2021 March - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Dak Prescott’s Cowboys Deal

March 9th, 2021 at 7:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys used their franchise tag on Dak Prescott on Tuesday, but the move was procedural. Dallas did give Prescott the exclusive tag, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter), for the second straight year. However, the two-year saga is still ending. Prescott agreed to a four-year, $160MM extension Monday night.

This move will further protect Prescott against a future tag down the line. A third tag would bump up the quarterback’s price to an astronomical place. A third tag in 2022 would have cost the Cowboys more than $54MM. They finalized a deal Monday, rather than have his second tag price — $37.7MM — on their books going into free agency.

Players have been tagged three times before; Hall of Fame tackle Walter Jones played three seasons on the tag in the 2000s. But the system now calls for a 44% raise from the previous year’s salary. Dak’s extension contains a no-tag provision, but that applies only to this through-2024 deal. Tuesday’s second tag would make the prospect of the Cowboys tagging Prescott at the end of another contract effectively a non-starter. This will give Dak more leverage over the course of his career.

After counting $22.2MM against Dallas’ 2021 cap, Prescott will see his cap numbers spike to $33.2MM in 2022, $44.2MM in 2023 and $47.2MM in ’24, per OverTheCap. Prescott’s 2021 and ’22 base salaries ($9MM and $20MM, respectively) are fully guaranteed, with Joel Corry of CBS Sports noting the well-compensated quarterback will receive his full $66MM signing bonus — an NFL-record figure — by the end of 2021 (Twitter link).

The guaranteed base salaries and full bonus payout being due this year will give Prescott $95MM guaranteed at signing, making for another NFL record. Matt Ryan‘s $94.5MM full guarantee in 2018 previously topped that list. While Prescott’s 2023 salary ($31MM) is guaranteed for injury only, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes it will shift to a full guarantee on the fifth day of the 2022 league year. TL;DR: Prescott is now a far richer man.

Prescott’s total guarantees ($126MM) fall short of Patrick Mahomes‘ ($141MM), and the Chiefs QB still leads the football world with his $45MM-per-year average. But Prescott’s contract has now set records for signing bonus, fully guaranteed money and Year 1 payment. While Mahomes is signed through 2030, Prescott will have the opportunity to cash in again — assuming his play level does not nosedive in the early 2020s — before turning 32.

Packers, Aaron Jones Still In Talks

March 9th, 2021 at 6:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

By not using their franchise tag on Aaron Jones, the Packers run the risk of losing their top running back next week in free agency. But the team has not given up on extending him prior to the start of the new league year, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Packers discussed the prospect of tagging Jones and continue to view him as part of their future, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Green Bay, which has not used the tag since 2010, is running out of time to salvage that future.

While the running back tag is not yet known, it could come in below even $9MM — thanks to the expected cap reduction — so it is somewhat surprising the Packers did not cuff Jones via the tag. Corey Linsley is expected to hit the market, so the team faces the real possibility of losing an All-Pro center and a Pro Bowl running back next week.

Jones’ negotiations with the Packers led to the running back changing agents. The 2020 talks produced an offer worth $12MM annually, but Green Bay’s proposal was light on guaranteed money. While 2017 running back draftees Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Dalvin Cook and Joe Mixon opted for security ahead of free agency, Jones should enter a live market if he reaches free agency. The Dolphins are one known suitor for the two-time 1,000-yard rusher. With Jones the unquestioned No. 1 running back in free agency, it would take a lot for the Packers to keep him off the market at this point.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/21

March 9th, 2021 at 6:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Waived: FB Cullen Gillaspia

New Orleans Saints

Re-signed: RB Dwayne Washington

Philadelphia Eagles

Released: DB Blake Countess
Waived: DT Treyvon Hester

Pittsburgh Steelers

Re-signed: LB Marcus Allen

Tennessee Titans

Re-signed: WR Marcus Johnson

Giants Undecided On Saquon Barkley’s Fifth-Year Option

March 9th, 2021 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

When healthy, Saquon Barkley is one of the NFL’s premier skill-position players. But the former No. 2 overall pick is coming off a season in which he suffered a torn ACL in Week 2. The Giants are factoring that into a key decision.

GM Dave Gettleman, who bypassed the team’s need for an Eli Manning successor by taking Barkley over the likes of Sam Darnold and Josh Allen three years ago, indicated team brass had yet to come to a final decision on the running back’s fifth-year option.

“I think [his health] part of the discussion,” Gettleman said, via SNY. “Obviously we’re gonna have to make a decision this spring whether we pick up his fifth-year option. But certainly, it’s unknown, and what you have to do is get your trainer and your doctors involved.”

Barkley’s draft class will be the first group of first-rounders eligible for fully guaranteed fifth-year options, which the new CBA mandates. Previous classes eligible for the option had their fifth-year salaries guaranteed for injury only, which allowed teams to cut bait ahead of Year 5 as long as the player passed a physical. That will not be an option going forward; the Giants have until May 3 to exercise Barkley’s option.

Barkley delivered historic rookie-year production in 2018 but suffered a high ankle sprain in 2019 and missed 14 games last season. While he is progressing well from the torn ACL, the Penn State product’s outlook is a bit less certain than it once was. New York not picking up Barkley’s option would make 2021 a contract year for Barkley. The team picked up Evan Engram‘s non-guaranteed option last year, and Engram has battled nagging injuries for much of his run. That points to the Giants picking up Barkley’s.

The option price is not yet known, since the new CBA introduced a multitiered setup that will involve to-be-determined franchise and transition tag costs. Barkley having made one Pro Bowl would make his option price equal to that of the running back transition tag. Kenyan Drake‘s transition tag came in at $8.5MM last year; anything in that neighborhood would be a bargain for the Giants, even with Barkley’s ACL rehab clouding his outlook slightly.

Titans To Release CB Malcolm Butler

March 9th, 2021 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans will opt out of the final two years of Malcolm Butler‘s contract. They are releasing the veteran cornerback, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Cutting Butler will save the Titans $10.2MM. Ahead of this transaction, Tennessee held barely $1MM in cap space. The former Super Bowl hero spent three seasons with the Titans, signing a lucrative contract in 2018.

Tennessee added Butler on a five-year, $61.25MM deal in 2018. Although Butler turned 31 last week, the former UDFA will again generate interest as a free agent. He finished last season as Pro Football Focus’ No. 15 overall corner, playing 16 games after an injury-shortened 2019 slate. Butler intercepted four passes in 2020 and finished with the lowest yards-per-completion and yards-per-target figures of his Tennessee run.

A cornerback overhaul may be in the cards for the defending AFC South champions, who let Logan Ryan walk in free agency last year. They have Adoree’ Jackson going into a non-guaranteed $10.2MM fifth-year option season. After Jackson played in just three games last season, he could well be on track to join Butler in free agency soon. The Titans can only cut Jackson if he passes a physical, with the options for players drafted in the 2017 first round guaranteed for injury only.

The Titans also have two offensive free agents who should expected to be coveted next week. Funds from the Butler release could go to retaining either Jonnu Smith or Corey Davis. The Titans did not use their franchise tag this year.

Buccaneers, Shaq Barrett Discussing Deal

March 9th, 2021 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The top remaining piece of the Buccaneers’ free agency puzzle would stand to have a big market, were he to be unsigned by March 15. But the Super Bowl champions hope to keep Shaquil Barrett from making it to free agency.

Bucs brass and Barrett have entered extension discussions, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). The Bucs chose Chris Godwin over Barrett for their franchise tag and just agreed to terms with Lavonte David. They have less than a week to negotiate exclusively with their top pass rusher.

As a free agent in 2019, Barrett received tepid interest. Offers came only from the Bucs and Bengals, and Barrett signed a one-year, $4MM Bucs pact. The Bucs tagged him last year, following his franchise-record-setting 19.5-sack season. The former Broncos UDFA expressed interest in cashing in this year. Barrett will turn 29 later this year and has a prime opportunity to secure a lucrative long-term deal now, especially considering how much his postseason dominance impacted Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl title.

GM Jason Licht indicated recently he wants Barrett back but sounded like it was not a lock he would return. The Bucs were sitting nearly $5MM over the $180MM cap floor before the David deal; they will need to do extensive work in order to re-sign Barrett and keep other members from the Ndamukong Suh–Rob Gronkowski–Antonio Brown–Leonard Fournette contingent. Licht has also said he can envision UFA-to-be Blaine Gabbert succeeding Tom Brady one day. Brady, however, is discussing yet another extension. That would help free up funds.

Dolphins Expected To Pursue Kenny Golladay

March 9th, 2021 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions opted against tagging Kenny Golladay, and the rebuilding team now risks losing its No. 1 wide receiver in free agency next week. A team that resided in the rebuilding phase recently will almost certainly make a strong pitch.

Expected to pursue multiple receiver upgrades, the Dolphins are believed to have significant interest in adding Golladay, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald notes. While they will have company, should Golladay indeed hit the market, Beasley adds the team is “determined” to sign a No. 1 wide receiver.

With Allen Robinson and Chris Godwin being tagged Tuesday, Golladay best fits this description. Though A.J. Green and T.Y. Hilton have better resumes, both are north of 30. Golladay is older for a 2017 draftee, being set to turn 28 this year, and is coming off an injury-marred season. But the tags for Godwin and Robinson ensure the four-year Lions contributor will have a strong market. Hilton, however, is believed to be interested in joining the Dolphins. It is not yet clear if Golladay joins the longtime Colt in that regard.

As of Tuesday, the Dolphins hold nearly $35MM in cap space. Also expected to pursue Golladay, the Giants opted to keep Leonard Williams off the market with a tag that will be worth just more than $19MM or just more than $21MM. The Dolphins would have an edge here, with a Williams tag putting the Giants over the cap currently. The 6-foot-4 Golladay has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume.

Miami has DeVante Parker signed to a long-term deal but is planning to augment its receiving group, which does have major questions otherwise. The Dolphins are also interested in signing Aaron Jones, who did not receive a tag from the Packers. The Dolphins will be a key team to monitor when the legal tampering period begins March 15.

Buccaneers, Lavonte David Agree To Deal

March 9th, 2021 at 3:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after using their franchise tag on Chris Godwin, the Buccaneers are moving forward with the rest of their free agents-to-be. They agreed to terms with Lavonte David on an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

David agreed to stay in Tampa on a two-year deal worth $25MM, Rapoport notes. The nine-year veteran linebacker would have been a coveted free agent, despite going into his age-31 season, but he will stay with the team he helped lead to a Super Bowl title. The Bucs are including $20MM in David guarantees, Rapoport tweets.

Bucs GM Jason Licht confirmed recently the team was interested in retaining David, but the reigning champions have a host of high-end free agents to re-sign. Prior to this David deal coming to pass, the Bucs were $4MM-plus over the projected $180MM cap floor. However, the official cap figure has not come in yet. The Bucs are still going to need to do some work in order to have room to sign the bulk of its free agent glut.

Shaquil Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown and Leonard Fournette remain on track for free agency. Barrett has said he will seek to maximize his value, though Gronkowski and Brown have indicated they would prefer to stay with the Bucs. Despite the Bucs being the first team since 2009 to use a top-five pick on an off-ball linebacker (Devin White), they found room for a third David deal.

This contract does not match David’s 2015 accord in length (five years), but that deal averaged $10MM annually. This one includes a salary north of that mark. David and the Bucs negotiated for a bit last year but could not agree on terms, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) Demario Davis‘ late-season extension — worth $9MM annually — induced a delay. David wanted to top that, and after playing a pivotal role on Tampa Bay’s second Super Bowl team, the former second-round pick did so.

Pro Football Focus rated David as its No. 4 overall off-ball ‘backer last season. He finished off the season by helping the Bucs limit Travis Kelce in Super Bowl LV. The Browns were interested in signing David as well, but the Bucs are assured of bringing he and Godwin back. More work remains on Tampa’s core-retention project, however.

Vikings Release K Dan Bailey

March 9th, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The writing was perhaps on the wall with the recent signing of Greg Joseph, but now it’s official. The Vikings have released veteran kicker Dan Bailey, a source told Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The move saves Minnesota about $1.7MM in cap space for the 2021 season. Bailey had a $2.7MM salary for this year, and $1.8MM of that was going to become fully guaranteed if he was still on the roster on March 19th, so the clock was ticking. The team wanted to keep him around by re-negotiating his deal, but the two sides couldn’t agree on anything, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets.

The team likely wanted him to push back the guarantee date or something along those lines. The move wraps up a tumultuous three-year stint for Bailey in Minnesota. He struggled in 2018 but bounced back with a strong 2019, which earned him a new three-year deal last March.

He was abysmal for the most part in 2020, making only 15 of 22 field goals and 37 of 43 extra points. Once one of the top kickers in the league with the Cowboys, Bailey is now 33 as he hits free agency.

He could be brought into a competition, but likely won’t be handed a starting job at this point. Joseph is now the only kicker the Vikings have on the roster, although they’ll presumably add some competition at some point.

Saints Franchise Tag S Marcus Williams

March 9th, 2021 at 2:30pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints are in a bad cap spot, but they’re finding ways to make things work. New Orleans has franchise tagged safety Marcus Williams, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

As Rapsheet points out, this one is a bit of a surprise, mostly due to the Saints’ poor cap situation. As he noted in a follow-up tweet, this move will necessitate further “cap gymnastics” for GM Mickey Loomis. We heard last week that the Saints wanted to keep Williams in the fold, and clearly they weren’t playing around. As of last week, the Saints were around $70MM over the projected cap, so Loomis has his work cut out for him.

A third-round pick back in 2017, Williams became an immediate starter and has always been very highly graded by the folks at Pro Football Focus. With Williams and Justin Simmons of the Broncos both getting franchise tagged, the potential top two free agent safeties are both off the board. John Johnson of the Rams will now possibly be the most sought-after safety on the open market.

He started 14 games last year, picking off three passes and racking up seven passes defended. He has multiple interceptions in all four of his pro seasons. In order to make this tag work the Saints will need to clear about $11MM in space immediately, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football tweets.