HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Buccaneers Re-Sign QB Ryan Griffin

April 20th, 2021 at 8:35am CST by Sam Robinson

Two members of the Buccaneers’ most recent quarterback depth chart are now signed for 2021. Ryan Griffin is back in the fold. The longtime Bucs third-stringer re-signed with the defending Super Bowl champions Tuesday.

Griffin has been with the Bucs since 2015, serving as by far the team’s longest-tenured quarterback. The 31-year-old passer is in line to return for a seventh season in Tampa, rejoining Tom Brady ahead of his second. As Greg Auman of The Athletic points out, no Bucs QB has lasted seven seasons with the team previously (Twitter link). Griffin would certainly make for an unusual first.

Blaine Gabbert, whom GM Jason Licht indicated could potentially succeed Brady after he retires, remains unsigned. Gabbert has served as Tampa Bay’s QB2 for two seasons, backing up Jameis Winston in 2019 and Brady last year.

As for Griffin, he has suited up for two games in eight NFL seasons. The former Saints UDFA caught on with the Bucs as a 2015 waiver claim. The Bucs tendered the Tulane alum as a restricted free agent in 2017 and have since given him three new deals. Although Licht’s comments give Gabbert a clear path back to the Bucs, Griffin is currently penciled in as Brady’s backup. He stands to see plenty of time in the Bucs’ three preseason games, with Brady unlikely to play much in the league’s revamped exhibition slate.

Steelers Give Mike Tomlin Extension

April 20th, 2021 at 8:24am CST by Sam Robinson

After guiding the Steelers back to the playoffs, Mike Tomlin received another extension. The 15th-year head coach agreed to terms on a three-year deal Tuesday, one that ties him to the team through the 2024 season. This marks Tomlin’s sixth Steelers extension and his first three-year re-up since 2012.

Tomlin’s most recent contract ran through 2021. The Steelers, who famously have only had three head coaches since 1969, will continue their run of stability into the mid-2020s. Tomlin’s new deal comes shortly after the Steelers and longtime GM Kevin Colbert agreed to terms on another extension. Colbert’s new contract runs through 2022.

The Steelers managed an 8-8 record in 2019, doing so despite Antonio Brown‘s messy departure and Ben Roethlisberger‘s early-season elbow injury. They improved upon that mark last year, starting 11-0 and going 12-4. The Steelers led the NFL in sacks for a fourth straight season, powering the team back to the postseason. While the team endured another disappointing playoff exit, Tomlin has continually placed the Steelers in the NFL’s upper echelon. His next challenge may be daunting as well.

Pittsburgh has lost a few starters and has yet to formulate a true post-Big Ben plan, redoing their 18th-year quarterback’s contract ahead of his age-39 season. Roethlisberger struggled down the stretch and committed five turnovers in the wild-card loss to the Browns. The team ranked last in rushing and is retooling its offensive line, with multiple starters — including perennial Pro Bowler Maurkice Pouncey — moving on. Tomlin will also have a new offensive coordinator in 2021. The Steelers replaced Randy Fichtner with Matt Canada.

Tomlin’s new deal will allow him to coach into his 50s, should he choose to do so. He will match Bill Cowher this season, by coaching the Steelers for 15 years. While Tomlin has a ways to go to match Chuck Noll‘s 23-season tenure, he remains on solid ground.

Cowboys Receiving Calls On No. 10 Pick

April 19th, 2021 at 10:33pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been quiet on the Cowboys trade front, but chatter is starting to pick up. During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones revealed that the team has started to receive hits on the No. 10 pick.

[RELATED: Dolphins Considering Trading Down Again]

“It’s really just starting to pick up,” Jones said (via Jon Machota of The Athletic on Twitter). “We’re starting to get a few calls.”

Teams are always sniffing around at deals in anticipation of the draft, so this tidbit of news isn’t necessarily shocking nor telling. However, Dallas could see the pick become a hot commodity if any one of Mac Jones, Trey Lance, or Justin Fields falls to the 10th-overall pick. The Cowboys have mostly held on to their first-round picks in recent years; the last time the team moved back in the first round was 2013 (the team also traded their 2019 first-rounder in a 2018 trade for Amari Cooper).

Of course, the Cowboys could also just keep the draft pick and fill one of their key needs, whether it be cornerback, offensive tackle, or safety. We heard earlier this month that Jerry Jones was “infatuated” with tight end Kyle Pitts, but Dallas would surely need to make a trade up the draft in order to acquire the highly touted prospect.

Tom Brady Hoping To Be Ready By June Minicamp

April 19th, 2021 at 9:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite going under the knife this offseason, Tom Brady is hoping he’ll be able to participate in his standard training this offseason. Speaking to ESPN’s Jenna Laine, the veteran quarterback revealed that he’s recovering from his knee surgery and is hopeful that he’ll be a full participant at mandatory June minicamp.

“Yeah, I hope so. I hope so. I feel pretty good, and I push myself pretty hard,” Brady said. “I feel pretty good. I don’t know if I could go this week, but we’ll see how things play out. It’s a long time between now and the beginning of the season, and just be smart about all these different things that we have to do and fulfill; but we all take a lot of pride in being ready to go, and I’m sure we will be.”

“It’s good, it’s good. It’s good progress. It’s rehab. None of that is fun, but looking forward to getting back to real training and stuff, which is hopefully here pretty soon. … I’m cool with it. It’s just part of what you deal with. Things come up. You deal with them the best way you can, with the best opportunity to improve. I’m definitely feeling a lot better than I did six or seven weeks ago.”

This is a somewhat notable development; while GM Jason Licht previously revealed that Brady was recovering quickly, it sounded unlikely that the quarterback would be a full-go during 7-on-7 work in June.

It’s notable when any quarterback has a knee procedure, much less an iconic quarterback who will be 44 at the start of the next season. Still, no one within the organization seems to be all that concerned. We previously learned that the procedure had been planned for a while, and Licht had described the surgery as “minor.”

The Buccaneers still haven’t added a definitive backup quarterback this offseason, although the sentiment is that they’re expected to re-sign Blaine Gabbert.

Dolphins Re-Sign DB Nik Needham

April 19th, 2021 at 8:12pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins are re-signing their final exclusive rights free agent. Miami has agreed to terms with cornerback Nik Needham, reports veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (via Twitter).

Needham has been one of the Dolphins’ better hidden gems in recent years. Needham went undrafted out of UTEP in 2019, and after catching on with Miami during the offseason, he was cut by the team at the end of the preseason. He subsequently joined the Dolphins practice squad, and he was promoted to the active roster in early October. He proceeded to start 11 of his 12 games that season, collecting 54 tackles, 11 passes defended, and a pair of interceptions.

Despite the addition of Byron Jones last offseason, Needham still managed to contribute in a lesser role this past season. While he started only six of his 16 games, he still finished the year with 58 tackles and two picks.

The Dolphins had previously retained their other two ERFAs: linebacker Calvin Munson and cornerback Jamal Perry. Quarterback Jake Rudock was also set to become an ERFA, but the Dolphins declined to place a tender on the player.

Dolphins To Sign OL D.J. Fluker

April 19th, 2021 at 7:38pm CST by Ben Levine

D.J. Fluker is joining the Dolphins. The offense lineman is set to sign with Miami, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

Following a four-year stint with the Chargers to start his career, the former first-round pick has bounced around the NFL recently. He spent the 2020 campaign with the Ravens, where he started in eight of his 16 games. He also played in a pair of playoff games for Baltimore, appearing in at least 40-percent of his team’s offensive snaps in those two games.

Fluker has shown plenty of versatility throughout his career, spending time at right tackle, left tackle, and right guard. The 30-year-old’s ability to play multiple positions should provide him with plenty of opportunities for snaps in Miami, even if he isn’t the definitive starter at any one position.

Meanwhile, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald opines (on Twitter) that this signing makes the Dolphins’ chances of selecting a lineman in the first round “even more remote.” The Dolphins haven’t necessarily been busy adding to their offensive line this offseason; they signed veteran Matt Skura and re-signed backup Adam Pankey.

Workouts Latest: Lock, Pack, Pats, Cowboys

April 19th, 2021 at 6:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Broncos were the first team to go along with the NFLPA’s proposed boycott of the voluntary offseason workout slate, several of their players were present for the first day of workouts Monday. Drew Lock was among the 20-plus Broncos in attendance for Phase I of the team’s offseason program, Mike Klis of 9News notes. Lock has a $75K workout bonus in his contract, joining fellow 2019 second-round pick Dalton Risner in that regard. Risner said Saturday he would attend regardless of the bonus; Denver’s other starting guard, Graham Glasgow, said he would attend as well. While many Bronco veterans are following through with the boycott, Klis notes this only applies to the onsite workouts. All were present for the virtual meetings Monday. It would certainly behoove Lock to attend, given his uncertain status. The Broncos are expected to add a quarterback; it just is not known if it will be a veteran competitor or a first-round replacement. Agents have encouraged other young players to attend workouts as well, Klis tweets.

With teams’ offseason programs beginning Monday, here is the latest from the workout front:

  • While a small number of the NFL’s 4,500 players have workout bonuses (230), many on the Packers do. Green Bay’s players have not joined the NFLPA boycott, but the Packers have offered an interesting compromise to their workforce. The Packers proposed a deal that would allow players to satisfy their workout bonuses without coming to the facility to train for Phase I, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Although various teams’ statements cite COVID-19 concerns, Florio adds that the boycott effort is more about players learning last year they do not need to spend extensive time training at team facilities in the offseason. Many veterans would prefer to train on their own before on-field work starts May 17, and Florio notes they are prepared to assume the risk of an offsite injury. The Packers’ proposal would not protect players if they suffered injuries away from the team’s facility.
  • The NFL and NFLPA remain at an impasse on the offseason schedule. Part of the reason for this: a small group of owners believe the quality of play did suffer last season — particularly along offensive lines — and are holding out for offseason workouts to take place, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. The bulk of coaches, as should be expected, are in favor of onsite workouts remaining on the spring docket.
  • Despite the Raiders being one of the teams to join the boycott, some of their players reported to their facility Monday, according to The Associated Press. Some members of the Cowboys, Panthers and Patriots did as well. The Pats also indicated many of their players would not attend. Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said “a lot” of players were present Monday.
  • The Eagles and Vikings are the latest to announce they will not attend offseason workouts. The Vikings’ statement indicates many of their players will not attend (Twitter links); such language has been included in several teams’ statements.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/19/21

April 19th, 2021 at 5:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

  • Placed on reserve-retired list: LB Jordan Mack; Mack opted out of the 2020 season

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants

  • Re-signed: RB Sandro Platzgummer

New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks

Dolphins Considering Trading Down Again

April 19th, 2021 at 4:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Between the Laremy Tunsil trade and the recent deal with the 49ers, the Dolphins have accumulated their share of high-value draft picks. GM Chris Grier may not be done.

The Dolphins, who traded down from No. 3 to No. 12 before moving back up, are now receiving calls for their No. 6 overall pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. They are considering moving down again, per Rapoport.

This draft could feature one or two QB-related firsts — the first to see four straight passer picks atop the event and/or the first to have five QBs go in the top 10 — and certain teams who are interested in drafting one of this year’s top passing prospects are not currently in range to acquire one. In addition to the Falcons, the Dolphins appear open to being a vehicle for another team to trade up for a quarterback.

[RELATED: Falcons Open To All Options With No. 4 Pick]

The Patriots, Washington and the Bears — at Nos. 15, 19 and 20, respectively — have been linked to possible trade-ups. Washington and Chicago more so than New England. But with the Broncos sitting at No. 9 and viewed by some teams as a stealth quarterback suitor, teams may be aiming to move in front of them.

It would be unlikely if the Dolphins traded the pick within the division, however, so the Pats emulating the 49ers’ nine-spot move is difficult to foresee. The Broncos also may be interested in moving up three spots, should they suspect one of the QB-seeking teams will move in front of them. All this would create a market for another Dolphins move.

Miami holds two first-round picks this year and is set to have two in 2023. Teams are expecting Grier to draft a skill-position talent at No. 6, Peter King of NBC Sports notes. But it is possible the top two in this year’s draft are gone by the time the Dolphins’ No. 6 pick arrives. The Falcons have been heavily linked to Kyle Pitts at 4, and buzz about the Bengals reuniting Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase — a prospect that helped induce the Eagles to trade their No. 6 pick to the Dolphins — at 5 is building. Both of this year’s Alabama wideout talents (DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle) may be available a bit later than 6, but likely not too much later, should Grier receive an offer to move slightly down the board.

Before the 49ers gave up a bounty for the third pick, Grier obtained two first-rounders and change for Tunsil and collected another Round 1 choice for Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins are a team to watch for acquire more first-round capital.

49ers Meet With RB Wayne Gallman

April 19th, 2021 at 3:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

After four seasons with the Giants, Wayne Gallman is exploring his options in free agency. The 49ers are interested in the former fourth-round pick.

The 49ers are hosting Gallman on a visit, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Gallman served as Saquon Barkley‘s backup for three seasons and saw extended time last year after the Pro Bowler’s Week 2 ACL tear.

This news comes after the 49ers’ unsuccessful pursuit of Giovani Bernard, who chose the Buccaneers over the 49ers and Seahawks. The 49ers return Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, who are each attached to low-cost contracts, but appear to be searching for more backfield help. Tevin Coleman signed with the Jets, and former big-ticket signing Jerick McKinnon remains a free agent.

Gallman, 26, established new career-high marks in rushing yards (682) and yards per carry (4.6) last season. The Clemson product also added a career-best six rushing touchdowns in 2020, playing the lead role for a Giants team that signed Devonta Freeman and promoted Alfred Morris in the wake of Barkley’s injury.

The Giants moved in a different direction for their RB2 gig, signing Devontae Booker to a $3MM-per-year deal early in free agency. Big Blue’s previous regime drafted Gallman, who seems set to leave New York.

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