2022 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

Patriots Place Five Players On PUP

July 21st, 2022 at 6:53pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots placed a long list of players on the physically unable to perform list today. Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Twitter, New England placed center David Andrews, cornerback Jonathan Jones, linebacker Raekwon McMillan, safety Jabrill Peppers, and running back James White on PUP. The players are able to return to practice at any time, but they’ll be watching from the sideline until they’re officially activated.

Jones is still rehabbing a shoulder injury that limited him to only six games in 2021, while Andrews is recovering from his own shoulder surgery. White was limited to only three games last season thanks to a hip issue, and it sounds like the injury is lingering into this year’s training camp. Peppers and McMillan are both returning from ACL injuries.

White is one of the most veteran players on the Patriots roster, and in an ideal world, the running back would serve as a pass-catching safety blanket for Mac Jones. Between the 2016 and 2019 campaign, White averaged 68.8 catches and 950 yards from scrimmage per season. Now 30, this injury could spell the beginning of the end for White, and with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson requiring carries (plus rookie fourth-round pick Pierre Strong Jr.), it’s hard to really see a role for White even if he’s healthy.

Andrews is also one of the longest-tenured Patriots players, having appeared in 89 games across seven seasons with the organization (including a 2019 campaign that he missed due to a pulmonary embolism). Despite the 2021 season being Andrews’ age-30 season, he still proved he was one of the best centers in the NFL, with Pro Football Focus ranking him fifth among 39 eligible centers.

McMillan joined the Patriots last offseason, but he tore his ACL in August and missed the entire season. Peppers, a former first-round pick, spent the past three seasons with the Giants. He collected 29 tackles and one sack in six games before suffering a torn ACL in October. Jones has spent his entire six-year career in New England, starting 27 games (including 21 starts between 2018 and 2020). He collected 20 tackles and three passes defended in six games last season.

Saints Place WR Michael Thomas, DE Marcus Davenport On PUP

July 21st, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by Ben Levine

A pair of Saints players have landed on PUP ahead of training camp. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Saints have placed wideout Michael Thomas and defensive end Marcus Davenport on the physically unable to perform list.

Thomas’s placement on PUP seems mostly procedural after he’s been limited to only seven games over the past two seasons. We heard last month that the wideout had progressed to running sprints, and the wideout recently posted a video that showed him running routes. The Saints have expressed optimism that Thomas will be back at some point during training camp, so it doesn’t seem like this delay will end up working its way into the preseason.

The last time the wideout was fully healthy, he was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year after hauling in 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. The receiver’s lengthy absence stems from a high ankle sprain suffered during the Saints’ 2020 season opener. The injury continued to linger, and while the Saints wanted Thomas to immediately go under the knife once the 2020 season ended, the player decided to hold off on surgery until last summer. The subsequent rehab plus a new ankle injury derailed any chance that he’d be able to return for the 2021 campaign.

Davenport’s placement on PUP is equally unsurprising, but it’s uncertain how long the veteran defensive lineman will be sidelined. We heard recently that Davenport had a pair of surgeries on his knee and three surgeries on his left hand just this offseason. Davenport had a stint on IR last season while dealing with a shoulder ailment, so his two surgeries were likely intended to fix that injury. Meanwhile, Davenport said he’s been dealing with a pinkie injury that dates back to college, but the injury has progressively gotten worse and culminated in Davenport having part of the finger amputated.

The 2018 first-round pick has spent his entire career with New Orleans, missing 17 games in four seasons. While he was limited to only 11 games (nine starts) last season, he still finished with career-highs in tackles (39), sacks (nine), and forced fumbles (three). In total, Davenport has 21 sacks in 48 games.

Browns To Sign QB Josh Rosen

July 21st, 2022 at 5:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Josh Rosen is heading to Cleveland. After working out for the Browns earlier today, the quarterback will sign with the team, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It will be a one-year deal for Rosen. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland (on Twitter), the quarterback will sign his contract tomorrow.

With Deshaun Watson facing a potential suspension, the Browns have reportedly been on the lookout for some reinforcement at the quarterback position. Rosen auditioned for the team earlier today, with A.J. McCarron also getting a work out. Cleveland has also been lightly connected to 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, and the Browns reportedly did some research on Garrett Gilbert, who spent time with the organization in 2019. Rosen ultimately won out, and he’ll now join a depth chart that includes Watson, presumed Week 1 starter Jacoby Brissett, and free agent signing Josh Dobbs.

It’s only been four seasons since Rosen was selected by the Cardinals with the 10th-overall pick in the 2018 draft. He only got one season in Arizona before the organization pivoted to Kyler Murray, and he didn’t show a whole lot when he was on the field. In 13 starts as a rookie, Rosen guided the Cardinals to a 3-10 record while completing 55.2 percent of his passes for 2,278 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.

He was traded to the Dolphins in 2019, but he only got into six games (three starts) for his new squad, tossing one touchdown vs. five interceptions. He was waived prior to the 2020 campaign, and since that time, he’s had brief stints with the Buccaneers, 49ers, and Falcons. He ended up getting into four games for Atlanta last season, completing only two of his 11 pass attempts.

Temporarily, Rosen will mostly serve as depth at the position; Cabot writes that Rosen was signed to be a backup to Brissett (vs. competing with Brissett to serve as the temporary QB1). More significantly, it seems pretty clear that the Browns are preparing to be without Watson for at least a solid chunk of the upcoming campaign.

Raiders LB Denzel Perryman Seeking New Contract

July 21st, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Much has been made this offseason about the investments the Raiders have made in adding star power to a roster which made the playoffs in 2021. While the commitments made to the likes of Davante Adams and Chandler Jones have been understandably noteworthy, another important contract could be in order soon.

Linebacker Denzel Perryman “would like a new deal,” reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (video link). The 29-year-old helped his market tremendously with his level of play last season, his first with the Raiders. Perryman shattered his career-high in tackles with 154, a statistic which helped him earn Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his seven-year NFL tenure. The former Charger has one year remaining on his current contract, which will pay him a base salary of $1.12MM.

After the news of his request went public, the former second-rounder said “I knew that was coming. That’s why I’m sweating… My agent Ron Butler is handling that. I just want to play football” (Twitter link via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez).

This most recent news doesn’t constitute the first of the offseason regarding a re-working of Perryman’s financial situation, of course. It was reported last month that he and the Raiders were discussing a new contract, as Vegas’ new front office regime led by general manager Dave Ziegler looks to continue retaining incumbent players like receiver Hunter Renfrow.

The team could easily afford a contract which raises his $3MM cap hit for 2022, given their current financial status, though any potential Darren Waller deal could change that. Perryman would constitute a worthwhile investment if he repeats his 2021 performance, something which should be possible if he again plays a starter’s workload in the team’s new-look LB room, which features a number of offseason additions as well as a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham.

Lamar Jackson Reports To Training Camp

July 21st, 2022 at 2:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

While the news of one of the top extension-eligible QBs signing a new deal broke earlier today, there was an important update regarding one of the other signal-callers in that same category. Lamar Jackson reported early to Baltimore’s training camp, as the team confirmed on Twitter.

The distinct absence of an extension has been a major talking point since the 2020 campaign ended, and increasingly so this offseason. The team has consistently shown a willingness to try and negotiate directly with the agent-less 25-year-old; Jackson’s hesitancy to reciprocate has led to plenty of speculation about his long-term future with the Ravens.

Other factors loom large as well, of course. The gap between Jackson’s statistical performance in his MVP-winning 2019 season and the subsequent pair of campaigns, coupled with his 2021 season-ending ankle injury have caused doubts to be raised about his value on a multi-year deal. With little progress being made throughout much of the time in which Jackson has been eligible for an extension, it has looked more and more likely that he will play out the 2022 season on the fifth-year option ($23MM).

In June, however, talks resumed between the two-time Pro Bowler and general manager Eric DeCosta during mandatory minicamp – which came after Jackson skipped OTAs for the first time in his career. Then, earlier this month, Jackson spoke publicly about his optimism of getting a deal finalized, potentially before training camp opens in full. The chances of that happening seem to remain slim, though.

Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reports that “no deal is imminent” at this time. He does add, on the other hand, that talks are still ongoing. Jackson has been connected to Murray as a member of the next wave of QBs due for extensions in the vicinity of the ones given to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, along with, more recently, Deshaun Watson‘s fully-guaranteed $230MM pact. The fact that Kyler Murray received a deal worth a fraction more than that total (and with $160MM in guarantees) will only lead to further belief that Jackson will end up in that range as well, regardless of when his deal gets finalized.

Browns Work Out QBs Josh Rosen, A.J. McCarron

July 21st, 2022 at 12:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

With a suspension looming for Deshaun Watson, the Browns remain on the lookout for a short-term QB addition. Two new candidates the team is looking at have emerged.

Cleveland is holding workouts with Josh Rosen and A.J. McCarron, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). He adds that the Browns are eyeing a training camp roster including four signal-callers: Watson, presumed Week 1 starter Jacoby Brissett, free agent signing Josh Dobbs, and another passer capable of acting as insurance during Watson’s absence.

Rosen and McCarron were connected last offseason as well, though under different circumstances. It was the latter’s preseason ACL tear that left the Falcons in need of a late addition at QB. Rosen was made available when he was waived by the 49ers at the start of their training camp, and signed in August. The move increased the number of teams the 2018 first-rounder had joined to four since his one-year stint with the Cardinals during his rookie season.

Rosen dressed for four games last season, attempting just 11 passes. Since his inaugural campaign, the former top-10 pick has suited up for 10 total contests. McCarron, whom the Browns nearly traded for in 2017, is now three years removed from his last start, which came with the Texans. Neither QB would therefore be seen as a threat to Brissett’s status as the team’s top option for however long Watson is sidelined.

Given their cap situation, Cleveland has been named as a potential suitor for Jimmy Garoppolo in the event of Watson being banned for the entire 2022 campaign. The 49ers veteran was officially given permission to seek a trade yesterday, and would represent the most accomplished passer sill available this late in the offseason. However, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports that the team is “not expected” to pursue a trade for the 30-year-old, nor have the Browns shown interest in free agent Cam Newton.

Instead, she adds, Cleveland has “inquired about” Garrett Gilbert. The journeyman spent the 2019 season with the Browns, and is a free agent again after his brief 2022 Raiders tenure ended. He could provide competition to Rosen and McCarron as the Browns look for serviceable QB depth.

Cardinals, Kyler Murray Finalize Extension

July 21st, 2022 at 11:20am CST by Adam La Rose

After a tenuous offseason in which he first became eligible for an extension, Kyler Murray is now on the verge of a lucrative second contract. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Cardinals are “working to close a monster extension” with the former No. 1 pick.

Rapoport adds that the deal will make Murray “one of the NFL’s highest-paid players,” and that is has now been finalized (Twitter link). The team has corroborated (via Twitter) that the contract is in place. The two sides have been negotiating “for weeks” to hammer out terms, and now the process has reached the finish line. The deal comprises a five-year extension, meaning that Murray (who has two years remaining on his rookie contract) will remain under contract with Arizona through 2028.

Regarding financial details, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the pact has a total value of $230.5MM, adding that the contract carries $160MM in guaranteed money. At a annual average value of $46.1MM-per-year, this deal makes Murray the NFL’s second highest-paid QB, behind Aaron Rodgers. It also ranks second in terms of guaranteed compensation, trailing only the historic $230MM deal the Browns gave Deshaun Watson, ever dollar of which is assured. Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero adds that Murray will make $69MM over the first two years of the extension, and $106.15MM by year three (Twitter link).

Murray, 24, has been a full-time starter immediately since entering the NFL in 2019. After winning Rookie of the Year honors, he has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the past two seasons. That made a long-term commitment seem inevitable, but tensions have run high between the player and club leading up to this deal.

Back in February, there were reports of acrimony as the window for an extension to be signed was soon to be opened. Weeks later, Murray’s agent issued, in essence, an ultimatum to the team detailing his contributions to the franchise, along with a blueprint for an extension. Things looked bleak in terms of the relationship between the two sides at that point, but the situation steadily progressed as the offseason moved closer to the summer, when a deal of this magnitude was always more likely to be signed.

In June, it came out that an extension being finalized ahead of training camp was quite likely. Now, the Cardinals have their franchise centerpiece in place for the long-term future. Questions about his leadership will no doubt remain, and in fact be amplified, by his rank amongst the highest-paid players in the league. Delivering postseason success will likewise become an even greater expectation with this deal in place. Meanwhile, this contract shows the close link between the value of Watson’s extension and the financial terms Murray ended up agreeing to. It will be worth watching if any Lamar Jackson deal ends up taking on a similar form.

Giants Place TE Daniel Bellinger On PUP List

July 21st, 2022 at 10:08am CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have a new-look TE room in 2022, but the first piece of news at the position as training camps are set to open isn’t a positive one. The team announced on Thursday that rookie Daniel Bellinger has been placed on the active/PUP list with a quad injury.

The San Diego State alum signed his rookie deal earlier this week, allowing him to shift his attention to a training camp which should provide him every opportunity to carve out a significant role in the Giants’ offense. New York no longer has Evan Engram or Kyle Rudolph at the position, so a starting role is available to be won this summer.

Bellinger’s lack of production in college (no more than 357 receiving yards in a single season) contributed to his name not being called until the fourth round of the draft. Still, his time with the Aztecs showcased a combination of receiving and blocking skills which should give him a path to playing time right away in the NFL. Bellinger received first-team reps during spring workouts, so his absence will be felt when veterans report to camp next week.

Other than Bellinger, the Giants currently have veterans Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins on the roster. They will see an uptick in practice snaps while Bellinger recovers from the injury, the severity of which is unknown. Fortunately for Big Blue, he can be activated at any time, allowing him to continue getting acclimated to an offense much in need of a step forward in 2022 when he is able to do so.

No Extension Imminent Between 49ers, Deebo Samuel

July 21st, 2022 at 9:06am CST by Adam La Rose

While there was an important update on one 49er who has been in the headlines all offseason yesterday, the situation regarding another of the team’s key priorities is murkier. With training camp approaching, much remains to be determined as it pertains to Deebo Samuel.

An NFL.com report details that there is “nothing imminent” with respect to an extension being finalized by San Francisco and the All-Pro receiver. That runs counter to the sense that a lucrative long-term deal could be hammered out in the build-up to camp, a possibility brought up last month. Nevertheless, the two camps “have had talks” about an extension, per the report.

Bridging the gap between Samuel’s original asking price and the team’s best offer to date has, naturally, been seen as a key milestone in helping repair relations between the two sides after the 26-year-old’s April trade request. However, it is still “unclear as to how close the parties are to a new contract.” Samuel boosted his market value in 2021 with 1,770 scrimmage yards as he became the undisputed focal point of the 49ers’ offense late in the regular season and into the playoffs.

As a result, he is widely expected to join the ever-growing club of receivers signing deals averaging at least $20MM per season – a sizeable jump in compensation from the $4MM the South Carolina product is set to earn in 2022, the final year of his rookie contract. The 49ers could scarcely afford much in the way of a raise for him this season in their current cap situation, though that will change dramatically once Jimmy Garoppolo is no longer on the books. San Francisco also has fellow 2019 draftee Nick Bosa eligible for an extension, though those negotiations have taken a backseat to Samuel talks.

With much unsettled regarding his contract status, it remains to be seen if Samuel will attend training camp next week. He skipped voluntary OTAs, but was present for mandatory minicamp. The fact that he didn’t participate in any on-field work, however, leaves a ‘hold-in’ along the same lines as a distinct possibility. While the Garoppolo situation seems set to remain in a holding pattern for the near future, then, the Samuel one will be worth watching in the coming days.

Buccaneers To Sign TE Kyle Rudolph

July 20th, 2022 at 9:34pm CST by Ben Levine

Tom Brady has a new tight end. The Buccaneers have signed Kyle Rudolph, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal for the veteran tight end.

We heard recently that the market for Rudolph was starting to heat up. The Buccaneers were listed among the known suitors, as were the Vikings, Rudolph’s former team. Rudolph was also connected to the Broncos and his former GM George Paton earlier in the offseason. Ultimately, it was the Buccaneers who managed to land the free agent, and they now have a tight end who can somewhat replace the production of Rob Gronkowski, who announced his retirement earlier this offseason.

It’s been a bit since Rudolph has come close to even matching Gronk’s 2021 numbers, but at the very least, he’ll provide Brady with another reliable option at the position. Rudolph will likely compete with Cameron Brate for offensive reps, with rookies Cade Otton and Ko Kieft now competing for the third TE spot on Tampa Bay’s roster.

The Giants inked Rudolph to a two-year, $12MM deal in March of 2021, but following a season where the tight end finished with only 26 catches for 357 yards and one touchdown, he received his walking papers. Prior to his brief stint in New York, Rudolph spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Minnesota, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods. He ranks sixth in Vikings history in receptions (453) and receiving touchdowns (48), and he’s 10th in receiving yards (4,488). Rudolph saw reduced targets during his final seasons with the organization, but he was still relatively consistent in the yards-per-catch category (including a career-high 11.9-yards per reception in 2020).

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