HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/3/24

September 3rd, 2024 at 6:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills 

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

  • Removed from IR via injury settlement: DE Viliami Fehoko

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Seattle Seahawks

  • Removed from IR via injury settlement: DL Buddha Jones

Tennessee Titans

  • Waived: LB Luke Gifford
  • Removed from IR via injury settlement: WR Tre’Shaun Harrison

The Eagles waived Tuipulotu to make room for waiver claim Byron Young. Tuipulotu had worked as an Eagles rotational DT, playing 232 snaps in 2022 and 162 last season. A 2021 sixth-round pick, Tuipulotu notched two sacks and three tackles for loss last season.

Early September is a bit earlier than most teams poach a player of another club’s P-squad. The Panthers doing so means they must carry Swinson, a rookie UDFA out of Arizona State, on their 53-man roster for at least three weeks. Panthers tight ends Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas are battling injuries. Swinson joins those two, veteran Jordan Matthews and rookie fourth-rounder Ja’Tavian Sanders on a rare five-TE depth chart.

Seahawks Meet With WR Kadarius Toney

September 3rd, 2024 at 6:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

No team claimed Kadarius Toney‘s contract following his Chiefs exit, sending the former first-round pick to free agency. Unattached for just more than a week now, Toney is on the workout/meeting circuit.

The Seahawks are the first team to give the 2021 draftee a look, with ESPN’s Field Yates indicating the wideout’s Seattle meeting took place Tuesday. Given the talent Toney has flashed at points during an inconsistent career, it is unsurprising he is drawing interest.

Of course, Toney has undercut his occasionally electric displays with unreliability. The Chiefs had hoped to groom him as a No. 1-level wide receiver in 2023, having traded third- and sixth-round picks for the Florida alum before the 2022 deadline. While Toney made important contributions in Super Bowl LVII by reeling off the longest punt return in Super Bowl history and scoring a touchdown on a poorly defended goal-line play, he finished last season with just 27 receptions for 169 yards and one touchdown.

Toney, who infamously committed an offside infraction to negate his would-be go-ahead TD against the Bills, underwhelmed to the point the Chiefs’ passing attack performed better with the shifty WR off the field. Kansas City finished last season with Toney and Skyy Moore out of the mix. Toney took issue with his deactivations, with a memorable rant surfacing hours before the AFC championship game. The Chiefs made Toney a healthy scratch for Super Bowl LVIII.

Andy Reid said Toney remained in the team’s plans despite his criticism of management, and a running back experiment ensued at training camp. Kansas City, however, has not seen Rashee Rice incur a suspension yet and added old friend JuJu Smith-Schuster shortly after his Patriots release. The Chiefs kept seven wideouts, carrying Marquise Brown on their 53-man roster rather than stash the free agency addition on IR, but did not find room for Toney. The Chiefs brought Justyn Ross back on a practice squad deal but did not retain Toney.

Seattle has a clear-cut top three at receiver, carrying the Tyler Lockett–D.K. Metcalf tandem into a sixth season and having first-rounder Jaxon Smith-Njigba going into Year 2. UDFA Jake Bobo showed promise as a rookie as well, to the point the Seahawks waived 2021 second-round pick Dee Eskridge. Free agency addition Laviska Shenault and 2022 seventh-rounder Dareke Young round out Seattle’s receiving corps.

A practice squad opportunity may also present itself at some point for Toney, as it would surprise to see him remain in free agency for too long. Though, the injury-prone talent squandered an opportunity in Kansas City. His stock has dropped considerably as a result.

Panthers Release OLB K’Lavon Chaisson

September 3rd, 2024 at 4:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

K’Lavon Chaisson‘s time with the Panthers is set to come to an end without any regular season game time. The former first-round edge rusher was released on Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Chaisson played out his rookie contract with the Jaguars, unsuccessfully attempting to carve out a regular role on defense. The 25-year-old logged 11 starts across his first two seasons in Jacksonville, but his playing time notably dropped after that point. With only five sacks to his name, Chaisson understandably did not have a strong free agent market in the spring.

Carolina added him on a one-year deal including $500K guaranteed. The team will see that amount become a dead money charge as a result of this move, but it will generate $2MM in savings. The Panthers are thin along the edge as things stand, with D.J. Wonnum and Amare Barno being placed on the reserve/PUP list last week. They will miss at least the first four weeks of the season.

The Panthers were tight against the cap heading into Tuesday, and this move will help in that regard. Carolina was already known to be on the lookout for an edge rush addition before cutting Chaisson, so a move for a healthy contributor should be expected in the coming days. At the moment, the team has Jadeveon Clowney, DJ Johnson, Eku Leota and Jamie Sheriff in place.

Chaisson could remain in the Panthers’ organization via a practice squad deal. Otherwise, he will seek out a new team in advance of Week 1 as he looks to find the opportunity for a long-term NFL gig. Given the LSU product’s rotational usage on special teams, he could land an end-of-the-roster role somewhere in relatively short order.

49ers Place WR Ricky Pearsall On NFI List

September 3rd, 2024 at 3:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 3: General manager John Lynch said (via Barrows) the bullet which hit Pearsall did not strike any ribs, a factor which allowed him to be hospitalized for such a brief period. Lynch added he expects Pearsall to be available at some point during the 2024 campaign. That will not be possible until Week 5 at the earliest, but any regular season action would of course be a welcomed development.

SEPTEMBER 2: Ricky Pearsall will, to no surprise, be sidelined for at least the first four games of the regular season. The 49ers’ first-round rookie was placed on the non-football injury list Monday, as noted by ESPN’s Nick Wagoner.

Pearsall was the victim of an attempted robbery on Saturday and he suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. The 23-year-old was in serious but stable condition in the aftermath of the incident, and none of his vital organs were hit. In an encouraging update yesterday, Pearsall was discharged from hospital.

His recovery will now continue from home, but the 49ers will proceed with caution in terms of getting him back on the field. Pearsall – who had already missed considerable time in training camp and the preseason due to hamstring and shoulder injuries – will be sidelined for a notable period before being eligible to make his regular season debut.

As Matt Barrow of the Athletic notes, returning Pearsall from the NFI list to the active roster will count as one of the eight activations San Francisco has during the campaign. Those activations are generally meant for players placed on injured reserve before or after roster cuts.

The 49ers’ receiver depth chart is set with Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings in place to once again lead the way at the position. Pearsall’s selection on Day 1 of the draft came amidst trade talk surrounding Aiyuk and Samuel, although both are now under contract beyond 2024. Pearsall should occupy a rotational role once healthy, and with Samuel a potential trade candidate next offseason, he could step into a starting gig in 2025.

In a corresponding move, the 49ers signed offensive tackle Brandon Parker to the active roster. The former Raider is a veteran of 59 games and 33 starts, and he is positioned to take on the swing tackle role for Week 1. Jaylon Moore is on track to start at left tackle for San Francisco due to Trent Williams‘ ongoing holdout. The future Hall of Famer is on the reserve/did not report list while talks on a contract resolution continue. An agreement could be coming soon, but for at least the coming week Parker will likely be counted on as key depth up front.

Latest On Patriots’ QB Situation

September 3rd, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Drake Maye impressed during his first summer in the NFL, but Jacoby Brissett will handle starting quarterback duties for the Patriots to start the year. A change in the pecking order midway through the campaign would still come as no surprise, though.

[RELATED: Recapping Patriots’ Offseason]

Brissett signed a one-year deal in free agency to operate as an experienced option in New England’s post-Mac Jones QB room. The team turned aside considerable interest for the No. 3 pick, selecting Maye and in doing so making him the central figure in their offensive plan. Head coach Jerod Mayo praised Maye’s performance in training camp and the preseason, but leaning on Brissett early on will allow New England’s O-line and receiving corps to develop without Maye on the field.

With that said, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports it is considered a matter of “when” and not “if” Maye takes over at some point relatively soon in the 2024 season. The North Carolina product entered the league as one of the younger signal-callers in his draft class with plenty of mechanical adjustments being deemed necessary. Mayo said Maye “outplayed” Brissett in the build-up to his starter’s decision (a comment he has since walked back to an extent), and he left the door open to a quarterback change depending on how Brissett starts the year.

The 31-year-old made three appearances with the Commanders last season, but his most recent first-team action came in 2022. Brissett served as the Browns’ starter to begin the campaign while Deshaun Watson was suspended, working under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt during that time. Overall, he has racked up 48 starts in his career, one which began with New England in 2016. The former third-rounder served as a full-time starter twice with the Colts, but most of his recent campaigns have seen him primarily handle backup duties.

Signs still point to that being the case once again in 2024, particularly if Brissett were to struggle during his first few starts. Maye is under contract through 2027 at a minimum, whereas Brissett is a pending free agent. The latter thus has plenty at stake for the coming campaign, but how long he remains atop the depth chart will be an ongoing question once the season kicks off.

Saints RB Alvin Kamara Prepared To Pause Contract Talks Until 2025

September 3rd, 2024 at 2:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Alvin Kamara made it clear he was interested in an adjustment to his contract this offseason. No arrangement was made between the Pro Bowl back and the Saints, however, and both parties’ attention will now turn to the 2024 campaign.

Kamara has two years remaining on his contract, but the 2025 season currently calls for a non-guaranteed base salary of $22.4MM. New Orleans would have a cap charge of just over $29MM next season in the absence of a restructure, a release or a trade sending Kamara to a new team. Knowing how unrealistic that scenario is, the 29-year-old left the Saints’ minicamp early as part of an effort to work out a new arrangement.

2024 has Kamara set to collect $11.8MM in what will all-but certainly be the final year of his $75MM 2020 extension. The running back market has not taken off like those of many other positions since that time, and his age is a factor working against his ability to land a lucrative third contract. Kamara did not engage in a training camp holdout as talks on a new deal took place. With the regular season at hand, though, the time for negotiations has passed and he is prepared to pick up negotiations in the spring (video link via Fletcher Mackel of WDSU).

Kamara was short on leverage in contract talks – which are not believed to have yielded much progress toward an agreement – entering the 2024 season given the term left on his deal. He could help his position with a strong campaign this year after he set a career low in rushing (694) and scrimmage (1,160) yards in 2023. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year missed three games due to suspension and was limited to only 12 contests last year; a fully healthy slate could lead to a rebound in production. Comments made on his situation earlier in the summer suggested Kamara would take this stance.

New Orleans also has veteran Jamaal Williams, 2023 third-rounder Kendre Miller and undrafted rookie Jordan Mims on the active roster in the backfield. Kamara is positioned to once again handle lead back duties this year, and his showing in that role will inform how the Saints proceed with his contract next offseason.

Chiefs Pursued Josh Jacobs In Free Agency; Giants Did Not Submit Offer

September 3rd, 2024 at 1:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 3: Both Pompei and Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post have clarified that the Giants did not make an official offer to Jacobs. The team was one of many which was in on the veteran running back market, as evidenced by the Singletary deal. That update is notable given the financial details Jacobs mentioned, although expressions of interest and formal contract proposals are of course two different things. Jacobs’ Packers performance will remain a key storyline within the reshaped running back landscape in 2024.

AUGUST 29: Josh Jacobs‘ free agency featured several teams in on the former rushing champion. Half of the AFC West was interested, though that does not appear to include the Raiders.

After Jacobs said he did not meet with new Raiders GM Tom Telesco about re-signing, the sixth-year running back noted (via The Athletic’s Dan Pompei) he took the Packers’ four-year, $48MM offer back to his original team. The Raiders did not match, but Jacobs had said he would agree to stay for less than Green Bay’s offer if Las Vegas included incentives. Moving toward a setup with a much lower-cost backfield, the Raiders declined.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Green Bay Packers]

This effort came after a few teams reached out to Jacobs’ camp with interest. The Broncos, Cardinals, Giants and Texans were previously mentioned as suitors, with Pompei adding the Dolphins and Bears also expressed some degree of interest. But the former first-round pick said the Chiefs also expressed interest. Some old-school animosity, even regarding a rivalry that probably peaked in the 1960s and early ’70s, factored into Jacobs’ decision to not reciprocate that interest.

“They were trying to get me hard,” Jacobs said of the Chiefs. “But there was no way I was going there. I feel like once you are rivals with somebody, you have a genuine hate for them. I couldn’t see myself in that color. And besides, I never wanted to be the guy that joined the dominant team. I want to be the guy that beats the dominant team.”

It is unclear if the Chiefs made an offer on par with the Packers’, but Green Bay’s proposal included just $12.5MM guaranteed at signing. The Packers traditionally do not include second-year guarantees for non-quarterbacks, though they would owe Jacobs a $5.93MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year. It represents a decent bet Jacobs is a Packer for at least two seasons, though the Chiefs’ pursuit is interesting given the makeup of their RB room.

Kansas City has starter Isiah Pacheco at seventh-round money for two more seasons, and the team re-signed Clyde Edwards-Helaire for just one year and $1.7MM. Kansas City did host J.K. Dobbins before the Edwards-Helaire recommitment, but the oft-injured ex-Raven agreed to a low-cost Chargers deal to reunite with Greg Roman. Kansas City has not spent much on running backs during the Andy Reid era. Reid coached Jamaal Charles for four seasons and signed off on a 2014 extension, but that only guaranteed the elusive RB $8.3MM. Charles’ more notable extension came back in 2010 under Scott Pioli.

The team’s Jacobs interest is an interesting “what if?” regarding Pacheco’s status, but the hard-charging runner having gained 1,765 rushing yards in two seasons certainly represents great value from the seventh round. Edwards-Helaire, rookie UDFA Carson Steele and the recently added Samaje Perine join the starter as the AFC West power aims for a threepeat.

Additionally, Jacobs indicated (via Pompei) the Giants offered around $3-$4MM more than the Packers. Though, this account does not specify if that means $3-$4MM more per year, in total or in guarantees. The Giants guaranteed Devin Singletary $9.5MM on a three-year, $16.5MM deal. Jacobs has been a better player during his career, and he committed to the Packers around two hours before the ex-Bills draftee joined the Giants.

The Giants were also willing to guarantee Saquon Barkley around $22MM via their 2023 extension offer. Big Blue memorably balked at another Barkley deal, but they appear to have been willing to go beyond where they went for Singletary to add Jacobs, who balked at New York due to taxes, the media market and MetLife Stadium’s turf.

The Giants and Raiders both let their standout backs play out seasons on the franchise tag; Jacobs said his 2023 negotiations broke trust with the Las Vegas regime. This went far enough Jacobs revealed to Pompei he was willing to report in late November in order to collect an accrued season, but the then-Dave Ziegler-led Raiders front office became the rare team to provide a raise for a tagged player. Jacobs signed a one-year, $11.8MM tender — north of the $10.1MM number attached to Barkley and Tony Pollard.

Jacobs, 26, did end up stumping for Antonio Pierce, but he does not appear to have been especially high on the Ziegler-Josh McDaniels regime, indicating “trust was missing” regarding he and the team going into last season. These comments do, however, come after the Alabama alum had said the slate was clean after he signed his franchise tender.

The Raiders, who were believed to be interested in re-signing Jacobs (just not at the rate other teams went to), have given backup Zamir White their starting job, with primary 2023 Vikings starter Alexander Mattison set as the backup.

Panthers Will Not Sign QB John Wolford

September 3rd, 2024 at 12:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

John Wolford had a deal in place to join the Panthers’ practice squad, but that will no longer be the case. The seventh-year quarterback is not heading to Carolina at this time, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Wolford spent the 2023 season with the Buccaneers, spending time under Dave Canales. Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator for that campaign, Canales took the Panthers’ head coaching gig during the 2024 hiring cycle, so it came as no surprise Wolford showed interest in following him to Carolina. Person adds the Panthers will use that practice squad spot on a different position for the time being, though.

An agreement with Wolford could still be in the cards for Carolina later on, Person notes. The 28-year-old entered the league as a UDFA in 2018, making his regular season debut two years later with the Rams. Wolford made a total of eight appearances and five starts during his Los Angeles tenure, including a wild-card win in 2020 during which he was injured early.

The Buccaneers had Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask on the depth chart last season, and that remains the case in 2024. Wolford is free to sign with any team, but a spot on a practice squad (rather than an active roster) should be expected unless the early portion of the season leaves potential suitors in need of healthy passers in short order. Attention in Carolina will remain focused on Canales’ ability to develop Bryce Young, a central part of why he was hired as the team’s new coach.

The Panthers have Young and veteran Andy Dalton on the active roster as things stand. The team also has Jake Plummer on the taxi squad as a developmental option. Changes to that depth chart could take place if Wolford finds himself in Carolina, but at least for now that will not take place.

Steelers LG Isaac Seumalo To Miss Time

September 3rd, 2024 at 11:43am CST by Rory Parks

SEPTEMBER 3: When speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor) Seumalo will miss the team’s season opener. He is week-to-week beyond that, however, so a return to the lineup could take place sooner than his initial timeline suggested.

SEPTEMBER 1: The Steelers will be without their top-rated offensive lineman from 2023 for a time. Starting left guard Isaac Seumalo sustained a pectoral injury in practice late last month, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Schefter subsequently noted that the injury was not a season-ender – torn pecs often are, though Pittsburgh star edge rusher T.J. Watt was a notable exception to that rule in 2022 – but it was not immediately apparent how much time Seumalo would miss. Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network later reported that the 30-year-old blocker would be sidelined for four weeks.

Assuming that four-week timeline holds true, Seumalo would be forced to sit out the first three games of the season and would be ready to return for the Steelers’ Week 4 contest against the Colts. That explains why the team has not put him on injured reserve, which requires that a player miss at least four games.

In Seumalo’s absence, 2023 seventh-rounder Spencer Anderson and fourth-round rookie Mason McCormick will vie for the left guard gig, as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted. Anderson, who appeared in just two offensive snaps in his rookie season, will get the first look, with McCormick hoping to overtake him on the depth chart. If McCormick should impress, it is at least within the realm of possibility that he will remain at LG when Seumalo returns, with Seumalo kicking over to RG (left guard is the only position McCormick played in college, while Seumalo has pro experience at right guard).

Seumalo, a third-round pick of the Eagles in 2016, signed a three-year, $24MM deal with the Steelers last March. The Oregon State product performed well in his first year in Pittsburgh, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ 12th-best guard out of 79 qualified players. He was charged with just one penalty in a full 17-game slate, and PFF’s evaluation showed that he yielded zero sacks (though he did give up 26 total pressures).

2023 marked the second straight year in which Seumalo enjoyed perfect attendance, which was a welcome change of pace after he played in just 12 total games across the 2020-21 seasons. While he will not play a full season in 2024, a healthy and productive return to the field would obviously bolster his chances of finishing out his Steelers contract and earning his $6.88MM salary and $1MM roster bonus in 2025 (no guaranteed money remains on his deal).

Latest On Negotiations Between Bengals, WR Ja’Marr Chase

September 3rd, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Adam La Rose

CeeDee Lamb‘s Cowboys holdout and Brandon Aiyuk‘s 49ers hold-in have both come to an end. Extension agreements have brought the wideouts back to their respective teams in advance of Week 1, turning attention to Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals.

The 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year has been eligible to sign a second contract throughout the offseason, one in which several big-ticket receiver extensions have been worked out. Chase’s former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson reset the market with a Vikings deal averaging $35MM per season. That pact includes nearly $89MM guaranteed, a figure which created a major gulf in terms of locked in compensation compared to Tyreek Hill‘s revised Dolphins contract. Lamb’s deal bridged the gap ($34MM AAV, $67MM guaranteed at signing), and it could pave the way for progress between Chase and the Bengals.

The 24-year-old’s camp slow-played negotiations earlier this summer in the view of the team, SI’s Albert Breer notes. Chase understandably waited until Jefferson’s agreement was in place, and while talks have taken place recently, nothing has appeared imminent. The fact that Lamb and Aiyuk have both worked out deals offers further clarity on the receiver market moving forward. While Chase is on the books for two more years, he is the Bengals’ top financial priority. Both team and player have been linked to waiting until next offseason to work out a deal, though.

Chase is healthy, but after skipping voluntary OTAs and attending mandatory minicamp, he has practiced on an infrequent basis during training camp. Head coach Zac Taylor said three-time Pro Bowler would be in place for Week 1, but he has since conceded this situation is evolving on a day-to-day basis. A new effort has been made by Cincinnati’s front office to hammer out an extension with Week 1 looming as an artificial deadline. The sides could reach an eleventh-hour agreement, but the absence of one would likely lead to extension talks being delayed until next spring.

With three 1,000-yard seasons on his resume (despite missing five games in 2022), Chase is positioned to become of the league’s top earners at the receiver spot. Some around the league think moving him to the top of the pecking order will be necessary, an investment which would be particularly notable given the Bengals’ reputation for frugality. The team broke with tradition in committing guaranteed money beyond Year 1 for quarterback Joe Burrow, and the same will be necessary in Chase’s case regardless of where his deal ends up in terms of annual value.

Cincinnati’s regular season (expected to be the final one with franchise tag recipient Tee Higgins in the fold) begins on Sunday. Whether or not Chase practices again between now and then could depend on the status of contract talks, something which no longer involves waiting on comparable situations to be sorted out.

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