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Month: September 2024

This Date In Transactions History: Seahawks Extend Cortez Kennedy

July 8th, 2021 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Seahawks’ apex occurred during the 2010s, the franchise has a few Hall of Famers whose careers wrapped up before Pete Carroll‘s arrival. One of them signed his final (and most lucrative) extension on July 8, 1998.

Twenty-three years ago today, the Seahawks reached an agreement to retain Cortez Kennedy. A perennial Pro Bowl defensive tackle, Kennedy agreed to a three-year deal worth $17MM. Kennedy’s third Seattle contract contained a $6MM signing bonus and marked a raise from his previous accord.

The Seahawks’ first Kennedy extension took place in the initial year of the free agency era (1993). That four-year, $12.6MM pact put the dominant D-lineman on track for free agency after the 1998 season. But the Seahawks worked proactively to prevent a Kennedy free agency bid, and the summer ’98 extension allowed him to play his entire career in Seattle.

Part of the Miami Hurricanes’ 1980s dominance, Kennedy came to Seattle as the No. 3 overall pick in 1990. The Seahawks held two top-10 choices that year and sent both to the Patriots to move into the top three for Kennedy. He rewarded the move.

Although the then-AFC West franchise hit a rough patch, with its issues finding a quarterback at the epicenter of what became 10-season playoff drought, Kennedy more than delivered. The interior pass rusher ripped off a dominant stretch that crested with a 14-sack 1992 season. Despite the Seahawks finishing 2-14 that year, Kennedy earned Defensive Player of the Year acclaim.

Kennedy made every Pro Bowl from 1991-96 and booked his final two Hawaii trips over the course of his July 1998 extension. (Kennedy’s eight Pro Bowls rank second in Seahawks history, behind fellow Hall of Famer Walter Jones‘ nine.) After an injury-marred 1997, Kennedy returned to play in 47 of a possible 48 games during his final three seasons. His lone playoff appearance also occurred during this stretch, with a Jon Kitna-quarterbacked Seattle team winning the AFC West title in 1999. Kennedy recorded 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss that year.

After the Seahawks released Kennedy in March 2001 — three days following the signing of future Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle — the 11-year veteran called it a career. Although Kennedy and Randle were never teammates in Seattle, they were voted as the two first-team defensive tackles on the 1990s’ All-Decade team. Only Randle accumulated more sacks among D-tackles during the ’90s. Kennedy finished his career with 58 QB takedowns and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Latest On Stephon Gilmore, N’Keal Harry

July 8th, 2021 at 10:58am CST by Sam Robinson

Two former first-round picks have come up in Patriots trade rumors this offseason, with N’Keal Harry‘s request following rumblings related to walk-year cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Harry appears to have a better chance to be out of Foxborough in the near future.

The third-year wide receiver generated trade interest earlier this offseason but has some dead money in his contract. Still, if the Patriots do plan to unload him, a source informs Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio a fifth-round pick may be in play. Another evaluator is a bit less bullish on a potential return, viewing a sixth-rounder as the projected compensation for Harry, via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).

While these conclusions would be a value loss and add to the Bill Belichick-era Pats’ woeful record with highly drafted wideouts, the team has changed up its receiver room and may also be considering cutting Harry.

[RELATED: Stephon Gilmore Not Expecting Trade]

Although Harry is behind multiple free agents, with former UDFA wideouts also potentially having the edge on him for spots, Gilmore remains on track to be New England’s top cornerback in 2021. The All-Pro defender has expressed dissatisfaction with his salary, though his $7MM paragraph 5 figure is this low because of the Patriots moving money from 2021 to 2020 to appease their underpaid corner. But this process, Gilmore’s minicamp holdout notwithstanding, has not produced acrimony just yet.

The Pats, however, are not likely to give Gilmore a new contract ahead of the season, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes, adding that an incentive package similar to the ones the team gave Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski in 2018 makes more sense as a compromise. Gilmore’s 2020 play did not match his 2019 dominance — in a season that ended early because of a quadriceps tear and one that involved a COVID-19 contraction — and he will turn 31 in September.

New England should not be expected to pay Gilmore top-market cornerback money, and the corner’s camp identifying Darius Slay‘s Eagles extension (three years, $50.1MM) may even be too much. Gilmore might not reach the $15-$16MM-per-year range, Volin adds. It will be interesting to see, then, where the 10th-year veteran takes his holdout. The new CBA forces teams to dock players $50K for each training camp absence, and they are no longer allowed to waive fines after a player reports.

Trade Candidate: Bears QB Nick Foles

July 7th, 2021 at 10:29pm CST by Ben Levine

A year ago, there was hope that Nick Foles could guide the Bears to the postseason. Now, the veteran quarterback finds himself on the outside looking in with the franchise.

Chicago has completely revamped their quarterbacks room this offseason. The team first signed veteran Andy Dalton to take over the starting gig, and they surprised many pundits when they traded up to select Justin Fields with the No. 11 overall pick in this year’s draft. As a result of the quarterback refresh, Foles will find himself as the third quarterback heading into 2021. Matt Nagy indicated as much the other day, referring to Fields as “the guy” if Dalton ends up getting sidelined with an injury, and the coach seemed pretty steadfast on the team’s current pecking order.

“There will be a process and a plan,” Nagy said (via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Tribune). “We will stick to that. That plan is not going to change tomorrow. The plan is not going to change in training camp. The plan is a plan — and it’s been thought out.

“All three of those guys know that you need to produce, you need to play well, you need to compete, you need to be the best quarterback you can be. And then it’s going to be really pretty easy for us to see who that is and how that goes.”

Normally, a team would probably let the veteran third-stringer go so he could find his next gig before training camp. However, it’d end up costing the Bears more to cut Foles than keep him. The 32-year-old is still owed $4MM in guaranteed money, and they’d be left with a hefty $6.6MM dead cap charge if they release him. In other words, cutting Foles would just exasperate the Bears salary cup crunch, meaning the only way Foles isn’t on the roster to start 2021 is if he’s traded.

Of course, it takes two to tango, and the Bears front office would need to find a taker for Foles. The former Super Bowl MVP didn’t impress during his first season in Chicago; he guided the Bears to a 2-5 record in his seven starts, completing 64.7-percent of his passes for 1,852 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Teams probably aren’t lining up for Foles services at the moment, but that could easily change. QBs will surely suffer injuries during training camp and the preseason, and those teams could easily turn to the Bears if they need an experienced arm.

Further, teams will also get clarity on their quarterback depth throughout August. For instance, several pundits have recently suggested that the Jets would be a logical suitor for Foles as a backup to Zach Wilson. The team will surely want to get a thorough look at their current backup options (including 2020 fourth-round pick James Morgan and former UDFA Mike White) before they start exploring the trade market, but they could be at least one suitor who’s uninspired by their current choices.

While Foles disappointed in 2020, he’s not far removed from that iconic 2017 (and, to a lesser extent, 2018) run, and teams would surely take him on as their number-two QB. However, if one of these teams does want to acquire the veteran, they’ll likely have to do so via trade.

Bills HC Sean McDermott Discusses Potential Josh Allen Extension

July 7th, 2021 at 9:22pm CST by Ben Levine

Josh Allen still hasn’t inked his extension with the Bills, but head coach Sean McDermott is making it sound like a deal will get done sooner than later.

“[GM] Brandon [Beane] mentioned that, I think at the end of the spring practice period there, and these things handle themselves,” McDermott said during an appearance on NFL Network (via Nick Shook of NFL.com). “They work themselves out when you got two parties that want to be together and have the same end goal in mind. Josh is a great, young talent and he fits so well with Buffalo and the city and the town and the people of Buffalo. So, I firmly believe it’s gonna work itself out.”

We’ve heard similar sentiments out of Buffalo throughout the offseason…but we’re now in July and a long-term deal still hasn’t been completed. When we last heard from the organization back in May, it sounded like both sides were starting to play some hardball, as Beane made it clear that the extension value “has to be a number that works for [Allen] and us.”

Allen probably doesn’t have a whole lot to gain by waiting to ink a deal. He’s already eyeing a sizable pay day, and unless he can somehow top last season’s performance (second in MVP, AFC Championship appearance), he’ll be facing a similar pay day later on. On the flip side, Allen could decline or suffer an injury, which could cost him money on his next deal.

So, as Shook explains, it’s most likely the organization that’s dragging their feet on a potential extension. While the franchise obviously wants their quarterback to succeed, they could show some patience to see if Allen can put up a similar performance in 2021. After picking up the 25-year-old’s fifth-year option, Allen is locked in through the 2022 campaign, so the organization has plenty of time to hammer out the details.

Release Candidate: Packers WR Devin Funchess

July 7th, 2021 at 5:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Could Devin Funchess‘ stint with the Packers end without him appearing in a game? There’s certainly a chance. As ESPN’s Rob Demovsky recently wrote, the veteran receiver is on the roster bubble heading into training camp.

There’s a variety of reasons why the Packers could look to move on from Funchess. For starters, the wideout has only appeared in a single game since the 2019 season; a broken collarbone limited him to only one content in 2019 (with the Colts), and he opted out of his first season with the Packers in 2020 due to COVID concerns. Funchess is still only 27-years-old, but it’s never easy for any player to return following a two-year absence.

Further, the Packers depth chart is packed. Behind Davante Adams, the Packers are eyeing a grouping that includes holdovers like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Malik Taylor. There’s also third-round rookie Amari Rodgers, and if you add Funchess to that bunch, that’s seven guys competing for at most six spots…and that doesn’t include the journeymen and undrafted free agents who are rounding out the offseason roster.

The financials aren’t necessarily in the receiver’s favor, either. The team would get around $1.2MM in savings by cutting the 27-year-old…while that doesn’t sound like a significant chunk of money, it still provides more financial breathing room than some of the other receiver options. While Funchess could theoretically give the team some money back, he’s already participated in one restructuring this offseason.

To top it all off, Funchess skipped OTAs earlier this offseason, and he only showed up to two of the three minicamp sessions. As a result, coach Matt LaFleur recently indicated that the six-foot-four receiver has some catching up to do.

“Well, he sure looks the part, there’s no doubt about that,” LaFleur said (via Wes Hodkiewicz of the team website). “You’re talking about a big, strong, long, physical guy that can run, sink his hips. So, I know he’s got a lot to learn, but we’re excited about having him on this team and letting him go compete and we’ll see what he can do.”

Funchess is only four years removed from a campaign where he finished with 840 yards from scrimmage and eight scores, and he hasn’t necessarily had the best luck over the past few years. As a result, there’s a good chance that the receiver will end up cracking a Week 1 roster. However, there’s also a chance that might not be in Green Bay.

Latest On Cardinals RB “Competition”

July 7th, 2021 at 5:03pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals running back competition might not be much of a competition after all. Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com writes that the “battle at running back might be a battle in name only,” with Chase Edmonds expected to earn the starting gig.

Edmonds, a 2018 fourth-round pick out of Fordham, had a career season in 2020, finishing with 850 yards from scrimmage and five total touchdowns. However, he mostly platooned with Kenyan Drake, and while the veteran may have left Arizona this past offseason, the team still replaced him with former Steelers starter James Conner.

However, Conner dealt with a long list of injuries during his stint with Pittsburgh, and sources tell Beasley that the free agent addition was already banged up at the beginning of minicamp. While it was assumed that Conner would be replacing Drake, his injury concerns could result in him serving primarily as a backup in 2021. Plus, as Beasley notes, the organization’s decision to pass on a running back during this year’s draft (coupled with Conner’s low salary) is a strong indication that they’re committed to Edmonds as their starter.

Really, the competition in the Cardinals running back room will come toward the end of the depth chart. Behind Edmonds and Conner, the likes of Jonathan Ward, Eno Benjamin, Tavien Feaster, and Khalfani Muhammad are competing for only a couple of roster spots.

OL Rumors: Raiders, 49ers, Giants, Solder, Eagles

July 7th, 2021 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are tracking to have two starters from their 2020 Week 1 offensive line setup back, with Kolton Miller signed long-term and Richie Incognito back on a lower-cost deal. But spillover from another training camp battle may affect Incognito’s standing. Denzelle Good and John Simpson will vie for the starting right guard spot, but Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic note Raiders coaches have informed the team’s guards the loser of this competition may still wind up replacing Incognito at left guard (subscription required). Incognito, 38, played well in 2019 but missed 14 games due to an Achilles injury last season. The Raiders cut him in March but re-signed him weeks later on a one-year, $2.12MM deal. Good replaced Incognito last year, and the Raiders are hoping Simpson — a 2020 fourth-round pick out of Clemson — can win the right guard competition.

Here is more on the Raiders’ O-line and the latest from some other offensive fronts around the league:

  • Elsewhere on Las Vegas’ O-line, the center spot may not be much of a competition. Despite offseason addition Nick Martin having started four full seasons with the Texans, the former second-round pick appears to be clearly behind former UDFA Andre James, according to The Athletic. After trading Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson to the Cardinals, the Raiders gave James an extension. James has played 116 offensive snaps as a pro; all came in 2019.
  • Nate Solder has moved to the Giants‘ roster bubble, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. The 6-foot-8 veteran worked as New York’s starting left tackle in 2018 and ’19, after signing a then-record tackle contract in free agency, but opted out in 2020. The Giants can spread out Solder’s cap hit over multiple years, but they would face a $13.5MM cumulative dead-money charge by cutting Solder. Andrew Thomas has taken over as New York’s left tackle, with Raanan adding that Solder will compete with second-year blocker Matt Peart for the right tackle job. Solder has not been a full-time right tackle since his rookie season in 2011.
  • Although former UDFA Daniel Brunskill provided some stability amid 49ers injury chaos last season, starting 16 games, the team plans to return him to a utility role. The 49ers are eyeing second-round pick Aaron Banks as their starting right guard, Matt Barrows and David Lombardi of The Athletic note. Brunskill worked as a swing backup as a rookie in 2019, primarily filling in for left tackle Joe Staley. The 49ers selected Banks 48th overall; the 325-pound rookie started in part of his sophomore season and throughout his junior and senior years at Notre Dame.
  • Rather than stockpile depth at tackle, the Eagles may look to trade the loser of the Andre Dillard–Jordan Mailata left tackle competition, Eliot Shorr-Parks writes. While keeping both would provide insurance, Shorr-Parks notes moving Mailata in a contract year would make sense and Dillard may lose more value if he goes through this season as a backup. A 2019 first-round pick, Dillard missed all of last season due to injury and has logged just four career starts. A rugby convert chosen as a project in the 2018 seventh round, Mailata spent two full seasons in development but broke into Philadelphia’s starting lineup for 10 games last season.

NFL: 68% Of Players Vaccinated

July 7th, 2021 at 2:41pm CST by Zachary Links

JULY 7: This number has ticked up a bit over the past two weeks. Approximately 68% of players have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Five teams have hit the 85% threshold. Nearly all Tier 1 and Tier 2 staffers are fully vaccinated.

JUNE 25: Approximately 65% of NFL players have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to NFL medical officer Allen Sills (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). That’s roughly in line with the rest of the United States, though it’s well above the 48% rate for Americans ages 18-24 and 50% rate for ages 25-39.

When factoring in the youth of NFL players, Sills & Co. are ahead of the game. Still, the league office is hoping to push that number closer to 100%, even though players are not required to get vaccinated.

A few notable players have pushed back against the league’s protocols and expressed hesitancy regarding the vaccine, which has created issues for certain teams. Meanwhile, the NFL is incentivizing players to get their shots. For example, if a vaccinated player somehow tests positive for the virus, they’ll still receive their per-game roster bonuses. However, if an unvaccinated player tests positive and misses time, they’ll run the risk of losing their bonus money.

While players are exempt, Tier 1 and Tier 2 staffers are still required to get vaccinated. And, on a related note, players will once again be allowed to opt out of the season.

Shanahan: 49ers Aimed To Acquire Matthew Stafford

July 7th, 2021 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

During a year of major quarterback movement, the 49ers experienced a particularly interesting offseason. San Francisco surrendered a historic haul to move up for Trey Lance. Had the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes ended a bit differently, Lance would be preparing to take the starting reins for another team.

Kyle Shanahan confirmed the 49ers were in the mix for Stafford. The fifth-year HC spent multiple weeks studying Stafford, whom the Lions made available in late January. The 49ers are one of several teams to be interested in the former No. 1 overall pick, but the Rams ended up finalizing an agreement to land him on the night of Jan. 30 — to Shanahan’s chagrin.

“I was studying it all. … I remember looking through it because everybody was telling me it was a possibility,” Shanahan said, during an appearance on The Ringer’s Flying Coach podcast with Sean McVay and Peter Schrager (via NFL.com), of a potential trade to acquire the 12-year veteran. “Stafford’s the man. I studied him hard coming out of college, and you always play against him, so you know how good he is.

“But to know he might be available and to spend two weeks really watching him, Sean, yeah, he’s better than I realized.”

The 49ers are not believed to have made a firm offer for Stafford, but the 33-year-old passer knew of San Francisco’s interest. Washington and Carolina did make offers — each involving first-round picks and change — while Denver’s proposal included a first-round pick swap. At least six teams sent the Lions proposals. The Rams ponied up for Stafford to replace Jared Goff, sending Goff, two first-rounders and a 2021 third for Detroit’s longtime starter.

“That was frustrating. I was in Cabo,” Shanahan said of the Rams’ acquiring Stafford, who joined McVay in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, at the time of the agreement as well. “… I remember Saturday I was so stressed out and finally we talked to someone, it was seven at night, and they’re like, ‘No, nothing’s happening (with a trade) at the earliest until tomorrow, so you can finish your night.’

“Half an hour later, my buddy calls me and is like, ‘I’m just telling ya, if you want Stafford, you need to get a hold of him right now.’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean? We just talked to people. I can sleep on this. We’ll talk to them tomorrow.’ ‘I’m just telling you, you need to talk to him right now.’ And then it was all over.”

McVay added that the Rams-Lions trade came together faster than he expected. The Rams are now eyeing a five- to eight-year partnership with their recently acquired QB.

January’s Stafford proceedings led the 49ers to look to the draft for a potential upgrade on Jimmy Garoppolo. They joined the Rams in trading their 2022 and ’23 first-round picks for a quarterback, sending those to the Dolphins to move up nine spots for Lance. If the 49ers’ plans go accordingly, the NFC West will feature Stafford-Lance matchups for the next several years. The teams’ competition for Stafford certainly adds intrigue to this rivalry.

XFL Now Planning 2023 Return

July 7th, 2021 at 11:55am CST by Sam Robinson

Previously planning a 2022 relaunch, the XFL has pushed back its return timetable. The league is now aiming to come back in 2023. This comes shortly after the months-long XFL-CFL talks did not produce a partnership.

“While our discussions with the CFL did not ultimately lead to a collaboration, the effort reinforced our belief and commitment to developing the XFL for international spring football,” an XFL statement reads, via SportsBusiness Journal’s Ben Fischer (on Twitter). “We look forward to seeing everyone for kickoff in spring of 2023.”

[RELATED: CFL, XFL Will Not Pursue Partnership]

Attempting to reboot for a second time, the XFL has evidently determined a 2022 return would create too many challenges. The league release interestingly uses “international spring football,” pointing to the retooling operation potentially being open to housing teams beyond U.S. borders. The XFL’s talks with the CFL provided a good indication the in-hiatus league was open to either having its teams face off against non-American squads or merging with a non-American outfit.

The XFL and CFL engaged in talks that involved a possible championship game between the leagues, with the prospect of a merger also coming up. But the far more established Canadian league is moving on. After the COVID-19 pandemic led to the CFL canceling its 2020 season, the league is set to begin its 2021 campaign next month. The pandemic-induced uncertainty likely led to the leagues’ discussions.

The second XFL effort began reasonably well, until the pandemic halted the season midway through. This led to a messy legal situation and the league being put up for sale. Dwayne Johnson led a resurrection effort, acquiring the XFL last year. While the Alliance of American Football’s midseason demise and the XFL’s in-season shutdown a year later painted a dim picture for spring football in America, the latter remains intent on proving it can work.

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