HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Giants Sign Jalyn Holmes, Maurice Canady

May 18th, 2022 at 3:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Restrained in their approach to bolstering their edge rush for a few years, the Giants certainly changed that strategy this year via their Kayvon Thibodeaux pick. The team added another piece to its Thibodeaux-fronted edge mix Wednesday.

Former Vikings defensive end Jalyn Holmes signed with the Giants, who also added three more defenders. That includes cornerback Maurice Canady, a six-year veteran who spent last season with the Cowboys. Big Blue rounded out the signings by inking cornerback Khalil Dorsey and safety Henry Black.

A fourth-round pick out of Ohio State in 2018, Holmes received his most run as a Danielle Hunter replacement during the 2020 season. Despite starting nine games for that Vikings edition, Holmes did not record a sack. While he did add four quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and two pass deflections that year, his only NFL sack came during his rookie season. Holmes spent last season with the Saints.

The Giants have 2021 second-rounder Azeez Ojulari positioned to play alongside Thibodeaux and still roster 2019 third-rounder Oshane Ximines. Lorenzo Carter joined the Falcons as a free agent. New York also signed pass rusher Jihad Ward this offseason.

Canady, a Ravens sixth-rounder in 2016, has bounced around a bit and has worked mostly as a backup. He has started six games in six years but has extensive experience in new Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale‘s system. Canady’s third and fourth Ravens seasons overlapped with Martindale’s Baltimore DC run. The soon-to-be 28-year-old defender played eight games for the Cowboys last season.

Black, 25, contributed for the Packers last season, playing 24% of their defensive snaps and intercepting a pass. He joins a safety corps that lost Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers this offseason. Dorsey played six games for Martindale’s Ravens defense in 2020; he was nontendered as an RFA in March.

Browns Submit Offer To TE David Njoku

May 18th, 2022 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

David Njoku finds himself in an interesting position. The Browns hit the former first-round pick with the franchise tag, despite the veteran tight end’s history of inconsistent production. Njoku now has an offer to consider, but he is also set to play with a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback this season.

This year’s tight end franchise tag came in at $10.9MM, but the Browns’ offer is believed to be beyond $13MM annually, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (ESPN+ link). Considering Njoku’s production history, landing top-five money at his position would be quite the coup. But the guarantee structure is not yet known.

[RELATED: Browns Confident They Will Extend Njoku]

The Browns have been discussing a deal with Njoku’s camp for months, and the five-year veteran said last year he wanted to reach a long-term agreement to stay in Cleveland. This would be a turnaround development for Njoku, who sought a trade at multiple points in 2020. He compiled just 213 receiving yards and two touchdowns that year, when the Browns gave Austin Hooper a $10.5MM-per-year deal. Hooper is now out of the picture, having been cut in March.

Four tight ends — George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert and Mark Andrews — earn more than $14MM per year. No one else at this position is signed to a contract worth $13MM-plus. Njoku, who has one season with more than 500 receiving yards (2018), would not seem to have a case to join that top tier. But it is clear the Browns value the 2017 first-round pick, who caught 36 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns last season. He joined Mike Gesicki and Dalton Schultz in receiving the tag, and GM Andrew Berry was with the team when it selected Njoku out of Miami five years ago.

Njoku, 25, has a chance to post career-best numbers with Deshaun Watson at the controls. That said, it is unknown how much of this season Watson will play. That stands to affect Njoku, who would go into a critical year should he opt to play on the tag to push for a bigger payday. The Browns have just one other pass catcher (Amari Cooper) signed to a notable veteran contract and hold the NFL’s most cap space, at more than $27MM. Cleveland has until July 15 to extend Njoku.

Commanders To Sign Rookie WR Jahan Dotson

May 18th, 2022 at 1:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Another Day 1 wideout from last month’s draft is set to officially join the league. The Commanders are signing Jahan Dotson to his rookie deal (Twitter link via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). 

As the No. 16 pick, Dotson’s contract will be worth just over $15MM. The Penn State product had a four-year college career, which included significant production in his final two seasons. After playing behind fellow speedster KJ Hamler, he took on a larger workload in 2020. That year, he posted 884 yards and eight touchdowns despite the campaign being limited to just eight games.

With increased expectations as the Nittany Lions’ top pass-catcher, Dotson took another step forward in terms of production. He ranked third in the Big Ten in both receptions (91) and yards (1,182) and scored 13 total touchdowns. He also contributed on special teams as a punt returner. That ranked him near the top of this year’s class at the position, with many pegging him as a first round-caliber prospect.

Expected by many to be eyeing a wideout with the No. 11 pick, the Commanders traded down from that spot. They swapped with New Orleans, who gave up No. 16 to take Chris Olave. Situated at the end of a run on receivers as a result of the move, the Commanders had fewer options to choose from, but were still able to boost their passing game. Dotson will join the likes of Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown in their WR room, as they look to take a step forward on offense with Carson Wentz.

Jets Reach Agreement With First Round WR Garrett Wilson

May 18th, 2022 at 1:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets are about to have all three of their first round picks under contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that the team has reached an agreement with wideout Garrett Wilson on his rookie deal, worth $20.55MM. 

Connected to a number of veterans at the position throughout the offseason, the Jets were unable to make a sizeable addition via trade. That led many to believe they would target a receiver with one of their two top-ten picks in last month’s draft. After selecting cornerback Ahmad Gardner at No. 4, they did just that by picking the former Buckeye.

Wilson was an immediate contributor at Ohio State in his freshman season, totaling 432 receiving yards and scoring five touchdowns. He took a major step forward the following year, notching 43 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns in only eight contests. Competing for targets with fellow first-rounder Chris Olave and the highly-touted Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Wilson topped 1,000 receiving yards and found the endzone 13 total times last season.

That production put him in the conversation to be the top WR off the board; while that distinction ultimately went to Drake London, Wilson was seen by some as the most complete receiver in the class. He should have a path to immediate playing time with the Jets alongside Corey Davis and Elijah Moore. While the play of his namesake, quarterback Zach Wilson, will most determine the Jets’ success in the immediate future, Garrett has the potential to be an impact player on the team’s offense in the short- and long-term.

Eagles To Sign James Bradberry

May 18th, 2022 at 10:17am CST by Zachary Links

James Bradberry is headed to Philly. On Wednesday, the free agent cornerback agreed to a one-year, $10MM with the Eagles, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 

Bradberry, 28, was cut by the G-Men earlier this month. That was pretty much expected, given his would-be cap hit of $21.8MM+ and the other cost-cutting moves that were made by new GM Joe Schoen. The Giants tried to trade him, but ultimately couldn’t find a suitable deal.

“I thought there would be more interest,” Schoen admitted earlier this spring. “There were some teams that showed interest pre-draft, and we had a couple different times [where] there [was] compensation in place and the contract never worked out.”

The former second-round pick was a Pro Bowler in 2020 and has only missed five games across his six-year career. In 2021, his second season with the Giants, he played in all 17 games, tallying 47 tackles, a career-high four interceptions and 17 passes defensed. Clearly, Bradberry still has a lot left in the tank. Now, he’ll get a chance to face his former club twice in 2022 and, perhaps, give them some second thoughts about releasing him.

For what it’s worth, the Giants explored bringing Bradberry back on a cheaper deal. The Texans, Chiefs, and Raiders were also connected to him, but the Eagles ultimately placed the winning bid. Now, Bradberry will team with Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox atop the Birds’ cornerback depth chart.

Bengals To Sign First-Round Pick Daxton Hill

May 18th, 2022 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have agreed to terms Daxton Hill (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The Michigan defensive back is expected to put pen to paper today, making it all official.

[RELATED: Latest On Bengals’ Bates]

Hill was viewed as the consensus second-best safety prospect heading into the draft, behind only Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton. After the Ravens nabbed Hamilton at No. 14 overall, the Bengals came in to pounds towards the end of Round 1. Many anticipated that Hill would still be on the board to start Day 2, but the Bengals weren’t willing to risk it.

Hill’s versatility is viewed as a major plus — he could see time at free safety, strong safety safety, or even reps as a slot receiver. On the defensive side, Hill notched 69 tackles for the Wolverines last year, including 4.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. He also nabbed eight passes defensed and two interceptions, giving him four picks across his three seasons.

In accordance with his slot, the No. 31 overall pick will earn $13MM over the course of his four-year rookie contract. This year, he’ll start with a modest $705K base salary and carry a $2.4MM cap figure. His salary will escalate over the life of the deal, ending with a $4.2MM cap charge in 2025. Of course, by then, the Bengals will reserve the right to keep him for ’26 via the fifth-year option.

Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert Hoping To Be Ready For Week 1

May 17th, 2022 at 10:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Raheem Mostert‘s 2021 season ended after only four offensive snaps. Now in Miami, the Dolphins running back is hoping to return to the field for the start of the 2022 campaign.

“His expectations are to play week 1 and we are not going to rush it,” said Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on Twitter). “He’s come too far to have a setback. He’s diligently working day in, day out. When he’s ready he’ll be on the field.”

After exiting the 49ers’ Week 1 game, Mostert was diagnosed with significant cartilage damage in his knee. The injury ended up knocking him out for the entire 2021 season. The 30-year-old had been with the 49ers since the 2016 season, and between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, the running back collected 1,629 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns (including 10 scores in ’19).

The veteran inked a one-year deal with the Dolphins back in March, reuniting him with McDaniel, who previously served as San Francisco’s run game coordinator and (later) offensive coordinator. Mostert will be joining a running backs room that features holdovers (Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin) and newcomers (Chase Edmonds, Sony Michel). McDaniel told reporters that he doesn’t see an issue with so much depth at the position.

“I think one thing that’s unique about that particular room is no one shies away from competition,” he said (via NFL.com’s Grant Gordon). “Everybody in there is excited for the offense, for the opportunities and wants the best man to win and aren’t backing away from that.”

Bills Interview Brandon Hunt For Assistant GM Job

May 17th, 2022 at 9:03pm CST by Ben Levine

With Joe Schoen moving a few hours south, Brandon Beane and the rest of the Bills front office are hunting for an assistant GM. At least one candidate has emerged. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the Bills interviewed Steelers Pro Scouting Coordinator Brandon Hunt for the job.

Hunt is also up for two jobs in Pennsylvania at the moment. He is in contention for a high-ranking gig in the Eagles’ front office, and he’s a candidate to replace Kevin Colbert in Pittsburgh. Hunt also met with the Raiders about their GM vacancy this offseason.

Hunt is in his second stint with the Steelers, having interned for the organization back in 2005 before returning in 2010. He’s well regarded within the front office, and he’s held a role that requires a deep knowledge of the NFL player pool. He was the assumed successor to Colbert, and this Bills gig is likely contingent on how that hiring process ends up working out. On the flip side, Hunt probably wouldn’t be taking an interview for a lesser opportunity unless he was confident he wasn’t getting the Steelers job.

Schoen left to be the Giants GM this offseason, and Beane is now looking for a replacement. There’s a chance more candidates emerge, although the list currently consists of only Hunt.

RB Tarik Cohen Appears To Suffer Leg Injury

May 17th, 2022 at 7:24pm CST by Ely Allen

7:24pm: An MRI has confirmed that Cohen ruptured his Achilles, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

5:54pm: After missing most of the 2020 NFL season with a torn ACL and MCL, as well as a tibial plateau fracture, and missing the entire 2021 season recovering from those injuries, former-Bears running back Tarik Cohen may be looking at another unfortunate setback. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Cohen looks “to have suffered a serious lower-leg injury during a workout (that he was) streaming on IG Live.” 

Cohen was a fourth-round draft pick for Chicago in 2017 after an outstanding career at the HBCU North Carolina A&T. Splitting carries with now-Eagles running back Jordan Howard as rookie, Cohen worked mostly as the team’s receiving back. In his sophomore year in Chicago, Cohen blossomed in his assigned role breaking out for 725 receiving yards and 5 receiving touchdowns, in addition to his 444 yards rushing and 3 rushing touchdowns. He also threw two touchdown passes in his first two years with the Bears.

In his third year, Cohen was only able to see three games of action before suffering his major knee injuries. They sidelined him for the rest of the year and he sat out the following year, as well, in an effort to work back to full health.

Cohen was released by the Bears two months ago and was working towards finally making a comeback from his injuries as a free agent. Unfortunately, if the reports are accurate, it appears that Cohen’s comeback bid may have to wait a bit longer.

Cardinals Sign Second-Round TE Trey McBride

May 17th, 2022 at 7:07pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals are almost finished signing their draft class. The team announced that they’ve signed second-round tight end Trey McBride, seventh-round cornerback Christian Matthew, and seventh-round offensive lineman Marquis Hayes to their rookie contracts.

Following a standout college career at Colorado State, the Cardinals made McBride not only their first selection of the draft. They also made him the first tight end off the board when they selected him in the second round (No. 55). After collecting 74 receptions through his first three collegiate seasons, McBride exploded in 2021, hauling in 90 catches for 1,121 yards. The performance earned him a number of accolades, including a unanimous All-American selection and the John Mackey Award, which is given to the top tight end in college football.

The Cardinals held on to Zach Ertz, so McBride will be playing behind the veteran to start his career. However, in a creative and (usually) high-flying offense, it shouldn’t take look for McBride to carve out a role.

As our team-by-team 2022 NFL Draft results show, the Cardinals only have a pair of unsigned draft picks:

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