HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Buccaneers Re-Sign Antonio Brown

May 25th, 2021 at 9:36am CST by Zachary Links

It’s officially official. On Tuesday, Antonio Brown formally signed his brand new contract with the Buccaneers, per a club announcement. 

[RELATED: Julian Edelman On Bucs Rumors]

In late April, Brown agreed to a new one-year deal with the defending champs. However, the deal was still pending a physical following a recent knee procedure. Head coach Bruce Arians termed the operation as “getting his knee cleaned out” — in other words, a minor surgery. Still, it’s not clear why Brown waited until the spring to get it done.

“We wanted AB back,” Arians said. “He was a model citizen the whole time he’s been here. We wanted him back and he’s never had surgery in his life. It’s just a matter of physical done. I wanted him back the whole time.”

Assuming the terms have not changed, Brown will have the chance to earn up to $6.25MM with $3.1MM fully guaranteed and a $2MM signing bonus. The remaining half could be achieved via incentives.

In eight regular season games last year, Brown notched 45 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns. In theory, that’s 90 catches, 966 yards, and eight touchdowns when extrapolated for a full season. If Brown can do that in 2021, the Bucs will be over the moon.

Teddy Bridgewater Discusses Broncos QB Competition

May 24th, 2021 at 10:05pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos may have made a trade for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but that doesn’t mean the veteran is going to run away with the starting gig. Rather, he’ll have to compete with 2020 starter Drew Lock, with head coach Vic Fangio recently saying that the two signal-callers will split reps during OTAs and training camp.

[RELATED: Broncos To Split QB Reps 50-50 Between Lock, Bridgewater]

While Bridgewater has the experience on his side, he’s not taking anything for granted as he competes with Lock for the top spot on the depth chart. Rather, the 28-year-old said he’s always had the mindset of having to compete for his job.

“Every day I wake up, I consider myself competing for my job,” Bridgewater told the team’s website. “I think that’s the mindset of everyone who plays this game. Whether I was penciled in as being the starter or if I had to compete, my mindset is this is a competition. … In this league, so much happens.

“Of course, that’s my mindset [to start], but at the same time, I have to take it one day at a time and continue to be the best teammate I can be today and let tomorrow take care of itself.”

Lock only has 18 career starts to his credit, but it’s been a mixed bag when he’s under center. In 13 games last season, the Missouri product threw 16 TD passes against a league-worst 15 picks, leading to a poor 75.4 quarterback rating. Bridgewater was a a little better in his lone season in Carolina, but his 2020 campaign can fairly be characterized as disappointing as well, especially when measured against the three-year, $63MM contract he signed with the Panthers last offseason. Bridgewater ultimately finished the campaign having completed 69.1-percent of his passes for 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

For what it’s worth, Bridgewater doesn’t have much catching up to do when it comes to scheme, as the quarterback worked with Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur when the two were in Minnesota.

“It’s helped a lot,” Bridgewater said. “There is some carryover from my days in Minnesota, but at the same time, a lot has changed. I’ve been in a couple of different systems. I see players that I’m familiar with and it’s been a smooth transition with the install.”

Broncos Sign P Max Duffy

May 24th, 2021 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos are bringing in some competition for Sam Martin. The team announced today that they’ve signed punter Max Duffy.

The Australian-born athlete spent a handful of years in the Australian Football League, but he announced his retirement from that league in 2017 as he pursued a career in American football. He ended up catching on with Kentucky, appearing in 34 games during his collegiate career. Duffy averaged 46 yards on his 151 collegiate punts, and he earned All-SEC honors in both 2019 and 2020. He also received a unanimous first-team All-American nod in 2019.

Duffy was actually drafted by Toronto in the fourth round of April’s CFL Draft, but the 28-year-old will instead try his luck in the NFL.

In Denver, Duffy will have to compete with Martin for a roster spot. The veteran punter joined Denver last offseason on a three-year, $7MM deal, and his final 2020 punting numbers (including 46.8 yards per punt) were on-par with his career marks. Martin did struggle a bit on kickoffs, averaging a career-low 57-yards per kick.

Dede Westbrook Talked With 49ers

May 24th, 2021 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Add another team to the list of Dede Westbrook suitors. Josina Anderson reports (via Twitter) that the free agent wideout had “preliminary communication” with the 49ers.

It’s been just about seven months since Westbrook suffered his torn ACL, and Anderson notes that the player is expecting to be fully cleared by the eight-month mark. That means Westbrook should be good to go for the beginning of training camp.

Westbrook recorded 66 grabs in both 2018 and 2019 for an average of 699 yards and four touchdowns per slate. He was hoping to build on those marks in 2020, but he was limited to only a pair of games thanks to the torn ACL and an unrelated early-season injury. We heard earlier this month that the wideout was drawing interest from multiple teams, and we later learned that the Bengals and Vikings were among his potential suitors. The wide receiver was also being recruited by Chiefs players.

The 49ers have used plenty of draft capital on wideouts in recent years, and former first-rounder Brandon Aiyuk and former second-rounder Deebo Samuel are expected to lead the depth chart. Westbrook would likely have to compete with the likes of Mohamed Sanu, Richie James, and Jalen Hurd for backup reps.

Raiders Sign First-Round OL Alex Leatherwood

May 24th, 2021 at 6:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Alex Leatherwood has put pen to paper. The Raiders first-round pick has signed his rookie deal, the team announced this evening.

Offensive line was one of the team’s biggest needs heading into the draft, and the Raiders made sure they secured one of the top offensive line prospects. While some pundits believe GM Mike Mayock may have reached a bit to select the Alabama product at No. 17, there’s no denying Leatherwood’s potential.

The 6-foot-5, 312-pound lineman was a standout during his four years at Alabama, winning a pair of championships and a long list of individual accolades (including unanimous first-team All-American and All-SEC nods in 2020). Leatherwood earned his high draft stock due to his performance at offensive tackle, and he’ll likely slot in at right tackle for the Raiders in 2021. Long term, there’s a chance the team uses him as an offensive guard.

The Raiders have now signed four of their seven draft picks:

Round 1: No. 17 Alex Leatherwood, OL (Alabama)
Round 2: No. 43 (from 49ers) Trevon Moehrig, S (TCU)
Round 3: No. 79 (from Cardinals) Malcolm Koonce, DE (Buffalo)
Round 3: No. 80 Divine Deablo, S (Virginia Tech)
Round 4: No. 143 (from Vikings via Jets) Tyree Gillespie, S (Missouri) (signed)
Round 5: No. 167 (from Seahawks) Nate Hobbs, CB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 7: No. 230 (from Jets via 49ers) Jimmy Morrissey, C (Pittsburgh) (signed)

Falcons To Add WR Tajae Sharpe

May 24th, 2021 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

A week after the Chiefs released Tajae Sharpe, the veteran wide receiver found a new home. The Falcons are signing the former Titans draftee, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

After Sharpe spent 2020 in Minnesota and Kansas City, he will reunite with former Tennessee assistant Arthur Smith. The new Falcons HC was with the Titans throughout Sharpe’s tenure and served as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2019, Smith’s final Tennessee season.

Although Sharpe caught on with the Vikings and Chiefs last year, he does not have a regular-season reception since his Titans tenure ended. The former fifth-round pick caught 92 passes for 1,167 yards and eight touchdowns in three Titans seasons. Smith played out his rookie contract in Tennessee but only saw action in three of those seasons, missing all of 2017 due to injury. He played in four games with the Vikings last year.

Bigger news has obviously encircled the Falcons’ receiving corps, with Julio Jones no longer looking likely to play an 11th season in Atlanta. Trade noise has followed the perennial Pro Bowler for weeks now, and Jones said Monday he expects to be dealt. Should Jones be traded, Sharpe would have an easier path to Atlanta’s 53-man roster.

The Falcons have Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage and Olamide Zaccheaus in place as their top non-Jones receivers. They also drafted Frank Darby in this year’s sixth round.

Panthers Sign DT Caraun Reid

May 24th, 2021 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Caraun Reid will receive an opportunity in yet another city. The Panthers are signing the veteran defensive tackle, bringing him aboard Monday. To make room on its roster, Carolina waived linebacker Chris Orr.

A veteran of seven NFL teams since coming into the league in 2014, the veteran defensive lineman will have a chance to accomplish a rare NFL feat. Should he make the Panthers’ 53-man roster, Reid will have played for six teams in the past six years.

Reid, 29, spent the 2020 season bouncing on and off the Jaguars’ active roster. He played in seven games with Jacksonville last season — all as a backup. He started three games for the 2019 Cardinals and played for the Cowboys, Lions and Chargers in the three years prior. Reid also spent time with the Colts and Washington but never saw regular-season action with those teams. Overall, the Princeton alum has played in 54 games and started 16 since entering the league as a fifth-round pick.

Reid joins ex-Titans starter DaQuan Jones as veteran interior D-linemen to sign with the Panthers this year. Carolina also used multiple draft picks to address this position, selecting Daviyon Nixon in Round 5 and Phil Hoskins in Round 7.

Raiders Sign OL Patrick Omameh

May 24th, 2021 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite waiving Patrick Omameh during the 2020 season, the Raiders have the veteran offensive lineman back on their roster. They re-signed the well-traveled guard Monday.

Omameh initially caught on with the Raiders in September of last year, after the Saints released him. He played in six games with Las Vegas, which was down Richie Incognito following Week 2. But the team cut Omameh in December. He later caught on with the Chiefs but did not see action in any of their playoff games.

During an offseason in which the Raiders have said goodbye to multiple longtime O-line staples — Rodney Hudson and Gabe Jackson — they have also re-signed several blockers. Incognito, Denzelle Good and now Omameh are back in the fold after spending time in free agency.

Omameh, 31, spent the bulk of his first five seasons as a starter but did so in a few cities. The former UDFA started at least seven games for the Buccaneers, Bears, Jaguars and Giants from 2014-18. The Giants, however, cut him midway through the ’18 season. Omameh has worked as a backup over the past two years, playing with the Saints and Raiders.

He stands to compete for a depth role for a team that has Incognito, Good and 2020 draftee John Simpson set to vie for first-string guard spots.

Derwin James Receives Full Clearance

May 24th, 2021 at 3:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries have sidetracked Derwin James‘ career, preventing the former first-round pick from building on his rookie-year All-Pro performance. The standout Chargers safety has played in five games since receiving that acclaim.

The Chargers still picked up James’ fifth-year option, however, and the fourth-year veteran is set to return to work. Brandon Staley said James has received full clearance to participate in workouts, via NFL.com’s Omar Ruiz (on Twitter). James suffered a torn meniscus during Bolts training camp last year, sidelining him for the entire 2020 season.

[RELATED: Chargers Exercise Derwin James’ Fifth-Year Option]

In 2019, a foot injury sidelined James for 11 games. The Florida State alum played 16 games as a rookie, delivering one of the best seasons by a first-year defender in NFL history. That helped the Chargers to a 12-4 record. The team has gone through some changes since, the Staley hire chief among them.

The Bolts entered last summer with four first- or second-team All-Pros in their secondary, but the group did not spend too much time playing together. Los Angeles lost Chris Harris for a chunk of last season, and Desmond King was traded ahead of the October deadline. Casey Hayward is now out of the picture as well. The Chargers, however, are on the verge of having the centerpiece of their secondary back at work. That should aid Staley’s effort to recharge the Bolts’ defense considerably.

James recorded 105 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and tallied 13 passes defensed in 2018. The Chargers have been waiting for him to return to form for a while now. While the wait continues, James is back in position to contribute on the field.

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