HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Panthers’ Brian Burns Undergoes Ankle Surgery

May 8th, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

With minicamps set to start around the league, many teams will have a large contingent of veterans available to take part in workouts and practices. That will not be the case for Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns, however.

Burns recently underwent surgery on his right ankle, per a team announcement. The 25-year-old was sidelined for Carolina’s regular season finale, and offseason tests revealed a small fracture. The procedure is not expected to keep him away from training camp this summer, though, which should allow him to put together another productive campaign in 2023.

The Florida State product recorded a career-high 12.5 sacks last season, adding 17 tackles for loss and 22 QB hits. Those totals earned him a second consecutive Pro Bowl nod, and further cemented his status as one of the Panthers’ most important players in the short- and long-term future. The center of trade talks after the firing of Matt Rhule, Burns can be expected to remain in Charlotte for many years to come.

When asked about Burns’ situation with respect to a new contract, general manager Scott Fitterer said, “Brian Burns is going to be here. We will work through [an extension] with his agent” (Twitter link via Steve Reed of the Associated Press). That falls in line with Fitterer’s previous remarks on the subject, and with the draft now finished, a deal for Burns (who is set to play on the fifth-year option in 2023) represents one of the team’s top priorities.

While the latter will no doubt be counted on to anchor Carolina’s pass rush, more moves could be coming to provide a boost in that department. ESPN’s David Newton notes that “there’s a good chance” the Panthers will add a veteran edge rusher in the post-draft wave of free agency. A number of experienced options are still on the market, including Leonard Floyd, Frank Clark, Yannick Ngakoue and Robert Quinn. Carolina currently sits second in the league in terms of cap space, so they could afford a short-term move with any of those names as a compliment to Burns, whose financial future could become clearer soon.

Cowboys Rumors: Parsons, Draft, Ball, Smith

May 7th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Cowboys defensive star Micah Parsons has not been in attendance for voluntary workouts in Dallas thus far. According to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News, this has nothing to do with any issues in his relationship with the team and is actually in service of the team.

Parsons has reportedly been in Austin attempting to bulk up in preparation for more playing time at defensive end. One of the NFL’s more versatile athletes, Parsons played mostly in the box as a rookie before spending the majority of his time last year on the line. At 245 pounds last year, Dallas staff felt he needed to add some muscle in order to better handle routine double-teams.

So, Parsons’s absence is not contract related in any way. He says he’s added about seven pounds and doesn’t intend to surpass 255 in his career. Parsons also claimed earlier that he would be in attendance for Organized Team Activities set to start in two weeks. His absence shouldn’t worry too many as he’s determined to come back stronger and even more dangerous.

Here are a few more rumors concerning the Cowboys:

  • There was reportedly another option on the table for the Cowboys when they used the 26th overall pick to select Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first round of this year’s draft. According to David Moore of The Dallas Morning News, Dallas heavily considered using the pick to draft Syracuse offensive guard Matthew Bergeron, who would go on to be selected by Atlanta 12 picks later. Bergeron fit their needs due to the departure of starting guard Connor McGovern to Buffalo. They did address the offensive line later in the draft and likely still will with undrafted free agents, but many expect last year’s first rounder, Tyler Smith, to bounce into a guard spot with the healthy returns of Tyron Smith and Terence Steele, covering the role.
  • Another piece of the offensive line, Josh Ball will have some new expectations this year, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. After Ball saw extremely limited time in his first two years, mostly at tackle, head coach Mike McCarthy has stated that Ball will be asked to play on the interior this season, as well. This is perhaps another potential solution to the loss of McGovern, or it could just be a backup plan after seeing all the offensive line injuries from last season.
  • Mostly known for his career in San Francisco but last known on the field as a Cowboy, Aldon Smith recently received an update to his off-field situation. Last we heard, the troubled defender had been arrested on a felony charge of DUI causing injury, adding to the litany of issues that had resulted in a four-year suspension from the NFL. Now, according to TMZ, Smith’s arrest has led to a 12-month sentence in jail, likely ending any far-reaching hopes of a return to the NFL.

Jets Rumors: OL, Rodgers, Hennessy, Brownlee, Duvernay-Tardif

May 7th, 2023 at 8:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets landed a gamechanger at quarterback this spring, and now it’s up to them to figure out how to protect him. Head coach Robert Saleh made sure to communicate that the plan is to play the five best linemen, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, clarifying that the center and tackle spots, specifically, will be open for competition.

The guard spots are presumably safe. Despite a down year for Laken Tomlinson, the Jets signed him to a three-year deal last year to start at guard. After an admirable rookie year as a starter, Alijah Vera-Tucker put together a strong start to his sophomore season last year, even being forced into playing tackle due to injuries before a torn triceps injury of his own sidelined him for the rest of the year. Confirming earlier reports, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post recently reported that Vera-Tucker is still on track to return from his injury by training camp.

At tackle, Mekhi Becton is also slated to return in time for training camp after missing all but one game of last season due to an avulsion fracture of his right knee. Duane Brown mostly held down the left tackle position while right tackle was mostly handled by Vera-Tucker, Max Mitchell, and George Fant. Fant departed as a free agent, but the team brought in veteran tackle Billy Turner from Denver who can compete for the position, as well.

At center, Connor McGovern has handled starting duties in New York for the last three years, grading out as a top 10 center in the league in each of the past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Jets only re-signed McGovern to a one-year contract, though, so it may not be so surprising that his job is open for competition. That point was further dictated by New York drafting one of the top center prospects in the draft, Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann, in the second round as the first center off the board. Despite McGovern’s recent years of success, Tippmann may represent the future at the position for the Jets.

Here are a few more rumors surrounding Gang Green this offseason:

  • Speaking of the Aaron Rodgers acquisition, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer indicated that Rodgers playing two more years was reportedly a big part of the team’s discussions with him before the trade. That supposed dedication was only reinforced when Rodgers claimed that he would participate in offseason workouts. Many veterans don’t feel the need to attend such workouts, but considering Rodgers is new to the facility, NBC Sports’ Mike Florio’s report that he plans on being present for “more than half” of the remaining offseason workouts is encouraging for Jets fans.
  • New York recently re-signed long snapper Thomas Hennessy to a four-year extension. The new deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a value of $5.97MM. The deal has a guaranteed amount of $1.96MM consisting of an $875K signing bonus and Hennessy’s first year base salary of $1.08MM. $670K of his 2024 salary is guaranteed for injury at signing, and the rest of the $1.21MM will become fully guaranteed on the fifth league day of the 2024 season. He’s set for base salaries of $1.26MM in 2025, $1.3MM in 2026, and $1.35MM in 2027, but the contract has a potential out built in after this season that would allow the Jets to cut Hennessy after this year with only $700K of dead cap.
  • The Jets recently included Southern Mississippi wide receiver Jason Brownlee in their group of undrafted free agents. New York was clearly eager to ink Brownlee, giving the rookie a $246K guarantee, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. That amount is the equivalent of the guarantee given to a low fifth-round pick.
  • With all their offensive line suffering so many injuries last year, the Jets were happy to have the help of veteran Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Now, with his contract expired, Duvernay-Tardif may have set his sights past football. The medical school graduate has been spinning several plates since the season ended, working shifts in the emergency department of the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, starting a Masters of Public Health program at Harvard, and promoting a French skin care brand. Still, while Duvernay-Tardif maintains that medicine is still his future, he hasn’t committed to retiring claiming that he’s still in shape “if the phone rings in October.”

Investors In Josh Harris’s Investor Group Identified

May 7th, 2023 at 6:28pm CST by Ely Allen

The wait continues for the eventual sale of the Commanders from current owner Dan Snyder to the group headlined by Josh Harris. As the days pass without a final resolution, we continue to learn more and more about the situation.

Particularly, we’ve continued to acquire information concerning the makeup of Harris’s group. Long rumored to be involved in the sale, basketball legend Magic Johnson was confirmed by Ben Volin of the Boston Globe to be a minority investor. Johnson is reportedly expected to be in for about four percent of the purchase or approximately $240MM. Co-founder of the Danaher Corporation Mitchell Rales was also confirmed to be involved, according to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

Another limited partner was identified to be South American billionaire Alejandro Santo Domingo and his family, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. The Santo Domingo family is worth approximately $12.2BB thanks to a portfolio that includes the likes of Anhueser-Busch InBev, Chilean bank Corpbanca, and Spanish bank Inmobiliaria Colonial. They are believed to be the richest family in Colombia, and Santo Domingo himself has an estimated net worth of $2.8BB, according to Maske and Jhabvala.

Additionally, ex-CEO of Google Eric Schmidt has been confirmed as another investor in the group, according to Giles Turner and Heather Perlberg of Bloomberg. Schmidt’s net worth is estimated around $21.7BB by some sources and $18.1BB by others. Schmidt left Google in 2018 and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, a year later.

While all these names have been confirmed as participating, one name was confirmed as not investing. Despite some speculation that former Washington head coach Joe Gibbs would be joining the investment group, it appears his only involvement in the sale is on an advisory basis. According to John Keim of ESPN, Gibbs “is close to Harris and has provided insight/counsel.”

5 Key Stories: 4/30/23 – 5/7/23

May 7th, 2023 at 4:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Even with the draft now in the rearview, teams around the NFL continue to make a number of key roster-building decisions. Here is a quick recap of the top headlines from the past week:

  • Giants Extend Lawrence: The Giants have already finished negotiations with quarterback Daniel Jones on a big-money deal this offseason, and they have now done the same with standout defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. The 25-year-old parlayed a career-year in 2022 into a four-year, $90MM contract with $60MM guaranteed. That makes his pact the latest lucrative one seen in the DT market this offseason, and its $22.5MM annual average value puts Lawrence in a tie for third at the position for yearly compensation. The Clemson product has cemented himself as one of the pillars of New York’s defense, and he will be on the books through 2027 as he and the team look to replicate their shared success from last season for years to come.  
  • Packers, Love Agree To Extension: The Packers faced an interesting decision entering the deadline for fifth-year option decisions, with Jordan Love entering the final year of his rookie contract. In lieu of picking up his option, Green Bay worked out a one-year extension with their new starter with a maximum value ($22.5MM) slightly higher than what the option would have paid out. The 24-year-old has only one regular season start to his name, but he is in place as the undisrupted starter for at least the 2023 campaign, with personal and team achievements available as incentives for his 2024 compensation. Love can approach his all-important fourth season in the league with clarity on his short-term financial future.
  • Commanders Sale Nearing? An official end to the Dan Snyder era in Washington could be coming later this month, with the Josh Harris-led bid for the Commanders being reviewed by the NFL ahead of the league’s next owners’ meetings. Talks with Snyder’s legal representatives are ongoing, and the matter of indemnification both for himself and the league’s other owners with respect to the various ongoing probes into the organization will be an important hurdle to clear. At least 24 owners will need to formally ratify the Harris bid when it is put to a general vote, but few obstacles are thought to remain before that takes place. Presuming it does, Harris will be in position to secure an NFL franchise one offseason after he was a runner-up to purchase the Broncos.
  • Vikings, Cousins Open To Continuing Relationship: Much was made about the Vikings’ quarterback situation entering the draft, with veteran starter Kirk Cousins set to hit free agency after the 2023 season, during which he will play on a restructured deal. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah‘s public remarks on the matter keep the door open to another Minnesota deal, however, which would likely result in a continuation of his penchant for short-term deals. The 34-year-old has been with the Vikings since 2018 and earned a second straight Pro Bowl nod in 2022 while leading the team to a strong regular season (along with, on the other hand, another first-round exit). Cousins, for his part, has indicated his openness to continue his stay with the Vikings in 2024 and beyond, so his performance this campaign – and how the team responds to it – will be a key storyline to follow.
  • Record Low Fifth-Year Options Picked Up: Love’s situation aside, the 2023 offseason turned out to be an interesting one with respect to team’s decisions on 2020 first-round picks. A record low 12 players had their options exercised, which will lead to a number of high-profile free agent situations next offseason. Some of those whose options were declined could still end up re-signing with their current teams, of course, but notable players on both sides of the ball now face uncertain futures. Decisions on short- and long-term deals with the players across the 2020 first round order will no doubt inform teams’ other moves with more recent draftees, but several could be looking for replacements at key positions earlier than they envisioned.

Former Titans LT Taylor Lewan Files Civil Suit Over 2020 Knee Surgery

May 7th, 2023 at 3:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

Taylor Lewan was, as expected, released by the Titans earlier this offseason. That left his playing future very much in doubt, in no small part due to the time the veteran left tackle has missed recently due to ACL injuries. The cause of that, as far as he is concerned, is now the subject of litigation.

[RELATED: Dolphins Reached Out To Lewan]

Lewan recently made clear his intention of filing a civil lawsuit connected to his 2020 ACL surgery during an appearance on the Bussin’ With the Boys Podcast (video link). Specifically, he is making allegations against “the people and entities that are involved with my surgery from October of 2020,” something which proved to be a turning point in his career.

The 31-year-old was limited to five games that year due to the ACL tear. He was able to return and suit up for 13 contests the following campaign, but later said a lingering knee issue never healed in full. He suffered another torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2022 season, making the team’s decision to part ways an easier one from a financial perspective.

Lewan has named renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews as one of several defendants in the suit, as noted by Buck Reising of A to Z Sports. Proof of a drop-off in his level of play when healthy, and, more significantly, availability owing to any mistakes made during surgery, would carry signficant legal ramifications though it likely wouldn’t go a long way in helping his chances of continuing his career. The three-time Pro Bowler previously indicated a willingness to return to Tennessee at a reduced rate.

“We cannot comment on individual patients or pending litigations,” a statement from the Andrews Institute of Orthopedic and Sports Medicine reads in response to the suit. Developments on this front will be separate from Lewan’s ability to continue his playing career, but they will be worth watching as more becomes known about his procedure and recovery process.

Cowboys Eyeing K Addition, Open To Re-Signing Brett Maher

May 7th, 2023 at 1:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys currently have just one kicker on their roster (Tristan Vizcaino), but that total will increase in the near future. Dallas chose not to make an addition at the position during the draft, meaning one or more veteran signings should be expected.

Kicker was not an area of concern during the regular season in 2022, with Brett Maher winning a preseason competition and enjoying a consistent campaign. The former CFLer went 29-for-32 on field goals, good for a career-best 90.6% conversion rate. He also missed only three of a league-high 53 extra point attempts, though things changed dramatically in the postseason.

Maher missed four straight PATs during the Cowboys’ wild-card win over the Buccaneers, leading to the addition of Vizcaino. His playoff struggles would seem to suggest Maher’s second Cowboys stint would be coming to a close with either the latter or a rookie taking on the full-time kicking position, but that may not be the case. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently confirmed that all options remain open at this point with Maher and others.

“Obviously, we want to come up with the best solution that we can there, but we didn’t get the kicker opportunity that we thought we might get in the draft,” Jones added, via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. “And we had other priorities when we had a chance to get it. We took somebody else obviously.”

Three kickers heard their names called last weekend, but a number of options remain available amongst undrafted prospects. The Cowboys have yet to announce their UDFA class, but it would thus come as no surprise if one or more kickers were included in it this year. As far as veterans are concerned, the likes of Robbie Gould, Mason Crosby and Randy Bullock are available to sign at any time. How Maher plays into the Cowboys’ next kicking competition (if at all) will be worth monitoring as the rest of the offseason takes shape.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/7/23

May 7th, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

The Bears’ signees are all members of this year’s undrafted free agent class and will add to the 14-man UDFA group that Chicago announced several days ago. Jones, Lugg, and Trahan tried out for the club during this weekend’s rookie minicamp and impressed enough to earn a contract. TE Stephen Carlson, who played in 25 games for the Browns over the 2019-20 seasons, was also added to the roster following his minicamp audition.

Latest On Chargers CB J.C. Jackson, QB Justin Herbert

May 7th, 2023 at 11:18am CST by Rory Parks

Saying that cornerback J.C. Jackson‘s first year with the Chargers could have gone better would be an understatement. Jackson, who signed a five-year, $82.5MM contract with the Bolts last March, underwent ankle surgery in August to repair an issue that cropped up during training camp, which forced him to miss the 2022 regular season opener. He also missed Los Angeles’ Week 3 contest, and while he suited up for the club’s next four games, he suffered a patellar tendon rupture in a Week 7 loss to the Seahawks and was sidelined for the rest of the campaign.

Even when he was on the field, Jackson did not come close to living up to his contract. In five games, he surrendered a 149.3 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction, according to Pro Football Reference. Pro Football Focus was even less friendly, charging him with a 152.4 rating and assigning him a dismal 28.1 coverage grade.

Nonetheless, it is clear that the Chargers are continuing to count on Jackson in a big way. The team neither drafted nor signed a cornerback, save for a handful of UDFA’s, so it will return Asante Samuel Jr., Michael Davis, and Jackson as its top three boundary corners.

GM Tom Telesco‘s approach to the cornerback position not only suggests that he expects a rebound effort from Jackson, but also that he is confident in Jackson’s medical prognosis. While a torn patellar tendon can be one of the toughest injuries to overcome, Telesco says that Jackson is making good progress in his rehab (via Daniel Popper of The Athletic (subscription required)). Popper said that Jackson was working with a trainer on the first day of the Chargers’ offseason program, and that he had started running on a treadmill.

Telesco is optimistic that Jackson will be able to participate in training camp. That would obviously go a long way towards getting the 27-year-old back to the Pro Bowl form he displayed as a member of the Patriots, thus bolstering a defense that surrendered the seventh-fewest passing yards per game in 2022 despite what was essentially a lost season from last year’s biggest free agent investment.

Another high-profile Charger who is currently on the mend, quarterback Justin Herbert, provided a recent update on his recovery. Herbert, who underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, said he has not thrown a football since the procedure and estimates that he is 75% recovered (via ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry).

Herbert expects to begin throwing this month, and the five- to six-month recovery timeline he provided would allow him to be at full strength for training camp. Telesco, who picked up Herbert’s fifth-year option for 2024 and who has commenced negotiations on what will be a massive contract extension, clearly does not have any concerns about his quarterback’s health status.

When asked about those contract talks, Herbert did not provide much of an update.

“I’m kind of left out of those negotiations, and I think my job now, my focus is to be the best quarterback that I can be and to rehab my shoulder,” the 2021 Pro Bowler said. “I’ve got complete faith in the Chargers organization and the front office. They’ve done such a great job of taking care of us as players, and I’ve loved to be a part of this team, being a part of this organization, and it’s kind of beyond my control of as to what happens now. I’m just doing everything I can that I can control.”

Jets, DT Quinnen Williams Not Close On Extension

May 7th, 2023 at 10:20am CST by Rory Parks

The Jets and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams are “not close” to an agreement on a contract extension, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. As he said he would, Williams is staying away from the team as part of his efforts to secure a new deal.

It would seem that the framework for such a deal is largely in place thanks to the recent accords struck by Williams’ DT draftmates, Jeffery Simmons and Dexter Lawrence. Last month, Simmons signed a four-year, $94MM extension with the Titans that features $66MM in guaranteed money, and Lawrence and the Giants agreed to a four-year, $90MM re-up that includes $60MM in guarantees. In March, Daron Payne — who entered the league in 2018, one year before the Williams/Simmons/Lawrence trio — signed a four-year, $90MM deal with the Commanders. Like Lawrence, Payne received $60MM in guarantees.

As the market for young, high-end defensive tackles includes so many recent comparables, it is somewhat surprising that Williams and Gang Green still have a large gap to bridge in their negotiations. That is especially true in light of the fact that ownership has given GM Joe Douglas plenty of wiggle room in contract talks, and considering Douglas’ comments at the end of February.

“We’ve had several good discussions with (Williams’s agent, Nicole Lynn) and Quinnen since the season,” Douglas said at the time. “We feel really good about where we’re at. We feel good that this process is going to play out in the right way.”

Perhaps Williams is pushing for more guarantees and/or a larger AAV since he, as opposed to his newly-extended peers, has a First Team All-Pro nod on his resume (although Simmons boasts two Pro Bowl bids to Williams’ one). It could also be that the team is attempting to maximize the leverage it has by virtue of the franchise tag, which it could deploy to keep Williams in the fold in 2024. Of course, the Titans and Giants also had the threat of the tag at their disposal, and Payne had already been tagged when he signed his deal. Plus, as Cimini writes, it does not do the Jets any good to risk jeopardizing their relationship with one of their foundational players.

To be clear, Cimini does not suggest that the relationship between player and team is in a bad place, only that there is still plenty of work to be done to reach an agreement. And although Williams had indicated that he wanted to have a deal completed by the start of voluntary workouts in April, it does not sound as if the passing of that self-imposed deadline has stalled negotiations in any way.

Williams, who will not turn 26 until December, set new career-highs in sacks (12) and quarterback hits (28) in 2022, and he also earned a strong 77.7 rush defense grade from Pro Football Focus. PFF considered Williams the fourth-best interior defender last season, two spots behind Lawrence but above Simmons (10th-best) and well ahead of Payne (60th-best).

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