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Latest On WR Contracts

August 23rd, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The regular season draws ever nearer, and there are still three receivers who are waiting for new contracts. Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are still holding out from team activities, while Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is continuing with his hold-in.

Lamb is entering the final year of his rookie contract on a fifth-year option and, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the 25-year-old is angling for a contract to rival Justin Jefferson‘s recent deal in Minnesota. This doesn’t necessarily refer to annual average value, but focuses, as well, on guarantees, cashflow, and overall structure. Dallas and Lamb are expected to communicate this weekend as they attempt to get this extension over the finish line.

Chase is still not practicing as he attends team events in Cincinnati. The Bengals have exercised Chase’s fifth-year option, so the 24-year-old still has two years left on his rookie deal. While he hopes to enter the season with a new extension, his former LSU teammate, Jefferson, had to wait until after his fourth NFL season to secure his bag. It’s looking like the same might be true for Chase, but if that’s the case, Cincinnati needs to figure out a way to get Chase on the field and ready for the fast-approaching regular season. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network sees this coming week as a crucial time for the team to navigate this situation.

With Aiyuk, the rumors continue to swirl and paint an unreliable picture. Last night, in an interview on KNBR, Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle claimed that “everything is still on the table, including all the trades you’ve heard about.” He noted the Steelers and Commanders as teams not to rule out but left the picture as cloudy as ever.

After the team’s initial contract offer fell short of expectations, they attempted to bring Aiyuk back in to try and close the gap. Garafolo reports that the two sides don’t seem to be that far apart on contract figures anymore, and Aiyuk even traveled with the 49ers to their final preseason game in Las Vegas. While this may be a sign of good faith and a sign that the things could be on their way to a resolution, Silver’s comments still leave plenty of room for doubt.

The NFL season starts in 13 days. In order for these three receivers to be on the field for Week 1, they’re either going to need to have new contracts in hand or they’re going to need to come to terms with the fact that they’re going to be playing under their current deals with no guarantee that they won’t be testing free agency in the future. While most teams prefer not to have contract discussions during the regular season, there’s always a possibility that close negotiations bleed over a bit into September and deals are reached midseason.

OL Notes: Broncos, Wattenberg, Raiders, Cowboys, Beebe, Patriots, Giants, Neal

August 22nd, 2024 at 8:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The center position sticks out on Denver’s offensive line. Four eight-figure-per-year contracts populate the Broncos‘ front, giving Bo Nix a solid batch of blockers as he begins his career. But the team did not bring in a starter-caliber player to replace Lloyd Cushenberry, who signed a big-ticket deal with the Titans. A matchup of recent Day 3 picks in training camp is close to being resolved. Luke Wattenberg has started Denver’s two preseason games, and the coaching staff views the 2022 fifth-rounder as having made great strides ahead of his third season. Wattenberg should be considered the favorite to start over 2023 seventh-rounder Alex Forsyth (despite the latter having been Nix’s 2022 center at Oregon), per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.

A Washington alum already going into his age-27 season, Wattenberg has two seasons left on his rookie contract. He has played 128 career snaps. This will be an adjustment for the Broncos, who used Cushenberry as a starter for four seasons. But Wattenberg’s fifth-round contract will mesh well on a line with Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Mike McGlinchey and now Quinn Meinerz on pricey deals.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks:

  • The Patriots will of course look into additions on the waiver wire, when hundreds of cut players will be available come Wednesday, but de facto GM Eliot Wolf said (via MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian) the team is content with its current mix up front. In addition to being without left guard Cole Strange, the Pats have not named their starting tackles. It appears to be trending toward 2023 late-August trade pickup Vederian Lowe at LT and street FA addition Chukwuma Okorafor at RT, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed writes. Jerod Mayo both said he had wanted an O-line settled before the third preseason game and that Drake Maye‘s short outing in the preseason opener came from an uneasiness about the front five. This does not paint a picture of stability entering the season, which would make it rather interesting if Mayo and Wolf opted to open the year with Maye starting.
  • Cooper Beebe had been mentioned as a strong candidate to replace Tyler Biadasz as the Cowboys‘ center, but Brock Hoffman — a 2022 UDFA who started two games last season — had worked exclusively in that spot during most of training camp. Beebe, however, has received first-team work recently, Saad Youself of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Since that insertion, Beebe looks to be moving toward landing the gig. The third-round rookie appears the more likely starter, Yousef adds, with Hoffman — despite his weeks-long run with the first unit — seemingly ticketed for a backup role.
  • After a shoulder injury kept Jackson Powers-Johnson out of OTAs, and a concussion sustained at minicamp sidelined the second-round pick for months. Powers-Johnson only returned to Raiders practice recently. The team had hoped the Oregon center would win its LG job from the jump, but the time off will likely delay his start to the season. Antonio Pierce said (via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed) Powers-Johnson is unlikely for Week 1. Free agent signing Cody Whitehair has worked as Las Vegas’ starting LG and is poised to keep that role to open the season. The Bears demoted the longtime starter midway through last season, making his Raiders fit — with ex-Bears OC Luke Getsy calling the shots — interesting. But the 32-year-old blocker looks like a Week 1 starter.
  • Last year’s Raiders RG starter, Greg Van Roten is reprising his right-side tandem with Jermaine Eluemunor in New York. If Giants center John Michael Schmitz misses time, however, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan expects the recently added guard to slide to center. Free agent pickup Aaron Stinnie would replace Van Roten, 34, at guard in this scenario.
  • Duggan drops another concerning nugget about Evan Neal‘s status as well, indicating the displaced RT starter is not a lock to be active on gamedays due to only taking reps at right tackle since coming back from ankle surgery. Joshua Ezeudu, who has worked at both left and right tackle spots during camp, would be the Giants’ swing tackle if Neal’s transition from top-10 pick to healthy scratch actually happens.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/22/24

August 22nd, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

  • Activated from active/PUP list: OL Yosh Nijman
  • Signed: LB Aaron Beasley

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: WR Peter LeBlanc, RB Jacob Saylors
  • Waived/injured: TE Giovanni Ricci
  • Reverted to IR: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle

Dallas Cowboys

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Shaka Toney

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: DL Keonte Schad

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Reverted to IR: WR Jaaron Hayek

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: TE Isaac Rex
  • Waived: DL Micheal Mason

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: RB Mohamed Ibrahim, OL Chuck Filiaga
  • Reverted to IR: OL Jeremy Flax, S Najee Thompson

New Orleans Saints

  • Reverted to IR: C Sincere Haynesworth

Washington Commanders

Nijman underwent surgery to address a leg injury, and despite Dave Canales indicating the free agency pickup was a ways away from returning, he is back at practice barely a week later. It remains to be seen if Nijman will be able to suit up in Week 1, but he has some time here. The Panthers signed the ex-Packer blocker to be their swing tackle.

Grant will be able to suit up later this season, depending on the terms of the injury settlement. This transaction moves Grant off the Falcons’ roster. The former All-Pro return man has not played since the 2021 season, stacking the odds against him. He is going into what would be an age-32 season.

Randy Gregory Expected To Retire

August 22nd, 2024 at 3:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the wake of his Buccaneers release officially taking place on Thursday, Randy Gregory‘s NFL career may well be over. The veteran edge rusher is expected to retire, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes.

Gregory joined the Bucs in April after his brief stint with the 49ers to close out the 2023 campaign. He was dealt to San Francisco following the end of his highly underwhelming Broncos tenure. A five-year, $69.5MM Denver contract signed in 2022 only resulted in three sacks across 10 games played. The Tampa Bay deal represented an opportunity for a fresh start, but it did not work out.

The former second-rounder signed for $3MM, and his Buccaneers pact included a $1.3MM roster bonus. Since Gregory never reported to the team, though, Tampa Bay was in position to collect that payment. The bonus has indeed been paid back, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Between never keeping that money and the $50K in daily fines he accumulated, the Nebraska product’s financial situation was notably worsened during his (essentially) non-existent Tampa Bay tenure.

In June, it was learned Gregory filed a lawsuit against the Broncos and the NFL after being fined more than $500K for the use of a prescription medication containing THC. No developments on that front have taken place in recent months, but today’s news points to Gregory’s ability to add to his career earnings coming to an end. The cause for his ongoing absence remains unknown.

Entering the NFL as a Cowboys second-rounder, Gregory’s most productive season came with Dallas in 2018 (six sacks). The early portion of his career was marred by suspensions, though, and four substance abuse bans left him sidelined for the 2017 and ’19 campaigns. A deal seemed to be in place to remain with the Cowboys in 2022, but that agreement was soon replaced the Broncos one which included the same terms.

If Gregory, 31, does indeed hang up his cleats he will depart the league with 78 combined regular and postseason games to his name. His career earnings check in at roughly $33MM. It would come as a surprise if teams showed interest in him as a free agent given the nature of his Buccaneers exit.

Latest On Cowboys’ Contract Holdups

August 21st, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Cowboys owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones is starting to tip his hand. All offseason, we have watched the market for quarterbacks and wide receivers be reset as other teams across the NFL pay their players, some of whom were not free agents and still had time left on their contracts. All the while, Dallas has been negotiating, leaving quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and outside linebacker Micah Parsons as some of the few players with unresolved contract issues.

In an interview today, Jones clued us in as to why the Cowboys seem to be resting on their laurels while the rest of the league signs their players. DallasCowboys.com writer Nick Harris provided the full quote.

“Well, again, we’re just continuing to talk,” Jones started before getting to the point at hand. “The thing is there, since we’re really (nearing) in-season, practicing, doing all those things, we’re operating under the existing contract really good.

“One of the things that the fans should really understand is that, nine times out of ten, these are existing contracts that you have in place. You should be able to operate under those, but we’ve gotten it now in the NFL — other teams are dealing with it — with some time on the contract, you still might have a contract discussion. And that’s what we’re doing. None of us — player or team — want to hurt the preparation or likelihood of playing at your best.”

There it is. It’s seemed as if the Cowboys are sitting on their hands in terms of extending their three stars because Jones seemingly wants the players to honor the remainder of their contracts before taking extension conversations seriously. On its surface, this seems like a reasonable expectation, until the flipside shows teams cutting veterans with multiple years left on their contracts because they don’t want to be beholden to the cap figures they agreed to.

It’s strange to see Jones play ignorant to the concept that there is value in keeping your star players happy by offering them security and a raise above what they are already owed. One of the league’s most-talented defenders, Parsons is set to be paid as the 76th highest-paid edge rusher (in terms of annual average contract value) in the NFL in 2024. He’ll receive $2.99MM in cash this year. Lamb is set up a little better with his fifth-year option paying him $17.99MM this year, though that amount would qualify as the 25th-highest annual average for receivers in the league.

Prescott is rightfully content to play out the 2024 season on his current deal, as he’ll receive $34MM in cash this year, but one might think that his $55.13MM cap hit in 2024 might encourage Jones to work out a new deal to reduce his cap impact. The team has already shoveled $54.14MM of Prescott’s cap numbers into future void seasons, so perhaps Jones is hesitant to dig the future hole even deeper.

Jones already voiced a lack of urgency in extending Lamb. The holdout receiver could do nothing but laugh on social media as a response. Jones’ comments today concerning Prescott’s situation indicate more of the same. While other teams are attempting to stay ahead of the ever-inflating contract numbers around the NFL, Jones is keeping his wallet closed for now. Jones even blamed some of his tight-purse tendencies on the NFL’s DirecTV case that could involve a large payout from the league.

Regardless, it seems evident that, at the very least, an extension for Prescott will not likely occur before the start of the regular season. Parsons seemed to be on a lower priority level than Prescott, so he will likely have to wait, as well. As for Lamb? He continues to hold out as offers are proffered and rejected. While media pundits seem to think that Lamb will be out there for Week 1, Jones’ continued nonchalance in negotiating could end up forcing Lamb to continue his holdout into the regular season.

Cowboys To Sign DT Linval Joseph

August 21st, 2024 at 5:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jerry Jones recently hinted at more defensive line additions coming; the Cowboys appear to be following through on that. They are preparing to give Linval Joseph a shot to play a 15th NFL season.

The experienced D-lineman is signing with the Cowboys, veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweets. Joseph spent last season with the Bills, playing in seven games. This is earlier than Joseph caught on with teams over the past two years. He signed with Buffalo in November 2023 and joined Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LVII team in November 2022.

[RELATED: Cowboys Acquire DT Jordan Phillips From Giants]

Joseph will do better than he did with Buffalo or Philly, though that should perhaps be understandable since Dallas is giving him a full-season deal rather than a prorated arrangement. According to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, the Cowboys are signing Joseph to a one-year deal with $2.5MM guaranteed. Joseph can earn up to $4MM on the contract.

This will reunite Joseph with former Vikings HC Mike Zimmer. The Vikings added Joseph in free agency during Zimmer’s first offseason as HC and employed him for six seasons. Joseph started 88 games under Zimmer. While the former second-round pick was part of the Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI-winning team back in 2011, his most notable NFL period came in Minnesota under Zimmer. With the Vikes featuring little QB continuity, Joseph was part of three Zimmer-led playoff teams during that span.

More of a rotational DT-for-hire at this point in his career, Joseph is now on team No. 6. While he worked exclusively as a Bills backup, the former Giants and Vikings regular was a full-time starter during his Eagles stint. Philly’s NFC championship team turned to the big man for eight regular-season starts and three in the playoffs that season, doing so despite not adding him until Nov. 16.

Last season, Joseph played 35% of the Bills’ defensive snaps (during his time with the team). Prior to his two rental years in the northeast, Joseph was attached to notable Chargers and Vikings contracts. The veteran run stuffer inked two Vikings deals — the second a four-year, $50.35MM pact — and landed a two-year, $17MM Chargers accord ahead of his age-32 season. Joseph will turn 36 in October, but the Cowboys will see if he can help their effort.

The Cowboys had been adding defensive ends as of late, with Carl Lawson the latest in the team’s effort to cover for Sam Williams‘ season-ending injury. The team traded for 2023 Joseph-teammate Phillips last week. The 30-somethings join 2023 first-rounder Mazi Smith and contract-year DT Osa Odighizuwa among Dallas’ interior stoppers. The team has certainly prioritized bulk as of late, with Zimmer presumably concerned about his run defense ahead of his first NFL season since being fired as Minnesota’s HC.

Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb Getting Closer To Deal

August 20th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Contradicting reports from three days ago, Adam Schefter of ESPN seems to be of the opinion that the Cowboys and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb are closer to a new deal than recent reports seem to indicate. In an appearance on the network’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” Schefter voiced his belief that a deal would get done before the start of the new season.

Lamb has been spending his time away from the team as one of several premier wide receivers seeking a new deal this offseason. The former first-round pick is set to play out the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, and while that entails a fully-guaranteed salary in 2024 of $17.99MM, the Oklahoma-product knows that the real money lies in a multi-year extension.

There have been conflicting reports about just how much Lamb is seeking in a new deal, with some claiming that the 25-year-old is seeking to reset the market for the position, following Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, whose new deal sees him making $35MM per year over the next four seasons. Regardless of his expectations and those of the Cowboys, Schefter sees the two agreeing on a contract.

“I think the two sides aren’t that far apart on a deal,” Schefter told McAfee. “I don’t think it should be that difficult, but again, it’s (Tuesday), August 20, he’s still not there, still hasn’t gone through camp, so this has not gone the way that everyone expected. My understanding is that the two sides aren’t all that far apart, and somehow, someway, I and others believe that they will figure out a way to bridge their differences so that CeeDee Lamb will be there for Week 1.”

When asked about the ongoing holdout of his star wide receiver, Cowboys owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones told the media that the two sides are having “promising talks,” per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Jones’ comments seemed to echo the sentiment spoken by Schefter.

After the team recently made an offer that would see Lamb become the league’s second-highest-paid receiver behind Jefferson, Jones spoke on his optimism, saying, “Well, I think I am, and when I say that, it doesn’t sound too promising. The facts are that I believe we’ll come together. I don’t want to speak for him–that’s what I’m trying not to do–but we wouldn’t have offered him what we’ve offered him if we didn’t want him to be here.”

It’s a lot of talk for a team that has seemingly been ice cold in recent weeks concerning key player contract negotiations, but combined with Schefter’s comments, Jones’ optimism may be worth buying stock in. With his holdout affecting season preparedness, Lamb’s deal will be a huge weight off the team’s shoulders, but Dallas will still have the extensions of quarterback Dak Prescott and outside linebacker Micah Parsons to contend with.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/24

August 20th, 2024 at 6:47pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

  • Reverted to IR: LB Zeke Vandenburgh

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Free Agent

Strong was a surprising release by the Cardinals during the regular season last year. At the time, Strong was coming off of his strongest NFL campaign, but head coach Jonathan Gannon claimed that the release was what was “best for the team.” While we still don’t know the nature of the suspension, or whether or not it’s even related to his January release, we are aware that he will miss three games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/24

August 19th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

  • Placed on IR: T Earl Bostick

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: C Mike Panasiuk, LB Mike Smith Jr.
  • Placed on IR: C Ryan Coll
  • Waived/injured: G Josh Sills
  • Released via injury settlement: RB Trent Pennix

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: LS Randen Plattner
  • Waived: OL McKade Mettauer

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: WR Justin Hall
  • Waived: WR Ty James, P Seth Vernon

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: LB Kyahva Tezino

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: TE Michael Ezeike, TE Devon Garrison
  • Waived: LB Devin Richardson, CB Willie Roberts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: DL Brandon Matterson

Washington Commanders

Smith sustained a torn patellar tendon during a Bengals joint practice with the Bears, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. He joins Evans in sustaining a season-ending injury during that workout. A 2021 fourth-round pick, Smith was believed to have earned the Bengals’ swing tackle role early last year. But he did not see any game action in Year 3. Having played in just three career games, Smith has seen his career hit a crossroads after this injury. His rookie contract expires after the season. This further depletes a Bengals O-line that will be without first-rounder Amarius Mims for a bit due to a strained pec.

A former Bengals starter, Adeniji joined the Browns in March. A knee injury sidelined Adeniji recently, and while Kevin Stefanski said the veteran O-lineman will miss “a little bit of time,” this transaction will likely lead to an injury settlement that sends him back to free agency for a stretch. The Bengals used Adeniji as a starter in each of their four 2021 playoff games, before spending to upgrade their O-line the following year. Adeniji, a 2020 sixth-rounder, played in one Vikings game last season.

Brown and Lamar Jackson sustained injuries during the Panthers’ most recent preseason game, adding to Carolina’s issues — headlined by Dane Jackson‘s significant hamstring setback — at corner. Formerly a Cowboys regular, Brown has struggled to stick with a team as of late. He spent 2023 with three teams — the Steelers, 49ers and Jets — and played in just two games. This came after Brown was with Dallas for six seasons, starting 69 games.

A five-game starter for the 2021 Super Bowl champion Rams, Hollins played for three teams last season. The former Broncos draftee was with the Packers, Giants and Chargers. He has 10.5 career sacks, one coming last season.

Cowboys Sign DE Carl Lawson

August 19th, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

AUGUST 19: Lawson’s pact has a base value of $1.13MM, but incentives can increase that total, as detailed by ESPN’s Todd Archer. Reaching each of the five- or seven-sack thresholds would yield $125K in additional compensation; the same amount is available for logging a 55% or 65% defensive snap share. Hitting all of those marks in addition to the Cowboys reaching the playoffs would result in another $500K for Lawson.

AUGUST 15: Carl Lawson has been busy recently with respect to free agent visits, and one of his workouts has led to a deal. The veteran edge rusher is signing with the Cowboys, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

[RELATED: Cowboys Acquire Jordan Phillips From Giants]

Lawson has long remained one of the top edge rush options on the market following the end of his Jets tenure. The 29-year-old was one of four pass rushers the Cowboys hosted earlier this month, although no deal was immediately worked out. Both Al-Quadin Muhammad and Shaka Toney landed Dallas deals in the aftermath of their visits, but the latter was waived/injured yesterday.

In the wake of that development, the Cowboys have circled back to Lawson. The former Bengals fourth-rounder racked up 20 sacks in four seasons with Cincinnati, and he joined the Jets in 2021 with major expectations. An Achilles tear kept him sidelined for the entire season, but he returned to action the following year. Lawson recorded seven sacks in his debut Jets campaign. In 2023, however, things took a notably different turn.

The Auburn alum only suited up for six games last season, and he was held without a sack or QB hit. It thus came as little surprise Lawson endured a lengthy spell on the open market after his April visit with the Dolphins. More recently, he worked out with the Panthers and Cardinals in addition to auditioning for the Cowboys. Looking for depth on the edge, Dallas will add Lawson for the rest of training camp on a deal which will be worth far less than the three-year, $15MM one he previously landed with the Jets.

Dallas is set atop the depth chart with Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. Muhammad and second-round rookie Marshawn Kneeland are set to handle rotational roles in the wake of Sam Williams‘ ACL tear. Lawson will now spend the coming weeks looking to carve out a role as part of that group ahead of roster cutdowns. A return to regular usage could set up an earlier free agent deal being worked out next offseason.

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