HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Jaguars OL Andrew Norwell Reworks Contract

April 28th, 2020 at 8:59am CST by Ben Levine

Andrew Norwell has reworked his deal. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars agreed to a renegotiated contracts with the offensive lineman.

Previously, Norwell was on the books for $11.5MM in non-guaranteed money next season. Now, the offensive guard will earn $9MM guaranteed, and he has an additional $2.5M in realistic incentives. The 28-year-old gets the security he’s presumably seeking, while the Jaguars have the opportunity to save a chunk of cash.

Norwell joined Jacksonville back in 2018, signing a five-year, $66.5MM contract ($30MM guaranteed). His $13.3MM average annual value currently ranks fifth among offensive guards, although he led the position when he initially signed his contract.

The veteran was limited to 11 games in 2018 as he dealt with an ankle injury. He returned fully healthy in 2019 and managed to start all 16 games for the Jaguars.

Chiefs Release P Dustin Colquitt

April 28th, 2020 at 8:24am CST by Ben Levine

The longest-tenured Chiefs player is moving on. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Kansas City is releasing punter Dustin Colquitt. The move saves the Chiefs around $2MM against the cap.

“I have enjoyed my time in Chiefs Kingdom, all things come to an end, sometimes sooner than you hoped, prayed & pleaded for them to,” Colquitt wrote on Instagram. “I’ll miss walking into the building & smelling the coffee, talking to everyone…it took me forever to weave through some of the most loving people you’d ever hope to work with. I was a young kid when I first walked into Arrowhead…hell, the indoor facility used to be 70 yards. Holding this post for 15 years has been an honor that I never took for granted. Thank you KC.”

The 37-year-old had spent the entirety of his 16-year career in Kansas City, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl championship. Back in 2017, he passed Jerrel Wilson for the most punts and punting yards in franchise history, and he signed a three-year contract extension in 2018.

While Colquitt’s 44.3 yards per punt in 2019 was his lowest average since his sophomore season, his net average of 40.3 yards was on-par with his career marks. The veteran also placed 21 punts inside the 20.

The Chiefs must be content moving forward with their pair of punter additions: Tyler Newsome and Tommy Townsend. Newsome was a 2019 undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame, while Townsend is a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Florida. As Pelissero notes (on Twitter), the Chiefs gave Townsend a lofty $82.5K guaranteed.

Texans Exercise Deshaun Watson’s Fifth-Year Option

April 27th, 2020 at 8:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Unsurprisingly, the Texans are committing to Deshaun Watson. Houston has picked up the fifth-year option on their franchise quarterback, reports ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Watson is set to play the 2020 season on a $1.17MM base salary. Under the fifth-year option, his salary will be boosted to around $17.3MM in 2021.

This was an easy decision for the Texans, as the quarterback has emerged as an MVP contender. The 2017 12th-overall pick has started 31 games for Houston the past two year, connecting on 67.8-percent of his passes while averaging 4,008 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10.5 interceptions. He’s also continued to be productive on the ground, rushing for 12 touchdowns between 2018 and 2019.

Most importantly, he’s led the Texans to a 21-10 record over the past two seasons. This has led to a pair of playoff appearances, where he’s gone 1-2.

We heard last week that the organization had kicked off “very preliminary” extension talks with the star quarterback, and the front office was focused on completing a deal by the start of the regular season. We previously heard that Watson was going to wait under Patrick Mahomes re-signed with the Chiefs before inking his own extension.

Saints Sign 13 UDFAs

April 27th, 2020 at 8:10pm CST by Ben Levine

After adding only four rookies via the draft, the Saints compensated today by signing 13 undrafted free agents. The organization formally announced the following signings:

After drafting Michigan center Cesar Ruiz in the first round of the draft, the team made their largest undrafted-free-agent investment in an offensive lineman. Nick Underhill of The Athletic tweets that Oregon’s Calvin Throckmorton will earn $110K in guaranteed money and a $12.5K signing bonus. The team also gave $90K in guaranteed money to Jordan Steckler (per Underhill on Twitter).

On the defensive side of the ball, Texas defensive lineman Malcolm Roach will earn $95K in guaranteed money (via Underhill on Twitter). The versatile defender finished his collegiate career with nine tackles-for-loss and three sacks in 2019.

Packers’ Allen Lazard, Chandon Sullivan Sign ERFA Tenders

April 27th, 2020 at 6:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers are bringing back a pair of exclusive rights free agents. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that Green Bay has re-signed wide receiver Allen Lazard and cornerback Chandon Sullivan.

Lazard, 24, had a breakout season for the Packers last season, hauling in 35 receptions, 477 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. He also added a 21-yard rushing attempt and six tackles. The 6-foot-5, 227-pound receiver has a chance to be the second wideout behind Davante Adams in 2020, as he’ll be competing with the likes of Devin Funchess and Marquez Valdes-Scantling for targets.

Sullivan, a 2018 undrafted free agent out of Georgia State, appeared in five games for the Eagles as a rookie. He signed with the Packers last offseason and proceeded to appear in 16 games, compiling 30 tackles, six passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.

The Packers had previously inked a trio of exclusive rights free agents: tight end Robert Tonyan, wide receiver Jake Kumerow, and defensive end Tyler Lancaster.

Giants Place UFA Tender On Markus Golden

April 27th, 2020 at 5:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants are using a rarely-used tender in an attempt to retain pass rusher Markus Golden. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that New York has slapped the linebacker/defensive end with a UFA tender.

Thanks to this transaction, Golden will only be eligible to play for the Giants if he remains unsigned past July 22nd (or the first day of training camp, whichever is later). Of course, this means that the 29-year-old still has almost three months to negotiate a contract with a new team, and he will still count towards the 2021 compensatory pick formula.

The former second-rounder showed flashes during his four seasons in Arizona, including a 12.5-sack campaign back in 2016. He caught on with the Giants last offseason, inking a one-year, $3.75MM deal. He proceeded to have one of the best seasons of his career, as he compiled 72 tackles and 10 sacks in a career-high 16 starts.

We heard earlier this month that Golden was unlikely to return to the Giants, with sources indicating the pass rusher was seeking “too much money.”

NFC East Teams Sign Players Via International Player Pathway Program

April 27th, 2020 at 5:17pm CST by Ben Levine

As part of this year’s International Player Pathway program, each team in the NFC East will be allowed to carry an extra, international player on their practice squad. The four organizations quickly filled these spots (via David Helman of DallasCowboys.com):

  • Dallas Cowboys: OT Isaac Alarcon (Mexico)
  • New York Giants: RB Sandro Platzgummer (Austria)
  • Philadelphia Eagles: DE Matt Leo (Australia)
  • Washington Redskins: DE David Bada (Germany)

These players will remain on their teams’ roster through training camp. At that point, each organization can sign the player to their practice squad via the “international player practice squad exemption.” This means NFC East squads can hold 11 practice squad players throughout the 2020 campaign. However, under these circumstances, the international players can’t be activated to the active roster during the 2020 season.

The International Player Pathway program was first introduced in 2017. As Helman notes, three players from last year’s program – fullback Jakob Johnson (Patriots), defensive tackle Durval Queiroz Neto (Dolphins), and running back Christian Wade (Bills) – are still with their original teams.

Eagles Exercise Derek Barnett’s Fifth-Year Option

April 27th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Derek Barnett will be sticking around Philly through at least the 2021 season. The Eagles will pick up the fifth-year option on the defensive end, reports Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The 23-year-old will see a significant pay increase during his fifth season in the NFL. While he’ll earn $2.2MM in 2020, he’ll see that number jump to at least $9MM in 2021. Last year, a defensive end in Barnett’s draft range (14th overall) would have earned $9.45MM on their fifth-year option, per McLane.

The move isn’t a huge surprise, as the 2017 first-rounder has been productive when he’s seen the field. Barnett compiled five sacks in 15 games as a rookie, and he had the game-clinching fumble recovery during Super Bowl LII.

Core muscle surgery and a torn rotator cuff limited him to only six games during the 2018 season, but he returned and started a career-high 14 games in 2019. He finished this past year with 30 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

At only 23 years old, the Eagles are hoping that Barnett establishes himself as a long-lasting starter opposite veteran Brandon Graham. The Eagles selected defensive end Casey Toohill in the seventh round of last week’s draft.

Jaguars Sign 18 UDFAs; Cut 5 Players

April 27th, 2020 at 4:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars made a slew of UDFA signings on Monday and released five players to make room for them. Here’s the full rundown, per the club’s press release.

Signed:

  • Luq Barcoo, CB (San Diego State)
  • Doug Cotsin, DL (Miami of Ohio)
  • Nathan Cottrell, RB (Georgia Tech)
  • Ben Ellefson, TE (North Dakota State)
  • Nate Evans, LB (Central Florida)
  • Josh Hammond, WR (Florida)
  • Amari Henderson, CB (Wake Forest)
  • Tavien Feaster, RB (South Carolina)
  • Ross Matiscik, LS (Baylor)
  • Steven Nielson, OL (Eastern Michigan)
  • Austen Pleasants, OL (Ohio)
  • J.R. Reed, S (Georgia)
  • James Robinson, RB (Illinois State)
  • Marvelle Ross, WR (Notre Dame College of Ohio)
  • Connor Slomka, FB (Army)
  • Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms, OL (Missouri)
  • Kobe Williams, CB (Arizona State)
  • Brandon Wright, K (Georgia State)

Feaster, who spent most of his collegiate career with Clemson before transferring to South Carolina, is one of the more notable names on their UDFA list. Last year, he led the Gamecocks in rushing with 672 yards and scored five touchdowns via the ground. Meanwhile, Barcoo scored a whopping $160K guarantee (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle), which may be the highest ever for an undrafted free agent in the NFL. Barcoo was one of four undrafted Aztecs to score deals this week. He’ll look to bulk up on his thin 175-pound frame as he pursues his lifelong dream.

Released:

Peake showed promise as a seventh-round rookie in 2016, catching 19 passes with Gang Green. After that, he wasn’t able to keep his footing with the Jets and he’ll have to find a new NFL home now that the Jaguars have dropped him.

 

Redskins Exercise Jonathan Allen’s Fifth-Year Option

April 27th, 2020 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s official. On Monday, the Redskins announced that they have exercised their fifth-year option on defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. 

[RELATED: Redskins Trade Trent Williams To 49ers]

NFL teams have until May 3rd to exercise, or decline, the 2021 option for first-round draft picks from the 2017 class. As shown in PFR’s tracker, several players are already ticketed for a fifth year. Some of them were easy calls, including Jets safety Jamal Adams and Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White. Others – like Browns tight end David Njoku – required a little bit of extra thought.

Allen was one of the easier calls. After much of his rookie year, Allen has notched 14 sacks across the last two seasons for the Redskins. The Alabama product will have some additional help this year, thanks to the addition of Chase Young, who had 17 sacks in his final year at Ohio State.

Because Allen was drafted outside of the Top 10 (No. 17 overall), the salary figure on his 2021 season is not yet known. For those inside of the Top 10, those figures will correspond to the transition tag amount at their respective positions. In the case of Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (No. 1 overall), he’ll earn upwards of $16MM.

Fifth-year options for players are guaranteed for injury only, but that will change starting next year thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement.

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