HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Buccaneers Re-Sign DL William Gholston

July 25th, 2023 at 11:50am CST by Ely Allen

JULY 25: The deal, which is now official, will see Gholston’s 2023 cap hit decrease from what it was already scheduled to be (Twitter link via Auman). The veteran was set to account for $2.4MM on the team’s cap as a result of the void year which existed on last season’s contract. While the Buccaneers are still dealing with more than $70MM in dead money from other contracts, Gholston will represent a lesser financial burden while continuing his Tampa career.

JULY 24: Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and defensive lineman William Gholston being a Buccaneer. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Tampa Bay has officially agreed to terms to bring Gholston back for his 11th season with the team.

The veteran lineman, who turns 32 years old next week, is set to return to Tampa Bay on his fourth NFL contract. Ever since being drafted as a fourth-round pick back in 2013, Gholston has been a solid defensive stalwart for the Buccaneers. He started as a rotational player, earning starts here and there, before eventually earning a starting role for a solid year or two.

The always strong but never remarkable Gholston has since yo-yoed back and forth between a rotational starter and a sub off the bench. In his ten years with the team, Gholston has started 87 of 153 appearances out of 162 possible games. He doesn’t miss much time due to injury (his last missed game was in November 2017), and he contributes both on defense and on special teams.

Even in the latest, most recent years, Gholston has continually received a top-three snap share on the defensive line. With the departure of Rakeem Nunez-Roches to the Giants, Gholston would have been set up for another large share alongside Vita Vea and Logan Hall, with first-round pick Calijah Kancey likely factoring in, as well. The free agent addition of Greg Gaines might not be enough to replace the production of Nunez-Roches, but it should be enough for the team to not require too much of Gholston in his 11th season.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Buccaneers had every intention of re-signing Gholston earlier in the offseason, but the higher priority was to settle the team’s rookie contracts to see where the salary cap would be. With Tampa Bay concluding their rookie signings today, Gholston gets his new contract.

Seahawks Extend OLB Uchenna Nwosu

July 25th, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Ely Allen

JULY 25: Financial details of the deal are in, courtesy of NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). Nwosu will see $45MM in base earnings across the three new years of his contract, with the potential to see as much as $59MM. That will represent a sizeable raise for the 26-year-0ld, allowing him to join the 15 other edge rushers around the league who average at least $15MM per season on their current deals. Continued progression from last season’s success will be beneficial for both team and player over the next several years.

JULY 24: After a slow start to his career in Los Angeles, edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu really found his footing during a breakout season in Seattle last year. As a result, the Seahawks have decided not to let the 26-year-old even sniff free agency, extending his contract for three years, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Nwosu, a former second-round pick out of USC, stayed close to home for his first stop in the NFL. He played sparingly as a rotational pass rusher for the Chargers. Nwosu only made 10 starts in his first three years but contributed when given the opportunity, delivering 10.0 sacks, as well. Finally given a chance to start more regularly in a contract year, Nwosu gave his best performance to date, recording then-career-highs in total tackles (40), sacks (5.0), tackles for loss (8), quarterback hits (17), and forced fumbles (2).

The new highs were a good audition for free agency, but the numbers didn’t quite match what a full season of starting should produce. Regardless, the Seahawks took a chance on him, signing him to a “prove it” deal while still awarding him enough money to entice him to Seattle. Nwosu immediately rewarded the Seahawks for their investment. Starting every game of the season for the first time in his career, Nwosu delivered new career-highs of 66 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 26 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles.

After such a stellar season that finally saw a production that matched Nwosu’s level of play on the field, Seattle saw no use in allowing Nwosu to play out his contract year in 2023. Instead, they signed Nwosu to a three-year extension that can be worth up to $59MM. Schefter also reported that Nwosu will receive a guaranteed amount of $32MM in the new contract. The deal doesn’t pay him as much as the top pass rushers in the league, rightfully so as he has yet to see double-digit sack totals, but if he can realize the full value of the contract, he would be a top-eight earner at the position.

Nwosu will now comfortably return to what is continuing to look like one of the NFL’s best all-around linebacking corps. He’ll lineup opposite Darrell Taylor, who also totaled 9.5 sacks last season, with Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner between them. The Seahawks don’t lack depth at the position either as Devin Bush and Boye Mafe wait patiently in the wings. With contract worries now behind him, Nwosu can concentrate on continuing to progress in his NFL development for his team of the next several years.

Falcons To Re-Sign TE MyCole Pruitt

July 25th, 2023 at 9:28am CST by Adam La Rose

MyCole Pruitt joined the Falcons last offseason, and that move yielded a career-high in production. The sides have now agreed to a new deal, reports ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link).

Pruitt split the first three seasons of his career in Minnesota, Chicago and Houston but he is best known for his time in Tennessee. He had a four-year stint with the Titans, allowing him to work with current Falcons head coach Arthur Smith during that stretch. The 31-year-old signed in Atlanta to reunite with Smith, and that decision paid off for both parties.

Spending time on and off the Falcons’ active roster, Pruitt made 13 appearances and four starts in his new home last year. While he maintained his role of contributing primarily as a run blocker, the former fifth-rounder set new personal bests in receptions (16), yards (150) and touchdowns (four). His 40% offensive snap share was the third-highest mark of his career, making him a notable member of the Falcons’ offense.

Atlanta’s TE room will, of course, be led once again by former No. 4 pick Kyle Pitts. He remains on track to be fully recovered from a torn MCL in time for the start of the regular season, but the Florida product is known far more for his receiving skills than his blocking ability. In what should remain one of the league’s most run-heavy offenses after the addition of running back Bijan Robinson in the first round of this year’s draft, depth tight ends are an important element of Atlanta’s unit.

Pruitt will now be back in the fold for training camp, as he looks to avoid a repeat of last year’s decision by the Falcons to waive him during final roster cutdowns. He was still able to contribute despite spending time on the practice squad, but he will now aim to secure a full-time 53-man roster spot in the coming weeks.

Giants, Saquon Barkley Agree To Deal

July 25th, 2023 at 8:03am CST by Adam La Rose

In a surprise twist, the franchise tag-induced situation between Saquon Barkley and the Giants has been resolved. The two sides agreed on a one-year deal worth up to $11MM, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

The guaranteed base value of the contract is $10.1MM – the same as the franchise tag Barkley was set to play on during the 2023 season. $900K in incentives are in place to give him the opportunity to slightly outpace the earnings he would have seen on the tender. Rushing yards, touchdowns and receptions will yield added compensation, but only if the Giants make the postseason (Twitter links via ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). Rapoport adds that the 26-year-old will receive a $2MM signing bonus, while his colleague Mike Garafolo notes that New York will still be able to use the tag next year if they so desire (Twitter link).

Barkley was one of three running backs who were unable to reach agreement on a long-term deal ahead of last week’s deadline for franchise tag recipients. Negotiations on that front are not allowed to re-commence until January, but NFL rules allow for one-year deals to be signed in place of the tag, even if they are worked out after the deadline. Such instances are rare, but in this case the provision has allowed for a compromise which will see the Giants’ offensive catalyst work out his contractual status (for this season) in time for training camp.

Barkley and the Giants came within roughly $2MM on both annual value and guaranteed compensation during their eleventh-hour negotiations, marking notable progress but leading to questions about why a deal could not be worked out. The team’s last offer included an increase in AAV in exchange for a lesser guaranteed figure, and it was only right up against the deadline that New York was willing to reach the $22MM mark in the latter category. That represents the amount Barkley (along with Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard) would earn on consecutive tags, which are fully guaranteed. Offers including assurances above $22MM on a multi-year contract would therefore be needed for those backs to see them as an improvement on playing out two tags.

After the deadline passed, Barkley spoke publicly about his frustrations with leaked information regarding extension talks. He also expanded on the previously-reported possibility that he would not only hold out from training camp, but skip out regular season games as well. Doing so would have resulted in $560K in lost salary per week, and left the team without the focal point of their ground game. That scenario is now off the table, though, and both parties can move forward with preparations for the season.

Having not signed his tag, Barkley would not have been subject to fines for missing camp. Now that he will be under contract, his attendance will be mandatory. His return to the team will be a welcomed development, as he looks to build off his career-best 1,312 rushing yards from last season, which helped propel to Giants to a surprise run to the divisional round of the playoffs. The financial element of his 2023 performance will still be worth watching closely, however, since today’s news leaves him eligible to be tagged for a second time after the campaign.

With Barkley’s situation now resolved and Pollard having already signed his tag, attention will now turn to Jacobs. The latter began his hold out of Raiders training camp yesterday, and he has also acknowledged the threat of missing regular season games. Whether or not this Giants-Barkley compromise provides a blueprint for a solution between Jacobs and the Raiders will be worth watching closely.

Cardinals Sign Round 2 OLB BJ Ojulari, Conclude Rookie Signings

July 24th, 2023 at 10:24pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals are the latest team to conclude the signing of their 2023 NFL Draft class with the signing of a second-round pick. Cardinals staff writer Darren Urban announced that the team had signed LSU defensive end BJ Ojulari today, wrapping up Arizona’s rookie signings.

The second-round trend is notable after an early signing saw the Panthers deliver three years of guarantees to rookie wide receiver Jonathan Mingo. Since then, we’ve seen a number of second-round picks sign similarly impressive deals, pointing to a potential permanent shift in the value of second-round deals.

Ojulari and fifth-round pick Owen Pappoe should factor immediately into a relatively thin linebacking corps. With Zaven Collins shifting to defensive end and Isaiah Simmons officially making the move to defensive back, the talent at linebacker is suddenly lacking in a major way. Former safety Kyzir White is set to return to the full-time starting role he held when he was a Charger after a rotational year in Philadelphia. Around White, the outside linebacker jobs are open for competition between Ojulari, Pappoe, and veteran backup Dennis Gardeck.

At only 6-foot-2, Ojulari lacks the ideal length of an outside linebacker in the NFL. He can rush standing up or with his hand in the ground, and for him, finding the backfield is a regular occurrence. What he lacks in size and ability, he makes up for in spirit. Praised by many as a high-character guy, he’ll be a strong culture fit for a Cardinals team that may be struggling to find wins early. He also offers an unrelenting effort that commonly sees him making plays on the other side of the field or even downfield. In some schemes and on some teams, Ojulari might need to sit and develop a bit, but in Arizona, he should have every opportunity to earn his way onto the field early and often.

Without Kliff Kingsbury, DeAndre Hopkins, or, perhaps, Kyler Murray (to start the year), the 2023 Cardinals are set to look a bit different. Here’s the full draft class that will join Arizona in a new look:

Round 1, No. 6 (from Rams through Lions): Paris Johnson, OT (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 41 (from Titans): BJ Ojulari, DE (LSU) (signed)
Round 3, No. 72 (from Titans): Garrett Williams, CB (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 94 (from Eagles): Michael Wilson, WR (Stanford) (signed)
Round 4, No. 122 (from Dolphins through Chiefs and Lions): Jon Gaines II, G (UCLA) (signed)
Round 5, No. 139 (from Broncos through Lions): Clayton Tune, QB (Houston) (signed)
Round 5, No. 168 (from Cardinals through Lions): Owen Pappoe, LB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 5, No. 180: Kei’Trel Clark, CB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 6, No. 213: Dante Stills, DT (West Virginia) (signed)

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/23

July 24th, 2023 at 9:34pm CST by Ely Allen

In a very busy day for the NFL in transactions, here are some of the minor moves that may have slipped through the cracks:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Ravens signed Ott after working out a trio of long snappers that also included Ryan Langan and Shane Griffin. The former Pro Bowler for the Seahawks won the tryout and is expected to be the replacement for Baltimore’s usual long snapper Nick Moore, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon during his offseason training, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Also, the breath of relief for Bateman is short-lived as, a day after being activated from the reserve/did not report list, Baltimore has placed the young receiver on the PUP list.

On a more positive note, a day after the Bears placed Claypool on the PUP list, he has been removed from it. He’ll now be eligible to participate in training camp starting this Wednesday. Tomlinson returns to Houston after being released back in May. He’ll get another chance to work in the tight ends room that includes Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, and Brevin Jordan.

Buccaneers Ink Round 2 OL Cody Mauch, Wrap Up Rookie Deals

July 24th, 2023 at 8:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Tampa Bay has continued the recent trend of teams completing the signing of their 2023 draft classes. Buccaneers senior writer/editor Scott Smith released today that the team had inked their last remaining unsigned rookie, North Dakota State offensive lineman Cody Mauch.

The second-round signings have been sticky for most teams after the Panthers included some hefty guarantees in the rookie contract of 39th overall pick Jonathan Mingo. While the details of Mauch’s contract have yet to be revealed, it could continue a trend of strong rookie deals that we’ve been seeing for second-round picks since the Mingo-signing.

Tampa Bay traded up two spots in order to secure Mauch back in April. After losing Alex Cappa to free agency and Ali Marpet to retirement, the Buccaneers struggled to find consistency on the interior of the offensive line throughout the 2022 season. Injuries didn’t help the situation, but the team lost another asset after trading Shaq Mason to the Texans.

Enter Mauch, who originally arrived in Fargo as a lean tight end at 6-foot-5, 221 pounds. The Bison were able to bulk the young man up to 6-foot-6, 303, helping to mold him into an NFL-ready lineman. As a team captain in his final collegiate season, Mauch earned FCS offensive lineman of the year honors. He impressed scouts with his outstanding mobility, fierce handwork, and sheer competitiveness.

He excelled at the Division I-FCS level as an offensive tackle but lacks the ideal length to be a clearcut starter on the outside in the NFL. He absolutely deserves a look at tackle, with Donovan Smith‘s departure for Kansas City, but at the very least, Mauch could be an immediate contributor on the interior offensive line. He could push Robert Hainsey or Nick Leverett for a starting spot at guard and can give Luke Goedeke a run for the open starting tackle spot in 2023.

After the (second) retirement of Tom Brady, the Buccaneers are entering a bit of a rebuild, and this draft class is the start of that process. Here is Tampa Bay’s full 2023 draft class:

Round 1, No. 19: Calijah Kancey, DT (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 2, No. 48 (from Lions through Packers): Cody Mauch, G (North Dakota State) (signed)
Round 3, No. 82: Yaya Diaby, DE (Louisville) (signed)
Round 5, No. 153: SirVocea Dennis, LB (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 5, No. 171 (from Rams): Payne Durham, TE (Purdue) (signed)
Round 6, No. 181 (from Colts): Josh Hayes, CB (Kansas State) (signed)
Round 6, No. 191 (from Packers through Rams, Texans and Eagles): Trey Palmer, WR (Nebraska) (signed)
Round 6, No. 196: Jose Ramirez, OLB (Eastern Michigan) (signed)

K Michael Badgley To Sign With Commanders

July 24th, 2023 at 6:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The “Money Badger” is once again on the move. Shortly after being released by the Lions, journeyman kicker Michael Badgley has already found his next stop in Washington, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. After working out for the Commanders earlier today, Badgley left the building with new contract and an opportunity to compete for the team’s placekicker position.

In his sixth NFL season, Badgley is set to join his sixth NFL team. Coming out of Miami (FL) as the Hurricanes’ all-time leader in points scored and field goals made, Badgley signed as an undrafted free agent with the Colts in 2018. After failing to make the initial 53-man roster, Badgley eventually signed with the Chargers. He struggled to stay on the field in his first two seasons but impressed as a rookie converting 15 of his 16 attempted field goals and 27 of 28 extra point attempts while earning his semi-borrowed moniker. His sophomore season was nearly as impressive as he only missed three field goals and made all of his extra points.

A rough 2020 season that would see him miss nine field goals and three extra points would lead to a position battle in camp. The Chargers waived the young kicker after he failed to beat out Tristan Vizcaino in a camp kicking competition. Vizcaino wouldn’t last long in Los Angeles after missing five extra points the next season. Badgley would rebound, signing to the Titans’ practice squad and appearing in one game for Tennessee.

After getting waived by Tennessee, Badgley would win a kicking competition in Indianapolis, beating out Brett Maher, Aldrick Rosas, and Riley Patterson for a backup position behind an injured Rodrigo Blankenship. He would finish the season for the Colts after Blankenship was placed on injured reserve, missing only three field goals and making all 39 of his extra point attempts.

Badgley started 2022 as a free agent and eventually signed with the Bears as Cairo Santos was away from the team for personal reasons. He would only play one game for Chicago, but he made all four field goals he attempted in the game. Badgley was released the following week but was quickly picked up by the Lions. With Austin Seibert battling a groin injury and backup kicker Dominik Eberle struggling, Badgley took hold of the kicking job. He finished the year for the Lions, converting 24 of 28 field goal attempts and making all 33 of his extra points.

As a reward for his stand-in performance, the Lions decided to re-sign Badgley, keeping him under contract for 2023. Unfortunately, they backed off of that commitment four days ago, allowing Riley Patterson and former XFL kicker Parker Romo to move on in a kicking battle that would surprisingly no longer include Badgley.

Instead, Badgley will compete with incumbent kicker Joey Slye for the kicking job in Washington. Slye had an impressive 2021 season, missing only two field goals attempts while kicking in games for the Texans, 49ers, and Washington. In a full season with the Commanders last year, though, Slye showed much of the same inconsistency that plagued his early years in Carolina. Slye has also consistently struggled with extra point attempts, missing 15 in his four years of play.

Slye and Badgley will now participate in a kicking battle throughout training camp. Badgley has plenty of experience in kicking battles, sporting both wins and losses as detailed above. Slye actually won out over Badgley for a job kicking in San Francisco in 2021 as a stand-in for Robbie Gould. Badgley’s strong 2022 outing could give him a leg up in this year’s battle, but he’ll need a really good camp to unseat Slye, who has familiarity with the program.

Broncos DL Eyioma Uwazurike Issued Indefinite Gambling Suspension

July 24th, 2023 at 5:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

The identity of the latest NFL player to receive NFL discipline for violation of the league’s gambling policy has been learned. Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike has been banned indefinitely, as noted (on Twitter) by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Uwazurike was found to have wagered on NFL games in 2022, his rookie season. As a result, he will now miss the upcoming campaign and is ineligible to apply for reinstatement until July 24, 2024. The news marks a blow to the Broncos’ defensive front, and to the 25-year-old’s career future.

A fourth-round pick out of Iowa State, Uwazurike appeared in eight games last year, seeing playing time in the latter half of the season. He saw a 31% snap share on defense, recording 17 tackles and a pair of QB hits while also blocking a field goal. Uwazurike was in line to take on a larger workload this season, but that will no longer be the case. The Broncos saw Dre’Mont Jones depart in free agency, and replaced him with ex-Cardinal Zach Allen. The latter, along with the likes of Matt Henningsen, D.J. Jones and Mike Purcell, will log most of the snaps along Denver’s D-line.

“We were informed by the NFL today that Eyioma Uwazurike has been suspended by the league indefinitely for violating its gambling policy,” the Broncos said in a statement. “Our organization fully cooperated with this investigation and takes matters pertaining to the integrity of the game very seriously.

“The Denver Broncos will continue to provide all members of our organization with the necessary education, resources and support to ensure compliance with the NFL’s Gambling Policy.”

The 2023 offseason has been littered with players being issued either full-season bans for gambling on NFL games, or shorter punishments for placing wagers on non-NFL events while at team facilities. Uwazurike has joined that growing list, and he will now spend at least the next calendar year out of the Broncos’ plans and away from football.

Commanders Release G Andrew Norwell

July 24th, 2023 at 5:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, the Commanders have moved on from Andrew Norwell. The team announced on Monday that the veteran guard has been released.

Washington placed Norwell on the reserve/PUP list in May, a move which seemed to signal the end of his time in the nation’s capital once he passed a physical. After dealing with an elbow injury during the spring, the 31-year-old has presumably done so given his release is now official.

Norwell spent only one season in Washington after four years each in Carolina and Jacksonville. The Jaguars removed one year from his deal in 2021, allowing him to hit the open market last offseason. That paved the way for a two-year, $10MM Commanders contract. Parting ways with him halfway through that pact will yield $4.38MM in cap savings for Washington via a post-June 1 cut.

The Ohio State alum started at left guard for each of his 16 games played last year, drawing his worst PFF evaluation to date. That helped inform the team’s decision to look elsewhere at the position. Saahdiq Charles and Chris Paul are set to compete for the first-team LG role during camp, and the Commanders have a number of other, new, faces in place along their offensive front to evaluate.

Norwell, who has started all but one of his 128 career games, will now look to latch onto a roster as training camps open up around the league. Teams are always on the lookout for experienced contributors when filling out depth charts, and, if healthy, he should be able to generate a market on a short-term, low-cost deal in a bid to rebuild his free agent value. Washington, meanwhile, will move forward with added financial flexibility and a clearer picture of its interior O-line situation.

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