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Month: November 2024

Packers To Continue Three-Way Kicking Competition In Training Camp?

June 16th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Rory Parks

Following kicker Anders Carlson‘s struggles down the stretch of the 2023 regular season and into the playoffs, the Packers signed Jack Podlesny to a reserve/futures deal in January and subsequently added veteran Greg Joseph in March. The trio remained on the roster throughout the offseason and engaged in what ESPN’s Rob Demovsky called an “intense three-way competition” this spring.

Per Demovsky, that competition could well continue into training camp, and it is a reflection of how poorly Carlson’s rookie season ended. A sixth-round draft choice last April, Carlson was essentially handed the placekicking job, as Green Bay did not even roster another kicker during last summer’s training camp. Although his season started out well enough, Carlson misfired on 10 kicks (field goals and PATs) over the final 12 games of the campaign, including the playoffs. That was capped by a devastating miss on a 41-yard field goal attempt in a divisional round matchup with the 49ers, which would have given the Packers a seven-point lead with a little over six minutes to play. Green Bay ultimately lost the game by a 24-21 score.

Carlson’s 87.2% success rate on PATs was the worst mark among qualified players in the 2023 regular season, and his 81.8% FG perecentage was a bottom-10 showing. That said, team brass clearly thinks highly of him, and he did perform well this offseason. Said head coach Matt LaFleur, “I think Anders had a pretty solid spring. I think all these guys have kind of had their moments, but I think particularly of late, he’s done a really nice job.”

Joseph, meanwhile, finished with an even lower FG success rate in 2023, converting at an 80.0% clip (though he did sink 94.7% of his extra point tries). He at least offers a fair amount of experience, having served as the Vikings’ primary kicker over each of the past three seasons and having also seen action with the Browns and Titans. His 82.6% career conversion rate on field goal attempts is uninspiring, and as Demovsky notes, the South Africa native has not kicked particularly well at Lambeau Field, connecting on just three of his seven career attempts at Lombardi Avenue. Nonetheless, he said he chose to sign with the Packers because he “liked the opportunity,” meaning that he believes he has a real chance to unseat Carlson.

The dark horse candidate, Podlesny, was signed by Minnesota as an undrafted free agent last year and actually engaged in a brief training camp battle with Joseph for the Vikes’ kicking job, a battle that Joseph obviously won. Podlesny signed with the Packers in the midst of his search for non-football jobs, and like Carlson, he also ended offseason work on a high note.

Podlesny acknowledged that he does not know what the Packers are planning for training camp with respect to their kicking situation, and LaFleur is playing it close to the vest as well.

“I think that’s to be determined, quite honestly,” LaFleur said at the end of last week’s minicamp. “We’ll see how it all plays out, and ultimately that’s going to be [GM Brian Gutekunst‘s] decision. But that’s something that we’ve certainly talked about.”

Seahawks Agree To Reworked Deals With Jarran Reed, Dre’Mont Jones

June 16th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Rory Parks

The Seahawks recently restructured the contracts of two of their starting defensive linemen, Jarran Reed and Dre’Mont Jones. While the goal of most such transactions is to lower a player’s salary cap charge, that was not the case with Reed, whose cap number actually increased from $6.34MM to $6.47MM.

Reed, 31, had one year and $4.47MM left on his current deal, along with $900K in incentives. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson details in a thread on X, Seattle took $530K of those incentives and added them to the contract’s base value, while also adding $510K in per-game roster bonuses. The incentive package was originally based on sacks and playing time, and the $370K of incentives that remain are based exclusively on sacks (Reed will earn $185K if he records eight sacks, and he will unlock the full $370K if he hits the 10-sack threshold).

Per Henderson, the goal of this modification was to add a small contractual sweetener for a player who saw significant snaps for the ‘Hawks last season and who appears to be an integral part of new HC Mike Macdonald‘s plans. Indeed, the performance of Ravens interior defender Justin Madubuike had a positive trickle-down effect on the rest of Macdonald’s Baltimore defense, and while no one expects Reed to replicate Madubuike’s 2023 performance, the club does hope he will continue to generate a strong interior pass rush.

Meanwhile, the reworked Jones deal did create considerable cap room for the Seahawks, who were just $1.1MM under the cap after signing their rookie class. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com details, Seattle converted nearly $10MM of Jones’ 2024 base salary into a signing bonus and added two void years to the deal. Those void years carry $4.9MM in cap charges, and Jones’ 2025 cap number increased by roughly $2.5MM to a whopping $25.65MM, but his 2024 number decreased by $7.4MM, which should give the team plenty of breathing room to operate throughout the summer and into the regular season.

Jones signed a three-year, $51MM deal with the Seahawks last March, the largest contract that the team had ever authorized for an external free agent. He did not play poorly, but he did underperform relative to expectations, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ 55th-best interior defender out of 130 qualifiers (eight spots behind the more modestly-priced Reed). Despite his categorization as an interior lineman, Jones did begin to see more action on the edge last year in the wake of the season-ending pectoral strain that Uchenna Nwosu suffered in October.

As Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times details, Macdonald moved Jones around the formation during minicamp and had the former Bronco line up with the outside linebackers and edge rushers as well as with the defensive tackles. One of the reasons for the Ravens’ success under Macdonald was his ability to generate a strong pass rush from veterans like Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, and he will attempt to coax the same production out of Jones.

“I think his skillset lends to trying to play a little matchup ball with him or setting another guy up,” Macdonald said of Jones. “He can do a lot of things.”

One way or another, Macdonald plans to rotate his defenders quite a bit, so the team is not expected to subtract from its perceived glut of D-linemen, a group that also includes first-round draftee Byron Murphy II. Now that the ‘Hawks are comfortably under the salary cap, there is no financial reason for them to do so anyway.

Bengals’ Tee Higgins Signs Franchise Tender

June 15th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Ben Levine

While there’s still uncertainty surrounding Tee Higgins‘ future in Cincinnati, the wideout is now locked in for the 2024 campaign. The wide receiver has signed his franchise tender, reports Kelsey Conway of Cincinnati.com.

With Higgins officially under contract for the 2024 campaign, the receiver is expected to be in attendance for the start of Bengals training camp. Higgins was a no-show at Bengals OTAs while his 2024 contract situation was unresolved, although he wasn’t subject to fines since he was unsigned. Higgins will now be tied to the $21.8MM WR franchise tag value for the 2024 season before hitting free agency (or potentially facing the same franchise-tag ordeal) next offseason.

While Higgins remains open to signing a long-term deal with the Bengals (per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), an extension is still considered a “longshot” (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The last we heard, the Bengals did not approach $20MM per year when they last negotiated with Higgins’ camp. The two sides haven’t resumed negotiations since they ended more than a year ago. The Bengals and Higgins have until July 15 to agree to an extension, although the organization’s history suggests there probably won’t be an agreement.

In the meantime, the likes of Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and A.J. Brown have reset the receiver market to plus-$30MM annually. Higgins is rightfully pushing to be among the highest-paid at his position, but with the Bengals navigating Joe Burrow‘s pricey contract and Ja’Marr Chase‘s upcoming extension, the team doesn’t have the financial wiggle room to retain Higgins long-term. We heard the Bengals were likely going to treat Higgins as a “rental” for the 2024 campaign, with the understanding that the two sides would part ways following the season.

Still, both Higgins and the Bengals can be relieved that they’re temporarily avoiding the drama. The issues started back in March. After being eligible for an extension for more than a year, Higgins requested a trade. While he never really talked back the impending divorce, he eventually acknowledged that he’d probably stick around Cincinnati for the 2024 season…a potential hint that he’d eventually blink and sign the franchise tender.

While Higgins hasn’t matched the same top-end production as Chase, he’s still put up big numbers as the Bengals’ number-two option. The former second-round pick averaged more than 1,000 yards per season through his first three years in the NFL. Thanks in part to Burrow’s injury and a hamstring injury that limited Higgins to only 12 games, the wideout finished the 2023 campaign with career-lows in receptions (42), receiving yards (656), and touchdowns (five). He’ll be looking for a rebound season in 2024 before hitting free agency next offseason.

Steelers GM Omar Khan Addresses Fifth-Year Option Decision On RB Najee Harris

June 15th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Steelers elected not to pick up Najee Harris‘ fifth-year option this offseason, leaving him on track for free agency in 2025. Pittsburgh’s lead back thus faces an uncertain future, but the door is open to an agreement keeping him in Pittsburgh beyond the coming campaign.

Harris would have been due $6.79MM in 2025 had the option been exercised, something the Steelers were once expected to do. Instead, his play this year will go a long way in determining his value on the open market. When speaking about the decision, general manager Omar Khan confirmed the Alabama product could still find himself in the team’s plans.

“It was a business decision that we had to make,” Khan said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan (h/t NFL.com). “But Najee’s awesome to have around here. Love Najee as a player and a person. Just because we didn’t pick it up doesn’t exclude us from doing something with Najee long term… We just felt right now that was the right decision for everyone. I love Najee. I’d love to have him here long term.”

The second-year general manager noted last summer that the nature of the modern quarterback market has a dramatic effect on roster-building at other positions. QB prices continue to rise, and running backs are prime candidates to be limited to rookie contract investments from a team perspective. That is the case for both Harris and Jaylen Warren at the moment, and the latter has proven to be an efficient backfield option in two years to date (5.1 yards per carry average vs. Harris’ 3.9).

Pittsburgh has a rather cost-effective QB room for at least one year, but new deals will be needed to keep Russell Wilson and/or Justin Fields in place for 2025 and beyond. Neither passer should be expected to approach the top of the position’s market on a Steelers re-up, but devoting additional cap resources to one or both would limit the funds available to retaining Harris. Running backs in general have struggled to land lucrative multi-year deals in recent years, and it would be interesting to see if team and player pursued a short-term agreement of some kind down the road.

A Harris re-signing would not come as a complete surprise, and Khan’s remarks confirm it will at least be considered. Plenty is still to be determined, of course, and how the Steelers value the running back position with Khan at the helm will be worth watching closely as the 2024 season unfolds leading into a potential Harris departure.

Extension Candidate: Evan McPherson

June 15th, 2024 at 8:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bengals front office has been busy and will likely continue to be busy throughout the calendar year. Wide receiver Tee Higgins has now signed his franchise tender and an extension by the deadline of July 15 is not looking likely. While not ideal, this does allow for the front office to turn their attentions towards other matters.

In addition to Higgins, seven other starters are entering contract-years: defensive tackle B.J. Hill, cornerback Mike Hilton, offensive tackle Trent Brown, tight end Mike Gesicki, safety Vonn Bell, long snapper Cal Adomitis, and kicker Evan McPherson. The team also has the extension of star wideout Ja’Marr Chase to concern themselves with. While Chase and some of the others may be a higher priority, McPherson may be the likeliest Bengal to receive the next new deal, according to Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network.

The reason McPherson is the likeliest candidate to next receive an extension is the precedents already in place. Morrison calls it “a textbook case of ‘when, not if.'” For one, the desire for an extension is mutual between McPherson and the team. Contracts for kickers are also extremely straightforward leading to the likelihood that any negotiations should be pretty cut-and-dry.

Long-term contracts for kickers range from three to five years. Only three players at the position, Harrison Butker (Chiefs), Jason Sanders (Dolphins), and Younghoe Koo (Falcons), are on five-year deals, and of the top 14 contracts in the league for kickers, only Graham Gano (Giants), Ka’imi Fairbairn (Texans), Chase McLaughlin (Buccaneers), and Dustin Hopkins (Browns) are inked for only three years. The other seven top contracts are all four-year contracts.

Those contracts also have a narrow range of value with the lowest annual average being $3MM (Hopkins) and the highest being $6MM, shared by Justin Tucker (Ravens) and Jake Elliott (Eagles). That leaves a pretty small range of options for the Bengals to find a deal for McPherson ranging from three to five years with an average annual value of $3MM to $6MM, unless the team is looking to make McPherson the highest-paid kicker in the NFL.

While McPherson has been impressive under his rookie deal in Cincinnati, the Florida-product is only the franchise’s third-most accurate kicker. The former Gator has an NFL field goal percentage of 83.9, converting 78 of his 93 attempts. He has missed six of 132 extra point attempts but showed improvement in that field last year, going 40 for 40 in 2023.

In his first two seasons, McPherson also showed an impressive accuracy from deep, making 14 of 16 attempts from 50+ yards. That accuracy did not quite translate from inside the 40-yard line, though, as he missed seven of 20 attempts from 40-49 yards and even a 20-29 yarder over those first two years. He showed improvement on the latter front in 2023, going a perfect 19 for 19 on any field goals under 50 yards, but his long-distance accuracy suffered as he missed five of 12 attempts from over 50 yards last year.

Despite his inconsistencies, McPherson has still been one of the league’s better kickers over his three years in the NFL. If the Bengals intend to reward his early success by making him the highest-paid kicker in the league, McPherson should expect a four-year deal worth around $25MM or $26MM.

Alternatively, if Cincinnati decides that he may not be due the same money as Tucker or Elliott, the team may opt to instead reward McPherson with longevity, giving him less per year over a five-year deal. A five-year, $25MM offer would be the biggest contract for a kicker in total value and would give McPherson the eighth-highest annual average. The team could meet somewhere in the middle with a five-year, $27.5MM deal that would make McPherson the highest-paid kicker in the league with the fourth-highest annual average.

The biggest area for incentivizing a signing will be in the guarantees. Tucker leads the way in that category with $14MM of is four-year, $24MM deal being guaranteed at signing. The Bengals could give McPherson less money while still rewarding him with a high guaranteed amount, if that’s the route they choose.

However they go about keeping McPherson around, there won’t be too much room for negotiations. The three- to five-year deal averaging somewhere from $5MM to $7MM per year is expected to come sooner rather than later. The team has set the regular season as a de facto deadline for getting extensions done, per Morrison, and there is an expectation that, should McPherson reach a deal before that deadline, it would come shortly after the deadline to extend Higgins a month from today.

Maxx Crosby Hopes To Finish Career With Raiders

June 15th, 2024 at 8:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

Maxx Crosby is on the books through 2026, and the Raiders’ recent actions suggest a desire to keep him in place for years to come. That sentiment is matched by the star edge rusher.

Vegas accelerated $6MM of Crosby’s compensation for 2024, adding $1.5MM in salary for the following season as well. He is set to carry big-money cap hits for each of the final three years of his contract as things stand, and it would come as no surprise if an extension were to be worked out down the road. That would allow the 26-year-old to meet his goal of remaining with the organization through the rest of his career.

“The guys who inspire me are the Kobe [Bryants] and the [Michael] Jordans; the guys that stayed at the same place and won in the same place,” Crosby said during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show (video link). “No offense to the guys like LeBron [James] and those dudes – I won’t give them some heat, but they took the easier road traveled and that’s not the way I look at it.

“So, I plan on being here for a very long time and I plan on winning here. You know when I signed that contract, I didn’t have any type of, you know, thought of leaving or idea of leaving. I feel like I’m going to be a Raider for life.”

Crosby signed a four-year, $94MM pact in 2022 and he ranks ninth in the league in terms of annual average value amongst edge rushers. He has proven to be a sound investment for Vegas so far, racking up 27 sacks across the past two seasons. He has led the league in tackles for loss (22, 23) both times as well and he remains on track to serve as the focal point of the Raiders’ defense for the foreseeable future. He was floated as a trade candidate in the event Antonio Pierce was not named head coach, but with the interim tag being removed this offseason that is now a moot point.

The three-time Pro Bowler should manage to move into third in franchise history with respect to sacks if he remains healthy in 2024. The top spot belongs to Greg Townsend with 107.5, so Crosby (52) has a long way to go in that regard. Townsend also holds the top spot for games played (174), but if Crosby has his way he could threaten that mark by staying in place for the duration of his NFL tenure.

CB Stephon Gilmore Open To Patriots Reunion

June 15th, 2024 at 6:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

A number of high-profiles defensive backs are still on the open market with minicamps now in the books. Several of those players are safeties, but the group of available cornerbacks includes Stephon Gilmore.

The 2019 Defensive Player of the Year was connected to a deal with the Panthers earlier this offseason, but no agreement on that front is considered imminent. Plenty of other suitors could emerge over the summer, either in the break between offseason programs and the start of training camps or even later following an injury. Gilmore intends to remain patient as a free agent at this point, and one outcome he would consider is a return to New England.

Following a five-year run in Buffalo to begin his career, Gilmore signed a five-year, $65MM deal with the Patriots. He spent four years with the team prior to being dealt to the Panthers. During that span, he earned three Pro Bowl invitations along with a pair of first-team All-Pro nominations and his DPoY nod. It remains to be seen if New England will pursue a reunion, but Gilmore publicly stated an openness to re-joining the team.

“You never know. I’ll weigh any options,” the 33-year-old said during an appearance at Tom Brady‘s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony (via MassLive’s Nick O’Malley). “This is a place that I played great ball, so just letting it play out how it’s gonna be.”

Gilmore played an injury-shortened season with the Panthers in 2021, but he has remained healthy since then. Between his campaigns with the Colts (2022) and Cowboys (2023), the South Carolina alum has totaled four interceptions and 21 pass breakups while logging over 1,000 snaps both years. He will provide starting-caliber play to any new (or familiar) team once he signs.

The Patriots’ cornerback room contains the likes of Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marco Wilson, Marcus Jones and Isaiah Bolden as things stand. The team currently leads the league in cap space with over $45MM available to spend. Gilmore’s price tag will of course depend on the interest shown by other teams, and he noted no serious contract talks with New England have taken place to date. If that were to change this summer, he could represent a notable late-offseason addition for one of his former squads.

NFL Contract Details: Rookies, Andrews, Shepard

June 15th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Ely Allen

Normally, the details of rookie contract signings don’t draw much note from the media. Most facets of the rookie contract are not up for negotiation, so by the book numbers don’t tend to interest the NFL world. Lately, though, NFL teams have gotten creative with how they deal with rookie deals, usually rewarding first- and second-round picks with guaranteed money.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 noted three second-round picks whose deals were reported recently. New Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil out of Michigan’s rookie deal will see the base salaries of his 2024 and 2025 seasons fully guaranteed and $897K of $1.5MM guaranteed from his 2026 salary. Dolphins rookie offensive tackle Patrick Paul from Houston will see similar guarantees. All of his base salary for 2024 and 2025 will be guaranteed along with $413K of his 2026 salary worth $1.42MM. Lastly, Cowboys rookie pass rusher out of Western Michigan, Marshawn Kneeland, will see his first two years fully guaranteed, as well. Kneeland will also see $322K of his 2026 base salary (worth a total of $1.42MM) guaranteed.

Here are some other details from recent contracts around the NFL:

  • We recently saw the Patriots grant center David Andrews a raise in a new extension. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe gives us further details on the new contract. He notes that Andrews was guaranteed $1.75MM of his $5MM for 2024. He also reports that the deal will reduce Andrews’ cap impact next year from $8.43MM to $6.68MM.
  • The Buccaneers recently signed former Giants receiver Sterling Shepard to a one-year, $1.38MM deal. Wilson of KPRC2 tells us that Shepard will be able to earn a $50K roster bonus if he’s on the active roster by Week 1 of the season. He’ll also have the opportunity to earn an additional $6,911 per game in active roster bonuses for a potential season total of $117,500.

Ravens S Kyle Hamilton Underwent Minor Surgery

June 15th, 2024 at 3:25pm CST by Ely Allen

One of the newest defensive stars to wear the purple and black, young Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton recently underwent a minor surgical procedure, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. The purpose of the surgery was to remove some “loose bodies” from the first-team All-Pro’s elbow.

Hamilton has a bit of injury experience in his short NFL career but not anything that has held him out for too long. Twice, knee injuries have flared up on a knee that bothered him at Notre Dame, as well. He also underwent surgery following his rookie season for an injury to the hand and wrist area. He missed a single game as a rookie as well as the final two games of the team’s most recent campaign, at which point Baltimore’s postseason qualification was already determined.

After a rookie season that saw Hamilton rank as the NFL’s top safety, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Ravens made Hamilton a major focal point of their 2023 defense. He started at safety alongside Geno Stone as Marcus Williams spent six of the team’s first nine games injured.

Realizing that they had three viable starters at safety, Baltimore began to take advantage of Hamilton’s versatility, deploying him all over the defense. According to PFF, Hamilton spent 301 snaps at safety, 465 in the slot, 236 in the box, five at cornerback, and even 58 snaps on the defensive line, very literally covering the gamut of defensive positions. With an increased responsibility, Hamilton still graded highly with PFF, ranking as the sixth-best player at his position in 2023.

With Stone now in Cincinnati, the Ravens may have to adjust how they utilize Hamilton this season. Hamilton and Williams will continue to start at safety. In order to deploy Hamilton how they did last year, though, the team will need to find another quality starter at the position. Fourth-year undrafted safety Ar’Darius Washington could be a solution. After two years in a mostly reserve role, Washington was expected to make a much bigger impact on the defense at nickelback in 2023, even earning his first career start before suffering a season-ending chest injury in Week 2 of the season.

After Washington, two rookies could potentially make an impact. The team drafted Sanoussi Kane out of Purdue in the seventh round of this year’s draft. While not too much of a ballhawk, Kane is a physical defender who can make an impact as a strong safety covering the run and tight ends.

There’s been more buzz, though, about undrafted rookie signee Beau Brade out of Maryland. Brade was projected to be an early Day 3 draft pick but somehow fell off the board altogether. Baltimore took advantage and signed him as a free agent. Brade boasts some versatility to be interchangeable at the safety and nickel positions and could push Kane and even Washington for a bigger role that allows Hamilton to roam like he did last year.

The recovery for Hamilton’s recent procedure is approximated at two to three weeks. While he’ll miss the remainder of any physical activities before the team’s summer break, the Ravens are confident that he’ll be back by training camp.

Jaguars Make Several Front Office Moves

June 15th, 2024 at 1:51pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jaguars have made a number of updates to their front office staff this week, per Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. These updates included five promotions, a move to different role, and one new hire.

John Stevenson, Ryan Stamper, Tyler Walker, Mickeel Stewart, and Holden McAbee are the recipients of the promotions. Stevenson has spent the past three years as a national scout for the Jaguars after six years in San Francisco. He’ll now serve as assistant director of college scouting. Stamper will take Stevenson’s old role of national scout after previously serving as director of player assessment. This will be his fourth season with Jacksonville after joining from Ohio State.

Walker, Stewart, and McAbee have all been promoted to college scouts. Walker has spent the last three years as a scouting assistant after time at Oregon. Similarly, Stewart was a scouting assistant, joining the team in 2022 after a little over a year at West Virginia. McAbee also moves up from a scouting assistant role he’s held for two years. He previously served as director of player personnel at Gardner-Webb University.

After 17 years with the Jaguars working in college scouting, Jason DesJarlais will become a pro scout. He joined the team in 2006 as a scouting intern before moving into a role as the BLESTO scout for the southeast and midwest areas. Prior to his time in Duval, DesJarlais was a special teams coordinator and defensive assistant at Yale.

The new hire in the group is Max Rosenthal. After a playing career as a fullback and tight end at Michigan State and Illinois, Rosenthal worked as an offensive and special teams quality control coach with the Illini, helping out specifically with the tight ends group. Now he makes his way to Jacksonville for a scouting assistant position, filling one of the roles vacated by Walker, Stewart, and McAbee.

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