HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Rams, Matthew Stafford Reach Contract Resolution

July 28th, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 28: Stafford’s deal is now officially in place, per Garafolo’s colleague Ian Rapoport. $5MM has been accelerated from a future year into 2024, meaning he will receive $36MM this season. In addition, a guaranteed $4MM roster bonus has been added for 2025. Stafford has thus met his goal of acquiring new locked in compensation while also receiving a raise up front.

JULY 23: Rams head coach Sean McVay announced on Tuesday that an agreement has been reached with Matthew Stafford on a new contract. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback will be in attendance at training camp.

McVay did not go into specifics with respect to financial terms, but he noted (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo) today’s agreement is not an extension. As a result, Stafford remains under contract through the 2026 campaign. Only one more year remained on the pact with guaranteed salary, so this restructure presumably includes new locked in compensation.

It became known during the draft that Stafford was seeking guarantees beyond 2024. The 36-year-old delivered a healthy and productive season last year, putting to rest thoughts of a trade sending him out of Los Angeles or (for at least the time being) speculation about retirement. McVay confirmed Stafford would remain in place for the coming campaign atop the QB depth chart after the team’s postseason exit. That will be the case for 2024 and potentially beyond, depending on the structure of the new arrangement.

Stafford’s camp had been in communication with the Rams about a resolution, so today’s update comes as little surprise. The latest report on the matter indicated the longtime Lions signal-caller would not engage in a training camp holdout even if a deal had not been agreed to. That has now become a moot point, and team and player will turn their attention to the 2024 season.

The Rams’ youth movement at a number of positions led to lessened expectations last year, but Stafford helped guide the team to the wild-card round. Taking one or more steps further than that in 2024 would prove his $31MM salary to be worthwhile, and staying healthy would make today’s investment in his finances for 2025 and/or ’26 a reasonable decision as well. The details of today’s move will be worth watching for as the Rams prepare for life after Aaron Donald on the field and from a financial perspective.

5 Key Stories: 7/21/24 – 7/28/24

July 28th, 2024 at 4:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

With training camps opening around the league, a number of big-ticket extensions were finalized in recent days. Not every player eligible for a new deal has one in hand at this point, though, leading to a few high-profile holdouts. In case you missed any of the top developments from the past week, here is a quick recap:

  • Packers Extend Love, Clark: Green Bay’s first few training camp practices did not involve quarterback Jordan Love taking part as he and the team continued to negotiate an extension. Shortly after reports indicated progress was being made, the parties agreed to a four-year, $220MM deal. Love, 25, parlayed his strong second half showing from last year into an accord including a practical guarantee of just over $140MM which will keep him in place through 2028. The 2020 first-rounder now sits in a tie for the lead in terms of annual average compensation ($55MM). Prior the Love deal, the Packers finalized a three-year, $64MM extension with Kenny Clark. The latter is positioned to remain the focal point of Green Bay’s defensive interior, as he has been for much of his eight-year career. Clark earned his third Pro Bowl nod in 2023 after recording a personal best seven sacks, and continued production will be expected of him for years to come.
  • Dolphins Finalize Tagovailoa Extension: Hours before the Love deal was in place, Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins reached agreement on another QB mega-deal. Miami’s starter is set to collect just over $212MM in new money on his extension, one which is believed to consist of a three-year commitment in terms of guaranteed compensation. Tagovailoa is therefore set to remain in place through 2027 at a minimum as he aims to duplicate his 2023 success. While staying healthy for a full campaign, the 26-year-old led the league in passing and received his first Pro Bowl invitation last season. Miami will be counting on continued health and production under center while attempting to achieve more consistency on offense and take a step forward from last year’s wild-card exit. Tagovailoa will be a central aspect of those efforts for the foreseeable future.
  • Darrisaw Agrees To Market-Topping Vikings Deal: Two years remain on Christian Darrisaw’s rookie contract with the Vikings opting to pick up his fifth-year option this spring. Team and player worked out a long-term arrangement well before free agency, though, agreeing to a four-year extension worth $104MM. The $26MM AAV of the pact moves Darrisaw (who will collect at least $43.73MM in guarantees) to the top of the pecking order amongst blindside protectors. Penei Sewell’s Lions deal is the most lucrative tackle contract in the league, but Darrisaw will be counted on to remain a foundational member of Minnesota’s offensive core for the long-term future. The 25-year-old is on the books through 2029.
  • Jaguars Extend Campbell: Jacksonville worked out extensions for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen earlier this offseason, and cornerback Tyson Campbell became the latest to secure a long-term investment. The latter signed a four-year, $76.5MM extension, making him the highest-paid corner amongst those without a Pro Bowl appearance. Campbell has been a full-time starter during his three years as a Jaguar, and his ball production from 2021-22 helped his value considerably. The 24-year-old struggled in coverage last year in particular, but the team has nevertheless ensured he will remain a key member of the secondary for the long-term future. The Jags are aiming to bounce back from last season’s second half collapse, and Campbell’s performance in 2024 will go a long way in determining their success in that regard.
  • 49ers’ Williams, Cowboys’ Lamb Staging Training Camp Holdouts: A few veterans have elected to skip the beginning of their respective teams’ training camps and incur daily fines along the way. Haason Reddick (Jets) is one of them, as is 49ers left tackle Trent Williams. Three years remain on the latter’s contract, but he is now seeking a raise. Williams, 36, has performed as expected during his four San Francisco campaigns, earning first-team All-Pro honors each of the past three years. The future Hall of Famer is due over $77MM over the next three years, but none of his remaining salaries are guaranteed. CeeDee Lamb, meanwhile, has followed through on his expected approach of skipping camp until he secures a monster extension. Dallas has other financial priories, but getting Lamb on the books at or near the top of the WR market is a key one. The Cowboys have a new offer in place, so a resolution could be reached soon.

Broncos To Eliminate One QB From Starting Competition

July 28th, 2024 at 3:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

During OTAs and minicamp, the Broncos allowed all three of their quarterbacks to take reps with the first-team offense. Each of returnee Jarrett Stidham, trade acquisition Zach Wilson and first-round rookie Bo Nix continued to spend time with the starters during the opening week of training camp, but that three-man race will soon be thinned to two.

“The rotation has been pretty consistent,” head coach Sean Payton said (via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette). “I think that will begin to change a little bit as we get into the next week and a half to two weeks… We’ve kind of been in this pretty consistent pattern and I think it’s hard for that to stay the same throughout all of camp.”

Giving additional reps to the Week 1 starter is a logical approach, although Payton and his staff have not given a firm indication of which signal-caller is the likeliest to start the season atop the depth chart. What is known at this point, to no surprise, is that Nix will not enter the year as QB3. The competition for at least a backup role will thus come down to Stidham and Wilson.

The former has familiarity with Payton’s system dating back to last year, leaving him ahead of the latter in the pecking order. Indeed, Tomasson notes Wilson is the likeliest to drop out of the rotation once a switch is made. The 24-year-old failed to establish himself as a starter with the Jets, ultimately finding himself being dealt to the Broncos for a swap of Day 3 picks. Indications from last month pointed to Wilson having ground to make up on Stidham, and the limited opportunities both have had so far would make it unlikely a signficant change has taken place in that respect.

Wilson would need to clear waivers (unlike Stidham) if he were to finish camp at the No. 3 spot. Going that route would create $2.7MM in dead money, a consideration which could allow Wilson to remain on the 53-man roster. Recent rule changes have, on the other hand, made it easier to elevate passers from the practice squad to the emergency third-string role on gamedays. That could sway Payton to carry only two passers and stick with Nix and Stidham (in one order or the other) during the fall.

Plenty of time remains before the Broncos’ preseason schedule, something which will offer another opportunity for the team’s QB competition to be evaluated. By that point, only two contenders will likely still be in the running for the Week 1 nod.

QB Ryan Tannehill Received Interest, Not Actively Seeking Deal

July 28th, 2024 at 1:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ryan Tannehill is one of the free agents who did not manage to find a new home at the start of training camp. When speaking about his situation, the veteran quarterback confirmed interest was shown earlier this offseason, but nothing is currently imminent.

“Nothing really felt right through free agency and through that, I had a lot of peace with it,” Tannehill said on The Athletic’s Scoop City podcast (audio link). “Nothing outstanding jumped up, so I just said, ‘Hey, I’ll take a step back, and if something comes up on down the road.'”

The 36-year-old was a consideration for the Steelers once they hired Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator. Pittsburgh ultimately committed to Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, though, and Tannehill has not been connected to any suitors since then. While he is open to landing on a new team, he is not urgently seeking out a landing spot for the 2024 campaign.

“Whether that’s training camp, maybe a guy goes down on a team and [the team] gives me a call, you never know what’s going to happen,” Tannehill added. “But at the same time, [I’m] not waiting on pins and needles for that call, right? I’m enjoying where I’m at, enjoying where my feet are at, where my family life is. If something comes up, then fantastic, I’ll jump wholeheartedly into it. But at the same time, [I’m] not clearly just waiting on that.”

The former Dolphins first-rounder spent six years in Miami, topping 4,000 yards twice before being slowed by injuries and traded to the Titans. Tannehill’s lone Pro Bowl nod came in 2019, and he enjoyed three campaigns as the team’s starter after that season. As expected, though, second-rounder Will Levis took over starting duties after Tannehill was sidelined midway through last year and remained atop the depth chart after he was healthy.

Tannehill will not be back in Tennessee, a team which signed Mason Rudolph in free agency and still has 2022 third-rounder Malik Willis in the fold. Many other teams around the league are essentially set with respect to the top two spots on their QB depth charts, even if competitions for the starting gig will take place over the coming weeks. As a result, an injury or unforeseen drop-off in performance may be needed for Tannehill suitors to emerge.

It very much remains to be seen what he will end up doing between now and the start of the campaign. Tannehill’s comments demonstrate he is comfortable without a deal in hand as things currently stand, however, so no updates to his situation should be expected for the time being.

Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke Does Not Expect To Remain On Roster

July 28th, 2024 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Parks

When the Falcons made the surprising decision to select quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, Taylor Heinicke’s hold on a roster spot suddenly became quite tenuous. Before the draft, Heinicke accepted a substantial pay cut to remain on the team as the presumptive backup to marquee free agent acquisition Kirk Cousins, though the Penix pick obviously altered expectations in a big way.

Penix worked with the third-team offense in minicamp, but the Falcons have always expected him to serve as the QB2 behind Cousins this year. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that Penix has flashed in the early stages of training camp, and that the club plans to keep two signal-callers on the roster with a third on the taxi squad. As such, Heinicke believes his stay with his hometown team is unlikely to last much longer.

“Yeah, I kind of see the writing on the wall,” Heinicke said after last night’s open practice. “It’s nothing that I haven’t been through before. So, I accept my role in any case. My role, for me, and what I think is to help Kirk any way that I can. If he has any questions. Same thing with Mike. Sometimes the game is fast. Sometimes everything is fast for rookies.”

Heinicke has 29 regular season starts in his NFL career and has compiled a 13-15-1 record. That includes a 1-3 mark with the Falcons last season, when he was promoted to the starting job in the wake of Desmond Ridder’s struggles. He completed 54.4% of his passes for 890 yards and five touchdowns against four picks, which amounts to a subpar quarterback rating of 74.7.

Still, Heinicke is just one year removed from signing a two-year, $14MM contract, a notable deal that underscores his value to an NFL club. While he is obviously not a bonafide QB1, he can at least keep a team afloat for a few games should that team’s starter be forced to miss time.

Ledbetter says Cousins will not take part in any preseason games. He suggests that Penix, Heinicke, and UDFA rookie John Paddock could be utilized in the exhibition contests, but assuming all goes according to plan, Atlanta may ultimately seek to deal Heinicke.

Now that Heinicke’s base salary has been reduced to $1.21MM, the Falcons could theoretically find a taker for an experienced backup on an eminently reasonable contract. The team could also cut Heinicke, but given the minimal cap savings such a transaction would yield, Atlanta may be better served by keeping him on board as a veteran mentor for Penix.

Cowboys Release Gareon Conley; CB Plans To Retire

July 28th, 2024 at 12:07pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have released cornerback Gareon Conley, per a team announcement. The club just signed Conley in June in the hopes that the 2017 first-rounder — who last suited up for regular season action in 2019 — could make a comeback in Dallas, where he would be reunited with Paul Guenther (Guenther, currently a Cowboys assistant, was the Raiders’ defensive coordinator from 2018-19, when Conley was a starter for the then-Oakland outfit).

Rather than continue his journey back to an NFL roster, Conley has decided to retire, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. As Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports, Conley requested his release, and the Cowboys obliged.

Conley, now 29, played in just two games for the Raiders in his rookie season in 2017 due to injury, but he was elevated to the starting lineup the following season, the first year of Jon Gruden‘s second stint with the club. The Ohio State product played reasonably well in his first extensive professional action, earning an average 64.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and accumulating three interceptions — including one pick-six — among 15 passes defensed.

He remained a starter in 2019 and performed at a similar level, which was enough for the Texans to send a third-round choice to the Raiders at that year’s deadline to acquire Conley’s services. However, it was not enough for Houston to exercise his fifth-year option, which turned 2020 into a platform year. Unfortunately, instead of making his case for a lucrative second NFL contract, Conley never got into another meaningful game.

He underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery in the 2020 offseason, and though he was medically cleared to return to practice that August, he landed on IR before the season started. As it turned out, the ordinarily minor procedure led to unexpected complications, and Conley eventually required another surgery.

Conley filed a grievance against the Texans stemming from his medical issues, a matter that was recently settled for $100K. He officially exits the game after having played in just 31 contests (26 starts), though he did earn $10.5MM over the life of his rookie deal.

We at PFR wish Conley the best in retirement.

Eagles’ James Bradberry Suggested Move To Safety, Discusses Roster Status

July 28th, 2024 at 11:32am CST by Rory Parks

Back in March, we learned that the Eagles were planning to retain cornerback James Bradberry, who is under club control through 2025. However, in light of Bradberry’s struggles in 2023, the additions of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in the draft, and the reinstatement of Isaiah Rodgers from a gambling suspension, Bradberry’s place on the roster does not seem to be a sure thing.

Bradberry, who is entering his age-31 season, yielded a massive 114.3 QB rating on passes thrown in his direction last year, and Pro Football Focus ranked him as the 100th-best corner out of 127 qualified players. It had been reported that Philadelphia was toying with the idea of moving the 2020 Pro Bowler to safety on a full-time basis, and we now know that the player himself suggested the change.

When speaking to reporters at training camp this week, Bradberry said, “of course, I didn’t have the best season. Going into my ninth year, I know they signed Isaiah Rodgers as well. Of course, he wasn’t able to participate at the time when I requested [the move to safety] but I knew eventually, he was probably going to end up being on the team. We had a lot of young guys at corner in the room anyways, feel like it was lighter at safety” (via Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia).

Bradberry approached DC Vic Fangio about the move to safety, and Fangio was receptive, although the celebrated defensive mind cautioned that the cornerback-to-safety transition is not necessarily as seamless as many believe. And while the Eagles do indeed have a number of young CBs on the roster, a starting safety job is not presently available, with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship entrenched in the first-team roles.

As Zangaro observes, Bradberry has been taking reps as a second-team safety in camp. He has spoken with GM Howie Roseman, and though he would naturally prefer to start somewhere, he has not requested a trade.

“Nah, I was going to let Howie handle that,” Bradberry said. “We had a conversation and right now, I’m still on the team. And while I’m still on the team, I’m going to try to find my role. If they want to get rid of me, they’re going to get rid of me.”

He further acknowledged the uncertainty of his 2024 home by adding, “I’m on the team right now so I’m taking it day by day. In the NFL, you never know. I could be traded, I could not be traded. I’m preparing for anything.”

The Eagles may prefer to keep Bradberry to see if he can adapt to the safety position and perhaps make himself useful as a multipurpose defensive back in a Fangio defense that prizes versatility, especially since his trade value is likely quite low (and Bradberry was, after all, a Second Team All-Pro in 2022). If the Eagles were to find a trade partner, they would clear out a minimal $1.21MM in cap space.

DeAndre Hopkins Addresses Future With Titans

July 28th, 2024 at 10:38am CST by Rory Parks

After the Cardinals released him in May 2023, five-time Pro Bowl wideout DeAndre Hopkins remained unsigned for nearly two months. While he garnered plenty of interest, he later acknowledged that his market did not develop as expected in terms of the value of the offers he received, and he ultimately signed a two-year, $26MM contract with the Titans last July.

Prior to last year’s trade deadline, outside interest in Hopkins was reportedly limited, as he had struggled to make much of an impact in the Ryan Tannehill-piloted offense, and other clubs were reluctant to take on the balance of the receiver’s contract. When big-armed rookie Will Levis took over for Tannehill, Hopkins began to find his footing, and while he still slogged through some underwhelming games from a statistical standpoint, he ultimately finished his first Tennessee campaign with 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven TDs. His 14.4 yards-per-reception rate was his highest mark since 2017, when he was a First Team All-Pro with the Texans.

It is reasonable to expect an improvement on that showing in 2024, as the Titans have made a concerted effort to support Levis and take pressure off of Hopkins. The club signed Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd this offseason, and while Treylon Burks and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine remain on the roster (for now), they will not be relied on as heavily as they were in 2023 given the quality of the offseason additions. Those maneuvers, along with expected growth from Levis, could help Hopkins land another big-money deal in the near future, even though he turned 32 in June.

If he had his druthers, Hopkins would prefer that his next contract come from the Titans. During his media availability at training camp last week, Hopkins spoke about owner Amy Adams Strunk and the franchise as a while.

“I love Tennessee, and I love what Miss Amy is doing,” Hopkins said (via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website). “I think this is the happiest I’ve been in any organization, so let that speak for itself. (I like) how Miss Amy runs things. It’s a great place to be. She is putting pieces together to try and win, and it’s exciting.”

It does not sound as if negotiations between player and team have taken place, though there have been some internal discussions among Tennessee decision-makers. 

“He’s one of the guys that’s on our team, and we’ve talked about a number of guys on the team to have those conversations,” GM Ran Carthon said of Hopkins. “And so D Hop knows how we feel about him, and I think that’s a big thing, especially for a veteran at this stage of his career. I think the way he’s shown up here, the way he’s bought into a new staff, kind of shows how he feels about us and what we have going.”

Obviously, those comments do not make it sound as if a new deal is imminent, and Carthon may wait until the 2025 offseason to evaluate Hopkins’ future with the team. Still, it appears that the club has reciprocated, at least to some degree, Hopkins’ interest in extending the relationship.

Due to the void years present in Hopkins’ current contract, the Titans would be saddled with a roughly $6MM dead money charge if they do not re-sign him.

Raiders HC Antonio Pierce In No Hurry To Name QB1

July 28th, 2024 at 9:11am CST by Rory Parks

Once the Raiders exited the 2024 draft without a new quarterback in tow, it became clear that 2023 fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell and free agent acquisition Gardner Minshew would compete for the starting job. Despite Minshew’s more extensive experience and the fact that he signed a notable contract with Las Vegas this offseason – two years, $25MM – head coach Antonio Pierce said back in March that the road to the QB1 post would go through O’Connell.

Following mandatory minicamps in June, O’Connell seemingly still had a slight edge over Minshew, with the understanding that training camp would serve as the definitive test. As Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the competition between the two passers is real, and O’Connell continues to acquit himself nicely. Per Breer, the second-year pro carried himself like a starter throughout spring practices, played well, and won the trust of the club’s veteran core, including wideout Davante Adams (who appears to have had a say in the Raiders’ 2023 decision to bench veteran Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of O’Connell).

That said, Pierce has walked back his March comments just a bit, noting that there is not yet a leader in the Minshew-O’Connell race and that he is not in a hurry to name a starter.

Pierce said he would make his decision, “when it’s right, when it’s obvious…[when] it’s a no-brainer. No need to rush it. But when it’s clear, when it’s evident, then you need to make that decision” (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez).

Obviously, those comments offer nothing by way of a timeframe, and it is fair to expect the competition to carry over into the preseason slate. In the meantime, Minshew and O’Connell will presumably continue splitting first-team reps.

O’Connell, who will turn 26 before the start of the 2024 campaign, struggled with turnovers early in his time at the helm in 2023 before settling down in that regard; over the course of his final six games, he posted a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The Raiders relied on a ground-heavy attack during that time, but the Purdue alum offered enough to suggest he could develop into a starting-caliber option. Increasing his 202 passing yards per game average to an extent would be necessary to achieve that, of course.

The 28-year-old Minshew, by contrast, is more of a known commodity. The former Jaguar and Eagle joined the Colts last offseason to reunite with Shane Steichen, who served as Minshew’s offensive coordinator in Philadelphia over the 2021-22 seasons before accepting Indianapolis’ HC post in February 2023. That move proved to be an important one for player and team alike since Anthony Richardson spent much of his rookie campaign on the sidelines due to injury. Minshew logged 13 starts and threw for a career-high 3,305 yards last season, nearly leading Indianapolis to a postseason berth and earning a Pro Bowl invite in the process.

In the poll of PFR readership that we published earlier this month, nearly two-thirds of the voters predicted that Minshew would win the starting gig.

Steelers GM Omar Khan On Trade For WR: “Nothing Ongoing Right Now”

July 28th, 2024 at 7:56am CST by Rory Parks

While the Steelers have a talented young pass catcher at the top of their WR depth chart in the form of George Pickens, the team would surely like to add an established wideout to play opposite Pickens outside the numbers. Offseason acquisition Van Jefferson is presently the favorite to fill that role, though the fact that he was signed via the veteran salary benefit supports the notion that he was originally viewed as a depth piece (as our Sam Robinson wrote at the time of the signing).

Mark Kaboly of The Athletic said last month that it would demonstrate “a lack of awareness and urgency if [the Steelers] don’t add a legit No. 2 [wide receiver] before the season starts.” Since Kaboly penned that opinion, however, Pittsburgh has not made any additions to its cadre of receivers, and it does not sound as if a trade is in the offing.

Just a couple of days ago, GM Omar Khan said that there’s “nothing ongoing right now,” with respect to a wide receiver trade, as ESPN’s Brooke Pryor relays. The Steelers were reportedly interested in the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel this offseason, and with Samuel’s teammate Brandon Aiyuk having formally requested a trade and staging a hold-in, plenty of speculation has swirled around a potential Aiyuk fit in Pittsburgh as well (indeed, Aiyuk himself suggested that the Steelers are one of three teams he could envision himself playing for in 2024).

At this point in the calendar, a trade is the only sure way to land a legitimate starting talent at most positions. The free agent market for receivers is topped by Hunter Renfrow (who is more of a slot option) and Michael Thomas (who has not turned in a healthy, productive season since 2019). Obviously, a trade can come together at any time, so the fact that Khan is not in active discussions with other clubs right now does not mean that Pittsburgh will enter the season without a more intriguing option to line up across from Pickens.

Until that happens, Jefferson will continue trying to fend off the likes of Quez Watkins, Scotty Miller, and Marquez Callaway. Third-round rookie Roman Wilson and 2022 fourth-rounder Calvin Austin III  are the top competitors for reps in the slot.

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