AP sources: Raiders to send Waller to Giants

HENDERSON, Nev. — Tight end Darren Waller is being traded to the New York Giants, who will send the Las Vegas Raiders a 2023 third-round draft pick, two people familiar with the deal said Tuesday.

They spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been announced. One person said the Giants will send the Raiders their No. 100 overall selection, which was acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in the deal for wide receiver Kadarius Toney.

Waller, who made the Pro Bowl in 2020 gives Giants quarterback Daniel Jones a major playmaker and an upgrade at tight end. Last year’s starter, Daniel Bellinger, caught 30 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

Waller twice has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, in 2019 and 2020, before injuries cut into his production the past two seasons. In 2022, Waller caught 28 passes for 388 yards and three TDs, missing eight games because of a hamstring injury.

MORE RAIDERS: The Las Vegas Raiders and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers have agreed on a $33 million, three-year deal, a person familiar with the contract told The Associated Press.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be announced until Wednesday, said it includes $21 million in guaranteed money.

Meyers made the Patriots’ roster as an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of North Carolina State and quickly found a home, displaying an acumen for catching the ball in traffic primarily out of the slot. Meyers spent his first four seasons with New England. He has averaged 70 catches and 800 yards receiving over the past three seasons.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings reached an agreement with quarterback Kirk Cousins on Tuesday to change bonus language in his existing contract that cleared $16 million from their salary cap for 2023, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiation.

The person confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not announce it.

Cousins will enter his sixth season with the Vikings, currently without a commitment from the club beyond that. His base salary this year is $10 million. His cap charge will now be $20.25 million, including the prorations from two different bonuses.

He had a $20 million roster bonus due next week, but this conversion and the accompanying addition of two more void years allowed the Vikings to spread that money evenly on their cap at $4 million annually over five years. The extension Cousins got a year ago came with a $25 million signing bonus and two void years to spread that money evenly at $6.25 million from 2022-25.

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler could be on his way out.

Ekeler’s agent, Cameron Weiss, said on Tuesday that the team has given Ekeler permission to seek a trade after both sides could not agree on a contract extension.

Ekeler, who has scored an NFL-high 38 touchdowns over the past two seasons, is entering the final season of a four-year, $24.5 million extension. He is scheduled to earn $6.25 million in the 2023 season.

He led the league with 18 scrimmage touchdowns last season and became the fifth running back in league history with at least 100 receptions. His 107 catches were tied for second most by a running back in a season.

COLTS: A person with knowledge of the trade says the Dallas Cowboys have acquired cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts for a fifth-round draft pick. The addition of the five-time Pro Bowler came on the same day Dallas re-signed safety Donovan Wilson. The Cowboys will give up a compensatory pick in this year’s draft. It will be the third team in three seasons for Gilmore.

RYAN: The Indianapolis Colts will release 37-year-old quarterback Matt Ryan in a cost-cutting move. Cutting ties with Ryan before Wednesday means Indy clears about $17.2 million under the salary cap and opens free agency with roughly $30 million in cap space. Ryan was traded by the rebuilding Atlanta Falcons to the Colts last March. But the combination didn’t work out.

PANTHERS: According to two people familiar with the situation, the Carolina Panthers have found their stop-gap quarterback, agreeing to a two-year, $10 million contract with Andy Dalton. One of those people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the deal can’t be signed until Wednesday, said the deal includes $8 million in guaranteed money. 

EAGLES: A person familiar with the deal says the Philadelphia Eagles and former Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny have agreed on a contract. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract can’t be announced until the start of free agency on Wednesday. A first-round pick by Seattle in the 2018 NFL draft, Penny has been slowed by injuries throughout his career.

49ERS: A person familiar with the deal says the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a four-year contract extension with starting center Jake Brendel before he could hit the open market. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the deal. NFL Network first reported the agreement and said it had a maximum value of $20 million and includes $8 million in guarantees.

FALCONS: A person with a knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that quarterback Taylor Heinicke has agreed to terms on a two-year contract worth up to $20 million. The deal cannot be signed until the official start of free agency on Wednesday. It’s a homecoming for Heinicke, who grew up in the Atlanta suburbs.

TEXANS: The Houston Texans have agreed to send the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a sixth-round draft pick for guard Shaq Mason and a seventh-round pick, a person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be announced until Wednesday. Mason started 18 games for the Buccaneers at right guard last season after spending his first seven years in New England.

DOLPHINS: The Miami Dolphins are bringing back running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr., agreeing on two-year contracts for both players. Mostert’s agent Brett Tessler reported the deal Tuesday afternoon. A person familiar with the deal confirmed Wilson’s intention to re-sign with Miami on a deal worth up to $8.2 million. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because signings can’t be announced until the official start of free agency on Wednesday.

LAWSUIT: Lawyers for NFL Coach Brian Flores and two other Black coaches have asked a judge to reconsider her decision letting some of a federal lawsuit’s racial discrimination claims possibly go before Commissioner Roger Goodell in arbitration proceedings. The lawyers told Judge Valerie E. Caproni in a filing Tuesday that her March 1 ruling clears the way for U.S. employers to appoint their chief executives or other obviously biased people as arbitrators. They said it also encourages employers to scrap neutral arbitral selection processes and other aspects of arbitration designed to ensure fairness. Lawyers for the NFL and Goodell were sent emails requesting comment.