, Fitzpatrick beat out Josh Rosen in an open competition to become the Dolphins’ starter for a 5-11 season when many considered the team to be tanking early on. In 2020, Fitzpatrick again began the season as the starter as the self-proclaimed “placeholder” and mentor for rookie Tua Tagovailoa.

Thoughts from Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

If Washington hadn’t signed Ryan Fitzpatrick or any other quarterback in free agency, their potential interest in a quarterback with the nineteenth overall pick in the draft would have been glaring. With Fitzpatrick in the fold, it’s less obvious that they’ll grab at quarterback at No. 19.

That makes it more likely that they’ll have the option to take a quarterback they like.

If the depth chart had consisted simply of Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinecke come the commencement of the draft, any team picking below No. 19 with interest in whichever quarterbacks fell through the teens would have known that a move ahead of Washington was likely necessary. Now, those teams may be less inclined to make a move, rolling the dice on the possibility that Washington will stand pat with the players they have.

Fitzpatrick, who endured being benched in 2020 for a first-round rookie before becoming a relief pitcher in a sport that typically doesn’t deploy them, surely wouldn’t be thrilled with the prospect of being jerked around again. The $10 million base salary he’ll earn in 2021 — roughly double his Miami pay — could be a sign that he won’t have to deal with that again.

Which, in turn, makes it more likely that Washington will have the option to take a quarterback at No. 19.

No matter how it plays out, the move to sign Fitzpatrick enhances the possibility that there will be a suitable quarterback left on the board when Washington is on the clock, since it makes less glaring the team’s need at the position.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

The Saints re-up with QB JAMEIS WINSTON on another one-year deal.

A day after Drew Brees announced his retirement, the New Orleans Saints are bringing back their next potential starting quarterback.

Quarterback Jameis Winston is re-signing with the Saints, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. Winston’s return to NOLA comes on a one-year deal with $5.5 million guaranteed and the chance to earn more through incentives, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.

The longtime former Buccaneers starter essentially confirmed the signing on Twitter and the team later announced the one-year pact.

Winston is expected to compete with Taysom Hill for the starting spot, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.

The top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and No. 13 in Gregg Rosenthal’s Top 101 free agents of 2021, Winston is one of the most mercurial quarterbacks of all-time, as best evidenced by his final year in Tampa Bay when he threw for 33 touchdowns and a league-high 30 interceptions in 2019.

Winston moved on to New Orleans for 2020 and saw action in four games with just 11 attempts and his seven completions going for 75 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. When Brees was injured, it was Hill who got the starting reins.

Who takes over the starting reins to begun the 2021 season remains to be seen, but head coach Sean Payton has Winston returning and in prime position to cash in on all the talents and potential he’s previously shown in the roller-coaster ride that was his Tampa Bay tenure.

TAMPA BAY

Add EDGE SHAQ BARRETT and TE ROB GRONKOWSKI to the members of the Super Bowl band signing up for a run at a repeat.  Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times:

Shortly after the Bucs’ booze-soaked Super Bowl boat parade, coach Bruce Arians stood on a stage and took turns telling receiver Chris Godwin and linebackers Lavonte David and Shaquil Barrett the same thing:

“Your (butt) ain’t going nowhere!” Arians declared to the three potential free agents.

That wasn’t the alcohol talking.

The Bucs used the franchise tag on Godwin. They signed David to a team-friendly deal and restructured Tom Brady’s contract.

But the biggest move may have come just before noon Monday when they secured one of the NFL’s best pass rushers by agreeing to terms with Barrett on a four-year deal worth $72 million that includes $34.5 million guaranteed, the Times confirmed.

A few hours later, after saying he may want to “dip my toes” in free agency, tight end Rob Gronkowski agreed to return on a one-year, $8 million contract.

The Bucs haven’t gotten the whole band back together yet, but they’ve locked up a few players that were instrumental in winning the Super Bowl.

“Running it back,” Gronkowski tweeted.

Arians prefers to call it “going for two,” but no matter what term you use, the Bucs did a remarkable job of locking up their key potential free agents with large signing bonuses and voidable years.

Barrett’s contract will average $17 million per year, which can increase to $18 million due to escalators. Half of that $1 million bonus is based on recording 15 sacks; the other half is paid upon reaching the playoffs. He will receive an $18 million signing bonus, which will keep his salary-cap figure for 2021 at $5.6 million.

“If it’s meant to be, it will be,” Barrett said on Instagram. “It’s something special about this whole organization, and I am so excited to be a part of it for (four) more years.”

Barrett’s 111 pressures over the past two seasons are most in the NFL, and he is second only to the Steelers’ T.J. Watt in sacks during that stretch.

After leading the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019, Barrett received the Bucs’ franchise tag, worth $15.8 million on a one-year deal. Barrett, who turns 29 in November, made it clear he did not want the tag again in 2020 and waited to ramp up negotiations until the Bucs tagged Godwin.

The Bucs seem willing to mortgage part of their future to keep their Super Bowl window cracked a little longer. That has not been the way they’ve operated under general manager Jason Licht.

Then again, you have to consider that the quarterback will be 44 in August and the head coach 69 in October.

By paying all these signing bonuses that are amortized over future years, the Bucs will be taking some “dead money” on the salary cap for players who may no longer be on their roster.

It’s a calculated risk. For starters, the $182.5 million cap is bound to increase significantly starting in 2022 as the pandemic abates and fans are welcomed back into stadiums, increasing revenues. There also will be significant earnings to the league when they complete talks for new television deals.

Even though the Bucs used a franchise tag on Godwin, guaranteeing him about $16 million on a one-year contract, they carved out enough salary-cap room for Barrett using voidable years on the contracts for David and Brady.

Brady made a lot of this possible. He reworked his contract and will earn $50 million over the next two seasons but could earn more than $41 million in 2021 while his salary-cap value is lowered to about $9 million.

Gronkowski, who turns 32 in May, played in all 20 games in 2020 despite coming off a one-year retirement. He finished with 45 catches for 623 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season. He didn’t catch many passes in the postseason but led the Bucs with two TD receptions in the Super Bowl. He will count $4.8 million against the cap this year.

The Bucs still want to find a way to re-sign free agents such as defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, kicker Ryan Succop, receiver Antonio Brown and/or running back Leonard Fournette.

Arians could not have been happier with the job done by Licht, director of football administration Mike Greenberg and director of football research Jacqueline Davidson. He says it’s also just getting started.

“Now finish the rest,” Arians said in a text to the Times. “Jason and his crew are unbelievably good.”

Praise from Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com:

Will the Bucs pay a price for all of this? Certainly. Kicking Brady’s $19 million down the road will eventually impact a future cap, although the Buccaneers still have time to be creative about how that ultimately plays out. And Godwin’s situation is resolved for only a season. There’s also still a chance that Brown pulls a surprise and signs elsewhere in free agency, although Brady referenced his confidence about “keeping the band together” on Instagram — and it’s extremely hard to imagine Brown not being part of Brady’s band following 2020.

None of this is about anything beyond 2021, a season that will feature Brady playing at 44 years old, Arians coaching at 69 and one grand finale before a slew of difficult decisions will need to be made with multiple players in 2022. But one more “all-in” season is already lining up nicely for Tampa Bay, who will play inside an NFC South in serious flux and an overall conference picture that features a lot of quarterback drama or questions inside potential contenders like the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.

Weighing injuries and other factors at this early stage of the offseason, the continuity inside the Buccaneers arguably makes the franchise look like the most stable NFC bet heading into 2021. Consider Tampa Bay will have a more traditional offseason of work and that the goal was for the 2021 team to be the better of Brady’s two locked-in seasons with Arians. Then you factor in that Tampa’s non-divisional schedule includes a slate against the NFC East — which was nothing less than a train wreck last season — and this is looking like a strong second act. In some respects, all of this has shades of Kansas City’s situation one year ago, when the defending champion Chiefs essentially sailed through the offseason and became the odds-on favorite to win another Super Bowl.

And that might be the lesson here for Tampa Bay. Being a Super Bowl winner and having an offseason with a solidified core doesn’t necessarily guarantee the ultimate payoff. As the Chiefs learned, something as simple as a devastating spate of injuries along the offensive line can undermine even the most perfect, stable and talented group.

What that will teach Tampa Bay is that the upcoming draft — with three top-100 picks and eight choices overall — will have to provide some important depth and players capable of contributing as rookies. There’s also still room to restructure a few more veterans’ contracts and gain some additional cap room if Tampa desires it, which might be the case if some solid middle-tier veterans get pinched by free agency and are willing to take a modest one-year deal to compete for a Super Bowl ring with Brady and the rest of the returning band.

Regardless of whether that happens, Tampa Bay has already pulled off a rare back-to-back win in the Super Bowl and ensuing free agency. It’s not often that a team can get the best player in the history of the NFL to push his payday further down the road, then parlay that gesture into retaining three coveted free agents for less money than they would have commanded on the market. All with their eyes affixed on the goal of consecutive Lombardi trophies, with some Bruce Arians verbiage in mind for the 2021 season.

The smartest guy in the room for the Buccaneers is cap operative Mike Greenberg, in his 11^th season as director of football operations and the 2021 offseason has been his masterpiece.  Mark Cannizzaro wrote this about him in the New York Post:

Sometimes in life, you need a little luck to find your way into the profession you want to pursue.

Mike Greenberg, who’s in his 11th season with the Buccaneers and eighth as director of football administration, might never have even gotten into the NFL had former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum and his wife not moved out of their home in Roslyn on Long Island.

The story behind Greenberg’s unlikely entrance into the NFL is one of kismet. This, in the words of Tannenbaum in an interview with The Post, is how it started for Greenberg:

“We were moving in Roslyn and Mike Greenberg’s family owns a moving company,’’ Tannenbaum recalled. “So, my wife, Michelle, spends the entire day with Mike Greenberg’s family. I come home that night after a long day at work and she’s like, ‘I just met the nicest people in the world. They own this moving company, and their son’s dream is to be you one day. He goes to Hofstra Law School. And, since they were so nice, I committed you to meet with him.’

 “I’m like, ‘OK, no problem.’ Based on that, that’s how we hired Mike Greenberg.’’

Greenberg became so indispensable to Tannenbaum, he pleaded with him to stay with the Jets once he graduated law school.

“Of thousands of interns I’ve ever had, he was the best one by far,’’ Tannenbaum said. “He was with us for about a year and a half, and I tried to beg him to stay after he graduated, but [then-Tampa Bay GM] Mark Dominik hired him. That was a real smart move by Mark.’’

Greenberg, a Long Island native, interned with the Jets in 2008-09 alongside Jacqueline Davidson, whom Tannenbaum had also hired to work with the Jets. Davidson was hired by the Buccaneers this past July as their director of football research.

“He’s going to be a general manager,’’ Tannenbaum, now an ESPN analyst, said of Greenberg. “He’s exceptional. He’s incredible. They couldn’t survive without them. If I owned a team, I would hire both [Greenberg and Davidson] in my front office.’’

Current Bucs GM Jason Licht raved about Greenberg and Davidson on Monday, crediting them with crucial contract work that has helped build the Bucs into a Super Bowl team.

“I think we’re set up beautifully thanks to Mike Greenberg and Jacque Davidson making decisions and giving me their input on how to set up contracts,’’ Licht said. “We’re still looking long term the way we set things up, and because of the job that Mike Greenberg and Jacque Davidson have done, we’re in position to do that.’’

On Tuesday, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians called Greenberg “invaluable to this organization.”

“Anything you need to know, you can ask Mike and he’ll know,” Arians said. “He’s absolutely amazing. He is tireless. He’s on the phone 20 out of 24 hours a day. I don’t think he ever sleeps.’’

Expect Greenberg to be a hot name in next year’s GM market.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

The 49ers keep FB KYLE JUSCZYK.  Alicia de Artola of Fansided.com:

The 49ers made it a priority to bring back fullback Kyle Juszczyk this offseason. The job is now done.

On Sunday, Juszczyk signed a $27-million contract to keep him around San Francisco for another five years.

That’s a whole lot of money for a fullback. In fact, he’s the highest-paid fullback in the league, according to his agency.

Juszczyk entered the NFL in 2013 as a fourth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens. He completed his four-year rookie deal as a Pro Bowler, drawing plenty of attention in the free-agent market. San Francisco won the sweepstakes by giving him a four-year $21-million contract. At the time, that deal was a gamble. It paid off.

The 49ers had every reason to be happy with that deal considering Juszczyk’s performance over the last four years. He’s been a Pro Bowl selection in each of his four seasons with the 49ers.

Stats don’t really do his importance justice. He’s never had more than 64 yards rushing in a season. However, his role as a receiving option out of the backfield has paid dividends with 1,080 yards and seven touchdowns in the last four years. One of those scores was in Super Bowl LIV. Even those receptions can’t capture why the 49ers were so eager to re-sign him.

Juszczyk brings value as a decoy and a blocker as well as a receiver. His presence allows the rest of the offense to thrive. Basically, he’s the model for a modern fullback, making life easier on quarterbacks, receivers, running backs, and offensive line.

The 49ers recognize that and are paying Juszczyk accordingly.

SEATTLE

Tyler Sullivan of CBSSports.com is among those who have noticed that the Seahawks have not done anything to keep QB RUSSELL WILSON happy:

Loser: Seattle Seahawks

With the uncertain status looming over Russell Wilson, one would think it’d behoove Seattle to come in hot on the first day of free agency and give the star quarterback what he wants: protection. However, the Seahawks remained quiet on Monday as the likes of guards Joe Thuney and Kevin Zeitler came off the board along with star center Corey Linsley. If the Seahawks were to take Wilson’s previous comments this offseason about adding to the offensive line to heart and came out of the gate firing, that could have been a key olive branch to possibly mend some fences. At the moment, it doesn’t seem like Seattle has done much of anything to smooth things over with their franchise cornerstone.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

The Chiefs take former Patriots OL JOE THUNEY with a big deal.  Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com gets the numbers.

The Chiefs made a big splash on Monday, signing Joe Thuney to a five-year, $80 million deal. Here’s the full breakdown of the deal, which as a practical matter is a three-year, $48 million deal with a team option for the final two seasons at $16 million per.

Signing bonus: $17 million.

2021 base salary: $990,000, fully guaranteed at signing.

2022 base salary: $13.9 million, fully guaranteed at signing.

2023 base salary: $15 million, guaranteed for injury at signing but fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2022 league year.

2024 base salary, $15.5 million, $2 million of which is fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2024 league year.

2025 base salary, $15.5 million, $2 million of which is fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year.

The contract includes a $110,000 workout bonus for 2021, and $500,000 workout bonuses for 2022 through 2025.

To avoid owing Thuney $48 million over three years, the Chiefs would have to cut him after one season — at a cost of $32.5 million.

LAS VEGAS

The Raiders strike a deal with DE YANNICK NGAKOUE.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

Yannick Ngakoue’s nomadic 2020 has extended into 2021, but he has finally found a home.

After spending last calendar year as a Jaguar, then a Viking, and finally a Raven, Ngakoue has agreed to terms on a two-year, $26 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday. Ngakoue is No. 11 on Gregg Rosenthal’s list of Top 101 Free Agents.

Around this time a year ago, Ngakoue was a recent recipient of the franchise tag placed on him by the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team for whom Ngakoue no longer wanted to play. He eventually forced his way out via public quarreling with Jaguars brass, landing in Minnesota, where he failed to make an impact before the Vikings shipped him to Baltimore. Ngakoue recorded eight sacks in 15 games played between the Vikings and Ravens in 2020, but by the time it was over, it was clear he needed a fresh start elsewhere.

Las Vegas provides that opportunity for Ngakoue, who will reunite with his former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley, the Raiders’ recently hired defensive coordinator. Ngakoue played under Bradley as a rookie in Jacksonville and recorded eight sacks, four forced fumbles and 23 tackles in his first season before making the leap in Year 2 (without Bradley, who had been fired), racking up 12 sacks en route to his first and only Pro Bowl appearance.

Edge rusher was a significant need for the Raiders, who need to plug multiple defensive holes this offseason if they want to get over the hump and back into the postseason.

Las Vegas also did a little housekeeping Monday, placing a second-round tender on kicker Daniel Carlson, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Packers let C COREY LINSLEY walk, and the All-Pro signs a big money deal with the Chargers.  ESPN.com:

The Los Angeles Chargers have agreed to a five-year contract with free-agent center Corey Linsley, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

The deal is worth $62.5 million with $17 million fully guaranteed at signing, a source told ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

The move fills a huge void for the Chargers. Dan Feeney had moved to center last season from guard after Mike Pouncey went on injured reserve in September with a hip injury. Pouncey retired this offseason.

The Chargers further strengthened their offensive line by agreeing to a three-year, $21 million deal with former Pittsburgh Steelers guard Matt Feiler, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Steelers’ starting right tackle for the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Feiler moved to left guard for the 2020 season after the departure of Ramon Foster forced the line to reshuffle. He started 13 games, going on the injured reserve list with a pectoral injury before returning for the first-round playoff loss against the Cleveland Browns.

The 28-year-old Feiler played every single offensive snap of the 2019 season and 86% of snaps in 2020 after signing a restricted free-agent tender in April 2020.

The Chargers also announced Monday that they had agreed to a multiyear deal to re-sign cornerback Michael Davis, who appeared in all 16 games last season, making 14 starts and finishing with three interceptions.

Linsley earned first-team All-Pro honors for this past season, becoming the first Green Bay Packers center to do so since Jim Ringo in 1963.

He started 13 games, missing three because of a knee injury but returning in time for the playoffs. He helped the Packers tie for second in the NFL for fewest sacks allowed and was part of the top-scoring offense in the NFL.

The 2014 fifth-round pick from Ohio State became an immediate starter as a rookie and has 99 regular-season season starts dating to that 2014 season. He had a stretch from late in the 2016 season to early in the 2019 season in which he was on the field for more than 2,700 straight offensive snaps.

Linsley, 29, signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract extension with Green Bay late in the 2017 season.

He was one of two offensive line starters for the Packers who entered the 2020 season in the final year of his contract. The team signed All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari to a four-year, $103.5 million extension in November. Bakhtiari tore his ACL in practice on Dec. 31 and might not be ready for the start of the regular season.

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI

The Bengals make a big signing with ex-Saint DL Trey Hendrickson.  Grant Gordon ofNFL.com:

After a breakout season, defensive end Trey Hendrickson is breaking the bank.

The Cincinnati Bengals are signing Hendrickson to a four-year, $60 million contract with $32 million across the first two seasons, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday.

Hendrickson’s deal was one of myriad on Monday involving top-flight pass rushers earning big dollars, including former Bengals edge Carl Lawson, who’s agreed to terms with the Jets that are right on line with what Hendrickson garnered on a per-year basis.

Nonetheless, the Bengals went out and spent to bring in a pass rusher to fill the vacancy of Lawson and might not stop there, as NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports Cincy is in the mix to sign former Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton, one of the top cornerbacks available.

Hendrickson was the No. 4 free agent in this year’s class, per Gregg Rosenthal’s Top 101 free agents of 2021, and was the No. 3 defense end. Those who fly off the edge were soaring to big deals on Monday. In addition to Hendrickson and Lawson’s signings, other notables were Shaquil Barrett with Tampa Bay, Matt Judon in New England, Bud Dupree in Tennessee and Yannick Ngakoue in Las Vegas, among others.

Hendrickson heads to the Bengals and the AFC North after playing his first four seasons in New Orleans, where he made the most of his first campaign as a starter in 2020. Hendrickson had 13.5 sacks and 25 quarterback hits for the NFC South champions.

Hendrickson and the Bengals are hoping to see continued productivity out of the pass rusher as he begins a new chapter and Cincinnati looks to make a move north out of the AFC North cellar as the Joe Burrow era is underway.

ESPN’s Josina Anderson said other teams were also in the mix:

My understanding is the #Jets, #Vikings, #Browns have all shown interest in adding #Saints DE Trey Hendrickson, per source. That list is in no particular order.

AFC SOUTH

TENNESSEE

The Titans say this Bud’s for them.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Titans, who made only 19 sacks last season, should see more than that this season after their free agent agreements Monday.

They agreed to a three-year, $21.5 million deal with former Colts defensive end Denico Autry earlier in the day. Now, comes news that the Titans have in fact reached agreement with former Steelers edge rusher Bud Dupree.

It’s a $16.5 million a year deal on a multi-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.

Dupree played last season under the franchise tag after the Steelers and Dupree’s representation failed to reach agreement on a long-term deal.

But Dupree torn his ACL in the Steelers’ Week 12 game against the Ravens.

He finished 2020 with eight sacks in 11 games.

Dupree leaves Pittsburgh after six seasons, 66 starts, 231 tackles, 39.5 sacks, an interception, 11 pass breakups and eight forced fumbles.

He has never made a Pro Bowl, including in 2019 when Dupree totaled a career-best 11.5 sacks, 17 quarterback hits and 68 tackles.

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND

The Patriots spent $202 million of Robert Kraft’s cash on Monday according to this accounting from Chris Cwik of YahooSports.com:

The New England Patriots just experienced their first losing season since 2000, and have no interest in doing that again. Just hours into free agency, the Patriots have spent $202 million to get back to their winning ways.

The hits kept coming nonstop Monday, as the team quickly reached deals with tight end Jonnu Smith and nose tackle Davon Godchaux a few minutes after free agency opened. Hours later, the team made two more big additions, signing Matthew Judon and Jalen Mills.

The team didn’t stop there. It also brought in receiver Nelson Agholor on a two-year, $26 million deal, former 49ers receiver Kendrick Bourne on a three-year, $22.5 million deal and former New York Jets defensive lineman Henry Anderson on a two-year, $7 million deal.

Those contracts aren’t fully guaranteed, meaning the Patriots may not actually pay out $202 million to those players over the next four years. Still, the team already committed more guaranteed money to players this offseason than they have in any offseason over the past decade.

All of those players — except Agholor, Bourne and Anderson— are clients of Drew Rosenhaus, who cited a strong relationship with Patriots coach Bill Belichick as a reason the deals got done.

The Patriots made those moves after trading for offensive lineman Trent Brown and re-signing quarterback Cam Newton. All six of those moves — in addition to getting players back who opted out of the 2020 NFL season — should make the Patriots more dangerous in 2021.

While there are questions about Newton’s ability after he had a down year in 2020, the Patriots seem determined to give him better weapons in 2021. On that front, the trade for Brown and the Agholor, Smith and Bourne deals may just be start.

Whether you like it or not, it looks like the Patriots might be back in playoff contention this season.

Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tries to explain what is going on:

In a reflection of how out of character it is, consider this: The Patriots spent $51 million in bonuses and guarantees on free agents over the prior three offseasons combined.

As for why the sudden change, there’s a couple different ways to look at it.

Could it be that Belichick is so motivated by watching Tom Brady depart and win a Super Bowl in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that he’s officially kicked off a ’21 Vengeance Tour?

That’s a fun one, and perhaps there is some competitive fire there, but it doesn’t seem to hit the bulls-eye.

Another thought: Belichick is a bottom-liner and simply assessed the roster that produced a 7-9 season — with the Patriots missing the playoffs for the first time in 12 years — and realized it wasn’t very good. So as much as he would prefer to draft, develop and re-sign players, especially at tight end and wide receiver to help an offense that ranked 30th in passing yards per game, that wasn’t an option. Same with defensive tackle to help a shaky run defense.

This also makes a lot of sense but, still, doesn’t completely tell the story.

What has most directly sparked such an aggressive approach, according to those familiar with the thinking, is the view the 2021 offseason was a rare opportunity based on the NFL’s plummeting salary cap.

Remember, the cap dropped to $182.5 million this year. It was $198.2 million in 2020, so this marked the first drop since the collective bargaining agreement of 2011.

Because of that, it thinned the field of teams the Patriots were competing against for free agents because many teams were scrambling just to get under the cap. That sweetened the free-agent pool, making players in the prime years of their career available who might have otherwise not hit the market; consider that Smith and Bourne are 25, Godchaux and Mills are 26, Agholor is 27 and Judon 28.

So with an abundance of salary-cap space to work with, and knowing the cap is going to spike in the coming years because of new television broadcast deals, Belichick and the Patriots went all-in like never before.

In the perfect Patriots world, they have capitalized on unprecedented market conditions, dramatically improving the team.

In the worst-case scenario, they have overthought it, strayed too far from their draft-and-develop roots by committing too much to non-homegrown players, and will ultimately pay a similar price that other teams who also “won” free agency in March have in past years.

For now, there’s plenty of optimism at One Patriot Place, where a new parking spot might need to be created for the Brinks truck that will be greeting the team’s additions.

Tyler Sullivan of CBSSports.com approves:

Winner: New England Patriots

Bill Belichick rolled into free agency like his stimulus check just cleared. The Patriots wasted no time in trying to rebuild a roster that went 7-9 in 2020 and were quick to address key positions of need. The first major splash was signing tight end Jonnu Smith to a four-year, $50 million deal that solidifies a position that the club has been trying to fill ever since Rob Gronkowski retired. Smith is as well-rounded of a tight end as they come with the ability to block and be a lethal receiver, particularly after the catch. From Day 1, he should be looked at as the Patriots’ top pass-catching option. Not only did the Patriots add a tight end, but they also brought in receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. Agholor will help Josh McDaniels’ offense stretch the field while Bourne could be an option for the club out of the slot.

Meanwhile, the most surprising splash of the day for the Patriots came on the defensive side of the ball by agreeing with linebacker Matt Judon on a four-year, $56 million contract. He brings elite talent to a Patriots pass-rushing unit that will also boast Josh Uche, Chase Winovich, and Dont’a Hightower. All of a sudden, that grouping is shaping out to be pretty lethal. Finally, the Patriots solidified the interior of their defensive line by adding Henry Anderson and Davon Godchaux.

It wasn’t all positives for the Patriots, however, as they did lose star left guard Joe Thuney (more on him below).

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And as we go to press comes word that the Pats are not done!  Not even done at tight end!  CBSSports.com:

What’s better than one tight end? Two. After a wild first day of free agency for the New England Patriots, in which the team landed big names like tight end Jonnu Smith and pass rusher Matthew Judon, Bill Belichick is once again opening up his wallet. According to CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora, the Patriots have agreed to terms with former Chargers tight end Hunter Henry on a three-year contract. The deal is worth $37.5 million and includes $25 million guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, adding to New England’s lucrative foray into 2021 free agency.

The Pats had seemingly already added a new No. 1 TE in Smith on Monday, but Henry could prove to be an even more meaningful addition considering his pass-catching résumé. Belichick, for what it’s worth, has long admired the former Chargers standout, who caught 60 passes for 613 yards and four touchdowns in Los Angeles last season.

“Henry’s really been a great player,” Belichick told reporters leading up to New England’s regular-season matchup with the Chargers. “I’ve watched him pretty much his whole career. He started at Pulaski Academy down in Little Rock, played for Coach (Kevin) Kelly down there. He had a great career there, went to Arkansas and had a great career at Arkansas. Went to the Chargers and with (Virgil) Green out, he’s really played the ‘Y’ role this year and showed good ability to block, catch. He runs a variety of routes. He’s come back off the injury and has been a very, very productive player for them, along with all their other good skill players. But, he’s done a good job for them in a running game, as well as the passing game.”

Now, Belichick will add that weapon to an offense that is seemingly poised to feature two tight ends prominently after spending massive money on Henry and Smith to begin free agency.

Henry, 26, was considered arguably the top TE on the market outside of Smith. A second-round draft pick in 2016, he has battled injuries throughout his career, never playing a full season and appearing in just 12 between 2018-2019, but he’s also been a prolific target when healthy. Henry has posted at least 550 receiving yards in his past three active seasons, peaking with 652 in 2019 despite playing just 12 games, and caught at least four touchdowns in each year as a full-time starter.

Henry’s addition helps to increase the Patriots’ Super Bowl chances by more than 5 times, according to SportsLine’s Stephen Oh. New England’s projected win total has gone from 7.4 to 8.6 in just the past two days, per Oh’s simulations.