HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Falcons To Add DT Justin Ellis; DT Eddie Goldman Again Considering Retirement

July 28th, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Justin Ellis will have a chance to play a 10th NFL season soon. After working out for the Falcons on Friday, the veteran defensive tackle will sign with the team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

The Falcons have a bit of an issue at D-tackle, with Arthur Smith confirming (via Falcons.com’s Scott Bair) Friday that the recently unretired Eddie Goldman is once again considering walking away. A 2022 signing, Goldman retired soon after joining the Falcons but reconsidered earlier this year. The longtime Bears starter rejoined the team in March and, per Smith (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall), looked “phenomenal” upon reporting to camp this week.

Atlanta has been active in D-line moves this offseason, signing Calais Campbell and David Onyemata. Campbell has a long history of playing as an inside defender, but the 16th-year veteran is expected to be used as more of an edge presence. The Falcons also drafted D-lineman Zach Harrison in the third round.

Goldman is a nose tackle by trade. He served in that capacity for the Bears for six seasons, with a 2020 opt-out interrupting a successful tenure. The Bears gave Goldman a four-year, $42MM extension during the 2018 offseason, and he was part of a Vic Fangio-led defense that led the league while helping the team to a 12-4 record. Goldman, 29, has yet to play for the Falcons, but the team has given the veteran D-tackle multiple opportunities.

Ellis, 32, could be a contingency plan. The former Raiders draft choice has logged 117 career games, serving as a run-defending presence. After five seasons in Oakland, Ellis caught on with Baltimore during Don Martindale‘s time as DC. Ellis ended up following Martindale to New York last year, playing Giants games and starting four. Pro Football Focus assigned him a career-worst grade, but the former fourth-round pick has remained on the NFL radar.

After the Raiders gave him a three-year, $13.5MM deal in 2018, Ellis signed one-year deals from 2019-22. This agreement likely runs that streak of one-season pacts to five.

Bills, Eagles Work Out WR N’Keal Harry

July 28th, 2023 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although N’Keal Harry went through another injury-abbreviated season in 2022, teams are still checking in on the former first-round pick. The veteran wide receiver has spent his week back in the Eastern Time Zone, going through multiple workouts.

The Eagles and Bills brought in Harry for auditions this week, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport (Twitter links). Harry, 25, spent last season with the Bears, arriving in Chicago after a July trade. A year later, the ex-Patriots draftee is unattached.

After a Denzel Mims-esque duration in trade rumors, Harry ended up with the Bears just before their 2022 training camp. But more injury trouble followed him from Foxborough. The Arizona State product needed ankle surgery before the season and spent a few weeks on IR to begin his Chicago stay. While the Bears used one of their IR activations on Harry in October, he finished the season with just seven catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.

The 6-foot-4 target did not take off as a Patriot, either, suffering injuries in 2019 and 2021. Harry’s top single-season line in New England: a 33-reception, 309-yard, two-TD year during the Cam Newton Pats slate of 2020. The Patriots shopped the ex-Sun Devils standout for years. After playing out his rookie contract in Chicago, Harry is looking for another redemption place.

Philadelphia already has some notable backup types on its receiver depth chart. The team signed Philly native Olamide Zaccheaus this offseason, and 110-meter hurdle dynamo Devon Allen remains rostered — via reserve/futures deal — after spending last season on the team’s practice squad. Greg Ward, who made some key contributions for the 2019 and ’20 Eagles editions, is still on the 90-man roster as well.

The Bills did not sign DeAndre Hopkins, but they have been active in adding reserve wideouts this offseason. Trent Sherfield, Deonte Harty, KeeSean Johnson and XFLer Marcell Ateman joined the team this year. So did fifth-rounder Justin Shorter.

Harry admittedly has played in some shaky situations, missing much of Tom Brady‘s final Patriots season due to injury and then spending time with Newton and then a run-oriented Bears team. But the big-bodied pass catcher has been unable to put it together as a pro.

Raiders Offered Josh Jacobs $12MM-Per-Year Deal?

July 28th, 2023 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Saquon Barkley‘s Giants negotiations brought a run of term updates, with the sides’ back-and-forth leading to a narrowing gap but no extension. Josh Jacobs‘ Raiders talks did not feature numbers ahead of the deadline, but at least one has emerged in the days since.

The Raiders are believed to have offered Jacobs a deal worth $12MM per year, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com said during a Rich Eisen Show appearance (video link). Conflicting reports have circulated regarding how close the Raiders and Jacobs were on a deal, with one indicating this Raiders regime was not especially keen on making a higher-end running back extension part of their roster blueprint. This report suggests the parties appeared to be near the same page.

As Jacobs’ less public negotiations played out, Garafolo adds he and Barkley were in communication during the final hours before the July 17 extension deadline. Barkley had seen the Giants slash their AAV offer as their guarantees climbed to the $22MM level. It is not known where the Raiders were, guarantee-wise, but Garafolo adds Barkley likely would have accepted the offer the Raiders made to Jacobs had the Giants presented those terms to him.

A $12MM-per-year pact would have put Jacobs in the dwindling upper class of RB contracts. That group has absorbed a number of blows this offseason. The Cowboys cut Ezekiel Elliott, and the Vikings moved on from Dalvin Cook. Two other $12MM-per-year backs — Aaron Jones and Joe Mixon — agreed to pay cuts. The only players left with unchanged deals in this salary neighborhood are Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb. With the Giants and Raiders not going into the CMC-Kamara neighborhood, each proposed deals in line with the Henry ($12.5MM per year) and Chubb ($12.2MM AAV) numbers.

The Giants provided a small incentive package for Barkley, preventing a lengthy absence that could have stretched into September. Jacobs, 25, is the only tagged back staying away from his team. The Raiders cannot fine Jacobs, since he has not signed his $10.1MM franchise tender. They can rescind the tag, a scenario that would make the reigning rushing champ a free agent. That should not be considered likely, at this point, but the fifth-year back is staying away as Las Vegas’ camp begins.

Jacobs has made references to standing up for the running back position as a whole, and considering the discussions among NFL backs in recent days, it is interesting he and Barkley were communicating about their respective negotiations. Barkley was best positioned to make a Le’Veon Bell-like stand by withholding services into the regular season, due to his $38MM-plus in career earnings and the Giants not having a No. 1 wide receiver-type presence. Jacobs has earned just more than $11MM during his career. Passing on a $10.1MM payment is not especially realistic, given the diminished earning power this period’s backs possess.

Steelers Not Planning To Extend Mike Tomlin In 2023

July 28th, 2023 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be on the Steelers’ extension radar this year, Mike Tomlin looks like he will remain tied to his current deal through 2024. The Steelers are not planning to extend their coach this year, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes.

This will not turn Tomlin into a lame duck, however, as his deal runs through the ’24 season. The Steelers should be expected to extend their longtime head coach at that point, with Dulac adding the team fully expects to have Tomlin in place as HC beyond his current contract. Tomlin, 51, is going into his 17th season as the team’s head coach.

Now the second-longest-tenured HC in Steelers history (having passed Bill Cowher last season), Tomlin is not believed to have generated dissatisfaction among Steelers brass, Dulac adds. GM Omar Khan, noting an extension is not his call, said (via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor) he expects to be aligned with the veteran coach “for a long time.”

“I’m at the stage of my career where I don’t care about contracts,” Tomlin said. “I acknowledge I’ve seen more days than I’m going to see. That’s just the nature of this thing. I’m appreciative of the opportunity. I’m singularly focused. I’m thankful I’m at the stage of my life and my career that it’s a non-issue for me.”

Tomlin’s current deal pays him around $10MM per year, according to Dulac. He has signed six Steelers extensions since 2010. Not all have been for the same duration, with two-year re-ups transpiring in 2015 and 2017 and a one-year bump coming in 2019. In April 2021, Tomlin signed a three-year deal. That contract agreement came when two years remained on Tomlin’s previous deal, so it is somewhat interesting the team is not following suit this time around. Only Bill Belichick has been in place in his current HC post longer than the Steelers leader.

Having guided the Steelers to a Super Bowl title and another Super Bowl berth two years later, Tomlin has matched Cowher’s output in that department. Tomlin, however, has not led the Steelers to a playoff win since 2016. This stretch included home losses to the Jaguars (2017) and Browns (2020). The defensive-minded HC’s streak of zero sub-.500 seasons remains intact, after the team rallied from a 2-6 mark to finish 9-8. Over his career, Tomlin has a 163-93-2 record. That win total sits 16th in NFL history. Another contract will put Tomlin in position to climb into the top 10. Dan Reeves currently sits 10th with 190 victories.

The Steelers famously show commitment to their head coaches, having employed just three since the 1969 season. Four-time Super Bowl winner Chuck Noll occupied the biggest time chunk here, serving in the top Pittsburgh coaching job for 23 years.

Saints Extend LS Zach Wood

July 28th, 2023 at 2:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints’ long snapper for the past six seasons, Zach Wood now has another contract in place with the team. This agreement will make the veteran one of the league’s highest-paid long snappers.

While that certainly does not mean big dollars (by NFL standards), as teams barely clear the veteran minimum for this specialty job, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football notes Wood will secure $2.3MM guaranteed on a four-year deal that will through the 2027 season (Twitter link). The Saints have since announced the deal.

Thomas Hennessy (Jets) and Joe Cardona (Patriots) are the only snappers tied to guarantees higher than what the Saints are authorizing for Wood, 30. (Both players received $2.6MM guaranteed on their respective deals.) Venturing deeper into the long-snapping weeds, Underhill tweets Wood will see his $1.17MM 2023 salary fully guaranteed and a partial guarantee ($130K) of his 2024 payout. Wood’s previous Saints deal, agreed to in 2020, ran through the 2023 season; no guarantees remained on that pact.

An SMU alum who caught on with the Cowboys as a UDFA back in 2016, Wood initially signed with the Saints in September 2017. He has worked as New Orleans’ long snapper since the start of that season. One of the longest-tenured Saints, Wood has never missed a game during his six-season run.

Jalen Ramsey Undergoes Surgery, Expected To Miss Extensive Time

July 28th, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

1:48pm: The surgery Ramsey underwent will force the Dolphins to drastically alter their cornerback plan this season. Ramsey underwent a full meniscus repair Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), adding that the operation is expected to sideline the recent trade acquisition until December. Ramsey’s post-trade contract reworking fully guaranteed his 2024 salary, giving the ex-Jaguars and Rams standout some security as he prepares for rehab.

11:57am: The Dolphins’ new-look defense suffered a blow yesterday when All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey suffered a knee injury which will require surgery. Further updates on his status and how the team is reacting to the news have emerged.

Ramsey suffered a non-contact injury, head coach Mike McDaniel indicated on Friday. The required surgery will take place later today, and the success of that procedure will determine his recovery timeline. In any event, though, Ramsey will indeed miss the beginning of the regular season as originally feared (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network).

The Dolphins acquired the six-time Pro Bowler as part of their efforts to upgrade their secondary this offseason. A role which would see him play both on the boundary and in the slot under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was thought to be in play, but those plans will be on hold for now. McDaniel expressed confidence in the team’s remaining crop of corners, but he added (via Beasley, on Twitter) that Miami will work out depth options in the near future.

A number of experienced options remain on the open market, including William Jackson, Ronald Darby, Casey Hayward and Troy Hill. Byron Jones is also unsigned, but his Dolphins release is believed to have marked an official end to his playing days. Miami currently has just under $13.5MM in cap space, giving them plenty of flexibility to add a low-cost veteran to help offset the loss of Ramsey for what could be an extended period.

The Dolphins must approach any CB signings with the knowledge that they are still in the running for Dalvin Cook, however. A homecoming for the four-time Pro Bowl running back remains a possibility, though his upcoming Jets visit could very well lead him elsewhere in the AFC East. Attention will be paid to the success of Ramsey’s operation, but it will be worth watching how the Dolphins react after it is completed as they look to withstand the absence of their prized offseason acquisition.

NFC East Notes: Barnett, OL, Cowboys, Giants

July 28th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Derek Barnett is coming off a season that ended one game in due to an ACL tear. The Eagles also used a first-round pick on edge rusher Nolan Smith, crowding their depth chart. Barnett remains on the roster, but the team has since reached a pay-cut agreement with the former first-round pick. Barnett agreed to reduce his base salary from $7.5MM to $3.5MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, noting that the $3.5MM figure will be guaranteed. That marks a bump in guarantees from Barnett’s previous locked-in number for this season ($1.5MM), but the max value of the new deal is $6MM — down $2.5MM from its previous number.

Barnett signed a two-year, $14MM deal to stay with the Eagles in 2022. Even though the team has since re-signed Brandon Graham and drafted Smith to join a group housing Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat, Barnett’s contract should give him a decent chance to stay on the team. Due to the void years the Eagles included in his deal, a release would lead to a $12.7MM dead-money charge. Should the 27-year-old defensive end indeed make the 53-man roster, this will be his seventh season in Philly.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • In a bit of news that might prove relevant re: Joe Burrow, the Cowboys are going to be without one of their starting safeties for a stretch. Donovan Wilson suffered a calf strain that ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes could sideline him for 4-6 weeks (Twitter link). Wilson, who re-signed with Dallas this offseason, still has a chance to return in time for the opener. After years with questions at safety, the Cowboys — when at full strength — have a nice setup with Wilson, Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse.
  • The Cowboys did not use void years in Trevon Diggs‘ five-year, $97MM extension, and the cornerback’s cap number will vault from $5.8MM to $16.3MM from 2023 to 2024. Additionally, Archer notes Diggs’ 2025 base salary ($9MM) will become guaranteed in March of that year (Twitter link). Should this deal not pan out, that March trigger gives the Cowboys an escape hatch of sorts. They can cut bait for $12.8MM in dead money in 2025.
  • While the Eagles will provide Cam Jurgens with some competition — from third-round rookie Tyler Steen — Zach Berman of The Athletic notes the 2022 second-rounder is the frontrunner to replace Isaac Seumalo at right guard (subscription required). Jurgens is viewed as the Jason Kelce heir apparent, a title that briefly belonged to now-LG starter Landon Dickerson, but his 2023 place is at guard. Steen is attempting to convert from a college tackle, having started outside at Vanderbilt and Alabama. Jurgens played just 35 offensive snaps as a rookie, working behind the Dickerson-Seumalo-Kelce trio.
  • On the subject of positional frontrunners, it looks like the Giants‘ inside linebacker spot alongside Bobby Okereke is Darrian Beavers‘ to lose. Now that Jarrad Davis is on IR, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy offers that Beavers is favored to win the job over fellow 2022 draftee Micah McFadden. Beavers was informed Tuesday he would have the first crack at the job, Dunleavy adds. Because Beavers suffered a torn ACL during the preseason last year, McFadden — a fifth-round pick — started seven games. A sixth-rounder, Beavers will have a chance to turn his offseason rehab into a starting role.
  • The Giants also recently worked out linebackers Nick Vigil and Sam Eguavoen, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Big Blue, which worked out Deion Jones this spring, also recently placed linebacker Elerson Smith on IR. Vigil is a seven-year veteran with 53 starts — for the Bengals, Chargers, Vikings and Cardinals — on his resume. Eguavoen spent the past four seasons with the Dolphins.
  • Offseason Giants signee Rakeem Nunez-Roches suffered a concussion in a car accident this week, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. The accident occurred when the veteran defensive lineman was leaving the team facility. No other injuries emerged from the crash. Nunez-Roches accompanied A’Shawn Robinson as veteran D-linemen to join the Giants in free agency.

Saints G Trai Turner Out For Season

July 28th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after the ink dried on Trai Turner‘s Saints contract, said deal will not end up leading to a cameo with the NFC South team. Turner suffered a torn quadriceps during practice, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Saints took a few fliers this week, including a Jimmy Graham reunion. They added two guards, Turner and Max Garcia, in that process. Garcia’s chances of making New Orleans’ roster look to have improved as a result of Turner’s quick setback, which will sideline him for the season.

A former Panthers regular who has since bounced to the Chargers, Steelers and Commanders over the past three years, Turner signed league-minimum Saints deal on Tuesday. While Turner is a nine-year veteran, he is only going into his age-30 season. This certainly represents a blow toward the former third-round pick continuing his career. While Turner had spent his pro career elsewhere, he is a New Orleans native who played at LSU.

Not viewed as the same player he was while in Carolina, Turner has nevertheless been a regular starter with his past three teams. He started 12 games for the Commanders last season, stepping in for ex-Panthers coach Ron Rivera. The Commanders have since made changes at both guard spots, letting Turner walk in free agency and cutting Andrew Norwell. It took Turner until training camp to find another deal, and this injury figures to delay a potential 2024 signing for a while as well.

The Saints return both their guard starters from the past three years — Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz — and also traded up for fourth-rounder Nick Saldiveri in April. Garcia joins swingman James Hurst, the team’s primary left tackle last year due to Trevor Penning‘s injury, and Calvin Throckmorton (20 starts from 2021-22) as depth pieces.

Seahawks Sign Round 1 CB Devon Witherspoon, Wrap Draft Class Deals

July 28th, 2023 at 12:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

This rookie class did produce a negotiation that led to a high-profile draftee missing part of training camp, but the Seahawks are ending that brief chapter Friday. No. 5 overall pick Devon Witherspoon agreed to terms with the team on his four-year rookie deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

With Witherspoon under contract on a deal worth $31.86MM fully guaranteed and containing a fifth-year option, all 2023 draftees are now signed. The payment schedule of the cornerback’s $20.2MM signing bonus served as the final hurdle for the sides to clear, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets.

The three quarterbacks drafted ahead of Witherspoon — Bryce Young (No. 1), C.J. Stroud (No. 2) and Anthony Richardson (No. 4) — received 100% of their bonuses paid up front, per Henderson, who adds Will Anderson Jr. received 85% of his bonus upfront (Twitter link). Last year’s Seahawks first-rounder — No. 9 overall pick Charles Cross — received 75% of his signing bonus paid in the first six weeks, Henderson tweets, providing a glimpse into how the Seahawks prefer to structure their first-rounders’ deals.

With this minor issue in the rearview mirror, the Seahawks can get to work on deploying their top pick. The team deviated from a long-running strategy of not using high draft choices on corners. Under the Pete Carroll–John Schneider regime, Seattle had not used a first- or second-round pick on this position. Other than Richard Sherman‘s 2014 extension, the team had also generally avoided big payments here as well. Despite Carroll believed to be on board with a high-risk Jalen Carter bet, the Seahawks chose the Illinois corner, whom the Lions were eyeing at No. 6.

A four-year contributor for the Fighting Illini, Witherspoon showed off his defensive ability in 2021 when he finished with nine pass breakups. He replicated that success with 14 PBUs (in addition to three interceptions and 41 tackles) this past year. The 5-foot-11 corner parlayed that success into becoming this year’s first corner chosen. The Seahawks, who moved into the Witherspoon draft slot via their 2022 Russell Wilson trade with the Broncos, will pair the rookie with 2022 rookie standout Tariq Woolen.

Here is Seattle’s 2023 draft class:

Round 1, No. 5 (from Broncos): Devon Witherspoon, CB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 1, No. 20: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 37 (from Broncos): Derick Hall, DE (Auburn) (signed)
Round 2, No. 52: Zach Charbonnet, RB (UCLA) (signed)
Round 4, No. 108 (from Broncos): Anthony Bradford, G (LSU) (signed)
Round 4, No. 123: Cameron Young, DT (Mississippi State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 151 (from Steelers): Mike Morris, DE (Michigan) (signed)
Round 5, No. 154: Olusegun Oluwatimi, C (Michigan) (signed)
Round 6, No. 198: Jerrick Reed II, S (New Mexico) (signed)
Round 7, No. 237: Kenny McIntosh, RB (Georgia) (signed)

Colts Have Not Submitted Contract Offer To Jonathan Taylor

July 28th, 2023 at 10:30am CST by Adam La Rose

In the wake of the latest exchanges during the ongoing contract situation between the Colts and Jonathan Taylor, an interesting development emerged. Owner Jim Irsay noted that no formal offer has been made to the former rushing champion. It also appears that will not change any time soon.

Irsay drew criticism – from, among others, Taylor’s agent – for his remarks concerning the idea of running backs negotiating a separate agreement from the CBA all players are subject to. While clarifying his thoughts on the matter, he acknowledged that his social media post was not specifically aimed at Taylor, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

“The comment wasn’t really directed at Jonathan,” Irsay said during an interview with ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “We haven’t exchanged any contract numbers with each other or anything like that. So, it’s not like we’re in the midst of that.”

Taylor and the Colts conducted extension talks last month, but as Irsay confirmed, no formal offer has been made. The former appeared to put himself in line for a sizeable second contract (as far as running backs are concerned) in 2021 when he comfortably led the league in rushing and scrimmage yards. As was the case with the team as a whole, though, things did not go according to plan last season. The Wisconsin product was limited to 11 games due to an ankle injury and his 4.5 yards per carry marked a career low. A return to his previous form will be needed for Taylor’s Colts career to continue.

“Our hope is Jonathan has an outstanding year and that we have a good year as a team and then we get his next contract done,” Irsay added. “That’s the hope. We think the world of him as a person, as a player. It’s just timing. When your time comes to get paid, then you get paid.”

The Colts have worked out extensions with the likes of All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard and offensive line mainstays Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith and Ryan Kelly before they began the final year of their respective rookie deals. The same will not be the case for Taylor, however, something which comes as little surprise given his down year in 2022 and, more generally, the nature of the financial landscape at the RB position.

A strong showing from the former second-rounder will no doubt boost his value with the Colts or other suitors, if he is allowed to hit the open market. Taylor will enter the 2023 season with plenty to be determined knowing that his financial future will remain unresolved until the campaign has finished.

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