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Cowboys Searching For O-Line, Safety Help

August 29th, 2018 at 6:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The trade market’s heating up as teams configure their 53-man rosters, and one team isn’t making it a secret it’s seeking upgrades.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Wednesday the team is exploring additions to bolster their safety and offensive line spots. Specifically, Jones said the Cowboys want to fortify their interior offensive front, which suffered a critical setback when Travis Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre disease. Joe Looney resides as the Dallas starting center now, and the Cowboys either want depth behind him or competition.

“We feel good about Joe,” Jones said, via Kate Hairopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. “I think we do, I think the personnel group does. The coaches do. And more importantly I think Dak [Prescott] really feels good working with him. At the same time we’re not naive. We’re certainly looking for interior offensive linemen as well as the safety position. It’s no secret. If we can find something that makes sense, we want to improve our football team.”

Frederick is a short-term IR candidate to open the season, but that might not be necessary. The Cowboys are optimistic the All-Pro snapper may recover in weeks rather than months.

The Cowboys already added a safety to their roster in former Kris Richard Seahawks pupil Jeron Johnson, but he’s only played four games since the 2015 season and is in Dallas for depth purposes. Xavier Woods remains out, as does his replacement, Kavon Frazier. However, the Cowboys are hopeful Frazier will be sufficiently recovered from his shoulder malady to play in Week 1.

As for the obvious safety upgrade, Jones said the Cowboys have not discussed Earl Thomas with the Seahawks “lately.” Thomas remains a holdout, and nothing of note’s transpired regarding his Seattle situation in weeks.

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Bolts, Washington

August 29th, 2018 at 5:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Paxton Lynch joins the likes of Ameer Abdullah, Breshad Perriman, Stephone Anthony and Mike Gillislee on a roster bubble, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter), and the Broncos may choose to cut ties with their disappointing 2016 first-rounder. Lynch would prefer to stay in Denver, Mike Klis of 9News tweets, despite his rocky tenure there to date. A fresh start might be best for the former Memphis prodigy, but the Broncos may elect to keep him as their No. 3 quarterback. Chad Kelly‘s performance in Denver’s Thursday-night finale could determine Lynch’s fate, with Troy Renck of Denver7 writing that a strong showing from the 2017 seventh-rounder may convince the Broncos he’s ready to be Case Keenum‘s regular-season backup rather than forcing the Broncos to acquire a veteran to serve in that role. That would seemingly free up a roster spot for Lynch as the third-stringer. It would cost the Broncos $4.9MM to cut Lynch. They already absorbed a $5.5MM dead-money hit upon releasing Menelik Watson.

Here’s the latest from the AFC West, shifting to another quarterback battle.

  • The Chargers are likely to keep just two quarterbacks, which makes sense given Philip Rivers‘ historic durability. Los Angeles’ starter has taken first-string snaps in every game since succeeding Drew Brees in 2006. As a result, Yates adds that either Cardale Jones or Geno Smith is a cut candidate. The Bolts, though, aren’t certain which one will be given his walking papers. Smith is a vested veteran and would head into free agency if released, while Jones would be subject to waivers. Neither is attached to a contract worth more than $1MM.
  • Su’a Cravens will make his Broncos debut Thursday night after missing most of August due to a knee injury, Renck notes. The former Redskins safety/linebacker has a clearer path to the Broncos’ roster, despite missing most of training camp, due to Jamal Carter‘s season-ending injury.
  • With UDFA Phillip Lindsay almost certainly having earned his way onto the team as Denver’s No. 3 running back, De’Angelo Henderson has drawn trade interest. Former Broncos tackle Tyler Polumbus, writing for The Athletic (subscription required) believes that would be the best scenario for the second-year player, noting that Denver will likely keep four backs — Devontae Booker, Royce Freeman, Lindsay and fullback Andy Janovich — on its 53-man roster. This would leave both Henderson, who likely wouldn’t pass through waivers, and seventh-round rookie David Williams, who might, off the team.
  • Although he returned a punt for a touchdown in the preseason, Isaiah McKenzie probably won’t make the Broncos, per Polumbus. The diminutive return man has fumbled several kicks in his short Broncos stay, losing another one during preseason play. Lindsay and the recent addition of Adam Jones look to have forced the second-year player off the roster.
  • The Raiders will likely waive DeAndre Washington and allow recent camp pickup Chris Warren to take his place, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com notes. Washington recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and is an IR candidate, per Gutierrez, who has the Raiders keeping four running backs — Marshawn Lynch, Doug Martin, Jalen Richard and Warren. Washington and Richard served as backups for Lynch and Latavius Murray the past two years. Washington averaged 5.4 yards per carry as a rookie but struggled last season (2.7 YPC).

Latest On Odell Beckham Jr. Deal

August 29th, 2018 at 5:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants and their top player agreed to a contract extension through 2023. More details on that agreement emerged Wednesday. It may not be as player-friendly as initially advertised, and despite the overall package making the Giants weapon the highest-paid wideout, the early-years cash flow doesn’t place Beckham in front of his top peers.

Odell Beckham Jr. will collect $52.71MM over the first three years of this deal, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adding it amounts to a six-year, $98.459MM deal when considering Beckham’s 2018 fifth-year option season and it tying him to the Giants for five subsequent years. The 25-year-old wideout will collect a $20MM signing bonus that will be fully paid out by February 2019, per Florio.

The first two base salaries on this deal — 2018’s $1.459MM and 2019’s $16.75MM — are fully guaranteed, and Florio adds $12.75MM of Beckham’s $14MM 2020 base is guaranteed for injury and becomes fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the ’20 league year. The same structure is present for the 2021 season; $12.79MM of that base salary guaranteed for injury and all $14.5MM becomes fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the ’21 league year. Beckham’s 2022 and ’23 bases ($13.75MM apiece) are not guaranteed.

Interestingly, the Pro Bowler has $3MM tied to training camp showings in the final three years of the deal. Beckham will receive $1MM if he shows up on Day 1 of training camp from 2021-23, illustrating the Giants are preparing for a possible future holdout if a late-20s version of Beckham decides the future wideout market has made him underpaid. Of course, $1MM penalties might not deter Beckham from a holdout in the event he decides to take that course of action down the road.

Beckham’s $52.71MM over the deal’s first three years is more than $7MM less than initially reported, Florio notes. It appears Mike Evans‘ $55MM over the first three years remains the wide receiver standard. Both Evans and Antonio Brown‘s four-year payments ($68MM) match Beckham’s, leading Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap to be underwhelmed by this agreement for a wide receiver who’s not being paid considerably more than Sammy Watkins. Beckham’s three-year haul is barely half of what Aaron Rodgers will receive in that span ($103MM), Albert Breer of SI.com tweets.

As for OBJ’s incentives, they’re all tied to his 2022 and ’23 seasons. Florio notes he can earn $2.5MM each season based on meeting certain specified statistical benchmarks. These figures, ones that will be tied to Beckham’s production when Eli Manning‘s successor is likely throwing passes, may become moot if Beckham and the Giants agree to a future extension, however.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/18

August 29th, 2018 at 3:08pm CST by Zachary Links

We don’t dance now, we make minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Glennon, Other QBs Drawing Trade Interest

August 29th, 2018 at 2:09pm CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday morning, the Packers traded Brett Hundley to the Seahawks. That deal is unlikely to be the last trade involving a backup quarterback, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Mike Glennon of the Cardinals, Tom Savage of the Saints, and Joshua Dobbs are the Steelers are among the QBs being discussed by teams of need, Rapoport hears. 

The Cardinals signed both Sam Bradford and Glennon in March, but the QB room changed dramatically in April when they drafted UCLA star Josh Rosen. Rosen may not be ready for primetime, but the Cardinals may feel that he is ready to be a capable No. 2 QB. Glennon flamed out in his one month as the Bears’ starter last year, but he would represent a QB2 upgrade for many teams around the league.

Savage has been long rumored to be on the bubble, but he is now firmly on the trade block following the Saints’ acquisition of Teddy Bridgewater. The Saints project to move ahead with Bridgewater and Taysom Hill as the backups to Drew Brees, leaving Savage without a spot in New Orleans. Savage, a former fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh, entered the 2017 season as Houston’s starter, but he lost the job to rookie Deshaun Watson rather quickly. He finished the year with 1,412 yards and five touchdowns against six interceptions.

The writing has been on the wall for Dobbs ever since the Steelers used a third-round pick on Mason Rudolph in this year’s draft. Landry Jones is locked in as the backup quarterback and Rudolph is locked in as the No. 3, so Dobbs is clearly on the block.

Jets Trade Teddy Bridgewater To Saints

August 29th, 2018 at 1:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have acquired quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from the Jets, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Jets will send Bridgewater and a sixth-round pick to the Saints for a third-round pick, sources tell Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 

Bridgewater, who doesn’t turn 26 until November, joined the Jets in March on a one-year deal. Now, he’ll serve as the primary backup to Drew Brees in New Orleans. It’s not immediately clear what the trade means for Taysom Hill, who is under contract through 2019, or Tom Savage, who is on a one-year deal with the club. In all likelihood, Savage is on the verge of being released or traded.

For the Jets, the move signals a tremendous amount of confidence in rookie quarterback Sam Darnold. It’s likely that Darnold will be the team’s Week 1 starter, despite a tough early schedule, with veteran Josh McCown as his understudy.

Bridgewater may be a better quarterback than McCown in 2018, but McCown wouldn’t have fetched much in a trade due to his one-year, $10MM contract. The Jets also value McCown’s veteran leadership and mentorship to Darnold.

Jets players were notified of the trade on Wednesday afternoon when they were on the team bus, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears. Just before they were about to depart, Bridgewater was informed of the trade and said goodbye to his teammates.

Bridgewater has impressed this offseason and shown no ill effects of the devastating injury that wiped out his 2016 campaign. In two years as the Vikings’ starter, Bridgewater completed 65% of his passes and averaged 3,075 yards, 14 touchdowns, and ten interceptions.

In three preseason games this year, Bridgewater has completed 28-of-38 throws (73.7%) for 316 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Packers, Aaron Rodgers Agree To Extension

August 29th, 2018 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Packers and Aaron Rodgers have agreed to a record-breaking extension, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Rodgers’ new pact is a four-year add-on is worth $134MM, according to former teammate James Jones (on Twitter). The deal includes $103MM in the first three years, $80MM delivered by March of next year, and the opportunity to earn even more via incentives. 

Rodgers has yet to ink the contract, but it is in the process of being finalized, according to Schefter. The deal should be formally completed before the start of the Packers’ season, which will be on Sept. 9 against the rival Bears.

Rodgers’ $33.5MM average annual value tops the $30MM AAV of Matt Ryan‘s extension with the Falcons and the $28.8MM AAV of Kirk Cousins‘ free agent deal with the Vikings, making him the league’s highest-paid player of all-time. After that, Jimmy Garoppolo ($27.5MM), Matthew Stafford ($27MM), and Derek Carr ($25MM) rank as the league’s highest-paid QBs.

Rodgers’ signing bonus of $57.5MM is the largest in NFL history, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. And, with $4MM in escalators, he can reach a maximum value of $138MM over the course of the extension.

The six-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time Super Bowl champion is among the very best quarterbacks in the NFL today. In 2013, he signed a five-year, $110MM deal to become the NFL’s highest-paid player, but the market quickly advanced and Rodgers’ deal became one of the most team-friendly pacts in the NFL.

Before this latest deal, Rodgers was the ninth-highest paid player in the NFL with salaries of $20.9MM this season and $21.1MM in 2019. With the new contract, the Packers have restored him as the league’s financial kingpin.

Last year, Rodgers got off to a hot start before suffering a broken collarbone in Week 6. Although Rodgers missed significant time, he’s 100% healthy this year and poised to get back to his old form.

Since taking over as the starter for the Packers in 2008, Rodgers has thrown for 312 touchdowns (the second most in the NFL) and led the Packers to the playoffs in 8-of-10 seasons.

Seahawks, WR Tyler Lockett Agree To Extension

August 29th, 2018 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks and wide receiver Tyler Lockett have agreed to an extension, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. It’s a three-year deal with a base value of $31.8MM and includes a healthy $20MM guaranteed. With incentives, the value of the deal can reach $37.8MM. 

Lockett was set to reach free agency next year after completing his rookie deal in 2018. Now, he gets to stay in Seattle with a significant pay bump.

The 2015 third-round pick hasn’t put up electrifying numbers just yet, but the Seahawks are expecting an uptick in his production after moving on from Paul Richardson. Over the course of three years, Lockett has 137 catches for 1,816 yards and nine touchdowns, though six of those scores came as a rookie.

Last year, Lockett finished out with 45 catches for 555 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, the annual average value of his deal is greater than $10.5MM. That’s a sign that the Seahawks have a tremendous amount of faith in him, and also shows how far the wide receiver market has advanced in the last couple of years.

Lockett figures to be the Seahawks No. 2 wide receiver this year and should continue in his role as the club’s top returner.

Browns’ Kendricks Admits To Insider Trading

August 29th, 2018 at 10:15am CST by Zachary Links

Browns linebacker Mychal Kendricks was charged with insider trading, according to an announcement from U.S. attorney William McSwain. Shortly after the announcement, Kendricks publicly fessed up to the crime. 

“I apologize. Four years ago, I participated in insider trading, and I deeply regret it,” Kendricks said in a statement. “I invested money with a former friend of mine who I thought I could trust and who I greatly admired. His background as a Harvard graduate and an employee of Goldman Sachs gave me a false sense of confidence. To that point, I had worked my tail off since I was 5 years old to become the football player that I am today. I was drawn in by the allure of being more than just a football player. While I didn’t fully understand all of the details of the illegal trades, I knew it was wrong, and I wholeheartedly regret my actions.”

In a statement of their own, the Browns said that Kendricks will not join the team in Detroit for Thursday’s preseason finale against the Lions. Kendricks will enter a guilty plea when the time comes, but it’s not clear what kind of punishment the government will be seeking. Even if Kendricks escapes serious legal consequences, he could be subject to a suspension from the NFL.

Kendricks appeared in 15 games last season for the Eagles and racked up 75 tackles. He also logged 16 tackles in the postseason amid the Eagles’ run to their first-ever Super Bowl title. After years of trade speculation, the Eagles cut Kendricks in May, freeing him up to join the Browns.

Packers Trade QB Brett Hundley To Seahawks

August 29th, 2018 at 9:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Packers traded quarterback Brett Hundley to the Seahawks in exchange for a sixth-round pick, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 

Austin Davis and rookie seventh-round pick Alex McGough were competing to back up Russell Wilson in Seattle, but it sounds like Pete Carroll & Co. were not completely comfortable with either player. With the season opener just days away, Hundley may wind up as the Seahawks’ one and only backup to Wilson.

The Packers drafted Hundley in the fifth-round of the 2015 draft. He didn’t see a lot of action at first, but he was called upon in 2017 when Aaron Rodgers was lost to injury. In nine starts, Hundley went 3-6 as he threw for 1,836 yards with nine touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Hundley is not a world-beater, but, as the Seahawks have learned, quality backup QBs are hard to find.

After moving on from Hundley, the Packers plan to keep both DeShone Kizer and Tim Boyle as backups on the 53-man roster, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets.

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