HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Cowboys Preparing To Move LB Damone Clark Into Starting Role

June 21st, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Micah Parsons having become primarily an edge rusher — though, the team is not ready to label its star sack artist a pure defensive end yet — the Cowboys have needed to make adjustments at their off-ball linebacker positions. Last year, a chunk of the playing time went to veteran Anthony Barr. But the longtime Viking is no longer on the team.

Although he arrived in Dallas late in the summer, Barr played 609 defensive snaps last season and started 10 games. The Cowboys have some big-ticket payments to authorize going forward, having deals for CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs on the radar. Parsons is not yet extension-eligible, but by the time he is, the All-Pro talent will almost definitely be in the running for a defender-record contract. As such, the team is keeping its linebacker payments low.

Dallas re-signed Leighton Vander Esch this offseason, greenlighting a raise — a two-year, $11MM deal — to keep the former first-round pick away from other suitors. The Steelers and Texans showed interest. While Vander Esch has extensive staring experience, the Cowboys are planning an in-house promotion for the three-down linebacking role alongside the sixth-year defender. Damone Clark is firmly on track to work as the Cowboys’ No. 2 linebacker, Jon Machota of The Athletic notes (subscription required).

The Cowboys used a fifth-round pick on Clark last year, doing so despite the LSU product coming off spinal fusion surgery. Clark was not expected to play much last season, but he suited up for 10 games and made five starts. Clark played 398 defensive snaps, making 47 tackles and forcing two fumbles. Dallas confined Clark to a special teams-only role during its two playoff games, however. Pro Football Focus viewed Clark’s rookie season as a promising one, slotting him 38th among off-ball ‘backers. Clark’s rookie deal runs through 2025, giving the Cowboys an opportunity to deploy low-cost option as a long-term starter on their defensive second level.

The Cowboys have notable backups at this spot as well, having used a third-round pick on DeMarvion Overshown. They also have 2021 fourth-rounder Jabril Cox on their roster. Cox sustained a torn ACL as a rookie and has only played 45 career snaps on defense, but Machota adds the team is anticipating its other LSU linebacker product will be better two seasons removed from the knee setback. The Cowboys chose Overshown 90th overall out of Texas.

Check Out Hoops Rumors For NBA Draft Coverage

June 21st, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Maher

The 2023 NBA draft is tomorrow night at 7:00 pm CT, and Hoops Rumors has all the latest news and rumors! Last offseason saw the majority of the league’s 30 teams involved in trades for coveted draft picks, and the expectation is that Thursday could be even more action-packed. We’ve already seen two deals leading up to the draft, including a blockbuster involving a couple multi-time All-Stars, but that was just the tip of the iceberg, because the rumor mill is buzzing about several other possibilities.

There’s no mystery with the first overall pick, as the Spurs will take French big man Victor Wembanyama, who has been widely hailed as the top prospect since LeBron James was the No. 1 pick 20 years ago. However, there’s a significant amount of uncertainty for the remainder of the first round, including the other projected top-three picks — Charlotte is reportedly still weighing whether to select Alabama’s Brandon Miller or G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson at No. 2.

The Hornets, Trail Blazers (No. 3), Rockets (No. 4) and Pistons (No. 5) are all reportedly open to moving their draft picks in the right deal, which is rare. All of the teams just below them — the Magic (Nos. 6 and 11), Pacers (Nos. 7, 26, 29), Wizards (No. 8), Jazz (Nos. 9, 16, 28) and Mavericks (No. 10) — have been linked to trade rumors as well. We’ll soon find out if any of those selections will be headed elsewhere.

Over at Hoops Rumors, we’ll be keeping tabs on all the latest NBA news and rumors ahead of the draft, in addition to tracking each of this year’s 58 draft picks. With the draft nearly upon us and free agency only nine days away, this is the most eventful time of year for the NBA rumor mill, so be sure to visit Hoops Rumors and follow @HoopsRumors on Twitter for all the latest updates!

Chiefs Open To Carlos Dunlap Return?

June 21st, 2023 at 11:51am CST by Sam Robinson

Carlos Dunlap is not looking to retire just yet. The 13-year veteran pass rusher recently helped the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl win in four seasons, but the defending champions moved on with multiple defensive end additions.

Kansas City added ex-San Francisco Nick Bosa complement Charles Omenihu in free agency and, for a second straight year, used a first-round pick on an edge defender (Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah). The Chiefs have 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis in place as well, but the team released its most prominent defensive end in Frank Clark, who is now with the Broncos. Dunlap is under the impression a return for another Chiefs run is in play.

“I can help another team get one of their own or help the Chiefs again,” Dunlap said, via Forbes’ Jeff Fedotin. “The Chiefs haven’t ruled that out, but currently it’s a waiting game.”

The Chiefs added to their Clark-Karlaftis tandem by signing Dunlap in late July last year, bringing the former Pro Bowler in on a one-year deal worth $3MM. Dunlap, who essentially replaced Melvin Ingram as the Chiefs’ veteran Clark wingman, registered four sacks and 12 quarterback hits during his Chiefs season. Dunlap, however, totaled nearly as many QB pressures (20) as Clark (24) last season.

Clark’s $5MM Denver guarantee followed Leonard Floyd securing $7MM from Buffalo, helping to see a veteran edge rusher market that will likely affect the respective free agencies of Yannick Ngakoue and Jadeveon Clowney. Markus Golden, however, secured just $1.32MM from the Steelers ($153K guaranteed). Given Dunlap’s age (34), it will be unlikely he can land a Floyd- or Clark-level commitment. But takers may well be there, especially if teams see a training camp injury or are dissatisfied with their depth at this premium position once pads come on. Multiple teams have contacted Dunlap, per Fedotin, but no offer has emerged.

As of now, the Chiefs are going with rookie-contract performers and Omenihu, who has not topped 4.5 sacks in a season. In addition to Karlaftis and Anudike-Uzomah, the Chiefs also drafted BJ Thompson in the fifth round and have fourth-year backup Mike Danna (five 2022 sacks) still on the roster. This quintet staying healthy would make it difficult to envision another Dunlap deal coming to pass.

Last season allowed Dunlap to reach the 100-sack plateau; he sits on 100 even after 13 years. While Dunlap has delivered just one double-digit sack slate, he has notched at least six in 11 campaigns — including an 8.5-sack offering for the 2021 Seahawks. Dunlap joins Ingram, Justin Houston, Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Quinn as mid-30-something edges still on the market.

Extension Candidate: Josh Jacobs

June 20th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Josh Jacobs was slapped with the franchise tag earlier this offseason, allowing both the player and team some extra time to negotiate a long-term pact. However, there hasn’t been any reported progress when it comes to an extension.

Part of that delay could be due to the Raiders’ reluctance to invest big money on a running back. Another reason for the lack of progress could be Jacobs’ determination to keep the running back market alive. The running back seemed to allude to his negotiation logic earlier this month, tweeting that “[s]ometimes it’s not about you. We gotta do it for the ones after us.” Jacobs added some fuel to the fire today when he tweeted “bad business,” an indication that he may not be pleased about the current status of his negotiations.

It’s not a new or shocking development that teams are unwilling to pay big money to running backs, and Jacobs is just the latest player to express frustration at the declining AAV at the position. Christian McCaffrey inked a record-breaking four-year, $64MM deal with the Panthers back in 2020, and his average annual value ($16MM) and guaranteed money ($36MM) still paces the position three years later.

Since then, Alvin Kamara secured the most guaranteed money at the position ($34MM), and the likes of Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones, and Nick Chubb ended up signing extensions that landed between $12MM and $12.5MM per season. Only Miles Sanders and David Montgomery secured new contracts averaging $6MM or more this offseason, and rookie Bijan Robinson will head into the 2023 campaign with the third-most guaranteed money at his position ($21.9MM). We’ve seen other position groupings setting contract records, but the running back position appears to be heading backwards.

That brings us to Jacobs, who is set to play the 2023 season under the $10.1MM franchise tag. The two sides have until July 17 to negotiate a new deal, but it’s uncertain if they’ll agree to a new deal with less than a month remaining. Saquon Barkley is still awaiting a new deal with the Giants, an extension that would likely influence Jacobs’ next deal, putting the Raiders RB in a bit of a holding pattern.

It’s uncertain what kind of specific money Jacobs is seeking on his next deal. Based on the recent signings at the position, he’d be lucky to get an offer that approaches Henry’s four-year $50MM extension he signed with the Titans in 2020. If Jacobs does sign a new deal, he’ll likely settle into that sub-$12.5MM AAV, closer to the three-year, $36.6MM deal Chubb got from the Browns.

Jacobs made it known early on that he was going to skip the Raiders’ offseason program, but the July 17 deadline would seemingly prevent a training camp holdout. Jacobs has little incentive to sacrifice money and go the Le’Veon Bell route, and if he’s determined to make a statement, it seems increasingly likely that he’ll play the 2023 campaign under the franchise tag.

Dalvin Cook To Discuss Free Agency With DeAndre Hopkins

June 20th, 2023 at 9:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

Alongside wideout DeAndre Hopkins, running back Dalvin Cook finds himself at the center of attention in the NFL’s free agent landscape. The latter is contemplating his next move, and that will include conversations with the former.

During an appearance on the Adam Schefter Podcast, Cook spoke about the possibility of joining the same team Hopkins ultimately does when he signs his next contract. Doing so would be surprising given the financial terms each multi-time Pro Bowler is likely to command from suitors, but Cook said, “if we end up on the same roster, that would be something epic for the NFL.”

The 27-year-old made it clear that he has yet to speak with Hopkins so far during his first career foray into free agency. A patient approach is expected for both players, with Cook angling for a clear-cut No. 1 role in his next home and Hopkins weighing the offers made by Tennessee and New England after his visits there last week. However, discussions will take place regarding what would be an interesting team-up scenario and one which would provide a team with a considerable boost in both the passing and running game.

“Everybody knows who D-Hop is,” Cook added. “You know what you’re getting out of D-Hop, and you know what he [is] going to bring to your roster. It’s the same for me… And he was one of those guys that I was going to reach out to, because, like, I know he [has] got the same mindset as me, like we trying to go win. We’re trying to go on the roster and trying to go contend.”

The Dolphins and Broncos were initially named as teams to watch on the Cook front, though the latter squad appears to be out of the running. The interest showed by Miami to add the hometown back will be worth watching as the summer progresses, particularly in relation to how serious of a push other teams make to acquire him. Depending on how discussions between he and Hopkins go, though, a new layer to each player’s free agent process could develop.

Deion Sanders Has No Desire To Coach In NFL

June 20th, 2023 at 9:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has seen success on the sidelines in recent years, transforming Jackson State into a Division I Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse. Sanders parlayed that success into a Division I FBS job at Colorado, leading some pundits to wonder about his coaching ceiling. However, Prime Time is making it clear that he has no interest into ascending into the NFL coaching ranks.

In a conversation with Bri Amaranthus of SI.com, Sanders admitted that he doesn’t have “any desire or ambition to coach in the NFL.” Sanders specifically points to Dallas, where he won a championship and earned three All-Pro nods during a five-year stint. While he acknowledged that he loves Jerry Jones and “that whole family,” he also believes he’s “cut a little different” when it comes to dealing with today’s players.

“I have a problem with men getting their checks and not doing their jobs,” Sanders said. “I would be too tough as a coach in the NFL because I still have those old-school attributes.”

While it isn’t unheard of for a college coach to take the leap directly to an NFL head coaching job, there have only been 12 such hirings since 2000, and many of those coaches had some NFL assistant coaching experience before earning college HC gigs. The most recent hiring — Urban Meyer is Jacksonville — ended in disaster, and we’ve seen Matt Rhule and Kliff Kingsbury also lose their jobs over the past year. Jim Harbaugh is one of the lone successes in that 12-man grouping (other than Harbaugh, Bill O’Brien and Chip Kelly are the only other two coaches with positive records), so it’ll probably be a bit before we see a similar hiring.

As a result, even if Sanders was interested in an NFL gig, he’d likely have to take the assistant-coaching route. However, that kind of gig doesn’t interest the 55-year-old.

“I’m not an assistant coach. That is not me,” said Sanders. “I am a head coach … I don’t settle for mediocrity whatsoever. You are going to do it this way, we are going to work our butts off, we are going to be a team. The only thing that is individual about you is the way you play.”

Sanders started his coaching career about a decade ago at Prime Prep Academy, a school that he co-founded. He later coached his sons at Trinity Christian High School before taking the Jackson State job in 2020. After going 4-3 during the shortened 2020 campaign, Sanders helped guide the school to a 23-3 record across the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. Sanders also made headlines when he recruited defensive back Travis Hunter, making the player the first five-star recruit to join an FCS program.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/20/23

June 20th, 2023 at 6:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s late-round draft pick signings:

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams are slowly chipping away at their draft pick signings, agreeing to terms with two of their four fifth-round picks today. Allen saw a jump in receptions during each of his four seasons at Clemson, culminating in a 2022 campaign where he hauled in 39 catches (for 443 yards and five touchdowns). The rookie will compete for backup reps behind starting tight end Tyler Higbee.

Nacua spent two seasons at Washington before breaking out at BYU over the past two years. Across those two campaigns, the wideout collected 1,787 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns in 21 games. He’ll serve as a back-of-the-depth-chart option during his rookie campaign.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/20/23

June 20th, 2023 at 5:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Nelson had a pair of stints on Pittsburgh’s practice squad last season, and he was retained via a futures contract after the season. The former UDFA had a productive career at Wisconsin, compiling 125 tackles and four interceptions.

Sori-Marin has been released with an injury designation, but it’s uncertain what injury the linebacker suffered. The undrafted rookie joined the 49ers back in May following a five-year stint at Minnesota. During his time with the Golden Gophers, Sori-Marin collected 274 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Michael Thomas Did Not Aim To Test Free Agency; Latest On WR’s Saints Deal

June 20th, 2023 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the league’s restructure bastions, the Saints went to this well with Michael Thomas‘ previous contract on a few occasions. A 2023 reworking looked to point Thomas to free agency, but the former All-Pro re-signed to stay in New Orleans.

Thomas agreed to terms on a one-year, $10MM deal that comes with $6.26MM fully guaranteed. Void years spread out Thomas’ cap hit through 2027 while providing a steep 2024 penalty ($18.2MM in dead money) if the contract is not adjusted before the ’24 league year. While the 30-year-old pass catcher once signed a monster extension that made him the league’s second-highest-paid receiver, a spree of injuries during the 2020s have thrown his career off course.

For his part, Thomas said he did not make a genuine effort to leave New Orleans this offseason, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes (on Twitter). Describing the contract talk as “fluff,” the league’s single-season reception record holder said he has a great relationship with the organization. Thomas’ 2021 could have irrevocably altered this relationship, as a disagreement regarding his recovery timetable from a 2020 ankle injury preceded him missing all of that season. Thomas then missed 14 games in 2022, running his absence count to 40 during the 2020s.

The Saints included incentives in Thomas’ latest agreement, escalators that could bump the contract to $15MM in total. While Thomas’ 2010s version would be positioned to cash in, the developments since do not indicate a strong likelihood he will add to his new deal. There are $750K in incentives tied to receptions and another $750K tethered to receiving yards. The three-tiered receptions structure begins at 100, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill (on Twitter), including $250K bonuses for 100, 110 and 120 catches. For receiving yardage, Thomas can collect $250K bonuses at 1,000, 1,150 and 1,300.

Thomas earned his initial Saints extension — a five-year, $96.25MM pact agreed to during the 2019 offseason — on the back of consecutive first-team All-Pro honors. He led the NFL in receptions in 2018 (125) and 2019 (a record-setting 149) but only reached 40 in a seven-game 2020 slate. After four straight 1,100-plus-yard seasons to start his career, the former second-round pick has not topped 450 in a season since. The Saints have also placed a $250K bonus at the seven-touchdown barrier and another $250K bump if Thomas earns original-ballot Pro Bowl Games entry, which will only vest if the Saints make the playoffs. The other $2.5MM in incentives are even less likely to be earned, as they are tied to top-tier achievements (first-team All-Pro, Offensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP) or honors never before attained by a wideout (NFL MVP).

Although the Saints were connected to trading up for a wide receiver — believed to be USC’s Jordan Addison — in the first round, they left the draft with only sixth-rounder A.T. Perry in their class. The team has not re-signed Jarvis Landry and will count on speedy second-year UDFA Rashid Shaheed taking another step alongside Chris Olave. New Orleans also has vets Bryan Edwards, Tre’Quan Smith, James Washington, Keke Coutee and Lynn Bowden rostered. But Thomas represents a key part of their receiver plan. While Thomas did not participate in New Orleans’ offseason program for a third straight year — this time due to rehab from toe surgery — he is on track to give it another go in training camp.

Steelers Sign LB Nick Kwiatkoski

June 20th, 2023 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nick Kwiatkoski‘s minicamp audition with the Steelers will lead to an agreement. The Pittsburgh-area native agreed to terms with his hometown team Tuesday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).

The veteran linebacker will head back to Pennsylvania after spending the 2022 season in Atlanta. Kwiatkoski joins Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts as veteran linebackers added to the Steelers’ equation this offseason. It is a one-year deal, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).

This marks the third Kwiatkoski contract agreement in four years, though the West Virginia alum also agreed to multiple Raiders restructures. The Raiders signed the former Bears part-time starter to a three-year, $21MM deal in 2020, but after the team cut bait in 2022, worse terms awaited from the Falcons. But Atlanta still afforded an opportunity — on a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum. Considering this is a June addition after a minicamp tryout, Kwiatkoski’s Steelers terms are likely similar to what he received from the Falcons.

Drafted in the 2016 fourth round by the Bears a month after their Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman signings, Kwiatkoski ended up moving into Chicago’s starting lineup frequently over his first two seasons. He started 13 games from 2016-17, and even after the Bears made Roquan Smith a top-10 pick in 2018, they still needed Kwiatkoski for eight starts during his 2019 contract year. He parlayed that into the Raiders accord, with the Silver and Black signing he and Cory Littleton in March 2020. Neither deal worked out, and both off-ball ‘backers were gone as the Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels regime took over last year.

Kwiatkoski, 30, played 12 Falcons games last season, working mostly as a special-teamer. He logged 228 special teams snaps, marking his third season with at least 200 ST plays. While Kwiatkoski has started 34 career games, he profiles as a depth piece in Pittsburgh. The Bethel Park High alum joins offseason addition Tanner Muse and 2022 seventh-round pick Mark Robinson as the Steelers’ top non-Holcomb and Roberts options. Depth could be key here, with Holcomb coming off a December foot surgery.

Additionally, the Steelers released wide receiver Anthony Miller. A former Kwiatkoski Bears teammate whom the team chose in the 2018 second round, Miller has been unable to find his NFL footing since a promising 2019 season (656 receiving yards). The Bears traded Miller to the Texans in July 2021, but Houston waived him soon after. The Jaguars and Steelers took subsequent fliers later that year, and Miller ended up sticking with Pittsburgh for a bit. But he only played in one game with the Steelers. The ex-Chicago slot suffered a shoulder injury while competing for a Steelers job in training camp last year and spent the season on IR.

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