HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Buccaneers Interested In Re-Signing Leonard Fournette

February 7th, 2021 at 4:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers would like to bring Leonard Fournette back for another season (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). As it stands, Fournette has just one game — the Super Bowl — left on his contract.

Fournette joined the Bucs on one-year deal worth up to $3.5MM in September. Over the last year, he’s served as a solid RB2 behind Ronald Jones II, notching 3.8 yards per carry in 13 games. Fournette also snagged 36 passes for 233 yards, giving him 600 all-purpose yards for the year.

As the centerpiece of the Jaguars’ offense, Fournette faced stacked boxes on 39% of his carries from 2017-19. With the Bucs, he’s surrounded by a number of offensive weapons, forcing defenses to keep things honest. Fournette’s stats don’t exactly jump off of the page, but the Bucs like what they’ve gotten out of the former No. 4 overall pick.

Still, the Bucs may look to lock up Jones for the long haul, which would cut into available funds for Fournette. Some wondered if the former Jags star would leapfrog Jones this year — he responded with 5.1 ypc for a career season.

Seahawks’ Russell Wilson Drawing Trade Interest

February 7th, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by Zachary Links

A “couple of teams” have inquired on Russell Wilson, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. However, the Seahawks have turned those suitors away, because they have no interest in trading their franchise quarterback. 

[RELATED: Seahawks, Anthony Lynn Discussing OC Role]

It’s no surprise that the Seahawks have rejected calls on the future Hall of Famer. The quarterback carousel has caused Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff to trade places, and others could be on the move in the coming weeks, but Wilson is staying put. There could be other options for the ambitious teams seeking Seattle’s star still, including Eagles QB Carson Wentz and Raiders signal caller Derek Carr.

Clubs have put out feelers on Wilson in the past, but those talks didn’t get too far. One of those conversations took place in 2018, when the Browns considered swapping the No. 1 or No. 4 overall pick for him. Wilson was only 29 at the time, yet he was long established as one of the game’s top QBs. To even consider moving him, the Seahawks would have wanted an offer including both picks.

Wilson, 33 in November, set a new personal watermark with 40 passing touchdowns last year en route to yet another Pro Bowl selection. He also registered 4,212 passing yards in 2020 — seven shy of a new career high.

More Fallout From Matthew Stafford Trade

February 7th, 2021 at 12:53pm CST by Rory Parks

It’s been a week since the Rams and Lions completed the Matthew Stafford trade, but the fallout from that deal is ongoing. Here’s the latest:

  • We previously heard that the Panthers offered their No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, plus a later pick, for Stafford. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), that later selection was a fifth-rounder, and Carolina also included Teddy Bridgewater in the proposal, so the Lions would at least have had a veteran signal-caller to take Stafford’s place while they groomed a younger QB. Plus, Detroit would have had the No. 7 and No. 8 overall picks in the draft, so it would have had a terrific chance to land a top collegiate passer and another elite prospect, or at least enough ammo to trade up for a top QB prospect.
  • What’s more, Bridgewater’s contract is much less onerous than that of Jared Goff, who ended up going to the Lions in the swap. But as Peter Schrager of the NFL Network tweets, the Lions didn’t just take on Goff’s contract in order to squeeze more draft picks out of the Rams. They actually wanted Goff and believe he can regain the form he displayed in the 2017-18 seasons, which is a key factor in evaluating Detroit’s return.
  • When negotiations with the Rams commenced, though, the Lions were interested in another high-profile LA player. As Schefter reports in a separate tweet, Detroit first requested DT Aaron Donald, a request that the Rams summarily dismissed. Donald just landed his third Defensive Player of the Year award, and he obviously would have gone a long way towards the Lions’ much-needed defensive rebuild.
  • Stafford’s presence is attracting free agents to the Rams, as Schefter writes. Already, players have reached out to Stafford to express their interest in teaming up with him in Los Angeles, and Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones — who is eligible for free agency — is one such player. However, the Rams are projected to be well over the new salary cap of $180.5MM, so it’s unclear how active they will be in the free agent market.

Texans Rebuffing Deshaun Watson Trade Inquiries

February 7th, 2021 at 12:21pm CST by Rory Parks

At the end of last month, new Texans GM Nick Caserio was adamant that disgruntled quarterback Deshaun Watson would be back with the team in 2021. Apparently, that wasn’t just GM-speak, as rival teams that have called Houston to discuss a Watson deal have been told that the three-time Pro Bowler is not available, as Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report.

Indeed, some executives have not even had their phone calls or text messages returned. One person close to the situation said, “[t]he goal is to get [Watson] back, period.”

But Watson still hasn’t communicated with Caserio or new head coach David Culley, even though Culley reached out to the signal-caller shortly after he was hired. So, just as the team remains firm in its position, it seems Watson remains entrenched in his.

We know that Watson’s discontent stems largely from the fact that he feels ownership misled him with respect to the team’s GM and head coaching search, and developments this week aren’t going to make him feel any better. As Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes, Houston has continued to overhaul its staff, dismissing director of football administration Kevin Krajcovic, another longtime employee, Doug West, and equipment manager Mike Parson and his staff. Apparently, Watson and Parson had a close relationship, and Parson’s dismissal has not been well-received by players, including Watson.

The team still has some leverage in this matter, as Watson would be subject to daily fines if he stays away from minicamp or training camp, and Houston could also void his $82.5MM in remaining guarantees. On the other hand, the longer this drags out, the fewer potential suitors the Texans will have. So they need to determine quickly if the situation is salvageable, and if not, it would be in their best interest to swing a trade sooner rather than later.

Bucs Expected To Retain WR Chris Godwin

February 7th, 2021 at 11:45am CST by Rory Parks

There are a number of quality wide receivers slated for free agency next month, but it sounds like the Bucs will keep one of them off the market. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Tampa is expected to engage Chris Godwin in talks on a long-term contract before the March 9 deadline for applying the franchise tag, and if those talks do not result in a deal, it sounds as if the team is prepared to use the tag on the Pro Bowl wideout (Twitter link).

We heard last April that the Bucs were eyeing an extension for Godwin, but it’s unclear how far those negotiations advanced. Between the lack of a new contract and the fact that Tampa has a number of other key free agents to make decisions on, there was some speculation that Godwin would be playing elsewhere in 2021. But it sounds as if that won’t be the case.

This season, Godwin did not quite return to the Pro Bowl form he displayed in 2019, but he was quite effective just the same. Although his 12.9 yards-per-reception mark was a career-low, that is largely attributable to the fact that the team transitioned from Jameis Winston to Tom Brady at quarterback. Godwin’s catch rate increased to a career-best 77.4%, and had he played in all 16 games — he missed four contests due to injury — he was on pace to eclipse 1,100 receiving yards. He also scored seven TDs.

Based on the expected salary cap of $180.5MM, the franchise tag number for Godwin would be $15.808MM (h/t Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com on Twitter). Godwin can probably do better than that on a long-term contract, as the top 12 wide receiver deals in the league feature AAVs of at least $16.2MM, but it’s a fair starting point in contract talks.

The Bucs are also interested in bringing back Antonio Brown, and while Rapoport says tight end Rob Gronkowski plans to take a few weeks to make a retirement decision, he will only play for Tampa if he chooses to return in 2021. Keeping the band together for what could be the final season of Brady’s career makes plenty of sense, though it could mean that a defensive free agent like Shaquil Barrett or Lavonte David will be squeezed out of the picture.

Latest On 2021 Salary Cap

February 7th, 2021 at 11:09am CST by Sam Robinson

Feb. 7: League sources expect the 2021 salary cap to come in between $180MM-$181MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. That is not much higher than the worst-case scenario of $175MM, so there are are plenty of teams that will have a lot of work to do to get below the new cap. That includes clubs like the Saints, Eagles, Steelers, Packers, and Falcons, all of whom are projected to have over $200MM in cap obligations.

Feb. 4: The 2021 salary cap remains expected to drop significantly from its $198.2MM 2020 place, causing extensive fallout. But the cap might not fall to the agreed-upon $175MM floor.

Preliminary NFL-NFLPA cap discussions began last month, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, who adds some team officials expect the cap to come in around $185MM and potentially a bit higher. Others, however, are a bit less bullish, expecting a cap of around $180MM, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.

Union chief DeMaurice Smith indicated a “decent chance” exists the cap will come in somewhere above the $175MM floor, per Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter). The reduction estimates would move the cap back to the neighborhoods of 2018 ($177.2MM) or ’19 ($188.2MM).

Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, who is also chairman of the NFL’s financing committee, said the final number may not be known until hours before the start of the 2021 league year on March 17. Considering the NFL’s CBA negotiations prompted multiple postponements to the start of the 2020 league year, it would certainly not be out of step to see these discussions go down to the wire. The NFL did not provide teams with a cap projection this week.

With the COVID-19 pandemic leading to attendance falling from over $17MM to around $1MM, the NFL is set for a rare development. While the cap plateaued in the early 2010s, the number dropping to the degree it might will force teams to make unusual moves to be in compliance. But this has been the expected development for many months; teams have had time to prepare. As of Thursday, however, 11 teams are projected to be more than $10MM over a $175MM cap.

The pandemic interfered with the reality of the cap soaring after the latest round of TV deals. While those contracts and potential mass vaccinations taking place in 2021 may move the cap back to its previous track after this year, the league continues to brace for a historic reduction.

Chiefs, Eric Bieniemy Expected To Agree To Extension

February 7th, 2021 at 10:49am CST by Rory Parks

It was surprising to see Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who took head coaching interviews with six of the seven teams with an HC vacancy this offseason, fail to receive a single offer. Of course, the Chiefs will surely be happy to have one of Andy Reid‘s top lieutenants back in Kansas City in 2021, but there are some formalities to sort out first.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Bieniemy’s contract will expire after today’s Super Bowl, which means that he will technically be a free agent. However, the two sides are expected to work out a new deal without much issue, thereby continuing the Bieniemy-Patrick Mahomes partnership for at least another year.

The new contract could include a raise, given Bienemy’s success during his tenure as the Chiefs’ OC and his status as a hot head coaching candidate. The only reason that an extension was not already in place is because KC simply believed Bieniemy would land a head coaching job elsewhere, and once it became clear that wasn’t going to happen, the playoffs were in full swing and there just wasn’t time to have those discussions.

Both Bieniemy and the Chiefs continue to expect that he will get a shot as a head coach, perhaps as soon as 2022. Until then, the 51-year-old will remain an integral part of the most prolific offense in the NFL.

Multiple Teams Have Inquired On Sam Darnold

February 7th, 2021 at 10:19am CST by Rory Parks

Jets quarterback Sam Darnold has been rumored as a trade candidate for some time now, and it sounds like the lines of communication between Gang Green and the rest of the league are officially open. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, multiple teams have reached out to the Jets to discuss a trade for Darnold, who could be one of a number of high-profile passers to be dealt this offseason.

Schefter goes on to say that the Jets have entertained the discussions, though they are still undecided on how they want to resolve their quarterback dilemma. Recent reports have indicated that the club, which is armed with the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, will either trade that pick or will trade Darnold. So if the Jets do end up moving Darnold, that would seem to indicate that they are high enough on a collegiate passer like Justin Fields or Zach Wilson to use the second pick in the draft on one of them.

Alternatively, a Darnold trade could also mean that the Jets feel good about their chances of landing a veteran replacement. But while the team has been connected to Deshaun Watson, that situation is still rife with uncertainty. New York has the draft capital and the cap space to pull off a Watson trade, but it’s no sure thing that the Texans will actually deal their star signal-caller.

Schefter confirms that all options are on the table for GM Joe Douglas, whose decision will have wide-reaching ramifications on the Jets’ fortunes and on Douglas’ own career. It’s unclear which teams have contacted Douglas to talk about Darnold, but it stands to reason that at least some of the clubs that were in on the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes — Washington, the Colts, and the Panthers, to name a few — might also be interested in Darnold.

Right now, it looks like the Eagles will trade Carson Wentz in the near future. After that, Darnold could be the next QB domino to fall, though the return for him is unlikely to include a first-round pick like the Stafford trade and the expected Wentz swap.

Cowboys Want To Extend Dak Prescott Before Franchise Tag Deadline

February 7th, 2021 at 9:42am CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys hope to get an extension with quarterback Dak Prescott hammered out before the March 9 deadline for applying the franchise tag, as Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report. That suggests that there are no concerns over Prescott’s health, which is in keeping with the periodic updates that the team has provided over the past few months.

Of course, stories about negotiations between Dallas and Prescott are not unfamiliar to NFL fans. The two sides were said to be close to signing a long-term deal on multiple occasions in recent history, but they have not been able to strike an accord just yet. The most recent reports suggested that Prescott was prepared to accept a five-year contract worth $35MM per year before the July deadline for extending franchised players, but that the Cowboys would not agree to include a provision saying he could not be tagged at the expiration of that contract.

If that’s true, that would be an odd hill for Jerry Jones & Co. to die on, as it’s unlikely Prescott would have made it to the end of that contract without another renegotiation. Rival execs posit that Jones’ refusal to give in on that issue might have cost him roughly $40MM, as the quarterback market has only continued to boom, even in the midst of the pandemic. Prescott could now fetch a deal worth $42MM-$43MM per year, and the guarantee he gets now might be higher than it would have been in July.

But the Cowboys are in a bind, as they cannot let their 27-year-old franchise quarterback just walk away. Obviously, Prescott knows that, so it’s unclear if he will be willing to accept an early extension or if he would rather take negotiations down to the wire again this summer and to really force Dallas’ hand.

An extension before March 9 would certainly be in the Cowboys’ best interests, as they would otherwise have to tag Prescott again for a price of roughly $37.7MM and perhaps carry that full cap hit through free agency. A multi-year pact, on the other hand, would give them considerably more payroll flexibility in the coming months, which will be especially important given the expected salary cap decrease.

Pelissero and Rapoport also write that, in addition to the surgery that Prescott underwent in the immediate aftermath of the brutal ankle injury he suffered in October, the two-time Pro Bowler went under the knife again several months later. The second surgery was not directly related to the October procedure, but it did help to improve the structure and integrity of the ankle and further accelerated Prescott’s recovery. He is expected to be ready to return to the field well in advance of the 2021 regular season.

Raiders Open To Derek Carr Trade?

February 7th, 2021 at 9:03am CST by Rory Parks

This is shaping up to be a historic offseason of quarterback movement, as Matthew Stafford has already been dealt, and Carson Wentz, Deshaun Watson, and Sam Darnold might not be too far behind. There haven’t been any concrete trade rumors regarding Raiders QB Derek Carr this year, but it sounds like that could change soon.

According to Mike Garafolo, Tom Pelissero, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, rival clubs have been calling the Raiders to gauge their interest in dealing Carr, and Vegas is at least willing to entertain those discussions. The caveat is that the Raiders would want to replace Carr with a passer of similar quality, though that probably would need to happen in a separate transaction. Unless Carr somehow becomes involved in a trade for Watson, no other QBs that could be on the move are as valuable as Carr at the moment.

The Raiders narrowly missed the playoffs in 2020, but that had more to do with their defense than their offense. Vegas was a top-10 unit both in terms of total offense and in points per game, and Carr set a new career-high with a 101.4 QB rating. His 4,103 passing yards were also a personal best, and he threw 27 TDs against just nine picks.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old is under contract through 2022, and his salaries in each of the last two years of his deal are just shy of $20MM, a relative bargain. So while the club would surely be able to get a terrific return if it traded Carr, its status as a potential playoff contender suggests that such a deal might not be something you want to bet your house on.

Indeed, the NFL.com trio goes on to say that the Raiders, who just handed Nathan Peterman a $1MM guarantee for 2021, are open to trading either Carr or Marcus Mariota, and it would seem that Mariota is a much likelier candidate to be moved. Perhaps there will be some discussion on that front once the dust settles on Wentz, Watson, and Darnold.

Still, the fact that the Raiders are willing to engage in talks involving Carr when they have firmly rebuffed any such overtures in the past few years is notable, especially at a time when the trade market is chock-full of interesting signal-callers.

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