2023 June - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Extension Candidate: CeeDee Lamb

June 24th, 2023 at 9:43pm CST by Ely Allen

With each of year of his career, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has progressed towards to top echelon of NFL wideouts. After a third season that may have established him in that top group, Lamb has become a top extension priority for the Cowboys’ front office. What will it take to lock down the team’s top receiver long-term? And will Dallas be willing to spend it?

Coming out of Oklahoma as a consensus All-American, Lamb was selected 17th overall by the Cowboys. With a strong mentor in Amari Cooper, Lamb made an immediate impact as a rookie, finishing second on the team in receptions (74) and receiving yards (935) while matching Cooper and Michael Gallup for the team-lead in touchdown receptions with five. By Year 2, Lamb was ready to take the reins. With Gallup missing eight games due to injury, Lamb significantly stepped up his production even surpassing Cooper for the team-lead in receptions (79) and receiving yards (1,102) while bettering his own rookie receiving touchdown total by one.

Lamb’s continued progression made Dallas confident in his ability to function as the team’s top wideout, allowing them to trade away Cooper and his bulky contract. No problem for Lamb. He took over as WR1 and excelled. He used his new position as the lone man on top and delivered career-highs in receptions (107), receiving yards (1,359), and receiving touchdowns (9), leading Dallas in all three categories. Not only did he lead his team, but Lamb was also top-ten in the league in all three statistics.

Last season helped to break Lamb into the conversation for top-ten receivers. Not only did he post top-ten statistics, but the analysts over at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) also slotted him as the eighth-best receiver in the league. So, what exactly does his status as a top-ten wideout mean for a potential extension?

Currently, the top ten annual averages for wide receiver contracts in the NFL all exceed $20MM per year, the number the Cowboys granted to Cooper back in 2020. With the exception of Keenan Allen, who signed his deal in 2020, all of those top contracts were reached last year. This means that, while the numbers may inflate a bit in 2023, they shouldn’t be that far off from last year’s record-breaking deals. Those deals range from D.J. Moore‘s three-year, $61.88MM deal ($20.63MM average annual value) to Tyreek Hill‘s league-topping four-year, $120MM contract ($30MM AAV).

Lamb still trails a few of the top moneymakers at the position statistically. Hill, Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, and A.J. Brown were all able to outperform Lamb in some aspects. Others, like Cooper Kupp, D.K. Metcalf, and Deebo Samuel have had higher highs in their careers than Lamb but have lacked his consistency and progress. I’d estimate that Lamb should fetch more than Terry McLaurin‘s $22.79MM per year but likely less than Adams’s $28MM. He probably deserves to be in the range of Diggs, Metcalf, and Samuel, but the usual annual inflation should boost him up into the range of Brown and Kupp.

While most of the top contracts are three or four years in length, the Cowboys didn’t shy away from giving Cooper a five-year deal after his fifth season. They’re likely not going to want to let Lamb slip through their fingers and, with only three years of NFL play under his belt, they can stand to stack an extra year in the deal. I think the Cowboys could get away with offering a little less in AAV by going for a five-year deal, as well. A five-year, $125MM offer makes a lot of sense. It would give Lamb the second-largest receiver contract in the NFL, behind only Adams’s $140MM, but would only put him tied for fourth in AAV at $25MM per year.

One of the reasons that Lamb’s extension is a priority for Dallas has nothing to do with the Cowboys or Lamb. Lamb’s fellow 2020 draftee Justin Jefferson is likely also working towards an extension in Minnesota soon. Statistically, Jefferson’s worst season is comparable to Lamb’s best. Since entering the league, Jefferson has finished every season as a top-four wideout, according to PFF. Whenever Jefferson signs a new contract, he will likely set a new bar for receiver deals. That puts Dallas in a race against the clock. They would likely prefer to get a deal done with Lamb before Jefferson resets the market at a new higher rate.

There you have it. A Lamb extension has been on the team’s mind since at least March. They can lock down their star wideout with a top-five deal right now and make both parties happy. Their best chance, though, is to get that done before the Vikings extend Jefferson. If Jefferson is able to reset the market, holding on to Lamb may come at an even greater cost.

Falcons To Use Bijan Robinson, Cordarrelle Patterson In Passing Game

June 24th, 2023 at 9:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

The addition of Bijan Robinson to the Falcons’ backfield is expected to boost what was already a productive rushing attack in 2022. It is also likely to yield a change in Atlanta’s deployment of some of their running backs, however.

The Falcons are planning to use Robinson, this year’s No. 8 pick, in a role not exclusively involving snaps from the backfield, as head coach Arthur Smith indicated via ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. The highly-touted back spent time in various alignments during OTAs and minicamp, pointing to a heavy usage as a pass-catcher being in the cards during his rookie season.

Robinson emerged as one of the most celebrated RB prospects in recent memory during his college career at Texas. He posted 1,894 scrimmage yards and 20 total touchdowns during his final campaign, earning him the Doak Walker award as the country’s top running back along with a unanimous All-American nod. He was widely expected to be a Day 1 selection, but going inside the top 10 will no doubt elevate expectations for him right away on a Falcons offense which features a number of dual-threat skill players.

One of those is veteran Cordarrelle Patterson. The 32-year-old made an impact on the ground, in the air and on special teams with 1,609 all-purpose yards in 2021, his first season in Atlanta. His role shifted more towards that of a typical running back last season, though, as he shared rushing duties with Tyler Allgeier in the team’s ground-heavy offense. That setup worked in terms of run production, but a return to his previous alignment can be expected for Patterson.

The latter, along with Smith, is eyeing a larger involvement in the passing game with Robinson and Allgeier in place as rushing options, team reporter Tori McElhaney notes. Patterson has been effective in a Swiss Army knife role previously, earning considerable acclaim for his work as a returner. Being deployed more as a receiver would add to the Falcons’ pass-catching options, a group which includes recent first-rounders Kyle Pitts and Drake London but will be required to take a step forward in production in 2023.

How Atlanta uses their trio of Robinson, Patterson and Allgeier will be interesting to monitor through training camp and into the regular season as the team turns to Desmond Ridder at quarterback for a full campaign. Multiple looks for the former two should be a staple of the team’s offense as they look to maximize their shared potential.

Latest On Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez

June 24th, 2023 at 7:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not much is certain at the cornerback position for the Patriots heading into training camp, but the presence of Christian Gonzalez should give the team a notable contributor over the short- and long-term future. The first-round rookie is in line for a signficant role right away, and it will likely include playing on the boundary.

Gonzalez was widely viewed as one of the top two corners in this year’s class, along with No. 5 pick Devon Witherspoon. The Commanders’ preference at the position was Emmanuel Forbes, who was selected one spot before the Patriots added Gonzalez with their first-rounder. The latter enters the NFL with signficant expectations after his lone season spent at Oregon in 2022.

Gonzalez recorded four interceptions and seven pass deflections with the Ducks, making him a first-round lock and an obvious target for a New England team looking to add further to their secondary. The team ranked third in the NFL with 19 interceptions last season, but only 16th in terms of passing yards allowed. Gonzalez could help in both departments with a strong rookie season, one in which he appears to have earned a starting spot.

“We’ll work him into a number of positions like we do almost all players at this point in time in the spring, and then narrow it down a little bit when we get to training camp,” head coach Bill Belichick said during an interview with Mike Tannenbaum of the 33rd Team (video link). “Ultimately, he’s most likely going to be a perimeter corner, but I think there are other situations where he could play inside or in a deeper part of the field, depending on what the call is or how things present themselves from a game-plan structure from time to time.”

That comes as little surprise, considering Gonzalez’s skillset and size (6-2, 201 pounds), as well as the uncertainty surrounding Jack Jones‘ future with the team. League or team discipline handed down to the latter would leave the Patriots short on perimeter options in particular, something which would add further to Gonzalez’s value in 2023. He will face a large workload as a rookie and likely a variety of alignments, making him a crucial member of the team’s secondary from the outset.

Bengals Likely To Start RT La’el Collins On PUP List?

June 24th, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Adam La Rose

The right tackle spot will be one to monitor closely in Cincinnati during training camp, since that is the likeliest landing spot for former blindside protector Jonah Williams. Another option at the position may not be available to the Bengals by the start of the season.

La’el Collins is a strong candidate to be placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list in advance of the regular season, writes The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. (subscription required). That designation would keep him sidelined for at least six weeks, so the team will no doubt remain patient in their evaluation of the veteran tackle before deciding how to proceed with him.

Collins continues to rehab the torn ACL and MCL he suffered in December, injuries which added to his missed games over the course of his career and cut short his debut Bengals season. The 29-year-old spent his first seven years (six seasons) with the Cowboys, manning the RT spot during most of that time. His release from Dallas cleared the way for a three-year, $21MM pact in Cincinnati as part of the team’s rebuilding effort up front.

The former UDFA started all 15 games he played in last season, but he drew the second-worst overall PFF grade (57.9) of his career in the process. The Bengals were likewise unimpressed with Collins’ performance, something which likely played a small part in their decision to retain Williams in the aftermath of his trade request. The latter is now set to try his hand at a switch to right tackle, where his primary competition for a starting spot will be Jackson Carman.

Collins, when healthy, is thus likely suited for a backup role at the tackle spot. He has experience playing on the inside, but a unit involving he, Williams and free agent left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. on the field together is not under consideration. All attention will be on Collins’ level of progress in his recovery over the next few weeks, followed by his role during the campaign upon returning to full health and the team’s active roster.

Cowboys Rumors: Davis, Ferguson, Tolbert

June 24th, 2023 at 3:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys have a number of depth chart battles to deal with heading into the 2023 season, including a left guard starting role that we touched on earlier this month. Another battle they’re currently dealing with, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic, is the backup running back gig.

Tony Pollard returns as the obvious starter at running back in Dallas. He’ll finally get a chance to take on a lion’s share of the teams carries after spending the first four years of his career splitting touches with Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys are now tasked with figuring out who will be the primary backup taking snaps behind Pollard.

One of the favorites for the job is second year back Malik Davis. As an undrafted rookie out of Florida, Davis appeared in 12 games last season, carrying the ball 38 times for 161 yards and a touchdown and catching six passes for 63 yards. He was the only running back not named Pollard or Elliott to contribute to the Cowboys’ offense last year, giving him the advantage of experience in Dallas’s system.

In order to earn the role, Davis will have to fight off offseason additions Ronald Jones and Deuce Vaughn. Jones is the most experienced of the three after winning Super Bowl rings with both the Buccaneers and the Chiefs. He has plenty of experience in both of his previous situations dealing with the demands of a backup running back, as well. Jones brings the experience of adapting to a new system from last year but still will need to catch up to Davis’s current familiarity with the team. Vaughn is coming off two stellar seasons at Kansas State and brings a different element to the game with his style and stature. He will have to quickly adjust to the NFL-level of play, though, in order to sneak past Davis and Jones on the depth chart.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of Texas:

With Dalton Schultz now in Houston, the Cowboys will also have to figure out who takes the first snaps at tight end. They’re likely to utilize a number of tight ends in different situations, but right now, second year tight end Jake Ferguson is the favorite to start, according to Machota. The former fourth-round pick started eight games as a rookie and has the most experience playing in the Cowboys’ system. This year’s second-round rookie Luke Schoonmaker is sure to push Ferguson for playing time at some point, but currently, he’s still dealing with a plantar fascia issue that’s kept him from pushing for the top of the depth chart.
After a disappointing rookie season for last year’s third-round receiver Jalen Tolbert that saw him only appear in eight games and make two catches for 12 yards, the Cowboys are hoping for much more in Year 2. The team reportedly had enough confidence in the South Alabama product that they considered drafting him in the second round last year, according to Machota. Tolbert will have every opportunity to win the WR4 job in Dallas.

Jets Rumors: Gardner, Colletto, Amos

June 24th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Jets cornerback Ahmad Gardner may have only just finished his rookie season, but he’s already looking towards the future of his NFL career. A recent tweet from Vayner Sports agency announced that Sauce has made a change in his representation and is joining their “family.” While the move seems premature, with Gardner currently under contract through the 2026 season, assuming New York picks up his fifth-year option, Gardner’s early success makes the move much more reasonable.

Sauce only has one season under his belt, but in that one season, Gardner graded out as the best cornerback in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That assessment was backed up with a Pro Bowl selection, a first-team All-Pro selection, and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award. When you display that consensus of dominance in only your rookie year, it makes a bit of sense to start looking past your rookie contract.

Usually, teams can take advantage of their best young players being on rookie contracts. For an example, look no further than quarterback Lamar Jackson, who played an MVP season for the Ravens while only making $2.37MM per year. While the Jets would love nothing more than to continue paying Gardner $8.36MM per year under his rookie deal, the best cornerbacks in the league are starting to make north of $20MM per year. If Sauce continues to play like the best cornerback in the NFL, he’s going to want to get paid like it sooner rather than later. Switching agencies may be the move that gets that ball rolling.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of East Rutherford:

The 49ers won the lottery for Oregon State fullback Jack Colletto, who signed with San Francisco despite serious interest from the Jets and Dolphins, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The thing is, the 49ers already have a fullback in Kyle Juszczyk, who has graded out as a top-two fullback in the league in six of the past seven years, according to PFF. San Francisco may intend for Colletto to be the successor to the 32-year-old Juszczyk, but if so, they’re going to need to find room for him on the roster. If they waive Colletto in hopes of signing him to the practice squad, they risk allowing one of his other suitors to swoop in and claim him off of waivers. They may also take the route Baltimore did years ago with kicker/punter Kaare Vedvik. For those who don’t remember, Vedvik had a standout preseason with the Ravens, but Baltimore was set with Justin Tucker and Sam Koch as their specialists at the time. They leveraged Vedvik’s success into a trade, converting their undrafted free agent into a fifth-round pick. San Francisco may be able to do the same, flaunting Colletto’s specialist abilities and enticing New York or Miami into a trade for the initially sought after fullback.
Earlier this month, the Jets signed safety Adrian Amos in free agency on what was reportedly a one-year deal worth up to $4MM. Thanks to ESPN’s Field Yates, we have a few more details on Amos’s new contract. The deal is initially worth only $1.75MM, consisting of a veteran minimum salary of $1.17MM and a $585k signing bonus. The rest of the value comes from a possible $2.25MM in incentives. $900k of the incentives are considered like to be earned, bumping his cap hit up to $2.65MM.

RB Alexander Mattison Didn’t Expect To Re-Sign With Vikings

June 24th, 2023 at 12:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Alexander Mattison hit free agency this offseason but ended up re-signing with the Vikings. Considering the presence of Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, Mattison didn’t expect he’d land back in Minnesota.

“I actually didn’t think that I’d be back in Minnesota, so it’s a blessing to be back, to be in a place where I spent the first four years of my career and loved it there,” the running back admitted during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (via NFL.com’s Michael Baca). “To be there, be a part of this team, this locker room, the ownership, the staff. It’s a great place to be, so I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, and while I’m with this opportunity in front of me, I just see so much upside.”

Things have changed since Mattison inked a new two-year contract. The Vikings ended up moving on from Cook, setting up Mattison to be the full-time starter heading into the 2023 campaign. The 2019 third-round pick has shown that he’s more than capable of leading a running back corps; in six career starts, he’s compiled 693 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns.

Considering Cook’s inability to stay in the lineup, Mattison got plenty of looks through his first three seasons in the NFL. He topped 500 yards from scrimmage in each of those three years, including a 2021 campaign where he collected 719 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns.

With Cook still leading the way heading into the 2022 campaign, there were reports that the Vikings were shopping their backup RB. Minnesota ended up holding on to the RB2 but got a surprising 17-game season out of the oft-injured Cook in 2022, leading to Mattison compiling a career-low 373 yards from scrimmage (along with a career-high six touchdowns).

With Cook now gone, Mattison will get a shot at the full-time starting gig. The 25-year-old acknowledged that he’s stepped up his offseason game in preparation for an increased workload in 2023.

“Yeah, with that understanding of knowing kind of where my role is going to be and maximize it,” Mattison said. “I’ve been a lot more prepared in the way of understanding where I’m going to be at in the playbook, where I’m going to have to be at physically, my stamina. It’s just a whole bunch that I have to now take into account but without applying too much pressure, of course, because this is a game of ball that we have grown to love and grown to adapt to at all different levels. I’m definitely comfortable as a professional athlete and understanding what I have to do to get the job done. Now just cranking that thing up and getting ready for this opportunity that I have in front of me.”

Melvin Gordon Still Wants To Play, Frustrated With RB Market

June 24th, 2023 at 11:10am CST by Ben Levine

After fumbling his way out of a job in Denver, veteran Melvin Gordon spent the rest of the 2022 campaign on the Chiefs practice squad. This was obviously a humbling step backwards for the former Pro Bowler, but the practice squad gig hasn’t left him discouraged about his future NFL opportunities.

During an appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Gordon said he’s staying ready for his next job while also acknowledging the plight of today’s running backs.

“I still want to play,” Gordon said (h/t to Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “I still got some tread left on the tires. Andy, you know, coach Reid, kind of sat me down and he told me that ‘you still can play.’ It’s just about the right situation. It’s just so tough for running backs right now. And you have a lot of running backs out there and we just don’t get no love. It’s literally the worst position to play in NFL right now. It literally sucks. I’m just staying ready, man, because I know what I can do. I know once I get in camp, I get in any camp, I can turn some heads. I know what I need to do.”

This isn’t the first time a veteran running back has expressed displeasure about the current state of their positional market. Josh Jacobs has said he’s taking a stand for the position while negotiating an extension with the Raiders, and Saquon Barkley has hinted that his extension offers haven’t come close to matching his on-field production.

Gordon doesn’t necessarily have the same complaints as Barkley or Jacobs, since the free agent RB would be hard pressed to earn even a modest payday on his next contract. However, all veteran RBs share a similar concern when it comes to teams’ reluctance to make any investment on older RBs, with front offices generally preferring to go with cheaper options on rookie contracts.

If Gordon has any hope of playing next season, he might have to once again settle for a practice squad gig. The 30-year-old had a rough go of it in 2022, averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry and fumbling the ball five times before earning his walking papers. However, Gordon isn’t far removed from 2020 and 2021 campaigns where he averaged more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns per season.

If the RB is hoping for a guaranteed spot on a 53-man roster, he’ll have to wait for injuries to hit during training camp and preseason. Even then, he’ll likely have to wait his turn, as running backs like Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, and Kareem Hunt also remain unsigned.

TE Darren Waller Not Surprised By Raiders Trade

June 24th, 2023 at 10:09am CST by Ben Levine

Darren Waller struggled to find his footing with new head coach Josh McDaniels leading the way in Las Vegas. Even after the tight end inked a three-year, $51MM extension last offseason, there were rumblings that he had become a source of frustration within the organization during the 2022 season.

Waller was ultimately traded to the Giants back in March, and the tight end acknowledged that the move didn’t come as a huge surprise.

“Not totally shocked,” Waller told Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I had heard some things. There were different moments throughout the year that I heard I may be traded or I may not. So the actual event of it wasn’t too shocking.

“But I didn’t expect it to be the Giants.”

Following 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020, Waller was limited to only 11 games in 2021. He missed another eight games in 2022, a factor that likely contributed to the organization’s frustrations. It seemed like rival teams were aware of the disconnect between Waller and the coaching staff; we heard that the Packers tried to trade for the player midseason, and agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed that the front office even shopped Waller last offseason.

So, when Waller was ultimately traded, the move naturally didn’t come as a huge shock to the 30-year-old. Waller admitted that he was surprised that he was dealt to New York, perhaps because they hadn’t been definitively listed as a suitor (the only two reported teams that had shown interest were the Packers and Dolphins).

On paper, the Giants seemed like a logical landing spot. The team didn’t do much last season to replace Evan Engram, leaning mostly on Daniel Bellinger at tight end. In New York, Waller should emerge as one of Daniel Jones‘ top targets, and the tight end is excited about the opportunity.

“It’s been great,” Waller said of his Giants experience. “It’s been a great challenge. I love a good challenge and just forming a new relationship with my teammates. They’re really excited about winning. They’re really solid about doing things the right way and continuing to build a foundation on what they started last year. I’m just excited to be a part of it.”

Bills Extend HC Sean McDermott, GM Brandon Beane

June 23rd, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two pillars of the Bills’ run of recent success will remain in place for years to come. The team announced on Friday that extensions have been signed by both head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane.

These new deals will run through 2027, the year which will mark one decade since their joint arrival in Buffalo. Both McDermott and Beane had previously signed extensions in 2020, but now their contractual futures will be aligned with one another. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that these new contracts had been agreed to “for some time,” but now long-term stability has been ensured well in advance of training camp and another season in which the franchise faces considerable expectations.

The Bills snapped an 18-year playoff drought during McDermott and Beane’s first season at the helm, and the team has been among the league’s most successful since that point. The selection of Josh Allen as a franchise quarterback has provided sustained performances in the regular season in particular, and only one campaign (Allen’s rookie year in 2018) outside the postseason. Overall, McDermott has posted a 62-35 record with the Bills.

The maturation of Allen (especially after the trade acquisition of wideout Stefon Diggs in 2020) has seen the Bills become one of the league’s elite offenses. Over the past three seasons, the team has ranked in the top five in both total and scoring offense, while generally delivering strong defensive performances as well. Buffalo has ranked in the top six in total defense four times under McDermott, whose first head coaching gig came after defensive coordinator stints with the Eagles and Panthers.

McDermott’s background on that side of the ball will become increasingly important in 2023, since former DC Lezlie Frazier has stepped away from his position, leaving McDermott in place as defensive play-caller. On offense, continued success under Brian Daboll successor Ken Dorsey will be a key goal after the latter led the Bills to a second-place finish in scoring last year.

Overall, this coming season (and those in the short- to intermediate future, given the franchise’s current core) will of course be judged by postseason success. The Bills have advanced to the AFC title game once under the McDermott/Beane regime, coming within 13 seconds of a Super Bowl appearance in 2020. Moves such as the signing of edge rusher Von Miller to a six-year, $120MM deal last offseason show the team’s willingness to commit to a win-now approach through Allen’s prime. They will once again face a plethora of strong competitors in their division and the AFC as a whole, though.

Much remains to be seen regarding McDermott’s and Beane’s ability to remain in Buffalo through the duration of these new pacts, of course. Continued strong showings in the regular season (like the four consecutive double-digit win seasons the team has strung together) will go a long way in ensuring stability on the sidelines and in the front office, however. A breakthrough in the playoffs would only add to the recognition both individuals have received during their tenure so far, and confirm the franchise’s latest investment in them as a sound one.

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