HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa Hoping For Quick Negotiations

February 13th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins are hoping to get an extension done as soon as possible. As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo pass along, there’s been indications from both sides that they “would like to get a deal done quickly this offseason.”

[RELATED: Tagovailoa Expects To Remain With Dolphins Long-Term]

Both sides have previously expressed their interest in a long-term commitment, and it now bodes well for the impending negotiations that neither the Dolphins nor Tagovailoa’s camp are looking to draw out the process. As the NFL Network trio notes, both sides also want to avoid “a storyline that hangs over training camp or the regular season.”

Of course, settling on a new deal will be easier said than done. The fourth-year quarterback is coming off of a career year where he set career highs in passing yards (4,624), touchdowns (29), and completion percentage (69.3). Even more notably, Tagovailoa managed to get into all 17 games this past year, a huge accomplishment after he missed 14 games through his first three years due to injuries and concussions.

Tagovailoa showed a clear step forward under Mike McDaniel in 2022, but thanks to a series of concussions, it was reported that the Dolphins would table contract talks until after the 2022 campaign. While the gamble made sense, it didn’t end up working out for the Dolphins front office. As the salary cap continues to grow and QB contracts continue to climb, Tagovailoa could be eyeing a significantly larger pay day than he likely would have received last year.

It’s uncertain if Tagovailoa’s camp would push for a deal that’s approaching Joe Burrow‘s league-leading $55MM per year, but the former first-round pick will surely be eyeing a cap hit that’s much larger than his $23.17MM salary via the fifth-year option in 2024. The Dolphins do have the franchise tag in their back pocket, so not all would be lost if the two sides are unable to agree to a deal.

The Dolphins’ disappointing end to the 2023 campaign briefly put Tagovailoa’s future with Miami in doubt. Ultimately, it sounds like both sides are committed to hammering out a deal sooner than later.

Broncos Moving Toward Russell Wilson Decision; Team Eyeing J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix?

February 13th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers became the first team to go through with post-Super Bowl cuts, moving on from former starters Mitchell Trubisky and Chukwuma Okorafor. A much bigger domino is likely to fall in Denver.

Although the Broncos’ path to upgrade on Russell Wilson is complicated, they still are likely to separate from the pricey passer they benched before Week 17. The team and Wilson had gone through a messy behind-the-scenes chapter pertaining to the decorated QB’s guarantee vesting date, but pushback on that decision being strictly contract-related ensued. The Broncos benched Wilson for Jarrett Stidham, and while the latter is almost definitely not the team’s long-term answer, the Payton-Wilson partnership appears in its final days.

Payton confirmed during an appearance on Up & Adams a decision on Wilson should emerge sooner rather than later (video link). The second-year Broncos HC said the team began its draft meetings Monday. When asked if he was looking to “fall in love” with a QB this offseason, Payton responded, “Yeah,” continuing to point to the Broncos absorbing the record-shattering dead money that would come with a Wilson release. Wilson holds a no-trade clause, though his five-year, $245MM deal is not viewed as tradeable on the surface.

It would cost the Broncos $85MM in dead money to release Wilson; that will be spread over two years due to the expected release set to be classified as a post-June 1 cut. That will slot the 2024 dead money at $35.4MM. That number checks in just $300K north of what the Buccaneers absorbed when Tom Brady retired. Of course, Tampa Bay is no longer restricted by any Brady money this year. The Broncos will be set to deal with $49.6MM in dead cap in 2025. That alone will smash the NFL record, one the Falcons still hold (at $40.5MM) after trading Matt Ryan to the Colts in 2022. A Wilson release will need to occur before March 17; his 2025 base salary ($37MM) becomes fully guaranteed on that day.

The Broncos hold the No. 12 overall pick and cannot enter true negotiations with an outside free agent until March 11. The Bucs and Vikings can respectively talk with Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins now. If one of those players becomes an option in Denver, such a signing would be costly. Considering the dead money coming via the likely Wilson release, the Broncos would be tying up plenty of cash at QB were they to go with a pricey free agent option. Of course, none of this year’s UFA passers beyond Cousins or Mayfield are expected to be especially expensive.

During an appearance on the Jim Rome Show (via 9News’ Mike Klis), Payton mentioned Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees as quick-processing QBs while notably leaving out Wilson when discussing that important skill in his offense. Known more for off-schedule brilliance than pocket mastery, Wilson had moments in Payton’s offense. He still finished in the top 10 in passer rating, while QBR slotted the ex-Seahawks star 21st. A market is likely to form for the 12-year veteran, though he will not be tied to anything close to the $49MM-per-year deal he signed in Denver. Wilson, 35, is unlikely to command anything near his $35MM-AAV Seahawks extension from 2019. The less Wilson makes, however, the more money the Broncos owe due to offset language.

New NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell said (via the Washington Post’s Mark Maske) the Broncos mistreated Wilson when they attempted to move his vesting guarantee date from 2024 to 2025. Wilson’s camp said the team threatened a benching had the QB not gone along; Broncos brass denied the benching threat occurred. The NFLPA had urged Wilson to call the team’s bye-week bluff. Wilson did, and the Broncos stayed with him as their starter until they were realistically eliminated from playoff contention. Despite Denver’s limitations when it comes to securing an upgrade this offseason, a reconciliation here — despite Wilson indicating in January he wanted to stay with the team — should be considered highly unlikely.

At No. 12, the Broncos are not realistic candidates to end up with Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. Jayden Daniels‘ rising stock may well ensure the Heisman winner goes off the board well before No. 12. The Broncos have been loosely connected to trading up for one of these passers, but the team — which has not made a first-round pick since 2021, thanks to the Wilson and Payton trades — views the cost as high enough a move into the top three is unlikely.

This would naturally tie the Broncos to this QB class’ second-tier options, and Denver7’s Troy Renck notes that is already happening. Denver is being connected to Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Oregon’s Bo Nix within scouting circles, per Renck. An ex-Jim Harbaugh pupil who is not yet 21, McCarthy joins Nix in not yet being a first-round lock. Given the supply-and-demand issues at quarterback, however, it would certainly not surprise to see both prospects be chosen on Day 1.

The Broncos selecting a QB at 12, as opposed to trading up, would be optimal given the draft capital the team surrendered for Wilson and then to obtain Payton’s rights. Excepting Jay Cutler‘s intermittent promise, the Broncos have not had much luck drafting QBs. The franchise’s top passers (John Elway, Peyton Manning, Jake Plummer, Craig Morton) all game via trade or free agency. But Denver will likely be connected to this year’s crop. The 2025 group, although it is still quite early on that front, is viewed as a lesser group. That could force some teams’ hands ahead of this draft.

Lions Sign DL Mathieu Betts To Reserve/Futures Deal

February 13th, 2024 at 9:07pm CST by Ben Levine

The Lions have signed a CFL standout to a reserve/futures deal. Justin Dunk of 3DownNation reports that Detroit has signed defensive lineman Mathieu Betts to a futures deal. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has confirmed the signing.

Betts won the Canadian Football League’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award this past season while playing for the BC Lions. He finished the season with 44 tackles, three forced fumbles, and 18 sacks, with that latter mark being the most by a Canadian-born player in CFL history.

The 28-year-old defensive lineman has spent the past four seasons in the CFL, including a stint with Edmonton. He’s collected 27 sacks during his professional career, the majority of which have come over the past two years.

The Laval University product went undrafted in the 2019 draft. He caught on with the Bears for the preseason but was among Chicago’s final cuts.

 

Giants Block Cowboys’ Interview Request With Andre Patterson

February 13th, 2024 at 8:13pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants have denied their defensive line coach an opportunity to interview with a division rival. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants denied the Cowboys’ request to interview defensive line coach Andre Patterson. The Cowboys were presumably looking to hire Patterson for the same role, and the Giants rejected the potential lateral move.

[RELATED: Cowboys To Hire Mike Zimmer As DC]

It’s not a huge surprise that new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer tried to recruit Patterson to Dallas. The coaches worked alongside each other with the Vikings, where Patterson climbed his way up from defensive line coach to co-defensive coordinator. As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan points out, Zimmer and Patterson have a strong relationship, and the Cowboys wouldn’t have reached out unless the current Giants coach was at least entertaining the idea of a move.

On the flip side, there wouldn’t be much incentive for the Giants letting a respected coach walk to a division rival. Patterson has spent the past two seasons in New York, and despite an overhaul of the defensive coaching staff this offseason, the veteran coach was one of the few to stick around. In fact, the Giants made it clear to potential defensive coordinator candidates that they intended to keep Patterson on their next defensive staff (per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). During his time in New York, the DL coach has been credited with guiding Dexter Lawrence to two All-Pro nods.

Patterson has been coaching since the ’80s, spending time in both the NFL and college football. He often held the title of defensive line coach, including a three-year stint with the Cowboys in the early 2000s. Zimmer coaxed him out of the NCAA back in 2014, and Patterson has spent nearly the past decade coaching in the NFL.

As Art Stapleton of USA Today points out, the move could also be a bit of payback from the Giants organization. When Zimmer was in Minnesota, he denied the Giants’ request to interview Kevin Stefanski for an offensive coordinator job despite already having an offensive coordinator of his own (John DeFilippo).

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/13/24

February 13th, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s reserve/futures deals:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers

Oruwariye spent much of the 2023 season on the Jaguars practice squad, with the defensive back getting into just one game. The former fifth-round pick has more experience than your standard reserve/futures contract, as Oruwariye started 29 games for the Lions between 2020 and 2021. That latter season was one of his strongest, as he finished with 57 tackles, 11 passes defended, and six interceptions.

Chiefs G Nick Allegretti Tears UCL

February 13th, 2024 at 4:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The only offensive lineman in place for each of the Chiefs’ three Patrick Mahomes-era Super Bowl championships, Nick Allegretti received a start Sunday night due to Joe Thuney‘s pectoral injury. Kansas City’s left guard sub did not make it out of Super Bowl LVIII unscathed.

Allegretti finished out his fifth season with the Chiefs with a torn UCL in his elbow. The team’s top backup O-lineman suffered the tear in the second quarter against the 49ers, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, but played all 79 Chiefs offensive snaps during the team’s overtime win.

[RELATED: Chiefs Hope To Re-Sign Chris Jones, L’Jarius Sneed]

An MRI Tuesday revealed Allegretti sustained a full tear, Pelissero adds. It is not known if Thuney will need surgery to repair his pec injury, but Allegretti is undoubtedly set to go under the knife due to this elbow malady. Allegretti played out a one-year, $2.58MM deal this season. The UCL tear will deal a blow to the veteran spot starter’s hopes of parlaying this season into a more lucrative contract in free agency.

A 2019 seventh-round pick, Allegretti worked as a backup behind Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Andrew Wylie as a rookie before being called upon to start 12 games (counting three playoff tilts) in 2020. Duvernay-Tardif opted out due to COVID-19 concerns that year, with the doctor returning to his native Canada to help out amid the pandemic, and the Chiefs entered Super Bowl LV without both tackles (Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz). The Buccaneers’ onslaught on Mahomes that night prompted the Chiefs to overhaul their O-line, but they kept Allegretti — a guard starter against Tampa Bay during a blowout loss — on his rookie deal through 2022. They then re-signed him in March.

The Chiefs have Thuney and right guard Trey Smith under contract for 2024; the latter is extension-eligible now. It would make sense for the two-time reigning champions to keep Allegretti in place as a swingman, but it will be interesting to see if the 27-year-old blocker commands a notable market despite this injury. Wylie used Super Bowl LVII as a springboard to a three-year, $24MM Commanders deal, though he has more starting experience than his former teammate. Allegretti, an Illinois alum, will enter free agency with 18 career starts — including two in this year’s postseason.

Titans To Retain Justin Outten, Chris Harris, Others On Staff

February 13th, 2024 at 4:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Callahan‘s first Titans staff will include a host of outside hires — one of which being his father, offensive line coach Bill Callahan — and a handful of holdovers. Among the holdovers: two staffers who have either been coordinators or were on the OC/DC carousel recently.

We heard last week the Titans were blocking Justin Outten interviews. Tuesday, the team revealed Outten will be part of Brian Callahan’s 2024 staff as tight ends coach. This will be a shift for Outten, who was the team’s run-game coordinator in 2023. In addition to Outten, the Titans are retaining assistant Chris Harris.

Outten served as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator in 2022, mostly operating in a non-play-calling capacity — save for the final two games, following Nathaniel Hackett‘s firing — during a disastrous season for the AFC West team. Outten interviewed for the Ravens’ OC job in 2023 but wound up in Tennessee. A Packers staffer prior to his Denver year, Outten was a Mike Vrabel hire. Callahan’s first staff will feature a few of those.

Harris interviewed for the Bears and Jaguars’ DC jobs this year and met with the Texans and 49ers about their DC vacancies in 2023. Harris, 41, spent three seasons coaching Commanders DBs under Ron Rivera. The Titans lured him away in 2023. Harris will remain in place as Tennessee’s defensive pass-game coordinator, along with his role as cornerbacks coach. This will be Harris and DC Dennard Wilson‘s first time working together.

The Titans are also retaining assistant special teams coach Anthony Levine, assistant D-line coach Clinton McMillan, defensive quality control coach Lori Locust and former Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker as an offensive assistant. The Titans are still searching for a special teams coordinator, but Levine will work under that to-be-determined staffer. Stocker, a Titan from 2017-18, and Levine wrapped their playing careers after the 2021 season.

Among the previously unmentioned new hires in Tennessee, Randy Jordan will take over as running backs coach. A former Raiders backup running back, Jordan spent the past 10 years as Washington’s RBs coach. Jordan was in place throughout Jay Gruden‘s HC tenure and through Rivera’s. Payton McCollum will leave Indianapolis for Nashville, moving from Colts offensive assistant to Titans assistant wide receivers coach. Ben Bloom will also come on board as the Titans’ OLBs coach. Bloom spent the past four seasons in Cleveland, working as Myles Garrett‘s position coach in 2023. Bloom previously spent nine seasons on Jason Garrett‘s Cowboys staff. Myles Garrett’s Defensive Player of the Year season aside, the Browns hired ex-Texans D-line coach Jacques Cesaire to replace Bloom last month.

Tennessee is also bringing back Tracy Rocker for a second tour of duty on staff. The Titans hired Rocker as their defensive line coach, which will mark a return for the veteran assistant, who served in this capacity under Mike Munchak from 2011-13. Rocker was also the Tennessee Volunteers’ D-line coach from 2017-19. Rocker, 57, does have a history with Wilson. The two coached together on the Eagles’ staff from 2021-22; Rocker stayed on this past season as Philly’s D-line coach.

49ers’ Arik Armstead To Undergo Knee Surgery, Miss Extensive Offseason Time

February 13th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Arik Armstead missed extensive time down the stretch for the 49ers, but the veteran defensive lineman was back on the field for each playoff game. Now that the season has ended, the former first-round pick revealed the injury he played through.

The nine-year 49er said Tuesday he suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during the team’s Dec. 3 win over the Eagles, indicating (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Mike Silver) he will undergo surgery. This operation is expected to sideline Armstead for most of the team’s offseason program, though NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco adds the veteran hopes to return by training camp. Armstead will join Dre Greenlaw in missing offseason time, though the concern regarding the linebacker will overshadow worries on the Armstead front.

Armstead, 30, has run into a number of injuries over the course of his career. The Oregon alum has missed 31 regular-season games since going off the 2015 draft board 17th overall. That said, Armstead turned his career around following some early-career setbacks. He played every 49ers game from 2018-21, earning a lucrative extension during that span. But the past two seasons have brought injuries back into the equation.

Upper-body injuries cost Armstead time early in his career, though he rallied back in time to have the 49ers pick up his fifth-year option and ultimately extend him on a five-year, $85MM deal. In 2022, however, Armstead battled trouble with this same knee. A sprain during the 49ers’ 2022 training camp cost Armstead time, and while he returned for Week 1 that year, a hairline fibula fracture led to a half-season absence. This season, Armstead battled knee and foot injuries before coming back for the 49ers’ divisional-round game.

Despite these setbacks, Armstead has remained vital to the 49ers’ defensive blueprint. The team opted to pay Armstead over giving DeForest Buckner a more lucrative extension, trading the latter to the Colts in 2020. Both Buckner and Armstead have remained upper-echelon D-linemen, though Armstead’s ex-Oregon teammate is a higher-level performer. Buckner has received three Pro Bowl nods while picking up two All-Pro honors, whereas Armstead profiles as more of a high-end role player on the 49ers’ Nick Bosa-led D-line.

One season remains on Armstead’s deal, and the void years San Francisco added upon restructuring the contract make the 6-foot-7 interior defender more difficult to cut. Armstead is set to carry a $28.4MM 2024 cap number — third-highest on the team — and would cost more than $25MM to release in a non-post-June 1 capacity this year. If the 49ers do not extend Armstead before the start of the 2025 league year, they will be hit with $15.5MM in dead money due to the three void years tacked onto the deal. Armstead recorded one sack in the playoffs and five during the regular season, grading as Pro Football Focus’ No. 16 overall interior D-lineman.

With Armstead available, the 49ers rolled out a formidable defensive line in the playoffs. San Francisco paired he and Bosa with big-ticket free agent signing Javon Hargrave, trade pickups Chase Young and Randy Gregory, and former first-round pick Javon Kinlaw. Young and Kinlaw are on track for free agency, while Gregory’s contract — a bill the Broncos footed almost entirely this season — may need to be adjusted or shed from the team’s payroll. Backup defensive end Clelin Ferrell is also a free agent-to-be; Ferrell and Drake Jackson missed Super Bowl LVIII.

Ferrell also suffered a torn meniscus, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows. The 49ers placed the free agency pickup on IR in January. Despite the 49ers trading for Young and Gregory, Ferrell started 17 regular-season games opposite Bosa. The former Raiders top-five pick elevated his stock this season, though the knee injury stands to interfere with Ferrell’s attempt to parlay that rebound into a nice contract.

Armstead is the 49ers’ longest-tenured starter, beating out George Kittle by two years. Injuries have nagged him at points, but the veteran remains a productive player for San Francisco. He and Greenlaw, who suffered an Achilles tear while merely trotting onto the field for a defensive possession, will be out of the picture for a while.

Steelers To Keep Eddie Faulkner On Staff

February 13th, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Both halves of what was effectively a co-offensive coordinator setup are in play to return for the Steelers under a new OC. The Steelers’ interim OC is expected to stay with the team under new play-caller Arthur Smith.

The Steelers agreed to an extension with running backs coach Eddie Faulkner, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Assuming the Steelers’ expected agreement to retain Mike Sullivan goes through, the Faulkner pact will tie Smith to both the staffers who took on OC responsibilities in the wake of the franchise’s first in-season coordinator firing in several decades.

[RELATED: Steelers Release QB Mitch Trubisky]

While Sullivan was given play-calling duties, the Steelers made Faulkner their nominal interim OC following Matt Canada‘s November ouster. Faulkner predates Canada with the Steelers, being hired while Mike Tomlin still had Randy Fichtner in place as OC. Although the Steelers once again avoided a sub-.500 season and saw their Sullivan-Faulkner setup help Mason Rudolph to a bounce-back stretch en route to the playoffs, the team was never believed to be considering either staffer for the full-time OC role.

The Steelers added Faulkner to their staff in 2019, bringing in the former Ball State offensive coordinator as their running backs coach. Faulkner spent more than 15 years in the college ranks prior to joining the Steelers. Aside from the stretch as interim OC, the 47-year-old assistant has served in as the team’s RBs coach for the past five seasons. Signs point to that continuing.

Smith has started to reshape the Steelers’ offensive staff, which is now expected to include Sullivan in a different role. The Steelers are hiring Tom Arth as their new quarterbacks coach. Sullivan has been in place as Pittsburgh’s QBs coach for the past three seasons, calling plays to close out the 2023 campaign. The Steelers and Sullivan are still discussing what would be a new role for the veteran assistant. The team is also replacing its assistant QBs coach and wide receivers coach, respectively moving on from David Corley and Frisman Jackson.

Organizations frequently mandate certain coaches be retained under new coordinators, but the Steelers hiring Smith and pairing him with both their interim OC from last season and the interim play-caller will make for an interesting partnership.

Haason Reddick Did Not Request Trade, Eyeing Eagles Extension

February 13th, 2024 at 12:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

Haason Reddick‘s Eagles future seemed to be in doubt when it was learned over the weekend the Eagles gave him permission to seek out a trade. Further clarity on the matter has since emerged, and an extended stay in Philadelphia has not been ruled out.

Reddick made it clear when speaking to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz that he never submitted a trade request. More to the point, the two-time Pro Bowler added that his desire is to remain with the Eagles on a new deal. One year remains on Reddick’s current pact.

“This is home for me,” Reddick said (via Schultz). “I was born and raised here. Two of the most fun years playing football in my life came here. I’ve cherished being an Eagle.”

As Schultz further details, the Eagles’ move allowing Reddick to find a trade partner was voluntary on the part of the latter’s camp. Coming off two strong seasons in Philadelphia, the former Cardinal and Panther could be in line for a significant raise on an extension. He is owed $15.5MM in 2024, but none of his base salary is guaranteed and his cap hit currently sits at $21.87MM.

The 2017 first-round pick quickly outplayed the three-year, $45MM deal he signed with the Eagles in 2022, becoming a bargain after continuing his breakthrough stretch as a pass rusher. Initially miscast as an off-ball linebacker in Arizona, Reddick has been one of the game’s top sack artists since the Cardinals moved him back outside midway through the 2020 season. Reddick led the way in the 2022 Eagles’ pursuit of the 1984 Bears’ single-season sack record, pacing the NFC champions with 16. Reddick added an NFL-high five forced fumbles, making an impact in those playoffs as well by tacking on 3.5 sacks in blowout wins over the Giants and 49ers. The latter of those involved knocking Brock Purdy out of the NFC championship game.

Reddick finished with 11 sacks this past season but did not force any fumbles. As the Eagles’ defense fell apart, Reddick did not record a sack over the team’s final five games. But the Eagles have him on a team-friendly deal. Reddick, 29, sits tied for 17th among edge defender AAV. While Reddick confirmed he did not seek a trade, he stopped short of ensuring he will be an Eagle in 2024, indicating he is “preparing for what’s next.” How Reddick’s trade market looks will paint a clearer picture of his extension price point, adding intrigue to what could be complicated negotiations between the Eagles and the two-time Pro Bowler.

A Reddick trade would obviously impact Philly’s pass rush, though the team did select Nolan Smith — a Georgia prospect who received Reddick comps leading up to last year’s draft — in last year’s first round. The team also has Josh Sweat joining Reddick in going into a contract year. Many questions remain after the Eagles unraveled to close out the season. Reddick joins a number of key contributors on that side of the ball going into an age-30 season or beyond. But the seven-year veteran’s contract will be a key issue for the Eagles to resolve this offseason.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

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