HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Jimmy Garoppolo On Seahawks’ Radar

July 11th, 2022 at 1:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks held off on trading for Baker Mayfield, and despite increased scrutiny, the Drew Lock-vs.-Geno Smith competition continues to look like the team’s post-Russell Wilson plan. But the other QB that looms on the trade block is at least on Seattle’s radar.

Jimmy Garoppolo has generated internal discussions among Seahawks brass, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, who adds the team has gone through film of how the four-plus-year 49ers starter would fit (video link). While the Seahawks did not blink as the Panthers finalized their Mayfield trade, a Garoppolo-to-Seattle scenario appears in play.

Although it would be rather reckless if the Seahawks didn’t give Garoppolo a thorough look, given their quarterback situation, Pete Carroll said earlier this offseason he did not expect his team to make a second quarterback trade. Carroll’s QB-related words were not exactly indicative of the team’s plans with Wilson, but the Seahawks have stuck to their guns regarding the search for his successor. Mayfield-Seattle connections were repeatedly shot down, and the NFC West team is now a few weeks away from its Smith-Lock contest going into training camp.

Intra-divisional trades are rare, and not many quarterbacks have been exchanged by division rivals — Drew Bledsoe (2002) and Donovan McNabb (2010) being modern-era exceptions — but Fowler points to the Seahawks potentially waiting out the 49ers on their Garoppolo call. Unless an injury wrecks a team’s QB situation, the 49ers do not have many options with Garoppolo. His $24.2MM salary becomes guaranteed by Week 1, and although a Monday-morning report indicated the expectation is the 49ers will find a trade partner this month, teams may be willing to test San Francisco’s patience. Considering the Seahawks’ patience on the Mayfield front, it is not too difficult to see them standing pat with the Lock-Smith setup and waiting for Garoppolo to hit free agency.

That plan would not give the 30-year-old passer much time to digest the Seahawks’ playbook, and it would open the door to a stealth suitor swooping in. The Browns, who added more than $8MM to their league-leading cap-space figure with their Mayfield trade, could be in play if the imminent Deshaun Watson suspension does cover all of 2022. (Per results in the latest PFR poll, the Garoppolo-to-Cleveland scenario is quite live.) Garoppolo (two top-15 QBR marks in the past three years) would likely be an upgrade on what Seattle has, providing a chance for him to build up his 2023 free agency stock.

The 49ers will let Garoppolo’s camp negotiate his contract with other teams, but going from $24.2MM to where teams would want the QB’s 2022 compensation to land might be a long bridge. Holding more than $16MM in cap space (compared to the 49ers’ $4.9MM), the Seahawks sit in the top 10 for available funds. But they surely will not be interested in paying Garoppolo nearly as much as he is currently set to make.

The ninth-year veteran has not endured a setback in his recovery from shoulder surgery. He remains on track to resuming throwing this month.

Four Players Remain On Franchise Tag; Extension Deadline Friday

July 11th, 2022 at 12:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The teams that still have players tied to the franchise tag have until 3pm CT Friday to reach extension agreements with the tagged performers. Otherwise, those players will play the 2022 season on the tag.

This year has brought a better success rate for tags leading to extensions, at least compared to the past two offseasons. Four of the eight players given the tag in March have signed extensions. That betters the 2020 (2-for-14) and 2021 (3-for-9) success rates. While Chris Godwin (Buccaneers), Cam Robinson (Jaguars), David Njoku (Browns) and Davante Adams (Packers; traded to Raiders) agreed to deals, the rest of this year’s group remains unsigned.

Here is how that quartet stands entering deadline week:

S Jessie Bates, Cincinnati Bengals

This looks like the most contentious of this year’s remaining tag situations. Bates, 25, discussed his disappointment about the lack of a Bengals extension ahead of his 2021 contract year and admitted not receiving a long-term deal affected him during the season. The former second-round pick, who rebounded with a postseason run featuring two interceptions and six pass deflections, voiced opposition to the franchise tag in February. Absent a long-term deal, the fifth-year defender is not expected to show for Bengals training camp. Bates, who has not signed his franchise tender, is tied to a $12.9MM tag figure. The Bengals hold $15.8MM in cap space.

Cincinnati has Vonn Bell on a $6MM-per-year deal, one that expires at season’s end, and used a first-round pick on safety Daxton Hill. The team has some notable players who become extension-eligible after 2022, notably Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, and they may not be prepared to extend Bates on the level of Minkah Fitzpatrick ($18.2MM per year) or Jamal Adams ($17.5MM AAV). With the Bengals potentially eyeing Marcus Williams‘ five-year, $70MM Ravens deal, this impasse has created “bleak” negotiations leading up to the deadline.

The Bengals have taken care of homegrown defenders in the fairly recent past, giving both Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins two extensions and re-signing Dre Kirkpatrick in 2017. They also have let productive starters go, as evidenced by the departures of Andrew Whitworth, Kevin Zeitler, William Jackson and Carl Lawson. Zeitler signed a then-guard-record deal with the Browns in 2017; is Bates headed for free agency after a rental year?

T Orlando Brown Jr., Kansas City Chiefs

This situation has not produced as many headlines as Bates’ over the past year, but the Chiefs are a few days away from going to year-to-year with their left tackle. Brown is tied to a $16.7MM tag but is pursuing a deal that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman. Trent Williams, whom the Chiefs pursued in free agency last year before pivoting to a Brown trade, currently holds that title ($23MM per year). The league has three $20MM-AAV O-linemen (Williams, David Bakhtiari and Laremy Tunsil). For Brown to commit to a long-term deal, he would need to be the fourth. The Chiefs hold $14.3MM in cap space.

The Chiefs gave up their 2021 first-round pick for Brown, in a deal that also sent a Ravens second-rounder to Kansas City. Brown hired an agent that did not have an NFL client at that point, seeking a representative without relationships with front offices. The former Ravens third-rounder delivered an ominous message to his current team last month. Addressing the AFC West arrivals of Chandler Jones, Khalil Mack and Randy Gregory, Brown said it is “not the year to go into the season with a backup left tackle.” The sides have begun talks, which was the Chiefs’ plan upon acquiring Brown in 2021. But these could, as many tag stalemates do, go up to the deadline.

In moving from a right tackle the Ravens did not have in their long-term plans to a Chiefs Pro Bowler given the tag, Brown has shown a knack for maximizing his value. Like Bates, Brown has not signed his franchise tender, giving him the option of skipping training camp free of charge. The Chiefs have just one O-lineman, Joe Thuney, signed to a notable veteran deal. It would seem the franchise is prepared to give Brown a big-ticket extension. If the 26-year-old blocker is intent on surpassing Williams’ deal, it will test the Chiefs’ commitment.

TE Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins might be eyeing a rental season here. Gesicki signed his franchise tender and has expressed interest in a long-term Miami deal. But the team may want to see more from the former second-round pick. Less than a week before the deadline, the sides have not done much work on an extension. Njoku’s $14.2MM-per-year pact can reasonably be viewed as a Gesicki target, with the Dolphins tight end producing two seasons — yardage-wise — that outpaced Njoku’s best year. Even before Njoku’s extension, the Dolphins and their tagged tight end were not close on a re-up. The Dolphins hold $16.5MM in cap space.

Mike McDaniel reshaped the Dolphins’ offense this offseason, and on just a $10.9MM franchise tender, the Penn State product makes sense as a rental piece. This represents a crucial year for Tua Tagovailoa, and the Dolphins kept one of his top targets off the market. Gesicki, 26, could join this year’s other tagged tight end as a 2023 free agent. It would cost the Dolphins 120% of this year’s tight end tag figure to cuff Gesicki again in 2023.

TE Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys frequently hammer out extensions, preferring deals that last at least five years. That preference has impacted the Schultz talks, with the Njoku contract undoubtedly factoring into this equation as well. Throughout the offseason, the Cowboys and Schultz have not been close on an agreement. Schultz, 26, did not finish OTAs with the team, citing dissatisfaction with his contract talks for leaving. He later circled back for mandatory minicamp. Despite little momentum emerging for much of the offseason, these negotiations still have a chance of producing an agreement ahead of Friday’s deadline. The Cowboys hold $22.5MM in cap space; Schultz has signed his tender.

Unlike Gesicki’s situation, the tight end tag talks in Dallas have continued throughout the offseason. The $10.9MM payment obviously represents a major raise for the former fourth-round pick, but as Blake Jarwin‘s injury issues have shown, players can lose value quickly. The Cowboys paid Jarwin ahead of his career-altering injuries, and Schultz has been a far more effective weapon, as evidenced by his 808-yard, eight-touchdown 2021 season. The Cowboys were wise to keep him off this year’s market, with Amari Cooper being traded and Michael Gallup unlikely to start the season on time.

If Schultz and the Cowboys cannot agree on terms by Friday, his status as a key Dak Prescott target stands to position the Stanford alum for a big payday as a 2023 UFA. Then again, the Cowboys have re-tagged multiple players — Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence — over the past five years.

Condoleezza Rice Joins Rob Walton’s Broncos Ownership Group

July 11th, 2022 at 10:20am CST by Sam Robinson

Rob Walton‘s ownership group placed the top bid to acquire the Broncos. While Walton’s son-in-law and daughter — Greg Penner and Carrie Walton Penner — are expected to run the day-to-day operations, others are part of the ownership group that placed the $4.65 billion bid.

The group added a big name recently. The Broncos announced Monday former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice is now part of Walton’s ownership group. Rice is a University of Denver alum, receiving two degrees from the university after spending part of her childhood in the city.

“We’re pleased to welcome former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to our ownership group. A highly respected public servant, accomplished academic and corporate leader, Secretary Rice is well known as a passionate and knowledgeable football fan who has worked to make the sport stronger and better,” the Walton-Penner group said in a statement. “Her unique experience and extraordinary judgment will be a great benefit to our group and the Broncos organization.”

Rice, 67, is a former member of the College Football Playoff committee and was once linked to the Browns’ HC position. The latter connection was quickly dismissed by Rice, a known Browns fan, but she has been involved in the game for a bit. Rice joins Starbucks chairwoman Mellody Hobson as prominent members of Walton’s ownership group. Peyton Manning has also been connected to a role with Walton’s group. The former Broncos quarterback spoke with all four ownership groups who became finalists to acquire the franchise about a role with his former team.

“It is an honor to be part of this ownership group. Football has been an integral part of my life since the moment it was introduced to me, and I am thrilled to be a part of the Broncos organization,” Rice said, via 9News’ Mike Klis (Twitter links). “I spent much of my younger years in Denver so to be able to combine my love of the game with my love for this great city and team is an adventure of a lifetime and a great opportunity.”

Walton’s group is in the process of taking over the Broncos. A vote among the league’s 31 other owners approving the sale is expected to take place in August.

Jimmy Garoppolo Expected To Be Traded In July?

July 11th, 2022 at 9:36am CST by Sam Robinson

With Baker Mayfield finally being moved to the Panthers, the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo domino looms. Carolina completing its long-rumored deal with Cleveland removes a Garoppolo destination from the equation, giving San Francisco an interesting task in the weeks to come.

This process could well end with the 49ers releasing Garoppolo, but Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes the expectation around the league is for a trade to be completed by the end of July. Garoppolo remains on schedule to resume throwing soon, according to his agent, who became the latest to refute a weekend connection between the ninth-year quarterback and the Buccaneers (Twitter links).

[RELATED: How will 49ers’ Garoppolo saga conclude?]

Facing the prospect of carrying a $26.95MM Garoppolo cap hit (the NFL’s seventh-highest 2022 cap figure), the 49ers will need to have that number off their books before it translates to a vested-veteran guarantee in Week 1. Any Garoppolo trade talks will involve lowering that number, as teams can use Garoppolo’s upcoming guarantee date against the 49ers. San Francisco will let Garoppolo negotiate his contract with other teams to facilitate a trade. Garoppolo making it to free agency would give the veteran more options, but the longer this goes, the more difficult it will be for the 30-year-old QB to maximize his opportunity with a team.

The end-of-July date is interesting. A better deal may emerge in August, with the prospect of teams’ QB depth charts being affected by injuries being more likely then than it will be in July. Garoppolo’s right shoulder surgery has delayed San Francisco’s goal of unloading its former starter. Waiting on a potential injury to change a team’s QB outlook would seemingly benefit the 49ers, as it did the Eagles six years ago. Teddy Bridgewater‘s severe knee injury prompted the Vikings to trade first- and fourth-round picks for Sam Bradford, whose Philadelphia exit cleared the way for Carson Wentz. Garoppolo’s Bay Area departure will begin the latest North Dakota State-produced prospect’s QB1 run.

Bradford’s contract was easier for the Vikings to absorb, with the Eagles having already paid their 2015 trade acquisition an $11MM offseason roster bonus. The Vikings were only responsible for $7MM of Bradford’s salary in 2016. While a team seeing its starter go down during camp could create desperation, the 49ers likely will still be asked to pay some of Garoppolo’s salary. Absent an injury, the Garoppolo market is cold.

Trey Lance is on track to take the reins for the 49ers. The Division I-FCS product cannot be viewed as a sure thing, after an atypical college career and some rookie-year scuffling, but the price the 49ers paid to acquire him points to a starter ascent. Lance struggling in camp could lead to the 49ers keeping the Garoppolo door open, on a price tag that is not $26.95MM, but the team remains hopeful it will find a way to move Garoppolo off its roster ahead of that point.

Offseason In Review: Las Vegas Raiders

July 10th, 2022 at 10:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders’ first playoff berth in five years and second since 2002 included a minus-65 point differential and a 21st-place DVOA ranking. The Broncos and Chargers then loaded up their rosters in the offseason, with the likes of Russell Wilson, Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson entering the AFC West. Along with the Chiefs, who were largely responsible for the Raiders’ historically bad (for a playoff entrant) point differential, the other two Raider rivals’ reloads increase the degree of difficulty for the Silver and Black in 2022.

But Las Vegas’ offseason did not signal a short-term step back as part of a bigger-picture plan. The Raiders’ moves indicate their new regime believes this is a team on the cusp. Davante Adams and Chandler Jones trekking to Vegas rounds out what figures to be one of the more fascinating divisional races in modern NFL history. The Raiders will enter that derby with more preseason hype than they’ve received in nearly 20 years.

Trades:

The Deshaun Watson trade doubled as the offseason’s highest-profile move, aided by the many controversies it spurred. But the Raiders’ decision to reunite Adams and Derek Carr produced the biggest fallout. The ex-Packers All-Pro’s $28MM-per-year contract is a somewhat deceiving deal that includes two whopping salaries ($35.6MM and $35.7MM) in its final two years to move the AAV past DeAndre Hopkins‘ previous high-water mark. The extension still calls for nearly $66MM to be guaranteed by March 2023, and Green Bay’s tag-and-trade maneuver triggered a receiver-market earthquake.

Most notably, the Raiders’ decision led Tyreek Hill out of the AFC West. The Chiefs’ unrivaled speed threat raised his asking price following the Adams accord. Rookie Raiders GM Dave Ziegler could deserve gamesmanship points for that ancillary consequence, with Hill leaving Kansas City for Miami less than a week later. On the field, Adams will be the best wideout of Carr’s career and probably (depending on how you feel about Wes Welker) the top receiver to play in a Josh McDaniels system since Randy Moss.

Adams arrived in Vegas with considerable momentum, with his back-to-back All-Pros aiding Aaron Rodgers to consecutive MVPs. Although Adams and Carr famously played together at Fresno State, we will soon learn more about Rodgers’ impact on Adams’ NFL success. The situations are different, but the Raiders acquiring Jordy Nelson (at 33) did not go well. The prospect of Vegas unleashing the well-rounded Adams-Hunter Renfrow–Darren Waller trio on secondaries presents tremendous intrigue. The modern Raiders have not deployed a troika quite like this, which should keep Carr’s mid-career rise on course.

Betting on a receiver remaining elite into his early 30s is a risk the Raiders were willing to take, with the Adams deal’s practical guarantees running through 2024. (The ninth-year veteran turns 30 in December.) Of the top 35 receiving yardage numbers since 2012, only two came from 30-somethings (Andre Johnson and Brandon Marshall, both at 31).

For a minute (literally, as the transactions came seconds apart) a strange reality in which the Raiders rostered Ngakoue, Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones unveiled itself. But the team quickly revealed its plans by making Ngakoue, 27, a Vegas one-and-done. Ngakoue and Jones totaled 36 pressures last season, but the former will follow Gus Bradley from Nevada to Indiana. Ngakoue, who will play for Bradley in a third city, worked as a fine Crosby sidekick in tallying 10 sacks and two forced fumbles. The Raiders are betting Jones, despite being five years older, will be a better Crosby edge bookend.

Ya-Sin is coming off his best season, which Pro Football Focus ranked as a top-30 campaign among 2021 cornerbacks. The Raiders now have a contract-year corner to evaluate. Ya-Sin is expected to team with Trayvon Mullen outside, with potential slot standout Nate Hobbs accompanying them on most downs. The Raiders effectively chose Ya-Sin, a 2019 second-rounder, over giving Casey Hayward a slight raise.

Edwards’ exit leaves the Raiders without their first six picks from the 2020 draft. The former third-round pick follows first-rounder Henry Ruggs (waived in November 2021), first-rounder Damon Arnette (waived in November 2021), third-rounder Tanner Muse (waived in September 2021) and third-rounder Lynn Bowden Jr. (traded in September 2020) in not making it to Year 3 with the Raiders. The 6-foot-3 target showed a bit more promise as an NFL sophomore (571 receiving yards), but the Ziegler-McDaniels pair identified outside help to staff the team’s tertiary receiver spots.

Notable signings:

Low-cost performers, including a batch of ex-Patriots, came to Vegas in droves this year. But the team spent notable cash on a couple of defenders. Jones fronts that pack, with the six-year Cardinal committing to the NFL’s other desert city. Similar to the Adams trade, the Raiders are betting on the back end of a star’s prime. With Crosby rushing on the other side and a slew of ex-New England staffers running the Raiders now, this is probably the ideal locale for Jones (107.5 career sacks) to maximize his early 30s and push for a Hall of Fame spot. McDaniels, Ziegler and new DC Patrick Graham were with the Patriots throughout Jones’ four-year Foxborough run.

Jones’ 2020 biceps injury and the ex-first-rounder’s age during his Cards contract year worked against him maximizing his value. The two-time All-Pro watched several younger edge rushers pass his 2017 extension. T.J. Watt has since moved the position’s AAV ceiling to $28MM. Jones’ All-Pro seasons came in 2017 and ’19, and while earning $16.5MM on average for five years is nothing to complain about, the Syracuse product’s bad timing kept him from a salary tier he probably deserved to infiltrate. But Jones still did well to cash in with the Raiders, who guaranteed the first two years of his $17MM-AAV deal.

Jones, 32, did enough to earn All-Decade acclaim and bounced back from his injury with a 10.5-sack 2021 season. Granted, five of those came in one game — a Week 1 barrage against the Titans, the first game after Cardinals management did not grant his offseason trade request — but Jones’ 26 QB hits matched his 2019 season. The Raiders have rostered Khalil Mack, the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, and deployed the Ngakoue-Crosby duo for a year. But Crosby and Jones being signed long-term together forms what is probably the team’s top edge duo this century.

The Titans did not make Brown an offseason priority, letting him go for barely the league minimum. But coverage is the four-year starter’s strong suit. Considering Brown signed for $5.3MM last year and rated as a top-20 PFF linebacker from 2018-20, this could be a quality buy-low bet. Brown, 27, could play a three-down role alongside Denzel Perryman. Injuries over the past two years dropped Brown’s price, but linebackers with his skillset and resume are worth more than $1MM.

Hollins, Cole and Robinson will tag in to fill the spots of Edwards, DeSean Jackson and Zay Jones. While McDaniels will surely flood his top three skill-position players with targets, the Raiders did not draft a receiver. Openings for Carr’s Nos. 3 and 4 wideouts exist.

Cole, 29, comes in with the most experience, having led the Jaguars’ surprising AFC championship game-qualifying outfit in receiving (748 yards). The Division III product showed deep-threat capabilities in 2017, with 17.8 yards per reception, but has not matched that output since. Robinson is accustomed to seeing favorable coverage, having been on a team with Hill and Travis Kelce throughout his career. Jones and Edwards ranked in the top 15 in 2021 average depth of target (14.0 yards apiece). Seeing how the post-Ruggs/D-Jax Raiders dial up deep opportunities and round out their receiving corps will be somewhat interesting to start this season.

Similar to the incoming wideouts, the Raiders shuffled out their interior D-linemen. Well, save for Hankins, who has now signed four Raiders contracts during a five-year tenure. A fifth-round pick, Nichols broke into the Bears’ starting lineup as a rookie — on a defense full of veteran front-seven contracts — and remained part of the team’s upper-echelon, Mitchell Trubisky-restricted defenses from 2019-20. Nichols racked up eight sacks and 22 QB hits over the past two seasons. The Raiders did not stop with Nichols, adding four more vets (Butler, Lancaster, Kyle Peko and Andrew Billings) and drafting two interior D-linemen on Day 3. Las Vegas ranked 19th against the run last season.

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Release Candidate: Dolphins RB Salvon Ahmed

July 10th, 2022 at 9:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Two years ago, injuries decimated the Dolphins’ running backs room, leading to Miami turning to two former Washington Huskies: Myles Gaskin, drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and Salvon Ahmed, an undrafted rookie in 2020. After some eventual health and free agent additions over the following two years, it’s looking like Gaskin and Ahmed may be battling for a roster spot, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. 

In the 2020 NFL season, Gaskin and Ahmed were the teams two leading rushers in terms of yardage. Gaskin led the team with 584 yards on 142 attempts, while Ahmed was second on the team with 319 yards on 75 carries. Both had three rushing touchdowns, trailing only Jordan Howard who scored touchdowns on 4 of his 28 carries.

Ahmed’s rookie season saw him start four games. Two of those starts still hold as his best career games. His first career start saw him run for 85 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown. His third start, five weeks later, saw him rush for 122 yards on 23 carries while scoring his second touchdown of the season.

In 2021, Ahmed was relegated back to a backup role. Gaskin started the most games for the Dolphins with 10 while Duke Johnson, now with the Bills, and Malcolm Brown, currently a free agent, started the seven remaining games. Regardless of starts, Ahmed still finished third on the team in carries and rushing yards behind only Gaskin and Johnson.

The 2022 offseason saw the Dolphins go shopping in the free agent market, signing three new running backs to the roster. Raheem Mostert will return to his home-state after spending just over five seasons on the opposite coast in San Francisco. After a 2019 season in which Mostert led the 49ers in rushing yards without starting a single game, he was tabbed as the starter the following two seasons but only played in nine games with both of those years getting cut short due to injury. Chase Edmonds will have a chance to compete for the starting job in Miami after serving as the No. 2 running back behind the likes of Kenyan Drake and James Conner during his time in Arizona. Finally, Sony Michel will head back to the AFC East after a one-year hiatus in Los Angeles. Michel’s lone year with the Rams saw him return to form after an injury-plagued season in New England.

Michel has seen the most consistent success of the three, but Mostert has shown an ability to do more with less, touting a career 5.7 yards per carry, and Edmonds has shown effectiveness rushing and receiving out of the backfield for the Cardinals. It’s anybody’s guess who could end up starting for Miami at running back, but, with three solid options, Gaskin or Ahmed may find themselves in the dog house.

Both have served the Dolphins well in their short tenures, but Gaskin has had the clear preference over Ahmed in the past two seasons, being chosen to start over Ahmed and receiving 315 carries to Ahmed’s 129. Not to mention the fact that Gaskin offers much more to the passing game than Ahmed has so far in his career. Compared to Ahmed’s 23 career receptions for 178 yards, Gaskin has 97 catches for 673 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Miami has given Ahmed an opportunity not often afforded to young, undrafted players, but, sadly, everything above could be pointing to the end of his time with the Dolphins. I expect Ahmed to hang around through the preseason, given the injury history Miami has experienced at the position over recent years, but it’s hard to picture a scenario where the Dolphins hang on to five running backs or one where Ahmed is able to beat out one of the above four.

Jets Rumors: Whitehead, Franklin-Myers, Berrios

July 10th, 2022 at 8:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets signed former Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead early in free agency this offseason, hoping to pair him with last year’s free agent addition Lamarcus Joyner. They’ll depend on Whitehead to provide some consistency and a winning-pedigree to a position group that lacked both last season, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post.

Last year saw a revolving door at the safety position for New York. Joyner didn’t get the opportunity to help improve the group after suffering a Week 1 injury that would hold him out for the rest of the year. Marcus Maye, now with the Saints, also saw an early injury end his season after only appearing in six games. This left the Jets to rely on backups and depth players. Ashtyn Davis and Elijah Riley holdover from last year’s roster as the two safeties who started the most games last year, while reserves like Adrian Colbert, Jarrod Wilson, and Will Parks found themselves starting games for the Jets at some point during the season.

Now with a healthy Joyner and the newly-signed Whitehead, New York hopes to have a strong starting duo with last year’s starters, Davis and Riley, serving as experienced backups.

Here are a few other notes from Costello’s roster breakdown:

  • New York rewarded the recent efforts of defensive end John Franklin-Myers with a midseason four-year, $55MM extension last season. Costello points out that the structure of the contract allows the Jets to move on from Franklin-Myers fairly easily if the deal doesn’t pan out, but the team is set up for the fifth-year defender to succeed in perhaps the best situation of his career. Franklin-Myers strength lies in his rush defense. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 11th best run-defender out of 108 edge defenders (subscription required), but he didn’t disappoint in the pass rush either, grading out at 30th. The addition of a healthy Carl Lawson should help take some attention off of Franklin-Myers, but there’s another way he can see a bit more success rushing the passer. Franklin-Myers has shown a valuable versatility in playing both inside and outside on the defensive line with the Jets liking to utilize him on the inside to exploit mismatches against guards. With the selection of rookie Jermaine Johnson II in the first round this offseason, the Jets can have Franklin-Myers and Lawson start in normal packages then bring in Johnson on passing downs and shift Franklin-Myers inside. This way you get the benefit of Franklin-Myers well-rounded play every down and can utilize the team’s best three pass rushers on passing downs.
  • After a season that saw him earn first-team All-Pro honors as a return man, wide receiver Braxton Berrios was rewarded with a two-year, $12MM extension. There’s no question that he’ll return next year as the team’s primary returner on both punts and kickoffs, but he may also see an increase in his usage on offense, too, according to Costello. Working behind Jamison Crowder in the slot, Berrios recorded 46 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns, adding 40 yards and two more touchdowns in the rushing game on seven carries. Despite the departure of Crowder, Berrios still sits at fourth on the depth chart behind Corey Davis, Elijah Moore, and rookie Garrett Wilson. Berrios will once again be the first slot receiver off the bench behind Moore, but he’s shown the ability to play outside throughout his career, as well, and may be the preferred option as an outside replacement over Denzel Mims or Jeff Smith. Berrios also showed potential and ability last year on end-arounds and trick plays, giving the Jets even more excuses to get him on the field. In his fifth year out of Miami (FL), Berrios will look to build off his chemistry with quarterback Zach Wilson and reward the Jets for their dedication to him.

Latest On Falcons CB Isaiah Oliver

July 10th, 2022 at 6:31pm CST by Ely Allen

Three days after his 25th birthday, Falcons cornerback Isaiah Oliver was carted off the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with what would eventually be diagnosed as a season-ending, surgery-requiring right ACL tear. Nine months later, Oliver is still working his way back onto the field, not fully ready to return, but not far off, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN. 

The advancement in science, medicine, and rehabilitation has affected so much about injury returns in the NFL. Comments worrying about if players will look like their former selves after an ACL-repair surgery are few and far between these days with many players not showing a hint of injury upon their return to full strength. The one thing that doesn’t seem to be too affected is the recovery timeline. The length of time it takes to return to the gridiron after a torn ACL remains lengthy, ranging from nine months to one year. Some doctors will permit returns after as few as six months, but a consensus full-recovery usually takes a bit longer.

With this timeline in mind, Oliver is perfectly on track. He spent six weeks on crutches and still required some time after to get comfortable off of the crutches. It wouldn’t be until three-and-a-half months after his surgery that Oliver would begin running again. Months worth of atrophy made it an unfamiliar feeling, but, slowly, Oliver returned to surer footing, with his teammates helping him as much as he wished he could help them.

“Just make sure you’re keeping him right and in a good head space,” cornerback AJ Terrell, Oliver’s teammate of the past two seasons, told Rothstein. “And just letting him know that we got him and just taking care of his body and get back as soon as possible.”

The injury couldn’t have occurred at a worse time for Oliver as he was four weeks into a contract year. Oliver hasn’t proven himself to be a ball-hawk, snagging only one interception in his career, but he’s shown his ability to separate the ball from an offensive player with 27 passes defensed and three forced fumbles in his first four years. He was also in the process of learning to play in the slot to give Atlanta a strong three-man cornerback group of himself, Terrell, and Fabian Moreau. If Oliver had showed success in expanding his versatility, it would have presented him with another bargaining chip to bring to the discussions over his next contract.

Fortunately for Oliver, the Falcons are giving him another opportunity at a contract year. Shortly after the season, Atlanta re-signed Oliver to a one-year, $2.39MM deal.

“I essentially get, like, a redo,” Oliver explained. “I get that year over again, being in the same system with the same team and the same guys.”

In May, seven months post-surgery, Oliver’s running started to feel more natural. Falcons secondary coach Jon Hoke claimed he “can see the significant growth” each week, while noting that there is still some progress to go.

Oliver participated in individual drills this offseason while continuing his rehabilitation. The next steps will come in camps and will begin to test Oliver’s confidence and comfort in real-time scenarios. Until then, Oliver will continue to plug away at his rehab with his teammates by his side.

5 Key Stories: 7/3/22 – 7/10/22

July 10th, 2022 at 5:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here’s a quick recap of some of the top headlines from around the NFL this past week:

  • Browns Send Mayfield To Panthers: It took longer than all parties involved expected it to, but the Browns traded Baker Mayfield to the Panthers on Wednesday. The Browns received a conditional fifth-round pick in return, showing how much of a depreciated asset the former No. 1 overall pick had become this offseason. Mayfield reduced his salary by $3.5MM to facilitate the deal, while the Browns will absorb $10.5MM of his fifth-year option cost of $18.9MM. The swap marks the second consecutive offseason involving a top-three QB from the 2018 class for the Panthers, as they acquired Sam Darnold last year. The team plans on keeping both signal-callers in 2022.
  • Raiders Hire New President: Continuing a decades-long line of historic personnel hires, the Raiders made Sandra Douglass Morgan the new team president. The former Nevada Gaming Control Board chairwoman becomes the first Black woman to hold that title in the NFL. The move comes amidst another round of workplace misconduct allegations against the franchise, which Morgan has already acknowledged. “I am not here to avoid or sidestep problems or concerns that need to be addressed,” she said in a letter to team employees. She replaces Dan Ventrelle as president, after the veteran exec claimed he was fired in May as a result of his decision to alert owner Mark Davis to the presence of a hostile workplace environment.
  • Miller Nearly Chose Cowboys, Rams Over Bills: Von Miller gave the Bills a significant boost to their pass rush when he signed in Buffalo on a six-year, $120MM deal. Before doing so, he had an offer on the table from the Cowboys equal to the one Randy Gregory backed out of (five years, $70MM). Looking back, the future Hall of Famer said “I would have taken less to go to Dallas because it’s Dallas. But I wouldn’t take that much less.” At one point, he was also “90%” sure of staying in Los Angeles, after his Super-Bowl winning run with the Rams. Instead, he will try to earn a third ring with a third different franchise.
  • Steelers Not Prepared To Top $20MM For Johnson? One of the top storylines this offseason has been the skyrocketing WR market, and the deals 2019 draftees have signed to continue driving up the cost of young stars at the position. In the case of Diontae Johnson, the Steelers aren’t expected to offer an extension valued at $20MM per season – the benchmark several receivers, including non-Pro Bowlers, have reached or eclipsed in recent months. If the team has reached a price point it is unwilling to extend beyond, the sense that 2022 could be the 26-year-old’s final campaign in Pittsburgh will only grow.
  • Murphy To Step Aside In 2025:  The Packers will have a new president in three years’ time. Mark Murphy confirmed that, as required by the clubs by-laws, he will be retiring in 2025, ending a tenure of sustained success for the franchise. Included in that stretch is the team’s fourth Super Bowl title, adding to Murphy’s personal collection of rings dating back to his playing career. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Packers president,” he wrote to fans. “I plan on making the last three years as successful as possible, with multiple Super Bowl championships!”

Latest On NFL’s Case Against Deshaun Watson

July 10th, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The ongoing Deshaun Watson situation recently reached an important milestone, with the hearing during which the NFL and NFLPA presented their arguments for and against suspension taking place. A report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio sheds light on some of the allegations Watson faced, and their absence from the NFL’s case made against the Browns QB. 

[RELATED: No Settlement Talks On Watson Suspension Length]

“It was recently reported that none of the five cases presented by the NFL involved violence, coercion or force,” plaintiff’s attorney Tony Buzbee detailed in a letter. That was to be expected, however, since, as he further writes, the two women who made that particular accusation have settled their cases with Watson, as have 18 others. More to the point, neither member of the pair spoke with the NFL during its independent investigation into Watson.

“The majority of the civil cases we filed instead alleged indecent exposure and assault; that is, touching without consent,” the letter clarifies. The scale of Watson’s actions during his time with the Texans have been well-documented this offseason, to the point where the first suit related to his alleged sexual misconduct has been filed against the franchise. Buzbee’s communication confirms that his legal team is “preparing to file” further litigation against the Texans, as expected.

With respect to the details of the NFL’s argument made during the three-day hearing, Buzbee writes that his team is not currently “privy to what was presented… but we expect we will know soon enough.” While the specifics of the league’s case will be critical to Watson’s on-the-field future, the report recalls the important fact that it is separate from the remaining civil litigation Watson faces. The court cases determining the outcome of the outstanding civil suits are scheduled to take place after the season.

While it will be a matter of months before Watson learns his fate on that front, the ruling on his behavior relative to the league’s Personal Conduct Policy should be handed down much sooner, marking another chapter in the top NFL story of the offseason.

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