HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

NFL Front Office Updates: Commanders, Chiefs, Patriots

May 21st, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Commanders director of pro personnel Chris Polian is on his way to work under one of his former employees. According to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, Polian, a former vice president and general manager with the Colts, is heading to Cleveland to work under Browns general manager Andrew Berry, who was a scout in Indianapolis under Polian.

Polian will serve as a front office special advisor under Berry. This isn’t the first time Berry has pulled such a move. He previously hired Ryan Grigson, another former Colts general manager, as a Browns personnel advisor in 2020. Grigson is now in Minnesota as the Vikings senior vice president of player personnel.

Pro scout Connor Barringer is also leaving Washington, per Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. While he hasn’t found a new destination, the Commanders’ scout of the past three years marked the end of his tenure with the team on his LinkedIn account.

Here are a few other front office staff updates from around the NFL:

  • The Chiefs originally hired Madison Aponte as a personnel assistant after her stint in the team’s Norma Hunt Training Camp Fellowship Program. As a personnel assistant, Aponte has essentially acted as the team’s de facto college scouting coordinator since the start of the 2022 season. According to Stratton, she has officially been granted that title in addition to a promotion that will make her college scouting coordinator/pro scout.
  • Lastly, the Patriots have promoted Marshall Oium from assistant director of scouting to director of football strategy, per Stratton. Oium has served five years in New England after a four-year stint in the Browns’ front office.

NFC South Front Office Updates: Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

May 21st, 2024 at 9:36pm CST by Ely Allen

The changes to NFL front offices continue in the recent aftermath of the NFL draft. For example, the Buccaneers announced a number of promotions in the scouting department recently, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports.

Sean Conley is set to begin a new role as assistant pro director after previously serving as a pro scout. A former recruiting assistant for Northwestern at the collegiate level, Conley has been in Tampa Bay for the last six seasons, serving the last three as a pro scout.

Donovan Cotton joins Conley as assistant pro director. Cotton has been with the Buccaneers for 10 years, spending the last nine seasons as an area scout. He originally broke into the league as a training camp scouting intern for the Packers before working a full-season player personnel internship in Seattle.

Lastly, Zach Smith will go from the NFS/combine scout role he earned two years ago to a college scout. Smith is entering his seventh year with the team.

Here are a few other front office staff updates in the NFC South:

  • The Falcons continue to respect the work done by Michael Ross. After starting in Atlanta as an intern in 2008, Ross has gradually risen through the ranks of the team’s scouting department. According to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com, his most recent promotion grants him the title of assistant director of college scouting.
  • Finally, the Panthers are bringing on a new hire to their scouting department in Colton Chapple, per Stratton. Chapple hasn’t worked in the NFL for the past two years, working in private business during that time, but prior to his absence, he worked nine years in the Browns’ scouting department.

Rams RB Kyren Williams To Miss OTAs

May 21st, 2024 at 8:39pm CST by Ely Allen

Rams running back Kyren Williams broke out in a big way during his sophomore campaign. His impressive season came to an end in the playoffs, when he exited his team’s loss to the Lions with a broken bone in his hand, but now, a “foot issue” is preventing him from participating in Los Angeles’ offseason program, per Sarah Barshop of ESPN.

Williams is no stranger to injury. The Notre Dame product finished third in the NFL in rushing yards last year, behind only Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry, despite missing five games (four on injured reserve with an ankle injury, another resting in the regular season finale) in 2023. Williams led the NFL in rushing yards per game with a mark of 95.3. The surprise offensive asset figures to be an integral part of the Rams’ offense in 2024, as long as his health allows it.

Williams’ stint on IR in 2023 wasn’t his first bout with injury, either. In OTAs before his rookie season, Williams broke his foot. After working his way back from that injury in time to make his rookie debut in Week 1, Williams suffered an ankle injury in his first NFL game that caused him to miss the next seven games of the 2022 season.

Head coach Sean McVay didn’t seem too worried about the 23-year-old’s status. Though he’ll miss the team’s offseason activities, Williams is expected back in time for training camp. “It’s nothing to worry about,” McVay told the media. “He’ll be ready to go for training camp, but there’s a little issue when he was training…But nothing to be concerned about.”

Williams’ absence wasn’t the only notable attendance feature in OTAs. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was in attendance and reportedly taking part in organized team activities, despite the veteran’s current efforts to attain more guaranteed money on his current contract. The 36-year-old passer is one year through a four-year, $160MM deal, but is done earning anymore guarantees ($10MM of his 2025 base salary was guaranteed in March).

There is a benefit on the team’s part to come to a restructured deal, as well. Stafford is set to represent a cap hit of $49.5MM this season, $50.5MM in 2025, and $49.5MM in 2026. A restructured contract could serve dual purposes of both getting Stafford more guaranteed money and also lowering his cap liability in the future.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/21/24

May 21st, 2024 at 6:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Tuesday’s minor NFL moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Waived (with injured designation): WR Keilahn Harris

Jackson is the only name here with much extended experience in the NFL. Jackson was part of the Colts’ three-pronged approach to replace lost production during Jonathan Taylor‘s injury-riddled 2022 season.

Zack Moss and Nyheim Hines were the other two to earn starts, but Jackson displayed the most versatility. Moss had 365 rushing yards but only had four catches for 12 yards, while Hines had 188 receiving yards but only 36 rushing yards. Jackson found extended use in both areas with 236 rushing yards and 209 receiving yards. This is because Jackson’s role as a backup changed partway through the season, when the Colts traded Hines to Buffalo for Moss. When Hines was on the team, Jackson was the primary backup ball carrier. When Moss came to town, Jackson’s role shifted to more of a third-down receiving back. His past versatility could land him on another NFL roster once he’s healthy again.

Cardinals Move Paris Johnson Jr. To LT

May 21st, 2024 at 5:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Seven years ago, the Cardinals flipped their starting tackles by moving Jared Veldheer to the right side and first-round pick D.J. Humphries to the left edge in their then-Carson Palmer-centered offense. Chosen in the first round eight years after Humphries, Paris Johnson Jr. will be at the center of a Cardinals position revamp up front.

Arizona used Johnson as its right tackle in 2023, but the former No. 6 overall pick is ticketed for the blindside post this season. Jonathan Gannon confirmed the Ohio State product will play on the left side during the offseason program, as a development effort — one that will see free agency addition Jonah Williams continue at right tackle — ensues ahead of Johnson’s second season. Johnson has been working at his new spot since the Cardinals began on-field work this offseason.

“Paris obviously playing both, Jonah playing both, but we’ll start there and see how it goes,” Gannon said, via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban. “That’s what they both feel comfortable with right now.”

While noting he holds veto power regarding this effort, Gannon is pointing to another Cardinals tackle switch-up. The above-referenced change occurred after Humphries played right tackle in his de facto rookie year (the 2015 first-rounder missed all of his actual first season). Humphries remained in that post through last season. The Cardinals said they would be open to re-signing Humphries — a March cap casualty — but their recent Johnson-focused announcement makes a reunion highly unlikely.

At this time last year, the prospect of Johnson beginning at guard was in play. The Cardinals employed Humphries and Josh Jones and had just re-signed Kelvin Beachum. But the team slotted its top draftee on the right side. Johnson started all 17 games at RT as a rookie. A move to the left side always seemed in play, with Johnson finishing his college career there and earning first-team All-American acclaim. Johnson played right guard for the Buckeyes in 2022.

This move is perhaps more interesting for Williams, who made a trade request — a Bengals regularity over the past two springs — after the team kicked him to the right side. Cincinnati’s Orlando Brown Jr. signing “blindsided” Williams, though the three-year Bengals LT retracted his trade ask and went to work on the right side. Williams started opposite Brown throughout last season and signed a two-year, $30MM Cardinals deal.

Williams agreeing to terms with a team to play right tackle is notable given the events in his final Bengals offseason. It would also seem easier for the Cardinals to keep Johnson on the right side and install Williams at the position with which he is most comfortable. But Johnson certainly brings higher upside; the team will begin an earnest developmental effort for him to take over as Kyler Murray‘s blindside protector. Pro Football Focus ranked Johnson and Williams 57th and 59th among tackles last season.

Beachum, 35 next month, remains on Arizona’s roster as a swing tackle. The team returns right guard Will Hernandez and center Hjalte Froholdt. Williams’ deal contains $19MM fully guaranteed, covering part of his 2025 salary. The team added Evan Brown in free agency, still rosters Elijah Wilkinson and used a third-round pick on Isaiah Adams. Brown, Wilkinson and Adams are set to compete for the left guard gig, Urban adds. Gannon confirmed the Brown signing will not move the Cardinals to try Froholdt at guard.

Chiefs Sign Round 2 T Kingsley Suamataia

May 21st, 2024 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Donovan Smith remains in free agency, setting up an interesting battle of inexperienced blockers to take over for the defending Super Bowl champions at left tackle. One of those will be second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia.

The BYU product is now under contract, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Suamataia will be tied to a four-year deal. Contracts at the back end of the second round do not carry the intrigue those at the front do, as changing guarantee structures have become part of the process associated with signing early-second-round picks. Suamataia went off the board 63rd overall.

Last season’s two Super Bowl entrants linked up on a trade that allowed the Chiefs to move up one spot for the recent Big 12 blocker. The 49ers picked up an additional fifth-rounder in the pick-swap exchange, one that saw the defending NFC champions move down one spot. While first-round pick Xavier Worthy will almost definitely play a key role as a rookie, Suamataia will be expected to mount a strong charge to replace Smith in 2024. Worthy is the only player left unsigned from the Chiefs’ draft class.

The Chiefs were connected to Suamataia before the draft, hosting him on a “30” visit. Viewed by most as a tier below the deep crop of first-round-level tackles in this class, the ex-Cougars starter will attempt to develop quickly to start as a rookie. While numerous members of this year’s rookie class used their additional years granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Suamataia did not and has not yet turned 22. This qualifies him as a somewhat raw prospect, though the 6-foot-5, 326-pound tackle did start in both his BYU seasons — after transferring from Oregon.

Suamataia will be pitted against 2023 third-round pick Wanya Morris for the Chiefs’ LT job, one Smith held when healthy throughout last season. The longtime Buccaneers LT, who picked up a second Super Bowl ring last season, could conceivably be an insurance option for the Chiefs. Though, as of now, he is not. It will be interesting to see if Smith lands elsewhere; that would solidify this Morris-Suamataia competition and create an experience void for a team that returns most of its starting lineup from Super Bowl LVIII. Morris started four games as a rookie.

Saints Trying Trevor Penning At Right Tackle, Made Effort To Re-Sign Andrus Peat

May 21st, 2024 at 2:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two years after the Saints made Trevor Penning a first-round pick with an aim toward installing him as a long-term left tackle, the Division I-FCS product’s career has not panned out. After an injury-marred rookie season, Penning closed the 2023 campaign as a backup.

The Saints benched Penning in October, and the Northern Iowa alum did not play more than six offensive snaps in a game the rest of the way. Penning’s developmental struggles came as Ryan Ramczyk battled knee trouble to the point his availability for this season is in question. The Saints also saw three-year starter James Hurst announce his retirement before the draft and Andrus Peat join the Raiders soon after.

New Orleans’ tackle situation effectively mandated the team take advantage of this year’s deep draft class, and the team did by choosing Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga at No. 14. Despite playing right tackle primarily with the Beavers, Fuaga is ticketed to begin his pro career at left tackle. This would leave Penning in jeopardy of losing a path to a starting job, but Dennis Allen said (via WWL’s Jeff Nowak) the young blocker is now working at right tackle. He may well be the Saints’ top contingency plan in the event Ramczyk is unable to go this season.

Saints offensive line coach John Benton said (via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras) the team had planned to kick Penning to the right side regardless of the Fuaga draft pick. This creates an unusual scenario in which the team moves a college right tackle to the left side and a player who had been slotted at the blindside post over to RT.

Chosen 19th overall in 2022, Penning missed 11 games as a rookie after sustaining a torn ligament in his foot just before the season. He then suffered a Lisfranc injury during a Week 18 game against the Panthers that turned into a bloodbath for O-line starters, as Carolina lost Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen to major injuries that day. Penning was in New Orleans’ lineup to start the 2023 season, but Peat ended up sliding to left tackle (with Hurst at left guard) after the Saints deemed Penning unready. The three-season Northern Iowa starter is already at an NFL crossroads, but the Saints may be counting on him to replace Ramczyk this season.

As for Penning’s 2023 replacement, Peat signed a one-year deal with the Raiders earlier this month. Peat, 30, started 102 games in nine seasons with the Saints — most of them at left guard. The former Pro Bowler did not receive too much attention in free agency (beyond a Titans visit), but Allen confirmed (via NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett) the team did pursue another deal with the 2015 first-rounder. Given Peat’s low-profile free agency, it appears New Orleans did not make a strong effort to keep him. Peat played out a five-year, $57.5MM deal last season.

Given the instability of the Saints’ O-line during the Penning years, it is a bit surprising rumors about Peat coming back on a third Saints contract did not circulate. Pro Football Focus did grade Peat outside the top 50 at tackle last season, and the longtime Saints LG missed 17 games between the 2021 and ’22 seasons. The Saints now have a host of left guard options — UFAs Oli Udoh, Lucas Patrick and Shane Lemieux, along with 2023 fourth-round pick Nick Saldiveri — post-Peat, though none brings the nine-year starter’s experience.

T Tristan Wirfs, Bucs Not Close On Extension

May 21st, 2024 at 1:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the Antoine Winfield Jr. extension taken care of, one crucial financial priority remains for the Buccaneers this offseason. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs is in line for a new deal of his own, and that has driven his decision to remain away from the team at this point.

The latter is absent from OTAs, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. A number of players seeking new deals have followed suit to begin the week, and Wirfs certainly has a case to command a lucrative new deal. The three-time Pro Bowler has been present for other offseason workouts, head coach Todd Bowles confirmed (via Greg Auman of Fox Sports). It would come as no surprise, though, if Wirfs were to remain absent until a deal is struck.

On that note, Fowler adds team and player are not close to an agreement. Wirfs began his career at right tackle, but the decision to move on from Donovan Smith last offseason paved the way for a move to the blindside. The Iowa product excelled at his new position in 2023, upping his market value. Wirfs is set to collect $18.24MM this year on his fifth-year option, but the top of the tackle market is far more valuable.

Bucs GM Jason Licht said in March the team and Wirfs’ camp had engaged in discussions. At the time, the standout tackle did not loom as the team’s top priority. Those comments came as the Bucs were attempting to re-sign Winfield, Baker Mayfield and Lavonte David. Each of those deals coming to fruition vaulted Wirfs in the Bucs’ extension queue.

Three years after an offseason in which the Bucs brought their entire starting lineup from Super Bowl LV back for a title defense, the team has rivaled that retention effort by re-signing Winfield, Mayfield, David and Mike Evans. Wirfs being under contract for 2024 gives the team time, but the 2020 first-rounder stands to loom as a high priority given his performance through four seasons.

Tampa Bay moving Wirfs to the left side stands to help his market, but the Lions making right tackle Penei Sewell the NFL’s highest-paid O-lineman will impact Wirfs’ market as well. Wirfs, 25, has three Pro Bowls on his resume — including one at LT — along with first- and second-team All-Pro nods. Sewell is now tied to a $28MM-per-year contract, while Laremy Tunsil‘s $25MM-AAV pact leads all LTs. Sewell also received $85MM guaranteed in total, topping all tackles in that category as well.

Holding exclusive negotiating rights with Wirfs until March 2025, the Bucs would have the franchise tag to deploy if talks stalled ahead of free agency. Past and present Bucs retention efforts, however, would present pretty good odds this situation will lead to an extension at some point.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Micah Hyde Will Either Play For Bills Or Retire In 2024

May 21st, 2024 at 11:15am CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 21: When speaking to the media Tuesday, McDermott confirmed (via 13WHAM’s Dan Fetes) the Bills are still open to a Hyde reunion. With neither side proceeding with much urgency, the potential for a deal could linger well into the offseason. Should Hyde attempt to play in 2024, though, the team is set to welcome him back.

MAY 16: The Bills were down nearly half their starting defense by the time their near-annual Chiefs playoff matchup occurred, but Micah Hyde was one of the cogs available. Hyde returned in 2023 after missing most of the 2022 season due to a neck injury.

Hyde’s second Bills contract — a two-year, $19.25MM extension — expired after the season, and the veteran safety remains a free agent. A pivotal addition in Sean McDermott‘s first offseason, Hyde is not planning to leave Buffalo. Hyde said Thursday (via WGRZ’s Jon Scott) 2024 plans consist of either re-signing with the Bills or retiring. Though, he has not decided on playing again just yet.

“I really don’t know,” Hyde said, via the Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski. “You guys know … how difficult it was with my neck and having those stingers. So I just said, let me get away from it a little bit. And if the time comes and the juices get flowing again, then we’ll try to give it a spin. But, there’s no rush at all on my side.”

Hyde, 33, went down in Week 3 of the 2022 season, leading to Damar Hamlin‘s run of starts alongside Jordan Poyer. The seven-year Bills contributor returned last year in what turned out to be his last run with Poyer in Buffalo. Hyde started 14 games and intercepted two passes. Pro Football Focus graded the Iowa alum just outside the top 50 at the position. He also suffered two stingers, missing three games, upon returning from the neck issue. Past his prime, Hyde may see his pledge tested due to the Bills’ offseason activity.

Buffalo released Poyer a year after re-signing him, doing so shortly before re-signing Taylor Rapp. The Bills also added recent Chiefs fill-in starter Mike Edwards. Their most notable safety addition, however, came in the draft; the Bills chose Utah’s Cole Bishop in Round 2. This assortment, which still features Hamlin, stands to complicate a Hyde return. That said, the Bills will be much lighter on experience at this position compared to the past several years.

One of the longest-running safety tandems in modern NFL history, Hyde and Poyer gave the Bills a top-flight back-line duo for seven seasons. Hyde’s neck injury came a year after his second All-Pro season. The Bills made moves to cut costs at several positions this offseason, moving on from Poyer, Mitch Morse, Tre’Davious White and both their top wide receivers (though, the Stefon Diggs move was not exactly a money-saver). That said, Hyde would not qualify — especially given the state of the safety market — as a player who would command too much to return. His lack of desire to play elsewhere obviously would play into the Bills’ hands.

Hyde has been cleared to play, and GM Brandon Beane said earlier this offseason he did not expect the 11-year vet to retire. It appears likely the team will try its current setup at safety, but Hyde not being interested in relocating would stand to give the Bills an insurance option — should the ex-Packer indeed stick to his Buffalo-or-bust pledge — in the event its younger crew underwhelms in the months to come.

Ravens To Host Jamal Adams

May 21st, 2024 at 10:29am CST by Adam La Rose

Jamal Adams is one of several veteran safeties still on the market. A reunion with the Seahawks has been discussed, but he is also drawing interest from at least one other team.

Adams is set to visit the Ravens today, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Baltimore has seen a number of free agent departures this offseason, including at the safety and linebacker positions. The latter role could await Adams on his next NFL contract after he struggled in coverage last season.

Baltimore saw Geno Stone join the Bengals in free agency. The former seventh-rounder emerged as a key member of the team’s secondary during the 2024 campaign in particular, as he recorded seven interceptions. That helped him earn a two-year, $15MM deal in Cincinnati. The Ravens still have Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton in place as safety starters, though the former has dealt with injuries during his two-year tenure with the team.

Hamilton enjoyed a breakout season in 2023, showcasing his versatility. He is expected to continue lining in up in a variety of roles this season, and as such the Ravens could stand to add a third safety in free agency. Adams could take on a rotational role, particularly if it kept him close to the line of scrimmage. An April report indicated any new Seattle deal for the former All-Pro would be aimed at playing him as a linebacker rather than a safety.

Baltimore lost Patrick Queen to the Steelers this March. He earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro nods last season, his first full one with Roquan Smith in place as a second level starter. The latter is attached to a market-topping contract, so it came as little surprise when Queen departed on the open market. As things stand, 2023 third-rounder Trenton Simpson is in line to take on a starting role. He logged just 46 defensive snaps last year, though, so Baltimore could be in the market for an experienced insurance option.

Adams, 28, is a veteran of 80 starts. His Seattle tenure was marred by injuries, however, and he played just 10 games across the 2022 and ’23 campaigns. In the wake of his missed time and coverage struggles, it came as little surprise when the Seahawks released him (alongside fellow starter Quandre Diggs). The latter, like a number of other established names at the safety spot, remains unsigned.

It will be interesting to see if the Ravens offer Adams a deal following his visit. The team has roughly $5.6MM in cap space, so only a low-cost investment would be feasible on the Adams front. The three-time Pro Bowler is unlikely to land a lucrative pact this offseason from any suitor, and Baltimore could offer him at least a rotational role on defense should this summit yield mutual interest in a pact.

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