HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Buccaneers Cut Matt Gay

September 4th, 2020 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers are waiving Matt Gay, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. With that, the Bucs are set to roll with Ryan Succop as their primary kicker.

[RELATED: Bucs Sign Leonard Fournette]

Gay was the league’s fourth-highest scoring kicker as a rookie in 2019 and made five of his eight tries from 50+ yards. Still, the Bucs wanted a more experienced option. Earlier this week, they inked Succop and dropped Elliott Fry, putting Gay in a two-man race for the gig. A few days later, they made their call.

Succop made just 1 of 6 field goals in his final Titans season, which began and ended on IR. But, before that, Succop played in every game for the Titans from 2014-18 and made at least 83% of his field goals in each of those seasons.

In bigger Bucs news, the club welcomed running back Leonard Fournette to Tampa on Thursday. The former No. 4 overall pick joins incumbent Ronald Jones, rookies Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Raymond Calais, and fellow newcomer LeSean McCoy on TB’s RB depth chart.

Raiders Rework Nathan Peterman’s Deal

September 4th, 2020 at 10:23am CST by Zachary Links

Nathan Peterman‘s job appears to be safe. On Friday, the Raiders reworked the quarterback’s contract to go from a non-guaranteed $2.133MM to a guaranteed one-year, $1MM pact (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com).

Quarterback depth is more important than ever amidst the pandemic and the Raiders see Peterman as a worthwhile QB3 to stash behind Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota. Of course, Peterman’s on-field track record has left much to be desired. The Bills cut him midway through his second pro year, following a historically bad start to his career. Pro Football Reference’s “indexed” statistics, which account and adjust for different eras of the game, rated Peterman dead last among all QBs since 1970 in passer rating, yards per attempt, interception percentage, and numerous other passing statistics.

Peterman looked sharp in the 2019 preseason, but he landed on IR before the start of the Raiders’ season. This year, he’s healthy, and he’ll be on call for Jon Gruden if needed.

Washington Releases Adrian Peterson

September 4th, 2020 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

The Washington Football Team has released Adrian Peterson, per a club announcement. The timing of the move is a bit curious, as Peterson was projected to serve as the team’s leading running back.

Even with Derrius Guice out of the picture, Washington didn’t see a place for Peterson, who was set to earn $2.25MM in 2020. By releasing him, they’ll save ~$2.4MM against $750K in dead money. The backfield will now be led by third-round rookie Antonio Gibson with support from the talented and oft-injured Bryce Love. Peyton Barber and J.D. McKissic round out the RB group.

Between 2018 and 2019, Peterson averaged a solid 4.2 yards per carry and suited up for 31 of a possible 32 games. For his career, Peterson has rushed for 14,216 yards, putting him roughly 1,000 yards behind Barry Sanders for fourth on the NFL’s all-time career list. As you might expect, the 35-year-old tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) that he still wants to play. .

Peterson has racked up quite an odometer with 3,036 carries over the course of 13 seasons. Still, he remains productive, and insistent that he’s nowhere near the end.

“I can see myself playing to 40,” Peterson said in December. “People look at that and say, ‘oh my god; that’s crazy.’ But they’ve been doing that for the past two years and surprise, surprise I’m still able to do it at a high level.”

Colts, C Ryan Kelly Agree On Extension

September 3rd, 2020 at 5:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Kelly‘s extension talks progressed to an accepted offer Thursday. The Colts have announced they extended their veteran center.

The former first-round pick signed a four-year, $50MM contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Kelly will receive $34MM in guarantees. In terms of per-year salary and guarantees, this contract makes Kelly the NFL’s highest-paid center by a comfortable margin.

Going into what was set to be a contract year, Kelly said at multiple junctures this year he sought a long-term stay in Indianapolis. This represents a key commitment for a Colts team that returns all five of its offensive line starters, forming one of the league’s top fronts. They re-signed left tackle Anthony Castonzo in March, ensuring their entire quintet would be back for the 2020 season.

Kelly’s $12.5MM-per-year average comes in well north of Rodney Hudson‘s previous center high-water mark, topping the market by more than $1MM in average annual value. The guarantees given to the Colts snapper top the previous No. 1 figure by $5.5MM. Kelly, 27, is now signed through the 2024 season.

The Colts drafted Kelly 18th overall out of Alabama in 2016. He made his first Pro Bowl last season, when the Colts placed third in Pro Football Focus’ year-end O-line rankings. Philip Rivers has said the Colts’ O-line played a key role in his decision to sign with Indianapolis. Rivers’ eventual successor will now be set to take snaps from Kelly, who has ranked as a top-10 center — per PFF — in each of the past two seasons.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/3/20

September 3rd, 2020 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the day:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Khari Lee

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Latest On Zach Ertz, Eagles

September 3rd, 2020 at 5:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

At long last, the tight end market underwent significant change this year. George Kittle and Travis Kelce signed new deals, raising the position’s ceiling to $15MM per year. Zach Ertz would be in line for a contract in that neighborhood.

However, the Eagles and their Pro Bowl tight end have hit a bit of a snag. Philadelphia’s latest Ertz extension offer came featured less guaranteed money than its previous proposal — submitted in November — and the negotiations have come to an “abrupt halt,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

The Eagles and Ertz resumed negotiations in late August, but the sides were evidently talking last year as well. Philly’s most recent Ertz offer was worth less over the next four years than Austin Hooper‘s four-year, $42MM Browns deal, Rapoport adds. Ertz is under contract through the 2021 season, so this would mean the final two years of his current contract and the first two new years do not quite measure up to Hooper’s then-record contract.

This does not mean the Eagles are closing the book on extending Ertz, with Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweeting the team is still open to revisiting the issue. Ertz, 29, is set to make base salaries of $6.7MM and $8.3MM in 2020 and ’21, respectively. He signed his five-year, $42.5MM contract in 2016. Its $8.5MM-AAV figure now ranks seventh among tight ends entering the 2020 season. No guaranteed money remains on Ertz’s deal; Kittle just signed for $40MM guaranteed.

Although the Eagles drafted Dallas Goedert in the 2018 second round, they have multiple injury issues at wide receiver. Neither Jalen Reagor nor Alshon Jeffery expected to be ready to play in Week 1. This stands to increase the Eagles’ reliance on Ertz. So, it would be surprising if the team did not re-enter negotiations with its eighth-year tight end fairly soon.

Giants Expected To Cut DeAndre Baker

September 3rd, 2020 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

DeAndre Baker‘s legal process ran into a delay this week. His arraignment will take place in January, after previously being on tap for September. The Giants may not wait for the legal process to play out.

They are expected to cut Baker before this takes place, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports. Baker currently resides on the commissioner’s exempt list and will not be on New York’s 53-man roster to start the season. He can be cut at any point, however. Giants GM Dave Gettleman said this week the Giants are still determining their Baker decision.

Contractual matters are holding up the Baker move, Dunleavy adds, with the team appearing committed to moving on from what looks like a major draft miss. Baker, 22, has been charged with four counts of robbery with a firearm in connection with an incident that took place earlier this year in Florida. He has also been hit with a civil suit and was connected to an attempt to pay off witnesses earlier this summer. The Giants will attempt to recoup some of Baker’s $10.5MM in guarantees, Dunleavy notes.

The Giants traded up in the 2019 first round to select Baker, but the Georgia product struggled for most of his rookie season. His deal, which calls for a $973K base salary this season, runs through 2022. If convicted, Baker could face up to life in prison.

Latest On Texans, Deshaun Watson

September 3rd, 2020 at 4:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans may well be striving to have their Pro Bowl quarterback signed by the time they open the NFL season against the Chiefs a week from Thursday. The team and Deshaun Watson are working hard on an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Watson’s side, however, is not looking to emulate Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs managed to sign their superstar passer through the 2031 season. Watson is barely looking to have his next deal run into the mid-2020s, with Mike Florio of Pro Football talk tweeting the Houston standout wants a three-year deal. With Watson’s rookie contract going through 2021, this would put him under Texans control only through 2024.

It is not certain how close the sides are to making this happen. The parties are not believed to be too close on terms, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (video link). Regarding per-year salary, Watson has been connected to a $40MM-plus-AAV price point. While Mahomes received $45MM per year, it took him committing into the 2030s to do so. Russell Wilson‘s $35MM deal, for normal contract structures, still resides atop the market.

Houston gave Laremy Tunsil a three-year deal, one that tops the market by a monstrous margin. With Watson residing as the Texans’ unquestioned franchise centerpiece, it would seem he could push for the same type of contract. Watson, 24, is on track to make $1.2MM this season on his rookie deal.

Cowboys To Release Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

September 3rd, 2020 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys are moving on from Ha Ha Clinton-Dix quickly. After signing the veteran safety to a one-year deal in March, Dallas will release him, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.

Clinton-Dix signed for a guaranteed $2.5MM, so this move will tag the Cowboys with a bit of dead money. It will, however, free up $1.75MM in cap savings. While this marks the first release of Clinton-Dix’s career, the former first-round pick may well move to a fifth team before what would be his seventh NFL season.

Expected to be a starter alongside Xavier Woods, Clinton-Dix evidently did not justify the modest salary commitment. He signed a one-year deal with the Bears last year and started 16 games for their No. 4-ranked scoring defense. Now. Clinton-Dix joins Gerald McCoy as 2020 Cowboy signees jettisoned before the season’s outset.

While this could accelerate the Earl Thomas-to-Dallas hype, the Cowboys are said to be split on the All-Pro safety. Mike McCarthy, in particular, was not believed to be on board — as of late last month — with bringing in Thomas. But Jerry Jones has not ruled it out, and the owner/personnel czar certainly would have the final say. Indeed, NFL.com’s Jane Slater tweets this does not necessarily mean a Thomas signing is imminent.

The Cowboys have used Woods and Jeff Heath as their safety starters over the past two years, doing so amid constant rumors about upgrades to the position. Their most notable effort came when they offered a second-round pick for Thomas in 2018. After Heath’s defection to Las Vegas, Dallas signed Clinton-Dix. The Cowboys have former Giants draftee Darian Thompson, 2019 sixth-round pick Donovan Wilson and rookie UDFA hopeful Luther Kirk in their safety stable currently.

A former Packers draftee, Clinton-Dix has started 90 career games and made the Pro Bowl in 2016. Pro Football Focus graded him as its No. 19 overall safety last season. Green Bay traded Clinton-Dix to Washington at the 2018 deadline, and he signed with Chicago the following March. He will likely head to another city for work soon.

Steelers Open To Ben Roethlisberger Extension Beyond 2021

September 3rd, 2020 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ben Roethlisberger is entering a pivotal season. Should he stay healthy, the Steelers may be a Super Bowl contender. But the 38-year-old quarterback is attempting to return from a serious elbow injury. This setback followed numerous less severe maladies over the course of his career.

But the Steelers have committed to their future Hall of Famer, not drafting a true heir apparent nor bringing in a higher-caliber backup this offseason. Unlike the other teams who drafted star quarterbacks in the early and mid-2000s, they have not unveiled a new long-term plan. And they are open to pushing this one beyond Roethlisberger’s current contract expiration.

Steelers owner Art Rooney II said he is open to another Roethlisberger extension, one that would take him into his age-40 season. Big Ben’s latest re-up — a two-year, $68MM deal agreed to in 2019 — runs through 2021. Roethlisberger is already the longest-tenured player in Steelers history.

“Obviously after the season we’ll evaluate his contract situation along with other contract decisions we have to make,’’ Rooney said, via Ed Bouchette of The Athletic (subscription required). “But if Ben feels like playing longer and it looks like he’s capable of doing it, certainly that would be a great scenario.”

These comments contradict what GM Kevin Colbert said at the time of the extension. He called the 2019 contract likely Roethlisberger’s last. Roethlisberger hinted at retirement for a time, but after the Steelers moved on from OC Todd Haley, he changed his tune. Colbert also backtracked a bit from his comments about his Roethlisberger plan and may be open to his quarterback joining Tom Brady and Drew Brees in playing past 40.

The Steelers already restructured Big Ben’s deal this year, bumping his 2021 cap hit to an untenable $41.3MM. A fifth Roethlisberger contract could reduce that number, though the 17th-year passer will certainly need to show he has recovered from the elbow injury this season for the parties to discuss another pact.

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