The NFC East has improved a ton this week
Sources: Texans land S Gardner-Johnson from Eagles for OL Green – DJ Bien-Amie, ESPN
Free agency isn’t the only way to acquire players right now.
The Texans are trading for Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in exchange for left guard Kenyon Green, sources told ESPN.
The deal also includes a pick swap, with the Eagles getting a 2026 fifth-round pick and the Texans getting a 2026 sixth-rounder. Gardner-Johnson is a known ball hawk, with six interceptions in 2024 and 2022 for the Eagles in separate stints. The Texans lost starting safety Eric Murray to the Jacksonville Jaguars on a three-year, $22.5 million deal in free agency, so they’ll use Gardner-Johnson to fill that void.
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Gardner-Johnson joins a Houston pass defense that ranked sixth in passing yards allowed (201) and 13th in scoring defense (21.9). Gardner-Johnson’s 18 career interceptions fit right in with what the Texans’ defense did last year as they ranked second in interceptions (19).
Gardner-Johnson acknowledged the trade, expressing his “love” for Philadelphia in a series of X posts Tuesday morning.
“This decision wasn’t mine, but I walk away proud of what we built together,” Gardner-Johnson wrote. “To my teammates: Brothers, we bled, cursed, and laughed through it all. To the coaches and front office: Thank you for trusting a kid from Florida with a chip on his shoulder to lead this defense. And to the Philly Faithful — you’re unmatched. You embraced my edge and fire, for this game even when I got too hot.”
Popular veteran becomes collateral damage of Commanders’ Laremy Tunsil trade – Dean Jones, RiggosRag.com
Washington made it a priority to protect their young quarterback.
The Washington Commanders pulled off another bombshell trade for a prolific veteran while other teams were focused on free-agent additions. Second-year general manager Adam Peters had a different strategy, striking a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans for Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
This was a major statement of intent from the Commanders. They are pushing all their chips into the middle with quarterback Jayden Daniels on his rookie contract. They are ready to win now and will stop at nothing to ensure this Super Bowl window is maximized.
Unfortunately, this came with some collateral damage attached.
Tunsil’s arrival was never going to be good news for everybody. That’s the price of progress around the league. Fortunately for popular veteran Cornelius Lucas, his production in 2024 gave him a solid platform to get another deal elsewhere.
Cornelius Lucas takes chances elsewhere after Commanders’ trade for Laremy Tunsil
The Commanders had no use for Lucas after acquiring Tunsil. That might be a little harsh on the versatile swing tackle, but it’s all part of the business. His spell in Washington officially ended after he signed a deal with the Cleveland Browns.
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As for the Commanders? They are going for broke. Trading for Tunsil is the latest example of Peters’ purposeful aggression to keep Washington among the leading Super Bowl contenders.
Jevon Holland agrees to three-year contract with Giants, per reports – Nick Brinkerhoff, USA Today
New York has focused on improving their secondary early in free agency.
Jevon Holland has agreed to a deal with the New York Giants, ending his free agent journey.
Holland’s deal with the Giants will span three years and will pay him $45.3 million, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The contract could be worth as much as $46.8 million and comes with $30.3 million in guarantees.
The 25-year-old’s signing comes after the Miami Dolphins declined to place the franchise tag on him and gave him the opportunity to test the free agent waters after four years in South Beach.
Checking in as the top safety available on the market, Holland figured to be in demand despite coming off what was his worst season in the league. The Dolphins selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft, becoming a fixture in the back-end of the Miami defense.
Head coach Mike McDaniel previously didn’t seem optimistic about the team’s chances of bringing Holland back.
“Jevon has earned the right to go out and test his market,” McDaniel said via the Sun Sentinel.
The Dolphins’ salary cap situation hasn’t afforded them much flexibility this offseason, which leaves them facing difficult roster decisions going forward.
