HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Contract Details: Watson, Hopkins, Heyward

September 8th, 2020 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is the latest from some of the high-profile contracts signed around the league, beginning with the Texans’ former Pro Bowl connection:

  • Deshaun Watson, Texans: Four years, $177.4MM. Watson will receive $73.7MM in full guarantees, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. The deal includes fully guaranteed salaries of $1.177MM (2020), $10.54MM (2021) and $35MM (2022). This places the Pro Bowl passer third among QBs. Watson’s 2023 salary ($20MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing and becomes fully guaranteed on Day 4 of the 2022 league year, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. Watson’s $32MM salaries in 2024 and ’25 are non-guaranteed. Watson’s contract also contains a no-trade clause, per Wilson.
  • DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals: Two years, $54.5MM. Hopkins received $42.75MM guaranteed at signing, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A $27.5MM signing bonus represents part of that guarantee, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). Hopkins received a no trade clause and a no-franchise tag clause, Rapoport tweets.
  • Cameron Heyward, Steelers: Four years, $71.4MM. Heyward’s second Steelers re-up includes a $17.5MM signing bonus, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets. The Steelers will pay Heyward a $2.5MM roster bonus Friday.
  • Stephen Gostkowski, Titans. Gostkowski’s one-year Tennessee pact is worth $2.75MM, Rapoport tweets. The 15th-year veteran can make up to $3.25MM based on his 2020 field goal make rate.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/20

September 8th, 2020 at 5:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Parks

September 8th, 2020 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants are planning for Logan Ryan to help at cornerback and safety. Joe Judge confirmed Ryan will play multiple spots, and Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes the former Patriots and Titans cornerback is expected to work in a hybrid safety-slot corner capacity (subscription required). Ryan played just 22 snaps at safety — as opposed to 855 in the slot — last season, but late in his free agency stay he began to market himself as a safety. Ryan’s 113 tackles last year led all cornerbacks and would have ranked fifth among safeties. Giants DC Patrick Graham was with the Patriots during three of Ryan’s four New England seasons. Second-round pick Xavier McKinney was set to play this role, but the Alabama product suffered a broken foot. McKinney had surgery late last month and is expected to miss at least two months. But he may well return to team with Ryan later this season.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • Shifting to another team’s safety situation, the Cowboys did not view Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as a starter, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Instead of keeping the seventh-year veteran around as a backup, Dallas cut bait. Darian Thompson is expected to start alongside Xavier Woods, but Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Daryl Worley and rookie Reggie Robinson could see time there if necessary. The Cowboys could recoup $1MM if Clinton-Dix signs elsewhere via the offset language in his contract, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Players like Josh McCown, Johnathan Cyprien, Dion Jordan and Matt Moore accepted jobs on teams’ practice squads in recent days. But Jon Halapio did not want to play such a role. The veteran center declined a spot on the Giants‘ P-squad, Duggan tweets. The Giants brought Halapio back last week but cut him Saturday. Halapio, who worked out for the Texans last month, is healthy after suffering an Achilles tear in Week 17. Halapio began the past two seasons as the Giants’ first-string center; he started 15 games last season.
  • Aldon Smith collected a $100K bonus from the Cowboys, per Archer. That brings his total in 2020 roster bonuses to $440K. Smith, who has not played since the 2015 season, agreed to a $910K base salary that pays out just more than $40K in per-game roster bonuses. If Smith were to reach eight sacks, he would collect $500K, Archer adds. For 10 sacks, the former All-Pro would receive a $1MM bump. In the event of a less likely 14-sack season, that total rises to $2MM.
  • The Eagles placed Will Parks on IR on Sunday. The veteran safety suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out up to six weeks, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. This year, teams can activate players off IR after just three missed games. Though, Parks’ timetable may run into October. The Eagles signed the former Bronco in March.

Falcons Cut Deone Bucannon

September 8th, 2020 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons released former first-round pick Deone Bucannon, per a club announcement. The move frees up a roster spot for the return of defensive end Steven Means, who has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. 

[RELATED: Falcons Cut Laquon Treadwell]

Bucannon, 28, signed with the Falcons after spending 2019 with the Buccaneers and Giants. In 14 total games, he saw limited action on defensive snaps. Bucannon was at his best in 2014, his sophomore season as a pro, when he notched 112 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, three sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception for the Cardinals. But, at this stage of his career, he profiles as a fringe player.

Means, 29, missed all of 2019 season with an Achilles injury. His 2020 camp was interrupted by his placement on the COVID-19 list, but he’ll serve as defensive end depth for the team now that he has the medical greenlight. Technically speaking, Means is one of eleven defensive ends on the Falcons’ roster, though the team is constructed to mix-and-match across the front seven.

Vikings Sign K Chase McLaughlin To Practice Squad

September 8th, 2020 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings signed kicker Chase McLaughlin, kicker Chase McLaughlin, linebacker Hardy Nickerson, and defensive tackle Albert Huggins to the practice squad on Tuesday. With that, the Vikes have filled out their 16-man unit:

McLaughlin bounced around last year, appearing in games for the Colts, Chargers, and 49ers. He started off the 2019 season with the Vikings’ practice squad, and they’re bringing him back in 2020 to serve as extra insurance for Dan Bailey. Earlier this summer, he lost out on the Colts’ kicking job when Chris Ballard & Co. chose rookie Rodrigo Blankenship.

Browns To Sign Kareem Hunt To Extension

September 8th, 2020 at 12:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have reached agreement with Kareem Hunt on a two-year, $13.25MM extension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The new deal will keep the running back under contract through the 2022 season. 

[RELATED: Saints, Kamara “Extremely Close” To Deal]

The Browns gave Hunt a second NFL chance in 2018, despite disturbing video of him striking a woman at a Cleveland hotel. In that same year, he also got into a physical altercation with a man in Ohio. Many criticized the Browns for their decision to claim Hunt, but he has delivered for them on the field. With a 4.2 yards-per-carry average in Cleveland, Hunt has shown the talent that made him a national star in Kansas City.

Hunt was previously slated to be a free agent after earning $3.26MM in base pay this year. In the early stages of the pandemic, an pre-season extension seemed unlikely to go down. However, the two sides were able to come to terms on a number that satisfied the 25-year-old and didn’t break the bank for the Browns.

Hunt’s ~$6.5MM/year new money average roughly ties him with Chargers tailback Austin Ekeler towards the back of the Top 10 for RBs. Both players will be nudged down the list once Alvin Kamara finalizes his megadeal with the Saints.

Cardinals, DeAndre Hopkins Agree To Record-Breaking Deal

September 8th, 2020 at 12:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals and DeAndre Hopkins have agreed to a two-year, $54.5MM extension, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The new money average comes out to $27.25MM/year, a whopping sum that positions Hopkins as the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history. 

[RELATED: Cardinals Rework D.J. Humphries’ Contract]

The highest-paid non-QB mantle previously belonged to Bears linebacker Khalil Mack, who’s making $23.5MM per annum. And, by topping $22MM per year on average, he’s now ahead of previous WR-watermark holder Falcons star Julio Jones. Of course, Hopkins still has three years to go on his existing deal, so it all totals up to a five-year, $95MM deal. Still, that’s far from chump change, and an average annual value of ~$19MM still puts him in the top five at wide receiver.

Hopkins – a three-time First-Team All-Pro – still managed 104 catches for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns in a “down” 2019. Since 2013, he’s racked up 632 receptions, 8,602 receiving yards, and 54 touchdowns, while missing only two games. That’s not to say that Hopkins hasn’t dealt with injuries. Despite having a pin inserted in his surgically repaired wrist, Hopkins played through the pain and performed as one of the best offensive players in the game.

Before the deal, Hopkins had three seasons to go on his deal, all of which were non-guaranteed. The extension is expensive, but the Cardinals had this penciled in the budget before acquiring the superstar from the Texans. Ultimately, its worthwhile, especially when considering that they effectively acquired D-Hop for David Johnson and a second-round choice.

Jaguars Promote Mike Glennon

September 8th, 2020 at 11:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars have promoted Mike Glennon from the practice squad to the active roster, per a club announcement. Glennon, who will serve as the team’s third quarterback behind Gardner Minshew and rookie Jake Luton, will take the place of linebacker Quincy Williams, who has been placed on IR. 

Luton, a sixth-round pick, pulled off a training camp upset over Glennon and Joshua Dobbs. Still, the Jaguars didn’t want to let the 30-year-old get away. After dropping Glennon from the roster, they quickly scooped him up and stashed him on the practice squad. It’s pretty unusual to see a player with Glennon’s experience on the p-squad, but this is an unusual year, to say the least. The Eagles just made a similar move to backstop their QBs by signing 41-year-old Josh McCown to their practice squad for extra insurance under center.

Glennon has attempted just 31 passes over the last two years combined. For his career, he’s logged 22 starts, 36 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions.

In related moves, the Jags released cornerback Tramaine Brock from IR while adding defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale and former Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones to the taxi squad.

Packers, Aaron Jones Working On New Deal

September 8th, 2020 at 11:21am CST by Zachary Links

Running back Aaron Jones says the Packers are “definitely” working on an extension with his camp (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Will Selva). Jones, who is coming off of his best season to date, has one year to go on his rookie deal.

The former fifth-round pick flashed in limited usage in his first two seasons. Last year, he showed that it wasn’t a fluke. In 16 games (all starts), Jones rushed for 1,084 yards and 16 touchdowns, plus 49 catches for 474 yards and three TDs through the air. After leading the league in rushing TDs, and all-purpose TDs, he’s clearly in line for a pay bump.

The Packers don’t want to let Jones get away, though they did protect themselves against the possibility by drafting Boston College standout A.J. Dillon in the second round. Dillon’s presence may give the Packers a bit of extra leverage in talks, though Jones understands his value as a dual-threat RB. A deal in the neighborhood of $10MM/year could be in his future, provided that teams aren’t too skittish about the fiscal uncertainty of 2021. It’s also worth noting that the Packers have other expensive matters on the docket, including a new deal for left tackle David Bakhtiari.

As shown by Joe Mixon‘s recent $12MM/year extension with the Bengals, teams are still willing to pony up the cash necessary to lock down their best offensive talent. With the Packers’ season opener just around the bend, Jones could be on the cusp of his big payday.

Giants Waive CB DeAndre Baker

September 8th, 2020 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

As expected, the Giants have officially parted ways with cornerback Deandre Baker. The 22-year-old will be available for the rest of the league on the waiver wire, but it seems unlikely that he’ll be claimed.

[RELATED: Giants Cut WR Corey Coleman]

Baker is alleged to have robbed a party at gunpoint in May. Originally, Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar was charged as his accomplice, but the Broward State Attorney’s office declined to pursue charges against him. Baker still has felony charges to face, plus allegations of bribing witnesses.

Baker, the No. 30 overall pick in the 2019 draft, appeared in all 16 of the Giants’ games last year, including 15 starts. He notched eight passes defensed, but still looked pretty green on the whole. The Giants were expecting a big leap forward from him this year, up until the incident in Florida.

If convicted, Baker could face life in prison. Meanwhile, the Giants will attempt to recoup some of Baker’s $10.5MM in guarantees.

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