HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

49ers, Raheem Mostert Agree To New Deal

July 27th, 2020 at 1:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have smoothed things out with Raheem Mostert. The two sides have agreed to a restructuring to keep the running back in the fold this year, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. 

[RELATED: 49ers Sign CB Jamar Taylor]

Mostert demanded a trade earlier this summer when extension talks stalled. The running back wanted a deal to reflect his 2019 performance, by way of a contract that would match Tevin Coleman‘s. Coleman is set to enter the backend of his two-year, $8.5MM deal. The Niners, predictably, pushed back – Mostert still had two seasons left on his three-year, $8.7MM pact. Ultimately, they met somewhere in the middle. Mostert’s existing deal will continue, but he’ll get a little more in the way of current year comp to stay satisfied and productive.

“Happy we got things worked out and looking forward to him having another great season there,” said Mostert’s agent, Brett Tessler. “Thanks to the organization for taking care of him.”

The new deal will pay Mostert $2.575MM in base salary this year, with a $300K bonus, per Schefter. He’ll also be able to earn up to an additional $2.75MM through incentives and bonuses.

Mostert, 28, bounced around the league for a while before landing with the 49ers in 2016. The former UDFA is the team’s longest-tenured running back, but, up until 2018, he barely saw any work in the backfield. Mostert averaged 7.7 yards per carry (on 34 totes) in 2018. Then, he broke out in 2019, leading the 49ers with 772 rushing yards and pacing all running backs with 5.6 per carry. He then set a conference championship game record with four rushing touchdowns.

With Mostert firmly in the fold, the Niners are set to feature a solid stable of Mostert, Coleman, Jerick McKinnon, and Jeff Wilson.

Seahawks Sign First-Round Pick Jordyn Brooks

July 27th, 2020 at 11:43am CST by Zachary Links

Another first-round pick in the books. On Monday, the Seahawks announced that they have agreed to terms with linebacker Jordyn Brooks. Per the terms of his slot, his four-year deal will pay $12.35MM in total, including a $6.458MM signing bonus. After that, the Seahawks will hold a fifth-year option to keep him in the fold through 2024. 

Brooks wasn’t projected to be a first-round pick, but he was pleasantly surprised when he heard from the Seahawks at No. 27. Most analysts pegged Brooks as a second- or third-round pick, but Seahawks GM John Schneider didn’t want to take any chances.

“When people aren’t talking about players, that’s when you get pretty nervous,” Schneider said in a press conference following the first night of the draft. “And Jordyn was clearly one of those players. At the combine, I totally stayed away from him. I didn’t talk to him at the combine. I just evaluated all the different interviews.”

Brooks, lauded for his grit and work ethic, projects to start as the Seahawks’ strongside linebacker, joining Bruce Irvin, Bobby Wagner, and K.J. Wright in the first-string group. With the Texas Tech product now in the fold, there are now just a handful of first-rounders in the NFL left unsigned.

Washington’s Alex Smith To Take Physical

July 27th, 2020 at 10:10am CST by Zachary Links

Washington’s Alex Smith will take a physical exam on Monday and he’s expected to begin camp on the club’s active/PUP list, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). This doesn’t necessarily mean that Smith will be able to play in 2020, but it’s an encouraging step forward for the quarterback. 

[RELATED: Washington Signs Chase Young]

Smith, 36, has said that he feels “very much lucky to be alive” after his horrific injury and ensuing sepsis infection. Smith’s wife, and others, have expressed concern about the QB’s plans to return. He’s already made more money than he can ever spend, but he badly wants to retake the field.

“When I think about Alex returning to football, there’s part of me that wants him to do whatever he has the inner drive to do,” Smith’s wife, Elizabeth Smith, said earlier this year. “If that means stepping back on the football field and throwing on those pads, then I want him to prove that to himself. But obviously there’s part of me asking, “‘Is it worth ever doing that again? Do you know what we just went through?’”

Smith’s contract calls for him to count for $21.4MM against Washington’s cap this year, with his $16MM base salary fully guaranteed. If he is ultimately cleared to play, he’ll join Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen on the QB depth chart.

Seahawks Cut Joey Hunt, Branden Jackson

July 27th, 2020 at 9:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have dropped nine players from their roster, including a couple of surprise releases. Center Joey Hunt and defensive end Branden Jackson were let go in an apparent effort to trim salary. Between Hunt and Jackson, the Seahawks have saved $4.26MM against the cap. All in all, they have roughly $18.7MM in space now, money that may or may not be used to bring Jadeveon Clowney back to Seattle. 

Hunt, a 2016 sixth-round pick, has appeared in 34 games for the Seahawks, including eleven starts. The Seahawks leaned on him last year after starter Justin Britt went down with an ACL tear. Without Hunt, it seems that Ethan Pocic has secured the Seahawks’ starting center job. Jackson, meanwhile, has appeared in 36 games across the last three seasons.

The Seahawks also cut running back Patrick Carr, receiver Seth Dawkins, offensive guard Kahlil McKenzie, defensive back Josh Norwood, offensive guard Jordan Roos, linebacker Sutton Smith, and tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson. Their roster now stands at 81 – they’ll likely look to get down to 80 before the August deadline, allowing them to have everyone practice at a single site.

Texans, Senio Kelemete Agree To Extension

July 27th, 2020 at 9:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans have reached agreement on a one-year extension with guard Senio Kelemete, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). The new deal will keep the veteran under contract through the 2021 season.

Kelemete, 30, has spent the last two years with the Texans, though the 2019 season was basically wiped out by a wrist injury. He joined Houston in 2018 on a three-year free agent deal and served as the team’s go-t0 left guard that year.

Kelemete won’t necessarily be in the starting lineup this year – he may wind up supporting Max Scharping on the left side and Zach Fulton on the right side.

The move created a bit of cap space for the Texans, as Wilson reports in a full-length piece that Kelemete’s cap number dropped from $3.5MM to $2.3MM. He agreed to reduce his 2020 base salary from $2.75MM to $1.3MM, though he did receive a $500K signing bonus and can earn up to $200K in per-game active roster bonuses, so his 2020 pay will max out at $2MM. It sounds as if Houston may have been prepared to cut him, so he elected for a bit of a decrease in exchange for some security.

In 2021, he is scheduled to earn a base salary of $1.3MM, though he can rack up $4.2MM in per-game active roster bonuses.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/20

July 27th, 2020 at 9:06am CST by Zachary Links

Teams are trimming players earlier than usual this year, thanks to the NFL’s recommendation for an 80-man roster max. We’ll keep track of the latest minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived: G Evan Adams, G Daishawn Dixon, T R.J. Prince, K Nick Vogel

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Waived: CB Isiah Swann

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Dolphins Announce Trade For Bears’ Adam Shaheen

July 27th, 2020 at 8:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have officially acquired tight end Adam Shaheen from the Bears, per a club announcement. In exchange, Miami will send a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick to Chicago. 

The Bears had a major logjam at tight end and they were at a breaking point with roster cuts just around the corner. Rather than releasing him outright, Chicago managed to get something in return for the former second-round pick.

Shaheen hasn’t played up to his 2017 expectations, thanks in part to injuries over the last three years. All in all, he has totaled 26 receptions for 249 yards and four touchdowns in 27 games, out of a possible 48. For the Dolphins, it’s effectively a no-risk pickup. If Shaheen doesn’t make the final cut in Miami, they won’t have to send that seventh-round choice to Chicago. Even if he does make the Week 1 roster, the trade could still wind up as a wash – often times, draft pick conditions in trades like these are tied to snap counts.

Mike Gesicki projects to serve as the Dolphins’ top TE. Beyond that, Shaheen will fight for his spot alongside Durham Smythe and Michael Roberts.

Seahawks’ Jamal Adams To Play On Current Deal

July 27th, 2020 at 8:41am CST by Zachary Links

Jamal Adams agreed to play on his existing contract before the Seahawks completed their trade with the Jets, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). With that, Adams will play out the 2020 season on a modest $3.59MM salary. After that, Adams is due to make $9.86MM in 2021, per the new deal. 

[RELATED: Jets Trade Jamal Adams To Seahawks]

It’s likely that the two sides will resume talks after the season, but nothing has been promised to the Pro Bowl safety. In New York, Adams was adamant about getting a new deal that would position him as the league’s highest-paid safety and even stepped up his demands to the $20MM neighborhood. Reportedly, Adams was willing to sign a slightly cheaper extension with one of his preferred teams, a list that included the Seahawks. Still, that means a deal in excess of $15MM per annum to top Bears standout Eddie Jackson, and teams are understandably skittish about committing major dollars to players in this current climate.

Other disgruntled players have made similar concessions this offseason. Trent Williams wanted a long-term extension to put him near the top of the tackle leaderboard, but agreed to table talks once he was traded to the 49ers. Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is reportedly willing to wait too, if another team is able to work out a deal. In the case of Williams, the Niners effectively met him in the middle by guaranteeing a portion of his 2020 salary and waiving their right to franchise tag him next year. It’s not clear whether the Seahawks are considering something similar for Adams.

Dolphins Cut Ricardo Louis, Jake Rudock

July 26th, 2020 at 11:15am CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have released wide receiver Ricardo Louis and quarterback Jake Rudock, as first reported by ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The early cuts will help the Dolphins shape the roster to meet the league’s recommended 80-man roster max. 

[RELATED: Dolphins Rookie Ray Lima Retires]

Louis joined the Dolphins in the spring of 2019 but did not play due to a knee injury. Prior to that, he spent three years with the Browns and tallied 45 catches for 562 yards. The Miami native was hoping to reassert himself with his hometown club, but he’ll have to seek work elsewhere.

Rudock also joined the Dolphins last year, but spent the year on the practice squad. The 2016 sixth-round choice of the Lions has just three career appearances to his credit. Even before the release, Rudock was facing long odds of making the active roster. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tua Tagovailoa, and (possibly) Josh Rosen project to serve as the Dolphins’ active QBs to open the season.

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