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Latest On Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, Shaquille Leonard

July 11th, 2023 at 11:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of attention will be paid to rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson heading into the 2023 season. However, much of the Colts’ success will ride on the health of running back Jonathan Taylor and linebacker Shaquille Leonard.

Owner Jim Irsay provided an update on each of the latter two players during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (video link). Taylor’s recovery from offseason ankle surgery has been a key talking point, given his importance to the team’s offense. He has remained optimistic about his ability to return to full health in time for the start of the regular season, if not earlier.

Irsay stated that Taylor is indeed “healed up,” a development which should do wonders for the Colts’ ground game. A healthy 2023 campaign from the former rushing champion would also have signficant financial consequences, of course. Taylor has one year remaining on his rookie contract, and negotiations for an extension began last month. Arriving at agreeable contract terms could be difficult for player and team, considering the time Taylor missed last year and the stagnant nature of the RB market around the league.

As for Leonard, the situation is notably different. The three-time All-Pro was limited to just three games in 2022, as he dealt with a recurring back ailment. He underwent a second surgery aimed at addressing it, and later made positive remarks with respect to its effectiveness compared to the first. Still, there is no timetable for his return to the field, and a patient approach would come as no surprise considering Indianapolis’ financial commitment to him. Four years remain on Leonard’s $98.25MM extension signed in 2021.

“He’s working hard,” Irsay said when asked about the status of Leonard’s recovery process. “We’ll see. He has a chance, he’s working really hard. He’s getting a little better each day.”

A season at full strength for both Taylor and Leonard would boost the Colts’ chances of rebounding from a disastrous 2022 campaign, though expectations may be tempered during Richardson’s acclimation to the NFL. At the onset of training camp later this month, the health situation the Colts find themselves in will become clearer, but general optimism on the injury front is certainly noteworthy.

Jim Irsay Discusses Anthony Richardson, Quarterback Depth Chart

July 10th, 2023 at 5:50pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s uncertain if Anthony Richardson will be under center for the Colts come Week 1, but the quarterback will undoubtedly be thrown into the fire during his rookie season. During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Colts owner Jim Irsay said that the fourth-overall pick will see plenty of playing time during the 2023 campaign.

“For Anthony Richardson, it’s going to be tough . We know that,” Irsay said. “But he has to play to get better. I mean, there’s no question. Gardner [Minshew] could play come out and obviously play better early on, just being a veteran, but we have to get Anthony on the field. That’s Shane’s call when he decides to do it.”

The Colts have a glowing track record when it comes to top-five QBs, and both Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck started every game as rookies (with Manning finishing his rookie campaign with mixed results). However, as Irsay noted during his interview, Manning had 45 collegiate starts under his belt when he entered the NFL. Richardson got 13 starts during his three seasons at Florida, with the majority of them coming this past year.

Of course, in those aforementioned 12 starts, Richardson tossed 17 touchdowns vs. nine interceptions while also adding another 654 yards and nine scores on the ground. Those flashes of stardom catapulted the prospect up the draft rankings, leading to him being selected with the fourth-overall pick.

Considering Indy’s investment, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the coaching staff brought the rookie QB along slowly to begin the 2023 campaign. The Colts signed Gardner Minshew to a one-year, $3.5MM deal this past offseason, and the veteran brings along 24 games of starting experience. The Colts will also return former sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger, who has been with the organization since 2021.

Latest On Colts’ OL Situation

July 8th, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Ely Allen

After years of dominant offensive line play, the last season of offensive line coach Chris Strausser‘s tenure saw an uncharacteristically down year for the team’s position group up front. With Strausser now coaching for rival Houston, the Colts are hoping that Tony Sparano can get the line back on track.

After the spring, it appears that the team has no plans to switch up the starting lineup with which they ended the 2022 season, according to Mike Chappell of FOX 59. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann, left guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly, right guard Will Fries, and right tackle Braden Smith all return to start in 2023.

After starting his career in an elite manner, Nelson’s play has dropped slightly in the past two years. He’s still a Pro Bowl talent who is in no danger of losing his starting job, but after an extension that would make him the league’s highest paid guard at the time became inevitable, he’s gone from a top-three guard in the NFL to top-20, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Fries, a seventh-round pick from 2021, was asked to step up as a starter for the second-half of last season. It took him a bit to find his footing, but he displayed a few strong performances to end the season, and he’ll start the year opposite Nelson.

At center, Kelly has shown flashes of talent that have made him a top-10 center in the past. He bounced back after a dismal 2021 season but still didn’t quite reach the top-form we saw from him just a few years ago. His job should continue to be safe as backups Wesley French and Dakoda Shepley have a combined zero starts.

On the outside ends of the line, the team will aim to get Raimann and Smith a full year together. Raimann stepped up a few games into the season last year and performed admirably as a rookie at what is widely considered the toughest job on the line. Now, with 11 starts under his belt, Raimann is ready to not only perform but excel on the blindside in Year 2. Smith continues to be a bright spot on the line, even in a down year for the group. The only challenge with Smith seems to be keeping him on the field. Smith has missed nine games since the start of the 2020 season, and keeping him healthy throughout the year could be big for the integrity of the line.

The roster consistency gave Indianapolis the luxury of not needing to do much to address the position group this offseason. No big men were added in free agency, but the team added two rookies in the draft in fourth-round pick Blake Freeland out of BYU and seventh-round pick Jake Witt out of Northern Michigan. While Witt has an NFL frame that could help him contribute as a rookie depth piece if needed, he’s likely a project that needs a bit of time to develop. Freeland, on the other hand, looks a bit more NFL-ready and is expected to stand in as the team’s swing tackle as a rookie. If Smith does end up missing any time or Raimann experiences a bit of a sophomore slump, Freeland should be the first name off the bench to fill in.

So, that’s the situation heading into 2023. There’s a little concern over the lack of personnel adjustments after a disappointing performance in 2022, but there’s hope that consistency and a new face in the coaching staff will help push this group to its usual dominance. They also inserted that fresh blood that has potential to energize the line, if necessary.

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

Staff Updates: Texans, Falcons, Colts, Jags

June 30th, 2023 at 9:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans announced a slew of adjustments to their coaching and front office staffs for the 2023 season under new head coach DeMeco Ryans, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The moves included confirmed new hires, promotions, and title additions throughout the staff.

On the coaching staff, Danny Barrett, who was confirmed to be sticking around as running backs coach as a holdover from last year’s staff back in February, has reportedly added the mantle of assistant head coach to his title. He’s been with the team for the past five years, providing Ryans with crucial insight into team dynamics. Wilson also announced that William Burnham has been hired as assistant special teams coordinator, replacing Sean Baker in the role. This is also news for Baker, as we were previously informed that he would be retained in the role for 2023 when the team finalized the coaching staff back in February.

In the personnel office, James Liipfert was promoted to executive director of player personnel after being promoted to assistant director of personnel/director of college scouting a year ago. John Ritcher joined Mozique McCurtis as a national scout for the team in 2019. Now the two are both moving up together into co-college scouting director jobs. Brad Matthews, a Midwest Area scout since 2018, will move into one of the open national scout roles. The team officially announced that Chris Blanco will rejoin the staff after two years in Minnesota. After reaching the role of director of pro personnel in his two years with the Vikings, Blanco will serve as assistant director of player personnel in Houston. Lastly in personnel, general manager Nick Caserio will add the title of executive vice president to his role.

Finally, in operations, Joe Vernon was officially announced as special advisor to football ops, leaving his job as an attorney at Miller Canfield in Michigan. The team also added Jeremy Stabile, who announced on Twitter that he would be leaving the Dolphins to accept the role of football data analyst in Houston.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the league, most of them coincidentally coming out of the AFC South, as well:

  • The only move not out of the AFC South, the Falcons hired Brian Zeches as their new player personnel coordinator. Zeches in the son of Jim Zeches, who was a scout in the NFL for 16 seasons. The younger Zeches has spent seven years in Washington and has experience with the Chiefs and the Senior Bowl, as well. He also has college experience, coaching at UTEP, Weber State, and New Mexico.
  • The Colts announced a number of promotions to their front office, as well, recently. In operations, Melainey Lowe has been named director of football operations after serving as a football operations intern in 2021 and the football operations assistant in 2022. In analytics, Nick Bayh was named strategic football analyst. He was previously a military intelligence officer for the US Army Reserve before serving as a personnel assistant in his first year with the Colts last year. In personnel, former scouting assistant Andrew Hoyle has been promoted to player personnel scout. He started with the team as an equipment intern in 2018 before moving his way through the ranks of the personnel department.
  • Lastly, the Jaguars made a couple of moves in their analytics department, according to ESPN’s Seth Walder. Previously under the title of director of coaching analytics, Ryan Paganetti‘s title has been changed to director of football analytics. Additionally, the team recently hired Avery Horvath as a data scientist.

Colts Waive Isaiah Rodgers, Rashod Berry

June 29th, 2023 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The two Colts to receive indefinite suspensions for violating the NFL’s gambling policy are no longer with the team. Indianapolis waived cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and defensive end Rashod Berry on Thursday.

Both were found to have bet on NFL games; as a result, each player is banned for the entire 2023 season. Rodgers and Berry cannot return to the league without being reinstated, with 2024 representing the earliest reinstatement window.

While Berry only joined the Colts after being added off the Jaguars’ practice squad in January, Rodgers has been a key contributor on the team throughout his career. Indianapolis’ primary kick returner over the past three seasons, Rodgers also started nine games at corner in 2022. The Colts were planning to make Rodgers a key part of their 2023 secondary as well.

“We have made the following roster moves as a consequence of the determination that these players violated the league’s gambling policy,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said. “The integrity of the game is of the utmost importance. As an organization we will continue to educate our players, coaches, and staff on the policies in place and the significant consequences that may occur with violations.”

A 2020 sixth-round pick, Rodgers is believed to have made “hundreds” of wagers; some of those were reportedly bets on Colts games. Rodgers, 25, was tied to a $2.7MM base salary this season. This suspension not only will cost the UMass alum that money; it threatens his career. Rodgers working as a starter for a second straight season would have put him on the radar for a notable free agency payday in 2024 — or possibly a Colts extension — but he is now in NFL limbo.

Unaware of this investigation until recently, the Colts had already made big-picture decisions at cornerback this offseason. They traded Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys in March and let part-time 2022 starter Brandon Facyson walk in free agency. Facyson, who competed with Rodgers for the boundary job opposite Gilmore during training camp last year, started four games in 2022. He has since rejoined the Raiders.

Although Rodgers is a 5-foot-10 cover man out of the Division I-FCS level, this is a notable loss for Indianapolis. Pro Football Focus ranked Rodgers as the fifth-best cornerback during the 2022 season. This assessment came on just 283 defensive snaps, but Rodgers had shown promise in limited duty. The 170-pound defender intercepted three passes in 2021 and recovered four fumbles last season. He also returned a kick for a score in 2020.

The Colts did use a second-round pick on Kansas State corner Julius Brents, and standout slot defender Kenny Moore remains with the team. Indianapolis also used fifth- and seventh-round picks on corners (Darius Rush, Jaylon Jones) but may need to add a veteran to replace Rodgers.

While the Lions have cut four of the five players on their roster who received gambling suspensions, Rodgers is the most notable player to be cut because of a gambling suspension. Jameson Williams, who received a six-game ban for betting on non-NFL games on team grounds, remains with the Lions. The Titans are not moving on from starting right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere, who was also handed a six-game suspension. Shaka Toney remains with the Commanders, though he is the only player thus far to receive an indefinite suspension and not be cut.

Both a tight end and defensive end at Ohio State, Berry played in eight games — with the Patriots and Lions — between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. While the Lions connection is notable given their lead role in 2023’s NFL gambling saga, Berry spent much of the 2022 season on the Jags’ practice squad. Detroit waived Berry in May 2022; the NFL investigation indicated Berry, Rodgers and free agent Demetrius Taylor bet on NFL games during the ’22 season.

Isaiah Rodgers, Others Receive Season-Long Gambling Suspensions

June 29th, 2023 at 11:36am CST by Sam Robinson

JUNE 29: Colts defensive end Rashod Berry and free agent defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor are being hit with gambling bans as well. Berry and Taylor will be suspended for the entire 2023 season, joining Rodgers in that regard, the NFL announced Thursday (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). The league also finalized Rodgers’ long-rumored suspension; the fourth-year cornerback’s ban is indefinite but will cover all of the 2023 season.

Berry and Taylor bet on NFL games during the 2022 season, the league announced. Berry remains on the Colts’ 90-man roster; Indianapolis plucked him off Jacksonville’s practice squad in January. Berry, 26, did not play in a game last season. Taylor, 24, played in one Lions contest. Both players are former UDFAs. Taylor may well be the fifth Lion the league was investigating. The Lions waived Taylor on the same day they cut Berryhill last month. Rodgers and Berry must apply for reinstatement to return to action, Zak Keefer of The Athletic tweets.

These three join Titans right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere in being part of the league’s latest gambling probe. Petit-Frere will serve a six-game suspension for betting on other sports from team grounds. Thursday’s penalties run the count to nine players suspended by the NFL in 2023 for violating the gambling policy. After Ridley and Shaw were the only players hit with gambling bans between the 1980s and 2022, this year has marked a watershed moment for the league on this front.

JUNE 28: The Isaiah Rodgers suspension will likely down this week, but the Colts cornerback is not the only player on track to be suspended. Other gambling-driven bans are expected to be assessed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Rodgers will be given a season-long suspension, per Schefter. The fourth-year Indianapolis defender is believed to have made bets on NFL games. A year-long ban would be consistent with those given to ex-Lions Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore and Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney earlier this year. That trio was found to have made bets on NFL games.

It is unknown who the other offenders are here, but a fifth Lions player was believed to be under investigation for gambling. The league already suspended Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams for six games. Since-cut Lions wideout Stanley Berryhill also received a six-game ban; both he and Williams bet on non-NFL games while on team grounds.

Since the initial batch of suspensions came out in April, teams have attempted to provide more thorough educational efforts regarding the NFL’s gambling policy. But after the league went decades without a known issue of player betting, 2023 has brought a number of headlines on this front. Rodgers stands to be the sixth player banned this year. Those punishments follow the ones given to Calvin Ridley (2022) and former defensive back Josh Shaw (2019) for violating the league’s gambling policy.

Since a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that opened the doors for sports betting outside of its traditional hubs (primarily Nevada), 33 states and Washington D.C. have opened legal betting markets. Once a beneath-the-surface topic in the NFL, wagering on games and players (via daily fantasy sites) is now regularly promoted. The NFL has partnered with three sportsbooks in recent years.

Rodgers, 25, was on track to remain a Colts starting cornerback. He started nine games last season. The former sixth-round pick had also served as Indianapolis’ primary kick returner, holding that job throughout his career. An indefinite suspension covering all of 2023 would require Rodgers to apply for reinstatement. Ridley successfully did so this year, but the former Falcons first-round pick carried considerable value based on his pre-suspension form. Such punishment may be costlier for Rodgers. This ban will result in the UMass alum not receiving his $2.7MM 2023 salary; that money will toll to 2024 and delay Rodgers’ free agency by a year. The latter aspect could be significant, as a productive season could have led to a nice payday next year.

The Colts did not become aware of the NFL’s Rodgers investigation until after the draft. The team traded Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys in March, leaving a gaping hole at outside corner. After also allowing part-time starter Brandon Facyson to rejoin the Raiders in free agency, the Colts used a second-round pick on Kansas State corner Julius Brents. Rodgers was still expected to be a key part of Gus Bradley‘s second Indianapolis defense, potentially as a starter alongside Brents and veteran slot Kenny Moore. As a result of the gambling development, Indy may be in the market for veteran help.

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.

Contract Details: Johnson, Avery, Brewer

June 25th, 2023 at 7:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on recently signed contracts around the NFL:

  • Tyron Johnson, WR (Cowboys): Two years, $2.04MM. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Johnson will have a base salary of $1.01MM in 2023 and $1.03MM in 2024. His cap hits will match his base salaries in each year.
  • Genard Avery, OLB (Colts): One year, $1.08MM. According to Wilson, Avery will have a base salary of $1.08MM in 2023. He will hold a cap hit of $940K.
  • Aaron Brewer, LS (Cardinals): One year, $1.17MM. According to Howard Balzer of PHNX, Arizona’s long snapper will have a base salary of $1.17MM. His cap hit will be $940K in 2023.
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