HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

John Brown Eyeing Colts, Steelers

March 11th, 2021 at 10:19am CST by Zachary Links

John Brown has a couple of teams in mind. This week, the free agent wide receiver told SiriusXM (Twitter link) that he sees the Steelers and Colts as solid fits. 

“It depends who needs receivers,” Brown said. “You know, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Big Ben is definitely good with the deep ball, and the Indianapolis Colts, [I’ve noticed] the way they use T.Y. Hilton. When we played those guys in the playoffs last year I walked off and I’m like, this team, they’re up and coming, they’re going to be a problem in the next few years.”

“So, you know, I got options, I feel like I would fit in anywhere, but those are just the main two off the top [of my head]. Anywhere I can come in and help and be a small piece to the puzzle, or if they need me to be a big piece to come in and help younger guys out and move around and do what I have to do. Those are the main two teams, though.”

The Colts would make plenty of sense for Brown. As the former Bills standout eluded to, Hilton is out of contract, and Brown could take his place on the depth chart. The Steelers, meanwhile, will probably have bigger needs to address, even if JuJu Smith-Schuster goes elsewhere.

In 2019, Brown’s first season with the Bills, he managed new career highs of 72 catches for 1,060 receiving yards. Last year, he was limited just nine games and finished with a 33/458/3 stat line. It wasn’t the ideal platform year for Brown, though he didn’t know that it would be his walk year at the time. The Bills released Brown on Wednesday; the veteran says the move came without warning.

Saints Release Janoris Jenkins

March 11th, 2021 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are releasing cornerback Janoris Jenkins, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Jackrabbit was due to earn $11.2MM with a cap hit of $14.2MM. Instead, the Saints will cut him to save about $7MM on the books for 2021. 

The Saints extended Jenkins last year, smoothing out his cap hit with a two-year, $16.75MM add-on. The new deal pushed most of Jenkins’ guaranteed cash into 2020 while effectively turning 2021 and 2022 into option years. The 32-year-old (33 in October) was claimed off waivers by the Saints in December 2019. The former Giants standout was still productive in New Orleans, but the Saints are being forced to shed veterans as the cap drops.

Starting opposite of Marshon Lattimore, Pro Football Focus graded Jenkins as the 42nd best cornerback in the NFL out of 121 qualified players last year. Lattimore — younger and cheaper than Jenkins — could be kept for the long haul if the Saints can hammer out an extension. Lattimore is currently attached to a $10.2MM fifth-year option salary. After that, the 2017 first-rounder will be extension eligible.

Chiefs Release Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz

March 11th, 2021 at 9:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have released left tackle Eric Fisher and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, per a club announcement. Together, the moves will save the Chiefs upwards of $18MM. 

Both players finished the year on injured reserve and missed the team’s most recent Super Bowl. Schwartz was lost to back injury in October that ended his streak of 134 consecutive regular-season starts. He underwent back surgery just a couple of weeks ago, but should be back on the field no later than Week 1 of the 2021 season. He has never made a Pro Bowl and has just one First Team All-Pro nod to his credit, but Pro Bowl nods often elude elite right tackles. Schwartz has been one of the best right tackles in the league since he entered the NFL as a second-round pick of the Browns in 2012.

Fisher tore his Achilles in the AFC Championship Game, leaving them extra thin in the front five. Even before Schwartz’s injury, they lost interior standout Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and rookie tackle Lucas Niang to COVID opt-outs. They also lost left guard Kelechi Osemele in October — none of that has stopped the Chiefs’ world-class offense from reaching the championship game. Fisher started 113 games for the Chiefs across eight years for the Chiefs.

Even while the Chiefs were $20MM over the salary cap, GM Brett Veach was still looking for ways to keep the offensive line together.

“From the offset here, the draft looks to be really talented on the offensive line,” Veach said earlier this year. “So I think it’ll be a combination of what we have in-house and blending that in with some new talent. Potentially in free agency and potentially in the draft.”

Ultimately, the numbers crunch was too much, forcing the Chiefs to move on from their top outside protectors.

AFC North Notes: Lamar, Stanley, Atkins

March 10th, 2021 at 10:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Conflicting reports emerged early regarding Lamar Jackson extension talks with the Ravens. The self-represented quarterback has, in fact, engaged in discussions with the team, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com (video link). While it does not sound like the talks have progressed too far, GM Eric DeCosta said he and Jackson have spoken about the framework of a deal, Hensley adds. An earlier report indicated the Ravens and Jackson were not close on terms, and while that may be, DeCosta confirmed true negotiations will commence at some point. John Harbaugh said earlier this year a Jackson extension would likely come to pass either this offseason or in 2022. Jackson is due just $1.77MM in base salary this season.

Several quarterbacks — Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson — have opted for extensions going into their fourth seasons in recent years, rather than earn rookie-contract money in Year 4. Dak Prescott waited, and that worked out well. Prescott’s new deal figures to help Jackson, as do the impending new TV deals that could restore the NFL’s salary cap growth. The Ravens will certainly pick up Jackson’s fifth-year option — a fully guaranteed $23.1MM — in May, giving them more time to work out a deal.

Here is the latest from the North divisions:

  • After trading Geno Atkins‘ longtime defensive line mate, the Bengals are not committing to bringing back their perennial Pro Bowl defensive tackle. Cincinnati shipped Carlos Dunlap to Seattle, after reducing his role last season, and used Atkins in a part-time capacity during his eight-game 2020 season. The 11-year veteran battled a shoulder injury last season. “We’ll see what if any of the room we need to do some other things. It’s a fluid situation,” Bengals player personnel director Duke Tobin said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Tyler Dragon. “… He’s a homegrown product, really a success story and a guy I have loved watching grow over the years. He gave us what he had last year but it was not near what he’s used to and what we are used to seeing.” Atkins, who will turn 33 later this month, should not be expected back on a $14.7MM cap number. It will be interesting to see how the Bengals proceed with their seven-time Pro Bowler.
  • Having missed out on J.J. Watt, the Browns are expected to pursue a big-ticket defensive end to complement Myles Garrett. They created another vacancy up front, cutting Adrian Clayborn after one season.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/10/21

March 10th, 2021 at 9:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decision deadline is a little more than a week away. Some teams are already making their calls in advance of March 17. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered: 

ERFAs

Tendered:

N’Keal Harry Drawing Trade Interest

March 10th, 2021 at 9:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Several wide receivers from the 2019 draft class have become standouts. Despite being a first-round pick, N’Keal Harry is not among them. But the Patriots wideout has shown flashes in his abbreviated tenure. His inconsistent production, however, appears to have teams wondering if the Patriots have seen enough.

Teams are calling the Pats about Harry, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link). Two years remain on Harry’s rookie contract, with a fifth-year option decision not due until 2022. However, Harry is a bit off the option radar at this point.

New England selected Harry with the last pick in the 2019 first round. The 6-foot-4 Arizona State product has totaled only 414 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 21 games. But he has not exactly been thrust into ideal circumstances.

Harry missed the first half of his rookie season due to injury and did not contribute much in Tom Brady‘s final months with the franchise. The COVID-19 pandemic keeping players away from team facilities prevented Harry from working with Cam Newton, who did not sign until late June, during the 2020 offseason. Newton’s subsequent struggles limited New England’s passing game, with Harry undoubtedly contributing a bit to the veteran passer’s woes.

Were they to deal Harry this offseason, the Patriots would be selling quite low. Neither of his final two rookie-contract cap numbers surpass $3.5MM. Teams also will have an abundance of receivers to choose from in free agency, and this draft is expected to feature another strong wideout crop. The Pats will surely add to their present group, and it will be interesting to see where Harry stands when they are done doing so.

NFL Announces Compensatory Picks For 2021 Draft

March 10th, 2021 at 8:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2021 draft.

These picks are awarded to the teams that suffered the most significant free agent losses during the 2020 offseason. This year, the NFL awarded 36 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks. The Cowboys top the list (shared below) with a league-high four selections.

A change to this year’s formula took place, with the NFL awarding four picks to teams who saw one of their minority staffers become a head coach or GM. The 49ers, Rams, Ravens and Saints earned third-round comp picks this year. They will receive additional third-rounders in 2022. The Rams added a third-rounder after losing college scouting director Brad Holmes (Lions GM); the Ravens lost quarterbacks coach David Culley (Texans HC); the Saints lost assistant GM Terry Fontenot (Falcons GM). In losing VP of player personnel Martin Mayhew (Washington GM) and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh (Jets HC), the 49ers will have an additional third-round pick in 2023 as well.

Here’s the full breakdown, by round and by team:

By round:

Round 3: Patriots (No. 96 overall), Chargers (97), Saints (98), Cowboys (99), Titans (100), Rams (101), 49ers (102)*, Rams (103)*, Ravens (104)*, Saints (105)*

Round 4: Cowboys (No. 139 overall), Patriots (140), Steelers (141), Rams (142), Packers (143), Vikings (144), Chiefs (145)

Round 5: Packers (No. 178 overall), Cowboys (179), Falcons (180), 49ers (181), Chiefs (182), Falcons (183), Ravens (184)

Round 6: Buccaneers (No. 217 overall), Saints (218), Falcons (219), Packers (220), Bears (221), Panthers (222), Vikings (223), Eagles (224), Eagles (225), Panthers (226), Cowboys (227), Bears (228)

By team:

  • Dallas Cowboys (4)
  • Atlanta Falcons (3)
  • Green Bay Packers (3)
  • Los Angeles Rams (3)
  • New Orleans Saints (3)
  • Baltimore Ravens (2)
  • Carolina Panthers (2)
  • Chicago Bears (2)
  • Kansas City Chiefs (2)
  • Minnesota Vikings (2)
  • New England Patriots (2)
  • Philadelphia Eagles (2)
  • San Francisco 49ers (2)
  • Los Angeles Chargers (1)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)
  • Tennessee Titans (1)

* = special compensatory selection

Trent Williams Eyeing 49ers Return?

March 10th, 2021 at 7:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Due to an agreement reached last summer, the 49ers were not permitted to retain Trent Williams via the franchise tag. They have five days left to negotiate exclusively with the Pro Bowl left tackle, whom they acquired via trade last year.

San Francisco has more than $23MM in cap space — the 12th-most as of Wednesday night, though teams will continue to create funds ahead of the March 17 start to the new league year — and Williams launched a successful reboot to his career with the team last season. Williams and Kyle Shanahan also have a history going back to the latter’s OC days in Washington, and the eight-time Pro Bowler may not want to play for a third team.

During an appearance on the Cris Collinsworth Podcast, Richard Sherman predicted Williams would stay with the 49ers and indicated he would play several more seasons. Also on the podcast, Williams replied (via NFL.com), “That’s not a bad take, fellas. Y’all barking up the right tree.”

Although Williams will turn 33 this offseason, he will command a high-end left tackle salary. Considering Williams has never hit free agency before, it would not be surprising to see him hold off on a 49ers extension and let them vie for his services against other teams in free agency.

With Laremy Tunsil and David Bakhtiari raising the tackle market to beyond the $22MM-per-year point, Williams’ next deal may not come in too far below those younger blockers’. That will put the 49ers to a decision. They traded third- and fifth-round picks to acquire Williams last year and saw the deal work out quite well, even though their season did not go smoothly. After sitting out the 2019 season, Williams graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 overall tackle in 2020.

Williams exiting the Bay Area would create a major need for a 49ers team that had avoided such issues for much of this century. Joe Staley held down San Francisco’s left tackle job from 2007-19, and on the same day his retirement decision surfaced, the 49ers traded for Williams. The 49ers would check off a key item from their offseason to-do list by retaining him.

Cowboys Release FB Jamize Olawale

March 10th, 2021 at 7:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jamize Olawale opted out of last season due to COVID-19 concerns. He will now need to find a new team. The Cowboys released the veteran fullback Wednesday.

The move will free up a bit of cap space ($1.1MM) but leave Dallas with more in dead money ($1.2MM). The Cowboys previously extended Olawale in 2019, signing him through the 2021 season.

An eight-year veteran whom the Cowboys acquired from the Raiders in 2018, Olawale plans to play next season, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken (on Twitter).

While it will not be a lock Olawale catches on elsewhere, considering he plays a fringe position and will turn 32 next month, he has managed to sign a few NFL contracts. The Raiders landed Olawale as a UDFA in 2012 and extended him in 2015. He did not make it to Year 1 of the team’s Jon Gruden regime, being traded to Dallas during an offseason that sent Cowboys fullback Keith Smith to the Raiders. The Cowboys re-signed Olawale to a three-year, $5.4MM deal in March 2019.

This move comes after the Cowboys restructured the contracts of Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and La’el Collins, creating around $17MM in cap space.

Jaguars Seeking Running Back Help

March 10th, 2021 at 6:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

As any fantasy GM who landed James Robinson last season can attest to, the Jaguars did well by signing the Division I-FCS product after the 2020 draft. But the new Jacksonville regime would prefer competition in the backfield going into next season.

Robinson logged 240 carries last season. That total represented a staggering portion of the team’s rushing attempts. In the 14 games Robinson played, no other Jaguar running back logged more than 10 totes. That ratio will almost certainly change in Urban Meyer‘s first season.

“He’s tough. He has a great mindset, the type of player we’re looking. We have to add some explosive to that room as well and we have to be able to take some of the carries off of James,” Jags GM Trent Baalke said. “You can only ride a horse so long.”

Even after Cam Robinson‘s $13.75MM franchise tag, the Jags lead the league in cap space ($73.67MM). They could win a bidding war for any of the free agent backs. As of now, that group would stand to include Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, Kenyan Drake and Marlon Mack. The Broncos also have a decision to make regarding Phillip Lindsay‘s RFA tender.

A pursuit of Jones or Carson may not be in the cards, but the team will be in the mix for a complementary piece — be it in free agency or early in the draft. While Meyer said (via John Oehser of Jaguars.com) he hopes to build around Robinson, the new Jags HC indeed wants more ball-carrying talent on next year’s team.

“He has done a great job. He will continue to do a great job for the organization, and we feel he’ll even take a step forward from where he was a year ago,” Meyer said of Robinson. “But adding some competitiveness to that room … we feel we’ve got some guys in-house that can compete for roles but we’re certainly looking to add to that room as well.”

The Illinois State product rushed for 1,070 yards, which ranked fifth in the league last season. While Robinson is a ways away from the open market, the Jaguars can move to extend him after next season due to his UDFA status. The Jaguars do not have much in the way of depth behind Robinson; would-be contributor Ryquell Armstead‘s NFL return is uncertain after he missed the entire season due to COVID-19.

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