HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Steelers, RB Jonathan Ward Agree To Deal

May 21st, 2024 at 8:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Jonathan Ward took part in the Steelers’ rookie minicamp, and his performance there has produced an agreement. The veteran running back is signing with Pittsburgh, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. The deal is now official.

Ward started his career with the Cardinals in 2020, and across the next three years he bounced on and off the team’s practice squad. The former UDFA saw just nine carries in Arizona during his time with the team before being waived. Following a brief stint on the Jets’ taxi squad, he joined the Titans.

The 26-year-old again saw sparse usage on offense upon heading to Nashville. In 10 Titans contests, Ward logged only 20 offensive snaps. He did, however, remain a mainstay on special teams. The Central Michigan alum has more than 550 third phase snaps to his name, and continuing in that capacity will no doubt represent his path to a roster spot in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers have Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in place atop the running back depth chart. The team’s decision not to exercise the former’s fifth-year option has made him a pending free agent and invited questions about his future with the team. The latter is on course for restricted free agency after the 2024 campaign, so his production relative to that of Harris will be a key storyline for the team.

Ward joins fellow former UDFAs Aaron Shampklin (2022) and Daijun Edwards (2024) as running backs aiming to carve out a spot on the end of the roster. The Steelers ranked sixth in special teams DVOA last year, so a strong showing this summer will be needed for any of them to survive roster cutdowns at the end of the preseason.

Tua Tagovailoa In Attendance For Dolphins’ OTAs; QB Rejected Extension Offer

May 20th, 2024 at 10:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tua Tagovailoa was among the players who sat out some or all offseason workouts prior to the opening of organized team activities. That marked a departure from his previous attendance decisions, and it led to speculation he could remain absent from the remainder of voluntary offseason activities.

The extension-eligible Dolphins quarterback is indeed present for the opening of OTAs, however, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Tagovailoa had previously stated an intention of taking part in the final phase of Miami’s offseason program, so today’s news comes as little surprise. It also makes it likely the 26-year-old will take part in mandatory minicamp next month.

Tagovailoa skipped most of the Dolphins’ previous offseason workouts, and it was reported last week that decision was tied to the fact he has not landed an extension. All activities prior to minicamp and training camp in July are voluntary, and an absence from the latter in particular would be more noteworthy. Tagovailoa’s attendance at OTAs is a positive sign on the contract front as talks continue. A second NFL pact will be among the most lucrative in the league, something evidenced by the team’s efforts to secure Tagovailoa for the long term.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported during a Sunday SportsCenter appearance (via Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report) that the Dolphins have made at least one offer so far. The fact the former No. 5 pick skipped out on most voluntary workouts is a sign that offer was rejected. Especially with respect to QB mega-deals, negotiations are a back and forth process and plenty of time remains for an agreement to be reached. Tagovailoa is under contract for 2024 on his fifth-year option, valued at $23.17MM.

A long-term accord could very well reach the $50MM-per-year mark, something which is currently true of five deals. Jared Goff inked a Lions extension averaging $53MM per season last week, and that places him in second in the pecking order as things stand. 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence is expected to at least approach the top of the market with his Jaguars extension.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus – who represents a number of Dolphins players but not Tagovailoa himself – notes there is a sentiment inside the organization and around the league an extension will be worked out no later than training camp (video link via Josh Moser). Tagovailoa’s attendance is an encouraging sign on that front, and the progress of contract talks will remain a storyline to follow closely.

Justin Jefferson Absent From Vikings’ OTAs

May 20th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

CeeDee Lamb has elected to stay away from the Cowboys in the absence of a long-term extension being worked out. The same remains true in the case of Justin Jefferson, another wideout looking to approach or reach the top of his position’s market.

Jefferson is absent from the Vikings as their organized team activities begin, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year also skipped out on the beginning of Minnesota’s offseason program last month, so today’s update does not represent a surprise. Jefferson’s decision comes as extension talks are ongoing.

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said earlier this offseason that the sides came close to an agreement last year. Negotiations were ultimately put on hold, though, and they briefly resumed resumed after the close of the 2023 campaign. With attention turning to the draft, the team temporarily pressed pause for a time, but the focus is once again on hammering out a lucrative pact.

Jefferson had the most productive three-year start to a career in NFL history, giving him a strong case to sign the league’s most valuable receiver pact. The 24-year-old was limited to 10 games in 2024 due to a hamstring injury, though he still managed to post a 68-1,074-5 statline. Kirk Cousins is no longer Minnesota’s quarterback, with Sam Darnold in place as a bridge option and first-rounder J.J. McCarthy positioned to take over as a starter down the road.

Both of those signal-callers carry plenty of question marks relative to Cousins, but Jefferson will still be counted on to produce among the league’s top playmakers moving forward. The three-time Pro Bowler is due $19.74MM in 2024 as he is set to play out his fifth-year option. A franchise tag could be an option for the following year, but a multi-year investment at a much larger rate remains a matter of mutual interest.

Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM-per-year Dolphins pact has been surpassed as the top receiver deal in terms of annual compensation. Both Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions) and A.J. Brown (Eagles) have eclipsed that figure on mega-pacts of their own, with the latter’s checking in at $32MM per season with $51MM fully guaranteed at signing. Jefferson, along with Lamb and Bengals standout Ja’Marr Chase, is in line to parlay his production into a similar contract. It will be interesting to see if traction is gained between he and the Vikings in the near future.

Bengals WR Tee Higgins Not Expected To Sign Franchise Tender Before OTAs

May 20th, 2024 at 10:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Tee Higgins has yet to sign his franchise tender and doesn’t intend to. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bengals wide receiver is not expected to sign the tender by next week, meaning he won’t be able to participate in the team’s upcoming OTAs.

[RELATED: Bengals Did Not Approach $20MM AAV In Higgins Talks]

Higgins can’t join the team until he signs the tender, the lone leverage he has during his ongoing quest for a new contract. The two sides have until July 15 to agree to a new deal. Otherwise, Higgins would be connected to the $21.82MM salary for the 2024 campaign.

After getting slapped with the franchise tag, Higgins requested a trade out of Cincinnati. The receiver later admitted that he’d likely play out the 2024 campaign with the Bengals, although that was mostly due to his lack of alternatives vs. any progress in contract talks.

Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow extension and its plans for a Ja’Marr Chase payday — its top WR priority — have led many to believe that a Higgins extension is untenable. We heard last month that Bengals didn’t approach a $20MM average annual value in their latest offer to Higgins, cutting off the talks relatively quickly. The two sides didn’t discuss guarantees, although that was reportedly an issue between the parties last summer.

As Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic points out, the current Higgins holdout is an “exact replica” of Jessie Bates‘ standoff with the Bengals in 2022. Bates ended up holding out until August, right before the signing deadline for franchise tenders. The safety played out the 2022 campaign on his franchise value before getting a pay day from the Falcons in free agency.

It’s previously been suggested that the Bengals could treat Higgins similarly. This route would come with the understanding that Higgins would be a “rental” for the 2024 season, and the two sides would likely part ways when the receiver hits free agency next offseason.

Broncos LB Drew Sanders Suffered Torn Achilles

May 20th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Ben Levine

One of the Broncos’ rising defenders will miss a significant chunk of the 2024 campaign. According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, linebacker Drew Sanders suffered a torn Achilles.

The injury occurred back in April during Denver’s offseason program. Sanders later underwent surgery that was deemed successful. Wilson notes that there’s some hope that Sanders could return late in the 2024 campaign, but there’s also a chance the defender misses his entire sophomore season.

The Arkansas product was selected in the third round of last year’s draft and got into all 17 games as a rookie. While the Broncos initially had him lined up at inside linebacker, Sanders ended up transitioning to the edge towards the end of the season. He finished the campaign with 24 tackles while garnering four starts.

Towards the end of last season, Sanders was soaking up leftover snaps behind Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning, and that was likely going to be the arrangement heading into 2024. The team does still have 2022 second-round pick Nik Bonitto hanging around, and Wilson notes that Sanders’ injury may have influenced the team’s decision to select outside linebacker Jonah Elliss in the third round. The Utah product was ultimately the team’s second pick, behind first-round quarterback Bo Nix.

Latest On Patriots’ QB Depth

May 20th, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots are currently rostering four quarterbacks, but the team is expected to resolve the crowded depth chart as soon as possible. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, the Patriots’ plan is to “narrow the competition down to three guys by the end of spring.”

With OC Alex Van Pelt installing a new offense, the Patriots are hoping for a “more efficient” approach by the time the team gets together in the summer. New England’s organized team activities started today and will run sporadically until mandatory minicamp on June 11. The front office will presumably use that following month to resolve the logjam.

After being selected with the third-overall pick, rookie Drake Maye will obviously take up one of the roster spots. Free agent acquisition Jacoby Brissett will also be on the roster, and Breer notes that the veteran still has “an early leg up” on the QB1 spot. Assuming the Patriots intend to roster a third quarterback, the competition for the final spot will come down to Bailey Zappe and rookie Joe Milton III.

Zappe, a former fourth-round pick, has spent the past two seasons in New England, occasionally filling in for Mac Jones. Zappe went 4-4 in his eight career starts, and in his 14 appearances, he’s completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. After showing some promise as a rookie, Zappe seemed to take a step back in 2023, with some sources pointing to his inability to grasp Bill O’Brien‘s offensive system. Zappe’s ability to click with Van Pelt could end up determining his future with the organization.

Milton was selected in the sixth round of the Patriots, so he’s not necessarily entitled to a roster spot. Known more as a developmental passer, the Michigan and Tennessee product is known for his size (six-foot-five, 235 pounds) and his cannon of an arm. With Maye and Brissett firmly atop the depth chart, the Patriots may opt for the rookie’s upside vs. the more experienced option in Zappe.

Raiders Legend Jim Otto Passes Away

May 20th, 2024 at 5:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Hall of Fame offensive lineman and Raiders legend Jim Otto has passed away. Otto was 86 years old. The team has confirmed the news.

“The personification of consistency, Jim’s influence on the American Football League and professional football as a whole cannot be overstated,” the Raiders said in a statement. “His leadership and tenacity were a hallmark of the dominant Raider teams of the 1960s and 70s, and his ferocious work ethic and talent enabled him to start a remarkable 210 consecutive league games for the Oakland Raiders.”

Otto joined the franchise for their inaugural season in 1960 and proceeded to appear in every game for the organization over the next 15 years. The center earned nine AFL All-Pro nods through his first 10 professional seasons, including a 1967 campaign where the Raiders won the AFL Championship. Otto was one of three players to appear in every AFL game through the league’s 10-year existence.

“Mr. Raider” quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s premier offensive linemen following the merger in 1970, with Otto earning three Pro Bowl selections in his five seasons in the league. The Miami (FL) product finished his professional career in 1974 after having appeared in 210 regular season contests.

Otto was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1980. He also continued to have a presence with the Raiders organization, even following their move to Las Vegas in 2020. As The Associated Press notes, Otto was most recently seen in the team’s locker room following their 2023 season finale.

Widely known for the ’00’ on his jersey, Otto “was the foundational piece of a transcendent offensive line that not only propelled the Raiders to success on the field but resonated with fans and helped build the Raiders persona and mystique,” as the team wrote in their statement.

We here at PFR would like to extend our condolences to Otto’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Panthers K Eddy Pineiro Absent From OTAs

May 20th, 2024 at 3:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

Absences around the NFL with respect to offseason workouts receives attention at a number of positions, but kicker is generally not one of them. In the case of Eddy Pineiro, though, the start of Panthers OTAs marked the next step in his decision to remain away from the team.

Pineiro has been absent throughout all of Carolina’s offseason, program, per Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). One year remains on his contract, and he is due to make $2MM in 2024. That falls well short of the top of the kicker market, and Pineiro will aim to land a raise on a new deal.

The 28-year-old began his NFL career with the Raiders, but his debut came as a member of the Bears. His Chicago campaign in 2019 was strong in terms of both field goals (23-of-28) and extra point attempts (27-of-29), but he did not see the field the following year. In 2021, Pineiro kicked for the Jets following an unsuccessful attempt to land the gig in Washington.

That was followed by a one-year Panthers deal signed in August 2022. Pineiro followed special teams coordinator Chris Tabor to Carolina after working alongside him in Chicago. The move allowed him to fill in for the injured Zane Gonzlez, and it proved to be an effective one for team and player. Pineiro connected on all but two of his field goal attempts and two of his extra point kicks in 2022.

As a result, the Panthers made the unsurprising decision to retain the Florida product on a two-year accord. Last year, Pineiro saw his field goal (86.2%) and extra point (85%) accuracy dip, although overall his Panthers tenure has seen him remain one of the league’s most accurate kickers. Eight of Pineiro’s counterparts average at least $5MM per season on their respective deals, and he could be attempting to reach that level of compensation or at least another extension which moves him closer to the top 10.

Of course, the Panthers do have another kicker on their offseason roster. The team signed Harrison Mevis as a UDFA last month, and he is now in place to handle all kicking duties given Pineiro’s ongoing absence. The position will be one to monitor as the offseason progresses.

Commanders To Hire David Blackburn As Player Personnel Director

May 20th, 2024 at 2:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the Commanders continue to make changes in the front office, the team is set to bring in another high-ranking executive. David Blackburn has an agreement in place to become Washington’s new director of player personnel, per Neil Stratton of Inside The League.

[RELATED: Commanders Add Brandon Sosna To Front Office]

Ben Standig and Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic were the first to report the Commanders’ interest in Blackburn (subscription required). The latter spent the past 17 years as part of the Ravens’ front office in a number of capacities. Most recently, Blackburn held the title of college scouting director.

This hire will therefore represent another move up the latter for Blackburn. Commanders owner Josh Harris has overseen a slew of changes recently after his first campaign in control of the organization. That process has included the hiring of Adam Peters to handle general manager duties. Blackburn will be one of his top lieutenants for a Commanders front office which has a number of new faces in place.

From a Ravens’ perspective, this move marks a continuation of the team’s offseason brain drain. Much like Blackburn, longtime front office member Joe Hortiz departed recently, taking on the Chargers’ general manager position. He brought a number of staffers with him, to no surprise, and the loss of Blackburn will leave Baltimore without another veteran executive. One of the Ravens’ 2024 storylines will be tied to the team’s ability to replace the lost personnel in the front office and along the sidelines.

In addition to Blackburn, Stratton reports the Commanders are hiring Dwaune Jones as a national scout. Jones has spent time with the Saints and Ravens, but his most recent tenure came as assistant director of college scouting with the Falcons. Jones will join Blackburn in being a new arrival with a scouting background as Harris, Peters and Co. aim to generate long-term success in the nation’s capital.

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