HEADLINES

Month: October 2024

Trey Lance Dealt With Finger Injury Throughout 2021 Season

May 28th, 2022 at 1:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trey Lance did not seriously push Jimmy Garoppolo for the 49ers’ starting job last season, with the elder quarterback keeping it despite multiple injury issues. A Lance injury problem looks to have contributed to his low-key rookie year.

Although the 49ers undoubtedly wanted to slow-play it with the unique prospect — a Division I-FCS talent who played one full season of college football — Lance said this week he did not get over his finger injury sustained during the preseason. Lance suffered a chipped bone in his right index finger during the 49ers’ preseason finale, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. That injury did not heal until after the season.

The North Dakota State product said that index finger remained bent until after the fracture finally healed, noting that it did not straighten until around February. While Lance faced a steep learning curve, this injury undoubtedly hindered him during an erratic rookie year in which he completed 57.7% of his passes. Garoppolo, who suffered a calf strain early in the season, stayed on the field despite late-season injuries to his right thumb and right shoulder, the latter of which leading to a surgery that has altered his trade market.

“I think the finger for me was the biggest thing just as far as throwing the ball,” Lance said, via Branch. “I kind of had to learn how to throw the ball differently without using my pointer finger, I guess, just because of where [the injury] was at throughout the year.”

Only three quarterbacks chosen in the top three this century have started two or fewer games as rookies, with Lance joining JaMarcus Russell (two) and Michael Vick (one) in that regard. The expectation certainly is for Lance (two 2021 starts) to see much more time in 2022.

John Lynch has said Lance should be ready to take over this season, and with Garoppolo recovering from shoulder surgery and having been on the trade block for several months, the 21-year-old passer has a clear avenue toward doing so. Still, both Lynch and Kyle Shanahan hedging on a potential Garoppolo trade reopen the door to the 30-year-old veteran coming to training camp and potentially keeping his job.

This would be a financially difficult route for the 49ers, with Garoppolo’s $26.9MM cap number impacting the team’s ability to negotiate extensions with Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel. While Garoppolo would represent expensive (but potentially necessary) Lance insurance, a healthier version of Lance is poised to take the reins as an NFL sophomore.

Poll: Which Rookie QB Will Make Most Starts In 2022?

May 28th, 2022 at 12:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

As players widely linked to first-round destinations fell into the third, the long run of skepticism about this year’s quarterback class manifested itself. While this was the lowest-rated quarterback crop since at least the 2013 class, a few of these passers have paths to early playing time.

Russell Wilson‘s rapid rise notwithstanding, third-round QBs do not have an extensive track record for extended QB1 run as rookies. Only six non-Wilson Round 3 QBs (Joe Ferguson, Mike Glennon, Chris Chandler, Davis Mills, John Hadl and Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton) made at least 10 starts as rookies. (Wilson is the only third-round QB to start a full season.) The bar is low for the likes of Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis and Matt Corral, but they each landed in interesting situations.

Conversations around starter promotions for this year’s class must first include Kenny Pickett, who ended up going 54 spots before the next quarterback came off the board. The Pittsburgh alum, who will turn 24 next month, was a four-year starter at the ACC school. Pickett’s NFL entrance looks similar to new teammate Mitchell Trubisky‘s. The No. 2 overall choice in 2017, Trubisky unseated Glennon after the latter signed with the Bears that offseason. A value gap between being picked second and 20th certainly exists, but the Steelers clearly have Pickett penciled in as their long-term preference.

Four of the five QBs taken in last year’s first round were full-time starters by September, while three of the four 2020 first-rounders moved to the top depth chart position by October. The Steelers bumped 2004 No. 11 overall pick Ben Roethlisberger into their lineup in Week 3 of his rookie year, following a Tommy Maddox injury. How eager will they be to put Pickett out there? Trubisky has 50 career starts to his credit, and the oft-maligned Bears draftee rebuilt his value in Buffalo — to some degree — to create a bit of a market in March. A Trubisky-Mason Rudolph depth chart adds some fuel to a scenario in which Pickett waits a bit before taking the reins.

The second quarterback chosen this year, Ridder joins a Falcons team amid a full-scale rebuild. This is a similar situation to the one Mills walked into in Houston. Ridder started four seasons at Cincinnati, topping it off by helping the Bearcats become the first Group of Five team invited to the College Football Playoff. Marcus Mariota resides as Atlanta’s stopgap starter, and while Ridder’s No. 74 overall draft slot does not mandate a lengthy look as the team’s long-term arm, Mariota has not made it past October as a starter since 2018.

The former Arthur Smith Titans pupil would stand to buy Ridder time in a low-expectations season post-Matt Ryan, but Ridder has a clear path to an extended look — if he proves worthy in the coming months.

Willis’ tumble doubled as one of the modern draft’s most notable freefalls. Linked to teams in the top half of the first round, the Liberty prospect fell to No. 86, when the Titans traded up for him. Of the top QBs taken this year, Willis seemingly has the best chance for a full-on redshirt. Ryan Tannehill has not seen his job threatened since taking over for Mariota midway through the 2019 slate, though the Titans have featured one of the lowest-profile QB2 situations since Mariota left for Las Vegas.

Willis’ all-around skillset, which allowed the Auburn transfer to nearly put up a 3,000-1,000 season during a year in which he accounted for 40 touchdowns, will make things interesting for Tennessee — if the Titans struggle after losing a few key offensive starters.

Perhaps the biggest wild card here, Corral resides on a Panthers team that spent the past two offseasons trying to made a big quarterback splash. Sam Darnold still represents Carolina’s projected Week 1 starter, unless the team finally decides to acquire Baker Mayfield. The Panthers have balked at trading for the disgruntled Browns QB for several weeks, due to his $18.9MM fully guaranteed contract. Darnold and Corral’s performance this offseason may well determine if Mayfield ends up a Panther, with Matt Rhule on the hot seat and Darnold showing little — albeit behind a bad offensive line — in 2021. Corral finished last season with a 20-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio, adding 11 rushing scores, and led Ole Miss to its first major bowl game in six years.

Which quarterback will make the most starts for his team this season? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

OL Notes: Giants, Radunz, Steelers, Brunskill

May 28th, 2022 at 11:02am CST by Sam Robinson

After fielding another below-average offensive line last season, one that saw key injuries reconfigure it early on in the campaign, the Giants loaded up on blockers this offseason. Newcomers Evan Neal, Mark Glowinski and Jon Feliciano are projected to start at right tackle, right guard and center, respectively. Andrew Thomas is the team’s unquestioned left tackle. That leaves left guard as the top competition area. Holdover Shane Lemieux appears to be the favorite for that job, via NJ.com’s Zack Rosenblatt, who notes the third-year player has been a full participant despite coming off a patellar tendon tear that cost him 16 games last season. Lemieux, who started down the stretch for the 2020 Giants and has received the first reps with the starters thus far, attempted to play through the severe knee injury in Week 1 but ended up missing the season’s remainder.

The Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll regime, however, brought in third-round pick Joshua Ezeudu (North Carolina). Although Max Garcia arrived this offseason as well, Rosenblatt adds the Giants view the eighth-year veteran as more of a backup. This sets up a Lemieux-Ezeudu left guard battle, one that will determine if the Giants have three or four new starters up front.

Here is the latest from the NFL’s O-line scene:

  • The Titans lost two starters from their 2021 O-line — left guard Rodger Saffold and stopgap right tackle David Quessenberry — and are aiming to plug in former second-round pick Dillon Radunz. The North Dakota State product, who made just one start as a rookie, is vying for the team’s right tackle gig but also factors into the guard mix, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com offers. Radunz, chosen a year after would-be right tackle Isaiah Wilson became a quick bust, was a full-timer for the Bison from 2018-19 but lost the 2020 season due to the pandemic. The Titans used a third-round pick on Ohio State’s Nicholas Petit-Frere, representing another right tackle option. Third-year UDFA Aaron Brewer and ex-Seahawk Jamarco Jones are on the roster as left guard candidates.
  • Daniel Brunskill has started 35 straight regular-season games for the 49ers, slotting primarily at right guard. The fourth-year veteran has shown an ability to fill in at all five O-line spots, and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle notes the 49ers would prefer Brunskill as a super-sub rather than as the full-time starter. For this reality to unfold, the team would need a viable replacement. Jaylon Moore, a 2021 fifth-round pick who has moved inside from tackle, represents competition for the 49ers’ right guard position. Given Brunskill’s experience, benching him would be quite the gamble for a team that lost five-year left guard Laken Tomlinson in free agency and looks set to lose center Alex Mack to retirement.
  • Steelers newcomers James Daniels and Mason Cole look set to play right guard and center, respectively, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, leaving a competition between two 2021 starters at left guard. The Steelers following through on the rumored move of center Kendrick Green to guard, his primary college position, has created a competition between he and Kevin Dotson — a 13-game starter through two years. Pro Football Focus graded Dotson well as a rookie, albeit in a small sample size, but an ankle injury doomed his sophomore NFL season. Green started 15 games last year; PFF graded the rookie third-rounder as one of the league’s worst centers. Given a three-year, $15.75MM deal, Cole coming to Pittsburgh has led to Green’s position switch.

Broncos’ Jonathon Cooper To Miss Rest Of Offseason Program

May 28th, 2022 at 10:08am CST by Sam Robinson

Despite being a seventh-round pick, Jonathon Cooper showed some promise as a Broncos edge rusher as a rookie. The team, however, restocked its outside linebacker corps this offseason, potentially dropping the Ohio State product lower in the pecking order.

Cooper also will miss the bulk of the Broncos’ offseason program. A ring finger tendon injury sustained this week will result in a surgery that will sideline the off-the-bench pass rusher for the remainder of Denver’s OTAs/minicamp stretch, Mike Klis of 9News notes. He is expected to be ready for training camp.

This is familiar territory for last year’s No. 239 overall pick. Cooper missed the Broncos’ OTAs and minicamp last year because of a heart surgery, an issue that caused him to fall toward the bottom of the draft. That issue did not result in any missed games for the ex-Buckeye, who recorded two sacks in the Broncos’ upset win over the Cowboys.

Cooper, who finished his rookie slate with seven quarterback hits and a fumble recovery, was a special teams regular and took on a bigger role after Von Miller‘s midseason injury and subsequent trade to the Rams. Cooper missing time this offseason may be more significant — due to the team’s additions and reshuffling at the edge positions.

Denver signed Randy Gregory to lead its edge corps and used its top draft choice (No. 64 overall) on Oklahoma’s Nik Bonitto. The Broncos also are trying ex-Cooper Ohio State teammate Baron Browning as an outside ‘backer, moving him from an inside linebacker position that features a thinner cast. Contract-year rushers Bradley Chubb, whose extended absence last season opened the door for Cooper and others, and Malik Reed also reside in this crowded position group. Christopher Allen, who recorded six sacks for Alabama’s 2020 national championship team before missing 2021 with a Lisfranc issue, also signed with the Broncos as a UDFA. Allen is not yet at full speed, per Klis, as he continues to recover from that injury.

Free Agent Stock Watch: OL Ereck Flowers

May 27th, 2022 at 10:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Since being drafted ninth overall by the Giants in 2015, offensive lineman Ereck Flowers has had an up-and-down career along the East Coast. The recent Commanders cap casualty is facing free agency for the fourth time in his career. 

New York drafted the standout tackle out of Miami to take over as its new blindside tackle. The former Hurricane had prototypical size, length, and strength, but struggled with technique and coachability coming out of school early. Despite holding his job as the starting left tackle, Flowers only graded out as the 54th-best tackle in the NFL through his third year, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

After declining his fifth-year option, the Giants moved Flowers to the right side of the line to accommodate the addition of Nate Solder. They benched Flowers two games into his fourth year in favor of Chad Wheeler and, after failing to find a trade partner to offload Flowers, they released their former top-10 pick. Four days later, Flowers signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars, in response to Josh Wells getting placed on injured reserve. He started the remainder of the season protecting Blake Bortles‘ blindside.

As a free agent after his time in Jacksonville, Flowers landed a one-year deal with Washington. During camp, Washington moved the longtime tackle inside to left guard, where he would start and excel for the entire season. His renewed efforts at guard earned him a three-year, $30MM deal with the Dolphins following his stint in DC. After adding several linemen in the following offseason, Miami traded Flowers back to Washington the day before the draft in exchange for the two teams swapping seventh round picks. Flowers returned to his starting position at left guard and reportedly played well enough to warrant discussions of an extension, but, ultimately, the Commanders opted to release the seven-year veteran to clear an additional $10MM from their books.

It was expected that Flowers would find a new home relatively easily, considering that, despite his grades, Flowers has solidified himself as a starter at every stop of his career, finding a positional home in his last few years at left guard. Yet Flowers remains available, looking for the right fit for his new home. The top guard options have all found deals so far this year, from Andrew Norwell signing for $5MM annual average to Brandon Scherff signing a deal worth an average of $16.5MM per year.

Flowers would likely be looking at deals that align with the likes of other consistent starters like Rodger Saffold, Lucas Patrick, or Flowers’ former Hurricanes teammate Jon Feliciano. That is to say, he will likely end up signing a one- to two-year tryout deal for around $3.5-$6MM depending on how needy the franchise he ends up with is for an interior lineman. He’ll also have a little value added to his contract for the flexibility he provides as an option to play tackle, as well.

In terms of destinations, Feliciano’s former team, the Bills, doesn’t have a ton of depth on the interior behind Saffold and Ryan Bates. Their top backup is Cody Ford who was benched early last year. Dallas will have a competition for the left guard spot between rookie Tyler Smith and Connor McGovern, with Connor Williams signing with the Dolphins. McGovern struggled last year when moving from right guard to left and Smith played tackle at the collegiate level and may have difficulty transitioning inside. In Detroit, Halapoulivaati Vaitai‘s cap hit is becoming quite large and he is under contract through 2025. Flowers may provide a cheaper option at guard.

The team with the biggest need at left guard is likely Tennessee, which will aim to replace Saffold. Currently it’s looking like a battle between Aaron Brewer, who has six career starts in two years, and Jamarco Jones, who has seven career starts in three years in Seattle. The Titans also drafted Dillon Radunz, but they may want him competing for their open position at right tackle. Tennessee would be well-served to bring in Flowers as a proven starter at left guard over the options it currently has.

In the end, while maybe not living up to his potential as the ninth overall pick, Flowers has established himself as an effective starter in the NFL. His run of recent success was cut short due to the construction of his salary, but he likely won’t be down for long. Look for Flowers to sign a short deal for a couple million per year on a team that needs immediate help on the offensive line.

NFL Staff Notes: Steelers, Browns, Broncos, Bears, Panthers, Buccaneers

May 27th, 2022 at 8:26pm CST by Ely Allen

The Steelers recently promoted former vice president of football & business administration Omar Khan to replace former general manager Kevin Colbert. We also knew that Khan was bringing in Eagles former vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl and Commanders former college scout Sheldon White. We now know that Weidl will serve as assistant general manager and White will be in the role of director of pro scouting.

Additionally, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Khan has promoted existing staffer Dan Colbert, the son of the former general manager. The younger Colbert had served as a veteran college and pro scout and will now be elevated to a senior-level position.

Pryor also provides an additional note that Khan will continue the Steelers’ player personnel tradition of not conducting contract negotiations during the NFL season.

Here are a few other staff hires from around the NFL, starting with another hire in the AFC North:

  • The Browns have also made an addition to the player personnel staff, according to Neil Stratton of Inside the League. Cleveland will bring in Eagles scout Shawn Heinlen. Heinlen was assigned by Philadelphia to cover the Southwest area for the last four seasons and is expected to play a similar role in Cleveland. Before his time with the Eagles, Heinlen spent 16 years in Buffalo.
  • Denver announced some title changes to existing staff in their scouting department. 16-year Broncos staffer Eugene Armstrong will go from Southwest area scout to covering the Southeast area in his 17th season in Denver. Area scout Deon Randall will change areas, too, going from the Northeast area to the Southwest area in his sixth season with the Broncos. Chaz McKenzie spent last season as a Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellow for the Broncos and will take over for Randall as the Northeast area scout.
  • The Bears are adding a former NFL player and scout in Reese Hicks, according the Stratton of Inside the League. After playing offensive line for the Texans, Bengals, Broncos, and Chargers, Hicks branched out into the scouting world. He has spent the last three seasons as a pro scout for the Falcons. Hicks will serve as the Bears West Coast area scout.
  • Carolina is also adding a former NFL player, hiring Michael Coe to become their New England area scout, according to Stratton once again. Coe spent seven seasons in the NFL as a cornerback for the Cowboys, Jaguars, Dolphins, Giants, and Colts. Since his time in the NFL, Coe has worked in the role of Director of Football Operations for the Senior Bowl.
  • According to Greg Auman of The Athletic, Tampa Bay has added two new scouting assistants. Emmett Clifford is joining the Buccaneers after spending the last two years as a film analyst in Cleveland. The other new scouting assistant, Korey Finnie, was last a student manager and assistant with Tulane football.

Latest On Seahawks’ QB Situation

May 27th, 2022 at 7:15pm CST by Ely Allen

Seattle made headlines in early March when they agreed to trade Russell Wilson to the Broncos in exchange for multiple draft picks, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant. After losing their starter of the last ten years, the Seahawks are going through the motions now of determining who will be taking snaps from under center when the season starts this fall. 

Through Phase II of their offseason program, returning Seahawk Geno Smith has been taking the first snaps in drills, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Breer still expects Lock to emerge as the starter, in time, once he’s had the opportunity to make up ground as a newcomer to Seattle’s system.

The 31-year-old Smith returned to starting duties this past season for the first time since 2017 and for the first time in multiple games in a season since his sophomore year with the Jets all the way back in 2014. Smith signed with Seattle in 2019, spending two years as Wilson’s backup while only making an appearance in one game. Last season, though, saw Smith relieve Wilson when the latter suffered a finger injury in a Week 5 loss to the Rams.

Smith finished the game for Wilson and, when Wilson was put on injured reserve, Smith started the next three games for the Seahawks. Smith performed admirably in Wilson’s stead, completing 68.4% of his passes for 702 yards while tossing 5 touchdowns to 1 interception. He also added 42 yards and a touchdown on the ground in 9 carries. Even though the team went 1-2 with Smith as a starter, he kept the Seahawks competitive, not only proving that he still has some gas in the tank but showing some of the best football of his career to date.

Lock was a second-round pick for the Broncos back in 2019, a backup option to then-newly acquired starting quarterback Joe Flacco. Lock suffered a preseason thumb injury that landed him on injured reserve, returning to practice in mid-November. Flacco suffered a neck injury that would require surgery and after three games of Brandon Allen, Denver turned to their rookie coming off injured reserve.

Lock took the NFL-world by storm, winning four of the Broncos last five games of the season. In that stretch Lock completed 64.1% of his passes for 1,020 yards, throwing 7 touchdowns to 3 interceptions. Lock took on full-time starting duties in his sophomore season. His completion percentage dropped to 57.34% on the year and his interceptions caught up to his touchdowns as his touchdown-interception ratio read 16-15. In his 13 starts, the Bronco went just 4-9. Last season saw Lock lose the quarterback competition to Teddy Bridgewater. Lock appeared in injury relief in two games before a concussion to Bridgewater in Week 14 handed Lock the keys to the offense for the rest of the season. The Broncos would lose all three of Lock’s starts, in which he would show more of the same from his full season as a starter.

Breer sees Lock emerging as the starting quarterback because of reports from 2019 that general manager John Schneider “really liked Lock coming out” of college, adding that the inclusion of Lock in the trade deal was similar to Jared Goff‘s inclusion in the Matthew Stafford-trade Detroit made last year. Breer also points out that Lock’s offensive coordinator during the best stretch of his young career during that rookie season was Rich Scangarello, who ran a very similar offense to Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

Behind Smith and Lock is the young Jacob Eason who failed to impress in very limited action with the Colts last year. The job will fall on the shoulders of either Smith or Lock, with Seahawks-fans likely hoping that Lock, the younger of the two, will establish himself as their future at the position.

No Deal Imminent Between Raiders, Colin Kaepernick

May 27th, 2022 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Colin Kaepernick‘s Wednesday workout with the Raiders put the high-profile passer back squarely on the NFL radar. The audition has not produced a signing, and it does not look like an agreement will come to pass in the near future.

Although the Raiders viewed Kaepernick’s workout positively, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes no deal is imminent. Teams often circle back to workout players down the road, and a recent report indicated two other teams showed some level of interest in Kaepernick. For now, the Raiders are sticking with their Nick Mullens–Jarrett Stidham duo behind Derek Carr. The recently added backups may have OTAs and minicamp to prove themselves as viable QB2 options.

Although Las Vegas could potentially upgrade with Kaepernick as its backup to Carr, the former San Francisco starter has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season. The 34-year-old quarterback, by all accounts thus far, displayed quality arm strength and good fitness at his workout. That is impressive considering how long it has been since his controversial stay in free agency began. Rust should be understandable, given the circumstances.

The Raiders are not believed to be viewing Kaepernick as a player who would contribute in a Marcus Mariota fashion in specialty packages. They are looking for a Carr backup. Josh McDaniels did head the Patriots’ Cam Newton-led offense in 2020, but the veteran play-caller’s career has mostly featured pocket QBs.

McDaniels, of course, broke into the OC ranks with Tom Brady. After helping the 2008 Patriots to an 11-5 season with Matt Cassel starting 15 games, McDaniels parlayed that into a head-coaching opportunity in Denver, where he promptly swapped out Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton. Although McDaniels did greenlight a trade up for Tim Tebow in the 2010 first round, Tebow did not make any starts under McDaniels, who spent the 2011 season running a Rams offense that primarily featured Sam Bradford at the controls. The least mobile of the five QBs chosen in Round 1 last year, Mac Jones rounded out McDaniels’ Patriots run, replacing Newton.

Newton remains a free agent but has only been connected to the Panthers this offseason. The pickings at quarterback are otherwise slim, headlined by Josh Rosen, Blake Bortles and ex-Raider Mike Glennon. Ryan Fitzpatrick, 39, has not yet retired and has proven more than this group as a backup option, but he missed 16 games due to injury last season.

Browns, TE David Njoku Agree On Extension

May 27th, 2022 at 3:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

David Njoku will turn his franchise tag into a top-five tight end agreement. Weeks ahead of the deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions, the Browns have come to terms with the former first-round pick.

The Browns are signing Njoku to a four-year deal worth $56.75MM, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (on Twitter). Njoku will see $28MM fully guaranteed. This $14.2MM-per-year deal makes the five-year Browns contributor the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid tight end.

Cleveland, which entered Friday holding the second-most cap space in the league, could have used this season as a de facto audition year for Njoku on the tag. But reports kept indicating the Browns’ seriousness about extending him. After making an offer north of $13MM per year, the Browns confirmed their faith in Njoku with this deal.

Njoku’s $14.2MM-AAV figure comes in below George Kittle‘s $15MM positional highwater mark, but it is right in the neighborhood of Travis Kelce ($14.3MM AAV) and Dallas Goedert ($14.25MM). Considering Njoku’s lack of statistical success on his rookie contract, this is a major win for the ex-Miami Hurricane and a Browns bet on his potential.

The 2017 first-rounder has just one 500-yard season on his resume. That came back in 2018, when Hue Jackson, Todd Haley and Freddie Kitchens were running Cleveland’s offense. The 6-foot-4 pass catcher, however, is only going into his age-26 season. Several prime years could remain ahead for Njoku, who should have a big opportunity to up his game with Deshaun Watson now at quarterback in Cleveland.

This extension comes two months after the Browns cut Austin Hooper, whom they previously signed to a top-five (at the time) tight end deal. Hooper’s presence cut into Njoku’s opportunities, but in tagging the latter ahead of the March deadline, the Browns signaled they still believed in the younger player’s potential. Njoku headlines a Cleveland tight end depth chart that includes 2020 fourth-round pick Harrison Bryant. This contract makes it clear who the Browns will rely on at the position.

The Browns traded back into the 2017 first round, after having already selected two players that year (which included trading out of the Watson draft slot with the Texans), to nab Njoku with the No. 29 overall pick. Other than his 639-yard 2018 showing, Njoku has never taken off in Cleveland. His tenure also included a rocky stretch in 2020, when he requested a trade at multiple points after Hooper signed. The sides patched up their relationship, and Njoku did produce his second-best statistical season (475 yards, four touchdown catches) — as the Browns’ passing attack cratered — in 2021.

Amari Cooper is set to be the centerpiece of Cleveland’s passing attack, and Donovan Peoples-Jones is positioned to be the trade acquisition’s top complementary player. The team cut Jarvis Landry and, despite rumors about a reunion, let him sign with the Saints following the draft. Njoku will be poised to be a key target for Watson and, in all likelihood, Jacoby Brissett this season.

This still represents a big bet on the potential of a player who has not displayed consistency yet. This deal also stands to impact the negotiations for fellow franchise-tagged tight ends Mike Gesicki and Dalton Schultz. It will be interesting to see if it affects Darren Waller‘s approach with the Raiders. Going into his age-30 season, the former Pro Bowler is tied to a below-market $7.6MM-per-year pact.

Chargers Sign First-Round G Zion Johnson

May 27th, 2022 at 2:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly every first-round pick this year has come to terms on his four-year agreement (feat. the fifth-year option). The Chargers became the latest team to lock down their top draftee, signing Zion Johnson on Friday.

A standout guard from Boston College, Johnson was the second interior offensive lineman off the board this year — following only Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green, who went 15th overall to the Texans. This year’s No. 17 overall pick will be expected to play immediately for a Chargers team that loaded up on filling needs this offseason.

Johnson transferred to Boston College after spending two years at Davidson. He blocked for four 1,000-yard rushers while in college, most notably A.J. Dillon‘s 1,645-yard season in 2019. Boston College stationed Johnson at left tackle during the 2020 season, and he earned first-team All-American honors at guard last year, joining Green and fellow first-round O-linemen Ikem Ekwonu and Tyler Linderbaum on the Associated Press’ top team.

The 6-foot-2 blocker should be ticketed to be the Bolts’ right guard starter in Week 1. The team has its left side of the O-line addressed, with 2021 first-round pick Rashawn Slater thriving as a rookie alongside free agent pickup Matt Feiler, and Corey Linsley has the center post locked down. Los Angeles will likely still search for a right tackle, its weakest O-line spot last season, but Johnson fills a key need for what is expected to be a rising AFC contender.

All but five first-round picks have signed their rookie contracts. Only Linderbaum, fellow Ravens pick Kyle Hamilton, Patriots guard Cole Strange and Seahawks tackle Charles Cross remain unsigned.

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