2024 May - Pro Football Rumors

Month: September 2024

Ravens Cut DL Bravvion Roy

May 22nd, 2024 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Bravvion Roy is hitting free agency. The veteran defensive lineman’s contract was terminated by the Ravens today, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.

Roy joined the Ravens last August and spent the entire 2023 campaign on Baltimore’s practice squad. He was retained via a reserve/futures contract back in January, but now he’ll have to look elsewhere for his next gig.

The Baylor product was a sixth-round pick by the Panthers in 2020, a move that reunited him with college coach Matt Rhule. The defensive lineman had a significant role despite his late-round draft stock, starting nine of his 15 appearances as a rookie. He collected a career-high 30 tackles during his sophomore campaign before he was limited to a career-low 299 defensive snaps in 2022.

Roy was waived by the Panthers last July and was quickly picked up by the Bears. He was among Chicago’s final roster cuts, leading to him joining the Ravens.

The 27-year-old was already facing an uphill battle to make Baltimore’s roster. The Ravens are set to return their same defensive line arrangement in 2024, but Roy’s release could end up opening a roster spot for former UDFA Rayshad Nichols or current UDFAs Ja’Mion Franklin and C.J. Ravenell.

JuJu Smith-Schuster Says He’s Fully Healthy

May 22nd, 2024 at 5:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a disastrous first season in New England, JuJu Smith-Schuster is confident he’ll rebound in 2024. The veteran told reporters (including Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald) that he’s 100-percent healthy heading into Patriots OTAs.

Smith-Schuster estimated that he was around 60-percent at this time last year. The veteran wide receiver underwent knee surgery shortly after winning Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs and before signing with the Patriots.

“It’s a big difference,” Smith Schuster said of his current health. “It’s not easy coming off a knee injury and having a long season and coming back really short… I feel great, honestly. I feel great. I’ve never felt better. I’m just excited to finally be out here around this time and participating.”

The Patriots signed Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33MM contract last offseason, but the receiver proceeded to put up career-lows across the board. The 27-year-old ultimately finished the campaign with 29 catches for 260 yards and one touchdown. While the disappointing results could partly be attributed to inconsistent QB play, Smith-Schuster also admitted that he was never able to get to 100 percent health.

“I’ve always wanted to just push through and play,” Smith-Schuster said. “I had some injuries that I was dealing with and I just kept pushing through it and playing. That’s just the competitiveness in me. I don’t mind that. So this year it’s a lot different than how it was.”

Smith-Schuster’s production certainly doesn’t match up with his salary, but since he’s attached to a guaranteed $7MM base salary in 2024, it’d be surprising if he doesn’t end up making the team. The Patriots lost out in the Calvin Ridley sweepstakes, meaning their only notable additions at the position have been free agent K.J. Osborn and second-round rookie Ja’lynn Polk. That duo joins Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas atop the depth chart, meaning Smith-Schuster will be competing with the likes of Kayshon Boutte, Tyquan Thornton, and rookie fourth-round pick Javon Baker for a roster spot.

Latest On Broncos, Courtland Sutton

May 22nd, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

In what has become standard operating procedure for wide receivers carrying contract issues, a number of high-profile targets — Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins — have not shown up for OTAs. Courtland Sutton appears in that boat as well.

Sutton has been away from the Broncos during the pre-OTAs portion of their voluntary workout schedule, training in Florida. That appears to still be the case as OTAs get underway, per the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. Sutton has expressed a desire for a contract upgrade, and the seventh-year veteran may be amenable to a straight raise.

Re-emerging as Denver’s No. 1 wide receiver last season, Sutton remains tied to his four-year, $60MM deal. No wideout has been tied to a higher AAV in Broncos history, but Sutton’s contract qualifies as team-friendly now. Agreed to during the 2021 season, Sutton’s deal was finalized before a receiver market boom the following offseason. His AAV now checks in at No. 23, counting Higgins’ franchise tag, at the position.

That contract calls for a $13MM base salary in 2024; just $2MM of that total is guaranteed. Sutton is angling for a new deal — one the Broncos are unlikely to hand out due to two seasons remaining on his current pact — but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler said during a recent SportsCenter appearance (via Heavy.com) Sutton would like to bump his salary up into the $15-$16MM range. No progress is coming out of these talks, Fowler adds.

Players regularly seek extensions when their contracts fall out of step with the market or when existing deals have already paid out guarantees. Sutton probably falls into both camps, but it would be interesting if a raise on his 2024 salary would bring about a resolution. The Broncos took a similar step with Chris Harris back in 2019, after the team had given Kareem Jackson a deal with a higher per-year salary. Denver gave its decorated cornerback a straight raise, bumping his 2019 pay from $8.9MM to $12.05MM.

Some clear differences between that situation and Sutton’s exist, however. En route to All-Decade honors, Harris had been the NFL’s top slot corner for several years ahead of those negotiations. The Broncos also authorized a pure raise for a player in a contract year. That agreement also came during John Elway‘s GM tenure. Sutton, an Elway-era draftee who signed his extension in GM George Paton‘s first season, has two years remaining on his deal and has not approached the heights Harris reached during his Broncos tenure. A decision-maker not around for either his draft arrival or extension, Sean Payton, now carries the most weight in the organization.

A raise would set a precedent under Payton, and teams generally prefer extensions to notable pay bumps. While Sutton has four 700-plus-yard seasons on his resume, 2019 represents his only 1,000-yard season. The Broncos are not expected to trade the 6-foot-4 wideout, who is recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Teams called the Broncos ahead of the draft. The former second-round pick does carry some leverage; the team stands to need him as a reliable target to break in Bo Nix.

Sutton, 28, profiles as Denver’s best bet for steady receiving production this season, though the team has added a few pieces under Payton — from Josh Reynolds to draft choices Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin. While Sutton sits as the highest-floor player in the Broncos’ pass-catching corps, the two recent draftees’ development will play a role in the veteran’s Denver future. A trade-rumor mainstay, Sutton is tied to a $13.5MM nonguaranteed 2025 salary.

Ravens Expect RB Keaton Mitchell To Return During Season

May 22nd, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries defined Keaton Mitchell‘s rookie season. The explosive running back did not debut for the Ravens until Week 6 and was done by Week 15. In between, the UDFA displayed promise.

Albeit on just 47 carries, Mitchell finished his rookie year with a monster yards-per-carry number (8.4) and offered Baltimore a new dimension in its backfield. But the East Carolina product’s ACL tear brought more of the same for a Ravens backfield that had dealt with significant J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards maladies in recent years. Mitchell, 22, is on track to follow Dobbins and Edwards in seeing a prior year’s injury cost him time the following season.

John Harbaugh said Wednesday that Mitchell is on track with his rehab, but the second-year RB will not be ready for training camp. Mitchell is also expected to miss some time in-season, with Harbaugh indicating a return is expected “sometime during” the 2024 campaign. This aligns with what GM Eric DeCosta said in March. The 5-foot-8 ball carrier appears a prime candidate to begin the season on the Ravens’ reserve/PUP list. That would sideline him for at least four games, but the Ravens have since made a bigger investment at running back.

The Ravens lost both Dobbins and Edwards for the 2021 season’s entirety, leading to a brigade of aging veterans stopping through. Dobbins did not land on the reserve/PUP list the following season, but the former second-rounder was not ready to go until Week 3 of the 2022 slate. He also ran into more knee trouble that year, requiring an IR stay. Edwards did land on Baltimore’s PUP list and did not start his 2022 season until Week 7 of that season. Both veterans reunited with Greg Roman in Los Angeles, and the Ravens are now a Derrick Henry-centered backfield.

Baltimore gave the two-time rushing champion a two-year, $16MM deal. With $9MM of that fully guaranteed, the Ravens have the chance to reevaluate the ninth-year veteran’s form after this season. Mitchell figures to factor into that process, with he and Justice Hill the Ravens’ primary Henry backups going into the 2024 season. The team also used a fifth-round pick on Marshall’s Rasheen Ali, providing more insurance while Mitchell rehabs.

He of a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the 2023 Combine, Mitchell gave a Dobbins-less backfield an immediate jolt midway through last season. He totaled 138 rushing yards on nine carries in a Ravens rout of the Seahawks. The Ravens used Mitchell as a change-of-pace option last season, keeping his carry count under 10 in each of his outings, but his injury in Jacksonville certainly hurt the eventual No. 1 seed’s offense.

Mitchell can be retained — through the ERFA and RFA process — through the 2026 season, giving the Ravens a low-cost option. For now, the team will await on the Henry complementary piece’s recovery.

Owners Concerned About Tom Brady Conflict Of Interest In Raiders Ownership Role

May 22nd, 2024 at 12:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 22: A Brady policy of sorts will need to be discussed if the Raiders agreement is eventually approved, per Roger Goodell (via Maske). The longtime commissioner mentioned the former QB’s access to team facilities as an issue if/once he becomes a minority owner.

This is still on hold, however. The latest round of owner meetings came and went without a vote on Brady’s Raiders stake, Maske adds. Despite the progress being made, Goodell said issues remain. Brady’s TV career appears a key matter. More than a year has now passed since Brady agreed to buy a stake in the AFC West franchise, and while Goodell discussing the topic keeps it on the radar, NFL owners continue to delay this matter.

MAY 17: In the news lately for his much-discussed roast and a mention of a possible in-season comeback, Tom Brady is months away from beginning his career as a play-by-play analyst. The legendary quarterback will cover the Cowboys-Browns matchup for FOX in Week 1.

While some doubt about Brady following through with his broadcasting deal existed, we are moving close to a rare setup in which the NFL’s most famous player calls games for a network. This gig will allow Brady access to team facilities during the lead-up to games. Hans Schroeder, CEO of NFL media, said (via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman) no limitations regarding which games Brady can or cannot cover are in place.

The subject of limitations pertaining to Brady’s new role has come up due to his ongoing quest to become a part-owner of the Raiders. In May 2023, Brady agreed to purchase a stake of Mark Davis‘ franchise. The agreement, however, is still not official. Although concerns about the stake price Davis set for Brady have been resolved, the conflict-of-interest issue remains. With Brady now firmly on track to start his analyst career this season, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske reports some in the ownership ranks have expressed issues with him receiving access to team practices and facilities for his FOX role.

Should Brady ultimately be approved as a Raiders minority owner, teams will naturally be leery about sharing information with him while he is representing FOX. This would put questions to either the NFL or certain teams about limiting the future Hall of Famer’s access ahead of broadcasting assignments. The issue of a universal Brady policy taking effect or if his access will be determined on a team-by-team basis has come up, Maske adds.

The prospect of Brady’s status changing if he is approved as a Raiders part-owner does appear to be in play. Schroeder left this door open by qualifying the NFL’s no-limitations stance re: Brady by saying (via Maske), “Right now, Tom’s not an owner of the Raiders.” If the 46-year-old QB-turned-announcer is approved, this will make for an interesting chapter in NFL broadcasting history.

A February report indicated Brady’s path to becoming a Raiders part-owner was clearing up, but during the latest round of meetings in late March, no discussions about a vote on this matter are believed to have taken place. No Brady ownership talk occurred at the December owners meetings, either. Brady’s ownership route remains on hold, but it is not closed off yet. Brady said last year he plans to plav a “very passive” role as a minority owner, though a November report pointed to him being involved in the Raiders’ HC and GM hiring process. This job at FOX — one Brady delayed for a year in an effort to better prepare himself following his second retirement as a player — continues to generate understandable concerns among teams.

Brady, who co-owns the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces with Davis, did see an effort to become a player/owner with the Dolphins nixed — to the point the team lost first- and third-round picks and saw its owner suspended — and the NFL may soon need to make another decision on a dual role involving the former Patriots and Buccaneers QB.

Brandon Aiyuk Skipping OTAs; WR, 49ers Not Close On Extension

May 22nd, 2024 at 11:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Abiding by the usual playbook for players in the mix for a lucrative extension, Brandon Aiyuk is not at 49ers OTAs this week. The two-time 1,000-yard wide receiver remains tied to his rookie contract and is operating as other high-profile 49ers have in recent years.

While Nick Bosa is at OTAs, the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback skipped workouts — including minicamp — during his negotiations last year. Deebo Samuel did not participate in the team’s 2022 minicamp, though he did show up weeks after requesting a trade. Aiyuk’s situation is somewhat similar to Samuel’s, but he has not requested a trade. As they did involving Samuel, the 49ers listened to trade offers during the draft’s first night. The team, which rebuffed pre-draft Aiyuk trade inquiries, was believed to be targeting a mid-first-rounder.

Aiyuk and the team, however, still have a long way to go to reach a resolution. The sides are no closer to hammering out an extension than they were when negotiations started, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes. Since the 49ers and Aiyuk began discussions earlier this year, two other wideout contracts — those going to Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown — have changed the market. Both deals checked in north of $30MM per year, which will almost certainly impact Aiyuk’s talks with his team.

Despite topping 1,000 yards in 2022 and ’23, Aiyuk has not matched St. Brown’s production over the past two seasons. Though, the Lions WR also has a significantly higher target share compared to Aiyuk. The 49ers’ leading receiver last season, Aiyuk reached 1,342 yards on fewer targets (105) than he received in 2022 (114). Aiyuk averaged 17.8 yards per reception last season. With Samuel two years older, Aiyuk may well profile as the receiver the 49ers want to build around beyond 2024.

For now, however, the 49ers have an intriguing receiver situation. Samuel and Aiyuk join first-rounder Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, the team’s multiyear WR3. Jennings has not signed his second-round RFA tender, but that is almost certainly coming due to the former seventh-rounder’s limited options. Unless the 49ers circle back to trade talks involving their top duo, they are poised to have a better receiving corps than they did during their latest NFC championship campaign.

The team’s post-2024 situation invites obvious questions, with Aiyuk unsigned and every other key skill-position presence — including Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle — set to be in a contract year come 2025. Brock Purdy‘s contract year will force the 49ers into big decisions, but the team has one more season with its former seventh-round QB find tied to a rookie deal.

While the 49ers would have the franchise tag as a potential Aiyuk option next year, early projections have the team more than $38MM over the 2025 cap. A tag salary would certainly pose an issue on that front, raising the stakes for this year’s extension talks. The 49ers appear to have paused any trade conversations on Aiyuk or Samuel, and the team has a John Lynch-era history of reaching extensions during camp. Samuel, Kittle and Fred Warner signed big-ticket extensions from training camp, and Bosa’s defender-record deal came to pass shortly before last season.

Time remains for Aiyuk and the team, but this offseason’s round of WR deals — a chapter that could be further muddled if Justin Jefferson or CeeDee Lamb sign during the 49ers’ talks — add potential complications. As it stands, Aiyuk is tied to a $14.12MM fifth-year option salary. San Francisco’s June minicamp, the offseason’s only mandatory activity, will mark the next stage of the Aiyuk saga.

WR DeVante Parker Announces Retirement

May 22nd, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Ben Levine

MAY 22: The Eagles officially placed Parker on their reserve/retired list Wednesday. Barring a comeback attempt, Parker will wrap his career after seven seasons as a Dolphin, two as a Patriot and two months with the Eagles.

MAY 20: DeVante Parker is calling it a career. After signing with the Eagles earlier this offseason, the veteran wide receiver told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he has decided to retire.

“I want to see my kids, spend quality time with them,” Parker said of his decision. “I want to be there for them whenever I can.”

The former first-round pick spent the first seven seasons of his career in Miami, including a 2019 campaign where he hauled in 72 catches for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. Parker ultimately finished his Dolphins career having collected 4,727 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. While Parker didn’t necessarily live up to his first-round billing in Miami, he still left the organization ranked top-10 in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

“I also appreciate the Dolphins for drafting me and giving me the opportunity,” Parker told Schefter. “I always will have love for the Dolphins and their organization. And I want to thank all the teams, the Patriots and the Eagles, too. But the Dolphins were the first team, and I really want to thank them.”

Parker was traded to the Patriots ahead of the 2022 campaign and ultimately had two inconsistent seasons in New England. The Patriots’ QB uncertainty limited the wideout to only 933 yards in 26 games with the organization, including this past season where he finished with a career-low 394 receiving yards.

He was released by the Patriots in March and quickly caught on with the Eagles, where he was expected to compete for the third spot on the depth chart behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. With Parker out of the picture, the job is now Parris Campbell‘s to lose. The veteran addition will be competing with the likes of rookie Ainias Smith (fifth round) and Johnny Wilson (sixth round) for reps.

Kenyon Green Back At Full Strength, In Mix For Texans’ LG Job

May 22nd, 2024 at 10:24am CST by Sam Robinson

Offensive line injuries represented part of the reason the Texans burned through their eight IR activations last season, but multiple pieces were unable to return following injuries. Kenyon Green was among them.

Chosen 15th in the 2022 draft, Green worked as the Texans’ primary left guard starter as a rookie but did not play at all in 2023. A torn labrum sidelined the Texas A&M in August, and he underwent surgery. DeMeco Ryans confirmed this week Green is back at full strength.

“I think that was Kenyon’s biggest thing,” Ryans said of Green’s health, via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. “Once he gets over that hurdle, now we can see how good of a football player Kenyon can actually be when he’s not battling and dealing with injuries. So, I’m excited of what’s ahead for Kenyon because he’s really put in the work to give himself a really good chance this year.”

Green was never eligible to return from IR last season, having been placed on the injured list before Houston finalized its initial 53-man roster. This shut down Green for the season, denying a chance at a bounce-back effort from a disappointing rookie season. Pro Football Focus ranked Green as the worst guard regular in 2022, viewing him as particularly embattled in pass protection. Prior to the shoulder operation last year, Green had already undergone two knee surgeries, including an arthroscopic procedure during the 2023 offseason, since joining the Texans as part of the Deshaun Watson trade.

The Texans used the Watson first-rounders to trade down for Green, up for Will Anderson Jr. and then out of the 2024 first round (via the Vikings) to stockpile more draft capital. While Anderson showed immediate standout potential by winning Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim, Green is already at a career crossroads. He is believed to be in better condition midway through his third Texans offseason program, but the past two years create questions about the former All-American’s viability as an NFL starter.

As Kenyon Green aims to avoid bust status, he is poised to match up against Kendrick Green and Jarrett Patterson in the primary competition for the Texans’ left guard post, Wilson notes. This would stand to move Juice Scruggs, who played all 439 of his rookie-year snaps at left guard, to center. The Texans lost just about every O-lineman to injury at some point last season. Scruggs, Patterson, Tytus Howard, Laremy Tunsil and Kendrick Green were also among them. Acquired on roster-cutdown day from the Steelers, Kendrick Green joined Kenyon Green in suffering a season-ending injury.

Each of Howard’s 2023 snaps came at left guard as well, but the 2019 first-rounder’s journey across the O-line appears pointed back to right tackle. The Texans drafting tackle Blake Fisher in Round 2, a year after extending Howard on an $18.7MM-per-year deal, adds depth and intrigue to Houston’s O-line. Howard went down with a season-ending knee injury in November. The Texans have durable right guard Shaq Mason going into his second season with the team, but left guard will be a place to monitor on Houston’s depth chart this offseason.

Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Seeking To Become NFL’s Highest-Paid Non-QB?

May 21st, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Justin Jefferson is one of several high-profile players currently absent from OTAs in the NFL. Missing out on voluntary workouts, the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year is in talks with the Vikings on a monster extension.

Jefferson is a strong candidate to become the league’s top earner at the receiver position. Given his age (24) and the historic start to his career, however, that may not be the bar he is aiming for. Outkick’s Armando Salguero reports Jefferson is “expecting” to surpass Nick Bosa as the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback.

Bosa’s 49ers deal, signed last offseason, carries an AAV of $34MM. That figure comfortably moved him to the top of the pecking order amongst defenders (although Chris Jones is now not far behind) and it surpassed the top of the receiver market at the time. Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM-per-season Dolphins contract has been eclipsed recently by new deals for Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions) and A.J. Brown (Eagles).

The latter pact is worth an average of $32MM per season, and it therefore represents the new target for Jefferson and other extension-eligible wideouts. Salguero notes Jefferson has already turned down one offer which would have allowed him to top the receiver market, but that was before Brown’s deal was signed. Talks with the Vikings nearly produced an agreement last offseason, but instead the LSU alum remains on track for free agency next year as things stand. Jefferson is set to earn $19.74MM in 2024 on his fifth-year option.

A multi-year pact will check in at a much larger rate, although particular figures regarding AAV are not known at this point in negotiations. Salguero adds the three-time Pro Bowler was previously seeking $40MM annually, but that may no longer be the case. That figure matches the AAV of the contracts quarterbacks Daniel Jones, Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott are presently attached to.

With respect to guaranteed compensation, Salguero reports Jefferson is aiming for roughly $100MM on his next deal. Only eight contracts in the league are at that mark in terms of total guarantees; all of them, unsurprisingly, belong to quarterbacks. It will be interesting to see if Jefferson manages to reach (or at least approach) his asking price in terms of total and guaranteed money.

Minnesota has a cost-effective quarterback room with Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy positioned to replace Kirk Cousins in the short and long term. The team’s skill position group features one expensive pact (tight end T.J. Hockenson), but wideout Jordan Addison will be attached to his rookie contract for at least the next three years. An expensive new deal for left tackle Christian Darrisaw will likely be on the Vikings’ books down the road, but it will pale in comparison to the one Jefferson will have if talks can produce a market-topping agreement.

Patriots G Cole Strange Could Miss Start Of 2024 Season

May 21st, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cole Strange saw his second season with the Patriots come to an abrupt end in December. The knee injury which forced him to end the campaign on injured reserve is threatening to keep him sidelined into the fall.

New England’s starting left guard is expected to miss the beginning of the 2024 campaign, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. He adds Strange could be unavailable until the middle of the coming season, something which would deal a considerable blow to the team’s offensive front. The 2022 first-rounder has started all 27 of his appearances to date.

“He’s more of a, let’s say, week-by-week or you can go month-by-month if you want to,” head coach Jerod Mayo said when speaking about Strange’s health status (via Rapoport). “But he is working hard, he is doing his rehab. Here every day. He is in the meeting room, so I am happy where he is.”

Eyebrows were raised when the Patriots selected Strange on Day 1, as many expected him to be a mid-round prospect. His rookie season produced a PFF grade of only 54.6, which ranked 61st amongst qualifying guards. The UT-Chattanooga product took a step forward in his 10-game follow-up season, though. Strange earned a 64.6 mark, slotting him 26th at his position.

The Patriots – a team which is set to use free agent addition Chukwuma Okorafor on the blindside after he previously worked at right tackle during his Steelers tenure – will have a notably different left side of the line if Strange is unable to start the season. As Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald notes, 2023 fourth-rounder Sidy Sow took first-team left guard reps when the team’s OTAs began yesterday. The 25-year-old Canadian logged 13 starts as a rookie, all of which came at right guard. He would thus represent one of the top options to replace Strange this fall if he is unable to suit up.

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