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Month: December 2024

Lions To Release K Michael Badgley

July 20th, 2023 at 12:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

Set to be in place as the Lions’ kicker for a second consecutive season, Michael Badgley will instead need to find another new home. Detroit is releasing the journeyman kicker, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Badgley entered the 2022 season without a team, joining the Bears for what wound up as a one-game audition. He was released shortly thereafter and signed by the Lions in October in an aim to find a suitable replacement for the injured Austin Seibert. Badgley held down the role for the remainder of the season, converting 20 of 24 field goal tries (good for an 83.% success rate) and all 33 of his extra point attempts. Those totals earned him a new Lions deal in March.

Entering training camp, Badgley was named by team reporter Tim Twentyman as the favorite in a competition which also includes Riley Patterson and former XFLer Parker Romo. Patterson has experience in Detroit, having played seven games for the Lions in 2021 before spending last season in Jacksonville. The Jaguars’ addition of veteran Brandon McManus left him on the open market, and he will now look to reclaim his old job in the Motor City. Romo signed with the Saints as a UDFA last year but has yet to make an appearance in the NFL.

Given his success from last season, it comes as a surprise that Badgley once again finds himself without a team, especially before the onset of training camp. Today’s move will result in $743K in cap savings for the Lions, while generating a dead money charge of $350K. Detroit was already in better shape than most teams with respect to cap space, so a modest financial gain was not needed to free up the flexibility for any other moves the team could be lining up.

Badgley, 27, will look to latch onto a roster in the coming days and insert himself into a new kicking competition. Opportunities may be hard to come by, though, with the likes of Robbie Gould, Mason Crosby, Randy Bullock and Brett Maher all on the open market at this point. The Lions’ evaluation of their remaining kickers, meanwhile, will be more straightforward with one fewer participant.

Latest On Raiders-Josh Jacobs Negotiations

July 20th, 2023 at 11:07am CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Jacobs is one of three running backs set to play on the $10.1MM franchise tag this season. In the aftermath of the news that no long-term deal was agreed to between he and the Raiders, reports emerged indicating the sides made progress on contract talks. A rebuttal to that notion has emerged.

The Raiders are thought to have made up signficant ground while up against the deadline for a new deal on Monday, though it was insufficient to result in a multi-year contract. The 2022 rushing champion may still have a future in Las Vegas if talks were indeed amicable in nature, and if he is able to replicate his career-year enjoyed last season. Plenty would apparently need to change for that to be possible, however.

Vic Tafur of The Athletic offers a much different account of negotiations than the ones presented earlier in the week (subscription required). He reports that indications of progress and positive interactions between team and player in this situation are simply “not true,” adding that contract talks “were dead in the water until last weekend.” Deadlines certainly spurn action and urgency, but a signficant gap appeared to exist with respect to finances between the Raiders and Jacobs.

Tafur adds that the all-important $22MM mark was not reached during talks. That figure represents what Jacobs (along with the Giants’ Saquon Barkley and the Cowboys’ Tony Pollard) would make in the event they played the 2023 and ’24 seasons on the franchise tag. Guaranteed money above that mark would thus have been required for a Jacobs deal to have come to fruition, and the lack of a willingness on the team’s part to reach that price point is no doubt a large reason why the threat of a holdout lasting through training camp and into the regular season looms.

Barkley and the Giants came close to an agreement on both annual compensation and guaranteed money, but Tafur’s reporting points to a significantly larger gap existing that previously thought regarding Jacobs and the Raiders. How the All-Pro proceeds in the coming weeks will be a key storyline in Las Vegas, as the sides will now be forced to wait until at least January to re-engage in contract talks.

Reunion Between Packers, K Mason Crosby Unlikely

July 20th, 2023 at 9:39am CST by Adam La Rose

When the Packers selected Anders Carlson in the sixth round of this year’s draft, veteran Mason Crosby‘s time in Green Bay seemed to be over. The door had remained opened to a potential reunion, but that no longer appears to be the case.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in April that a new contract for Crosby, 38, was under consideration. The latter has spent his entire 16-year career in Green Bay, never missing a game along the way. Crosby had a strong season overall in 2022, connecting on 25 of 29 field goal attempts and all but two of his extra point tries. He went just one-for-four on field goals beyond 50 yards, however, and the presence of Carlson as a long-term replacement points to Crosby heading elsewhere to extend his NFL career.

Indeed, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes that an underwhelming performance during training camp and the preseason from Carlson will not be enough to warrant a Crosby reunion (subscription required). The veteran no longer lives in Green Bay, making him one of several experienced options at the kicking position on the lookout for a new opportunity as training camps are set to get underway.

Robbie Gould, Randy Bullock and Brett Maher all remain unsigned at this point, as teams search for younger, most cost-effective options in the kicking game. Gould has made clear his desire to continue his career outside of San Francisco after his 49ers tenure unintentionally came to an end this offseason. It will be interesting to monitor how much Crosby is willing or able to do the same after a lengthy run with one team.

Green Bay has Carlson – who only eclipsed 72% on his field goal percentage in one of his five seasons at Auburn – on the roster, along with former UDFA Daniel Whelan. That pair will have plenty of questions to answer during camp, while Crosby weighs his options regarding the post-Packers chapter of his career.

Jets Trading WR Denzel Mims To Lions

July 20th, 2023 at 8:55am CST by Ely Allen

JULY 20: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the pick swap is conditional on Mims making the Lions’ 53-man roster. As a result, the deal is essentially a short-term free trial for the Lions as they look to finalize their WR depth chart in the coming weeks. A strong performance in camp and the preseason will go a long way in determining the former second-rounder’s fate as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.

JULY 19: The Jets have successfully found a trade partner for wide receiver Denzel Mims, according to a report coming initially from Connor Hughes of SNY.

Despite earlier rumors that the team was near waiving the former second-round pick, New York was able to get a return on Mims’s departure, netting a conditional sixth-round pick for Mims and a 2025 seventh-round pick, as confirmed by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Jets had already made it known that they were planning to move on from the three-year receiver. They went as far as to excuse Mims from reporting to training camp, feeding trade rumors that have been consistent over the past two offseasons. Mims has failed to live up to his draft slot, totaling 42 catches for 676 yards and no touchdowns in his first three years combined. There were reportedly some hints of interest coming from Dallas in Mims’s home state, but ultimately, Mims will remain in the north.

The loss won’t affect the Jets’ depth chart, as they already were planning a roster without him. The team will move forward as planned with Garrett Wilson being joined by newcomers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman as targets for new quarterback Aaron Rodgers with Corey Davis and Randall Cobb contributing, as well.

In Detroit, the Lions will hope to see Mims make an impact on the two-deep. The team had been betting on a big step forward in Year 2 of Jameson Williams‘s career, but a six-game suspension will limit Williams’s impact early. Instead, Detroit will rely on a familiar trio of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, and Kalif Raymond with Marvin Jones returning to Motown to likely see starting reps in 2023.

During the absence of WIlliams, Mims should have an opportunity to make a strong case for his role in the offense. If he can establish an early rapport with quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions could have another wideout to add to an already quality group.

Steelers Extend OLB Alex Highsmith

July 19th, 2023 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers are authorizing another big-ticket extension on their defense. Alex Highsmith is no longer going into a contract year, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting he and the Steelers have agreed on a four-year extension (Twitter link). The Steelers are working fast here, having announced the contract.

Long rumored to be an extension candidate in Pittsburgh, the young edge rusher agreed to terms on a four-year deal worth $68MM. This will lock down the T.J. Watt sidekick through the 2027 season. Highsmith, who is coming off a career-best season, will collect $27.7MM guaranteed and earn $38MM over the deal’s first two seasons, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Highsmith will turn 26 next month.

Both team and player had conveyed optimism about this deal being done for months. Back in December of last year, an extension for the former third-round pick became a likelihood. The Steelers prefer to hammer out deals with their extension candidates the summer before their contract years, which always made this the likeliest window for the Highsmith accord to transpire.

“I know I am a Pittsburgh Steeler through and through, and just to be a part of this amazing organization for four more years means the world to me, to my wife, to my whole family,” Highsmith said, via Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. “This is where I want to be. This is where I want to play ball.”

Pittsburgh came into the week with Watt’s $28MM-per-year deal topping the edge defender market and Minkah Fitzpatrick tied to the No. 2 safety contract. With Cameron Heyward still on a lucrative extension, the Steelers continue to make major investments in their defense. No longer carrying a franchise-QB contract, the Steelers are taking advantage of Kenny Pickett‘s slot deal. They have agreed to extensions with Highsmith, Fitzpatrick and Diontae Johnson over the past year.

The Steelers franchise-tagged Bud Dupree in 2020, keeping him for a sixth season, but began to develop his successor by using a Day 2 pick on Highsmith that year. Highsmith began his career behind the 2015 first-rounder but replaced him alongside Watt after a November ACL tear. Dupree left for the Titans in 2021, and Highsmith began a steady ascent. That climb crested last year, when the Charlotte alum produced a 14.5-sack season that included an NFL-leading five forced fumbles. Highsmith has 22.5 career sacks.

This agreement marks a bit of a throwback move for the Steelers, who are now one of just two teams carrying two top-10 edge rusher contracts (along with the Chargers). Pittsburgh had followed the traditional setup of rostering one highly paid edge in recent years, but the organization does have experience in this territory. Pittsburgh had both James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley on veteran extensions in the early 2010s, with Harrison signing his first extension in 2009 and Woodley joining him in 2011. This arrangement lasted three seasons (2011-13) before the team parted ways with both players (Harrison later returned to the team, while Woodley did not).

Eleven of Highsmith’s 14.5 sacks last season came when Watt was active; the younger pass rusher was slightly less effective during the All-Pro’s time rehabbing a partial pectoral tear. But the Steelers have come to view Highsmith as a core player as well. Watt has also avoided notable injuries aside from his September 2022 setback. This contract, which matches Shaquil Barrett and Chandler Jones for the 10th-most lucrative (AAV-wise) pact among outside rushers, confirms that commitment and could represent value for the team.

Barrett and Jones signed those deals in 2021. Highsmith could have taken his chances with a strong contract year that moved him past the $20MM-AAV barrier as a 2024 free agent. But the Steelers would have had the franchise tag at their disposal as well. With Highsmith committing to the team long term, the Steelers have two prime-years edge rushers locked in for many seasons.

Jets Sign Top Two Draft Picks, Wrap Rookie Contracts

July 19th, 2023 at 10:52pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets are among the Saints and Packers as the most recent teams to conclude the signing of their 2023 draft classes. Early this morning Connor Hughes of SNY, reported that Iowa State first-round defensive end Will McDonald had officially signed his rookie contract, while ESPN’s Rich Cimini quickly added that Wisconsin second-round center Joe Tippmann was soon to follow, wrapping up New York’s latest rookie class.

While McDonald’s deal underwent the usual scrutiny of a first-round selection, Tippmann was drafted in an area of the draft that has seen some stalls in negotiations. Guarantees authorized for Panthers rookie wide receiver Jonathan Mingo has many rookies selected around similar draft slots pushing for similar contract details.

McDonald left Ames not only as the school’s all-time sack record holder but also the holder for the all-time lead in the Big 12, surpassing Von Miller‘s Texas A&M total of 33.0 sacks by one (coincidentally, the one sack earned in the four games of his redshirted true freshman year won him the record). He earned all those accolades despite the fact that he didn’t play football until his junior year of high school. The inexperience tends to show at times. He has all the tools of a strong NFL pass rusher but has yet to put them all together.

McDonald should get plenty of run in a deep rotation of Jets pass rushers. He might not get to start with Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers currently penciled in for the first-team defense, but McDonald and last year’s first-round pick, Jermaine Johnson, form a dangerous, young pair of backups that could result in an unrelenting barrage for opposing tackles.

In the second round, New York nabbed the draft’s top center prospect in Tippmann. There are two main differences between Tippmann and last year’s top-drafted center, Tyler Linderbaum of the Ravens. While Linderbaum (6-foot-2) was marked for being undersized, Tippmann (6-foot-6) is gigantic for what is normal at the position. Linderbaum had the ability to overcome his issues through effort and leverage. Tippmann, too, will need to utilize body position and balance in matchups with defensive tackles, but his quickness and strength off the ball were enough to help him succeed in his two years as a starter for the Badgers at center.

The other difference is that Tippmann may not project as an immediate starter, since Connor McGovern ranked as a top-ten center according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required) last year, but he can certainly push for the job or others around it. While nearly 100 percent of Tippmann’s college snaps came at center, he has practiced at guard and tackle. He has the size and intelligence to make the move to another position, if necessary, but he’s likely only a starting-caliber player at an interior position, right now. This early, he really only slots in as talented, young depth for the interior line with the potential for more when given the opportunity.

With equal focus on offense and defense, the Jets had a sense of where they wanted to improve and added some good value at each draft slot. Here is New York’s 2023 draft class:

Round 1, No. 15 (from Packers): Will McDonald, DE (Iowa State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 43: Joe Tippmann, C (Wisconsin) (signed)
Round 4, No. 120 (from Steelers through Patriots): Carter Warren, OT (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 5, No. 143: Israel Abanikanda, RB (Pittsburgh) (signed)
Round 6, No. 184 (from Raiders through Patriots): Zaire Barnes, LB (Western Michigan) (signed)
Round 6, No. 204 (from Cowboys through Raiders): Jarrick Bernard-Converse, CB (LSU) (signed)
Round 7, No. 220 (from Cardinals through Raiders): Zack Kuntz, TE (Old Dominion) (signed)

Packers Ink Round 2 WR Jayden Reed, Concluding Rookie Signings

July 19th, 2023 at 10:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers follow close on the Saints’ heels as the most recent team to wrap up the signing of their 2023 draft class. According to his agent, David Canter of GSE Worldwide, Michigan State second-round wide receiver Jayden Reed has officially signed his rookie contract.

This area of the second round of the draft has proven to be sticky in concern to contracts. The majority of the remaining unsigned rookies were selected around the early- to mid-second round. If Reed and others around his draft position are able to secure similar guarantees as Panthers’ rookie receiver Jonathan Mingo, it could help set a healthy precedent moving forward.

Reed, fifth-round pick Dontayvion Wicks, and seventh-round selection Grant DuBose will all hope to mirror and build off of some of the success seen from last year’s three rookies, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure. The now veteran leaders had the added benefit of receiving balls off the arm of now-Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers last year, but the new rookies will join with them in an attempt to provide new starter Jordan Love with a bevy of young, talented targets, along with rookie tight end Luke Musgrave, who signed his rookie contract earlier today.

Reed is a slightly undersized target coming off a down year for the Spartans. He transferred to East Lansing after an impressive eight-touchdown, nearly-800-receiving yard-performance at Western Michigan. It took him a couple years to adjust, but by his junior season in 2021, Reed broke out for career-high totals of 59 catches for 1,026 yards and 13 total touchdowns (including one rushing and two on punt returns).

With Watson (6-foot-4) and Doubs (6-foot-2) providing plenty of size, Reed (5-foot-11) provides a versatile new look and ability to the top-end of the receiving corps. If he can overcome the injuries that marred his senior year of college, he has the speed and route-running ability to contribute in the slot, out wide, and in the return game.

It’s no wonder that it took this long for Green Bay to conclude their rookie signings as they had a hefty 13 picks to sign. Here is the Packers’ 2023 draft class:

Round 1, No. 13 (from Jets): Lukas Van Ness, DE (Iowa) (signed)
Round 2, No. 42 (from Browns through Jets): Luke Musgrave, TE (Oregon State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 50 (from Buccaneers): Jayden Reed, WR (Michigan State) (signed)
Round 3, No. 78: Tucker Kraft, TE (South Dakota State) (signed)
Round 4, No. 116: Colby Wooden, DL (Auburn) (signed)
Round 5, No. 149: Sean Clifford, QB (Penn State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 159 (from Falcons through Jaguars and Lions): Dontayvion Wicks, WR (Virginia) (signed)
Round 6, No. 179 (from Texans through Buccaneers): Karl Brooks, DE (Bowling Green) (signed)
Round 6, No. 207 (from 49ers through Texans and Jets): Anders Carlson, K (Auburn) (signed)
Round 7, No. 232: Carrington Valentine, CB (Kentucky) (signed)
Round 7, No. 235 (from Lions through Rams): Lew Nichols III, RB (Central Michigan) (signed)
Round 7, No. 242 (from Jaguars): Anthony Johnson, CB (Virginia) (signed)
Round 7, No. 256: Grant DuBose, WR (Charlotte) (signed)

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/23

July 19th, 2023 at 9:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The roster updates following the opening of camp for rookies continued today:

Baltimore Ravens

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

Tennessee Titans

 

The news on Vorhees is no surprise. The lineman’s rookie year will operate as a redshirt season as he continues to work his way back from the torn ACL he suffered at the NFL Combine.

Wharton is also making his way back from a torn ACL. The rotation lineman suffered the season-ending injury in Week 5 of last season. He’s been working out with the team, but Wharton is not yet ready to be a full participant in practice.

Reid has started at least one game for each of the three teams for which he’s played in his three seasons of play. He’ll now look to find his seventh NFL team going into his fourth season.

Eagles To Sign T Dennis Kelly

July 19th, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The Eagles have added some true, quality depth to their offensive line, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, signing veteran free agent offensive tackle Dennis Kelly. After seven seasons between Tennessee, Green Bay, and Indianapolis, Kelly returns to the team that drafted him eleven years ago.

Kelly was originally a fifth-round selection for Philadelphia in 2012 out of Purdue, starting 10 of 13 appearances as a rookie. The following season, Kelly didn’t make any appearances, while 2014 only saw him make three appearances, all starts. Despite the lack of playing time, the team signed Kelly to a one-year extension of his rookie contract prior to the 2015 season, keeping him under contract through the 2016 season. He started two games in 14 appearances that year, subsequently earning a second one-year extension through the 2017 season.

Before either of those extensions could be played out, the Eagles traded Kelly to Tennessee for wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. Kelly made an immediate impact in Nashville, starting six games while playing in all 16. He often was used as a sixth-man on the offensive line during rushing situations. His useful role on the Titans earned him yet another extension, this one a two-year deal.

Kelly continued in a swing tackle role over the next few years for the Titans, notably backing up tackles Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin, who consistently provided Kelly starting opportunities here and there for various reasons. When Conklin signed a big-money deal with the Browns, Tennessee made sure to lock up his replacement, inking Kelly to a new three-year, $17.25MM deal. This provided the then-eight-year veteran with his first opportunity as a full-time starter. Unfortunately, despite the new deal that was meant to keep him under contract through 2022, the Titans released Kelly shortly after his first season starting every game of the year.

A free agent for the first time in his career, Kelly signed with the Packers. After playing in 10 games, and starting four in place of an injured Billy Turner, Kelly signed with the Colts to end his second free agent stint. After failing to make the initial 53-man roster and being signed to the practice squad, Kelly still appeared in all but one game for the Colts last year, starting three.

His third stint in free agency will take him back to Philadelphia, where he will now add tackle depth for the team that drafted him. The Eagles’ starting tackles are in place with Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata, but past them, there isn’t a ton of experienced, qualified depth. Kelly immediately provides just that for the 2023 season. He should be able to continue his career-role as a swing tackle with spot starting and special teams abilities.

Jets Seeking Denzel Mims Trade Partner

July 19th, 2023 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

4:47pm: The Mims-Jets saga persists. The team has not waived the fourth-year receiver yet, keeping open the possibility of a trade. The Cowboys previously discussed the Dangerfield, Texas, native with the Jets, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets, noting the talks were exploratory in nature.

11:07am: Another summer of Denzel Mims trade rumors is upon us, but the team does not sound like it intends to keep the former second-round pick if no deal materializes this time around.

The Jets are looking for a trade partner for Mims, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello, who adds the fourth-year receiver will be cut if no trade takes place. This looks to be a last-call announcement from the Jets, with Costello adding they plan to part ways with Mims on Wednesday.

The team excused Mims from reporting to training camp today, providing further indicating a long-rumored separation will take place soon. The 6-foot-3 pass catcher has been in trade rumors since 2021, when buzz about his roster spot began to emerge. Despite the steady rumors about Mims being a departure candidate, the Jets kept him throughout the past two seasons.

Chosen 59th overall in 2020, Mims has not delivered on his draft slot. And the Jets have remade their receiving corps this offseason. New York traded Elijah Moore and released Braxton Berrios, doing so during an offseason that saw Mecole Hardman, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb sign as free agents. Corey Davis remains on the Jets’ roster, but the team is eyeing a pay cut. A Mims departure comes after years of trade rumblings.

Mims, 25, became a trade topic ahead of the 2021 trade deadline and before last season. He requested to be moved in August 2022, and the Jets engaged in more trade talks following that ask. The Cowboys, Panthers, Seahawks and Vikings are believed to have reached out last year, but with the Jets wanting at least a fourth-round pick in return, no deal commenced. Much has changed in Carolina since the then-Matt Rhule-led team called the Jets on Mims as well. It will almost certainly not take a fourth-rounder to acquire Mims today, but if a team lower on the waiver priority list wants to take a flier, the Jets might be able to fetch a late-round pick for the ex-Baylor cog. Some optimism exists this will end in a trade, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.

During Sam Darnold‘s final season in New York (2020), Mims caught 23 passes for 357 yards. The Zach Wilson–Mike White–Joe Flacco seasons did not lead to an improvement from the young wide receiver, who combined for just 19 receptions over the past two seasons. One season, at a $1.35MM base salary, remains on Mims’ rookie contract. The Jets would pick up that $1.35MM in cap savings by waiving Mims.

While still looking for his first NFL touchdown, Mims totaled 28 while in college during a career that included two 1,000-yard seasons. He followed that up with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash clocking at the 2020 Combine. It seems he will have a chance at a fresh start soon.

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