HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Titans Interested In S Addition

May 12th, 2024 at 2:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tennessee was one of several teams engaged in the post-draft receiver market. That ultimately produced an agreement with Tyler Boyd, but the Titans are still looking into additions elsewhere on the roster.

When speaking to the media, head coach Brian Callahan said (via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website) Tennessee is engaged in conversations about bringing in a safety. The team traded away former All-Pro Kevin Byard midway through the 2023 season, creating a notable vacancy in the secondary. Terrell Edmunds was part of the return in the Byard swap, but he remains unsigned well after the draft.

Tennessee also saw K’Von Wallace – who started seven games for the team last year – sign with Seattle in free agency. Amani Hooker remains in place as a full-time starter after he inked a three-year extension in September 2022. Elijah Molden logged nearly 200 snaps in the slot last season, but his primary usage came as a safety. The pending free agent is joined by the likes of L’Jarius Sneed, Roger McCreary and Chidobe Awuzie in the Titans’ secondary.

The team could use at least a depth addition at the safety spot, though. The likes of Matthew Jackson and Syheim Carter are in place after they were used on special teams during their respective rookie seasons. Tennessee invested a Day 3 pick (seventh-rounder James Williams) in the backend during this year’s draft, but a third phase role should be the expectation in his case as well.

Much like their running back counterparts in recent years, veteran safeties around the league saw their market take a nosedive this offseason. Several accomplished (albeit aging) producers were let go or not retained, and a number of them are still unsigned at this point. Longtime Broncos ballhawk Justin Simmons headlines the group of available options. Marcus Maye, Micah Hyde and former Seahawks Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs are other potential targets for the Titans and other teams seeking a late-offseason addition.

Tennessee is near the top of the league in terms of cap space with over $30MM in available funds. Signing the rest of the team’s rookie class will lower that figure slightly, but plenty of room will remain to make at least one notable addition. Given the state of the safety market, any signing will likely not come with a hefty price tag, so it will be interesting to see if a deal with one of the top options is worked out in the near future.

Latest On Giants’ Cornerback Situation

May 12th, 2024 at 11:47am CST by Sam Robinson

After a short-lived slot experiment last year, Adoree’ Jackson returned to his traditional boundary role for the Giants. But the team has not re-signed the veteran cornerback, who played out a three-year deal in 2023. The Giants may be in the market for mid-offseason help.

But the team has some in-house candidates to replace Jackson. An early favorite may well have emerged. Brian Daboll mentioned Cor’Dale Flott as a player the team believes in, per the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz, signaling a potential position change for the primary slot corner.

The Giants drafted Flott in the 2022 third round and have mostly deployed him as a slot piece, but with Jackson out of the picture, the team may be grooming the LSU alum for perimeter work. Flott, 22, played 518 defensive snaps last season. That work came for a Giants team that featured Jackson opposite 2023 first-rounder Deonte Banks. The latter will be one of New York’s starting outside corners to begin the season; Flott may well be the other.

Pro Football Focus did not grade Flott well in 2023, slotting him 101st at the position. The 6-foot-2 cover man did drop his completion percentage-allowed (as the closest defender) number from his rookie year, lowering it from 63% in 2022 to 59.6%. Flott will need to hold off the likes of Nick McCloud and Tre Hawkins. The latter, a sixth-round pick out of Old Dominion, impressed during the Giants’ 2023 training camp — to the point the Giants kicked Jackson inside to accommodate the rookie. But Don Martindale quickly benched Hawkins, scrapping the training camp experiment and moving Flott into a central role.

As for how the Giants will address the slot position, Schwartz adds third-round rookie Andru Phillips may be positioned to take over. Phillips will receive “every opportunity” to win Big Blue’s slot job. The team re-signed veteran slot player Darnay Holmes, but after it chose Phillips 70th overall, the former appears an insurance option. A Banks-Flott-Phillips trio appears the Giants’ preferred path, though offseason and training camp work could certainly change that.

The Giants have used a third-round pick on a corner in three of the past four drafts. The first of those, Aaron Robinson, has seen his career skid off track. Commandeering the starting outside job opposite Jackson in 2022, Robinson — chosen 71st overall in 2021 — missed all of last season due to injury. Robinson suffered ACL and MCL tears in October 2022 and landed on the Giants’ reserve/PUP list last season. Daboll’s latest assessment of the former starter does not bode well; the third-year coach said Robinson remains with the Giants’ rehab group at this point in the offseason.

If the Giants are to consider veteran assistance, Jackson joins some other notable names available. Patrick Peterson and Stephon Gilmore are available ahead of their age-34 seasons. Younger options include Steven Nelson, J.C. Jackson, Ahkello Witherspoon and ex-Giants Fabian Moreau and Eli Apple.

AFC East Notes: Allen, Bills, Coleman, Staff, Washington, Jets, Patriots, Slater, Dolphins

May 12th, 2024 at 10:46am CST by Sam Robinson

Having traded Stefon Diggs weeks after letting Gabe Davis walk in free agency, the Bills are facing questions about their receiving corps. The team’s top offseason investment at the position — No. 33 overall pick Keon Coleman — encouraged Josh Allen. Bills GM Brandon Beane said during a Sirius XM Radio appearance he had Allen join coaches in watching some film of receiver prospects. Coleman was among the candidates the superstar passer preferred, expressing his approval after being informed on Day 2 of the draft the Bills would go with the Florida State wideout. Although Coleman did not produce an 800-yard receiving season with the Seminoles, the Bills look set to count on the 6-foot-4 pass catcher as they remake their receiving corps.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The Jets have moved on from one of the better-known members of their coaching staff. Leon Washington, who had been in place as assistant special teams coach in each of Robert Saleh‘s three seasons, did not see his contract renewed for the 2024 season, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello. This marked the former Jets kick returner/running back’s first full-time coaching gig, after a run of fellowships since his playing career ended after the 2014 season. A Jets contributor from 2006-09, Washington earned All-Pro honors in 2008. Earlier this offseason, the Jets lost special teams assistant Michael Ghobrial to the Giants. Dan Shamash, who helps advise Saleh in terms of game management, is now listed as an ST assistant for the team. Brant Boyer remains in place as the team’s ST coordinator.
  • Rome Odunze may well have been the Jets’ preference at No. 10, but after the Bears went with the Washington wideout at 9, the team was set on Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu. The Jets were also high on Washington tackle Troy Fautanu, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but the team carried some long-term durability concerns about the Pac-12 blocker. Two other tackles — Taliese Fuaga (Saints) and Amarius Mims (Bengals) — went off the board before Fautanu, who slid to the Steelers at No. 20. Some teams flagged Fautanu’s knee as a medical concern, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. It appears the Jets were one of them.
  • Odell Beckham Jr.‘s Dolphins contract includes a void year, which will drop his cap number by a bit. The new Miami WR3 will count $2.1MM on the team’s 2024 cap, per OverTheCap. Beckham signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Dolphins; the team will take on a $900K dead money charge in 2025 if OBJ is not re-signed by the 2025 league year.
  • The Bills have either decided on their defensive play-caller, only to not reveal the choice publicly, or they are still in the process of determining who will call the signals come September. Sean McDermott said (via the Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski) he is delaying this decision until at least training camp. McDermott called plays last season, with the Bills having moved on from longtime defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, but the Bills now have a DC again in Bobby Babich. The Bills have been a top-five defense in each of the past three seasons, though their units — as key injuries hit in each season — have struggled in the playoffs.
  • Matthew Slater‘s immediate transition to coaching will come in a full-time role, according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss. The perennial Pro Bowl special-teamer is working as a “right-hand man” to Jerod Mayo, with Reiss noting the new Patriots HC is receiving input from his former teammate regarding team-building and character development. Slater, 38, spent 16 seasons with the Patriots, coming into the league in the same 2008 draft class Mayo did.
  • Staying with that 2008 draft class, one of its members recently landed a scouting gig. The Dolphins hired Beau Bell as a pro scout, according to InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton. A 2008 fourth-round Browns draftee, Bell only played five NFL games. He will make the move to a full-time role after receiving an apprentice opportunity with the Rams and serving as GM of the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul.

Patriots Name Eliot Wolf As Top Personnel Executive

May 11th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Ely Allen

The writing’s been on the wall for some time now, but the long-rumored favorite to take over lead front office duties in New England, vacated during the exit of former head coach Bill Belichick, will officially be taking the job.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network was the first to report that director of scouting Eliot Wolf, who had been acting this offseason as de facto general manager of the Patriots since Belichick’s departure, has officially been named the team’s executive vice president of player personnel.

The news may seem a bit underwhelming giving the lack of a “general manager” title, but it appears that Wolf’s promotion is essentially the Patriots’ action to fill that general manager role. New England has long been without an official general manager after owner Robert Kraft hired Belichick as head coach and name him “de facto” general manager, as well. That trend appears set to continue, according to Pelissero, as the team still won’t have a general manager in title.

That doesn’t lessen the importance of Wolf’s new position, though. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Wolf will oversee the overall direction of the player personnel department, will oversee management of the salary cap, and will be in control of the team’s 53-man active roster, all roles that are generally filled by a team’s general manager.

At 42 years old, Wolf has been in working in the NFL for 20 years. He first broke into the league as a pro personnel assistant with the Packers in 2004 before being promoted to assistant director of pro personnel in 2008 and assistant director of player personnel in 2011. A year later, Wolf was elevated to director of pro personnel before receiving promotions to director of player personnel in 2015 and director of football operations in 2016.

After two seasons in that role and 13 years in Green Bay, Wolf spent two years as the assistant general manager for the Browns under then-general manager John Dorsey. When Dorsey and the Browns parted ways, Wolf joined the Patriots in 2020 as a scouting consultant. For the last two years, Wolf has served as New England’s director of scouting. Wolf may not have been around for the era of the Patriots’ dynasty, but he does hold a Super Bowl ring from his time in Green Bay that saw seven NFC North titles and 10 playoff appearances.

Together with newly promoted head coach Jerod Mayo, Wolf helps to form a new, young top two under Kraft. Several years removed from the reign of Tom Brady and now without Belichick, it will be up to Mayo and Wolf to bring in a new era of success in New England.

Chargers Sign OLB Bud Dupree

May 11th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Bud Dupree‘s recent visit with the Chargers has produced an agreement. The veteran edge rusher has signed a deal with Los Angeles, his agency announced on Saturday.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports this two-year agreement has a base value of $6MM. The pact can reach a maximum of $10MM, he adds. Dupree had a few other suitors, something which no doubt helped his leverage in negotiations with Los Angeles.

The former Steeler and Falcon was reported to be on both Pittsburgh and Atlanta’s radar when news of his Chargers visit came out earlier this week. Rather than returning to one of his old teams, the 31-year-old will head to a new environment this season. Dupree will provide the Bolts with another veteran presence off the edge to complement Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.

Both Bosa and Mack agreed to restructures this offseason to remain in the fold for 2024. The period leading up to free agency required new general manager Joe Hortiz to make a number of cost-cutting moves to achieve cap compliance. Efforts on that front were ultimately punctuated by the release of Mike Williams and the trade sending fellow wideout Keenan Allen to the Bears after talks on a new contract did yield a resolution. Those moves paved the way for the Bosa-Mack pairing to remain intact atop the depth chart.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes a return to the Steelers was a “strong consideration” on Dupree’s part. Pittsburgh already has T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith in place as starters along the edge, something which would have limited Dupree’s usage in Pittsburgh. In Los Angeles, that same issue could arise if Bosa and Mack remain healthy, something the former has had an issue with over each of the past two years.

Los Angeles ranked sixth in the league in sacks last season (48), faring far better in that regard than Atlanta did. The Falcons relied on Dupree as a key member of their edge contingent, and he tied for the team lead in sacks with 6.5. His running mate in that regard – Calais Campbell – remains unsigned. Dupree’s 2023 performance represented his most productive one since 2020, his last season with the Steelers.

The former first-rounder faced major expectations with the Titans following his Pittsburgh stint. Dupree underwhelmed in Tennessee, however, recording just seven sacks in two years with the team. That led to his release and a one-year, $3MM Falcons deal last offseason. Dupree has now parlayed his bounce-back campaign into a multi-year Chargers pact.

Buccaneers Add 16 UDFAs

May 11th, 2024 at 9:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tampa Bay’s rookie minicamp will feature seven draftees, but also 16 UDFAs. Here is the full list regarding the latter additions:

  • Zack Annexstad, QB (Illinois State)
  • Marcus Banks, S (Mississippi State)
  • Judge Culpepper, DL (Toledo)
  • Xavier Delgado, G (Missouri)
  • Kalen DeLoach, LB (Florida State)
  • Tyrek Funderburk, CB (Appalachian State)
  • Antonio Grier, LB (Arkansas)
  • Daniel Grzesiak, OLB (Cincinnati)
  • Kameron Johnson, WR (Barton College)
  • Avery Jones, G (Auburn)
  • Latreal Jones, WR (Southern Mississippi)
  • Tanner Knue, WR (Eastern Michigan)
  • Chris McDonald, CB (Toledo)
  • Shaun Peterson, OLB (UCF)
  • DJ Williams, RB (Arizona)
  • Rashad Wisdom, S (UTSA)

Culpepper is the son of Brad Culpepper, who played six seasons in Tampa Bay. The younger Culpepper transferred from Penn State to Toledo in 2021. He earned first-team All-MAC honors in 2023, leading the team in sacks (nine) and tackles for loss (10.5). He received $100K in guarantees, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Rocket teammate McDonald has also landed a notable commitment from Tampa Bay. He received $95K in guaranteed money, Wilson reports. McDonald spent his entire college career at Toledo and he racked up 32 pass breakups (including eight in 2023). He earned a third-team All-Conference nod last season, and will look to earn a depth spot in the Bucs’ secondary this summer.

The top of Tampa Bay’s QB depth chart is set given the investment made in Baker Mayfield this offseason. The team also has Kyle Trask and John Wolford in place as backup options, but Annexstad will aim to compete for the QB3 role or a practice squad place as a developmental option. He earned the starting spot during his freshman season at Minnesota, but the campaign was cut short through injury. The 6-3, 220-pounder transferred to Illinois State in 2022 and during his time there he racked up 3,547 passing yards along with a 27:12 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Titans Sign 16 Undrafted Free Agents

May 11th, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Titans have a seven-man draft class, some of whom have already inked their rookie deals. Their draftees will be joined in minicamp by the following UDFAs:

  • Brian Dooley, OL (Eastern Michigan)
  • Khalid Duke, DE (Kansas State)
  • Keaton Ellis, S (Penn State)
  • X’Zauvea Gadlin, OL (Liberty)
  • Rod Gattison, CB (Western Carolina)
  • Isaiah Iton, DT (Rutgers)
  • Robert Javier, DB (Towson)
  • Dillon Johnson, RB (Washington)
  • Gabe Jeudy-Lally, TE (Tennessee)
  • Brayden Narveson, K (NC State)
  • Bryce Oliver, WR (Youngstown State)
  • David Martin-Robinson, TE (Temple)
  • Sam Schnee, WR (Northern Iowa)
  • Jamari Small, RB (Tennessee)
  • Cole Spencer, OL (Texas Tech)
  • Steven Stilianos, TE (Iowa)

Spencer is one of three O-linemen the Titans have brought in, and he has received a notable financial investment. Tennessee has given him $75K in guaranteed money, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. Spencer spent considerable time at left tackle when he was at Western Kentucky, but he moved to guard with the Red Raiders. A leg injury limited him to just six games in 2023, but he will look to parlay a return to health into at least a practice squad spot.

The Titans were among the teams to move quickly on the running back front in free agency, signing Tony Pollard as part of a depth chart already featuring Tyjae Spears. Both Johnson and Small will look to join them in a rotational capacity. The former led the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns last season (16), helping him earn second-team All-Conference honors. The latter, meanwhile, led the Volunteers in rushing during the 2021 season and ranks 12th in school history with 24 career rushing touchdowns.

Veteran Nick Folk was the Titans’ lone kicker on the roster prior to the addition of Narveson. Folk, 39, led the NFL in field goal percentage (96.7%) in his debut Tennessee campaign and he is under contract for one more year. Narveson will look to provide competition during training camp or at least insurance by taking up a taxi squad slot. After spending time at Iowa State and Western Kentucky, he went 18-for-23 on field goal attempts in 2023.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Bills Add 13 UDFAs

May 11th, 2024 at 7:10pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bills addressed several positions of need with their 10 NFL Draft picks in April. Now, the team grows their rookie class to 22 players with the addition of these 13 undrafted free agents:

The obvious notable addition here is that of Gore. The son of the former All-Pro running back who spent one of his 16 seasons in the NFL in Buffalo, Gore isn’t expected to quite reach the heights of his father. In four years at Southern Miss, Gore had a career average of 5.3 yards per carry while accumulating 4,022 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. His toughness and special teams experience could help him land on the Bills’ active roster.

Also on offense, the Bills brought in a few quality linemen. The aptly named Bills, wasn’t expected to go undrafted, projecting in the sixth or seventh round. Bills signed with the Utes as part of a Utah signing class that included players who are now veterans in the NFL like Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss but deferred for three years to go on a religious mission. Edwards was a starting left tackle at Campbell for four years but projects better as a guard at the next level. Health proved an issue for Edwards in college, so staying injury-free will be paramount. Britton received $100K guaranteed, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

On defense, Buffalo adds Ugwoegbu at defensive end. After four years at Oklahoma as a linebacker, Ugwoegbu transferred to Houston and made the move to end. He doesn’t really have true pass rush instincts, but he’s a strong run defender. That and his ability to play up or with his hand in the dirt could help him earn a roster spot as a rookie.

Andreessen was among the Bills’ invites to rookie minicamp on a try-out basis, and he has earned a deal. The former All-American (during his time at Bryant) transferred to Buffalo last season. He racked up 90 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in 2023. The Depew, New York native will now get an opportunity during the summer with his hometown team.

Lastly, Lovely comes in as an undersized addition to the secondary. During two years as a starter for the Broncos, Lovely showed tremendous ball skills, breaking up 13 passes while nabbing six interceptions.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Veteran WR Albert Wilson Retires

May 11th, 2024 at 5:56pm CST by Ely Allen

NFL wide receiver Albert Wilson went undrafted out of Georgia State in 2014 despite setting multiple records for the Panthers. He signed with the Chiefs and ended up making the team’s 53-man roster as a rookie. 10 years later, Wilson has put together a solid career and has now decided to hang up his cleats, according to the 31-year-old’s Instagram.

In that rookie season, Wilson appeared in 12 games making two starts. The undrafted rookie finished behind only Dwayne Bowe in receptions (16) and yards (260) in a receivers room that caught no touchdowns from Alex Smith; all his touchdowns went to tight ends Travis Kelce and Anthony Fasano, running backs Jamaal Charles, Joe McKnight, and Knile Davis, and full back Anthony Sherman.

In subsequent years, Wilson remained the WR2 for Smith, playing second fiddle to Jeremy Maclin in 2015 and Tyreek Hill in 2017. Those were Wilson’s best statistical seasons, seeing him catch for 451 yards and two touchdowns in 2015 and 554 yards and three touchdowns in 2017.

His impressive work as a No. 2 receiver earned him a three-year contract with the Dolphins. Receiving in Miami from Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, and Josh Rosen, Wilson found himself as a contributor on some disappointing offenses. When his contract expired, Wilson signed in the 2022 offseason with the Vikings before getting cut two months later. The Raiders signed Wilson to their practice squad in October later that season. He flirted with the active roster but never got to make a game appearance with Las Vegas.

Overall, in his career, Wilson appeared in 89 total games making 38 starts. He recorded 218 receptions for 2,499 yards and 12 touchdowns, adding on a score on the ground and even a passing touchdown. Wilson won’t be finding his way into the Hall of Fame, but for an undrafted player out of Georgia State, he made the most of his opportunities and put together a strong career.

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