Month: November 2024

Dolphins Submit Offer To Odell Beckham Jr.

A report from last week indicated Odell Beckham Jr.‘s Dolphins visit went well, and that both player and team were interested in working out a deal. Head coach Mike McDaniel spoke on the matter at the annual league meetings, and he confirmed an offer has been made.

“Things went great with him,” McDaniel said, via the Miami Herald’s Daniel OyefusiWe did make him an offer and business takes time, especially with players such as Odell, who’s had a phenomenal career, still has really good football in front of him and has options. So, I think those conversations will be ongoing. We’ll see where they go.”

Beckham will not return to the Ravens, with whom he spent the 2023 campaign after a full season out of the league. Upon return from an ACL tear, the 31-year-old posted 565 yards and three touchdowns, production which could line him up as a third receiver option in the Dolphins’ offense. Miami already has Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle atop the depth chart, one which also includes Braxton Berrios and River CracraftThe team has been connected to the pursuit of a more experienced WR3, though, and Beckham would certainly fit the bill.

The latter drew interest from the Jets last offseason before his Ravens agreement (one year, $15MM guaranteed). New York has added Mike Williams this year, however, likely removing a potential Dolphins competitor from the equation. Miami led the league in passing last season, and the return of Hill, Waddle and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will give the team’s offense the chance to replicate its success in 2024.

Beckham could serve in a complementary role with the Dolphins, something which would be expected if any eventual Miami agreement was worth less than his previous Ravens one. With $10.3MM in cap space, the Dolphins have less spending power than most other teams at the moment, and the upcoming draft will provide the team with opportunities to add a younger receiving option. Beckham could very well already be in the fold by the time the draft begins, however.

Broncos Host QB J.J. McCarthy; Sean Payton Open To Trading Up

Jarrett Stidham is currently in place to serve as the Broncos’ 2024 starting quarterback, but the team is one of many worth monitoring with respect to a move up the board. When speaking at the annual league meetings, head coach Sean Payton confirmed Denver is open to trading up from the No. 12 spot.

“It’s realistic,” Payton said of a trade-up move on the part of the Broncos (via Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post). “What’s hard to predict, though, is what’s on the receiving end. It’s good to be [general manager] Monti Ossenfort today at Arizona. It’s hard to predict what that cost is and yet I certainly wouldn’t say it’s unrealistic. We’ll pay close attention to it.”

Ossenfort made it clear last week the Cardinals are open to trading out of the fourth slot; Chargers GM Joe Hortiz has likewise said the No. 5 pick could also be available for the right price. The Broncos will therefore have potential trade partners if they are willing to pay a steep price to move into range for one of the top passers in this year’s class. With only one other pick inside the top 120, however, Denver does not have as much capital available as teams like the Vikings (who now own two first-rounders).

Payton (who was not in attendance for Michigan’s Pro Day) also said on Monday the Broncos hosted quarterback J.J. McCarthy for a private workout one day later. That allowed Denver’s decision-makers to get a close look at the 2023 national champion, who has of course received interest from other teams recently (and has previously been on Denver’s radar). McCarthy has long been seen as a member of the second tier of QB prospects (behind Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye), but he has increasingly been linked to a top-10 selection, likely by a team moving up the board to draft him.

Set to carry $85MM in dead cap charges owing to the Russell Wilson release, the Broncos need a cost-effective quarterback depth chart in the near future. Stidham is on the books for one year at a $7MM cap figure, but a long-term investment at the position would come as no surprise. Considering Payton’s remarks, Denver will remain one of the more intriguing teams to watch over the coming weeks as more clarity emerges on the price of the fourth and fifth selections and the market which develops amongst teams prepared to move up the order.

Steelers To Sign WR Quez Watkins

The Steelers entered the second phase of free agency in need of a wide receiver addition, and the team is now set to make one. Quez Watkins has agreed to a deal with Pittsburgh, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Watkins played out his rookie contract with the Eagles, and his tenure with the team included flashes of potential as a vertical threat. He recorded 43 catches for 647 yards in 2021, but since then his role has diminished. With both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in place atop the WR depth chart, it comes as little surprise Philadelphia allowed Watkins to depart in free agency.

The 25-year-old was on the Dolphins’ radar as part of Miami’s efforts to add a No. 3 option in the passing game. Instead of heading to South Beach, Watkins will join a Steelers’ offense which has undergone plenty of changes recently. Diontae Johnson was traded to the Panthers not long after Allen Robinson was released, creating a pair of notable vacancies at the receiver spot in advance of the draft.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said at the annual league meetings (via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic) wide receiver and center were high on the team’s list of remaining priorities. That comment has now been quickly followed up by an agreement with Watkins, who has averaged 12.7 yards per catch in his career but only drew 72 targets across the past two seasons. He will aim to carve out a larger role in Pittsburgh than he had in recent years in Philadelphia.

The former sixth-rounder will join a WR room led by George Pickens and Calvin Austin, both of whom are on their rookie contracts. The former led the league with an average of 18.1 yards per catch last season, one in which he totaled 1,140 yards and five touchdowns. He will aim to duplicate that success in an offense which now features Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback and which saw the arrival of Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator.

Watkins has 25 starts to his name, 12 of which came in his career-best 2021 season. He could hold down first-team duties with the Steelers in 2024, although the draft will provide Pittsburgh (a team with a well-earned reputation for developing talent at the position) with plenty of opportunities to add a rookie receiver. Even if the team is active on that front next month, Watkins will be able to provide experienced depth on his new Pennsylvania-based team.

Patriots Investigating WR Trade Market

The Patriots have made upgrading at the receiver position a priority this offseason, as evidenced by their pursuit of Calvin Ridley. New England finished as one of the runners-up in that case, but the team has still brought in a veteran in the form of K.J. Osborn.

In spite of that, more moves could be coming soon. Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network reports the Patriots have “looked into the trade market” at the receiver position. New England entered Monday with $50MM in cap space, the highest figure in the league. As a result, an expensive addition would be feasible if the right target and trade partner were to be found.

A few WR swaps have taken place already this offseason, with Jerry Jeudy and Keenan Allen finding new homes via that route. Tee Higgins could be on the market, as the franchise-tagged Bengal has requested a trade. Cincinnati remains intent on keeping Higgins in the fold for at least one more season, however, even though turning down a trade could open the door to a free agent departure next offseason.

Demario Douglas led the Patriots in receiving during his rookie season in 2023, and adding at least one starter at the WR spot was a reasonable goal for the team. Osborn will fit the bill, and he will join returnee Kendrick Bourne (who re-signed on a three-year deal) as a key piece of the team’s passing attack next year. The latter’s best season came in 2021 when he posted 800 receiving yards; Osborn, meanwhile, has never topped 655 yards in his career. Plenty of room therefore exists for the addition of a true No. 1 which someone like Higgins (with two 1,000-yard campaigns to his name in four years) could serve as.

Presuming the 25-year-old remains off the market, though, New England’s trade interest would likely yield another rotational or depth pass-catcher. In that event, the team’s attention would increasingly turn to a draft class which has a number of highly-touted receiving prospects. By virtue of owning the No. 3 selection, the Patriots could have the chance to draft Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers if they decline to use their pick on a quarterback. Of course, the team’s decision-making process on the that front will depend in large part on which moves are made with respect to trades or free agent signings over the coming weeks.

Falcons Were Interested In Top Defensive FAs; More On Kirk Cousins’ Decision

On the day before the 2024 league year opened, the Falcons agreed to a four-year, $180MM deal with former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, a deal that will pay the 35-year-old passer (36 in August) $50MM in guaranteed money. Even if Atlanta had not signed Cousins, the club was still prepared to make a major free agent splash.

Albert Breer of SI.com, in a piece that is well-worth a read for fans of the Falcons and Vikings in particular, explores in considerable detail how Cousins came to sign with Atlanta, beginning with the February 2022 meeting between the quarterback, his agent, and Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell, whom the Vikes had just hired. While most of Breer’s writing focuses on the discussions, both football and contractual, between Cousins’ camp and Vikings brass and then between Cousins’ camp and Falcons brass, he does note that Atlanta had interest in top defensive free agents Danielle Hunter — another long-time member of the Vikings — and Christian Wilkins.

Per Breer, if the Falcons had not been successful in their pursuit of Cousins or another high-priced FA signal-caller like Baker Mayfield, they would have spent their money on defense, with Hunter and Wilkins named as potential targets. Mayfield had agreed to a new contract with the Bucs while Cousins was still in limbo, so Atlanta GM Terry Fontenot spoke with the agents for Hunter and Wilkins in case he would have to address his QB position via a trade for a player like Justin Fields or via the draft. He was told that both players would fetch at least $25MM per year, which turned out to be pretty accurate. Fontenot also explored the possibility of trading up into the top-three of the draft to land a blue-chip collegiate quarterback, though the teams holding those selections (the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots) were not interested in dealing, at least not that early in the process.

Ultimately, Cousins chose to sign with the Falcons, and Atlanta subsequently bolstered his pass-catching contingent by authorizing a notable contract for wide receiver Darnell Mooney and sending displaced quarterback Desmond Ridder to the Cardinals in exchange for slot man Rondale Moore. Without a high-end QB contract on their books, it was the Vikings who pivoted to the defensive side of the ball, adding Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Blake Cashman in quick succession while bidding farewell to Hunter.

Shortly after Cousins decided to make the move to Atlanta, he said the team simply seemed more prepared than Minnesota to commit to him on a long-term basis. Indeed, Breer reports that while the Vikings did improve their offer to Cousins as negotiations went on by putting more guaranteed money on the table, it was the structure of those guarantees that swung the pendulum in the Falcons’ favor. The Vikings’ proposals always gave them the ability to part ways with Cousins in 2025 without many financial ramifications, and Cousins ultimately felt he was being viewed as a bridge to a passer that the team would select in next month’s draft.

The Falcons’ deal, on the other hand, guarantees all of Cousins’ 2025 base salary of $27.5MM, effectively tethering player and team to each other for the next two seasons. Atlanta can realistically get out of the deal in 2026, at which point Cousins’ cap number skyrockets to $57.5MM. Still, he will at least have an NFL home beyond the upcoming campaign, which was clearly a top priority for him.

Having devoted so many resources to their offense, Fontenot & Co. will have to turn their attention to the draft to address a defense that finished 24th in DVOA and 21st in sacks in 2023. To that end, the team has scheduled a predraft visit with Alabama edge defender Dallas Turner, as Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports. The Vikings and Bears will also visit with Turner, who could be the first defensive player off the board.

Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown To Land $26MM-$28MM AAV On New Contract?

We heard at the end of last month that the Lions and star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown would begin working on an extension at the Scouting Combine. ESPN’s Dan Graziano confirms that contract negotiations are indeed underway (subscription required).

Per Graziano, St. Brown’s new deal could feature an average annual value of $26MM-$28MM, which would position the former fourth-rounder near the top of the WR market as it currently stands. At present, Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM AAV is tops among his peers, though that number is artificially inflated by an exorbitant ~$44MM salary in 2026 that Hill will almost certainly never see. Raiders wideout Davante Adams is next on the list with a $28MM AAV, while the Rams’ Cooper Kupp enjoys a $26.7MM AAV and also secured a WR-record $75MM in total guarantees when he signed his extension with Los Angeles in June 2022.

St. Brown, who is entering his age-25 season, clearly has an argument to be the highest-paid player at his position. The USC product has improved his production over each of his first three years in the league, and in 2023, he posted a stellar 119/1,515/10 slash line. Those totals earned him First-Team All-Pro acclaim along with the second Pro Bowl bid of his young career, and he has been one of the driving forces behind Detroit’s hugely successful rebuild.

Plus, as a non-first-round draft choice in 2021, St. Brown does not have a fifth-year option on his rookie contract, and he is therefore eligible for free agency in 2025. The Lions could of course deploy the franchise tag next offseason if they cannot work out a multiyear accord between now and then, but the tag for receivers is projected to be in the $25MM ballpark (h/t OverTheCap.com), and St. Brown’s is not the only contract that needs to be addressed. Quarterback Jared Goff is also entering the final year of his current deal and is due for a significant raise of his own, and GM Brad Holmes may also want to explore extensions for OT Penei Sewell and DT Alim McNeill.

Sewell, a 2021 first-round choice, could be retained via the fifth-year option in 2025, though McNeill was a 2021 third-rounder and will be out of contract at the end of the 2024 campaign. Nonetheless, St. Brown will clearly be a top priority, and there is seemingly no chance that Holmes will allow him to sniff the open market, even if he has to pony up an historic contract to keep him in Honolulu blue.

In order to create some salary cap breathing room, at least in the short-term, the Lions restructured the contract of recently-acquired cornerback Carlton Davis, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com reports. The move frees up $4.5MM of cap space in 2024, though as Justin Rogers of the Detroit News observes, that additional flexibility was created via three void years. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 passes along the full details.

Of course, the Lions could also recoup additional spending power as a result of the unfortunate Cameron Sutton situation.

Latest On NFL Kickoff Rules

On Thursday, March 21, we went over some of the details in the NFL’s new kickoff proposal intended to replace the league’s current system. With the NFL’s annual owners meetings officially initiating today, we received more updates on what was already reported.

During a four-hour meeting today, the NFL’s competition committee discussed both the proposed ban on the hip-drop tackle and the “hybrid” kickoff proposal. While support from the competition committee was unanimous in both cases, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post, some tweaks were made to the kickoff proposal.

In our initial review, we noted the rules regarding what happens when a football lands in a certain area. To reiterate, kicks that hit the landing zone must be returned; if the kick hits the landing zone and rolls into the end zone, it can be returned or downed for a touchback to the 20-yard line; kicks that are downed in the end zone, strike the goal post/uprights/cross bar, or go through the end zone would be placed at the 35-yard line, and; kicks that land short of the landing zone or out of bounds result in the ball being placed 25 yards from the kickoff starting point, which with no penalties applied is the 35-yard line resulting in placement at the 40-yard line for such kicks. We also laid out the rules for onside kicks in our prior breakdown.

The tweak we’re seeing to the proposal concerns kicks that are downed in the end zone, strike the goal post/uprights/cross bar, or go through the end zone. Instead of being placed at the 35-yard line, the new rule would place it at the receiving team’s 30-yard line.

It’s a delicate balance in finding what will actually result in more returns without compromising player safety. By making this change, there is slightly less incentive for a returner catching a ball in the end zone to down it there, since they’d get five less yards than the initial plan, but they’re still likely to take a knee, considering the alternative is to try and hoof it past the 30-yard line in order to achieve a net gain. On the kickoff side, with the 35-yard line rule, kickers were highly discouraged from kicking it past the landing zone and giving the return team great field position. Changing it to the 30-yard line is not as penalizing, so kickers are less discouraged from forcing the opposing team to drive 70 yards as opposed to just 65.

The initial media feedback is that the tweak to the proposal will have the opposite effect from what the NFL intends, as the league strives to keep the return game relevant. A vote is expected to take place tomorrow. The media opinion is that the vote will either be approved, or the decision will be delayed until May. Check back tomorrow for a potential update on the result of the vote.

Dolphins Restructures: Ramsey, Armstead, Sieler, Ingold, Smythe

The Dolphins were in a dangerous situation working with quite a precarious cap number. In an effort to get within compliance, Miami reworked the deals of several players in order to lessen their respective salary cap impacts.

One of the biggest deals to get done was the restructure of star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the team converted $13.89MM of Ramsey’s 2024 base salary (now only $1.21MM) and an $11MM roster bonus into a signing bonus while adding an additional void year to the two already in existence at the end of his contract.

The work put in by both sides resulted in a cap clearance of $19.91MM.

Here are a few other restructured deals the Dolphins utilized to increase their available cap space:

  • We mentioned after the re-signing of offensive guard Robert Jones that an adjusted contract was on the way for left tackle Terron Armstead. Lo and behold, per Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald, Armstead will accept a $4.25MM pay cut in 2024 while bringing in $10MM of guaranteed salary. His new deal includes a $7.29MM signing bonus, as well. The adjustments cleared another $10.29MM of cap space for the Dolphins.
  • It was Michael Ginnitti at Spotrac.com who informed us of the remaining adjustments. Defensive lineman Zach Sieler contributed by agreeing to convert $7.01MM of his 2024 base salary (now only $1.13MM) into a signing bonus while adding two void years to the end of his deal, resulting in the clearance of $5.6MM of cap space. Fullback Alec Ingold chipped in by agreeing to convert $2.08MM of his 2024 salary (now also $1.13MM) into a signing bonus while adding two void years to the end of his contract, as well, resulting in $1.66MM of cap space clearance. Finally, tight end Durham Smythe agreed to convert $2MM of his 2024 base salary (now also $1.13MM) into a signing bonus while adding three void years to the end of his current deal, resulting in $1.6MM of new cap space. Oyefusi points out that the addition of all those void years speaks to the dire nature of the team’s salary cap position. They ended up finding cap compliance in time for the new league year, but the cap hits of those void years will find them eventually.

NFC Restructures: 49ers, Smith, Eskridge

The 49ers recently restructured the contracts of two offensive mainstays that cleared up a heap of cap space. According to ESPN’s Field Yates and Adam Schefter, both tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk agreed to restructured contracts to help lessen their impact on the salary cap.

Charean Williams of NBC Sports provided us with some details on Kittle’s newly redone deal. The veteran tight end was set to have a base salary of $13.4MM with a cap hit of $21.96MM in 2024. Instead, the team converted $12.19MM of his base salary for 2024 into a signing bonus while adding one voidable year to the existing two already at the tail end of his contract. The move cleared up $9.75MM of space in the team’s salary cap.

While Schefter’s initial report claimed that the restructure for Juszczyk would free up approximately $1.75MM of cap space, a later report from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network laid out some details that would clear almost $4MM of cap space. The restructured deal will reportedly reduce his base salary in both 2024 and 2025, forming what is essentially now a two-year, $9.1MM contract. In exchange for the reduced pay, San Francisco gave Juszczyk $4MM of new guarantees.

Here are some details on other recent restructures from around the conference:

  • We reported a restructured deal for Vikings safety Harrison Smith about a week and a half ago, and thanks to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune, we have some details on the new contract. The restructure addressed the final two years of Smith’s contract, essentially giving him a two-year, $10.25MM deal with three void years at the end of the contract. Smith received $7MM of guaranteed money in the form of a signing bonus and will receive a per game active bonus of $30K for a potential season-total of $510K. The new contract reduces Smith’s cap number in 2024 by $11.9MM and reduces his 2025 cap impact by $15.5MM.
  • The Seahawks cleared up some cap space by restructuring the contract of wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. It’s just a slight tweak for a player who was only slotted to make $1.47MM in the final year of his rookie deal. The restructure will open up about $500K of cap space for Seattle.

Patriots Likely To Retain No. 3 Pick; Latest On Team’s QB Situation

6:57PM: It was certainly accurate to call this situation murky. After reports earlier today seemed to indicate that New England would stick with their No. 3 overall pick and perhaps explore options other than quarterback, newer reports from the first day of the NFL annual owners meetings see Mayo muddying the waters, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.

“Obviously, quarterback is definitely a priority,” Mayo told the media. “With that being said, we’re still open to any type of deals that come our way. We’re very far (into) the process, but we still have a long way to go. Definitely feel like we have time to really nail down our prospects in who we are going to go after.”

Patriots director of scouting Eliot Wolf echoed those sentiments, claiming that their decision will factor in how they have the available players ranked and what potential trade offers come in. The popular opinion is that New England will still aim to pursue a passer at No. 3, but if some insane trade offer comes in, the team is willing to listen.

2:11PM: It is widely assumed around the league the Bears and Commanders will use the top two selections in April’s draft on quarterbacks. The latest developments in both cases reinforce that notion, but the situation could be murkier with respect to the Patriots.

New England owns the No. 3 pick, and with Mac Jones no longer in the fold the team is need of a quarterback addition. Veteran Jacoby Brissett was brought back to potentially serve as a bridge starter, but a long-term investment under center would come as no surprise. When asked about the team’s position, though, rookie head coach Jerod Mayo cautioned the Patriots are not fully committed to using their top selection on a passer.

“It’s the priority right now,” Mayo said in an interview with NFL Network’s Steve Wyche“But with that being said, you have to really be in love with the guy to take him at No. 3. So really all the options are still open for us.”

New England will likely be left with one member of the Caleb WilliamsJayden DanielsDrake Maye trio if the team stays put at the third slot. The Patriots may not be sold on the latter, something which could become increasingly relevant if he finds himself as the top passer on the board with New England on the clock and interested suitors willing to move up the order. A trade out of the No. 3 position would nevertheless come as a surprise, however.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes confidence grew during the Combine that New England would turn down the opportunity to move back and instead use the third overall pick on a signal-caller. As detailed by Graziano’s colleague Mike Reiss, the Patriots have been among the teams heavily interested in the Pro Days of the 2024 class’ top quarterbacks, something which will continue this coming week. Signs therefore continue to point to a rookie being added, although the presence of Brissett means even a first-round selection may not start right away.

“To get him back in the building is definitely helpful for us,” Mayo said of the latter. “And honestly, look, he could absolutely be our starter this year. We’ll have to see. Like I said, we’re not dead set at taking a quarterback at No. 3, but we do feel good having a guy like Jacoby ready to go.”

New England currently owns seven picks other than No. 3, including the 34th overall selection. The team could have the chance to add a second-tier QB as a result, and with the fourth and fifth picks known to be available a bidding war could develop amongst trade-up candidates. The Patriots’ actions will be worth watching closely as the draft draws nearer.