HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Steelers’ Mike Hilton Signs ERFA Deal

July 25th, 2019 at 3:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Steelers slot cornerback Mike Hilton has been vocal about wanting a long-term deal. He doesn’t have one, just yet, but he did sign his exclusive rights free agent tender.

Hilton lacks leverage and opted against holding out from camp in order to get his way. Still only 25, Hilton may be willing to bet on himself as he plays out a one-year, $645K deal.

“I want to show the team I want to be here and want to be a part of this organization,” Hilton said earlier this summer. “… As players, you feel like of course you want to earn more. Hopefully things work out in the long run, but if not, I’ll do my best to go out there and help this team win.”

The two sides have talked, so a deal could still be on the horizon.

Jets Sign Quinnen Williams

July 25th, 2019 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

There are officially no stragglers left. Shortly after the 49ers inked draft picks Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel, the Jets announced the signing of No. 3 overall pick Quinnen Williams.

Williams, a defensive tackle out of Alabama, did not report to training camp with his fellow Jets rookies because of issues related to his signing bonus payout structure. Ultimately, it was a difference of $100K that prevented the Jets from signing Williams sooner.

The Jets and Williams reached a compromise on that matter, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears. The defensive lineman will have a 25% signing bonus deferment to Year Two, but he’ll get the other 75% at signing. With that out of the way, Williams should be on the field with the Jets on Friday.

Here’s the full rundown of the Jets’ draft:

49ers Sign Nick Bosa

July 25th, 2019 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

Done deal. On Thursday, the 49ers reached agreement with No. 2 overall pick Nick Bosa, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The club also inked second-round pick Deebo Samuel, a wide receiver out of South Carolina.

With that, the 49ers have avoided unnecessary drama and another Bosa holdout in the NFL. Per the terms of his slot, the Ohio State defensive end will earn $33.55MM over the course of his four-year deal. After that, the Niners will hold a fifth-year option on his deal, since Bosa is a first-round pick.

Bosa might have been one of the safest best bets in this draft. The 49ers have not had an edge rusher record a seven sacks in a season since Aldon Smith in 2013, but they now have a strong pass rush featuring Bosa, Dee Ford and three first-round interior rushers in Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, Solomon Thomas.

Here’s the full rundown of the Niners’ draft, via PFR’s tracker:

Saints Sign LB Josh Martin

July 25th, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have signed linebacker Josh Martin, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Martin, 27, spent most of last year on injured reserve with the Jets after suffering a concussion in Week Four. He has also spent time with the Chiefs, Bucs, and Colts.

Martin was placed on IR in early October after suffering his second concussion in five weeks. After he missed eight weeks of action, the Jets had the option of bringing him back, but chose to keep him sidelined once they were clearly out of playoff contention. In theory, the Jets’ lackluster pass rush could have used him.

Martin profiles as a depth option and special teams player for New Orleans.

Browns Meet With Mike Daniels

July 25th, 2019 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are set to meet with free agent Mike Daniels, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Daniels is a logical fit for Cleveland given their Packers connections, but the defensive tackle plans to travel to meet with another team on Friday, Mike Florio of PFT (Twitter link) hears. 

The Browns’ front office, spearheaded by GM John Dorsey, drafted Daniels in Green Bay. The Browns also tried to sign defensive tackle Gerald McCoy before he opted for the Panthers, so there’s a clear need and fit for the veteran in Cleveland.

The Packers released Daniels earlier this week after failing to trade him. In an interview with WBAY, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst indicated that a deal was close, but couldn’t be completed.

“There’s a few factors involved in that. Mike was rehabbing from a foot injury suffered during the season and I think also there was some — quite frankly there was some trade conversations going on and those kind of came apart the last couple of weeks here and that was part of it,” Gutekunst said.

Steelers Sign Mike Tomlin To Extension

July 25th, 2019 at 12:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Mike Tomlin isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. On Thursday, the Steelers extended their head coach through the 2021 season, per a team announcement. 

“I am very appreciative of this contract extension and opportunity and want to thank Art Rooney II and everyone in the organization for the support in my first 12 seasons,” Tomlin said. “We have a goal of winning the organization’s seventh Super Bowl championship, and I couldn’t be more excited about this upcoming season.”

The Steelers pride themselves on consistency and have had only three head coaches since 1969. There was some speculation about Tomlin’s job security after the Steelers missed the playoffs last year, but the team clearly has confidence in him as a leader.

This season may prove to be Tomlin’s most challenging yet – he’ll look to get the Steelers back into contention without the services of superstars Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.

Saints’ Michael Thomas To Skip Camp

July 25th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Michael Thomas has not arrived at Saints training camp and won’t attend until the two sides agree on a new deal, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’s a surprising stance from the wide receiver, particularly since he is an enthusiastic player in scrimmage. 

The Saints and Thomas also seem to be rather close on terms. Last month, Thomas lowered his demand to $22MM/year. Then, this week, we learned that the Saints offered him something with an average annual value of $18-$19MM. Still, he’s looking to push the pace and is willing to potentially absorb fines in order to get the deal that he wants.

The former second-round pick leads the league in receptions (321) over the past three seasons and ranks fifth in yards (3,787) since the start of the 2016 season. Thomas’ 1,405 receiving yards last season broke the Saints’ single-season record.

For now, the 26-year-old Thomas is slated for free agency after the final year of his rookie contract. Without a new deal, he’ll earn just $1.148MM in 2019.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Gates, Chiefs, Hill

July 25th, 2019 at 10:17am CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers have had private talks with Antonio Gates about his status, GM Tom Telesco tells reporters (Twitter link via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com). Williams’ read on the comments is that Gates will not be back, which makes sense since we have not heard much about the 39-year-old in recent months.

The Chargers brought Gates back for a 16th season after losing Hunter Henry to a season-ending injury, but they no longer have a dire need for tight end help. Barring something unforeseen, it sounds like they’ll finally move on from the eight-time Pro Bowler.

Here’s more from the AFC West:

  • There are ways the Chiefs could protect themselves in a potential new Tyreek Hill deal, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes. The Chiefs usually favor deals with substantial signing bonuses, but in this case, they could follow the 49ers’ team-friendly blueprint of bonuses that are metered out at specific dates. For example, they could advance the dates for injury guarantees, pack much of the compensation into annual per-game active roster bonuses, and broad language to shield against future incidents.
  • Raiders fullback Keith Smith suffered a knee injury while training and will be out a few weeks to begin training camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s possible they’ll sign another fullback as he recovers and Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal (on Twitter) suggests that rookie Alec Ingold may push for a 53-man roster spot in his absence. Smith is due a $1.4MM salary in 2019 while Ingold is slated for just $495K.
  • The Broncos ended their kicking competition this week while opening up a punting battle.

Jaguars To Work Out Josh Robinson

July 25th, 2019 at 9:30am CST by Zachary Links

Former New Orleans defensive back Josh Robinson will work out for the Jaguars on Thursday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Robinson could be a depth option for the Jags as training camp gets underway, giving them another corner behind Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, and D.J. Hayden.

Robinson appeared in eleven games for the Saints last season as a reserve. Before that, he spent the first four years of his career with the Vikings and was with the Bucs in 2016 and 2017. The 2012 third-round pick has 85 career appearances to his credit with 21 starts and five interceptions.

In other Jaguars news, the club offered a deal to standout defensive end Yannick Ngakoue this week, but it fell short of his expectations.

Dolphins To Host Allen Hurns

July 25th, 2019 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

Wide receiver Allen Hurns is healthy and will visit the Dolphins on Thursday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Cowboys are still interested in bringing him back as well, Schefter hears. 

The Cowboys released Hurns earlier this week when he declined to accept a pay cut. Presumably, the Cowboys would only be interested in bringing him back on a cheaper deal with little or no guarantees.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, could use some depth to support their top quartet of DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, and Jakeem Grant. Hurns, who once caught 64 passes for 1,031 yards and ten touchdowns for another Florida team, could represent a low-risk, high-upside addition for the Fins.

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