Month: November 2024

Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb Agree On Extension

At long last, the Cowboys have a deal done with one of their contract-year cogs. The team has reached an agreement with CeeDee Lamb, ending his holdout.

Dallas is giving Lamb a four-year, $136MM deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. This gives Lamb a $34MM AAV, which puts him between Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown. The fifth-year Dallas standout is now the NFL’s second-highest-paid wide receiver. Lamb secured $100MM guaranteed on this deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This gives him considerable separation from Brown in terms of wideout guarantees.

[RELATED: Dak Prescott Not Setting Extension Deadline]

This comes after a Monday report indicated the Cowboys had again upped their offer. Making a few proposals over the past several weeks, Dallas had previously come in with a deal worth just less than $33MM per year. Lamb’s camp moved the team to this $34MM-AAV point, where NFL.com’s Jane Slater notes they have been for a while. Team Lamb did well to capitalize on the 2020 first-rounder’s monster season and the salary cap’s recent spike. The NFL now has five $30MM-per-year receivers, with the market moving many times after the ceiling did not budge in 2023.

The Cowboys were at $32.5MM for a while, per Slater, and then moved to $33MM per year. After an off-an-on stretch for a few weeks, this process gained steam beginning Saturday. Lamb is still finalizing language, per Slater. Barring a Randy Gregory redux, this contract should be done Tuesday. The Cowboys can waive the fines Lamb incurred during his holdout due to the receiver being previously tied to a rookie contract.

Lamb emerged on the Cowboys’ extension radar last year, but the team followed the Vikings in waiting. Jefferson created a gap between himself and the field with his four-year, $140MM pact, and he set the Lamb market in the process. The Eagles had given Brown a three-year, $96MM deal in April, with Lamb’s 2020 draft classmate topping that by a notable margin. The Cowboys were understandably hesitant to give Lamb a deal that make him the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, and a report soon indicated the Oklahoma alum was not mandating that. Though, he came awfully close on this deal — one that puts Dallas in a new guarantee sector regarding a non-QB payment.

The Cowboys came into camp with one of the more complex contract quandaries in recent NFL history. Dak Prescott remains unsigned, and Micah Parsons fully expects to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback when his payday arrives. The Cowboys may well table that to 2025, a prospect Parsons sounded fine with when he addressed the matter earlier this summer. This offseason represented Lamb’s window to cash in, and the Cowboys have their top weapon signed through the 2028 season.

The Cowboys’ previous WR guarantee high-water mark came in at $60MM — Amari Cooper‘s 2020 deal. The Eagles guaranteed Brown $84MM, and the Cowboys have signed off on Lamb bridging the gap to Jefferson’s record-smashing $110MM number.

It will be interesting to see how this contract is structured, as the Cowboys have escaped making good on a guarantee for a receiver in the recent past. But the team bent on its usual term-length preference by agreeing to a four-year Lamb re-up. The Cowboys generally prefer five- or six-year extensions, but the receiver market is flooded with high-end deals for three or four years. This undoubtedly factored into Lamb’s talks.

The Cowboys fully guaranteed Cooper $40MM and escaped needing to pay him the additional $20MM by trading him to the Browns in 2022. Lamb’s future contract factored into that decision, and while the Cowboys have seen the Cooper trade hurt their receiver situation as a whole, their 2020 first-rounder has dominated with Cooper in Cleveland. Lamb, 25, posted 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022 and then dropped a record-setting Cowboys showing. He led the NFL with 135 receptions last season, totaling 1,749 yards and 12 touchdowns in that banner campaign. It is difficult for a receiver to make a better case for a long-term payment, and Lamb’s camp took care of him months later.

Lamb broke Michael Irvin‘s single-season franchise reception record by 24 and eclipsed the Hall of Famer’s yardage record by 146. These new standards, of course, came in a 17-game season during an era that features higher pass-game usage and friendlier rules for offenses. But Lamb still submitted a statement season to prove worthy of a top-market extension. This now shines a brighter light on Prescott.

Dallas could have franchise-tagged Lamb in 2025, cutting into his leverage a bit. But the team’s hands are tied with Dak, who cannot be tagged or traded. Prescott has continued to say the right things regarding a long-term future in Dallas, but he holds leverage — which also includes a whopping cap number ($55.13MM) and 2025 dead money penalty ($40.13MM) if not extended — comparable to what Kirk Cousins possessed back in 2018. The Cowboys will have a difficult time extending Prescott, but less than two weeks before the regular season, they do have one of their pillars signed.

Lamb’s $17.99MM cap number, as Schefter reports a receiver-record $38MM signing bonus (which will spread out the All-Pro’s cap hits) is present in this accord, figures to drop on this deal. Though, the Cowboys now face the prospect of needing to give Prescott an NFL-record contract to pair with Lamb’s big-ticket deal — and Parsons’ future market-setting pact — or face an uncertain future at the game’s premier position.

Jones has encountered criticism for letting the Cowboys’ contract quagmire reach this stage. Lamb would have come cheaper had the Cowboys made an aggressive push to finalize a deal last year, though it is not exactly certain he would have checked in too much cheaper. Tyreek Hill was tied to a $30MM-per-year deal, leading the way entering this offseason. With Jefferson always poised to take the market toward or into the mid-$30MM-AAV range, Lamb — who, like Jefferson, is five years younger than Hill — would have always commanded a contract north of $30MM per year. That said, the Cowboys probably would not have needed to go to this guarantee place had they done a deal in 2023.

Questions also remain about the Cowboys’ auxiliary receivers beyond 2024, but they have their WR1 locked in. This follows the accords for Cooper, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin, keeping the Cowboys’ run of extending cornerstone receivers intact. Prescott, however, continues to test the organization here.

Titans To Trade QB Malik Willis To Packers

Malik Willis‘ Titans tenure will end after his third preseason with the team. Tennessee’s new regime will move on from the former Jon Robinson-era draftee.

The Titans are trading Willis to the Packers, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Tennessee will pick up a 2025 seventh-rounder from Green Bay. Two years remain on the former third-rounder’s rookie contract. Willis heads to a Packers team with some uncertainty behind Jordan Love.

Rumored as a potential first-round pick, Willis endured one of the more memorable draft-weekend slides in recent NFL history. As part of a maligned 2022 quarterback class, the Liberty product slid to No. 86. Willis’ performances with the Titans did well to justify the league’s hesitancy, even as high-profile draft gurus viewed him as a player who was bound for a first- or second-round draft destination. The Packers will take what amounts to a flier, given the trade compensation.

Willis competed with free agency addition Mason Rudolph for the Titans’ backup job this summer. Rudolph, who joined the team on a one-year deal worth $2.87MM, was believed to be in the lead. This will leave the Titans with a question regarding their third-string QB, as only Rudolph and Will Levis are now on the roster. But this cuts the cord on Robinson’s QB options — during an offseason in which Ran Carthon has made sweeping changes on offense.

With Levis also developing, Willis did not make too much sense on Tennessee’s roster any longer. Rudolph is in place as a veteran backup, and after Brian Callahan said the team would let the process play out through the preseason, the Titans figure to be in the QB3 market once the waiver wire presents options.

The Titans’ offense ground to a halt when Willis replaced Ryan Tannehill in 2022. The then-rookie completed just 50.8% of his passes, as Mike Vrabel turned to run-heavy game scripts when the former Auburn recruit was taking snaps. Willis went 1-2 as a Tannehill relief option that year and finished with 10- and 16-pass starts. After a 14-for-23 outing in a loss to the then-lowly Texans, Vrabel demoted him for Josh Dobbs, whom the Titans signed off the Lions’ practice squad late that season. Willis threw just five more regular-season passes as a Titan.

Willis, 25, came to Tennessee after two dominant seasons at Liberty. He finished with a 47-18 TD-INT ratio from 2020-21 at the mid-major program, after not beating out Jarrett Stidham at Auburn. Willis also posted 944- and 878-yard rushing seasons with his second program, totaling 27 rushing TDs. He will attempt to restart his development under Matt LaFleur.

LaFleur has not seen strong returns from Love backups Sean Clifford and seventh-round rookie Michael Pratt. Both struggled against the Broncos during the preseason’s second week, with LaFleur expressing disappointment (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) about that effort in a 27-2 loss. Willis will likely back up Love, Schefter adds, though it would stand to be challenging for that setup to commence immediately due to Clifford’s knowledge of LaFleur’s system. But the incumbent is undoubtedly on notice. The Packers used a 2023 fifth-round pick on Clifford and are now guaranteed to cut either he or Pratt — and that is only if the team keeps three passers.

NFLPA Nixes Emergency Third QB Rule

The NFL’s emergency third quarterback rule will still exist this season, but not in the form the league intended. The NFLPA will block the updated rule from taking effect, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

This offseason’s update was set to allow teams an unlimited number of practice squad elevations for a third quarterback, effectively giving clubs a player they could continue to stash on the practice squad before moving him up to gameday rosters without using waivers. The union will stand in the way of this. Doing so at this juncture certainly stands to affect teams’ roster decisions, as clubs have until 3pm CT Tuesday to set 53-man rosters.

Since the 2020 CBA revamped the practice squad, clubs have three elevations per player at their disposals. That means a practice squad player can be elevated to a gameday roster up to three times; this allows teams to get around the waiver process for a bit. The NFL sought to have an emergency third quarterback be eligible for elevation throughout the season. This would have given teams flexibility regarding QB depth charts.

Instead, the union is seeking to prevent teams from stashing QBs on practice squads throughout a season, Pelissero adds. The rule will revert to its 2023 form, which came about because of the developments in the 2022 NFC championship game. The NFL reintroduced the emergency QB rule during the 2023 offseason, after the 49ers saw their two dressed QBs — Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson — each suffer injuries.

The rule’s 2023 form stipulated teams could designate their emergency passer 90 minutes before kickoff. Teams must have their QB3 on their 55-man gameday roster, meaning the Saturday-afternoon deadline for transactions during game weeks will likely involve some quarterback moves. Though, teams now must be more strategic in how they set up their depth charts, as they must factor waivers into the equation once again.

After a player is elevated three times, he must be signed to the active roster. Teams would then need to cut their QB3s in order to move them back to practice squads, injecting risk for clubs aiming to carry just two QBs on their active rosters during the regular season.

Clubs may now be more open to carrying three quarterbacks on their active rosters, which would affect depth at other positions. The union understandably wants to see reserve QBs potentially have upward mobility elsewhere, via waivers, rather than be trapped as a third-stringer on teams who have designated them as the emergency option.

Cardinals Trade LB Cameron Thomas To Chiefs

With some extra depth at linebacker, the Cardinals are moving on from a former third-round pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Cardinals have traded linebacker Cameron Thomas to the Chiefs for a seventh-round selection.

While the Cardinals have tried to get creative with their usage of Thomas, he seemed destined to be buried on the edge depth chart in 2024. Zaven Collins and Dennis Gardeck are still expected to lead the positional grouping, and the team is also still rostering former sixth-round pick Victor Dimukeje, who outsnapped Thomas in 2023.

While fellow edge rusher BJ Ojulari will miss the entire 2024 campaign, Thomas was still facing an uphill battle toward playing time. The team added rookie Xavier Thomas in the fifth round, and the team is still hanging on to former bottom-of-the-depth-chart options like Jesse Luketa and Tyreke Smith. More moves are surely coming at outside linebacker, but today’s trade should provide some temporary relief in Arizona’s position room.

The Chiefs will be taking a chance on a player whose San Diego State performance made him a third-round pick in 2022. After finishing with three sacks as a rookie, the Cardinals were clearly counting on more from Thomas in 2023, with the OLB starting three of his 15 appearances. However, Thomas was shutout in the sacks category, and he finished with only 22 tackles while getting into about one third of his team’s defensive snaps.

The Chiefs will return a similar edge grouping in 2024, with George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, and 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah leading the way. Charles Omenihu and BJ Thompson are currently on PUP and NFI, respectively, so there could be a chance for Thomas to soak up some snaps in the interim.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/24

There have been plenty of posts today about a number of teams releasing and waiving players ahead of roster cuts. Here are the best of the rest of the minor moves for Monday:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Waived: DE Justin Blazek

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

  • Waived: DE Levi Bell
  • Released: C Mike Panasiuk

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Waived: CB Willie Roberts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Nelson was an effective swing tackle for the Lions in the past three years. While he wasn’t able to stick with the Giants, he’s likely to draw interest elsewhere in the NFL.

The Eagles like Sam a lot at safety, but with a number of veterans atop the depth chart, there wasn’t room for him on the roster. The team plans to retain him on the practice squad should he clear waivers, per Andrew DiCecco of 975 The Fanatic. The Buccaneers have similar plans with Isaac, Taula, and Wisdom.

RB Chase Edmonds Expected To Miss 2024 Season

Chase Edmonds won’t be playing for the Buccaneers this season. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, the Buccaneers will place the RB on IR before final cuts. Auman clarifies that Edmonds will indeed miss the upcoming campaign.

Last week, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told the media that the RB was expected to play in 2024. Edmonds had been sidelined since early training camp with an undisclosed injury. If Edmonds made the 53-man roster before landing on IR, he would have had to sit out at least four games. The Bucs could have also declared Edmonds as one of their two pre-cutdown IR stashes who are eligible to return in 2024. Instead, Edmonds’ only path to playing in 2024 would be via an injury settlement with the Buccaneers.

Edmonds was productive as an RB2 in Arizona to begin his career. This included 2020 and 2021 campaigns where he averaged 876 yards from scrimmage and 48 catches per season. He parlayed that performance into a two-year contract with the Dolphins, but he didn’t even make it through one season in Miami before getting shipped to Denver as part of the Bradley Chubb deal. Edmonds ultimately finished that 2022 season with 402 yards from scrimmage.

The running back caught on with the Buccaneers last offseason and was expected to serve as the team’s RB2. He missed four games towards the beginning of the year but otherwise served as Rachaad White‘s primary backup. Unfortunately for Edmonds, that role didn’t lead to much production, as the 28-year-old finished with a career-low 257 yards from scrimmage.

Edmonds’ role on the depth chart didn’t look nearly as secure heading into the 2024 preseason. The team added Bucky Irving in the fourth round, and the likes of Sean Tucker and Ramon Jefferson also found themselves climbing the ladder. Edmonds will now be the odd man out, although there’s a chance he sticks around on Tampa Bay’s IR for the entirety of the upcoming season.

Cardinals Cut 7 Ahead Of Deadline

The Cardinals parted ways with seven players today as they begin the process of working their roster down to 53 players. Per azcardinals.com writer Darren Urban and KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, those players are:

Released:

Waived:

Ojemudia and McKinley are the only ones of the seven to start games so far in their NFL careers. Ojemudia started 11 games as a rookie third-round pick out of Iowa in 2020. After experiencing a setback in 2021 on injured reserve, Ojemudia’s role in Chicago continued waning until he eventually found himself on the practice squad for the Rams last year.

McKinley, a former standout at Oregon, started two of 10 game appearances as an undrafted rookie for the Dolphins back in 2022. He spent part of 2023 on Miami’s practice squad.

Bears Waive 9 Players

The Bears, like everyone else, are working their way from 90 to 53 players this preseason. Bears senior writer Larry Mayer reported the latest roster cuts earlier today:

Waived:

Of note from this list is Carter, a seventh-round draft pick out of Southern in 2022. In Carter’s two season with the Bears, he has started two of 13 game appearances. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 notes that there’s expected to be significant interest in Carter on the waiver wire.

Johnson is the only other one of the nine to appear in regular season action. As a reserve defensive back last year, he appeared in nine contests, even notching an interception in a garbage time loss to the Chiefs.

Ravens Clear 8 Off Roster Ahead Of Deadline

Teams in the NFL are working to trim their rosters down to 53 players, and the Ravens are not exempt from the mass exodus. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley provided an initial list:

Released:

Waived:

Gage’s stay in Baltimore was a short, as he signed only three weeks ago. Gage put up back-to-back seasons over 700 yards in 2020 and 2021 with four touchdowns in each season and, in his lone season with Tampa Bay, Gage finished with 426 yards and a career-high five scores. A torn patellar tendon in 2023 training camp held Gage out for last year, and it seems his return to the field won’t come as a Raven.

Rigerman, Sharp, Simpson, and Walthour were all undrafted free agent signings in May and Ryan one from last year. Browning was an UDFA who originally signed in Buffalo and found his way to Baltimore afterwards.

Williams is an unfortunate name to see on this list. One of two cornerbacks Baltimore took in the 2022 NFL Draft, Williams has been struggling to find a role in the Ravens secondary despite ample opportunities to earn playing time with injuries to starters. In a group that now includes Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, rookie first-round pick Nate Wiggins, and Arthur Maulet up top, Williams was unable to make an impact in a rotation or depth role after two years with the team.

Eagles Release QB Will Grier, Three Others

The Eagles kicked off their first round of roster cuts by releasing four players today:

Will Grier was competing with Tanner McKee to be the Eagles QB3 behind Jalen Hurts and Kenny Pickett, but the former third-round pick will now look to resume his career elsewhere. Grier threw four interceptions in a pair of starts as a rookie, and he’s bounced around the NFL since getting cut by the Panthers ahead of the 2021 campaign. Since then, the QB has had stints with the Cowboys, Bengals, Patriots, and Chargers. The Eagles represented his sixth NFL team, and unless he lands on Philly’s practice squad, he’ll be searching for job No. 7.

Max Scharping was a former second-round pick by the Texans, with the lineman starting 33 of his 48 appearances with the organization. He appeared in 31 games with the Bengals between 2022 and 2023, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.