HEADLINES

Jake Elliott

Eagles Reach Extension With K Jake Elliott

March 13th, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two days after giving Landon Dickerson a guard-record extension, the Eagles are locking up their kicker. The team announced a four-year agreement with Jake Elliott on Wednesday.

Elliott signed a four-year, $24MM deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets, tying the veteran to the Eagles through the 2028 season. Elliott’s $6MM average ties Justin Tucker for the highest among kickers. Both punter Braden Mann and long snapper Rick Lovato re-signed yesterday, so each member of the Eagles’ kicking battery will remain in place moving forward.

Drafted by the Bengals in 2017, Elliott spent his rookie season in Philadelphia and has not looked back since then. The 29-year-old has remained a consistent producer in the kicking game during his run with the Eagles, recording a field goal accuracy percentage of at least 83.9% in all but one season. Elliott earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021, and he received second-team All-Pro honors this past season.

In 2023, the former fifth-rounder connected on 30 of 32 field goal attempts; that total included seven makes on eight kicks beyond 50 yards. He also went 45-for-46 on extra points, missing three or fewer attempts in that regard for the seventh straight season. In the wake of another strong campaign, Elliott has landed a second long-term investment. The Memphis product had been playing on a five-year, $20.15MM pact.

Elliott will outpace the value of that contract moving forward, although his 2024 cap hit ($5.95MM) will likely be reduced with this extension. That would provide the Eagles with added spending power for the offseason while ensuring Elliott remains in place for the foreseeable future. Expectations will thus remain high for Philadelphia’s special teams in 2024 and beyond.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Restructure Details: Armstead, Dolphins, Hill, Chubb, Chargers, WRs, Ravens, Pierce, Panthers, Moton, Jets, Cardinals, Eagles, Vikings

March 10th, 2023 at 9:08am CST by Sam Robinson

Teams have until 3pm CT Wednesday — the start of the 2023 league year — to move under the $224.8MM salary cap. With the legal tampering period beginning at 3pm Monday, teams are working to create cap space for free agency pursuits. Here are the latest maneuvers teams have made on that front:

  • The Dolphins have created more than $43MM in cap space over the past two days, being the runaway leaders on this front this week. They agreed to restructures with Bradley Chubb and Terron Armstead to free up $25MM-plus, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates (Twitter links), but they are also using Tyreek Hill‘s receiver-record contract to create room. Miami created $18MM in space by restructuring Hill’s $30MM-AAV deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Hill was due a $16MM roster bonus; that and most of his 2023 base salary have been shifted into a signing bonus. Chubb’s base salary is now down to $1.1MM in 2023.
  • Rather than trade Keenan Allen to carve out cap space, Chargers GM Tom Telesco firmly opted against that strategy. The Bolts are keeping Allen, and both he and Mike Williams‘ 2024 cap numbers will balloon. The team freed up $14MM-plus in 2023 cap space by restructuring both their $20MM-per-year wide receiver deals, per Yates. While new funds are available for 2023, Williams and Allen are now tied to $32.5MM and $34.7MM cap numbers in 2024 (Twitter links). Neither should be expected to play on those numbers, which will undoubtedly lead to more maneuvers down the road.
  • The Panthers freed up more than $11MM in cap room by restructuring Taylor Moton‘s deal, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets. This marks the second straight year Carolina has adjusted Moton’s contract. A Xavier Woods tweak also added $1.5MM to Carolina’s cap space, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
  • Michael Pierce accepted a $2MM pay cut to remain with the Ravens, Pelissero tweets. The move added $2.7MM in funds, Yates tweets. Pierce, who returned to the Ravens in 2022, can earn the money back via incentives. Pierce missed most of last season due to a biceps tear.
  • Pierce’s former team, the Vikings, took the same path with Ross Blacklock. The 2022 trade acquisition accepted a near-$700K slash which he can earn back via incentives, Pelissero adds (on Twitter).
  • D.J. Humphries missed much of the 2022 season, and while the Cardinals have a new regime in place, they are not moving their veteran left tackle. They will use Humphries’ 2022 extension to free up funds, with Pelissero noting (via Twitter) the Cards created $5.3MM in cap space with this restructure. Arizona has moved past $32MM in cap space. More could be coming via a DeAndre Hopkins trade as well.
  • C.J. Uzomah‘s three-year Jets deal became a vehicle for the team to carve out some room. The team freed up $3.6MM in cap space with a recent restructure for the veteran tight end, Pelissero tweets.
  • The Eagles also went to the restructure well Friday, with Yates noting (via Twitter) they are creating $2.5MM in space by adjusting Jake Elliott‘s deal.

Contract Details: Watt, Rams, Texans

September 8th, 2022 at 9:49pm CST by Ben Levine

With teams preparing their cap sheets for the start of the NFL season, we’ve seen a number of front offices rework some contracts. We’ve compiled some of the recent contract maneuverings (as well as some details on recent signings and extension) below:

  • T.J. Watt, LB (Steelers): restructured contract yesterday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move opened $6.75MM in space for Pittsburgh. Watt inked a four-year deal worth up to $112MM (including $80MM guaranteed) last September.
  • Rob Havenstein, OT (Rams): three-year extension. The deal is worth $34.5MM, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). The extension includes $24.1MM guaranteed and offers $6MM in incentives.
  • Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams): restructured contract earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The team converted $4.75MM of Higbee’s base salary into a signing bonus, creating $3.8MM in space.
  • Jalen Thompson, S (Cardinals): three-year extension. The $40MM deal includes $24.5MM in guaranteed money and a $10MM signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).
  • Lane Johnson, OT and Jake Elliott, K (Eagles): restructured contracts today, according to Yates (on Twitter). The Eagles converted $5.88MM of Johnson’s base salary and $2.715MM of Elliot’s base salary into signing bonuses, creating about $6.9MM in cap space.
  • O.J. Howard, TE (Texans): one-year deal. The contract is worth $1.035MM, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The tight end will receive $910K in offset from the $1.945MM guaranteed base salary he got from his previous deal with the Bills. When coupled with the $1.25MM signing bonus he got from Buffalo, Howard will earn a total of $3.25MM this year.
  • Eric Murray, S (Texans): restructured contract yesterday, per Yates (on Twitter). Specifically, the team converted $1.465MM of his contract into a signing bonus, opening $732.5K in cap space.
  • Ka’imi Fairbairn, K and Cameron Johnston, P (Texans): restructured contracts earlier this week, per Wilson (on Twitter). The two moves saved the Texans $2.1MM in cap savings.

Eagles Sign K Jake Elliott To 5-Year Extension

November 27th, 2019 at 5:10pm CST by Marc Delucchi

The Eagles have signed kicker Jake Elliott to a 5-year, $21MM extension, which includes $10.5MM guaranteed, according to NFL Insider Adam Caplan. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported soon after the contract actually includes $10.45MM guaranteed with a maximum total value of $21.8MM. The disparities are marginal, but could have minor salary cap implications for Philadelphia.

Elliott, signed off the Bengals practice squad in 2017, has been one of the most consistent kickers in football over the past three seasons. Elliott was 26 of 31 on field goal attempts in both 2017 and 2018, converting over 92% of his extra point attempts in both years as well. This season, Elliott is a perfect 14 of 14 on field goals, with a long of 53 yards, and is 21 of 23 on extra points.

The Memphis alum has shown elite range, making a 61 yard attempt as a rookie, but after going 5 for 6 from beyond 50 yards in his first season, went just 2 for 5 last season. This year, Elliott has made his only attempt from beyond 50 yards, but more importantly, he has been reliable from inside 50 yards out. Over the past two seasons, Elliott has missed just two field goals of 49 yards or less.

Elliott becomes the third highest paid kicker by average annual salary and provides the Eagles with cost certainty at the most important special teams position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/22/19

February 22nd, 2019 at 6:35pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Today’s minor moves will be posted here:

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles locked up a pair of specialists today on one-year deals. Both Elliott and Lovato were exclusive-rights free agents, meaning they weren’t going anywhere and their re-signing was somewhat of a formality, as long as the Eagles wanted them back. Both players will now be restricted free agents next year.

NFC Injury Notes: Sturgis, Elliott, Redskins, Vaccaro, Swaim

November 10th, 2017 at 6:04pm CST by GregGoldstein

The Eagles picked up kicker Jake Elliott from the Bengals’ practice squad to replace the incumbent Caleb Sturgis after he suffered a hip injury the first week of the season. The team hasn’t looked back since then and it looks like Philadelphia has no plans to change their special teams unit moving forward. While Sturgis is eligible to come off the disabled list this week, Eagles special teams coach Dave Flipp told reporters today that, “right now there’s no reason to make a change,” reports Zach Berman of The Inquirer. It’s understandable why the team would not feel the need to mess with the status quo. Elliott has made 17-20 of his field goal attempts this season, but is best known for his 61 yard bomb he hit to beat the Giants in Week 3.

  • The Redskins have a few big names that are questionable to play for the team’s game this Sunday. Defensive lineman Matt Ionanidis has already been ruled out for the team’s affair vs. the Vikings, but offensive stalwarts Trent Williams and Jordan Reed are listed as questionable to play too, according to Jonah Keim of ESPN.com. Washington has 11 players listed as 50-50 for Sunday with other offensive lineman Morgan Moses (ankles), Brandon Scherff (knee), Spencer Long (knee/quad) and Ty Nsekhe (core muscle). It’s unlikely that the majority of the Washington offensive line will miss the game, but the team’s depth is something to keep an eye as we get closer to kickoff.
  • The Saints will be without a key member of the defense vs. the Bills this Sunday. Saftety Kenny Vaccaro will miss the contest with a groin injury, but expressed optimism that the situation will be more of a short-term issue, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. The 26 year-old defensive back told the reporter, “Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine,” when referring to the timeline of the groin issue. Meanwhile, while New Orleans will certainly miss their starting safety, the team has a considerable amount of depth at the position with the likes of Vonn Bell, Rafael Bush and Chris Banjo all likely getting playing time in his absence.
  • Cowboys third-string tight end Geoff Swaim missed practice on Friday with a right knee injury and as is waiting on MRI results that should bring light to what his recovery may look like, reports Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Archer opines that Swaim could miss Sunday’s game and may be in line for arthroscopic surgery, which would sideline him for a few weeks. Swaim just has two receptions on the season with Jason Witten and James Hanna getting most of the reps in two tight-end sets.

Eagles To Sign K Jake Elliott Off Bengals’ Practice Squad

September 12th, 2017 at 12:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Caleb Sturgis‘ injury looks to have prompted the Eagles to pry a kicker off another team’s practice squad, and they’ll be adding one of this past draft’s top kicking prospects.

The Eagles intend to sign rookie Jake Elliott off the Bengals’ taxi squad, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Sturgis’ quad strain will send him to IR, with a potential designation to return, per Rapoport.

The Bengals opted to go with Randy Bullock as their primary kicker but attempted to stash Elliott, a fifth-round pick out of Memphis, on their practice squad. But the Eagles’ injury need will relocate the kicking prospect. Three kickers went in this past draft, and the other two — Zane Gonzalez and Harrison Butker — were seventh-round selections.

So, Philly will have an interesting specialist filling in for Sturgis — also a former fifth-round pick — who has kicked with the team for the past two seasons.

Elliott broke Stephen Gostkowski‘s Memphis records for points scored and field goals made in a career and was a Lou Groza award finalist in 2015.

Eagles K Caleb Sturgis Suffers Injury

September 11th, 2017 at 12:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles are on the lookout for a kicker. Caleb Sturgis suffered a hip flexor strain on Sunday, as Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The injury will rule him out for four weeks, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, and the team is already making plans to look at replacements. Caleb Sturgis (vertical)

[RELATED: Eagles’ Ronald Darby Has Dislocated Ankle]

We don’t know who will be working out for the Eagles just yet, but Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) suggests that free agent Mike Nugent could get a look. Bengals practice squad kicker Jake Elliott could also get a call, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Sturgis, 28, made all three of his field goal tries on Sunday, including a 50-yard attempt, but missed one of his two extra point tries. Last year, he sank a career-high 85.4% of his field goals and went 30-for-31 on XPs.

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC North

September 3rd, 2017 at 3:54pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers

Bengals Reach 53-Man Limit

September 2nd, 2017 at 2:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals officially made 30 moves on Saturday in order to reach the 53-man max. The full rundown is below.

Waived:

Released:

Reserve/Suspended:

The team also freed up a roster spot on Saturday by trading cornerback Bene Benwikere to Dallas for a conditional sixth-round draft pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Load More Posts