HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Patriots Trade OT Marcus Cannon To Texans

March 14th, 2021 at 12:48pm CST by Rory Parks

New Texans GM Nick Caserio is bringing in a familiar face. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Houston will acquire OT Marcus Cannon from the Patriots, and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that the two clubs will exchange draft positions in the 2021 fourth round, fifth round, and sixth round (Twitter links).

After the Pats traded for Trent Brown last week, speculation concerning Cannon’s roster spot began to pick up. Many assumed that New England would let him go in order to create $6.3MM of cap space, but the club managed to get its cap relief while also upgrading its picks in the middle rounds of next month’s draft.

As Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, Cannon will likely be shifted to guard in Houston, as the Texans are set at right tackle with Tytus Howard. Cannon is owed $4.7MM in each of the next two seasons, so his salary isn’t prohibitive for a guard, and he did play on the interior earlier in his career.

Cannon opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, and as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, the soon-to-be 33-year-old had yet to return to New England for a physical examination/workout. Obviously, the Texans are not overly concerned about Cannon’s health at this point, and though their new acquisition showed signs of decline in 2018-19, a move back to guard could help his performance.

This is the second trade the Texans have swung today, following this morning’s deal that will send inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney to Miami in exchange for edge defender Shaq Lawson. And according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (via Twitter), LB Whitney Mercilus might also be on his way out of Houston.

AFC West Notes: V. Miller, Henry, T. Brown

March 14th, 2021 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

Here’s a quick roundup of some AFC West rumblings:

  • There is still no clarity on whether the Broncos will bring back LB Von Miller in 2021. As Mike Klis of 9News.com writes, new Denver GM George Paton met with Miller for the first time last week, and Klis believes a paycut is no longer on the table. Miller is due an $18MM salary in 2021, and by March 16, Paton must decide whether to pick up an option that would guarantee $7MM of that $18MM payout. While the Broncos would prefer to have Miller take a cut, given that he missed the entire 2020 season, J.J. Watt‘s new $14MM/year deal with the Cardinals suggests that Miller would be disinclined to do so. Which means that Paton has the difficult task of deciding between a major financial hit for an aging star coming off a serious injury and releasing one of the greatest defensive players in franchise history. The good news is that Miller appears to be back to full speed, at least according to a workout video he recently posted to Instagram.
  • The Chargers decided against putting the franchise tag on TE Hunter Henry, but Henry is still open to returning to the Bolts. “I will say I’m not ruling out the Chargers,” Henry recently told TMZ Sports. “I’m not ruling out the Chargers and I won’t rule out the Chargers.” Though Henry comes with some health concerns, he is also just 26 and still has the chance to be one of the league’s top receiving TEs. He also has the chance to serve as one of Justin Herbert‘s top targets for the foreseeable future — a proposition that he admits could lead him back to LA — but he will have no shortage of suitors when the legal tampering period opens tomorrow.
  • Before he was traded to the Patriots, former Raiders tackle Trent Brown was considered a release candidate. But as Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets, Vegas had no intention of cutting Brown (at least not yet). The club planned to bring him to training camp to earn his keep, but New England’s offer, along with Brown’s willingness to rework his contract, triggered the deal. Still, Brown’s hold on his roster spot in Vegas couldn’t have been very strong, as the Raiders dealt him and a 2022 seventh-rounder for a 2022 fifth-rounder.

Bears Re-Sign Mario Edwards

March 14th, 2021 at 11:50am CST by Rory Parks

The Bears will re-sign defensive lineman Mario Edwards, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk was first to report. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com added that it will be a three-year contract for the 2015 second-rounder, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting that the deal is worth $11.55MM (Twitter links). Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the deal includes $5.5MM in guaranteed money.

It’s unclear how much of that is guaranteed, but it represents a nice payday for Edwards, who bounced around the league for a couple of years before finding some stability in Chicago in 2020. Though he played in just under a quarter of the Bears’ defensive snaps last season, he managed a career-best four sacks and graded out as the third-best interior defender in the league, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics.

The limited snap count and the inherent uncertainty in PFF’s metrics suggest that Edwards’ stellar overall grade of 90.1 might skew a little high, but the Bears clearly feel confident that he can continue to be a productive rotational piece if nothing else. That is despite the fact that Edwards will be suspended for the first two games of the 2021 season due to a PED violation.

The deal comes one day after the Bears finalized a series of restructures to get under the 2021 salary cap of $182.5MM.

Dolphins Trade Shaq Lawson To Texans For Benardrick McKinney

March 14th, 2021 at 11:12am CST by Rory Parks

The Dolphins and Texans are in agreement on a trade that will send inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney to Miami in exchange for outside linebacker Shaq Lawson, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com was first to report (via Twitter). Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com reports that the Dolphins will send their 2021 sixth-round pick to Houston and will get the Texans’ 2021 seventh-rounder in return (Twitter link).

Lawson is the second player from Miami’s 2020 front-seven spending spree to be jettisoned over the last few days. After the ‘Fins failed to find a trade partner for Kyle Van Noy, they cut him loose after just one season in South Beach. Now, Lawson will try to build on a solid, if unspectacular, 2020 season with his third pro team.

The Texans, who parted ways with franchise icon J.J. Watt this offseason, were in desperate need of pass rush help, and Lawson graded out as Pro Football Focus’ 28th-best edge defender out of 109 qualified players (incidentally, new teammate Whitney Mercilus was at the very bottom of that list). Lawson’s four sacks and 25 QB pressures won’t make headlines, but he will be a welcome addition to the club’s pass rushing corps just the same. He will likely shift back to defensive end in new DC Lovie Smith‘s scheme.

Miami, meanwhile, adds a starting-caliber ILB to line up next to Jerome Baker. McKinney played in just four games in 2020 due to a shoulder injury, but he had been pretty durable up to that point. A full-time starter since he entered the league as a second-round pick in 2015, the Mississippi State product averaged 107.5 tackles per season from 2016-2019 and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2018. But the Texans recently brought in Christian Kirksey on a one-year pact, and they had given McKinney permission to seek a trade, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Per Wolfe, the Dolphins have been eyeing McKinney for awhile, and he gives them a worthy replacement for Van Noy. The team is now expected to pursue pass rush help in free agency to complement Emmanuel Ogbah and Andrew Van Ginkel (Twitter link via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com).

From a salary cap standpoint, the trade is mostly a wash for both clubs. Lawson is due an $8.4MM salary in 2021 and $8.9MM in 2022, while McKinney is under club control through 2023 with salaries of $7MM, $8.75MM, and $9.5MM coming his way over the next three seasons. The Dolphins will have to absorb $2.7MM in dead money as a result of the deal, but all of McKinney’s guarantees have been paid out, so it will be easy for Miami to move on from him prior to the expiration of his current contract if he underperforms.

Now that these two teams have one notable trade in the books, one wonders if another deal involving a quarterback or two could be in the offing.

Latest On Patriots, Jimmy Garoppolo

March 14th, 2021 at 10:42am CST by Rory Parks

The financial details of the Patriots’ new deal with Cam Newton make it clear that New England is leaving its options open with respect to the quarterback position, and the Jimmy Garoppolo rumblings continue to persist. In a recent appearance on the PFT PM podcast, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston said a New England-Garoppolo reunion remains a possibility even after the Newton re-up (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

Of course, the 49ers would need to make Garoppolo available via trade, and that situation is a little murky. San Francisco GM John Lynch said last month that he had no doubt Garoppolo would be his starting QB in 2021, but just a few days later, a report surfaced indicating that Jimmy G was still on the trade block.

According to Florio, the Niners continue to seek an upgrade, and if they find one, obviously Garoppolo would stand to be dealt. Though he would need to waive his no-trade clause, that probably wouldn’t be a problem if San Francisco brings in, or is planning to bring in, a player that could pose a threat to his starting job.

As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com points out, getting a legitimate quarterback under contract was key for the Patriots with free agency opening this week. Although there are plenty who believe Newton is simply not a viable starter anymore, he is still a beloved figure among players, and the Pats — who have among the most salary cap space in the league — figure to be active players in the market. The club has been connected to some of the top receivers and tight ends available, and those players would probably not even consider Foxborough if Jarrett Stidham was the only passer on the roster. So while the Newton deal doesn’t assure him of anything, it needed to be done.

For his part, Newton expects to take a major step forward in 2021 if given the opportunity. He recently posted a hype video to Instagram promising a return to form next season, and depending on how things shake out in free agency and the draft, he just might get that chance. If nothing else, the fact that the Pats brought him back suggests that the team believes he could look more like his old self with a better complement of weapons surrounding him.

WFT To Re-Sign K Dustin Hopkins

March 14th, 2021 at 9:59am CST by Rory Parks

The Washington Football Team will re-sign kicker Dustin Hopkins, per JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (via Twitter). NFL Insider Adam Caplan reports that it will be a one-year, $2.5MM pact with $1.9MM guaranteed (Twitter link).

Hopkins had a rocky start to his pro career. After being selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, the Florida State product won Buffalo’s placekicking job as a rookie but sustained a groin injury before the season got underway. He missed the entire 2013 season and then lost his roster spot the following summer, ultimately catching on with the Saints’ taxi squad towards the end of 2014.

He lost New Orleans’ kicking battle in the summer of 2015, but he finally found a home with Washington. He has served as WFT’s kicker for the last six seasons and just wrapped up a three-year, $6.875MM contract that he signed right before free agency opened in March 2018.

Hopkins, 30, did not disappoint in his first year under the new deal, sinking nearly 89.7% of his field goal tries in 2018 and 96.2% of his PATs (both career-highs). But he regressed a bit in 2019 and cratered in 2020, struggling to a 79.4% field goal percentage last season (25th in the league). That wasn’t an ideal platform campaign, but WFT was willing to bring him back just the same.

Now that one of their own priority FAs is back in the fold, Finlay suggests that Washington could try to lock up CB Ronald Darby before free agency opens on Wednesday (Twitter link).

Colts’ WR T.Y. Hilton, CB Xavier Rhodes Likely To Hit Open Market

March 14th, 2021 at 9:28am CST by Rory Parks

On the eve of the legal tampering period, it appears that two of the Colts’ top free agents will be permitted to speak with other clubs. As Stephen Holder of The Athletic writes, there has been little to no progress in Indianapolis’ contract talks with WR T.Y. Hilton and CB Xavier Rhodes.

With respect to Hilton, this report is not exactly surprising. The lifelong Colt might be third on the team’s all-time receiving yards list, but he is now 31 and has lost a step or two over the past several years. This offseason, owner Jim Irsay and GM Chris Ballard both spoke highly of Hilton while acknowledging that the market would dictate whether or not he would be back in Indy in 2021.

Still, Hilton’s 762 receiving yards in 2020 led the team, despite the fact that he did not get many touches early in the year and was not frequently targeted downfield by quarterback Philip Rivers. Even though there are a number of quality free agent wideouts who did not get the franchise tag, not many of them are clear upgrades over Hilton, and Ballard generally takes a cautious approach to outside FAs anyway. Plus, while the Colts will return promising youngsters Michael Pittman and Zach Pascal, they want to surround new QB Carson Wentz with as much skill position talent as possible.

All of that could point to a Hilton re-up, but it seems that Ballard will not be leading the charge in the bidding. If the decreased salary cap and the number of other FA receivers keep Hilton’s price down, he might be back in Indy. But if another team is willing to spend big, expect Ballard to look elsewhere.

Rhodes, meanwhile, washed out of Minnesota but experienced a rebirth in 2020 after signing a modest one-year, $3MM pact with the Colts last offseason. He yielded a completion percentage of just 51.2% and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ ninth-best CB, but according to Holder, there has been very little communication between Indianapolis and Rhodes’ camp. Ballard was burned the one time he made a major free agent investment at cornerback (Pierre Desir), so he could be on the lookout for another reclamation project like Rhodes.

The Colts are high on 2020 sixth-rounder Isaiah Rodgers and will return Kenny Moore, but it’s a little curious that they have made no real effort to retain Rhodes to this point.

Latest On Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa

March 13th, 2021 at 7:10pm CST by Zachary Links

With increasing chatter of a blockbuster trade for Deshaun Watson, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores did his best to back Tua Tagovailoa. In a chat with reporters this week, Flores stressed that he’s “excited” to work with the rising second-year pro.

[RELATED: Texans HC David Culley On Deshaun Watson]

“You think about his situation last year, coming off the hip and throwing him into the fire,” Flores said (Twitter link via Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel). “[He] started nine games and made a lot of improvement throughout the season. Had some up and downs. I’m excited about the Year 1 to 2 jump…This time, in the offseason, is really going to be helpful to him and all the rookies. I’m excited about working with him.”

Tagovailoa averaged just 6.3 yards per throw in his his rookie season. He finished out with eleven touchdowns against five interceptions in nine starts, 1,814 total passing yards, and a ~64% completion rate. Of course, there was nothing to suggest that the former Alabama star will be a bust, and he did go 6-3 as a starter. However, some have wondered whether the ‘Fins confidence in him has wavered, especially since they deployed Ryan Fitzpatrick as a reliever. Regardless of Tagovailoa’s long-term potential, Watson would give them a far better chance to win straight away.

Between Tagovailoa and the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Dolphins could present the Texans with the best package of any club in the Watson sweepstakes. Still, new head coach David Culley continues to insist that Watson will be staying put. Meanwhile, in Miami, Flores says that he’ll continue to build the offense around Tagovailoa.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/21

March 13th, 2021 at 6:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Teams have until March 17 to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents. . Some teams are already making their calls in advance of March 17. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Non-Tendered: 

ERFAs

Tendered: 

QB Notes: Brady, Mahomes, Teddy, Falcons

March 13th, 2021 at 4:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Just over a year ago, Matt Rhule said he was “unbelievably excited” to coach Cam Newton. That never came to fruition, with the Panthers releasing their longtime starter a few weeks after those comments. This year, the Panthers’ desire to upgrade on Newton’s replacement — Teddy Bridgewater — has not exactly been a secret. David Tepper is said to be eager to make a strong offer for Deshaun Watson, and the Panthers offered their No. 8 overall pick and change for Matthew Stafford. Rhule, however, said he “can’t wait” to have Bridgewater back as QB1, via Joseph Person of The Athletic (subscription required).

“I think he’s controlling what he can control, and he’s having a great offseason, I’m sure,” Rhule said. “I can’t wait to get him back here. And I think he’s determined to play his best football next year. As far as where he stands with us, he’s our quarterback and nothing’s changed since the end of the offseason.”

In addition to the Panthers’ interest in veteran upgrades, they were present at Trey Lance‘s pro day Friday and are planning to be at the other first-round-caliber QBs’ showcases, per Person. Bridgewater’s $63MM deal runs through 2022, but his grip on Carolina’s starting job is far from firm.

Here is the latest from the quarterback position, moving to some rather famous passers:

  • Thanks largely to void-years maneuvering, the Buccaneers have Tom Brady set to collect a massive 2021 sum but only count $9.1MM against their cap. On his latest extension, Brady will take home $41.1MM this year, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The contract calls for a $24MM cap number in 2022, when Brady is only due to collect $8.9MM. The Bucs are stacking three void years to make this work, and Pelissero adds the team will save $19.3MM against this year’s cap by making this move (Twitter link). A whopping $24MM in void-years prorations will reside on Tampa Bay’s 2023-25 caps. If the Bucs do not extend Brady again by the time this contract expires in March 2023, they will be hit with the entire $24MM in dead-money sum on their 2023 payroll.
  • The Chiefs restructuring Patrick Mahomes‘ 10-year, $450MM contract saved them $17MM in cap space. Mahomes will now only count $7.43MM against Kansas City’s 2021 cap, per OverTheCap. He is only due $990K in 2021 base salary.
  • Matt Schaub‘s retirement and the Falcons waiving Kurt Benkert leaves Matt Ryan as the lone quarterback on Atlanta’s roster. While the Falcons are expected to add two more QBs this offseason, new HC Arthur Smith is not certain he wants to sign a veteran to be Ryan’s primary backup, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes. Schaub worked as Ryan’s backup for the past five years.
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