2024 March - Pro Football Rumors

Month: January 2025

Saints Tender ERFA WR Rashid Shaheed

March 8th, 2024 at 9:01pm CST by Ely Allen

Some may forget as he hasn’t played like it, but Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed was an undrafted free agent just two years ago. And like many undrafted free agents who find their way to the 53-man roster early in their careers, Shaheed faces free agency after only two seasons in the league. With fewer than three accrued seasons in the NFL, Shaheed qualifies as an exclusive rights free agent, allowing the team to retain him with a simple tender offer, which they chose to do this week, according to John Hendrix of Sports Illustrated.

This tender offer from New Orleans guarantees that Shaheed will be on the roster in 2024. Exclusive rights free agents essentially only have a take-it-or-leave-it option. If the team decides to make a tender offer, a one-year contract at the value of the league minimum for a three-year veteran, the player is unable to negotiate with other teams and is required to sign the deal in order to play in 2024.

For the league minimum, New Orleans is getting quite the steal. As a rookie, Shaheed was a solid complementary wide receiver. This past season, Shaheed only got better, solidifying himself as a reliable WR2 behind Chris Olave. In addition to his receiving duties, Shaheed has established himself as the team’s primary return man over the last two years, even getting Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors as a returner this season.

While the wide receiving corps is set to look slightly different in 2024 with veteran wide receiver Michael Thomas expected to be released when the new league year begins, Shaheed will now return alongside Olave and A.T. Perry, providing some young consistency for quarterback Derek Carr next season.

LS Patrick Scales Re-Signs With Bears

March 8th, 2024 at 7:27pm CST by Ely Allen

There will be no change to the Bears’ specials teams core. Kicker Cairo Santos and punter Trenton Gill are already set on multi-year deals, but today Chicago avoided watching their long snapper hit free agency, re-signing Patrick Scales to a one-year deal, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Originally an undrafted free agent in 2011, Scales came into the NFL after long snapping at Utah State. Scales started off in Baltimore and spent time with the Dolphins, Jets, and Buccaneers before eventually returning to the Ravens for his NFL debut in 2014.

Since initially signing with the Bears in 2015, Scales has spent his eight years in Chicago on one one-year contract after the next. That trend continues into 2024, and though we don’t have all the details on his newest contract, Pelissero reports that the deal includes $1MM of guaranteed money.

At 35 years old, and with tight end Marcedes Lewis heading to the free agent market, Scales is set to be the most senior member of the Bears locker room. He also returns as the longest-tenured player in Chicago.

Raiders Re-Sign RB Ameer Abdullah

March 8th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Ely Allen

For the third year in a row, veteran running back Ameer Abdullah will sign a new contract with the Raiders in March, the team announced today. Initially coming to Las Vegas as an unrestricted free agent in 2022, Abdullah returns for his third season with the Raiders.

After a prolific college career at Nebraska, Abdullah came into the league as a second-round draft pick by the Lions. He spent six years in the NFC North between Detroit and Minnesota before ending his seventh season with the Panthers. Since then, Abdullah has sported black and silver in Las Vegas.

Abdullah’s most productive seasons came with the Lions during his first three years, but he found a role as a receiving back and kick returner as his career has progressed. That has been reflected during his time with the Raiders. In two years with the team, Abdullah has taken a backseat to Josh Jacobs and Zamir White, only rushing for 109 yards in those two seasons combined. As a receiving back, though, Abdullah racked up 44 catches for 342 yards and a touchdown over that same period. Abdullah also served as the team’s primary kick returner in 2022 before ceding that responsibility to DeAndre Carter in 2023.

With Jacobs assumed to be on the way out via free agency, the Raiders accomplish a minor feat here by solidifying trusted depth behind White for the 2024 season. Fellow backup rusher Brandon Bolden is also set for free agency, so White and Abdullah represent the only running backs on the roster for now. With free agency and the draft on the horizon, Las Vegas will have to seek some additions but will do so from a base of White and Abdullah.

Broncos To Keep WR Tim Patrick On Reworked Deal

March 8th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:04pm: This move will bring the expected pay cut and create $8MM in cap space for the Broncos, who also restructured Mike McGlinchey‘s deal to add $11MM more in funds ahead of free agency, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. As for Patrick, he will drop his base salary from $9.5MM to the veteran minimum with a small amount in per-game roster bonuses in the equation, Yates adds.

Patrick received $18MM guaranteed when he signed his extension 2 1/2 years ago; in a likely pay-cut-or-get-cut situation, he will opt to stay in Denver rather than hit free agency coming off two season-nullifying injuries.

11:11am: The Broncos said goodbye to Justin Simmons, their longest-tenured player, and are set to likely bid farewell to other multiyear starters this offseason. But they plan to hang onto Tim Patrick, despite his run of bad injury luck.

Patrick has agreed to a reworked contract to stay in Denver, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. One year remained on Patrick’s previous contract — a three-year, $34MM extension agreed to during the 2021 season — but ACL and Achilles tears have kept him off the field over the past two seasons. The Broncos are not adding any years to the deal.

With Simmons gone, Patrick sits behind only Garett Bolles for seniority on the Broncos. The former UDFA has been with the team since midway through the 2017 season, predating Courtland Sutton in Denver. Sutton and Jerry Jeudy‘s statuses are again up in the air, but the team will again try to go into a season with the 6-foot-4 pass catcher available to suit up.

Operating as a regular for the Broncos during a period in which Sutton, Jeudy and KJ Hamler each encountered notable injury trouble, Patrick established himself as a key auxiliary option for the likes of Drew Lock, Joe Flacco and Teddy Bridgewater. The possession receiver totaled 742 yards in 2020 and 734 in 2021, finishing second on the team in receiving yardage in each season. But Patrick will effectively have skipped the Broncos’ rocky Russell Wilson era, going down in training camp in each of the past two years to weaken Denver’s receiving corps.

Acquired during the John Elway GM period, Patrick joined the Broncos as a practice squad addition in October 2017. He worked his way into a $10MM-per-year contract; the Broncos re-signed both Patrick and Sutton during the 2021 season. Patrick’s extension that proved important given the events of the following two summers, but with the Broncos needing to cut costs, no realistic chance existed they would retain Patrick on his slotted salary ($9.5MM). But the Utah alum is well-regarded as a leader in the locker room.

It is not known which of his WR teammates beyond Marvin Mims will be back, but the Broncos will give the 30-year-old target another opportunity.

Panthers Re-Sign LS J.J. Jansen

March 8th, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.J. Jansen is on track to create more distance between himself and other Panthers in the franchise’s games-played column. The veteran long snapper will be back for another go-round in Charlotte next season.

The Panthers re-signed the 15-year veteran to a one-year deal on Friday, The Athletic’s Joseph Person notes. This will be Jansen’s sixth contract agreement as a member of the Panthers, who acquired the specialist via trade from the Packers back in 2009.

A 2013 Pro Bowler, Jansen has opted to sign one-year deals in recent years. The Panthers signed off on a four-year extension in 2012 and a five-year re-up in 2016. Since 2021, however, Jansen has gone year to year. The former Green Bay UDFA is going into his age-38 season.

Jansen reached 243 games played last season; that sits 22 north of John Kasay‘s previous Panthers standard. Among active Panthers, Shaq Thompson is the closest — at 119. Among active long snappers, Jansen leads the pack in terms of appearances, having also added seven playoff games.

While various issues can plague long snappers, this is one of the most stable positions in sports. Mastering this skill can lead to a steady gig toward age 40, and Jansen is as reliable as they come. The Notre Dame alum has never missed a game since debuting with Carolina 15 years ago. A near-vet-minimum salary will await Jansen, as it does all long snappers. The Panthers paid their third specialist $1.32MM last season.

Giants On Radar For QB J.J. McCarthy

March 8th, 2024 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Giants-quarterback connections are becoming a regular offseason occurrence this offseason. A year after giving Daniel Jones $81MM guaranteed, the Giants look to be considering a long-term replacement.

Buzz about Big Blue trading up for a quarterback in Round 1 or selecting one at No. 6 continues to surface, and while we are moving toward prime smokescreen season, the Giants are being tied to a fast-rising QB prospect. The Giants are believed to be interested in J.J. McCarthy, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora.

SNY’s Connor Hughes confirms Combine noise about the Giants and McCarthy being rather difficult to ignore, adding that the Giants should be classified as focused on adding a long-term Jones successor. Jones’ injuries look to be the bigger issue than the team’s confidence in him, Hughes adds. The 2019 No. 6 overall pick has sustained two neck injuries, including a 2021 season-ender that required surgery, and is now rehabbing the ACL tear. Jones also missed a 2020 game due to an ankle injury. Jones is expected to be ready for training camp; it could be his last as a Giant.

The Giants have gone about QB transitions in different ways. Jones took over for Eli Manning by Week 2 of the 2019 season, and Giants great retired after that season. Manning replaced Kerry Collins in 2004, with the incumbent being moved off the roster soon after the draft. The Giants signed Kurt Warner as the Manning bridge.

Jones’ contract would nix the Collins-to-Manning transition path, as he is due $36MM guaranteed this year. If the Giants are to add a rookie, that player would presumably begin the season behind Jones, who would then be set for an awkward farewell season. But the Giants can move on from their four-year, $160MM QB contract in 2025 rather easily, taking on only $11.1MM in dead money with a post-June 1 designation.

McCarthy has plenty of intrigued parties around the league, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who would not be surprised by the Michigan alum landing in the top 10. The Wolverines won the national championship with a then-20-year-old starter at the controls; McCarthy turned 21 earlier this year. Jim Harbaugh did not ask his QB to do too much, and he totaled just 2,991 passing yards in 15 games. But the 6-foot-2 passer showed accuracy improvement, vaulting to a 72.3% completion rate; his TD-INT ratios in two starter seasons: 22-5, 22-4.

Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board still places McCarthy outside the top 20, at 21st; ESPN.com’s big board places him 15th. Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye rank in the top five on each board. QB demand annually pushes prospects up the board, and if the Giants are indeed interested, they probably are not the only ones. The Raiders, Broncos and Vikings have been connected to trade-ups as well. Holding the No. 12 pick, Denver has done considerable work on McCarthy and Oregon’s Bo Nix. Minnesota and Las Vegas carry the Nos. 11 and 13 choices. The Giants have this lot outflanked at No. 6, and with the continued rumors about the team’s QB interest, their pick stands to be one of this draft’s pivotal points.

Broncos To Release TE Chris Manhertz

March 8th, 2024 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

A key blocking presence in Denver last season, Chris Manhertz is moving off the Broncos’ roster amid a cap crunch. The team will release the veteran tight end, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets.

The Broncos gave Manhertz a two-year, $6MM deal to rejoin Sean Payton last year. Better remembered for his time with the Panthers and Jaguars, Manhertz is an eight-year veteran. His release will save the Broncos just more than $2MM in cap space.

“I’ve played long enough in this league to where whatever happens, it’s just business,” Manhertz said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “Is it disappointing news? Sure. But it’s just business. You take it for what it is.”

Manhertz, 31, played 367 offensive snaps over 16 games for the Broncos last season. Denver’s rushing attack struggled for the most part, and Manhertz (two catches, 16 yards) was a non-factor in the passing game. Manhertz was viewed as one of the game’s better pass-blocking tight ends last year, per Pro Football Focus. Prior to coming to Denver, the former UDFA had spent two seasons in Jacksonville and more than four in Carolina. He only played three games for the Saints; those came in 2016.

The Broncos will need a better answer at tight end in 2024, however, as 2022 third-round pick Greg Dulcich has been an IR mainstay due to chronic hamstring trouble. Denver is close to cap compliance, being less than $1MM over as of Friday afternoon. But the team will need to do more work with its roster to be able to afford some free agency upgrades. The Manhertz release comes a day after the Broncos cut their longest-tenured player, Justin Simmons, to end an eight-season partnership.

Steelers To Release WR Allen Robinson

March 8th, 2024 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

A year after the Rams agreed to pay much of Allen Robinson‘s salary to land minor compensation from the Steelers, the veteran wide receiver will be cut. Pittsburgh is moving on from Robinson, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets.

No guarantees remained on the 10-year veteran’s deal, giving the Steelers $10MM in cap space via this cut. Robinson’s stock has been trending downward since his 2021 franchise tag season in Chicago, though he did hold an auxiliary role in Pittsburgh last season. The Steelers will only be on the hook for $1.9MM in prorated signing bonus.

Robinson’s yardage output trailed his disappointing totals from 2021 and 2022; the ex-Jaguars draftee caught 34 passes for 280 yards and no touchdowns as a Steeler. The team has Diontae Johnson and George Pickens entrenched as starters, though it will be interesting to see how the team rounds out its receiving corps under Arthur Smith. Johnson and Pickens also trudged through inconsistent seasons. Pickens, however, caught fire late to help Pittsburgh back into the playoffs. Two years remain on the former second-rounder’s rookie contract, while Johnson is going into a walk year.

All the Rams could muster in the Robinson trade was a 17-spot jump in last year’s seventh round. The NFC West team also picked up some of the Robinson tab to entice the Steelers to take on the contract. The Rams had signed Robinson to a three-year, $46.5MM deal in 2022, but the big-bodied receiver could not bounce back after showing concerning form on the tag with the Bears.

This marks a third notable Steelers cut in two days. The team released Keanu Neal on Thursday and moved on from Patrick Peterson earlier today. Between the moves, the team has picked up more than $18MM in cap room.

Like Peterson, Robinson suited up for every Steelers game last year. But the three-time 1,000-yard receiver has lost much of the separation ability he once possessed. Serving as the Bears’ No. 1 wideout for three seasons, Robinson posted just 410 yards on the tag in 2021. He still did well to land the contract he did from the Rams, picking up significant guaranteed cash. The Bears were once rewarded for gambling on Robinson after a 2017 ACL tear, and while he is only 30 despite having been in the NFL 10 seasons, the end of the line appears near for the Penn State product.

NFL Announces 2024 Compensatory Picks

March 8th, 2024 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2024 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2023 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.

This year, the NFL awarded 34 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks. The CBA limits the total compensatory number to 32, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who notes the Cowboys, Jaguars and Packers qualified for an additional comp pick based on the net loss formula.

The updated NFL format also rewards third-round comp picks to teams that saw a minority assistant coach land a head coaching job or a minority front office exec become a GM. Teams receive two third-round picks for losing an assistant or FO staffer to a top job, but the picks do not come in the same draft. The 49ers’ pipeline here is still flowing and will continue to do so into the 2025 draft, with Ran Carthon landing the Titans’ GM job last year and DeMeco Ryans becoming the Texans’ HC. The Rams collected the first of their two third-rounders for the Falcons’ Raheem Morris hire. The Buccaneers do not receive a comp pick for Dave Canales‘ Panthers move due to the Latino staffer being Tampa Bay’s OC for just one season.

Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2024 compensatory selections.

By round:

Round 3: Jaguars (No. 96 overall), Eagles (No. 97), Rams (No. 98)*, 49ers (No. 99)*

Round 4: 49ers (No. 132), Bills (No. 133), Ravens (No. 134)

Round 5: Saints (No. 167), Packers (No. 168), Saints (No. 169), Eagles (No. 170), Eagles (No. 171), Chiefs (No. 172), Cowboys (No. 173), Saints (No. 174), 49ers (No. 175)

Round 6: Bengals (No. 208), Rams (No. 209), Eagles (No. 210), 49ers (No. 211), Jaguars (No. 212), Rams (No. 213), Bengals (No. 214), 49ers (No. 215), Cowboys (No. 216), Rams (No. 217), Jets (No. 218), Packers (No. 219), Buccaneers (No. 220)

Round 7: Chargers (No. 253), Rams (No. 254), Packers (No. 255), Jets (No. 256), Jets (No. 257)

* = special compensatory selection

By team:

Los Angeles Rams: 5
San Francisco 49ers: 5
Philadelphia Eagles: 4
Green Bay Packers: 3
New Orleans Saints: 3
New York Jets: 3
Cincinnati Bengals: 2
Dallas Cowboys: 2
Jacksonville Jaguars: 2
Baltimore Ravens: 1
Buffalo Bills: 1
Kansas City Chiefs: 1
Los Angeles Chargers: 1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 1

Teams Inquiring On Patriots’ Mac Jones

March 8th, 2024 at 2:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mentioned at multiple offseason junctures as a live scenario, the prospect of a Mac Jones trade may be moving closer to reality. Although the Patriots may not be certain to stay at No. 3 and select a quarterback, their three-year starter is unlikely part of the 2024 plan.

On that note, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates teams have been calling the Patriots as they work on gathering Jones intel this offseason. The Patriots sound receptive to the prospect of moving the former No. 15 overall pick. Trade compensation may be tricky, especially as a host of veteran options are available, but Jones’ 2024 rookie-deal salary will help on this front.

Jones is tied to a $2.79MM base salary for 2024. That is all an acquiring team would need to pick up if it decided to take a flier on the Alabama alum, who profiles as one of this year’s top players in need of a scenery change. A trade is seen around the NFL as the best option for Jones, and a February report pointed to the Pats being likely to seek a trade partner to unload the young quarterback.

Benched to close last season, Jones did not enjoy an optimal relationship with Bill Belichick. Despite Belichick’s exit, the Pats have a new offensive staff in place. They are expected to strongly consider a quarterback at No. 3 overall while being seen as likely to sign a veteran as well. This equation would not stand to leave a place for Jones, who could be appealing as a backup option elsewhere.

Jones is heading into his age-26 season and doing so on the heels of two down campaigns. The Patriots not replacing Josh McDaniels with a true offensive coordinator drew extensive scrutiny, and Jones — the Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up to Ja’Marr Chase — was unable to put the pieces back together under Bill O’Brien last year. Jones closed the season on the bench, serving as New England’s third-stringer in Belichick’s finale.

The Jets are also trying to unload their underwhelming 2021 first-rounder, Zach Wilson, though that year’s No. 2 overall choice is tied to a pricier salary. The Patriots should have an easier time finding a Jones taker, but the return promises to be minimal considering how the past two years unfolded.

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