HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

TE Kyle Rudolph Likely To Retire

July 22nd, 2023 at 8:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kyle Rudolph is one of several free agents who has yet to latch onto a roster ahead of training camp, and it appears unlikely he will do so any time soon. The veteran tight end has a new phase of his football career lined up, suggesting he will hang up his cleats.

Rudolph, a Notre Dame alum, recently indicated that he will spend time as a broadcaster with NBC calling Big Ten games on the network. The opportunity to do so, he added, was made possible in very large part by the unique broadcast relationship the Fighting Irish have with NBC. He will look to use it to find success in the booth as opposed to on the field.

“One-hundred percent. It was without question the reason why,” the 34-year-old said about his choice to attempt a broadcasting gig, via The Athletic’s Pete Sampson (subscription required). “I’m an anomaly, played 12 years in the NFL before starting my next chapter, but Notre Dame was still there opening doors and giving me opportunities.” 

Rudolph was drafted by the Vikings in 2011 and he remained there for a decade. By the end of his rookie season, he had established himself as a full-time starter, and he saw snap shares of at least 83% in seven consecutive campaigns. His most productive season came in 2016, when he posted an 83-840-7 statline. Rudolph then earned his second and final Pro Bowl nod the following year.

The former second-rounder was released in 2021 with the Vikings moving on from their then-longest tenured player. Rudolph drew interest from a number of suitors during his first free agent period, and he ultimately landed a two-year pact with the Giants. That contract was terminated after only one campaign in the Big Apple, however, one in which he played a reduced role compared to many of his Vikings campaigns.

The Buccaneers added Rudolph last offseason, with Tom Brady playing a central role in recruiting him to Tampa Bay. A lackluster season followed that decision, though, and the former was limited to nine games played and only three receptions. With his playing future very much in doubt, he will now turn his attention to a new football-related challenge this fall.

Rudolph ranks 11th in Vikings history in terms of career receiving yards, and he sits second in that regard amongst tight ends (behind only Steve Jordan). His Giants and Bucs contracts helped bring his career earnings to just under $60MM. Rather than attempting to extend his NFL tenure to 13 years, he appears set to close the book on his playing days.

Titans Audition OTs George Fant, Chris Hubbard

July 22nd, 2023 at 7:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 22: Tennessee hosted Fant as scheduled, while also taking a look at Chris Hubbard (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). The latter has spent his entire career in the AFC North, seeing time at both guard and tackle with the Steelers and Brown. Hubbard (who also visited the Colts this offseason) has 49 starts to his name, and like Fant would represent a far more experienced Petit-Frere replacement than Tennessee’s internal options. 2021 second-rounder Dillon Radunz – who continues to recover from the ACL tear which ended his second career season in December – has been placed on the active/PUP list to begin training camp. That news could give the Titans added incentive to sign Fant, Hubbard or another veteran in the near future.

JULY 19: Nicholas Petit-Frere‘s six-game gambling suspension will have the Titans starting four new offensive linemen, but the team is likely aiming for a higher-end bridge option at right tackle.

Sitting as one of the top free agents available, George Fant is set for a Nashville trek. The veteran tackle will work out for the Titans on Saturday, Jordan Schultz of The Score tweets. Fant spent the past three seasons with the Jets, but he has been a free agent since his contract expired earlier this year.

This would be an interesting landing spot for Fant, seeing as Tennessee does not appear to have an opening for a full-time tackle starter. Petit-Frere started throughout last season, winning the RT job out of training camp. The 2022 third-round pick will seemingly be ready to reclaim his job after his suspension ends. That said, Schultz adds there is a good chance Fant will sign with the Titans assuming his workout goes well.

Fant-Jets extension rumors swirled last year, but nothing transpired. The Jets have an even more uncertain tackle situation than the Titans, with both Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton coming off injuries. The team signed longtime Nathaniel Hackett charge Billy Turner, however, and have 2022 draftee Max Mitchell in place as a backup option. Fant was also in play for the Dolphins earlier this year. Miami has since added Isaiah Wynn and Cedric Ogbuehi.

Fant, who turns 31 today, has made 60 career starts across a seven-year career. The ex-college basketball player played out a three-year, $30MM Jets deal, starting at both the left and right tackle spots. While Fant could bring valuable depth to a Titans team that struggled to keep its O-linemen healthy last season, he also could mix in for a starting role.

Fant, however, also missed much of last season with a knee injury. He played in just eight games, and Pro Football Focus ranked his injury-affected work as among the worst at the position last year. PFF did give Fant a top-40 tackle grade in 2021, when he replaced Becton at left tackle. Should Fant sign, it would be interesting to see if he ends up changing the Titans’ plans for their tackle posts. As of now, Andre Dillard is expected to play left tackle and team with a stopgap right-sider and then Petit-Frere after Week 6.

Considering a host of options to man the RT post during Petit-Frere’s time away, the Titans signing Fant would clear up their plans for first-rounder Peter Skoronski. Pegged as a guard by many NFL evaluators during the pre-draft process, Skoronski only played tackle at Northwestern. But the Titans gave him more guard work during the offseason program.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/23

July 22nd, 2023 at 6:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

The Corbett news comes as no surprise, given the expectation from the spring that he would miss time in the regular season. The Panthers’ starting right guard suffered an ACL tear during the 2022 season finale, making him a candidate for a reserve/PUP designation. That would sideline him for at least four contests, so it is encouraging Carolina has elected instead to use the active designation, from which players can be activated at any time during camp.

Signed to provide last-minute offensive line help for the Jets last season, Brown played 12 games on the blindside last season while battling a shoulder ailment. Despite Mekhi Becton being healthy this offseason, the 37-year-old is the favorite to hold down the LT role for New York as the team looks to improve its pass protection at the start of the Aaron Rodgers era. If healthy in time for the spring, Brown will play a large role in determining their success on that front.

Farley’s brief NFL career has seen a continuation of his injury concerns dating back to college. The 2021 first-rounder saw a herniated disk end his season in December. He underwent surgery to address the issue, and the team may feel the need to proceed with caution given his potentially sizeable role with the Titans’ secondary. Radunz continues to recover from the ACL tear which likewise ended his second campaign in Nashville late in the regular season.

Jaguars CB Chris Claybrooks Arrested For Domestic Battery

July 22nd, 2023 at 5:57pm CST by Ely Allen

As a seventh-round pick during the COVID-19 season, Jaguars cornerback Chris Claybrooks faced long odds to remain on an NFL roster. After three years in the league, Claybrooks has made things substantially harder for himself. His most recent self-inflicted hurdle came yesterday as Claybrooks was arrested and booked in Duval County, according to Demetrius Harvey of the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union.

This isn’t Claybrooks’s first run in with the law. It’s not even his first run in with the law this offseason. Back in late-April, Claybrooks faced misdemeanor charges of domestic assault with bodily injury and vandalism under $1,000 after an incident in which he allegedly grabbed his ex-girlfriend’s arm and threw her cellphone to the ground. The charges were eventually dropped after a settlement was reached in the case.

This time, Claybrooks faces a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery and a third-degree felony charge of false imprisonment. He was booked around 4:30pm yesterday and set to appear in court this morning. Claybrooks has a bond of $25,000 and is to have no contact with the alleged victim, no firearms, and no traveling outside the state of Florida.

The Jaguars released the following statement shortly after the arrest:

We are aware of the arrest of Chris Claybrooks and are currently in the process of gathering information. We will have no further comment at this time.

Claybrooks, if he were to remain with the team, would serve as a depth piece in the secondary and on special teams. He saw his most action as a rookie, when he played a third of the team’s defensive snaps, but he’s seen diminishing field time in each year since. His six starts on defense came in his first two years, and despite playing in every game in 2022, he primarily served as a special teamer last year.

Given Claybrooks’s slow demotion over the past two years and his recent legal troubles, it’s hard to imagine a future in which Claybrooks stays on the team. Jacksonville is being patient in their diagnosis of the situation, but repeat offenses so close together is going to be hard to overlook for a player who contributed to four percent of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps last season.

Chiefs DT Chris Jones Begins Camp Hold-Out

July 22nd, 2023 at 4:37pm CST by Ely Allen

Following a season in which he ranked as the league’s top interior defensive lineman, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Chris Jones has been seeking a new, top contract from the Chiefs. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Jones “did not report with the rest of the team to training camp” today as “the two sides remain ‘far apart’ on a new deal.”

A former second-round pick out of Mississippi State, Jones set himself up beautifully coming out of his rookie deal by delivering two strong seasons in 2018 and 2019. Kansas City resorted to a franchise tag before eventually agreeing to extend Jones on a four-year, $80MM contract. Once again, the Chiefs began exploring the option of an extension early in the offseason this year. Jones hasn’t made it any easier for the team as, once again, he’s delivered one of the best performances of his career the season before a contract year.

In the years since Jones’s second contract, the defensive tackle market has markedly improved. In anticipation of an eventual negotiation, Jones skipped the team’s mandatory minicamp, costing himself approximately $100K in fines. At that point, it became clear that Jones was willing to pay to make his point, but a hold-out of training camp still seemed a long way away, considering the options limited by the 2020 CBA. The most drastic measure expected at the time was a potential hold-in, wherein Jones would attend training camp but not participate to his full ability.

Jones’s expectations weren’t unrealistic. Despite being ranked as the best, he wasn’t necessarily seeking to out-earn Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald’s contract is leaps and bounds ahead of the next-closest competition, so Jones sought to, at least, become the league’s second highest-paid defensive tackle. An interview with general manager Brett Veach made it sound like conversations were going well, indicating that things would likely get done “right before (or) right during the first start of camp,” a sentiment echoed by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington who thought it “likely” that the two sides would reach an agreement before camp.

Apparently, Jones agrees with the “start of camp” as a time to get things done. Holding out of training camp shows just how serious Jones is about not playing out the last year of his contract. According to Field Yates of ESPN, each day that Jones misses will leave him subject to almost $50K of fines.

Perhaps, if the Chiefs and Jones were closer in their negotiations, Jones wouldn’t be taking such drastic measures, but a camp hold-out truly emphasizes how far apart the two sides are. If Jones is going to incur daily fines, he’s going to expect a deal that makes those fines inconsequential.

Veteran RBs Planning To Address Depressed Market Together

July 22nd, 2023 at 3:32pm CST by Ely Allen

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler saw the writing on the wall. As he watched some of the best at his position contemplate their options under a franchise tag, he knew he could be dealing with the same issues next offseason. He made an attempt to remedy the situation but ended up finding out just how dire his prospects were. Now, with none of the league’s rushers finding an effective solution in their own negotiations, it appears they’ve decided to put their heads together in an attempt to get the contracts they deserve.

It started on Monday, when, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, some of the league’s veteran rushers organized a group text in which they would brainstorm strategies for improving their grim outlooks. One of the first initial strategies has been the utilization of social media.

While, on its surface, that sounds superficial and unproductive, it’s really hard to fix a problem if no one acknowledges it. When players go on social media to talk about their issues with the system, especially during a relatively down news cycle, media pundits will pick up their calls and magnify them. Not only that, but it also sparks debate between the analysts of the sport, who tend to present and argue both sides, helping to delineate the most useful points of contention and possible solutions.

To grow their efforts past a group text, the running backs have also planned a Zoom meeting, set for tonight, in order to further discussions, according to Florio. The meeting has been organized by Ekeler and will reportedly involve the NFL Players Association in some capacity. It’s a little difficult for the NFLPA to advise too much, considering that, in a league where value is determined within a salary cap that all positions share, the money to pay running backs has to be taken away from other positions that are also being represented by the Players Association. That being said, they can still likely offer some sound negotiating techniques and potential solutions. They can also potentially serve as a sounding board to offer opinions on the viability of different options.

Ultimately, the group will likely have to continue to take the situation into their own hands, as they’re negotiating only for themselves. They may suggest a shortening of the path to free agency to keep running backs from spending their premier years on a measly rookie deal. Former NFLPA president Domonique Foxworth suggested a more concentrated utilization of the league’s Performance-Based Pay Pool, an approximately $336MM fund used to reward players whose high-levels of play are not reflected in their paychecks. Foxworth suggested that, essentially, running backs could pad their depressed contracts by meeting certain performance and playing time benchmarks.

Regardless, the group and the league have at most a year before the situation rears its ugly head again. The three backs that are playing on franchise tags this year, Saquon Barkley on the Giants, Josh Jacobs on the Raiders, and Tony Pollard on the Cowboys, will all head back to free agency after this season. So, too, will the Titans’ Derrick Henry, the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, the Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins, the Commanders’ Antonio Gibson, Ekeler, and many others. With so many major contributors set to hit the market, a determination will soon have to be made on how to compensate these rushers for what they bring to their respective teams.

Lions Re-Sign RB Justin Jackson

July 22nd, 2023 at 1:35pm CST by Ely Allen

Jun 22: The Lions have made good on their intentions, announcing the signing of Jackson this afternoon. In order to make room on the roster, Detroit cut loose another running back, waiving an undrafted signing from last year, Greg Bell.

Jun 21: After an offseason of turnover throughout the running backs room, it looks like the Lions intend to secure some consistency. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Detroit holds the intention of re-signing free agent running back Justin Jackson.

Originally a seventh-round pick in 2018, Jackson came out of Northwestern as the school’s all-time leading rusher and as only the ninth player in college football history to have four years with 1,000 yards rushing. He served as a reliable backup throughout his rookie deal for Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler in Los Angeles before eventually getting to test free agency last offseason.

He was a late addition, signing with Detroit a little less than a year ago. The Lions were already set atop the depth chart with D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams, but Jackson came in and assumed a RB3-role after getting promoted off of the practice squad early in the season. He ended up slipping ahead of Craig Reynolds, who had impressed in two starts the previous season, for the backup role behind Swift and Williams.

With Swift and Williams now departed, due to trade and free agency, respectively, Jackson would become the team’s leading returning rusher, despite 2022 seeing a career-low 170 rushing yards. The departures of Swift and Williams don’t necessarily point to a promotion for Jackson. With Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs joining the team as a first-round pick and David Montgomery coming across the division in free agency, Jackson should find himself back at RB3. Signing Jackson would also answer the question of who is returning kickoffs in Detroit, after he served as the team’s primary kick returner in 2022.

It’s an interesting room right now as none of the team’s rushers have seen necessarily high-end production. While Montgomery consistently delivers seasons of at least 800 rushing yards, his highest output has only ever been 1,070. Similarly, Gibbs never saw elite production during time in Atlanta or Tuscaloosa in college, topping out at 926 rushing yards in a season. Regardless of who takes over a lead-role or whether the two backs split time, if Jackson does indeed sign, Detroit would know it has reliable depth behind Gibbs and Montgomery in Jackson, Reynolds, and Jermar Jefferson.

S Budda Baker Expected To Report To Cardinals Training Camp

July 22nd, 2023 at 12:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite apparent dissatisfaction with his contract and the state of his team, Budda Baker will be in attendance when Cardinals training camp kicks off next week. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the veteran safety is expected to report to training camp on Tuesday.

[RELATED: Cardinals S Budda Baker Requests Trade]

Just because Baker is planning on attending training camp, it doesn’t mean he’s content with his current situation. Per Schefter, the safety “still is seeking to be paid near the top of the safety market.” Baker would presumably welcome a fresh start elsewhere, but it’s uncertain if he’s still pushing for a trade.

Baker was present for Cardinals minicamp back in June, but he didn’t take part in on-field practices. There was an expectation that he’d ultimately show up to training camp regardless of his contract status, but the safety could roll with a similar hold-in if he doesn’t get a raise. As Howard Balzer notes on Twitter, the safety would be subject to daily fines worth $50K for not reporting to training camp.

The former second-round pick is still playing out a four-year, $59MM extension he signed with the Cardinals back in 2019. There are two years remaining on that pact, and while the contract reset the positional market at the time of the signing, Baker now ranks seventh among safeties with an average annual value of $14.75MM. Derwin James tops the safety list with a $19MM AAV, but Baker’s camp has made it clear that they’re not trying to reset the safety market.

Baker earned his fourth-consecutive Pro Bowl nod last season (fifth overall) after finishing with 111 tackles, a pair of interceptions, and seven pass breakups. The Cardinals lack experienced depth behind their defensive leader, with Juju Hughes, Andre Chachere, Jovante Moffatt, and UDFA Kendell Brooks rounding out the safeties room behind Baker and Jalen Thompson.

Raiders Haven’t Shopped WR Hunter Renfrow

July 22nd, 2023 at 11:28am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders added a number of wideouts this offseason who are capable of playing slot receiver, leaving Hunter Renfrow‘s spot on the roster in doubt. However, it sounds like the wide receiver will be staying put, at least temporarily. According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Raiders haven’t been shopping Renfrow.

[RELATED: Raiders Have Not Received Calls On WR Hunter Renfrow]

This news helps twist the narrative a bit, as previous reports indicated that the Raiders hadn’t garnered any interest in their veteran wideout. Indeed, Reed notes that’s still the case, as the front office still hasn’t “received any trade offers for him.”

The Raiders’ big move at the position was signing Jakobi Meyers away from the Patriots, but the team also added slot-capable receivers in DeAndre Carter, Phillip Dorsett, and rookie third-round pick Tre Tucker. With Davante Adams also prime to bounce around the offense, Renfrow has seemed like a natural candidate to be the odd man out.

Following a breakout, Pro Bowl season in 2021, Renfrow took a bit of a step back in 2022. Limited to only 10 games thanks in part to a concussion, the receiver finished with 36 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Renfrow inked a two-year, $32MM deal with the Raiders last offseason, and he’s set to earn more than $13MM in 2023. The team could save around $7MM in cap space by trading the wideout before the regular season begins.

As Reed notes, Renfrow is well regarded in the locker room, and at only 27 years old, he still has plenty of good football in front of him. As a result, the Raiders may simply roll into the season with a deep WRs room and bite the bullet from a financial perspective.

Raiders Hosted CB Marcus Peters

July 22nd, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders are giving another look at Marcus Peters. After auditioning the veteran cornerback earlier this offseason, the Raiders hosted Peters on another visit earlier this week, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Latest On Raiders’ CB Depth]

The 30-year-old visited Vegas back in May, and there was an expectation that the two sides would eventually agree on a contract. Months later, a deal still hasn’t materialized, although we heard recently that the Raiders would circle back to potential cornerback acquisitions before training camp.

Part of the delay could be attributed to Peters’ health, as we previously heard the Raiders were in no particular rush to sign the veteran as they evaluated his readiness for the 2023 campaign. Peters suffered a torn ACL in 2021 that wiped out that entire season, and his comeback in 2022 led some to wonder if the cornerback may still be dealing with some knee issues.

The cornerback got into 13 games for the Ravens this past season, finishing with a career-low one interception to go along with 47 tackles and six passes defended. Peters was also responsible for seven touchdowns as the nearest defender and surrendered a passer rating of 113.7. Each of those totals were career-worst marks, and it ultimately led to the Ravens’ decision to look elsewhere on the veteran corner market by signing Rock Ya-Sin.

While Peters’ performance left plenty to be desired in Baltimore, the Raiders would simply be eyeing the veteran for his experience…not his former All-Pro pedigree. As of right now, Duke Shelley, who started five games for the Vikings last season, and Nate Hobbs, who has started 20 games over the past two seasons for the Raiders, are the projected starters on the outside for the Raiders, leaving journeyman Tyler Hall as the favorite for the main slot role. The Raiders are also rostering the likes of Brandon Facyson, who is signed to a two-year contract, and fourth-round rookie Jakorian Bennett, so the team could want to evaluate their depth during the preseason before jumping into an addition at the position.

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