NFL Player News

Bowden has officially entered free agency after the Saints declined to tender him as an exclusive rights free agent, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Bowden is now set to hit the open market as the new league year officially begins Wednesday. The 2020 third-round pick will look to catch on with another team after hauling in 11 of his 16 targets for 83 yards in 15 games with the Saints last season.

Thomas (knee) became a free agent after the Saints designated him as a post-June 1 cut, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Under the terms of his contract, Thomas was technically signed beyond 2024, but he had some unusual bonuses attached to his deal that enabled the Saints to cut him loose. He's now free to sign with any team, but it's unclear how much of a market there might be for a 31-year-old wideout who has massed significant time over the past four seasons. A knee injury cost Thomas the final seven games of the 2023 campaign, but it's unclear where he currently stands in his recovery.

Hodgins will be an unrestricted free agent after the Giants opted not to give him a restricted free-agent tender Wednesday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Hodgins caught on with the Bills as an undrafted rookie in 2021 before making his way to the Giants midway through the 2022 season. He had at least 29 yards in each of his eight games for the Giants in 2022, but then managed just 230 yards over 17 games and 511 snaps in 2023. While the team decided he's not valuable enough to warrant the lowest RFA tender ($2.99 million), Hodgins could still return to the Giants on a lesser contract.

The Chargers will release Williams (knee) on Wednesday with a failed physical designation, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Williams is rehabbing from an ACL tear and was due $20 million in non-guaranteed compensation for 2024, the final season of a three-year extension. The Chargers may have discussed a paycut, extension or trade, but they weren't able to work anything out and now are cutting the 29-year-old wideout loose right around the start of the league year. Williams will become one of the top free agents available, and the timing of his severe knee injury -- which occurred in late September -- gives him a decent chance to be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign.

Humphrey is re-signing with the Broncos on a one-year contract, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Humphrey had 162 receiving yards and three touchdowns with Denver in 2023. He could have an opportunity to climb the depth chart after the Broncos traded Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland on Saturday, though Humphrey has yet to reach 250 receiving yards in a season since debuting with the Saints in 2019.

The Patriots have minimal commitment to Bourne (knee) beyond the 2024 season, despite re-signing the receiver Wednesday to a three-year contract worth up to $33 million, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reports.

The deal is loaded with incentives and light on guarantees, with a base value of $19.5 million and only $5.5 million guaranteed at signing. Another $2.5 million becomes guaranteed for 2025 if Bourne reaches 800 receiving yards in 2024, though the Patriots presumably would want to keep him around in that case anyway. The 28-year-old had a career-high 800 receiving yards in 2021, his first season with the Patriots, and he was on pace for 863 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023 until an ACL tear cost him the final nine games. Bourne said in February that his rehab was ahead of schedule, and in early March he added that he expects to be a "full go" for training camp and Week 1. It's not yet clear who he'll be catching passes from or competing for targets with, apart from the likelihood of second-year wideout Demario Douglas and veteran tight end Hunter Henry getting significant playing time.

The Duval County Clerk of Court announced that Jones had a misdemeanor domestic battery charge dismissed Tuesday, Mark Long of the Associated Press reports.

Jones was arrested in November, and while the dismissal of legal charges represents a positive outcome for the receiver, he could still face a suspension for a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy. He has one year remaining on a three-year, $24 million contract with the Jaguars, though there's been speculation that he could be a cap casualty this offseason.

Hollins agreed to a contract with the Bills on Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Hollins enjoyed a mini-breakout for the Raiders in 2022 with 690 receiving yards -- more than tripling his previous season high -- but then dropped to 251 yards in 13 games with the Falcons in 2023. Though he's valued for his blocking and special teams contributions as much as his receiving ability, Hollins could take some of the snaps and targets that previously went to Gabe Davis, who is leaving Buffalo to sign with Jacksonville. In any case, it's almost a certainty the Bills will be targeting a wide receiver with an early pick in April's draft.

The Raiders will release Renfrow on Wednesday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

The move will open up $8.21 million in cap space for the Raiders in 2024 and was seen as an inevitability unless Renfrow agreed to a large paycut. He caught 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021 -- his third NFL season -- but then had only 585 yards in 27 games the past two seasons after signing a two-year, $32.33 million extension. He made it through the first season of the extension, but he'll now become a free agent a few months after his 28th birthday. Meanwhile, the Raiders have Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker atop their depth chart at wide receiver, with the latter having replaced Renfrow in the No. 3 role at times during the 2023 season.

The Panthers re-signed Smith-Marsette to a one-year contract Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Smith-Marsette wasn't tendered by the Panthers as a restricted free agent last week, but he's coming back to the team at a lower salary than the low tender. Across 17 games last season, Smith-Marsette recorded eight catches for 51 scoreless yards and returned an NFL-high 37 punts for 322 yards and one touchdown.