Several former LSU Football players sign big deals in NFL free agency

Heading into this year's free agency, LSU had 11 former players set to hit the market in search of new homes. So far, nine former Tigers have earned their bag and inked a new deal with a new team.

Today, I thought we check in on some of the former Tigers to ink new deals and how they fit with their new teams.

The former Tiger who received the biggest contract in terms on annual value was Danielle Hunter, who left the Vikings - his home for the past eight seasons - to play for DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans.

In return for his services, Hunter received a two-year, 49-million dollar deal with 48-million of it fully guaranteed. That means he's making 24.5-million dollars per season with pretty much every penny guaranteed.

I think this was a great move for both parties. Was it a bit of an overpay for an older pass rusher? Probably, but the Texans are an up-and-coming team who had a lot of money to spend, and getting a guy who recorded 16.5 sacks in 2023 and pairing him with an exciting second-year guy like Will Anderson could prove to be huge for them.

The next Tiger who earned his bag in a new home is Patrick Queen, who we all know played a big role in winning the national championship in 2019. He's spent the last four seasons in Baltimore but moved slightly north and signing with the Ravens biggest rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Queen received a three-year, 41-million dollar deal which makes him the seventh highest paid linebacker in terms of annual value (13.666 million).

Queen's been a solid linebacker in his four-year career, but really had a great season in 2023 alongside All-Pro Roquan Smith. If he can play at that same level for the Steelers, this would be a great signing at a very fair price.

Next up is Lloyd Cushenberry, who inked a four-year, 50-million dollar deal with 26-million guaranteed with the Tennessee Titans.

Cushenberry was a big part of LSU's offensive line from 2018-2019 where he started a combined 25 games at center for the Tigers. He was apart of the offensive line group that won the Joe Moore Award for the best offensive line in the country.

After four good seasons in Denver, Cushenberry earns his first big deal with the Titans. The Titans are a young squad with a lot of new faces on offense, and when you're rebuilding, one of the first things you want to do is sure up the O-line, and Cushenberry gives them their long-term center.

One of the guys who started next to Cushenberry on that 2019 LSU offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award was Damien Lewis, who just earned his first big contract with the Carolina Panthers.

The new Panthers guard received a four-year, 53-million dollar bag with 26.25-million guaranteed. Lewis spent his first four seasons in Seattle, but he's now moving to the east coast to join the Panthers.

One of the reasons the Panthers offense was so bad last season was because their offensive line was no good. They've made some investments such as signing Lewis to help insure it's better in 2024.

Devin White joined the party a little later than the others, inking a one-year, 7.5 million dollar deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles have a solid linebacking core that includes young up-and-comer Nakobe Dean. I think bringing in White makes sense for both sides because it gives White a chance to contend for another Lombardi while giving the Eagles a vet who can coach up Dean.

Donte Jackson wasn't a free agent this offseason, but he was traded very early in free agency, landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The former Panthers has been stuck on a mediocre team for his entire career, but now he joins Queen in Pittsburgh with a coach who's never posted a record below .500. He'll play alongside Joey Porter Jr. and will likely be a role model for the young corner.

This trade makes a lot of sense for both sides, and with one-year left on his deal, we'll see if he stays in Pittsburgh in 2025.

Jalen Mills is a veteran who has spent the last three seasons with the New England Patriots, the team he signed with after spending his first five years with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mills inked a one-year, 1.37-million dollar contract with the New York Giants this offseason. The Giants were awfully thin at corner this past season, but drafted Deonte Banks to help in that department.

This signing gives Mills a new home and gives the Giants a veteran who can help develop their young star.

Tre'Davious White, former LSU All-American corner, was on the free agent market for a while before he was finally picked up by the LA Rams on March 26th.

The Pro Bowl corner was a huge piece of the Bills defense for many years before he was released for cap reasons this offseason. He now lands in LA where he'll earn 8.5 million dollars with the chance to make it 10 million with incentives.

The most recent former Tiger to sign with a new team is Kristian Fulton, a two-year starter at cornerback for LSU from 2018-2019.

Fulton played his first four seasons in the league for the Tennessee Titans before testing the free agency waters this offseason. It took quite a while for the former Tiger to get signed, but on March 28th, the Chargers and Fulton got a deal done.

Fulton's deal is a one-year, 3.125 million dollar contract. It's a bit of a "prove it" deal as Fulton hasn't played a full 16/17 game season in his career.

The Chargers traded away JC Jackson this past season, a corner they owe a whole lot of money to, so getting a cheap, experienced option should work out for both sides.

The other Tigers who haven't yet signed a deal in free agency include Odell Beckham Jr. and DJ Chark. These two are expected to find suitors before the season starts, but for now, they're still on the open market.

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