HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

AFC North Rumors: Ravens, Steelers, Hines

May 18th, 2024 at 2:34pm CST by Ely Allen

After losing both of 2023’s starting guards, Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson, to free agency, the Ravens have been tasked with replacing both starters on either side of center Tyler Linderbaum. Though Baltimore had thoughts to address those holes in the 2024 NFL Draft, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec reports that a third-round run on guards led the team’s draft room to shy away from the position.

Starting with the seventh pick of the third round, the Ravens watched Isaiah Adams, Cooper Beebe, Christian Haynes, Zak Zinter, and Dominick Puni all come off the board. Similarly, in the fourth round, a run that included running backs Jaylen Wright, Bucky Irving, Will Shipley, Ray Davis, and Isaac Guerendo (the last four making up four of the five picks before Baltimore’s) led the team to go in another direction (though Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen was available and selected four picks later).

These runs, especially the four running backs selected in the five picks before the Ravens’ selection, seemed strategic, given the team’s obvious desire to add to both positions in the draft. Faced with this challenge general manager Eric DeCosta pivoted, and instead of drafting a player at those positions far above their distinguished value, Baltimore addressed other needs, selecting Penn State pass rusher Adisa Isaac and Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa.

Unrelated, rookie safety Beau Brade, one of the Ravens’ top undrafted free agent signings out of Maryland, is set to be sidelined for a few weeks after injuring his ankle in the team’s rookie minicamp. Considered one of the most likely undrafted players to make a roster spot (the Ravens historically have at least one per year), Brade is expected to be back before the team adjourns for the final break before training camp.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of the NFL’s toughest division:

  • The Steelers utilized three of their seven draft picks in an attempt to make improvements to their offensive line, including taking Washington offensive lineman Troy Fautanu 20th overall. While the team was happy to see Fautanu fall to them, considering they predicted he could go as high as No. 10, the team also had their eye on Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims. With all the recon the team dedicated to offensive linemen, Pittsburgh likely figured out that Mims was headed to Cincinnati two picks before them, so it speaks to the team’s feelings on Fautanu that they opted not to make a trade up. As soon as they put in the pick in the first round, they went back to work, targeting West Virginia center Zach Frazier to determine whether or not he would still be around at No. 51 (he was).
  • New Browns running back Nyheim Hines missed the entire 2023 season on injured reserve after tearing his ACL in a freak jet skiing accident last summer. Known for his abilities receiving out of the backfield and returning kicks, Hines lines up as a perfect complement to recovering lead back Nick Chubb on paper. In order to do that, though, Hines has to come all the way back from the season-ending injury. On the Up & Adams show on FanDuel TV, Hines explained that he’s made progress on his rehabilitation and is on schedule for his recovery.

This Date In Transactions History: Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins Agree To Extension

May 18th, 2024 at 12:44pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins are currently navigating a quarterback extension, as the front office is working with Tua Tagovailoa on a lucrative second contract. Almost a decade ago, the team found themselves in a very similar situation.

On this date in 2015, the Dolphins signed quarterback Ryan Tannehill to an extension. The six-year, $96MM extension included $45MM guaranteed, and it was intended to cover the last year of the quarterback’s rookie deal, the fifth-year option season, and four additional free agent years.

At the time, it was hard to be overly critical of Miami’s long-term commitment to the former first-round pick. Tannehill topped 3,000 passing yards in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, and he improved on his touchdown totals in each of his campaigns (culminating in a 2014 season where he tossed 27 scores). While the Dolphins had yet to break through with a postseason run, the team’s worst showing through Tannehill’s first three seasons was a 7-9 mark during his rookie campaign.

There was some urgency on the Dolphins’ part to complete a deal. Tannehill was one of four QBs from the 2012 draft class (along with Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson) to be eyeing lucrative extensions, and Miami assured they wouldn’t be boxed into a corner by completing the first deal from that group. Luck ended up getting $140MM from the Colts while Wilson got around $88MM on a four-year deal with the Seahawks (Griffin never got a second contract from Washington). When compared to his draftmates, Tannehill’s average annual value didn’t break the bank.

Of course, the move didn’t come without risk. This was the first major move by Mike Tannenbaum, the Dolphins’ new executive vice president of football operations. It was Tannenbaum’s decision to hand Mark Sanchez a sizable extension in New York that ultimately led to the executive’s ouster. Tannenbaum wasn’t looking to make the same mistake twice.

“We are thrilled that we were able to sign Ryan to an extension,” Tannenbaum said at the time (via the Miami Herald). “He is an ascending talent, a team leader and checks all of the boxes you are looking for at the position.”

While the Dolphins dropped to 6-10 during Tannehill’s first year playing on the extension, the QB continued to validate the organization’s decision. The fourth-year player tossed a career-high 4,045 passing yards that season, making him the fourth QB in NFL history to top 3,000 passing yards in each of his first four seasons. The Dolphins took a step forward during Tannehill’s fifth season at the helm, with the team finally earning a playoff nod. However, after going 8-5 through the first 13 games, Tannehill suffered a season-ending knee injury that knocked him out for the postseason.

That injury ended up greatly altering Tannehill’s ability to finish his contract with Miami. The quarterback opted for rehab over surgery to his injured ACL, allowing him to be on the field for the start of 2017 training camp. However, he suffered another injury during the first day of 11-on-11 drills, and he eventually went under the knife to repair the torn ACL.

That following offseason, the Dolphins faced a major cap crunch. While Tannenbaum could have moved on from Tannehill (via release or trade) without any financial penalty, the executive instead reworked the player’s contract. That move temporarily opened up some breathing room under the cap, but it also kicked some sizable guaranteed money down the road. That decision ended up greatly reducing the organization’s return for the QB a year later.

Tannehill returned in time for the 2018 campaign but was forced to miss a chunk of games due to a shoulder injury. After the Dolphins were forced to rely on their QB2 for three-straight seasons, the team finally decided to cut bait on their franchise signal caller. During the 2019 offseason, the Dolphins traded Tannehill to the Titans for draft compensation. The QB agreed to rip up his contract with Tennessee, locking him into a one-year prove-it deal for the 2019 campaign.

Tannehill bounced back in a big way that season, earning his first career Pro Bowl nod while guiding the Titans to a 7-3 regular season record and a pair of postseason victories. That performance earned him a new contract from the Titans, a four-year, $118MM pact. Tannehill continued to guide a playoff squad in Tennessee for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but he had an inconsistent role in 2022 and 2023 following the additions of Malik Willis and Will Levis. The 35-year-old is currently a free agent.

Nine years after signing the extension, things couldn’t have worked out much better for Tannehill. Of course, that doesn’t mean the quarterback didn’t take a handful of risks. For starters, much of his future guaranteed money was only due if Tannehill played, meaning he could have been cut at any time without any penalty (an advantage that the Dolphins squandered following that aforementioned restructuring). Tannehill also could have played hard ball with the Titans with the hope of getting cut, but he ultimately fave up some significant future money as he looked to rehabilitate his image. That gamble immediately worked out for the QB, as the Titans signed him to his third contract.

While the Dolphins never reached the success they were surely envisioning when they extended Tannehill, the team at least waved the white flag at the right time. Following a bridge season with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center, the team quickly found their future answer at QB in Tagovailoa. Of course, that glass-half-full perspective wasn’t enough to save Tannenbaum’s job. The executive was reassigned from his role in 2018, and while it was the Dolphins’ entire body of work that led to his demotion/firing, the Tannehill restructuring in 2018 certainly didn’t help.

As the Dolphins look to sign Tagovailoa to a second contract, the top decision makers will surely proceed with caution after seeing how things unfolded with their last major QB investment.

Dolphins RB Salvon Ahmed On Roster Bubble?

May 18th, 2024 at 10:24am CST by Ben Levine

Despite being the longest-tenured member of the Dolphins running back corps, Salvon Ahmed is a major release candidate. As Pierre Taylor of the Miami Herald writes, the veteran running back is “at serious risk” of getting cut during the preseason.

Ahmed is the lone holdover at the position from the pre-Mike McDaniel era, although he did have a chance to work with the coach in San Francisco as a UDFA in 2020. Since McDaniel was hired as Miami’s head coach in 2022, he brought in a pair of former 49ers RBs in Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. to lead his depth chart. While that duo has struggled with injuries throughout their career, Ahmed hasn’t seen a significant uptick in playing time when either teammate has been out of the lineup.

Ahmed was already positioned as the team’s fourth RB after the Dolphins selected De’Von Achane in last year’s draft, but the veteran was pushed further down the depth chart earlier this month. The Dolphins added another player at the position in fourth-round pick Jaylen Wright, putting Ahmed’s roster spot in serious doubt.

If the Dolphins move on from Ahmed, they wouldn’t be left with any of his $1.1MM cap hit, making him a logical cut candidate. As Taylor notes, Wilson and his $1.2MM of potential dead cap means he could also be considered a cut candidate, but it seems unlikely that the organization would move on from the veteran.

A release could end up being the best thing for Ahmed. The former UDFA got an extended look as a rookie in 2020, finishing with 380 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. He followed that up with a 266-yard outing in 2021, but he’s seen a limited role over the past two years. Between 2022 and 2023, Ahmed compiled only 221 total yards and three scores. Pro Football Focus was fond of his performance in both 2020 and 2022, so Ahmed may have some untapped potential that won’t be realized on Miami’s crowded depth chart.

Latest On Jaguars’ EDGE Depth

May 18th, 2024 at 9:26am CST by Ben Levine

The Jaguars have made some notable additions to their defensive line this offseason, adding Arik Armstead via free agency and Maason Smith via the draft. However, the front office hasn’t done a whole lot to address their depth on the edge behind Josh Allen and Travon Walker.

During a conversation with Juston Lewis of the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union, assistant general manager Ethan Waugh acknowledged that the organization needs to identify at least two more pass rushers if they hope to compete for a Super Bowl.

The team’s depth is set to look a bit different in 2024. The Jaguars let K’Lavon Chaisson walk via free agency following a 2023 campaign where the edge rusher soaked up about 25 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Further, after Yasir Abdullah got some looks on the edge as a rookie, the 2023 fifth-round pick is expected to be moved to SAM linebacker in defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s system.

The team’s main move at the position was extending Allen, who inked a five-year, $150MM contract with the organization, but they’ve otherwise been quiet adding players behind their starting duo. The Jaguars did bring in former Bears part-time starter Trevis Gipson, but the veteran was limited to only 76 defensive snaps in 2023. The team may end up being reliant on the free agent acquisition; the rest of the team’s depth consists of rookie seventh-round pick Myles Cole and former UDFAs like DJ Coleman and De’Shaan Dixon.

While the Jaguars could always turn to the handful of experienced veteran edge rushers who remain on the market, Waugh is confident that the team’s solution could already be on the roster.

“We added Trevis Gipson, we had some guys there,” Waugh told Lewis. “We have some guys that were on the practice squad previously, DJ Coleman types. Yasir Abdullah is playing the SAM spot, which is really kind of an edge rusher too at times. “What we want to do is see those guys fight it out and develop.

“I think you do really need to come up with four edge rushers if you want to play at a Super Bowl level, and finding guys that can affect the quarterback in waves is really key to what we’re trying to do.”

Tua Tagovailoa Has Missed Most Dolphins Offseason Workouts

May 17th, 2024 at 10:31pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Dolphins begin their organized team activities next week, and that will mark an important (but voluntary) next step in the team’s offseason program. Given the actions of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in recent weeks, it remains to be seen if he will be present.

The extension-eligible passer has been away from Miami for the “large majority” of the team’s offseason work to date, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports. The Dolphins’ program began one month ago, and Tagovailoa has been seen with the team at times (with his most recent documented participation coming on April 19). The 26-year-old has been a full participant at OTAs and other voluntary workouts in previous offseasons.

Tagovailoa is under contract through 2024, as he is set to play on his fifth-year option. That has him on track to earn $23.17MM, a much lower figure than the one which a multi-year extension will carry. Talks on a monster deal are ongoing, but Jones unsurprisingly confirms Tagovailoa’s absence is believed to be tied to the fact he does not yet have a pact in hand.

The top of the quarterback market surged past $50MM per year last offseason, with four ascending passers (Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts) securing mega-deals which will kick in after their rookie contracts. Jared Goff became the latest signal-caller to secure a massive payday, with the Lions agreeing to a $53MM-per-year deal. Notably, however, that represents Goff’s third NFL contract.

Tagovailoa is three years younger than Goff, though the former’s career has of course featured a number of injury concerns. The 2023 campaign – the fourth of his career – marked the first one in which Tagovailoa played in every game. The former No. 5 pick committed to improving his durability last offseason, and his efforts on that front paid off. Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards while setting career highs in completion percentage (69.3%) and touchdowns passes (29).

Those figures earned the Alabama product a Pro Bowl nod for the first time. They also helped his market value and his chances of landing a long-term Miami investment. As of March, the team did not see an extension as a pressing matter, though, and the Dolphins have certainly been active on a number of other fronts this offseason. The team has made several agent additions along the defensive line following Christian Wilkins‘ departure, and both wideout Jaylen Waddle and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips have had their 2025 fifth-year options picked up.

Each member of the latter pair profiles as a top extension candidate, and safety Jevon Holland (who is entering the final year of his rookie contract) is also in the team’s long-term plans. The franchise tag could be an option for Holland or Tagovailoa next year, but only if negotiations stall out over a long period of time. It will be interesting to see if Tagovailoa is present for OTAs next week, though an absence would only open the door to financial penalties if it extended into mandatory minicamp in June or training camp the following month.

Chiefs OL Wanya Morris, Chukwuebuka Godrick Arrested

May 17th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chiefs’ rocky offseason following their second consecutive Super Bowl season continues today as Adam Teicher of ESPN reports that second-year offensive tackles Wanya Morris and Chukwuebuka Godrick were both arrested Thursday night. Following arrests for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, Morris and Godrick were booked into jail and released Friday morning on bond.

Neither lineman played much of a role in Kansas City’s 2023 title. Godrick joined the team as a part of the league’s International Player Pathway Program last year out of Nigeria but failed to make an in-game appearance during the season as a member of the practice squad. He had been granted an international roster exemption for the 2024 season.

Morris actually played some significant snaps as a rookie third-round pick, starting four games near the end of the season as an injury replacement for Donovan Smith. Coming into the 2024 season, Morris was being challenged to compete with second-round rookie draft pick Kingsley Suamataia for the starting left tackle job opposite Jawaan Taylor following the departure of Smith in free agency. If Morris’ arrest leads to any league discipline, consider it a leg up for the rookie out of BYU.

This news comes most unwelcome for a team in Kansas City that has seen their breakout rookie receiver Rashee Rice face a slew of legal trouble in the offseason. As the team was already bracing for a suspension for Rice following eight felony charges stemming from a hit-and-run incident in late-March, Rice upped the ante by becoming the focus of an investigation for an alleged assault at a nightclub in Dallas.

The NFL will allow the legal process to take its course before ultimately coming to a decision on league punishment for the three players. The league has recently laxed its position on punishments for positive marijuana tests, but illegal use, possession, or distribution of drugs is still prohibited in the NFL, and marijuana possession remains illegal in Kansas (where the two were arrested).

AFC Staff Updates: Bills, Patriots, Browns

May 17th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

In the weeks following the 2024 NFL Draft, a number of teams have made changes to their player personnel staff and scouting departments. The Bills, for example, recently announced six updates to a scouting staff that should look fairly different in the coming season.

One of the updates we had seen reported days earlier by Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com, who reported that long-time Cardinals area scout Darius Vinnett would be accepting a similar role in Buffalo. Vinnett had been in Arizona for 11 years and had won the Rod Graves College Scouting Award, given at the conclusion of the draft to the Cardinals’ best scout, in 2022. The team also added Vince Magri as a pro scout after having served most recently as the assistant general manager of the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.

The rest of the moves were promotions to staffers already in place. Matt Bazirgan, formerly the Bills’ senior personnel executive, has been named director of college scouting. Asil Mulbah, whose pro scout position was filled by Magri, has been promoted to assistant director of pro scouting. Keith Jennings joins Vinnett as an area scout after previously working as the team’s BLESTO scout. Lastly, R.J. Webb, previously a pro scout, will now serve as a college scout and will take up Jennings’ former role as BLESTO scout.

Here are a few other scouting updates from around the AFC:

  • After establishing Eliot Wolf as the pinnacle of their personnel structure the Patriots have made a number of alterations to their staff. According to Stratton, pro scouting director Steve Cargile and area scout Taylor Redd will not be returning for the 2024 NFL season. Cargile had been with New England since 2011, while Redd had been around since 2018, meaning both were around for the team’s most recent Super Bowl victory. Replacing Redd will be new area scout Casey Belongia, previously of the Jaguars. Belongia started his career as an equipment manager for the Packers, residing in Green Bay at the same time as Wolf.
  • Lastly, the Browns are bringing Josh Lucas back to the game as their Mid-Atlantic area scout, per Stratton. Lucas had spent the past two years away from the game of football after serving as the Bears director of player personnel. Prior to his time in Chicago, Lucas had been an area scout for the Saints for 10 years and an intern in Jacksonville.

Seahawks Finish Draft Pick Signings

May 17th, 2024 at 8:22pm CST by Ely Allen

The Seahawks have completed the signing of their rookie class, according to reports from Seahawks senior reporter John Boyle. The team had already signed six of their draft picks and 16 undrafted free agents. Now, with these final two contracts getting inked, Seattle can move on to other offseason activities.

Third-round offensive guard Christian Haynes was the first to sign this morning. In his six years at UConn, Haynes was a four-year starter for the Huskies, redshirting his first season in 2018 and seeing his 2020 season cancelled due to COVID-19. He played exclusively at right guard in Connecticut, which sets him up perfectly for a position battle as a rookie.

Between tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, both of whom were acquired in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seahawks have a recent history of rookies starting on the offensive line. Last year’s rookie fourth-round pick Anthony Bradford was another such example, starting 10 games at right guard in 2023, but Haynes will have the opportunity to push Bradford for the job this summer.

Sixth-round offensive tackle Michael Jerrell isn’t likely to get the same opportunities. Cross and Lucas are firmly entrenched as Seattle’s starters, but Jerrell, a small-school lineman with quickness, length, and toughness, projects as an intriguing developmental piece in the NFL.

This concludes the Seahawks’ eight-man draft class. The eight players are:

  • Round 1, No. 16: Byron Murphy (DT, Texas) (signed)
  • Round 3, No. 81 (from Saints through Broncos): Christian Haynes (G, UConn)
  • Round 4, No. 118: Tyrice Knight (LB, UTEP) (signed)
  • Round 4, No. 121 (from Dolphins through Broncos): AJ Barner (TE, Michigan) (signed)
  • Round 5, No. 136 (from Panthers through Browns and Broncos): Nehemiah Pritchett (CB, Auburn) (signed)
  • Round 6, No. 179 (from Commanders): Sataoa Laumea (G, Utah) (signed)
  • Round 6, No. 192: DJ James (CB, Auburn) (signed)
  • Round 6, No. 207 (from 49ers through Broncos): Michael Jerrell (T, Findlay)

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/17/24

May 17th, 2024 at 6:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s rookie draft pick signings as we head into the weekend:

Atlanta Falcons

Houston Texans

Bullock joins a talented group in Houston and will have a chance to learn behind a veteran in Jimmie Ward before eventually having a chance to earn the starting job.

Trice becomes the third pass rusher selected in the first three rounds by the Falcons in as many years. With Arnold Ebiketie and Zach Harrison showing limited production in short samples, Atlanta will hope for a more immediate impact from Trice.

49ers Eyed T Roger Rosengarten In Second Round?

May 17th, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers appear all but set to go into a second season with Colton McKivitz as their starting right tackle. The team has signed recent Titans stopgap RT Chris Hubbard, but no clear threat to McKivitz appears on the team’s roster.

That could certainly have changed, in the view of several, had the Ravens not addressed their tackle need in Round 2. Forty-two picks after Pittsburgh selected Troy Fautanu, Baltimore chose the Washington Huskies’ other tackle starter, Roger Rosengarten. In the view of many around the league, the 49ers were preparing to draft Rosengarten with their No. 63 overall selection, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes.

Playing opposite Fautanu for last season’s Division I-FBS runner-up, Rosengarten graded as the No. 62 overall player in the view of ESPN’s Scouts Inc. That certainly makes his No. 62 landing spot rather interesting. The Ravens having traded away two-year right tackle starter Morgan Moses made them a clear candidate to target this position in the early rounds. The 49ers have a short-term option in McKivitz, but it appears they were strongly considering bringing in a higher-upside option in Round 2.

San Francisco ended up with Florida State cornerback Renardo Green in the second round, trading down one spot (via the Chiefs) after Rosengarten went off the board. The team will hope Green can fill its multiyear need in the slot. Green also joins a 49ers team with its top two corners — Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir — going into contract years. For the time being, the defending NFC champions have viable pieces at corner and right tackle. But McKivitz’s first year replacing Mike McGlinchey produced some hiccups.

Pro Football Focus charged Trent Williams with allowing zero sacks last season; the advanced metrics website tagged McKivitz with nine allowed. PFF ranked McKivitz, who previously operated as a swingman during the latter part of McGlinchey’s five-year starter run, 47th at the position last season. The 49ers still extended their current RT, authorizing a one-year, $5.85MM bump early this offseason. The deal, however, does not guarantee McKivitz anything beyond 2024.

San Francisco is operating with a Williams-led line that features four modest contracts around that $23MM-per-year deal. McKivitz, 27, is signed through the 2025 season. With Williams going into his age-36 season, tackle looms as a key 49ers need beyond 2024.

Rosengarten worked as Washington’s right tackle for the past two seasons. That role carried additional importance due to Michael Penix Jr., a transfer pickup in 2022, being left-handed. The eventual second-rounder earned back-to-back Pac-12 honorable mentions for his performance in the role. The Ravens, who memorably traded Orlando Brown Jr. after using him as a multiyear RT, will see if he can become a long-term answer after Moses served as a bridge. The 49ers appear prepared to use 2024 to further gauge McKivitz’s prospects of filling this post long term.

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