HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/28/24

May 28th, 2024 at 7:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Houston Texans

  • Waived/injured: DE Marcus Haynes

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Waived from IR (with injury settlement): WR Keilahn Harris

The Ravens added some veteran depth to the middle of their defensive line today. Josh Tupou heads to Baltimore after spending the first chunk of his career with their division rival in Cincinnati. The nose tackle got into 65 games (23 starts) in seven years with the Bengals, collecting 86 tackles and a pair of sacks. He also got into five postseason games, compiling another six stops. He topped 400 defensive snaps in 2019 and 2021 (Tupou opted out of the 2020 campaign), but he’s been limited to around 280 snaps over the past two seasons. Senat spent the past two seasons with the Buccaneers, collecting 18 tackles in 15 games.

Haynes, a former UDFA out of Old Dominion, signed a reserve/futures contract with the Texans in February. The defensive end suffered a quadriceps injury that will likely lead to an injury settlement, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.

Giants WR Darius Slayton Attends OTAs

May 28th, 2024 at 6:11pm CST by Ben Levine

While the Giants and Darius Slayton have yet to resolve the receiver’s salary concerns, it sounds like the player was at practice today. As Dan Duggan of The Athletic observes, Slayton was in attendance at Giants OTAs.

[RELATED: Trade Candidate: Darius Slayton]

Slayton was absent during the early portions of organized team activities as he pursues a new contract. The wideout re-signed with the Giants last offseason on a two-year, $12MM pact. He’s already earned a $2.6MM roster bonus this year, and he’s attached to a base salary of $2.5MM for the 2024 season.

GM Joe Schoen previously expressed optimism that the two sides would come to a resolution, and Slayton hinted that his camp was having conversations with the organization. However, since news first broke of Slayton’s contract pursuit, the Giants have only made it easier on themselves to move on from their top wide receiver. The team used the sixth-overall pick on LSU’s Malik Nabers, although Schoen did say the selection wouldn’t impact the front office’s handling of the Slayton situation.

While Slayton is apparently back at practice, his future in New York will continue to be murky until he signs an extension. The receiver has already been mentioned as a trade candidate, and even though the Giants couldn’t command a significant return for the veteran, they still might see some incentive in moving off his $8.15MM cap hit for 2024.

The former fifth-round pick has transformed into New York’s top receiver in recent years. Despite an inconsistent offensive role, the 27-year-old has still topped 700 receiving yards in four of his five NFL seasons, including a 2023 campaign where he finished with a career-high 770 receiving yards. While he’s sat atop the depth chart in recent years, Slayton would never be confused with a true No. 1 receiver, but the player could still justify a pay raise as a No. 2 wideout.

Cardinals Sign Round 1 DL Darius Robinson

May 28th, 2024 at 5:27pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cardinals are one step closer to completing their rookie signings. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cardinals have signed first-round defensive lineman Darius Robinson. The rookie inked a four-year, fully guaranteed $13.8MM deal.

[RELATED: Cards Sign Round 1 WR Marvin Harrison Jr.]

The Cardinals entered the draft armed with a pair of first-round picks. After selecting star wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth-overall pick, the front office used pick No. 27 on the Missouri defensive lineman.

Considering the unprecedented run on offensive players to begin the draft, Robinson was still one of the first defenders to hear their name called. The 22-year-old was the eighth defensive player off the board (and the sixth defensive lineman). This wasn’t a huge surprise considering the prospect’s breakout 2023 campaign. After establishing himself as a starter at Missouri in 2022, he took it to another level this past year, finishing with 14 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. For his efforts, Robinson earned a first-team All-SEC nod after the season.

The Cardinals’ 33 sacks last season ranked 30th in the NFL, so the organization is hoping the rookie can provide a spark. Likened to Arik Armstead, Robinson has the ability to play multiple positions on the defensive line, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he slots in at defensive end during his first season in the NFL.

With Robinson now signed, the Cardinals have two unsigned rookies: third-round running back Trey Benson (Florida State) and fourth-round safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (Texas Tech).

Rams Sign First-Round DE Jared Verse, Complete Draft Class

May 28th, 2024 at 4:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Rams entered Tuesday with only one draftee yet to sign his rookie deal. First-rounder Jared Verse is now on the books, however, per a team announcement.

2024 marked the first season of the Sean McVay era in which the Rams made a selection in the first round. Los Angeles was connected to a move up the board aimed at adding an offensive contributor. In particular, tight end Brock Bowers was a target, but no agreement was reached on that front. That left the team in position to bring in help on the other side of the ball.

Remaining in place at No. 19 in the draft order, the Rams added Verse as one of five edge rushers selected on Day 1. Two prospects – Laiatu Latu and Dallas Turner – were drafted slightly ahead of Verse at No. 15 and 17, respectively. The latter should nevertheless see plenty of playing time during his rookie campaign. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes this four-year pact (which will contain a fifth-year option for 2028) is worth $15.13MM and includes a $7.83MM signing bonus.

Verse put himself firmly on the first-round radar during his two-year career at Florida State. After transferring from FCS Albany in 2022, he thrived with the Seminoles. Verse totaled 18 sacks and 29 tackles for loss between 2022 and ’23, leading the team in sacks both years. Known for his strong run defense, those totals earned him first-team All-ACC honors as well. A number of teams showed interest in the build-up to the draft.

The Rams’ front seven was dealt a massive blow with Aaron Donald retiring. The future Hall of Famer’s absence will create a notable vacancy along the defensive interior in the pass-rush department and against the run. Verse will look to aid on both fronts along the edge while likely playing opposite Byron Young as a starter. He will have a familiar face alongside him with D-tackle Braden Fiske having been selected by the Rams in the second round.

Here is the final breakdown of Los Angeles’ 2024 draft class:

Bills GM Brandon Beane Addresses Stefon Diggs Trade

May 28th, 2024 at 3:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bills’ receiver room was positioned to undergo change during the early portion of free agency with Gabe Davis expectedly departing on the open market. Buffalo followed that up with the blockbuster deal which sent Stefon Diggs to the Texans.

The Bills originally intended to keep Diggs in the fold for at least one more season, viewing the 30-year-old as still being capable of producing like a No. 1. However, the Texans’ willingness to acquire Diggs (with a return including a 2025 second-round pick) changed Buffalo’s approach. The latter team took on a dead money charge of just over $31MM to move on from Diggs.

Buffalo could have spread that charge out over multiple seasons, but doing so would have limited the team’s spending power in consecutive offseasons. When speaking about the trade, Bills general manager Brandon Beane confirmed an upfront approach with respect to dead money was the team’s preference once the decision was made to move on from Diggs.

“A player of his caliber, you weigh a lot of things in those situations,” Beane said during an appearance on The Athletic Football Show (video link). “But ultimately, we just talked about the cap. I don’t need to go through all the reasons why we decided to go ahead and do that. I would say, from a cap standpoint, we decided just to go ahead and eat it now. We think we can compete and do what we need to do by eating it now. And not next year.

“Because if we didn’t, if we tried to come up with some way to split it up too many different ways, then now it’s just like that albatross hanging on your neck all year. You look at your cap and you’re going, ‘Look how much money we still have dead.'”

The Bills have added a number of new faces at the receiver spot this offseason, including Curtis Samuel, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins and Chase Claypool. After trading out of the first round, Buffalo also added Keon Coleman with a selection endorsed by quarterback Josh Allen. Those newcomers, along with returnee Khalil Shakir, will be counted on to replace Diggs and Davis’ production.

Of course, Diggs is now on track for free agency next offseason with Houston having removed the post-2024 years of his contract. The four-time Pro Bowler’s level of play with the Texans will be a key storyline related to this trade, as will its financial implications (or lack thereof, regarding future years) from the Bills’ perspective.

Saints DE Tanoh Kpassagnon Suffered Offseason Achilles Tear

May 28th, 2024 at 2:22pm CST by Adam La Rose

Well before the 2024 season, the Saints’ front seven has been dealt a blow. When speaking to media at OTAs on Tuesday, head coach Dennis Allen said defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon suffered an offseason Achilles tear.

Allen added Kpassagnon will miss at least the start of the coming campaign as a result of the injury. He did, however, leave open the possibility of a return at some point in 2024. The 29-year-old has spent the past three seasons in New Orleans, logging 10 starts in 40 games.

During that span, he has maintained a steady rotational role along the edge. Kpassagnon – who served as a full-time starter in 2020, the final season of his Chiefs tenure – has posted 4.0, 2.0 and 3.5 sacks during his Saints campaigns. He was in line to continue as a key depth contributor in 2024, but this injury will obviously delay his debut or keep him off the field altogether. Considering the Villanova product is a pending free agent, the timing of the Achilles tear is particularly problematic.

New Orleans ranked just 28th in the league in sacks last season, one of the reasons the team made a notable (albeit one-year) investment in Chase Young during free agency. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year is sidelined as he continues to recover from offseason neck surgery. Young is still on track to take part in training camp, though, something which will not be true of Kpassagnon. Cameron Jordan, meanwhile, is rehabbing from ankle surgery, and he is aiming to be available for the end of OTAs.

The Saints also have the likes of Carl Granderson (who led the team in sacks in 2023), along with 2021 first-rounder Payton Turner and 2023 second-rounder Isaiah Foskey in place along the edge. They will be counted on to help New Orleans try and take a step forward in terms of sack production in Kpassagnon’s absence. It will be interesting to see if the latter manages to return in time to see game action in 2024, or if his injury will linger through the campaign and hinder his free agent value.

Patriots, QB Drake Maye Agree To Terms

May 28th, 2024 at 1:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, three quarterbacks came off the board to begin the 2024 draft. Neither Caleb Williams nor Jayden Daniels have inked their rookie contracts, but that is now the case for Drake Maye.

New England came to terms with the latter on Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. Maye will now be under contract for the next four years, with the Patriots having the ability to keep him place for 2028 via the fifth-year option. This deal is worth $36.64MM, and KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson confirms it will include a signing bonus of just under $23.5MM.

Williams spent the pre-draft process as the presumptive No. 1 pick, and the Bears provided no surprise on draft night. Debate existed regarding the next tier of signal-callers, but by the time the Commanders were on the clock, Daniels was understood to be the team’s preference. That left the Patriots with a key decision at No. 3: select Maye, add a different prospect (quarterback or otherwise) or trade down.

In the lead-in to the draft, it became clear the Patriots were willing to listen on trade offers but the organization’s desired outcome (particularly on the part of owner Robert Kraft) was to stand pat and draft Maye. That ended up being New England’s ultimate choice, and as such the team has its next potential Tom Brady successor. Of course, all parties involved will be aiming for a better outcome than the Mac Jones era under center.

New England turned down considerable trade interest – specifically from the Giants and Vikings – to retain the No. 3 slot. Maye will therefore enter the league with considerable expectations, although he may not start right away. In anticipation of drafting a Jones replacement later in the offseason, the Patriots inked Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal including $6.5MM guaranteed. He and Maye are set to compete for the No. 1 gig this summer.

The latter had a strong sophomore campaign at North Carolina, throwing for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns that year. Maye’s production regressed last season, though, and his accuracy (66.3% completion percentage), yardage (3,608) and TD (24) totals dropped while his interceptions jumped slightly (from seven to nine). One of the younger signal-callers in a class which produced six first-rounders, Maye could begin his rookie campaign on the sidelines as he develops. He will nonetheless be expected to start relatively soon.

Here is an updated look at the Patriots’ draft class:

S Tony Jefferson Attempting NFL Comeback

May 28th, 2024 at 11:18am CST by Adam La Rose

Almost exactly one year ago, Tony Jefferson brought his playing career to an end. The veteran safety retired to begin a tenure in the Ravens’ scouting department. He has since reversed course.

Jefferson is now attempting to un-retire and play in the NFL this season, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. The 32-year-old has played nine seasons to date, including four years with the Cardinals from 2013-16. He established himself as a full-time starter during that span, and in 2017 he inked a four-year Ravens deal worth $34MM. Jefferson wound up playing 39 games with Baltimore, including 35 starts.

An ACL tear limited the former UDFA to just five games in 2019, leading to his release during the subsequent offseason. After being out of the game for 2020, Jefferson joined the 49ers late in the 2021 offseason, but he made only a pair of appearances. That was followed by a brief Ravens reunion, though he did not survive roster cutdowns in 2022.

That led to a Giants agreement as it gave Jefferson the opportunity to once again work under then-defensive coordinator Don Martindale. The Oklahoma product played nine games with New York in 2022, but he saw more time on special teams than defense. That will likely remain the case if/when he finds a new home for this comeback attempt.

The 2024 offseason has not been kind to the safety market, and a number of established contributors are still unsigned. Those players will no doubt have a leg up on Jefferson (who has 113 games, 9.5 sacks and four interceptions to his name) in terms of landing a contract this summer. It will nevertheless be interesting to see if the latter receives interest from the Ravens – thought to be in the market for a depth safety addition – or an outside team.

Steelers WR Quez Watkins Eyeing Starting Role?

May 28th, 2024 at 9:45am CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers have made a number of changes at the receiver position this offseason, and the departures of Diontae Johnson (traded) and Allen Robinson (released) has left plenty of playing time available. Quez Watkins is among the newcomers aiming to secure a first-team role this summer.

The 25-year-old spent his first four seasons with the Eagles, serving as a deep threat. Watkins’ best season came in 2021, when he posted 647 yards and one touchdown on 43 catches. The development of DeVonta Smith and the arrival of A.J. Brown cut heavily into his playing time, and his production dropped over the past two years. Pittsburgh could provide Watkins with a new opportunity, though.

“For me, when I saw they traded Diontae, it was a great opportunity to potentially be a No. 2 or whatever they want me to do,” the former sixth-rounder said (via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). “It’s a good opportunity to compete for that spot.”

Johnson consistently served as a focal point in the Steelers’ passing game, drawing no fewer than 87 targets in each of his five seasons with the team. Per his request, he was traded away, though, paving the way for George Pickens to operate as Pittsburgh’s clear-cut WR1 moving forward. The pecking order beyond that is in the air, with 2022 fourth-rounder Calvin Austin in place as a another returnee capable of logging first-team snaps.

Pittsburgh has added Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller this offseason; both of those veterans have worked with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith before. The team also used the draft as a means of adding a pass-catcher, selecting Roman Wilson in the third round. Watkins will be competing with each of those players for a starting position or at least a rotational role in the WR room.

Given the lack of established receivers already on the depth chart, the Steelers have been connected to another acquisition late in the offseason. Pittsburgh was one of the reported suitors for Deebo Samuel, but neither he nor fellow 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk is believed to be on the block anymore. The free agent pool includes the likes of Michael Thomas, Mecole Hardman and Hunter Renfrow, and the Steelers could look to sign one of them if they feel an addition is needed. For now, though, Watkins and the new arrivals will compete for roster spots and significant snaps.

Packers’ Jordan Love Expected To Approach Top Of QB Market?

May 27th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jordan Love entered the 2023 season having been handed the reins of the Packers’ offense despite his inexperience. With a bridge deal in hand, he delivered a strong second half of the campaign in particular, earning the team’s trust as a long-term solution under center.

The 2020 first-rounder posted a 96.1 passer rating in 2023, finishing second in the NFL with 32 touchdown passes. That production helped lead the team to the divisional round of the postseason, and it certainly helped his leverage at the bargaining table. Talks on a Love extension are ongoing, and an agreement can be finalized at any time.

Four quarterbacks reset the market last offseason, each signing monster second contracts. That quartet (Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts) were recently joined by Jared Goff on his new Lions pact. Any new deals for ascending or established franchise passers therefore come with the expectation they will carry an annual average value at or above $50MM. Despite Love’s relative inexperience, he too could be positioned to reach that plateau.

In a recent installment of The Insiders, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that it is a matter of “when” not “if” Love becomes one of the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks on his next contract. Colleague Mike Garafolo adds the Utah State alum is expected to wind up “in Burrow territory” regarding compensation (video link). The Bengals Pro Bowler sits atop the market with a $55MM-per-year deal, and it would certainly be noteworthy if Love were to sign a similar one.

The latter started only one game during his first three seasons in the league. Green Bay’s decision to move on from Aaron Rodgers paved the way for Love to take over, and his one-year extension took the place of his fifth-year option. That agreement could not be extended until May 4, but with that date having come and gone the parties are free to hammer out a long-term accord. If the Packers view 2024 as a preview of Love’s prime, a deal near the (current) top of the market could prove to be a sound investment.

This offseason is expected to see a fresh wave of mega-deals at the QB spot. Any or all of Dak Prescott, Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa could ink deals whose value is based on the contracts signed last summer and the historic jump in the salary cap witnessed in 2024. Waiting until after that has taken place could put Love in position to secure more on a deal (this offseason or later) than what the Packers could offer now.

On the other hand, the fact the 25-year-old has made only 20 combined regular and postseason starts (throwing 16 interceptions in that span) could give the team pause. Love endured growing pains early in the 2023 campaign, and his decision-making in certain playoff situations showed there is room for improvement in that regard. He is currently set to receive $11MM in 2024, but that figure will rise considerably once his next contract is in place even if the Packers manage a more modest agreement.

Green Bay has Sean Clifford in place as a backup quarterback, and the team selected Michael Pratt in the seventh round of this year’s draft. They will provide developmental options for years to come, but the Packers have already publicly endorsed a lucrative Love deal. When that is worked out – and the figures it includes – will be a key storyline to follow.

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