2024 June - Pro Football Rumors

Month: November 2024

Broncos Hire David Shaw

June 20th, 2024 at 10:17am CST by Adam La Rose

David Shaw has long been mentioned as a candidate to return to the NFL coaching scene, and he is now set to join a pro franchise for the first time since 2005. The former Stanford head coach is taking on a position with the Broncos, as first reported by Mike Klis of 9News. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

Shaw will hold the title of senior personnel executive. That is a different role than what he had interviewed for in recent years – the 51-year-old had been attempting to become an NFL head coach – but he will nevertheless face high expectations as part of Denver’s front office. Shaw’s arrival follows that of Cody Rager, who in January became the team’s VP of player personnel.

The Broncos hired Sean Payton during the 2022 head coaching cycle; their interview process included a meeting with Shaw. The latter was again on the radar of interested teams this offseason, interviewing with the Chargers and Titans for their respective HC vacancies. After being unable to land a role on the sidelines in the NFL, Shaw will now transition to an executive position allowing him to reunite with Payton. The pair worked together as assistants on the Eagles’ staff in 1997.

Shaw took over from Jim Harbaugh at Stanford in 2011, and he had a strong run as head coach through 2022. Compiling a 96-54 record and leading the program to three Rose Bowl titles, he drew praise for his pro-style offense. Shaw was away from coaching last season, and this gig will involve new front office responsibilities. Several members of the Broncos’ ownership group – including Greg Penner, Carrie Walton Penner and Condoleezza Rice – have longstanding ties to Stanford, and Klis notes general manager George Paton remained in touch with Shaw following his head coaching interview.

Now, Shaw will aim to offer insight on both pro and college personnel in Denver while serving in a different role than what he is familiar with. Success in the Mile High City could lead to further opportunities in Denver or renewed interest from around the NFL.

Jaguars To Sign WR Denzel Mims

June 20th, 2024 at 8:47am CST by Adam La Rose

Denzel Mims has not needed to wait long to find a new home. Shortly after being waived by the Steelers, the journeyman wideout is set to sign with the Jaguars, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Mims had been in Pittsburgh since early in the 2023 campaign, and while he did not see any playing time there the Steelers retained him via a futures deal. That allowed the 26-year-old the opportunity to carve out a depth roster spot in the team’s revamped receiver room, one which no longer features Diontae Johnson or Allen Robinson. With Mims unable to do so, Pittsburgh moved on from him earlier this week.

The former second-rounder failed to live up to expectations during his time with the Jets. Across three seasons in New York, Mims made just 42 catches for 676 scoreless yards. A trade to the Lions last summer appeared to open the door to a fresh start in a new setting, but he was unable to make Detroit’s roster. That resulted in an injury settlement followed by a lengthy stay on the Steelers’ taxi squad.

Jacksonville lost Calvin Ridley in free agency despite a willingness shown to re-signing him this offseason. His departure was countered by the additions of Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay, but it came as little surprise when another move was made at the position during the draft. The Jaguars selected Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round, and he is in line to occupy a notable role as a rookie alongside Christian Kirk.

Mims will now spend training camp aiming to earn a depth spot in Duval County. With a 16.1 yards per catch average, the Baylor alum could try to establish himself as a vertical threat, although Davis and Thomas have a similar skillset in that regard. In any event, the Jags will have another option to consider during training camp and the preseason with respect to filling out their receiver room.

Jets Optimistic About Haason Reddick Resolution; Summer Extension Unlikely

June 19th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Qualifying the second-most discussed no-show at Jets minicamp, Haason Reddick is still not seeing eye-to-eye with his new team. While Aaron Rodgers‘ absence last week garnered more attention, Reddick’s situation remains the lead item for a Jets team that gave up a third-round pick for the Pro Bowl edge rusher earlier this offseason.

Reddick is seeking a new contract, and while the Jets are open to taking this route, this does not appear the way the team wants to resolve this situation. It should be considered highly unlikely the Jets extend Reddick before the season, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello, who does not see any situation in which the team caves on this front this summer.

A report last week from ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini alluded to Jets GM Joe Douglas being hesitant to do extensions for players 29 and older or immediately extending recently acquired talent. Reddick, who will turn 30 in September, checks both boxes. While teams regularly have extensions ready for high-end players acquired via trade, the Jets are clearly aiming to avoid this with Reddick.

The team may not strictly view the former Cardinals, Panthers and Eagles edge rusher as a pure rental, but its actions thus far do not paint a picture of a club eager to extend this partnership beyond 2024. This differs from the paths the Giants (Brian Burns), Bears (Montez Sweat) and Dolphins (Bradley Chubb) took upon acquiring impact edge rushers via trade. Immediate extensions were authorized. Though, each player was at least two years younger than Reddick at the time those deals were finalized.

The Jets passed on paying Bryce Huff in free agency, but the team has bigger plans for Reddick — whom it views as a three-down player. The Eagles and Jets effectively swapped Huff and Reddick, though the latter is holding its new edge defender to his Philly contract (three years, $45MM) despite the Pro Bowler’s 50.5 sacks — with 13 forced fumbles mixed in — during the 2020s ranking fourth in the NFL. It will be interesting if Reddick attempts to further test the Jets by staging a holdout or if he shows up to training camp and does not practice, the new hold-in strategy.

Despite this unusual situation, Costello adds the sides are optimistic a resolution will emerge before training camp. Robert Saleh mentioned a conversation with the team’s new sack artist recently, and Costello indicates this situation differs from the bitter Jamal Adams contract talks that eventually produced a trade. Still, this is not exactly a good look for a Jets team that traded a Day 2 pick for a two-time Pro Bowler.

New York also unloaded dependable starter John Franklin-Myers to make room for Reddick’s contract, which sits tied for 19th among edges presently. Reddick will be expected to play the lead role in a group housing recent first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald. An incentive package that allows the team to avoid an extension may well be the way the sides finish this chapter. Should that happen, Reddick will be headed toward free agency in 2025.

Although the Jets would have exclusive negotiating rights with Reddick until next March’s legal tampering period, their present stance does not point to an about-face regarding an extension. Reddick entering this season without a new deal will present him as a rental piece, with a route to a fifth team more likely than not to emerge come 2025.

Zach Wilson In Uphill Battle To Be Broncos’ Backup QB?

June 19th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ahead of training camp, the Broncos have a quarterback who spent a season in Sean Payton‘s offense and another the team drafted in the first round. Zach Wilson looms as a wild card.

As Jarrett Stidham enjoys an advantage from spending 2023 in Denver and Bo Nix likely to start the majority (barring injury) of the Broncos’ games this season, Wilson sits in an unusual position. The Broncos and Jets agreed on a salary compromise to facilitate a trade finalized days before the draft, but the former No. 2 overall pick is not a lock to secure a spot on the team’s 53-man roster.

Stidham and Wilson may well be vying for one roster spot, and The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider notes the latter has some ground to close if he is to be Denver’s backup to begin the season (subscription required). The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel also views Wilson as in third place in this competition exiting minicamp.

In terms of arm talent, Wilson did reveal an advantage over the other two Denver QBs during on-field workouts. This has not exactly been the BYU alum’s issue during his NFL career, with a dazzling pro day leading to the Jets deciding to select him second overall and trade Sam Darnold. Wilson quickly revealed himself to be a poor decision-maker with inconsistent mechanics in New York, leading to multiple 2022 benchings and another demotion — for a player (Tim Boyle) Robert Saleh admitted was less talented — late last season.

Payton said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold) he does not have a hard deadline — before game week, that is — on deciding if Nix, Stidham or Wilson will be his Week 1 starter. A recent report pointed to the job being Nix’s to lose. Considering the Broncos’ investment in the recent Oregon standout, it would be stunning if the No. 12 overall pick was not in the lineup early in the season. As of now, Stidham appears to have the better shot among the veterans of delaying Nix’s debut.

Payton regularly kept two quarterbacks on his active roster in New Orleans, doing so before the NFL reimplemented the emergency third-QB rule. The league further increasing flexibility for teams regarding their QB3 spot keeps the door open for the loser of the Wilson-Stidham competition to end up on the practice squad. Though, select teams could certainly eye the competition’s odd man out for an active-roster role. Wilson would need to be exposed to waivers if cut, whereas Stidham is a vested veteran. If the Broncos waive Wilson, they would be hit with $2.7MM in dead money. This would obviously represent another setback for a once-coveted prospect.

The Broncos, of course, are in Year 1 of a record-setting dead money process stemming from their Russell Wilson release. A minor guarantee for Zach Wilson might not move the needle too much when Payton decides on his backup.

Stidham is attached to a two-year, $10MM deal, but just $1MM of his 2024 base salary ($4.49MM) is guaranteed. As a vested vet, Stidham will see the rest of that money become locked in just before the season. Denver trading one of the veterans, while adding another QB to be its emergency option on the P-squad, also would seem to be on the table. The preseason’s conclusion has been a trade window for many years.

Stidham or Wilson seeing significant playing time this year will mean something has gone wrong, as Nix is 24 and set the Division I-FBS record for quarterback starts. Training camp and the preseason will bring more important reps for Wilson, but after being paid to leave the Jets, the erratic talent — who arrived after the Broncos’ offseason program had begun — looks to be falling behind with his new team.

WR James Washington Eyeing Comeback, Drawing Interest

June 19th, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Ben Levine

After sitting out most of the past two seasons, veteran receiver James Washington is attempting a comeback. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Washington has received “multiple inquires” from NFL teams and could start auditioning for these squads soon.

The former second-round pick had an inconsistent role while playing on his rookie contract in Pittsburgh. He had a standout 2019 campaign when he hauled in 44 catches for 735 yards in 15 games (10 starts). Otherwise, he was limited to only 70 catches for 894 yards during his other three seasons with the Steelers (45 games). Washington also had some standout postseason performances, hauling in seven catches for 109 yards and one touchdown in two playoff appearances.

The injury issues started popping up after he signed with the Cowboys in 2022. He fractured a bone in his foot during that year’s training camp and only returned for a handful of snaps. After getting cut by Dallas towards the end of that season, Washington had brief practice squad or preseason stints with the Giants, Saints, and Colts. He was cut by Indy last August and didn’t join a roster for the entire 2023 campaign.

Washington has only seen the field for two games since the start of the 2022 campaign, and 2024 would represent his age-28 season. Still, Washington would provide a veteran voice to any receivers room, and the wideout would likely bring along some extra motivation as he looks to return from his injury woes.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/19/24

June 19th, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Signed: DT Prince Emili

Denver Broncos

Signed: LB Dondrea Tillman

New York Jets

Waived: OL Vitaliy Gurman

Pittsburgh Steelers

Waived: S Trenton Thompson

After winning a UFL championship with the Birmingham Stallions, Tillman will be joining the Broncos. According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, the linebacker will get a three-year deal from Denver that includes a $10K signing bonus. Monday was the first day that UFL players could officially join NFL teams, and Tillman’s agent, Marty Magid, told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette that his client received interest from a handful of squads before landing in Denver.

A former standout at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Tillman went undrafted in 2019. After spending the past two years in the USFL, he caught on with the UFL for the 2024 campaign and proceeded to have a breakout season. The linebacker finished the campaign with 27 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

Cowboys Work Out UFL DE Jonathan Garvin

June 19th, 2024 at 7:12pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a standout season in the UFL, Jonathan Garvin is attracting interest from NFL squads. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the defensive end worked out for the Cowboys today.

The former seventh-round pick out of Miami managed to stick on the Packers roster for the first three years of his career. His largest role came in 2021, when he got into about 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps while compiling 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His defensive snaps were cut in half during the 2022 campaign, and the lineman ended up getting cut by the Packers last July.

Garvin didn’t get an NFL gig during the 2023 campaign, but he ended up reemerging with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL. He had a productive season for the eventual league champs, finishing with 20 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

At only 24 years old, Garvin still has plenty of upside. The 6-foot-4, 257-pound defensive lineman would be hard pressed to earn snaps behind Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence, and it’s worth noting that the organization recently used a second-round pick on defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. If Dallas ends up adding the UFL standout, the player will likely be competing with the likes of Sam Williams, Durrell Johnson, and Viliami Fehoko Jr. for one of the final DE spots. Garvin’s experience on special teams provides him with an additional path to a roster spot.

Ravens WR Tylan Wallace On Roster Bubble?

June 19th, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

For the second-straight season, Tylan Wallace finds himself on the Ravens roster bubble. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes, the Ravens wide receiver will once again be competing for one of the final spots on the roster.

This isn’t the first time Wallace has found himself competing for his roster spot. Just last year, it seemed like the former fourth-round pick wasn’t going to last in Baltimore. After all, the organization had invested heavily in the position, adding veterans Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor along with first-round wideout Zay Flowers. With Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay also sticking around, there didn’t seem to be a clear spot for Wallace.

However, the wideout ended up pushing his way on to the opening day roster with a strong training camp and preseason. Unfortunately, that roster spot didn’t lead to production, as Wallace was limited to a single catch during the 2023 campaign. This followed his first two years in the NFL where he hauled in only six total catches.

Considering his lack of production, it’s not a shock that the 25-year-old once again finds himself on the roster bubble. This time around, Wallace doesn’t face as much competition. Beckham Jr. and Duvernay are no longer on the roster, and the team’s most notable addition at the position was fourth-round rookie Devontez Walker.

When we checked in on the position last month, we heard that Wallace could be a candidate to replace Duvernay as a returner. Wallace filled in for Duvernay briefly during the 2023 campaign, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after scoring a game-winning punt return touchdown. Zrebiec shares a similar sentiment about the player’s special teams prowess, especially with former All-Pro returner Deonte Harty away from OTAs and minicamp while dealing with a personal matter. Zrebiec notes that Wallace was an OTA standout for a second-straight year, with the writer estimating that the player led the Ravens in practice receptions.

With only a year remaining on Wallace’s rookie contract, the Ravens may simply opt for a younger player at the position. If that ends up coming to fruition, Wallace will surely get another chance based on his collegiate track record alone. The Oklahoma State product finished his college career having earned a pair of All-American nods.

Latest On Patriots G Cole Strange’s Knee Injury

June 19th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard last month that Cole Strange was expected to miss the start of the 2024 campaign as he recovered from a knee injury. We’ve now got more details on the injury that ended the former first-round pick’s 2023 campaign. ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes that Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee.

This helps provide some context to head coach Jerod Mayo‘s “month-to-month” comment from May. As Reiss notes, Mayo suffered the same injury towards the end of his playing career, so the coach’s estimated timeline is based on first-hand experience.

The Patriots raised some eyebrows when they selected the former UT-Chattanooga standout in the first round of the 2022 draft. While Strange managed to start all 17 of his appearances as a rookie, his Pro Football Focus grade still only ranked 61st among qualifying guards. He did take a slight step forward in 2023; in his 10 games, Strange was slotted in as the 26-best offensive guard in the NFL.

The Patriots were surely counting on Strange to take another step forward during his third year in the league, but his season debut will surely be delayed. Reiss notes that 2023 fourth-round pick Sidy Sow got the majority of the reps at left guard during spring practices. Sow started 13 games on the opposite side of the line as a rookie. Fortunately, the second-year player has plenty of experience playing on the left side of the line thanks to his time in college, and the lineman told Reiss that he’s appreciated his growing chemistry with expected starting LT Chukwuma Okorafor.

Troy Fautanu Likely To Enter Steelers Training Camp In Backup Role

June 19th, 2024 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

A few of this year’s first-round tackle draftees are being asked to change positions. Troy Fautanu had been rumored to be headed to right tackle, and the No. 20 overall pick confirmed that is where he expects the Steelers to slot him in his first NFL training camp.

Fautanu’s expected move to right tackle is part of an interesting plan for the Steelers, who are preparing to use a 2023 right tackle on the left side and pit two 2023 LTs against each other on the right side. After three years as the Steelers’ left tackle starter, Dan Moore Jr. is projected to switch sides to accommodate Broderick Jones‘ rumored LT move.

During Moore’s time at left tackle, the Steelers used back-to-back first-round picks to bolster the position. As the three-year starter heads into a contract year, he could be moving toward free agency from a backup role. That does not appear to be in the cards just yet.

Moore appeared far ahead of Fautanu during the offseason program, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes, while adding the veteran’s lead should be expected due to the experience gap (subscription required). But Fautanu will need to unseat a 49-start player. Pittsburgh’s Moore plan has been rather complicated, as the incumbent LT remained in his blindside post during OTAs. But the expectation remains he will move to right tackle.

The Steelers are certainly grooming Fautanu to start opposite Jones, who manned the left side for Georgia in 2022 before replacing Chukwuma Okorafor at Pittsburgh’s RT midway through the season. Rumors about Jones pushing Moore last summer emerged, but the former fourth-round pick held off the high-end prospect. The Steelers are believed to have viewed Fautanu as a superior prospect to Jones, so it will be interesting to see if the rookie can mount a strong challenge once the pads come on.

Harshly assessing Moore’s pass protection, Pro Football Focus slotted the Texas A&M alum outside the top 60 among tackles last year. The advanced metrics site charged him with eight sacks allowed; among tackles who started full seasons, PFF rated Moore as the worst pass protector. With one of this era’s most sack-prone quarterbacks (Russell Wilson) likely to start, this sets up as a shaky combination.

Moore, 25, is most likely playing his final season in Pittsburgh. With free agency in sight, this profiles as a pivotal position battle. Moore’s experience edge will matter, of course, but the position change stands to negate that to some degree. He has all of five NFL snaps at RT.

The fifth tackle chosen this year, Fautanu checked in as the No. 11 overall prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board. Fautanu spent the past two seasons as a full-time starter at Washington, including a 2023 campaign where he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He joins Joe Alt, JC Latham, Tyler Guyton, Taliese Fuaga and Graham Barton as first-round O-linemen set to change positions as rookies. Barton is moving from left tackle back to center; the others are flipping tackle spots.

As the Steelers’ Jones rookie-year plan showed, Moore beating out Fautanu in camp would not relegate the rookie to full-season backup duty. But Moore’s early lead here could also point to a developmental season for the team’s hopeful long-term RT.

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