March 6, 2024   4 MIN READ

Leaving the Birds Nest

NFL Roundup: Ertz Joins Former Rival; Bills Make Big Cuts

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The Washington Commanders are not waiting to dive into the free agent market. 

New general manager Adam Peters has made his first signing, picking up all-time great Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, per NFL Network.

Zach Ertz

GETTY IMAGES: Former Eagles and Cardinals TE Zach Ertz signed with the Washington Commanders.

The 33-year-old reunites with Kliff Kinsgbury, his former head coach with the Arizona Cardinals who is now the Commanders’ offensive coordinator. 

Ertz owns the NFL record for most receptions in a single season for a tight end (116), has the second most receptions in Eagles history (579), fifth most yards in team history (6,267), and seventh most touchdown catches in Eagles history (38).

With the emergence of Dallas Goedert, Ertz was traded to the Cardinals in the middle of the 2021 season. 

After being released by Arizona following the 2023 trade deadline so the team could find more snaps for Trey McBride, Ertz remained on the free agent market until right before the NFC Championship game when the Detroit Lions signed him to the practice squad.

With his practice squad contract expiring immediately following Detroit’s loss, Ertz was allowed to sign with any team before Monday’s legal tampering period opens for free agents currently under contract.

Though now in the latter half of his career, Ertz can now immediately step into Washington’s number one tight end role following the release of Logan Thomas and can be a reliable target for the likely quarterback that Washington takes with the number two overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Bills Cap Casualties

The Buffalo Bills made a major move to help bring them under the salary cap. 

Per ESPN, the Bills are releasing All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer.

The 32-year-old joins a free agent safety market that the Philadelphia Eagles will look to dive into.

In fact, Philadelphia was where Poyer first called home in the NFL as a seventh round selection in the 2013 draft. He was released midway into his rookie season before being picked up on waivers by the Cleveland Browns where he spent his next four seasons.

It was in Buffalo where Poyer made his mark after signing in 2017, forming one of the top safety duos in the NFL next to Micah Hyde and was a key player on a Bills defense that has made the playoffs as an AFC threat in six out of the last seven years.

This is among the many moves Buffalo will have to make before the new league year as they need to save over $30 million more in cap space, per Over the Cap.

But with Hyde also a free agent, the Bills defense will look a lot different next season as they look to finally get over the playoff hump.

The Bills are making big changes on all sides of the ball with the reported release of starting center Mitch Morse and wide receiver Deonte Harty.

 

Non-Tenders

A couple of key players in the league will hit unrestricted free agency after their teams did not give them their restricted free agent contract tenders.

Detroit Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs and Denver Broncos defensive lineman Jonathan Harris are set to be free agents.

 

 

Jacobs joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2021, but grew to become one of the team’s starting outside corners. 

In 2023, the 26-year-old recorded three interceptions and eight pass deflections in 12 starts before ending his season in injured reserve.

The 27-year-old Harris has been on the Broncos roster since 2019, but made his biggest impact this past season. He played in all 17 games, making five starts, and recorded 43 tackles as a rotational piece on Denver’s defensive line.  

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

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