HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Contract Structure An Issue For Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase?

August 15th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

More than two weeks into training camp, Ja’Marr Chase has not practiced. The star Bengals wide receiver’s hold-in also included a missed practice this week, via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby. Two years, however, remain on Chase’s rookie deal. The Bengals have time here, as much as Chase wants to force the issue.

Although the Bengals could have waived fines had Chase staged a true holdout from the beginning of camp, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes the fourth-year wideout needed to show up to collect a $3.81MM training camp roster bonus. Rather than a holdout leading to fines scrapped (potentially) due to Chase being on his rookie deal, he would not have been able to recoup the bonus had he held out. Seeing as Chase has yet to cash in on a monster second contract, showing up for camp by Day 3 — when the bonus was due — was seemingly a non-decision.

More significantly, the Justin Jefferson contract has changed an already-booming receiver market. Chase wanted to wait for his college teammate to cash in, as it would stand to improve his terms, and the Vikings gave their All-Pro weapon a record-smashing $88.7MM guaranteed at signing and $110MM guaranteed in total. That has undoubtedly affected the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb negotiations and has likely bled into the 49ers’ talks with Brandon Aiyuk. Chase is younger than both and may end up the closest to Jefferson when these first-rounders are all signed.

Mike Brown said earlier in camp the Bengals view Chase as their second-best player and one the team would “bend over backwards” to sign, though the owner stopped short of saying an extension was likely this year. The owner/nominal GM alluded to no deal happening this year, but Chase is seemingly trying to force the team’s hand. The former No. 5 overall pick is tied to only a $1.1MM base salary (plus the aforementioned bonus) this year.

The Bengals exercising Chase’s fifth-year option, however, gives them two more years of control. Two other teams — the Eagles and Dolphins — broke with precedent by signing first-round receivers (DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle) to extensions with two years of control remaining, but the Bengals are more traditional in how they operate.

While the Bengals paid Joe Burrow a year early, most teams with franchise-caliber first-round QBs do so. The team waited until just before A.J. Green‘s fifth season to pay him back in 2015. The Bengals also relented on contract structure for Burrow, authorizing guaranteed salary beyond Year 1. The Bengals traditionally only include the signing bonus as a post-Year 1 guarantee, as Orlando Brown Jr.‘s 2023 agreement showed recently. They might need to make an exception for Chase, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano brings this matter up as one that will pertain to the negotiations with the three-time Pro Bowler.

The Bengals would rather address this matter in 2025, Graziano adds, and SI.com’s Albert Breer offers that Chase may ultimately be OK with that route as well. Lamb and Aiyuk will likely have second contracts by then, providing a clearer roadmap for the new market. The Bengals may need to find a guarantee compromise with Chase, as Jefferson’s numbers are out of step with the market. Lamb and Aiyuk, however, figure to provide a bridge between Jefferson’s fully guaranteed figure and the next-closest number (Tyreek Hill‘s $54MM).

Chase and Jefferson were communicating during the latter’s Minnesota negotiation, Breer adds, so it stands to reason the Cincinnati target will seek a similarly structured contract. The Bengals are one of the few teams who still proceed this way in terms of guarantees, and Graziano adds this has caused issues with players they have attempted to sign in the past.

A report indicating the team has bristled at the notion it will need to change its guarantee policy for non-QBs sets the stage for a complicated negotiation. While Chase’s rookie deal points to this showdown taking place in 2025, this issue will certainly come up as the team’s top weapon angles for Jefferson-level terms.

Bills Place WR Chase Claypool On IR

August 15th, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 15: As expected, the Bills have reached an injury settlement with Claypool, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. This will send the former second-round pick back into free agency, though the terms of the settlement will dictate when he can sign. This settlement will allow Claypool to play this season, but his stock has nosedived since some early-career promise.

AUGUST 13: Not standing out in a crowded Bills receiver competition, Chase Claypool will exit this derby early. Buffalo placed the big-bodied wide receiver on IR on Tuesday.

The Bills dropped Claypool from their 90-man roster and added wideout Deon Cain. The latter joins Monday addition Damiere Byrd among wideouts competing for back-end roster spots or practice squad gigs in Buffalo. Additionally, Buffalo placed quarterback Shane Buechele on IR. This move will officially bring Ben DiNucci onto the team’s active roster.

[RELATED: Marquez Valdes-Scantling On Bills’ Roster Bubble?]

This does not necessarily end Claypool’s season. Depending on the nature of his injury, the fifth-year receiver can catch on elsewhere and play in 2024 via an injury settlement. But Claypool’s career has trended in the wrong direction for a bit. He has not been the same player since his initial Steelers seasons, and the Bills will continue to look for players to round out their new-look wideout group.

A toe injury sends the 26-year-old target to IR. Assuming this is not a season-ender, the terms of a likely injury settlement will dictate when he can join another team. Though, ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg notes the former second-round pick has missed most of Buffalo’s training camp. The Bills, who made several free agent moves at this position during an offseason that featured Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis leaving, will now evaluate the likes of Byrd and Cain as part of an evolving receiver battle.

Buffalo added Claypool, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to its roster this spring. Hollins is believed to be on steady ground, while Samuel is a roster lock based on the terms of his contract. Khalil Shakir and second-round pick Keon Coleman also will be regulars for this Bills edition, leaving the rest of the contingent to vie for backup gigs.

Claypool, who signed with the team shortly after the draft, is coming off an unremarkable Dolphins season. That came after an unproductive Bears stint. The 238-pound Notre Dame alum topped 850 receiving yards in each of his first two years, catching nine touchdown passes as a rookie. Maturity issues have dogged Claypool, who still totaled 451 yards during a 2022 season in which he fetched the Steelers the No. 32 overall pick in a trade. The Bears could only land a late-round pick swap in a Dolphins deal last September. Claypool caught eight passes for 77 yards in 2023.

Aiming to be the Bills’ third-string quarterback behind Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky, Buechele sustained a neck injury that will take him out of that equation. A 2021 Chiefs UDFA, Buechele who played at SMU and Texas, Buechele joined the Bills’ practice squad in August 2023 and received a reserve/futures deal in January. DiNucci is now the team’s third-string option.

Chargers To Sign DT Teair Tart

August 15th, 2024 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Another team will give Teair Tart an opportunity. The Titans and Dolphins have now cut the veteran since December, but a new Chargers regime will sign off on another chance.

After a Wednesday workout, the Bolts are signing the veteran defensive tackle, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This will be Tart’s fourth NFL team. The Texans had claimed him following the Titans cut late last season. Tart did not need to clear waivers after his Dolphins exit, which will lead him to Los Angeles.

Despite the two recent cuts, Tart is coming off a season in which he registered a career-best (by a wide margin) eight tackles for loss. The former Tennessee nose tackle starter got there in just 13 games, split with the Titans and Texans, but has suddenly struggled to find his footing. The Dolphins released Tart months after he signed a one-year, $1.75MM deal. The Titans had waived him despite applying a second-round RFA tender in March 2023.

Undrafted out of Florida International, Tart started 36 Titans games from 2020-23. Shane Bowen‘s defense ranked first against the run in 2022, with Pro Football Focus ranking Tart as a top-25 interior D-lineman that season. This preceded the second-round tender, which the Titans also applied to then-center Aaron Brewer. Both players ended up in Miami, but the Dolphins — who had been pitting Tart and Benito Jones against one another for the NT gig — surprisingly moved on from the defender early and took on more than $500K in dead money.

The Chargers have not been particularly aggressive in staffing their D-line this offseason. After releasing Sebastian Joseph-Day late last season, the Bolts only added Poona Ford (one year, $1.79MM) and fourth-rounder Justin Eboigbe. Morgan Fox remains on the two-year deal he signed in 2023. Tart will attempt to carve out a role for Jesse Minter‘s defense.

Falcons Restructure Chris Lindstrom’s Deal

August 15th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

In March 2023, the Falcons made Chris Lindstrom the NFL’s highest-paid guard. The Pro Bowler remains second on that list, but multiple developments requiring additional funds have prompted Atlanta to adjust its top O-lineman’s deal.

The Falcons moved part of Lindstrom’s $12.5MM salary into a signing bonus, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. More specifically, Atlanta created just less than $9MM via this restructure, according to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, who indicates the team dropped Lindstrom’s base number to $1.3MM.

This is a common tactic that occurs dozens of times per year around the NFL, and the Falcons may not be done rearranging funds. They are bringing in Matt Judon‘s $6.5MM base salary and met with Justin Simmons last week. Atlanta came into Thursday with just more than $7MM in cap space, which sat 30th in the NFL. Jessie Bates‘ deal, Auman adds, could also be restructured to create 2024 cap space.

No extension is imminent with Judon, who is not planning to take Haason Reddick‘s path and stay away from his new team absent a deal. It would not surprise if Judon was a limited practice participant, however, as it is not yet known if the veteran edge rusher (32 today) received assurances his contract would be adjusted. As the Patriots went through an uncharacteristic spree of pricey extensions and re-signings, Judon’s deal went untouched. This naturally prompted frustration on the player’s part, and the Pats ended the saga — the New England part of it, at least — by collecting a third-round pick from the Falcons.

Simmons, 30, would not be expected to sign a lucrative deal. The four-time All-Pro remaining in free agency for this long effectively confirms he was unhappy with his market. Several safeties became cap casualties this offseason, with Simmons the most accomplished of the group. The rest of that lot found deals, however. It should be expected Simmons signs somewhere soon, and it probably will take more than the veteran minimum. He also visited the Saints, who are keeping tabs on the eight-year Bronco.

As for Lindstrom, he remains tied to the five-year, $102.5MM extension he signed last March. The contract runs through 2028. The two-time All-Pro will now see some money early, via this base-to-bonus conversion — one that certainly could precede other notable Falcons transactions.

Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson Could Miss Start Of Season; Latest On J.J. McCarthy

August 15th, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings’ big-picture plan features J.J. McCarthy targeting the likes of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. That vision is on hold, with the rookie out for the season due to meniscus surgery. Minnesota might not have all its skill-position pieces to open the campaign, either.

Hockenson sustained ACL and MCL tears in Week 16 last season. While Kevin O’Connell has classified the veteran tight end as ahead of schedule, it is far from certain he starts the season on time. The former Lions first-rounder remains on the Vikings’ active/PUP list, and ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert indicates the team setting its initial 53-man roster without its starting tight end included is in play.

Minnesota could shift Hockenson to the reserve/PUP list, which mandates a four-game absence to open the year. This route would prevent the Vikings from needing to use one of their eight regular-season IR activations. The Vikings could also go week to week with their top tight end, activating him from the active/PUP list and declaring him out to start the season. This would allow Minnesota to deploy Hockenson before Week 4, if he is ready, but he would take up a roster spot in that scenario.

Eight months have not even passed since Hockenson’s injury, and although players have recovered from late-season ACL tears in time for Week 1 (a certain former Vikings running back-turned-MVP comes to mind), teams regularly play it safe here. Hockenson signed a four-year, $66MM extension just before last season and was on track for a 1,000-yard showing before going down. The five-year veteran finished with 960 yards and five touchdowns, despite Kirk Cousins‘ midseason injury. Hockenson, 27, will be a critical piece of Minnesota’s Darnold-led offense upon return.

Darnold was expected to start to open the season, but McCarthy was unlikely to sit a full year. The Vikings now have no choice, and even though ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the rookie’s timetable could allow for a late-season re-emergence, it is unlikely the team takes this route. Given the investment in the Michigan prospect, it should be expected the team shelves him for his rookie year to protect him in the long term. McCarthy missing all of 2024 will make him the first Round 1 QB to do so in the common draft era (1967-present), per CBS Sports.

McCarthy’s timetable may not allow him to play with Aaron Jones, who signed a one-year deal worth $7MM in March. Jones’ year-to-year status may point him elsewhere by 2025, depending on how the longtime Packer’s Vikings season goes. Jones’ role will be interesting to monitor, as Green Bay consistently put him as the 1-A option in timeshares with Jamaal Williams and then AJ Dillon. Minnesota might have the same idea.

Ty Chandler is expected to platoon with Jones, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, with the team viewing this setup as an upgrade on its Alexander Mattison-dependent 2023 plan. That said, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer adds Jones is the unquestioned starter.

One of this era’s best running backs, Jones has never eclipsed 236 carries in a season; the former fifth-round pick has passed 200 totes just three times in his seven-year run. Williams and Dillon cut into the dual-threat talent’s workload, though Jones rarely left doubt about who the Packers’ most dangerous RB was. Jones will also turn 30 before season’s end and missed six games last season, so it would not surprise to see Chandler — a 2022 fifth-round pick who impressed late last season — carve out a decent workload in a Vikings effort to conserve their new starter.

Giants To Release DB Jalen Mills

August 15th, 2024 at 9:03am CST by Adam La Rose

Jalen Mills was placed on the non-football injury list in July, preventing him from taking part in the Giants’ training camp. The veteran defensive back is no longer in the team’s plans, but he could find a deal in advance of the regular season.

Mills is being released from the NFI list, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He adds the 30-year-old has now recovered from the calf strain he was dealing with, and as a result he could draw attention as a free agent. Once his release becomes official, Mills will be eligible to sign with an interested team (rather than having to clear waivers).

Beginning his career as a corner with the Eagles, the former seventh-rounder has also seen time at safety. Mills spent the past three seasons with New England, serving as a regular on defense. He saw his playing time drop considerably from 2021 to ’22 and then again last year, though. Mills quickly agreed to terms on a one-year Giants pact aimed at helping to fill the void created by Xavier McKinney‘s departure.

That contract only contained $468K in guarantees, so releasing Mills will not carry major financial implications for the Giants. The team’s attention will remain focused on finding a safety partner for Jason Pinnock in the starting lineup, an ongoing competition between Dane Belton and second-round rookie Tyler Nubin. Belton appears to have the have the inside track on a first-team gig, although plenty can change over the coming weeks.

Mills is a veteran of 106 games and 83 starts. He logged a 90% defensive snap share as recently as 2021, so he could be counted on to at least handle a rotational role in the secondary upon finding a new team. It will be interesting to see if his market takes shape right away, or if he will need to wait for roster cutdowns at the end of the month to determine his next move.

Patriots, Falcons Complete Matt Judon Trade

August 14th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

After their Michael Penix Jr. selection, the Falcons tried to trade back into the first round — for the purpose of acquiring a pass rusher. Atlanta is circling back here, doing so via trade. The NFC South team is set to resolve the Patriots’ Matt Judon issue.

The Falcons finalized an agreement to acquire Judon from the Pats, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. As New England has gone through with several pricey deals for veterans this offseason, Judon remains in a contract year and has expressed frustration. He would stand to fill a key need for a Falcons team short on edge rushers.

Atlanta is sending New England a third-round pick for the ninth-year edge presence, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This will bring an end to an offseason saga that had Judon at odds with the team’s new-look front office. The former Ravens draftee, who produced double-digit sack seasons in his first two Patriots years, is going into his age-32 season.

Both the Falcons’ top sack artists from last season — Bud Dupree, Calais Campbell — signed elsewhere this offseason, and the Falcons were unable to swing a deal that would have landed them one of this draft’s premier edge players. This has been an Atlanta issue for a long time now, as Thomas Dimitroff-era first-round investments Vic Beasley and Takk McKinley did not pan out. In Judon, the Falcons land a proven sack artist — albeit one coming off an injury-shortened season.

It will be interesting to see if the Falcons have a deal ready for Judon, as this otherwise could remind of the situation transpiring in New York. The Jets traded a conditional third-round pick to the Eagles for Haason Reddick but have been unable to bring him in, with a lengthy holdout transpiring due to a contract impasse. One season remains on Judon’s contract, which he attempted to upgrade during his final months in New England. No new contract is in place yet, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.

We heard earlier this week teams were calling on Judon’s availability, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports several teams discussed the pass rusher with the Pats. After signing off on several extensions and re-signings of Bill Belichick-era acquisitions, new Pats front office boss Eliot Wolf will move on in exchange for a Day 2 pick. This deal makes sense from both sides, as a rebuilding team will move a disgruntled 30-something in a contract year to a club suddenly readier to win thanks to Kirk Cousins‘ arrival.

A recent report indicated the Patriots made multiple offers to Judon; the ninth-year edge disputed this account. Those alleged offers were not believed to be extensions, and Judon watched the Pats pay other defenders (Christian Barmore, Kyle Dugger, Davon Godchaux) while leaving his contract untouched. The Division II product recently noted that, coming off a significant biceps injury that limited him to four games last season, he was not expecting to draw a top-market number. But he added that he is worth more than his current $6.5MM base salary.

This comes a year after the then-Belichick-led Patriots adjusted Judon’s contract, moving money from 2024 to 2023 and increasing the player’s guarantees last year. Judon could not hit the incentives included in that package, going down early. But the Pats did reward their 2021 free agent signing after he notched 12.5- and 15.5-sack seasons in 2021 and ’22.

Judon signed a four-year, $54.5MM deal as a 2021 free agent, joining the Pats as the team deviated from its M.O. and signed a host of veterans on a pandemic-affected market. The five-year Raven was by far the best of those signings, and the Falcons will bet on him bouncing back from the biceps tear.

Before attempting to trade into the middle of Round 1 for defensive help (specifically edge player Laiatu Latu), the Falcons had tried to obtain Montez Sweat at the 2023 deadline. They offered a third-round pick, but the Bears beat that by sending the Commanders a second. Dupree and Campbell each finished the season with 6.5 sacks before respectively leaving for Los Angeles and Miami. While Atlanta still rosters former second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie (six 2023 sacks), Judon offers an anchor-level presence.

Turning 32 on Thursday, Judon has four Pro Bowls on his resume. The first two came in Baltimore. In 2019, Judon compiled 33 QB hits and ahead of the Ravens franchise-tagging him in 2020. He finished with 28 QB hits during his most recent full season (2022), driving the third-round compensation for a player unsigned for 2025.

Although the Falcons famously passed on hiring Belichick as HC, they will hope one of his former finds can provide a boost for a pass rush that desperately needs it. Judon will now pair with D-line stalwart Grady Jarrett, who recently received full clearance following an ACL tear, for Raheem Morris‘ defense.

Jerod Mayo‘s team, meanwhile, is suddenly shorthanded on the edge. The Pats did, however, draft Keion White in the 2023 second round and re-signed Josh Uche this offseason. With Judon being a rare veteran Wolf did not extend, the Pats will prepare to use that third-rounder to help future squads.

J.J. McCarthy Undergoes Meniscus Surgery, To Miss 2024 Season

August 14th, 2024 at 10:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings did not look to be planning to start J.J. McCarthy to open the season, but their design of an extended onramp will change. After Tuesday’s news of the rookie quarterback’s meniscus injury, today’s surgery will entrench Sam Darnold atop Minnesota’s depth chart.

McCarthy underwent a full meniscus repair, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. As a result, the No. 10 overall pick will miss the entire 2024 season. Viewing this through a long-term lens, the Vikings will park McCarthy for his rookie year. This, of course, changes the Michigan product’s developmental path.

A full repair loomed as a possibility, and this situation has escalated after Monday reports indicated the rookie was dealing with knee soreness. Instead of McCarthy seeing important practice reps and taking over for Darnold at some point this season, this will keep the younger passer off the practice field. After never taking a quarterback in the top 10 prior to trading up for McCarthy, the Vikings will continue a streak of never having a first-year QB start in Week 1 (h/t Ed Werder).

Coming into the offseason, Minnesota had not given up on re-signing Kirk Cousins. But the sides did not see eye-to-eye regarding a vision or compensation, leading the six-year Vikings starter to Atlanta. That development turned this Vikes offseason into a scouting mission, with the team acquiring a second first-round pick as ammo for a trade-up. The Vikings did not end up using that Texans-obtained selection to climb up for a passer, but they made McCarthy the centerpiece of their first post-Cousins offseason. Darnold’s stopgap season suddenly becomes much more important — both for the Vikings and the former No. 3 overall pick.

Still just 27 despite going into his seventh season, Darnold has received extensive run as a starter. Despite backing up Brock Purdy throughout last season, Darnold’s start count sits at 56. While the former Jets draftee is 21-35 as a starter, he was tied to two franchises that did not have much support around him. The Jets bailed on Darnold to draft Zach Wilson in 2021, and then-Panthers HC Matt Rhule turned to Baker Mayfield via trade in 2022. Darnold received a late-season batch of starts with Carolina following Rhule’s ouster, but no starting role opened for the USC product in free agency last year.

The Vikings did offer one, signing Darnold on a one-year deal worth $10MM and outflanking the Broncos and Commanders — though, it is unclear how serious the other teams’ pursuits went — to add him. Being saddled with shaky situations, Darnold has struggled. He has never ranked higher than 25th in QBR for a season in which he took enough snaps to qualify. This could well be Darnold’s last shot, but the outlook has changed; the imminent threat to his starting job no longer exists.

Kevin O’Connell communicated with the veteran — before the team chose McCarthy — he would be the team’s season-opening starter. As teams rarely give first-rounders full seasons to sit and learn anymore, McCarthy was widely expected to see action this season. It now turns into a mid-career Darnold audition, and the presences of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson — when the tight end recovers fully, that is — present by far the best set of weaponry the QB has enjoyed (excepting 49ers practices) in his NFL career.

Still, this doubles as a tough blow for a Vikings franchise that has been unable to see a quarterback development project enjoy sustained success. Knee injuries have intervened early in Vikings first-rounders’ careers as well. A severe knee injury sustained during a 2016 preseason practice shelved 2014 first-rounder Teddy Bridgewater for nearly two seasons. Daunte Culpepper‘s starter run abruptly ended in 2005, when a knee injury provided a clear line of demarcation in the passer’s career.

Veterans — from Cousins to Case Keenum to Brett Favre — have delivered Minnesota its most success since Culpepper went down. The team is now relying on a player who has offered glimpses but one that also has not come close to delivering on his draft status. And McCarthy will need to wait until the 2025 offseason to resume full-scale preparations for his first regular-season snaps.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/24

August 14th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed: C Cohl Cabral
  • Waived (with injury designation): DE Shaka Toney

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Cabral joins the Cowboys after UFL stints in Birmingham and Michigan. He adds more depth to the team’s offensive line after the team lost Chuma Edoga in their first preseason game and saw Earl Bostick helped off the field today. Toney suffered a groin injury, leading to this injury waiver, but could return to the team should he clear waivers.

Powers-Johnson was on some concerning ground with how much time he had missed with a concussion, but the Raiders saw him return to practice today.

The 49ers are adding some significant depth on the defensive line in Williams, who has vast starting experience in the NFL. Cutting Turner could mean that the return of Dre Greenlaw may on a better timeline than expected.

Giants Trade DT Jordan Phillips To Cowboys

August 14th, 2024 at 8:55pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys are acquiring a division-rival defender, per NFL Insider Josina Anderson. Amidst injury troubles along the defensive line, Dallas has made the move to acquire Giants veteran defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tells us that Phillips’ departure will be accompanied by a pick swap, with New York sending a seventh- along with Phillips in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2026.

A former second-round pick out of Oklahoma, Phillips has spent most of his career in the AFC East. Drafted by the Dolphins, Phillips made 26 starts in his first three years with the team before seeing his playing time start to dwindle in Year 4. An outburst of dissatisfaction eventually led to Phillips’ getting waived by Miami.

Buffalo quickly picked up their division-rival’s scraps, claiming Phillips off of waivers. He played mostly as a rotation player with the Bills as he finished out his fourth season. In 2019, Phillips rewarded Buffalo for their faith in him, accompanying his nine starts that year with 9.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hits — all career-highs by a wide margin.

Phillips leveraged a career year into a three-year contract with the Cardinals. He was a full-time starter during his time in Arizona, but injuries limited him to only 18 games over two years. His limited playing time would lead the Cardinals to release him, allowing the Bills to pick him up once again. Phillips was eased back into a rotation as he continued to play through injuries in Buffalo, starting only one game in 2022. He made nine starts last season but continued to play on a rotational snap count throughout the year.

After briefly considering retirement, Phillips signed with the Giants this offseason. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tells us that New York has really liked what they’ve seen so far from some young defensive linemen like Elijah Chatman and D.J. Davidson, while Phillips had yet to make much of an impact this summer. Pat Leonard of the NY Daily News echoed this sentiment, claiming that it wasn’t very likely that Phillips was going to make their roster, so a pick swap was a nice consolation prize for a veteran free agent signing that didn’t pan out.

In Dallas, most of the injury issues have been coming at end. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports that regular defensive tackles Chauncey Golston and Viliami Fehoko have been moved to defensive end to cover for the absences, so it makes sense that the Cowboys were on the lookout for someone to help fill out the middle. With players like Mazi Smith, Osa Odighizuwa, and Carl Davis leading the position at the moment, Phillips provides some much-needed veteran, starting experience as a depth piece.

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