HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Buccaneers Finalizing Baker Mayfield Deal

March 15th, 2023 at 10:51am CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield interest will lead to a free agency agreement. The former No. 1 overall pick is wrapping up a deal with Tampa Bay, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Mayfield loomed as an option for the Bucs, who were not linked to being big spenders at quarterback this offseason. The sides are set to agree on a one-year deal worth $8.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. That looks to be the max value here, with Albert Breer of SI.com adding the base value will come in at $4MM (Twitter link).

This will provide Mayfield with another bounce-back opportunity and give the Bucs a veteran option to potentially succeed Tom Brady. While the Bucs are planning to give former second-round pick Kyle Trask a chance to win the starting job, Mayfield (69 starts) obviously laps the third-year passer in experience. Though, Mayfield has seen his stock dip dramatically since he was connected to a lucrative Browns extension in 2021.

Tampa will be Mayfield’s fourth home since July 2022. The Browns traded their four-year starter, after a drawn-out negotiation, to the Panthers last July. Proving a bad fit in Carolina, Mayfield ended up with the Rams to close out his fifth-year option season. Following an injury-plagued 2021 and an uneven Charlotte stay, Mayfield showed signs of life in Los Angeles. The Bucs will provide another opportunity for the 2017 Heisman winner.

Even as he did provide a spark to a depleted Rams offense down the stretch, Mayfield still finished last season with a league-worst 24.5 QBR figure. In Carolina, the 6-foot quarterback completed just 57.8% of his passes — at 6.4 yards per toss — and ended up benched for a Panthers team that started three QBs last year. Sam Darnold, who has since committed to the 49ers, ended up outplaying Mayfield in Carolina, despite the latter having won the training camp competition.

The Panthers waived Mayfield in December, and the Rams turned to the 27-year-old passer immediately after acquiring him. Two days after making the waiver claim, the Rams threw Mayfield into action early during a Thursday-night Raiders matchup. Mayfield struggled with his new team early in that game but reeled off one of the most shocking comebacks in recent NFL history, guiding his new team on a 98-yard game-winning drive — despite the Rams playing with a patchwork offensive line and without Cooper Kupp or Allen Robinson. Mayfield finished his Rams run, which also included a 24-for-28 showing against an upper-echelon Broncos defense, with a 63.6% completion rate and a passer rating well north of his Panthers sample.

Trask has made one career appearance — a Week 18 cameo in Atlanta — but has drawn praise from some Bucs players. He will be thrust into a competition with Mayfield, who is taking a steep pay cut from a fifth-year option salary he already reduced (to $15.4MM) to facilitate a trade out of Cleveland. The outspoken QB led the Browns to their first playoff berth in 18 years two seasons ago, coming back from a disastrous sophomore season under Freddie Kitchens. Mayfield ranked 10th in QBR in 2020 under Kevin Stefanski, throwing 26 TD passes compared to eight INTs, but he is far removed from that productive campaign.

The Bucs will see if new OC Dave Canales can harness some of what Stefanski did three seasons ago. The sixth-year veteran would seem to match up better with a Bucs team still housing several starters from Super Bowl LV. But after Mayfield’s struggles in his 2022 platform season led to a mediocre market, another uninspiring slate will likely take him off the QB1 radar for the foreseeable future.

Saints To Sign DTs Khalen Saunders, Nathan Shepherd

March 15th, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Sam Robinson

After seeing David Onyemata join his former position coach (Ryan Nielsen) in Atlanta, New Orleans is addressing its defensive tackle spot with multiple additions.

The Saints are expected to sign both Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini report (Twitter links). Saunders’ deal is worth up to $14.5MM over three years, Pelissero tweets.

Shepherd was one of three Jets defensive tackles to hit the open market, joining ex-Saint Sheldon Rankins and Solomon Thomas. The Jets are trying to bring Rankins back, but one of their former Day 2 picks will not join him. Shepherd, a former third-round choice, spent the past five seasons with the Jets. Also a former third-round pick, Saunders played out his rookie contract with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

Drafted out of Division II Fort Hays State, Shepherd worked as a rotational D-lineman in New York. The 12-game starter totaled 22 quarterback hits over the past three seasons, and although the 315-pound performer’s sack total (six) underwhelms, Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-10 pass rusher among interior linemen last season.

Saunders finished with a career-high 3.5 sacks last season, breaking through after playing just 10 games from 2020-21. A Western Illinois alum partially known for his backflip prowess, Saunders added a sack in the playoffs for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Playing alongside Chris Jones certainly did not hurt Saunders, who played a career-most 421 defensive snaps last season. PFF slotted the 324-pound player 74th overall among interior D-linemen in 2022.

Onyemata agreed to a three-year, $35MM deal with the Falcons, who hired Nielsen as their DC this offseason. The talented inside rusher, who played seven seasons with the Saints, left a void inside for the NFC South club. Saunders and Shepherd will aim to fill it.

Buccaneers To Re-Sign OLB Anthony Nelson

March 15th, 2023 at 9:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Anthony Nelson will sign a second Buccaneers contract. The young edge rusher is staying in Tampa on a two-year deal, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

The former fourth-round pick has become a solid complementary rusher for the team, racking up 10.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He will stick around alongside Shaq Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.

Barrett is coming off an Achilles tear, leading to Nelson’s first extended run in Tampa Bay’s starting lineup. The veteran sack artist’s injury made retaining Nelson more important for a Bucs team that, despite a Saints-level cap situation entering March, has found room to retain both Nelson and cornerback Jamel Dean.

A number of other veteran defenders’ futures are currently in doubt in Tampa Bay, a team which is due to see a substantial overhaul in spite of their success in keeping a key member of their pass rush in Nelson. The 26-year-old put up similar numbers to the 2021 season in terms of pressures and QB hits this season, in spite of the substantial increase in playing time.

That could mean his statistical ceiling has essentially been met, but his success in a rotational role, coupled with his age, makes a short-term deal a logical priority for the NFC South champions. Barrett is on the books for another two seasons, while Tryon-Shoyinka is likewise set to have his rookie contract expire after the 2024 season. They, along with Nelson, will now be linked financially as the mainstays of the Bucs’ edge group.

Tampa Bay still sits in a worse financial situation than most teams at the moment, after their numerous cost-cutting moves leading up to this week. Their success in retaining both Dean and Nelson is noteworthy, however, and will give the team some continuity on defense regardless of what happens in the coming days.

Patriots Expected To Sign T Riley Reiff

March 15th, 2023 at 8:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Riley Reiff will be heading to a fourth team in four seasons. The veteran tackle is expected to sign with the Patriots, Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets.

The 11-year veteran has been with the Vikings, Bengals and Bears since 2020. He will join a Patriots team that has already agreed to terms with ex-Broncos spot starter/swingman Calvin Anderson. Reiff spent last season as Bears part-time starter; the Patriots may give him a chance to earn the right tackle gig opposite Trent Brown.

Connected to a pursuit of a right tackle on this year’s market, the Pats stood down and let the likes of Mike McGlinchey (Broncos), Jawaan Taylor (Chiefs) and Kaleb McGary (Falcons) agree to terms elsewhere. Reiff and Anderson would not exactly present a desired right tackle competition, at least not at this point in Reiff’s career, and the Patriots do not have an expensive contract elsewhere on their front. For now, however, Reiff is the most proven option for the team on the right side.

Reiff’s experience aside, he turned 34 in December and did not begin last season as a starter for a 3-14 Bears team. The NFC North nomad did, however, move into Chicago’s starting lineup. The ex-Lions first-rounder made 10 starts for the Bears last season, supplanting Larry Borom in the rebuilding team’s lineup. Pro Football Focus ranked Borom and Reiff as its Nos. 50 and 51 tackles last season. Reiff (149 career starts) bounced back from an injury-abbreviated Bengals season, playing 16 Bears games in 2022.

The Pats are satisfied with their interior O-line trio (David Andrews, Cole Strange, Michael Onwenu) and may be leaning toward bringing Brown back at left tackle. They benched former blindsider-turned-right tackle Isaiah Wynn last season, before an injury knocked the ex-first-rounder out for the year. Wynn is almost certain to depart. Reiff and Anderson, a former Pats UDFA, as of now represent his successor options.

Panthers Expected To Sign TE Hayden Hurst

March 15th, 2023 at 8:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Post-D.J. Moore, the Panthers are in need of multiple pass catchers. They are planning to visit with Adam Thielen later on Wednesday, but they are also addressing their tight end spot. Hayden Hurst is expected to sign with Carolina, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

A former first-round pick, Hurst spent last season with the Bengals. He joined Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesicki as the top available tight ends on this year’s market. Hurst is signing a three-year deal with the Panthers, Insidethebirds.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. The contract will check in at $21.75MM with $13MM guaranteed at signing, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. Not bad for the South Carolina product, who signed for just $2MM guaranteed last year.

The ex-minor league baseball player will join his second NFC South team and fourth overall. Toggling between the AFC North and NFC South, Hurst spent two seasons in Baltimore and two in Atlanta prior to his Cincinnati one-off. Going into his age-30 season, Hurst will join a Panthers team that has not gotten much from its tight end spot since Greg Olsen‘s foot injuries began to pile up.

Stepping in for free agency defection C.J. Uzomah, Hurst caught 52 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns last season. He added 13 more grabs and another score in the playoffs, but the Bengals will continue to make changes at tight end after allowing another starter to leave in free agency.

Ian Thomas led Panthers tight ends in receiving yards in each of the past three seasons, but the offense did not feature much of a threat at this position. None of Thomas’ past three yardage totals eclipsed 200. Olsen, who racked up 597 yards in 2019, is the most recent Panther tight end to clear 200 in a season. The team signed Dan Arnold in 2021 but included him in a trade for C.J. Henderson in 2021. Hurst’s career-high mark came in 2020 — 571 — before the Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts fourth overall.

Hurst’s baseball past makes him a bit older than his NFL draft class; he is heading into his age-30 season. But the Panthers will make the former Pitts mentor and Ravens first-rounder a key part of their first Frank Reich-directed passing game. They still have work to do at receiver, and it is not known which quarterback will be Charlotte-bound via the No. 1 overall pick. But said rookie (and Andy Dalton, most likely) will be targeting Hurst in 2023.

Steelers To Sign LB Cole Holcomb

March 15th, 2023 at 8:13am CST by Sam Robinson

In on the Leighton Vander Esch market, the Steelers will instead end up with another linebacker who spent his rookie-contract years in the NFC East. They are signing former Commanders linebacker Cole Holcomb, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The Commanders wanted to bring back the former fifth-round pick, John Keim of ESPN.com adds (on Twitter), but the sides were too far apart on value. Holcomb, 26, is heading to Pittsburgh on a three-year deal. Holcomb’s contract is worth $18MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Although Holcomb is coming off an injury-abbreviated contract year, he started throughout his four-year Washington tenure. He finished the 2021 season with 142 tackles, two interceptions — one of them a pick-six — and seven pass deflections, and Pro Football Focus graded the ex-North Carolina Tar Heel as a top-25 off-ball linebacker that year. He will join a Steelers team that ultimately did not see enough from former first-round pick Devin Bush, who is now a free agent.

Last year, Holcomb suffered a foot injury that ultimately required surgery. He underwent the procedure in December, but that did not impede a multiyear contract. The Commanders have already agreed to terms with ex-Seahawks linebacker Cody Barton, though Keim notes the team is still aiming to add another piece at that position.

Many ILBs have come off the board already, though a few options remain. Lavonte David and Bobby Wagner may be eyeing roles with surefire Super Bowl contenders, but Bush, Deion Jones, Zach Cunningham, Denzel Perryman and Rashaan Evans are available heading into the 2023 league year.

Pittsburgh still rosters 2022 free agency pickup Myles Jack, who is going into the second season of his two-year deal, but lost Robert Spillane to the Raiders on Tuesday. Spillane started 15 games over the past three seasons with Pittsburgh, which did not pick up Bush’s fifth-year option in 2022.

Raiders To Trade Darren Waller To Giants

March 14th, 2023 at 11:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

In need of a few pass catchers, the Giants have struck a deal to land a former Pro Bowler. The Raiders are sending Waller to New York, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The Giants are sending the No. 100 overall pick to the Raiders for the veteran tight end, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This is the third-round compensatory pick the Giants obtained in the Kadarius Toney trade with the Chiefs. The Giants had been eyeing tight ends, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, and they will make their move via trade.

This comes less than a year after Waller agreed to an extension with the Raiders. That $17MM-per-year contract will now be the Giants’ responsibility. Hours after their Jakobi Meyers acquisition, the AFC West team is shipping out one of its veteran playmakers. For a bit, the Raiders had five skill-position players tied to eight-figure-per-year contracts or a franchise tag (Waller, Meyers, Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Josh Jacobs). That number will drop back to four.

The Packers made an offer for Waller at last year’s deadline, but the Raiders stood pat. And, as of two weeks ago, they were not viewed as eager to move on from Waller. That said, a report last season indicated some in the organization were frustrated with his slow-progressing return from a hamstring injury.

Although the Giants effectively opted not to replace Evan Engram last season, they are acting on that front now. Fewer than 10 tight ends in NFL history have strung together back-to-back 1,100-yard receiving seasons; Waller is among them. Even with Jeremy Shockey excelling in the 2000s, no Giants tight end has ever reached the 1,100-yard plateau in a season. That achievement occurred from 2019-20; Waller has battled some injuries in the seasons since.

The Raiders had given Waller three contracts, including two extensions, as he became their No. 1 option in the wake of the Antonio Brown deal combusting before he played a game in Oakland. A former Ravens wide receiver who nearly flamed out of the league due to substance-abuse issues, Waller launched a comeback with the Raiders. The Jon Gruden-era pickup led the team in receiving in 2019 and ’20, earning Pro Bowl acclaim for his work in the latter slate.

Engram also earned Pro Bowl honors during 2020, when the game not being played led to no alternates distorting the accomplishment, but Waller’s numbers dwarfed the ex-Giants first-rounder’s production. The Giants let Engram walk in free agency last year, tiring of the receiving tight end’s inconsistency. They will now make Waller a centerpiece player in their passing attack, one that still needs more pieces despite Sterling Shepard agreeing to come back. Waller and Saquon Barkley will represent the initial cornerstones of Daniel Jones‘ fifth Giants attack.

This year’s wide receiver market does not house many impact players, and while the Giants have been connected to receiver pursuits, they will take on Waller’s $11MM 2023 base salary. He is signed through 2026 at a reasonable rate — salaries of $10.5MM, $11.5MM and $13.5MM are also on the deal — despite the $17MM AAV breaking George Kittle‘s tight end record last year. The Giants will determine Waller’s fit in Brian Daboll’s offense; the $8.25MM guaranteed this year represent the last of Waller’s locked-in money.

Josh McDaniels has now shipped out the Raiders’ passing-game pillars from the Gruden period, cutting Derek Carr and now unloading Waller’s deal. The Raiders now have a need at tight end, with Foster Moreau also a free agent. The 2023 draft class is believed to be deep at the position, so the Raiders should be considered candidates to nab one of the top prospects. This trade also will not tag Las Vegas for dead money much. They will save $11.38MM as a result of the move.

Jets Finalizing Allen Lazard Deal

March 14th, 2023 at 10:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Allen Lazard is on the cusp of being a well-paid Jets wideout. The team is signing Lazard to a four-year, $44MM deal, per The Score’s Jordan Schultz (on Twitter). The parties are finalizing the agreement, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.

With Aaron Rodgers placing Lazard on his Jets free agency wish list, it should be assumed the AFC East team is acting accordingly. Lazard will also reunite with ex-Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett. The Jets spent much of Tuesday working on adding Lazard, undoubtedly eyeing the bigger prize likely attached to this deal.

This figure being accurate will mean two wide receivers in this free agent class received eight-figure AAVs, and Schultz adds the Jets are preparing to guarantee $22MM of Lazard’s contract. That is in step with Jakobi Meyers‘ deal, which includes $21MM in total guarantees. The Raiders are guaranteeing Meyers $16MM on a three-year pact; it is not yet known how much of Lazard’s contract will be guaranteed at signing.

On the surface, these look like great terms for Lazard, who exited the 2021 season as Green Bay’s No. 3 wideout. In 2022, however, the Packers placed him at the center of a bold plan that involved trading Davante Adams and letting Marquez Valdes-Scantling join the Chiefs in free agency. A year later, all three are gone. The Packers look to have found a promising player in second-round pick Christian Watson, and fourth-round rookie Romeo Doubs showed early signs of being a long-term contributor. But the team is losing Lazard on the heels of his best season.

Lazard’s capabilities aside, the Iowa State alum’s involvement here checks in a bit lower for interest compared to his longtime quarterback’s status. No, Rodgers still has not committed to playing for the Jets — or for anyone — in 2023. That is believed to be the final domino here, though it would be an interesting chapter in the superstar quarterback’s increasingly odd NFL journey were he to insist on the Jets signing each of the players on his free agency wish list before confirming he would join the team.

Fellow ex-Packers Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis are also believed to be on this list. Adding those two should not be a problem for the Jets, but the other player included here — Odell Beckham Jr. — brings more complications. Lazard also could bring changes for Gang Green’s receiving corps.

Lazard, 27, is coming off career-high numbers in receptions (60), receiving yards (788) and targets (100 — a cool 40 more than he received in 2021). The 6-foot-5 target is known as a high-end run-blocking wideout. That and his 14 touchdown catches over the past two years move the needle, though it is obviously worth wondering if Lazard would be on the Jets’ radar were Rodgers not in the picture. Setting aside Garrett Wilson, who is not going anywhere, the Jets still have Corey Davis, Elijah Moore and Denzel Mims under contract. The team released Braxton Berrios last week, and while Mims has somehow remained on New York’s roster despite years of trade rumors, Davis’ contract may be worth inspecting in light of Lazard’s agreement.

It remains to be seen what Rodgers’ deal will look like; unchanged, the Jets would have him at barely $15MM on their 2023 cap. Rodgers has said he would need to adjust his deal, to enable the Packers to trade him without historic dead money coming, but he will still bring a lofty contract to a Jets team accustomed to rookie-QB salaries. Davis, who signed ahead of Zach Wilson‘s rookie year, can be cut nearly free of charge. The Jets could save $10.5MM by releasing Davis, who would likely find a new home quickly on this receiver market.

Latest On Ravens, Lamar Jackson

March 14th, 2023 at 10:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Free agency has taken over the NFL landscape this week, but one of the top storylines around the league remains the future of Lamar Jackson. Contract talks between the Ravens and the former MVP have left the parties in a stalemate, which resulted in the usage of the non-exclusive franchise tag.

Taking that route opens up the possibility of another team signing Jackson to an offer sheet, something which could not take place until tomorrow at the earliest. During the league’s 48-hour legal tampering period, teams are allowed to negotiate deals with a player’s representatives, but not the player themselves. Since Jackson has quite notably gone throughout the process of handling his next deal without an agent, he is not eligible to speak with teams other than the Ravens, who have been adamant that their goal remains a long-term deal.

Speaking of, it looks unlikely that Jackson will suddenly hire an agent. Those in league circles tell Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that the QB is unlikely to suddenly change his mind and hire representation. Those sources believe Jackson is unlikely to admit his mistake, even if hiring an agent is best for his career.

A number of teams have reportedly bowed out of any potential pursuit of the 26-year-old, who has long been thought to be seeking a fully guaranteed pact in a similar vein to the one signed by Deshaun Watson last offseason after the Browns traded for him. Baltimore’s hesitancy to match or exceed those terms (five years, $230MM) has left the two sides in their current situation.

Potential suitors are wary of offering Jackson a contract because they’d surely be in limbo while the Ravens determine how to proceed, per Rapoport (on Twitter). Ultimately, it sounds like these teams believe the QB will end up back in Baltimore, and those potential suitors have no interest in doing Baltimore’s negotiating for them. ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes that teams would rather discuss a potential trade with the Ravens after the franchise tag has been resolved, although that path would still require those suitors to eventually talk with Jackson.

Jackson recently gave us a quick look behind the curtain, revealing on Twitter that the Ravens have offered him a three-year, $133MM deal that’s fully guaranteed. As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport points out (via Twitter), Jackson preferred to take the franchise tag over that offer, and the reporter adds that the Ravens have tried a number of contract lengths to get Jackson to bite.

Steelers To Re-Sign S Damontae Kazee

March 14th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Damontae Kazee is staying in Pittsburgh. The free agent safety is re-signing with the Steelers, according to Matt Lombardo of Heavy (via Twitter).

Kazee joined the Steelers last offseason on a one-year deal. A broken forearm (coupled with a three-game suspension) delayed his start to the season, but he still managed to get in nine games for his new squad. When all was said and done, the safety finished his first season in Pittsburgh with two interceptions and two passes defended.

The former fifth-round pick led the NFL with seven interceptions during the 2018 season. He was limited to only four games during his final season with the Falcons before joining the Cowboys in 2021. He started 15 of his 17 games for Dallas that season but still had to settle for a one-year deal from Pittsburgh last offseason.

Kazee will provide Pittsburgh’s secondary with some consistency in 2023. With Cameron Sutton gone, the team will be counting on free agent acquisition Patrick Peterson to fill a major void.

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