2021 July - Pro Football Rumors

Brandon Scherff, WFT Unlikely To Reach Deal

July 14th, 2021 at 9:22am CST by Zachary Links

Brandon Scherff is unlikely to have a long-term deal in hand by Thursday’s deadline (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Barring any changes, the All-Pro guard will play out his second-straight franchise tag, now worth $18.04MM.

The two sides have been at this for a while now. As a 2015 first-round pick, Scherff has been extension eligible for more than three years. Instead, Washington has seen another tag situation near the point of no return. As the Kirk Cousins standoff showed, a third tag is unrealistic. Now, Scherff is ticketed towards free agency in March of 2022.

Washington clearly wants to keep Scherff, but that would require a record-shattering deal for interior linemen. Currently, the mantle is held by Chiefs guard Joe Thuney, who inked his $16MM/year contract in March.

Scherff finds himself in a good spot, though he’d probably like the security of a long-term deal given his injury history. The All-Pro has missed a total of 18 games across the last four seasons, including an MCL issue that sidelined him for three games in 2020. On the flipside, he’ll be the belle of the ball if he stays healthy and enters free agency at a relatively young 30 years of age.

Former Steelers FB Roosevelt Nix Retires From NFL

July 14th, 2021 at 8:55am CST by Zachary Links

Former Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix is calling it a career. Nix announced his retirement from the NFL with an Instagram post on Tuesday night.

“This game has given me everything I could ask for and everything I needed. GOD blessed me with a talent that allowed me to touch so many souls all across the world and I’m truly grateful for it,” Nix wrote.

Nix, a defensive end at Kent State, first tried to break into the NFL as a linebacker. After going undrafted in 2014, he joined the Falcons on a three-year deal and switched to fullback. However, he didn’t see his first live action until 2015 with the Steelers.

Nix proceeded to appear in 60 games (11 starts) during his five seasons in Pittsburgh, serving primarily as a fullback and special teamer. He hauled in 12 receptions for 69 yards and one score across five seasons, plus two forced fumbles on special teams. The highlight of his career came in 2017, when he went to the Pro Bowl as James Develin‘s replacement.

Nix was named a Steelers captain prior to the 2019 season, but he was limited to only three games as he dealt with a knee injury. Last year, he signed with the Colts, but missed the final cut. After spending a full year out of the league, Nix has decided to move on to his next chapter.

Latest On FA OL Russell Okung

July 13th, 2021 at 10:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Free agent offensive tackle Russell Okung continues to pursue a respectable contract offer. If that offer doesn’t materialize, Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com believes that veteran could sit out next season. As the reporter writes, Okung doesn’t appear to be ” so desperate to play in 2021 that he’ll sign a below-market deal.”

Back in May, Okung seemed to indicate that teams weren’t willing to pay him what he was seeking. In response to an ESPN article that floated the Steelers as a potential suitor, Okung tweeted that Pittsburgh “cannot afford” him. If the lineman continues to receive those (perceived) underwhelming offers, he could find himself at home for the entirety of the 2021 season.

Okung apparently mulled retirement last summer, but he still played with the Panthers in 2020. He was limited to only seven games, all of which he started at left tackle for Carolina, and he only played in six in 2019 with the Chargers. He’s appeared in 131 games since getting drafted by the Seahawks sixth overall back in 2010, and has started all of them. A two-time Pro Bowler, Okung is capable of being a very solid starter when healthy and at 32 should have something left in the tank physically. Blood clots in his lungs were what limited him in 2019, and his recent injury history is a bit concerning.

It’s been relatively quiet for the 32-year-old. We heard back in March that the Chiefs had checked in on the lineman.

Falcons GM Was Against Matt Ryan Restructuring

July 13th, 2021 at 9:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Back in March, the Falcons managed to carve out some cap space by restructuring the contract of Matt Ryan. However, it sounds like at least one member of the front office wasn’t a proponent of the move. According to Tori McElhaney of The Athletic, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot “didn’t really want to make” the move.

Fontenot was brought in as GM in January, and the organization needed some immediate breathing room to participate in the early parts of the offseason. While the Ryan restructuring reduced the quarterback’s cap number to $14MM, it also converted $21MM of Ryan’s $23MM upcoming base salary into future signing bonuses (spread out over the duration of his contract). The means Fontenot will have to once again deal with a muddled cap sheet next offseason, which was something he was presumably looking to avoid.

According to the writer, the recently hired GM ultimately “thought his hands were tied,” and he believed the team’s only solution to opening some necessary cap space was to either restructure Ryan or cut Deion Jones. Ultimately, the organization decided to rework Ryan’s contract, the fourth time the quarterback has restructured his mega-deal. Ryan will now have cap hits north of $40MM in 2022 and 2023.

The team (temporarily) committed to Ryan when they decided to not select a quarterback during this past year’s draft. Considering the money that’s owed to Ryan over the next few years, the team will likely be stuck with the veteran. Ryan hasn’t made a Pro Bowl since 2018, but he’s still completed 65.6-percent of his passes while averaging 26 touchdowns vs. 12.5 sacks over the past two years. Ryan won’t have one of his favorite targets with Julio Jones out of the picture, but the team still added tight end Kyle Pitts with the No. 4 pick to pair with 2020 second-team All-Pro Calvin Ridley.

DT Jurrell Casey “Mulling Multiple Offers”

July 13th, 2021 at 7:16pm CST by Ben Levine

We haven’t heard much from Jurrell Casey since he was released by the Broncos back in February…but that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of interest. According to Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com, the veteran defensive tackle “is mulling multiple offers.” However, a deal isn’t imminent.

Casey, 31, made the Pro Bowl every year from 2015-2019, and from 2013-2019, the USC product had at least five sacks from the interior. His best work earned him a four-year, $60.4MM extension from the Titans. Last offseason, the Broncos agreed to take on that contract, and all it cost them (besides cash and cap flexibility) was a seventh-round pick.

Unfortunately for the Broncos, Casey’s first Denver season ended in September. Unable to return after a bicep tear, Casey finished out with just three appearances and a grand total of 14 tackles. It was his first season with fewer than 14 games played and his first ever sackless campaign.

Back in February, the Broncos cut the veteran, providing the organization with more than $11MM in cap relief. Once teams identify their need for defensive line depth, there will surely be suitors who are willing to pony up for the five-time Pro Bowler.

Latest On Potential Extension For Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin

July 13th, 2021 at 5:54pm CST by Ben Levine

There’s some hope that Chris Godwin could end up inking an extension with the Buccaneers after all. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that there’s still a “chance” that the wideout inks a long-term deal with Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers have been willing to dish out money this offseason to retain their top players, but Godwin’s demands could be too pricey for the organization. As Fowler notes, Kenny Golladay was able to earn $18MM this offseason from the Giants; that type of AAV might not be palatable to the Buccaneers front office.

We heard last week that negotiations between the two sides weren’t particularly close. Godwin’s tag is worth $15.9MM, but the Pro Bowl receiver is likely shooting for a deal in the WR1 range. Presently holding less than $500K in cap space (and, not to mention, paying fellow wideout Mike Evans a sizable contract), the Bucs will need to create some room if they truly want to re-up Godwin.

The former third-round pick has just one 1,000-yard season on his resume, but the Bucs did not make him a full-time player until they traded DeSean Jackson after the 2018 season. Godwin blew up for 1,333 yards and nine touchdown receptions in 2019. Although he encountered multiple injuries last season, the Penn State product still surpassed 800 yards and remains an essential part of Tampa Bay’s loaded skill-position corps.

Latest On Extension Talks Between Taylor Moton, Panthers

July 13th, 2021 at 5:42pm CST by Ben Levine

Taylor Moton is prepared to play next season on the franchise tag. While the Panthers still have interest in extending the offensive tackle, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that there’s still a “gap to bridge.”

Specifically, Moton’s willingness to play the 2021 campaign on the franchise tag provides his camp with a bit of leverage. Since the 26-year-old isn’t necessarily pushing for a long-term deal, he’s willing to engage in a staring contest in pursuit of his desired salary. With only a few days remaining before the deadline, it’s most likely Moton ends up playing on that one-year, ~$14MM deal.

The 27-year-old has started 48 straight games at right tackle for the Panthers, with Pro Football Focus grading Moton as a top-20 tackle in each of those three campaigns. That included a 2020 season where the lineman ranked as a top-five right tackle. The team slapped Moton with the franchise tag earlier this offseason, but it was believed the team was eyeing a long-term deal for the former second-round pick.

Ryan Ramczyk’s recent deal with New Orleans could certainly provide a basis for a Moton extension. Ramczyk inked a five-year, $96MM deal that included $60MM in guarantees. Ramczyk’s $19.2MM AAV makes him the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle, eclipsing a mark that was previously held by Eagles lineman Lane Johnson. Ramczyk’s $60MM guarantee also surpasses Johnson’s ($55MM), with the two players earning the distinction of being the only right tackles with guarantees surpassing $35MM. For comparison’s sake, Moton will earn around $13.7MM this upcoming season under the franchise tag.

Allen Robinson, Bears Won’t Agree On Extension

July 13th, 2021 at 3:45pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It’s been trending this way for a while, but now it’s more or less official. The Bears and receiver Allen Robinson are not expected to agree to an extension, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

As a franchise-tagged player, Robinson had until July 15th to work out a long-term deal with Chicago or decide to play 2021 under the tag. It appears he’ll go with the latter option, which will pay him about $17.9MM for the upcoming season. We just heard safety Marcus Maye won’t be inking a new contract with the Jets, which leaves five other tagged players up in the air.

We’ve still yet to hear for sure about Bucs receiver Chris Godwin, Panthers tackle Taylor Moton, Washington guard Brandon Scherff, Saints safety Marcus Williams, or Jaguars tackle Cam Robinson. We haven’t heard much at all about Scherff, Williams, or Robinson. As of a couple weeks ago the Panthers were hoping to extend Moton, while we heard just this past week Tampa wasn’t particularly close with Godwin

Robinson and the Bears have been at a stalemate for most of the past year, outside of last September when it briefly looked like things were headed in the right direction. There were rumors of a possible tag and trade this offseason, but nothing materialized.

Robinson opted to attend mandatory minicamp, and appears content to play this season out. He’s often been the lone bright spot on a struggling Bears offense the past couple seasons, and has proven to be immune to poor quarterback play. Despite last year’s anemic passing game and the shuffling between Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky, the Penn State product still finished with 102 catches for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns.

Now that an extension is off the table, the only question left to be settled is if it’ll be Justin Fields or Andy Dalton throwing him the ball in 2021.

Marcus Maye Pulls Offer Off Table, No Deal With Jets Likely

July 13th, 2021 at 2:51pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Well it looks like we have our answer to another one of the unextended franchise tagged players. It does not appear safety Marcus Maye will be getting a new contract from the Jets before the July 15th deadline.

The team has not responded to the latest proposal from Maye’s camp, and Maye has now pulled that offer off the table, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). “No deal is expected,” Rapsheet adds. That would seem to conflict with the Jets’ stance from May that they were “working relentlessly” to get a deal done.

A source also told Rapoport that “negotiations went south weeks before the tag deadline” after New York offered a contract that had an average annual value “about 20% below even the tag amount for 2021.” No wonder he rejected it. Maye is currently set to make about $10.6MM playing under the tag this season.

We heard a couple of weeks ago that the Florida product could be looking for a deal with an AAV of around $14MM, while the Jets viewed the deal John Johnson got from the Browns ($11.25MM AAV over three years) as a better comp.

Rapoport says that Maye understandably turned down the Jets’ offer, and “had significantly more in APY and guarantees from multiple teams heading into FA.” It sounds like he’s content to now play out this season in New York, and look to cash in with one of those other team’s in next year’s free agency.

Drafted 39th overall in 2017, Maye has never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, but was graded as the league’s fifth-best safety in 2020 by Pro Football Focus.

The 28-year-old was productive last season, finishing with 88 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, 11 passes defended, and two interceptions. He’s started all 54 games that he’s appeared in over his four years with the Jets.

Shaq Barrett: I Wasn’t Going To Leave Buccaneers For ‘A Little More Money’

July 13th, 2021 at 1:30pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Buccaneers did a great job keeping almost everybody from last year’s Super Bowl win around for 2021. They used their franchise tag on receiver Chris Godwin, which meant they had to let star pass-rusher Shaq Barrett become a free agent.

Barrett was one of the top players available on the market, but he apparently never considered leaving Tampa too seriously. He said as much in an interview on Good Morning Football on Tuesday (Twitter video link), via Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com.

“It might’ve been true [that I was offered more money elsewhere], but I didn’t listen to anybody else. I didn’t hear no other offers,” Barrett said. “I wanted to make it work down here in Tampa. We’ve got something special going down here, man. And I don’t want to let greed be the reason why I don’t take advantage of this opportunity down here. We’re starting to love Tampa. We love the fan support. And I’m just ready to keep building.”

The former undrafted free agent spent his first five pro seasons with the Broncos, but Tampa became home for him quickly in 2019. “I love my coaches. I love the organization — everything is like a match made in heaven down here, man. And I won’t let trying to get a little more money change that.”

Barrett immediately broke out after signing with the Bucs in 2019, leading the league in sacks that season with 19.5 and becoming a second-team All-Pro. As such, it’s not hard to see why he has such an affinity for the organization.

He played the 2020 season under the franchise tag for $15.8MM, and the team rewarded him back in March by giving him a new contract for four years and $72MM.