HEADLINES

Khalen Saunders

Contract Details: Fox, Saunders, Cardinals

March 31st, 2023 at 9:54pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on more recently signed contracts:

  • Khalen Saunders, DT (Saints): Three years, $12.3MM. The contract, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $6.6MM, $4.6MM of which is guaranteed at signing. The $4.6MM consists of a $3.5MM signing bonus and the first year base salary of $1.1MM. The second and third year base salaries are worth $3.1MM and $3.4MM, respectively. Saunders can receive a $2MM 2024 roster bonus (injury guaranteed at signing) that will fully guarantee on the third league day of the 2024 season. The deal also has three void years built in to spread out Saunders’s cap hit. He’ll also earn a per game active roster bonus of $17,647 for a potential season total of $300,000. The deal also includes a potential $1.45MM base salary escalator in 2024 based on sacks and playing time. New Orleans built a potential out into the deal, allowing them to release Saunders after this year with $2.8MM of dead cap but cap savings of $11.2MM of cap savings over the following four years.
  • Morgan Fox, DE (Chargers): Two years, $7.25MM. The deal, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, has a guaranteed amount of $3.75MM consisting of a $2.5MM signing bonus and the first year base salary of $1.25MM. The second year base salary is worth $2.5MM. Fox can receive a $1MM 2024 roster bonus on the third day of the 2024 league year. The deal also includes annual $750,000 incentives based on playing time, sacks, and Pro Bowl selections.
  • Antonio Hamilton, CB (Cardinals): One year, $1.5MM. The contract, according to Balzer, is fully guaranteed with a signing bonus of $335,000 and a base salary of $1.17MM.
  • L.J. Collier, DE (Cardinals): One year, $1.23MM. The deal, according to Howard Balzer of PHNX, has a guaranteed amount of $76,250 consisting solely of Collier’s signing bonus. Collier’s base salary is worth $1.08MM. He can earn a potential roster bonus of $76,250 if he is active for Week 1.

Saints To Sign DTs Khalen Saunders, Nathan Shepherd

March 15th, 2023 at 10:24am CST by Sam Robinson

After seeing David Onyemata join his former position coach (Ryan Nielsen) in Atlanta, New Orleans is addressing its defensive tackle spot with multiple additions.

The Saints are expected to sign both Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini report (Twitter links). Saunders’ deal is worth up to $14.5MM over three years, Pelissero tweets.

Shepherd was one of three Jets defensive tackles to hit the open market, joining ex-Saint Sheldon Rankins and Solomon Thomas. The Jets are trying to bring Rankins back, but one of their former Day 2 picks will not join him. Shepherd, a former third-round choice, spent the past five seasons with the Jets. Also a former third-round pick, Saunders played out his rookie contract with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

Drafted out of Division II Fort Hays State, Shepherd worked as a rotational D-lineman in New York. The 12-game starter totaled 22 quarterback hits over the past three seasons, and although the 315-pound performer’s sack total (six) underwhelms, Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-10 pass rusher among interior linemen last season.

Saunders finished with a career-high 3.5 sacks last season, breaking through after playing just 10 games from 2020-21. A Western Illinois alum partially known for his backflip prowess, Saunders added a sack in the playoffs for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Playing alongside Chris Jones certainly did not hurt Saunders, who played a career-most 421 defensive snaps last season. PFF slotted the 324-pound player 74th overall among interior D-linemen in 2022.

Onyemata agreed to a three-year, $35MM deal with the Falcons, who hired Nielsen as their DC this offseason. The talented inside rusher, who played seven seasons with the Saints, left a void inside for the NFC South club. Saunders and Shepherd will aim to fill it.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/4/22

January 4th, 2022 at 10:43am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Chiefs Activate OL Kyle Long

November 30th, 2021 at 4:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Kyle Long is officially on the Chiefs active roster. The team activated the veteran offensive lineman from the reserve/PUP list today, per ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Long came out of a one-year retirement to join the Chiefs this past offseason. However, he suffered a lower leg injury in June that ultimately delayed his return to the field. The 32-year-old finally returned to practice earlier this month, and now he’ll be able to join a Chiefs roster that’s making a push toward the playoffs.

Long joined the defending AFC champs on a one-year deal worth up to $5MM in March. Previous to that, the 2013 first-round pick spent his entire seven-year career with the Bears, earning three Pro Bowl appearances and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2014. However, he dealt with a long list of injuries between 2016 and 2019, averaging only 7.5 games per season over that four-year span. After being limited to only four games in 2019, Long announced his retirement.

Long’s versatility means he should see a role for the Chiefs down the stretch. The Chiefs have used three different starters (including Lucas Niang, Mike Remmers, and Andrew Wylie) at right tackle, so the veteran could perhaps provide some stability to that spot when the team returns from their bye this Sunday night.

To make room on the roster, the Chiefs placed running back Jerick McKinnon on injured reserve with a hamstring injury (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter). The veteran joined the Chiefs this past offseason and has seen time in 11 games, collecting 119 yards from scrimmage on 17 touches. He’s also seen a significant amount of time on special teams. Defensive tackle Khalen Saunders also landed on IR.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/24/20

October 24th, 2020 at 4:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is another spree of Saturday minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Moved from IR to reserve/COVID-19 list: CB Michael Joseph

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Promoted: CB Dylan Mabin

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Activated from IR: OL Cameron Clark
  • Promoted: K/P Sergio Castillo, LB Bryce Hager

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/20

September 19th, 2020 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves. There are many, as teams take advantage of the rule change allowing 55-man rosters ahead of regular-season games. Teams can dress 48 players for games this season, up from 46.

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Chiefs’ Khalen Saunders To Miss Time

September 16th, 2020 at 10:34am CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders is expected to miss roughly four weeks of action with a dislocated elbow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s not immediately clear whether the Chiefs will place Saunders on injured reserve, which only requires players to sit out for three weeks under the modified rules.

Saunders, who was forced out of the season opener early, will not require surgery. That’s good news for the Chiefs, who are counting on the former third-round pick to disrupt from the interior. With uncommon athleticism for a 325-pound lineman, Saunders has found a regular role in the rotation.

Last year, the 24-year-old stepped up for the Chiefs and stepped into the starting lineup while Chris Jones was sidelined with an injury. In 12 games (four starts), Saunders notched 22 tackles, two QB hits, and notched his first ever sack against the Packers.

The Chiefs, sans Saunders, will face the Chargers in L.A. on Sunday. To fill the void, the Chiefs may look to promote defensive tackle Braxton Hoyett from the practice squad.

Chiefs Sign Khalen Saunders

June 3rd, 2019 at 10:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs signed third-round defensive tackle Khalen Saunders on Monday, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). With that, the Chiefs have wrapped up their entire draft class. 

Saunders is slated to back up Chris Jones and Derrick Nnadi on the interior line in 2019. For now, he’ll practice with the first-stringers while Chris Jones stays away from the club in an effort to land a new contract.

The Western Illinois product impressed in his final year on campus with 42 tackles and 4.5 sacks from the interior. Saunders boasts impressive agility for a 324-pound lineman and could have a bright future if he’s able to improve his conditioning.

Here’s the full rundown of the Chiefs’ 2019 draft class, via PFR’s tracker: