HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

49ers’ Malcolm Smith Restructures Contract

March 8th, 2019 at 9:27am CST by Zachary Links

Linebacker Malcolm Smith has restructured his contract with the 49ers, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Previously, Smith was set to earn $3.75MM in 2019 with a cap hit of roughly $5.4MM. Details of the new deal are not yet known. 

The Super Bowl XLVIII MVP first joined the Niners in 2017, but lost his entire first season to a torn pectoral muscle. Last year, he amassed just 35 tackles and one pass defensed in 12 games (five starts). His Pro Football Focus grade of 63.4 was an improvement over his 2015 and 2016 showings with the Raiders, but placed him as the 53rd best linebacker in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

Smith seems likely to stay put for the 2019 season, but the Niners could move on from him next offseason without much penalty. Smith’s original deal calls for a $6.1MM cap hit in 2020, but the 49ers can drop him with just $2.8MM in dead money.

Raiders, Erik Harris Reach Extension

March 8th, 2019 at 8:37am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders and Erik Harris have reached agreement on an extension, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The safety and core special teamer will earn up to $6.5MM on a two-year deal with $2.5MM guaranteed. 

Harris was a restricted free agent this offseason and the Raiders initially cuffed him with the low-cost original round tender. Instead, Harris has received a new deal that will keep him under club control through the 2020 campaign.

Harris took the scenic route to the NFL after emerging from the California University of Pennsylvania. After a few seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, Harris hooked on with the Saints on a futures deal. Finally, in 2017, he saw his first live action in the NFL with the Raiders. Then, last season, he impressed head coach Jon Gruden and worked his way into an important special teams role. Harris wound up playing in all 16 games with four starts in 2018. He finished out with 49 tackles, seven passes defensed, and two interceptions.

In other Raiders news, former Oakland cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie says he’s ending his brief retirement and aims to play in 2019.

Bills, Steelers Won’t Complete Antonio Brown Trade

March 8th, 2019 at 8:27am CST by Zachary Links

Early Friday morning, the Bills appeared to be on the cusp of acquiring Antonio Brown from the Steelers. But, for one reason or another, the deal was scuttled. 

“We inquired on Antonio Brown on Tuesday, and kept talks open with the Steelers. We had positive discussions, but ultimately it didn’t make sense for either side,” GM Brandon Beane said in a statement. “As great a player as Antonio Brown is, we have moved on and our focus is on free agency.”

Ultimately, the deal was 86’d because Brown made it clear that he did not want to go to Buffalo, Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter) hears. Now, there are “very few options left” for the Steelers/Brown, according to a source who spoke with Breer.

The Steelers hoped to move Brown by the end of the business day, but they may have to extend their timeline. At varying points, the Redskins, Raiders, and Titans were thought to be on the leaderboard, but their level of interest is unclear. Meanwhile, it’s a bit of a time sensitive matter for the Steelers – Brown is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 17, so they’re hoping to unload him before that date hits. They’d also probably like to trade Brown before the start of free agency in order to have a clearer picture of their own needs and finances.

The Brown sweepstakes will roll on for at least a little while longer and it could drag for months if Brown is intent on hand-picking his destination.

Steelers To Trade Antonio Brown To Bills?

March 8th, 2019 at 1:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers and Bills are closing in on a trade that would send Antonio Brown to Buffalo, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. However, we have conflicting word on the potential deal. No deal is imminent between the two teams, one source tells Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) and another league source termed it “unlikely.” 

The Steelers have discussed a Brown deal with the Redskins, Raiders, Titans, and other clubs, but the Bills were not previously thought to be on the radar. Apparently, things heated up this week and the Bills showed intent interest in getting a deal done.

As of this writing, we don’t know whether a deal is going down for sure. We also don’t know if a deal will be done by Friday, as previously reported. A Brown-to-Buffalo trade could involve the swapping of first-round picks (the Bills own pick No. 9, Steelers have No. 20), but it’s all speculative at this point.

Brown, 31 in July, earned his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2018, finishing with 104 catches, 1,297 yards, and a league-leading 15 touchdown receptions. In Buffalo, he’d automatically bolster a WR group that is presently led by Zay Jones and Robert Foster.

David Irving Says He’s Quitting Football

March 7th, 2019 at 10:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Cowboys defensive tackle David Irving said on Instagram that he’s quitting football after being suspended indefinitely by the NFL last week (Twitter link via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News).

Irving was smoking marijuana while making the statement, so take it with a grain of salt. Only 26 years old, Irving has dealt with myriad off-field issues during his time in the NFL, and it’s clear he’ll need to go through a lengthy reinstatement process — one that likely involves some form of rehab and counseling sessions — before he gets back on the field.

Still a talented player, Irving posted seven sacks in eight games as recently as 2017, but he’s only been available for 10 total contests over the past two seasons. Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next week, Irving could have been poised to cash in on the open market. Instead, he’s unlikely to garner any interest until his status with the NFL is resolved.

No Hard Deadline For Antonio Brown Trade?

March 7th, 2019 at 9:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although previous reports have indicated the Steelers were planning to trade Antonio Brown by Friday, the club does not have a solid deadline in place to deal its superstar wideout, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link), who adds the Steelers are still discussing Brown with multiple clubs.

As of Thursday afternoon, no team was considered the favorite to land Brown, reports Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who also disputed that Pittsburgh is demanding a first-round pick in talks. However, a number of clubs may have begun to drop out of the running. The Redskins, Saints, Titans are all thought to be out on Brown, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Tennessee “seriously contemplated” a trade for Brown, per Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com, but it doesn’t appear the Titans will land him.

Reading between the lines, it’s entirely possible the Steelers aren’t receiving offers they deem acceptable. A number of teams have been mentioned as possible suitors for Brown, but given that no favorite has emerged, it’s fair to wonder if Pittsburgh will need to lower its sights. The Steelers are motivated to move Brown before March 17, when he’s due a $2.5MM roster bonus.

Contract Details: Smith, Kelce, Johnson

March 7th, 2019 at 8:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts from around the NFL:

  • Donovan Smith, T (Buccaneers): Three years, $41.25MM. $27MM fully guaranteed. Guaranteed 2019 base salary of $7MM with a $5.5MM roster bonus. Guaranteed $14.5MM base salary in 2020. Non-guaranteed $14.25MM base salary in 2021. $5MM of 2019 salary deferred until 6/15/20. $3MM of 2020 salary deferred until 3/5/21. Deferrals have no impact on salary cap (Twitter link via Dan Graziano of ESPN.com).
  • Jason Kelce, C (Eagles): Extended through 2021. $7.57MM signing bonus. 2019 base salary reduced from $6.5MM to $930K. 2020 base salary reduced from $7MM to $1.5MM with a $2MM roster bonus. $500K playing time escalator available in 2020 for playing 90% of offensive snaps. 2021 base salary of $5.5MM (Twitter links via Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia).
  • Denzelle Good, OL (Raiders): Extended through 2019. One-year, $1.7MM. $500K signing bonus. $200K per-game roster bonuses. $100K workout bonus. $1.2MM available via playtime incentives (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review Journal).
  • Lane Johnson, T (Eagles): Restructured contract. Created $8.2MM in cap space by converting $10.045MM of his 2019 base salary into a signing bonus. Base salary is now $805K (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Added voidable years in 2022-23 (Twitter link via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
  • Mike Person, OL (49ers): Three years, $8.25MM. $2.45MM fully guaranteed. $1MM roster bonus, $1.45MM fully guaranteed 2019 base salary. $250K in per-game roster bonuses (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com).
  • Romeo Okwara, DE (Lions): Two years, $6.8MM. $2.705MM signing bonus. 2019 base salary of $720K fully guaranteed. $500 workout bonus in 2019 (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com).

Latest On Potential Michael Bennett Trade

March 7th, 2019 at 8:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Eagles are open to trading defensive lineman Michael Bennett, it doesn’t appear the club is desperate to move on from the veteran. Instead, Philadelphia is exploring its options with Bennett after much of the league’s free agent-to-be pass-rushing talent was removed from the market via franchise tags earlier this week, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.

Six players received the franchise tender ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, and five of those players are adept at getting after the quarterback. With Grady Jarrett (Falcons), Dee Ford (Chiefs), DeMarcus Lawrence (Cowboys), Jadeveon Clowney (Texans), and Frank Clark (Seahawks) now off the board, the Eagles are — perhaps rightly — guessing they could accrue draft capital in exchange for Bennett via the trade market.

Bennett was traded to Philadelphia exactly one year ago today, with the Eagles shipping a fifth-round pick and receiver Marcus Johnson to Seattle in exchange for Bennett and a seventh-rounder. While, Bennett posted nearly identical production with the Eagles in 2018 as he did with the Seahawks in 2017, he did so on roughly 200 fewer defensive snaps. Factor in that he’s now a year older, and it’s unclear if Philadelphia would be able to top what it originally gave up to Seattle in acquiring Bennett.

As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported earlier this week, Bennett wasn’t pleased about becoming a reserve to begin last season, but he likely wouldn’t enter the 2019 season as a starter, either, as the Eagles recently re-signed Brandon Graham to a three-year deal and plan to deploy former first-round pick Derek Barnett as their other defensive starter. Bennett could still see plenty of snaps — especially given his ability to slide to tackle in passing situations — but his discontent is a situation to monitor.

Additionally, while Philadelphia isn’t as cap-strapped as it once was following the decision not to franchise tag Nick Foles and restructured contracts for offensive linemen Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, the Eagles aren’t exactly overflowing with funds, ranking in the bottom half of the NFL with roughly $18.6MM in cap space. Trading Bennett would clear $7.2MM off the Eagles’ books, and the club wouldn’t incur any dead money by dealing him.

49ers Shopping DT Earl Mitchell

March 7th, 2019 at 7:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers are attempting to trade defensive tackle Earl Mitchell, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Reports in January indicated San Francisco was planning to decline its 2019 option for Mitchell, but the 49ers didn’t announce that move among a series of housekeeping transactions earlier today (which included the club turning down wide receiver Pierre Garcon‘s 2019 option). As such, the 49ers are likely trying to recoup some sort of value for Mitchell before releasing him.

If/when San Francisco cuts Mitchell, his tenure with the team may not be over, as general manager John Lynch indicated he’s open to re-signing the veteran defensive lineman. Mitchell had been scheduled to collect roughly $3.6MM in 2019 via his base salary, roster bonus, and workout bonus, so he’d surely need to accept less than that figure in order to return to the Bay Area.

Mitchell, 31, inked a four-year, $16MM deal with the 49ers last offseason after previously spending time with the Texans and Dolphins. In 2018, Mitchell appeared in 14 games and played on 39% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps, racking up 28 tackles (two for loss) in that time. Pro Football Focus graded Mitchell as just the No. 89 interior defender among 112 qualifiers.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/7/19

March 7th, 2019 at 7:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions:

RFAs

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

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