HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Eagles Sign OLB Julian Okwara To Futures Deal

February 15th, 2024 at 3:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

FEBRUARY 15: Okwara will earn up to $2.68MM on his one-year Eagles pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. While Philadelphia has a number of key decisions to make amongst the edge group in the near future, Okwara can be expected to remain with the team through at least training camp and the preseason.

FEBRUARY 14: The Eagles have made a depth addition to their edge rush group. The team announced on Wednesday that Julian Okwara has been signed to a reserve/futures contract.

Okwara had previously spent his four-year career with the Lions, starting a total of four games across the past three seasons. His time in Detroit allowed him to pair with his brother Romeo Okwara, but he saw a limited role in 2023. Julian was waived last month to make room for James Houston‘s IR activation. He found himself on Detroit’s practice squad when the team’s postseason run came to an end, but he did not receive a futures deal.

As a result, Okwara was free to sign with any team, and he has joined the Eagles. Philadelphia’s edge rush situation is in a state of flux at the moment, in large part due to team’s decision to allow Haason Reddick to seek out a trade. The two-time Pro Bowler has made it clear he wants to extend his through-2024 Eagles contract, but it will be interesting to see if team and player can reach an agreement on that front.

Defensive end Brandon Graham, meanwhile, is set to reach free agency. The franchise’s games played leader – and a member of Philadelphia’s ‘Core Four’ – intends to play at least one more season. While he would likely only sign a deal with the Eagles if one can be worked out this spring, the team currently faces a number of question marks along the edge. Okwara will aim to carve out a depth role amongst the likes of Josh Sweat and 2023 first-rounder Nolan Smith.

Okwara posted a career-high five sacks in 2021 while logging a 40% snap share. That pointed to notable potential as a situational edge rusher, but the 26-year-old has totaled only four sacks over the past two seasons. His playing time has dropped considerably in both years, and he made just nine appearances during the 2023 campaign. Over the course of the offseason, Okwara will attempt to land a 53-man roster spot on an Eagles team seeking clarity in the pass-rush department.

Giants CB Adoree’ Jackson Addresses Pending Free Agency

February 15th, 2024 at 1:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have a number of key free agent decisions to make with Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney set to hit the open market. The same is also true of cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who recently doubled down on his desire to remain in New York on a new deal.

“The Giants are going to look for another corner and another team is going to look for a corner, which is me,” Jackson told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “I want to be there, but this is our break period… If I come back, it’s all good. If I don’t, is it going to hurt? It will, but I know it’s a business.”

That stance mirrors what he said in December knowing he was on the verge of free agency for the second time in his career. In the first instance, Jackson landed a three-year, $39MM deal after his run with the Titans. He has served as a full-time starter during his Giants stint, racking up 23 pass deflections and a pair of interceptions along the way. Jackson earned solid PFF grades in his first two Giants campaigns, but things took a turn for the worse in 2023.

The former first-rounder began the season in the slot to accommodate rookie Tre Hawkins. The latter was later benched, though, allowing Jackson to return to his familiar perimeter duties. He drew a PFF coverage grade of just 45.9, by far the lowest of his career. Jackson allowed a passer rating of 95.5 (his second-highest mark) and a pair of touchdowns as the nearest defender in 2023.

As a result, it would come as little surprise if the Giants looked elsewhere via free agency or the draft to add at the cornerback spot. New York invested a first-round pick in last year’s draft by adding Deonte Banks, but a starting-caliber replacement will be needed if Jackson does indeed depart. The 28-year-old made it clear being a member of a contender will be a top priority while noting his confidence that the Giants could fit the bill.

“I want to win a Super Bowl, and I know the Giants are capable of winning because we saw [in 2022] that it was a possibility,” Jackson said. “It boils down to the pieces and the staff being on the same page and doing the right thing to help us get there.”

The Giants made a surprise run to the divisional round of the postseason that year, but the team took a major step back in 2023. Whether or not Jackson will be a part of New York’s efforts to rebound from a disappointing campaign will be worth watching closely in the build-up to free agency.

Latest On Seahawks’ Leonard Williams

February 15th, 2024 at 12:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Leonard Williams‘ Giants tenure came to an end at the 2023 trade deadline, and he had a productive audition period with the Seahawks to close out the campaign. That could result in a Seattle contract, something the veteran defensive lineman would be open to.

“I definitely like being here,” Williams said when asked about his future, via Michael Shawn-Duggar of The Athletic (subscription required). “It’s been fun playing here. I feel like I’ve thrived in the system and this environment. I love the fans, love the stadium, love Seattle as a city. But, you know, you never know going forward, so I’m just going into it open-minded.”

Despite being a pending free agent, Williams was acquired for a second-round pick in this year’s draft along with a fifth-round selection in 2025. That price led to the expectation Seattle would move quickly in negotiating an extension, but no in-season talks took place on that front. Williams totaled 41 tackles, four sacks and 11 QB hits in 10 games with the Seahawks, demonstrating his potential on a long-term Seattle agreement.

The 29-year-old played on a $63MM pact over the past three years, and it will be worth monitoring to see how much of a market he generates if he reaches free agency. Age will be a factor taken into account by the Seahawks and other interested teams, but Williams made it clear he intends to keep playing for the foreseeable future.

“I’m obviously about to be in Year 10 next year, but I played 18 games this year, and I feel fresh,” the former first-rounder added. “I don’t think I’m feeling the years, honestly. I feel like I probably have five, six, seven more years in me, to be honest. I feel like I can play in this league for a long time.”

The Seahawks already have one major D-line investment in the form of Dre’Mont Jones. The former Bronco inked a three-year, $51MM deal last offseason, and he and Williams were part of a defensive front which struggled against the run. Improving in that department will be a top offseason priority for the team, and making a significant addition in free agency would prove especially challenging if Williams were to be retained. As free agency draws closer, it will be interesting to see how much progress is made between the two sides during contract talks.

Commanders Add David Blough, William Gay To Coaching Staff

February 15th, 2024 at 11:17am CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders unveiled their first coaching staff under new head coach Dan Quinn on Thursday. Many of the additions have already been reported, but a pair of ex-players have found a spot on the staff.

[RELATED: Commanders Add Lance Newmark As AGM, Reassign Mayhew, Hurney]

David Blough has elected to hang up his cleats to take on the role of assistant QBs coach. Blough entered the league as a UDFA with the Browns, but he was dealt to the Lions in 2019. He spent much of his playing career in Detroit, making seven of his starts and nine of his appearances with the team from 2019-21.

The Purdue alum found himself in Arizona for the 2022 campaign, and he made a pair of starts that year. Blough was among the Cardinals’ final roster cuts last summer, however, which led him back to the Lions. He resided on the team’s taxi squad, and made it clear he was eyeing a transition to coaching at some point. He will work alongside returnee Tavita Pritchard in overseeing the Commanders’ signal-callers, a group which could very well include a rookie added with the second overall pick in April’s draft.

Blough will make his first foray into coaching in 2024, and William Gay will likewise take on a full-time NFL sideline position for the first time in his career. The latter, a Steelers cornerback for 10 years with a one-year Cardinals stint in between, saw his final regular season and playoff action in 2017. He took a deal with the Giants in 2018, but he failed to make New York’s roster. The following year, Gay served as a Steelers coaching intern.

The former Super Bowl winner worked as a defensive backs coach at Missouri State in 2020, and he will take on the title of assistant DBs coach with the Commanders. Gay, 39, will pair with Tommy Donatell and Jason Simmons (defensive backs coach and pass-game coordinator, respectively) as the Commanders aim to improve on their league-worst finish against the pass in 2023.

Brian Johnson, added after his tenure as OC of the Eagles, will take on the post of assistant head coach. As Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes, though, Johnson will not have a direct play-calling role with respect to the team’s offense. He will instead take on a more general role with a potential future head coaching opportunity in mind.

Among the updates is the title for ex-Chargers and Raiders defensive coordinator John Pagano. He will work as a senior defensive assistant rather than serving as a position coach. Sarah Hogan, meanwhile, will leave the Falcons to work as coaching chief of staff during Quinn’s first season at the helm. He, new OC Kliff Kingsbury and DC Joe Whitt Jr. will be tasked with overseeing improvement from last year’s 4-13 campaign.

Jameis Winston Eyeing New Saints Deal

February 15th, 2024 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints are set to have Derek Carr atop the quarterback depth chart for at least one more campaign, but retaining Jameis Winston as his backup remains an option for this offseason. If the latter has his way, the team will take that route.

Winston is set to reach free agency next month with the expiration of his current contract. He took a pay cut last offseason, working out a revised one-year deal to avoid being designated a post-June 1 release. That contract has since been altered significantly as part of New Orleans’ annual cap gymnastics, leaving Winston’s future in question. He recently confirmed his desire to remain with the team, though.

“I would love to stay in NOLA forever,” the former No. 1 pick said in an interview with WDSU’s Margaret Orr during a Mari Gras parade (video link). “But whatever the Lord has planned for me, I’m going to go and do my best, wherever that is. Hopefully it’s here, because I love this, I love the energy, and I love this city.”

In the wake of his revised contract, Winston publicly stated his intention of competing for another starting role in the future. Given Carr’s continued presence, Winston’s latest comments are notable since the 2024 season would involve another campaign spent as a backup. The former has his $30MM salary guaranteed in full for the coming year, but New Orleans could move on with minimal cap penalties next offseason.

Even in the event that were to take place, Winston’s prospects for assuming QB1 duties would be questionable. The 30-year-old’s last full campaign as a starter took place during the 2019 season, his final one with the Buccaneers. He served as the Saints’ starter in 2021 for seven weeks before a promising year was cut short due to an ACL tear. Since then, Andy Dalton and now Carr have leapfrogged him on the depth chart, while Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill has also seen occasional usage as a quarterback.

Winston would be one of several veteran passers on the open market if he were to see his Saints deal expire. New Orleans has a number of difficult financial decisions to make in the near future, but the backup QB spot would become a notable roster hole if the team moved on from him. Winston’s future with his current team, or a new one, will thus be worth monitoring in the build-up to the new league year.

49ers Fire DC Steve Wilks

February 14th, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the wake of San Francisco’s Super Bowl defeat, a major change has taken place on the sidelines. Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday that defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has been fired.

The decision had not been made until today, Shanahan said in a conference call. He added (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo) that Wilks’ system did not align with what the team had used with its previous DCs. As a result, Wilks is out after one campaign in the Bay Area.

As expected, DeMeco Ryans was one of the top coaching candidates in the 2023 hiring cycle. His decision to take charge of the Texans created a vacancy at the defensive coordinator spot, as was the case previously when Robert Saleh was hired as head coach of the Jets. Wilks was brought in following his run as interim head coach of the Panthers, something which many viewed as being sufficient to earn him the full-time position.

Instead, Carolina went with Frank Reich for the job, leaving Wilks to search out a coordinator gig. Expectations were high when he joined the 49ers as Ryans’ replacement, given his experience as an NFL staffer including DC stints during his first Panthers tenure in 2017 and his time with the Browns in 2019. San Francisco’s defense – featuring one of the league’s most highly-regarded front sevens – managed to help bring the team to the Super Bowl, but the unit endured rough patches along the way.

In the regular season, the 49ers ranked in the top eight in both points and yards allowed. The team fared far better against the run than the pass, something which comes as little surprise given the injuries endured at the safety spot in particular. Things took a different turn in the postseason, however, when both the Packers and Lions put up strong numbers on the ground. The effort and attention to detail of Wilks’ unit was called into question leading up to the Super Bowl, including by the 54-year-old himself.

In Sunday’s title game, the Chiefs were held to just three points in the first half. San Francisco also registered an interception in the third quarter, but the team’s defense regressed in the late stages of the contest. On the final drive of regulation, a stop would have won the game, but Kansas City managed to kick the field goal which forced overtime. In the extra frame, the Chiefs’ first possession saw the team drive 75 yards for the winning touchdown. Kansas City finished the contest with 455 yards of offense.

Wilks interviewed for a pair of head coaching positions in this year’s cycle, but he did not emerge as a finalist for the Falcons’ or Chargers’ postings. A move to a new team as defensive coordinator is out of the question for 2024, as every DC spot has been filled in recent days and weeks. Wilks will move forward in search of a position coaching role or a return to the college ranks. He served as defensive coordinator at Missouri in 2021 before jumping back onto an NFL sideline the following year.

Shanahan noted (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle) that he will consider both internal and external candidates to replace Wilks. After going outside the organization last year, it will be interesting if he elects to choose an option more familiar with the scheme used during Saleh and Ryans’ tenures in the position. In any case, the 49ers will have a major vacancy to fill as they begin their offseason.

Chiefs To Extend DC Steve Spagnuolo

February 14th, 2024 at 10:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Steve Spagnuolo has established himself as one of the best defensive coordinators in NFL history, picking up a fourth Super Bowl championship as an assistant Sunday night. Still off the HC radar, the Chiefs will take advantage.

The two-time reigning champions are giving Spagnuolo an extension, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Spagnuolo’s defense played a bigger role in helping the Chiefs rally to another championship. With Kansas City’s offense experiencing several speedbumps this season, the team depended on its defense. Spagnuolo will continue to lead that unit for the foreseeable future.

Spagnuolo, 64, coached in Super Bowl LVIII on an expiring contract, according to Rapoport. The former Rams HC has been in place under Andy Reid since 2019. That tenure resulted in the Chiefs elevating their defensive profile. Kansas City giving Patrick Mahomes a sturdy defensive safety net has allowed for the game’s premier active player to lead the team to three titles and four Super Bowl appearances. After a woeful tenure as a head coach in St. Louis, Spags’ tenure in western Missouri has bolstered his reputation as well.

Reid brought in Spagnuolo following the Chiefs’ shootout loss in the 2018 AFC championship game. Mahomes’ best statistical season ended with the quarterback on the sideline as the Patriots marched down for a game-winning touchdown in overtime. The Chiefs then fired six-year DC Bob Sutton and brought in Spagnuolo, who has regularly had his defense in top form late in the season.

This year brought Spagnuolo’s best work with the Chiefs. Although this success did not result in Tony Romo learning the correct pronunciation of the veteran assistant’s name, Spagnuolo’s defense ranked second in scoring and total yardage this season. An inconsistent Chiefs offense benefited from the team’s best defensive effort since perhaps the Derrick Thomas era.

While Spagnuolo has said on a few occasions he would pursue another HC job, that has not been in the cards. No team has requested an interview during Spagnuolo’s Chiefs years. The Rams hired the Super Bowl-winning Giants DC in 2009, but their modern-era nadir occurred soon after. In place as Rams HC for three seasons, Spagnuolo submitted 1-15 and 2-14 seasons in that span. A 7-9 slate ensued in between, but the Rams had seen enough by the end of the 2011 slate. Spagnuolo, who won his first ring as part of the 2007 Giants, returned to the DC level soon after. Finishing the 2017 season as the Giants’ interim HC, Spags landed the Chiefs gig. But HC interest has eluded the accomplished defensive play-caller.

The Chiefs held the 49ers to three field goals in their latest Super Bowl win. While Kansas City’s offense was far from dominant, its defense had done enough to keep the deficit at one score late in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs have questions regarding top defensive pieces Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed. Although the team wants to retain both, each sits weeks away from free agency. The Chiefs having Spagnuolo locked in will stand to help if they lose top personnel soon.

Buccaneers Want To Re-Sign Baker Mayfield Before Free Agency

February 14th, 2024 at 10:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers have made a habit of letting their top free agents test the market in recent years. Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis and Shaquil Barrett each re-signed with the Bucs but did so after being unattached going into the legal tampering period.

It does not appear Tampa Bay wants to take that chance with Baker Mayfield. Mutual interest exists between the Bucs and their 2023 starting quarterback. While no known talks have transpired, the team wants to have Mayfield re-signed before free agency begins, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo.

Dean spent nearly five hours unattached to start the 2023 legal tampering period. The Bucs, who had made several maneuvers to create cap space following the Tom Brady retirement bill ($35.1MM), reached a four-year, $52MM deal to re-sign the cornerback that afternoon. Operating on a near-identical timetable, the Bucs reached an agreement to re-sign Davis (three years, $45MM) just more than five hours into the 2022 tampering period. Barrett did not make it through to the afternoon unattached, with a Bucs team determined to keep its Super Bowl LV-winning core together authorizing a four-year, $72MM deal. The veteran edge rusher committed to re-sign less than an hour into the 2021 legal tampering period.

The club’s ability to convince its top in-house free agents to stay even after speaking with other teams has made for an interesting trend. It might apply to the situation surrounding Mike Evans, who is weeks away from his first free agency bid. The Bucs have shown an interest in re-signing Evans, but after the sides could not reach an agreement before the start of last season, the accomplished wide receiver vowed to test the market. Antoine Winfield Jr. profiles as a more likely candidate for the franchise tag, though the Bucs’ past locking down Davis and Dean could pertain to the standout safety.

A Winfield tag would cost the Bucs approximately $17.22MM. That would be preferable to the team having a quarterback tag ($35.95MM) on its books going into free agency. It remains to be seen if the Bucs value Mayfield that highly, but just about everything to surface since December indicates the team wants to keep its quarterback. The Bucs giving Mayfield input into their OC search, which ended with ex-Rams OC Liam Coen replacing Dave Canales, furthers the notion the Bucs are operating as if Mayfield will be back in 2024. But it will cost far more than $4MM — eventually bumped to $7MM via incentives — for Tampa Bay to retain Mayfield this year.

Teams without a clear path to land one of this draft’s top QB prospects could loom as Mayfield suitors. The Falcons, Broncos and Raiders would make sense as potential buyers. The Bucs’ exclusive negotiating rights with Mayfield expire at 11am CT on March 11, when this year’s legal tampering period begins. If the team determines the franchise tag as necessary here, it has until 3pm CT on March 5.

Representing a major value spike from his low-key 2023 free agency foray, Mayfield joins Kirk Cousins as the top UFA options at quarterback this year. Teams without top-three draft choices will undoubtedly be monitoring these two options, and interest and price points often circulate at the Combine. It will be interesting to see if the Bucs can re-sign Mayfield before that point, but they certainly want to prevent their Brady successor from having the chance to shop around come March 11.

Commanders Updates: Tapp, Lynn, Toub

February 14th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders‘ new coaching staff under head coach Dan Quinn is starting to take shape as he and his coordinators continue to hire new assistant coaches. The most recent of which sees yet another former 49ers staffer in assistant defensive line coach Darryl Tapp find his way to the nation’s capital to serve as Quinn’s new defensive line coach, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Following a long playing career that saw him travel the NFC in places like Seattle, Philadelphia, Washington, Detroit, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay, Tapp went straight into coaching, taking a defensive quality control coaching job at Central Michigan. He followed that up with two more year-long stints as a special teams quality control coach at Vanderbilt and a co-defensive line coach at Virginia Tech.

Tapp got his first NFL coaching opportunity when offered his current position of assistant defensive line coach in San Francisco. He’s held the position for the past three years, helping Kris Kocurek coach up some of the best defensive linemen in the game of football. It didn’t take long for Tapp to get his first opportunity to coach the position on his own.

Washington traded away two of their better defensive linemen this past season in Chase Young and Montez Sweat, but the team still has some extremely talented pieces in Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. Tapp got to work a bit with Young after the former second-overall pick was traded, so he may have a bit of insight on how to connect with the Commanders defensive line.

Here are a few other staff updates coming out of Washington:

  • Speaking of former 49ers staffers, we already saw today that Washington has hired San Francisco’s assistant head coach and running backs coach Anthony Lynn to their new run-game coordinator position. Well, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, Lynn’s title will also include running backs coach. Lynn leaves Christian McCaffrey in California and will now coach a group that includes Brian Robinson, Chris Rodriguez, and Derrick Gore. Veteran back Antonio Gibson is currently bound for free agency.
  • Finally, on the coaching staff, Jhabvala also reports that offensive quality control coach Shane Toub will remain on staff for the Commanders. Toub just finished his first year on staff in Washington but has four prior years of experience on the Bears’ coaching staff. He will continue to work in Washington, now under new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
  • Outside of the coaching staff, Jhabvala also informs that, in the front office, senior vice president of football administration Rob Rogers is set to remain in place “at least through the draft.” It’s unclear if the team has plans to switch things up in the front office after this April, but for now, Rogers’ job is safe.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/14/24

February 14th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Wednesday’s reserve/futures deals:

Kansas City Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers

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