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Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/23

July 24th, 2023 at 9:34pm CST by Ely Allen

In a very busy day for the NFL in transactions, here are some of the minor moves that may have slipped through the cracks:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Ravens signed Ott after working out a trio of long snappers that also included Ryan Langan and Shane Griffin. The former Pro Bowler for the Seahawks won the tryout and is expected to be the replacement for Baltimore’s usual long snapper Nick Moore, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon during his offseason training, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Also, the breath of relief for Bateman is short-lived as, a day after being activated from the reserve/did not report list, Baltimore has placed the young receiver on the PUP list.

On a more positive note, a day after the Bears placed Claypool on the PUP list, he has been removed from it. He’ll now be eligible to participate in training camp starting this Wednesday. Tomlinson returns to Houston after being released back in May. He’ll get another chance to work in the tight ends room that includes Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, and Brevin Jordan.

S Budda Baker Expected To Report To Cardinals Training Camp

July 22nd, 2023 at 12:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite apparent dissatisfaction with his contract and the state of his team, Budda Baker will be in attendance when Cardinals training camp kicks off next week. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the veteran safety is expected to report to training camp on Tuesday.

[RELATED: Cardinals S Budda Baker Requests Trade]

Just because Baker is planning on attending training camp, it doesn’t mean he’s content with his current situation. Per Schefter, the safety “still is seeking to be paid near the top of the safety market.” Baker would presumably welcome a fresh start elsewhere, but it’s uncertain if he’s still pushing for a trade.

Baker was present for Cardinals minicamp back in June, but he didn’t take part in on-field practices. There was an expectation that he’d ultimately show up to training camp regardless of his contract status, but the safety could roll with a similar hold-in if he doesn’t get a raise. As Howard Balzer notes on Twitter, the safety would be subject to daily fines worth $50K for not reporting to training camp.

The former second-round pick is still playing out a four-year, $59MM extension he signed with the Cardinals back in 2019. There are two years remaining on that pact, and while the contract reset the positional market at the time of the signing, Baker now ranks seventh among safeties with an average annual value of $14.75MM. Derwin James tops the safety list with a $19MM AAV, but Baker’s camp has made it clear that they’re not trying to reset the safety market.

Baker earned his fourth-consecutive Pro Bowl nod last season (fifth overall) after finishing with 111 tackles, a pair of interceptions, and seven pass breakups. The Cardinals lack experienced depth behind their defensive leader, with Juju Hughes, Andre Chachere, Jovante Moffatt, and UDFA Kendell Brooks rounding out the safeties room behind Baker and Jalen Thompson.

2023 NFL Dead Money, By Team

July 14th, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Accounting for players who appear on teams’ cap sheets but not on their rosters, dead money is a factor for all 32 teams. This year, dead money comprises more than 20% of five teams’ payrolls. Two teams who followed through (successfully) with all-in missions in recent years — the Buccaneers and Rams — each have more than 30% of their payrolls devoted to dead-cap hits.

Going into training camp, here is how dead money factors into each team’s cap sheet:

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $75.32MM
  2. Los Angeles Rams: $74.23MM
  3. Green Bay Packers: $57.14MM
  4. Philadelphia Eagles: $54.73MM
  5. Carolina Panthers: $51.54MM
  6. Arizona Cardinals: $36.96MM
  7. Tennessee Titans: $36.56MM
  8. Minnesota Vikings: $35.54MM
  9. Houston Texans: $31.72MM
  10. Las Vegas Raiders: $29.95MM
  11. Indianapolis Colts: $24.89MM
  12. New Orleans Saints: $24.58MM
  13. Chicago Bears: $23.52MM
  14. Washington Commanders: $23.01MM
  15. New York Giants: $22.74MM
  16. New England Patriots: $21.82MM
  17. Atlanta Falcons: $18.78MM
  18. Detroit Lions: $18.69MM
  19. Seattle Seahawks: $17.91MM
  20. San Francisco 49ers: $17.16MM
  21. Cleveland Browns: $16MM
  22. Dallas Cowboys: $14.64MM
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: $13.26MM
  24. Baltimore Ravens: $10.78MM
  25. Denver Broncos: $9.72MM
  26. Miami Dolphins: $8.43MM
  27. New York Jets: $7.95MM
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: $7.65MM
  29. Buffalo Bills: $5.23MM
  30. Jacksonville Jaguars: $4.7MM
  31. Los Angeles Chargers: $2.19MM
  32. Cincinnati Bengals: $593K

No team broke the Falcons’ record for dead money devoted to a single player. The Falcons’ Matt Ryan trade left them with $40.52MM last year. But the Bucs and Rams incurred some dead money collectively this offseason.

Tom Brady‘s Tampa Bay exit created much of the Bucs’ issue here. Brady not signing another Bucs deal, instead retiring for a second time, accelerated $35.1MM in dead money onto the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The team had used void years increasingly during Brady’s tenure, and his second restructure created the $35.1MM figure. The Bucs will swallow the post-Brady pill this year, with no dead money related to that contract on their books in 2024.

Three ex-Rams combine to take up $55MM of their dead-money haul. The Rams traded Allen Robinson to the Steelers earlier this year, but that three-year, $46.5MM deal Los Angeles authorized in 2022 will result in Robinson’s former team carrying a $21.5MM dead-money hit in 2023. The Rams are eating $19.6MM of Jalen Ramsey‘s contract, and bailing on Leonard Floyd‘s four-year, $64MM extension after two seasons moved $19MM in dead money to L.A.’s 2023 payroll. The Rams did not use the post-June 1 designation to release Floyd, keeping the dead money on that deal tied to 2023 only.

The Packers did come close to breaking the Falcons’ record for dead money on a single contract. Green Bay following through on the Aaron Rodgers trade left $40.31MM in dead money on this year’s Packers cap. Because the Packers traded Rodgers before June 1, that hit will be entirely absorbed this year. It also took a Rodgers restructure on his way out to move the cap damage down to $40MM. The Panthers trading Christian McCaffrey after June 1 last year left the second chunk of dead money ($18.35MM) to be carried on this year’s cap. It also cost Carolina $14.63MM in dead cap to trade D.J. Moore to the Bears.

The Bears used both their post-June 1 cut designations last year (Tarik Cohen, Danny Trevathan) and also have a $13.23MM Robert Quinn cap hold. The Cardinals had already used their two allotted post-June 1 cut designations this offseason. As result, DeAndre Hopkins is on Arizona’s books at $21.1MM this year. Because they cut the All-Pro wide receiver before June 1, the Cards will be free of Hopkins obligations after this year.

While the Raiders built in the escape hatch in Derek Carr‘s 2022 extension, keeping the dead money on their nine-year QB’s contract low, Cory Littleton — a 2022 post-June 1 cut — still counts nearly $10MM on their cap sheet. Fellow 2022 post-June 1 release Julio Jones still counts more than $8MM on the Titans’ payroll. The Cowboys went to the post-June 1 well with Ezekiel Elliott this year, but their 2022 designation (La’el Collins) leads the way with $8.2MM on this year’s Dallas payroll.

Kyler Murray Aiming For Week 1 Return

July 13th, 2023 at 10:25am CST by Adam La Rose

Yesterday saw Kyler Murray make a number of remarks related to the forgettable manner in which his 2022 season came to an end and the issues which existed between he and the since-departed Kliff Kingsbury-Steve Keim regime. Attention will now focus on the Cardinals quarterback’s ACL recovery.

Murray tore his ACL in December, which gave him a challenging path to recover in time for the start of the regular season. News of a clean tear presented optimism regarding the overall rehab process, but the expectation has nevertheless been that he will miss time in September. The former No. 1 overall pick is pushing back against that notion, however.

“When you look further down the line, it seems like we got a long way to go. Ideally, I want to be back by Week 1,” he said during the Cardinals’ Flight Plan series, via Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com. “That’s the goal. At the end of the day, that’s the goal, but I can’t really look that far ahead. Got to take it one day at a time.”

An aggressive approach to recovery would still see Murray miss considerable time in training camp and the preseason, making it highly likely that he will spend time on the active/PUP list. Between an on-field absence during important practice sessions under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, along with his importance to the team, Murray’s stated intention of being available for Week 1 is unlikely. Arizona has him on the books through 2028 after inking him to a massive extension last summer, so a cautious approach to the recovery process would make sense.

The Cardinals are also expected to contend for the top pick in the 2024 draft more so than a postseason berth, adding further to the upside of keeping Murray off the field to begin the campaign. Veteran Colt McCoy will likely see time during Murray’s absence in what could be the former’s final opportunity to see regular season game action in the NFL. The latter, though, is intent on rebounding from an underwhelming performance last season and helping the team’s rebuilding process bear fruit.

“It’s got to be a positive. There’s really no option for it to be a negative,” Murray said of the setback the ACL tear represents. “Life doesn’t stop, the job doesn’t stop. My ultimate goal is to get better and obviously win Super Bowls. That’s my goal.”

Kyler Murray Addresses 2022 Struggles, Cardinals’ Jonathan Gannon Hire

July 12th, 2023 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyler Murray‘s 2022 hovered at the center of the Cardinals’ decision to reboot their operation this offseason. The team’s 4-13 record led to the franchise moving on from GM Steve Keim and HC Kliff Kingsbury, the decision-makers that chose Murray first overall in 2019. As the Monti Ossenfort–Jonathan Gannon regime takes over, Murray is rehabbing an ACL tear.

The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback is expected to miss regular-season time, though it is unknown how much of the year he will miss. This comes after a December injury, but Murray’s 2022 was not going well leading up to that abrupt conclusion. The contract request and controversial homework clause (which the team awkwardly removed soon after its inclusion) in the $230.5MM deal preceded an inconsistent season, one that also involved friction between Murray and Kingsbury.

“To hit a wall Year 4, especially after going through the whole contract thing, the energy, the aura, the vibes going into the season were all negative,” Murray said during the Cardinals’ Flight Plan series (via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban). “Having to deal with all that stuff and trying to focus on football, and then I got Covid in camp, I hurt my wrist in camp so I missed a lot of reps, and having to play catch-up in the season, starting with the Chiefs, it was kind of a compilation of [expletive]-up things going on.

“… The whole [last] year was [expletive]. It happened for a reason. The things we were doing weren’t sustainable for success. It was necessary and in turn good will come out of what happened.”

Murray, who received $103.3MM fully guaranteed upon signing his extension last July, averaged a career-low 6.1 yards per attempt, threw just 14 touchdown passes and ranked 19th in QBR. The former Heisman winner has endured criticism for his lack of leadership and commitment, with the film-study clause bringing the latter issue to the forefront. He has also struggled with nagging injuries, missing three games in 2021 and two in 2022 prior to the knee malady.

Kingsbury and Murray were seen arguing during a Cards Thursday-night win over the Saints in October, and the relationship did not exactly improve from there. Kingsbury is now back at USC coaching under Lincoln Riley, who coached Murray at Oklahoma. After two seasons as the Eagles’ DC, Gannon is in place to lead a rebuild effort. Michael Bidwill gave Murray input as to who the Cardinals would hire as their next HC.

“They are really investing in the organization and the team. You run through a wall for that type of guy. That’s the energy he brings,” Murray said of Gannon. “… I think winning cures all, and it’s been tough to do that with some of the circumstances we’ve had to deal with. But I think we are headed in the right direction.”

Murray, who will turn 26 next month, is a near-lock to begin training camp on the active/PUP list, Urban adds. No firm timetable has emerged, though the fifth-year passer is believed to have suffered a clean tear. Still, it would not surprise to see the Cards proceed with caution, seeing as they are unlikely to field a contending team this season. Colt McCoy looms as the team’s most likely Week 1 starter, and it will be interesting to see if the team places Murray on its reserve/PUP list — a designation that would shelve the QB for at least four games — to start the season.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 6th, 2023 at 9:25am CST by Sam Robinson

The latest NFL general manager hiring cycle only produced two changes, but each took over for an executive who appeared in good standing at this point last year.

Steve Keim had held his Cardinals GM post since January 2013, and the Cardinals gave both he and Kliff Kingsbury extensions — deals that ran through 2027 — in March of last year. Arizona has since rebooted, moving on from both Keim and Kingsbury. Keim took a leave of absence late last season, and the Cardinals replaced him with ex-Titans exec Monti Ossenfort.

[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]

As the Cardinals poached one of the Titans’ top front office lieutenants, Tennessee went with an NFC West staffer to replace Jon Robinson. The move to add 49ers FO bastion Ran Carthon also came less than a year after the Titans reached extension agreements with both Robinson and HC Mike Vrabel. But controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk canned Robinson — in place as GM since January 2016 — before last season ended. Adams Strunk cited player unavailability and roster quality among the reasons she chose to move on despite having extended Robinson through the 2027 draft months earlier. The Titans are now pairing Vrabel and Carthon.

The Bills reached an extension agreement with GM Brandon Beane two weeks ago. Hired shortly after the team gave Sean McDermott the HC keys, Beane has helped the Bills to five playoff berths in six seasons. Beane’s deal keeps him signed through 2027. Chargers GM Tom Telesco has hit the 10-year mark leading that front office, while this year also marks the 10th offseason of Buccaneers honcho Jason Licht‘s tenure running the NFC South team. Although Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich and later admitted he reluctantly extended his former HC in 2021, the increasingly active Colts owner has expressed confidence in Chris Ballard.

Here is how the NFL’s GM landscape looks going into the 2023 season:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  5. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  6. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
  7. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  8. Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
  9. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  10. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  11. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  12. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  13. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  14. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  15. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  16. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  17. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  18. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
  19. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  20. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  21. Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
  22. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
  23. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  24. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  25. Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
  26. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  27. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  28. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  29. Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  30. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
  31. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  32. Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 4th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the 2022 offseason produced 10 new head coaches, this one brought a step back in terms of turnover. Five teams changed HCs, though each conducted thorough searches — four of them lasting until at least January 31.

The Colts and Cardinals hired their HCs after Super Bowl LVII, plucking the Eagles’ offensive and defensive coordinators (Shane Steichen, Jonathan Gannon). The Cardinals were hit with a tampering penalty regarding their Gannon search. Conducting their second HC search in two years, the Broncos saw multiple candidates drop out of the running. But Denver’s new ownership group convinced Sean Payton to step out of the FOX studio and back onto the sidelines after just one season away. The Panthers made this year’s first hire (Frank Reich), while the Texans — running their third HC search in three years — finalized an agreement with DeMeco Ryans minutes after the Payton news broke.

Only one of last year’s top 10 longest-tenured HCs lost his job. A turbulent Colts year led to Reich being fired barely a year after he signed an extension. During a rather eventful stretch, Jim Irsay said he reluctantly extended Reich in 2021. The Colts passed on giving interim HC Jeff Saturday the full-time position, despite Irsay previously indicating he hoped the former center would transition to that role. Reich landed on his feet, and after losing Andrew Luck to a shocking retirement just before his second Colts season, the well-regarded play-caller now has another No. 1 pick (Bryce Young) to mentor.

After considering a Rams exit, Sean McVay recommitted to the team and is overseeing a reshaped roster. Andy Reid also sidestepped retirement rumors, staying on with the Chiefs after his second Super Bowl win. This will be Reid’s 25th season as an NFL head coach.

Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2023 season:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
  3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  4. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
  5. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
  6. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
  8. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
  9. Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
  10. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
  11. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  12. Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders): January 1, 2020
  13. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  14. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
  15. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  16. Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
  17. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
  18. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
  19. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  20. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  21. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  22. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  23. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  24. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  25. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  26. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  27. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
  28. Frank Reich (Carolina Panthers): January 26, 2023
  29. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  30. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  31. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  32. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023

Cardinals’ Zaven Collins In Line For Starting Edge Rush Role

July 1st, 2023 at 6:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

Zaven Collins entered the league with questions about where he would best be suited to line up. During his first two years with the Cardinals, he played primarily as an inside linebacker, but that will change this season.

The former first-rounder will shift to a pass-rushing role under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. Collins spent OTAs and minicamp working on the outside, learning a position other than the one he served as a full-time starter at in 2022. He logged over 1,000 snaps last season, 785 of which came inside the box.

Collins’ run defense PFF grade (45.2) took a considerable step back from that of his rookie season, though, and it came in much lower than that of his pass rushing-mark (65.5). He will look to continue his success in the latter department after the position adjustment, one which should keep him in a starting role moving forward. The Tulsa product may in fact be the Cardinals’ top edge rusher based on spring practices, as noted by team reporter Darren Urban.

Arizona lost plenty of pass-rushing production from its defensive line this offseason with J.J. Watt retiring and Zach Allen departing in free agency. That will leave added emphasis on the team’s outside linebackers, a group which includes Collins along with 2022 third-rounders Myjai Sanders and Cameron Thomas. That pair each played a rotational role during their rookie seasons, and their experience relative to Collins on the outside does not appear likely to move them higher on the depth chart.

The Cardinals added BJ Ojulari in the second round of this year’s draft, giving them another young option in their edge rush group. The LSU product has been sidelined through injury during the offseason, though, leaving plenty of first-team snaps available to Collins as he prepares for a position change come the fall (something which also holds true of fellow former first-rounder Isaiah Simmons). Their success in adjusting to altered roles will no doubt go a long way in determining Arizona’s level of play on their new-look defense in 2023.

Latest On Cardinals S Budda Baker

June 30th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Adam La Rose

A busy Cardinals offseason has seen a number of changes take place on the field, the sidelines and in the front office. The status of safety Budda Baker remains undetermined, though.

The two-time All-Pro’s trade request became public in April, though it dated back to the end of the 2022 season, one which saw Arizona go 4-13 and set the stage for what is expected to be a long-term rebuilding process. To little surprise, finances were a central part of Baker’s desire to be moved. He reportedly asked to either become the league’s top-paid safety or moved to a new team.

On the latter point, Baker’s agent David Mulugheta informed NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo that their camp is not seeking to reset the safety market (video link). Derwin James tops the list in terms of AAV and guarantees at the position with an average of $19MM per season on his current Chargers pact. Baker ranks seventh in that regard with a $14.75MM figure. Two years remain on the 27-year-old’s contract, which does not include any outstanding guranteed money.

Aside from financial matters, Garafolo notes that Baker informed the Cardinals ahead of the 2022 campaign that his intention was to play on a contending team. The direction Arizona is now headed in would point to a trade becoming a distinct possibility, considering Baker’s continued production. He earned a fourth consecutive (and fifth overall) Pro Bowl nod last season after collecting 111 tackles, a pair of interceptions and seven pass breakups. His trade market would likely be dictated by the willingness of acquiring teams to commit to a new contract, however.

Baker was present for Cardinals minicamp earlier this month, though he did not take part in on-field practices. Garafolo notes that the former second-rounder is expected to attend training camp in July, but a similar hold-in would not come as a surprise if his contract status remains unresolved. With many of the team’s other offseason decisions taken care of, it will be interesting to monitor how this situation is handled by the Cardinals in the coming weeks.

30 Unsigned Draft Picks Remain

June 26th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

With training camps less than a month away, 30 members of the 2023 draft class remain unsigned. Several teams have agreed to terms with their entire draft classes, but a handful of teams have multiple players still unsigned. Draft slots largely explain this. First- and second-rounders comprise the bulk of the unsigned lot, with guarantees the core issue for the latter group. Here are the unsigned draftees:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Round 4:

Round 6:

The second-round slowdown continues a trend. Last year, more Round 2 choices received three fully guaranteed years compared to prior drafts. This year’s No. 39 overall pick — Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (Ole Miss) — broke through with three locked-in years and a partial 2026 guarantee. This would explain the next nine players drafted being unsigned, with the agents for the players chosen immediately after Mingo angling for the same terms or guarantees in the same ballpark.

No. 31 overall choice Felix Anudike-Uzomah‘s four-year Chiefs deal is fully guaranteed, while No. 34 pick Sam LaPorta (Lions) has a partial 2026 guarantee. This would explain the Nos. 32 and 33 choices remaining unsigned. Other issues — like offset language and signing bonus payouts — annually arise in rookie-deal negotiations, but most of these players will be signed by the time teams head to training camp. A few stragglers report late due to their contracts each year, but the 2011 CBA’s slot system — which the 2020 CBA kept in place — largely addressed the issues that once emerged frequently regarding rookie pacts.

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