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Broncos, Cardinals, Giants, Texans Pursued RB Josh Jacobs

July 29th, 2024 at 9:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the 2023 offseason foreshadowed, Josh Jacobs departed the Raiders in free agency. The former rushing champion inked a four-year, $48MM deal with the Packers this spring, a move he long contemplated.

[RELATED: Raiders Did Not Discuss New Deal With Jacobs Prior To Departure]

When addressing his decision to sign in Green Bay, Jacobs noted (via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette) he turned down more lucrative offers from other interested parties. He added that roughly one dozen teams showed different levels of interest in the lead-in to free agency. Joining a contending team helped make Jacobs’ decision easier, though.

“I didn’t want to go to a team where I felt like I wanted to be in a rebuilding situation,” the 26-year-old said. “I didn’t want to go to a team where I felt like I couldn’t come in and immediately make an impact and be able to be one of the factors to get over the hump.”

Jacobs said his suitors included the Texans, Giants, Broncos and Cardinals. Those teams offered varying potential in terms of Super Bowl contention in the immediate future, and the former first-rounder noted he spent much of the 2023 campaign observing the Packers’ development on offense. Green Bay’s offer was $3-$4MM lower than ones made by other teams, he said, but familiarity was another factor working in the Packers’ favor in this situation.

Jacobs contacted Rich Bisaccia while exploring the possibility of a Green Bay deal. The latter served as special teams coordinator (and, briefly, interim head coach) of the Raiders before taking charge of the Packers’ special teams in 2022. Bisaccia, along with former Raiders teammate Keisean Nixon and ex-college teammate Xavier McKinney represent familiar faces Jacobs will be reuniting with on his new team. Given the Packers’ decision to move on from Aaron Jones, he will also face heavy expectations as the their undisputed lead back.

“I wanted to be a Raider,” Jacobs added. “Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to be with one team, finish my career with one team… So coming into that [2023] season, everything felt weird. I felt like I’m going to have this crazy year, and you don’t even want me here. So the writing was already on the wall. Obviously, I still tried to come in and put my best foot forward, but I knew it was coming toward that time.”

Jacobs was limited to 13 games last season, and he had career lows across the board. As expected, Vegas moved on with Zamir White as their lead back while adding veteran Alexander Mattison as a backup. That tandem will be much more cost-effective than a RB room led by Jacobs would have been, but Green Bay’s run to the NFC divisional round will lead to expectations of a strong 2024 performance. It will be interesting to see how he fares with his new team and whether or not his free agent decision proves to be a sound one.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/24

July 28th, 2024 at 5:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves to close out the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Activated from active/NFI list: TE Erick All

Dallas Cowboys

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Thuney has been working his way back from a pectoral injury. After suffering the strain in a Divisional Round win over the Bills, the injury held Thuney out of the team’s final two wins over the Ravens and 49ers. Having passed his physical, Thuney will return to practice in order to take the next steps on his way back to the field.

The Giants weren’t the only team to submit a waiver claim for Rourke as he continues to try and turn his success in the Canadian Football League into an NFL opportunity. Now, after being buried on the depth chart behind Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito, Rourke is able to look elsewhere for that chance at playing time in the NFL.

Giants Have Not Considered Trading WR Darius Slayton

July 27th, 2024 at 8:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Darius Slayton is in position to play a sixth season with the Giants in 2024, but this offseason has included questions about his future. The veteran receiver stayed away from New York during the spring as part of an effort to land a new deal.

No extension talks took place, but in the end the sides reached a compromise. Slayton agreed to return to practice with new incentives being added to his pact, one which expires after this campaign. The 27-year-old has led the team in receiving during four of his five seasons, but recent draft additions – particularly Malik Nabers – threaten to cut into his role on the Giants’ offense moving forward.

Against the backdrop of a reduced target share, Slayton recently made it clear he would have welcomed a trade sending him elsewhere ahead of his walk year. No such move will be taking place, however, as general manager Joe Schoen confirmed. The pair had a discussion on the matter, and both sides are prepared for at least one more year together.

“When he came in, we had a conversation, and [a trade] was never an option,” Schoen said (via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News). “He was a free agent two years ago, and 32 teams had a chance to get his services, and he came back here. And I believe we gave him the best deal at the time, and it was a two-year deal. And we had a good conversation, and he understood where we were, and I understood where he was coming from. And we put it to bed when he showed up in the spring.”

Nabers, along with 2022 second-rounder Wan’Dale Robinson and 2023 third-round selection Jalin Hyatt, represents competition for Slaton in terms of playing time and targets in the Giants’ offense. The latter has been a consistent option in the passing game for years, but his 50 receptions and 770 yards from 2023 represented career highs. As New York looks to take a needed step forward during a make-or-break campaign for quarterback Daniel Jones, Slayton will be joined by other intriguing pass-catchers.

The former fifth-rounder’s free agent stock will be dictated in large part by his performance in 2024. Slayton could seek a new team for the first time in his career if he does see himself surpassed on the depth chart by one or more of the Giants’ recent additions, but for now his future is not in doubt.

Giants’ Daniel Jones Cleared Ahead Of Training Camp

July 24th, 2024 at 8:22am CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 24: Daboll confirmed Wednesday that Jones has received full clearance for camp. Daboll said (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) the sixth-year quarterback will participate in 11-on-11 drills for the first time this year. Continuing to put to rest any notion of a QB competition, Daboll added Jones will take every snap with the first-team offense during camp.

JULY 21: Daniel Jones has long been expected to be healthy in time for training camp. When providing an update on his health, the sixth-year Giants quarterback confirmed he will be 100% once summer practices commence.

Jones told Peter Botte of the New York Post he “should be” ready in time for Wednesday, the Giants’ first training camp session. The 27-year-old has been rehabbing the ACL tear which ended his 2023 campaign, and he has not endured any setbacks to date. Jones participated in minicamp during the spring, though he did not take part in 11-on-11 drills.

That will of course change once training camp opens. Jones – whose future in New York has been a topic of considerable speculation during the offseason – will work with the first-team offense. Free agent signee Drew Lock is in place as a relatively experienced backup, but head coach Brian Daboll previously made it clear there will be no competition in the summer. Of course, that commitment to Jones will not put to rest concerns over his long-term Giants outlook.

New York was among the teams which made a concerted effort to trade up to the No. 3 slot and select a quarterback in April. To little surprise, Jones was not thrilled with that approach but he enters 2024 with the opportunity to stake his claim to a long-term stay in the Big Apple. Three years remain on the former first-rounder’s deal, though a potential out exists after the coming season.

For that reason, plenty is at stake as Jones prepares for his first campaign without running back Saquon Barkley in the fold. The latter departed in free agency after general manager Joe Schoen and Co. prioritized upgrades along the offensive line and at the skill positions during the offseason. Jones’ health is an area of concern as well given his injury history, but 2024 will at least begin on the right foot in that respect.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24

July 23rd, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: OT Julién Davenport

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

  • Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
  • Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

G Greg Van Roten To Visit Giants

July 22nd, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Among the players meeting with prospective teams at the onset of training camps is Greg Van Roten. The veteran guard has a visit lined up with the Giants, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

This summit will take place today, veteran insider Josina Anderson adds. Van Roten, 34, is among the most experienced offensive linemen still on the market with 110 games under his belt. He served as a full-time starter with the Raiders last season, logging over 1,000 snaps at right guard.

Van Roten did not sign with Vegas until last May, inking a one-year, $1.6MM deal. That proved to be a team-friendly accord considering his career-high PFF grade of 75.3. The former UDFA’s value presumably saw an increase as a result, but he remains unsigned. Van Roten visited the Seahawks in April before Seattle elected to add Laken Tomlinson along the interior.

A native of Rockville Center, New York, Van Roten would be returning to familiar territory if he were to join the Giants. He played for the Jets in 2020 and ’21, then spent the following campaign with the Bills. A return to first-team duties on a permanent basis during his one-and-done Raiders stint could allow him to compete for a starting gig in New York.

The Giants have considerable room for improvement along the O-line compared to last season. Left tackle Andrew Thomas is positioned to remain the anchor of the unit, and 2023 second-rounder John Michael Schmitz is on track to remain in place at center. The right tackle position (in the wake of Evan Neal‘s struggles) as well as both guard roles are up for grabs during training camp, however. Van Roten would join the likes of Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor as new faces up front if he were to sign. The Giants currently have roughly $11.5MM in cap space.

The NFL’s Eight-Figure Dead Money Hits For 2024

July 18th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL moved into new territory this offseason, with one Broncos decision creating a staggering gap between the most costly dead money hits and No. 2 on the all-time list. Beyond Denver’s Russell Wilson release, other teams are taking on notable dead cap hits in 2024. Here are the players who will account for more than $10MM in dead money on teams’ payrolls this year.

  1. Russell Wilson, QB (Broncos): $53MM
  2. Stefon Diggs, WR (Bills): $31.1MM
  3. Kirk Cousins, QB (Vikings): $28.5MM
  4. Haason Reddick, EDGE (Eagles) $21.52MM
  5. Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks) $20.83MM
  6. J.C. Jackson, CB (Chargers): $20.83MM
  7. David Bakhtiari, T (Packers): $18.15MM
  8. Danielle Hunter, EDGE (Vikings): $14.91MM
  9. Carlton Davis, CB (Buccaneers) $14.1MM
  10. Andrus Peat, OL (Saints): $13.64MM
  11. Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $13.36MM
  12. Mike Williams, WR (Chargers): $12.46MM
  13. Aaron Jones, RB (Packers): $12.36MM
  14. Chandler Jones, EDGE (Raiders): $12.27MM
  15. Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $12.19MM
  16. Keenan Allen, WR (Chargers): $11.62MM
  17. Xavien Howard, CB (Dolphins): $11.41MM
  18. Michael Thomas, WR (Saints): $11.19MM
  19. Laken Tomlinson, G (Jets): $10.74MM
  20. Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $10.64MM
  21. Arik Armstead, DL (49ers) $10.31MM
  22. Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $10.26MM
  23. Byron Jones, CB (Dolphins): $10.1MM
  24. Maliek Collins, DT (Texans): $10MM

Months after trading for Wilson, the Broncos gave the decorated quarterback a five-year, $245MM extension. While Wilson offered something of a bounce-back effort from a shockingly mediocre 2022, Sean Payton‘s team still opted to designate him as a post-June 1 cut. Wilson’s $37MM injury guarantee, which the Broncos attempted to move in an effort that led to NFLPA involvement but no grievance, would have resulted in comparable dead money in 2025 had he remained on Denver’s roster on Day 5 of the 2024 league year and then been released next year.

The Broncos will receive a small cap credit — due to Wilson’s veteran minimum Steelers deal — in 2025, but the team will take on more than $83MM in total dead money from the release. This shatters the NFL record for dead money, which the Falcons previously held by trading Matt Ryan ($40.5MM), and the contract will remain on Denver’s books through the 2025 season. The Broncos opted to take on more dead money this year than next, separating this post-June 1 cut from most teams’ strategies.

The Bills’ decision to trade Diggs less than two years after giving him a four-year extension broke the non-QB dead money record. Unlike the Wilson matter, Buffalo will take on the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s full dead cap hit this year. Ditto Green Bay, which passed on a Bakhtiari post-June 1 designation. The Chargers will also be rid of the Allen and Williams responsibilities after 2024. The Seahawks also passed on post-June 1 designations with Adams and Diggs.

New Orleans has Thomas set to count more than $9MM in dead money in 2025 as well due to using the June 1 strategy. The Dolphins are still paying out the Jones contract from a 2023 post-June 1 designation, while Howard’s post-June 1 status will create a $15.7MM dead money penalty in 2025.

Void years created the Vikings’ Cousins cap hit. After attempting to negotiate a fourth contract with the veteran quarterback last year, the parties failing to come to terms resulted in void years being added in a restructure. The Falcons came in much higher than the Vikings were willing to go, guarantee-wise, leading Minnesota to a new QB path and significant Cousins dead money.

The Eagles also included three void years on Reddick’s contract, and the Buccaneers will eat some Evans dead money — despite re-signing the 11th-year wide receiver just before free agency — due to a void year-driven trigger before the latest contract was signed.

Darius Slayton Would Have Welcomed Trade If Giants Planned To Reduce Role

July 18th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joining Courtland Sutton as a starter-level wide receiver — but one south of the NFL’s top tier — to angle for a contract adjustment this offseason, Darius Slayton returned to work during Giants OTAs. A minor incentive update took place to bring the sixth-year pass catcher back to the team.

Rather than threaten Daniel Jones‘ job security and future in New York with a quarterback move in the first round, the Giants likely impacted Slayton’s by choosing Malik Nabers sixth overall. Slayton, who has led the Giants in receiving yards four times in the past five years, still stands to play a regular role in 2024. But the Giants also have Joe Schoen draftees Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt on the roster, complicating the Dave Gettleman-era draftee’s status.

[RELATED: Assessing Slayton’s Trade Candidacy]

Slayton, however, expects to remain a regular presence. But if the Giants were not planning to use the former fifth-rounder frequently, he would have welcomed a trade.

“I don’t play football to just play,” Slayton said during an appearance on Keyshawn Johnson’s All Facts, No Brakes podcast (via the New York Daily News). “I want the chance to show that I’m amongst the best in the game. But the reality of being a receiver is if you don’t get the opportunities to do so, you’re not gonna have the production.

“Obviously you’re trying to maximize your dollars. But at the same time, I kinda wanted to make sure it was known that if being here and me being a part of the offense — and being a big part of the offense — is not the thing here, then that’s OK. But we’d either like to move on and go somewhere else or make the investment that implies that I am that. So that was kind of where we ended up.”

It will still be interesting to see if Slayton’s role diminishes significantly, as the Giants will be aiming for Nabers to lead the way at receiver. Slayton has been a de facto No. 1 wideout for a team that has made some missteps at the position since trading Odell Beckham Jr., never exceeding 800 receiving yards in a season but eclipsing 700 four times. Slayton only commanded 79 targets last season; that ranked 52nd in the NFL last season.

Neither Robinson nor Hyatt have become reliable performers just yet, either, but the Giants have those Day 2 draftees respectively signed through 2025 and 2026. Slayton’s two-year, $12MM deal expires at season’s end. Even though the 27-year-old veteran returned to the Giants in May, he will probably come up in trade rumors — especially if Robinson and/or Hyatt take a step forward — before the November deadline. If the Giants wanted to move on before the season, no guaranteed money remains on Slayton’s deal.

Isaiah Hodgins, Allen Robinson and others are vying for the team’s No. 5 wide receiver spot, but Slayton — who rebounded from a rare rookie-deal pay cut in 2022 to sign his $6MM-per-year accord — is viewed as safely on the roster. With a few teams in need of receiver help, Slayton’s status will be worth monitoring in the months before the deadline.

Giants’ Offseason QB Pitch Highlighted Previous Backup Success

July 17th, 2024 at 8:53pm CST by Ely Allen

HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason continues to deliver nuggets of information and context that otherwise would not have been made available to the public. In the series’ most recent episode, we became privy to some details on the development of the Giants’ backup quarterback situation this offseason.

One area that the series shed light on was the departure of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The show displayed that both general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll showed confidence that Taylor would re-sign with the team, while beat reporters like Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post and Dan Dugger of The Athletic were both under the impression that Taylor had no interest in staying with New York.

The team had turned to Taylor to start for an injured Daniel Jones in Week 6 of the 2023 season but saw Taylor exit with a rib injury three weeks later. Taylor would eventually return around Week 14, but the Giants made the decision to stick with undrafted rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito, who had gone 3-1 in four starts filling in for Jones and Taylor. Two weeks later, DeVito was benched in a second straight losing effort as Taylor retook the reins for the remainder of the season.

Dunleavy claimed that Taylor was “very disheartened by how last season played out after his injury,” leading to the assumption that the veteran was not interested in returning. Duggan echoed this sentiment, saying that he “got the sense that (Taylor) was ready to move on after how last season unfolded.” Taylor eventually signed with the Jets, opting to serve as the primary backup for another starter who spent most of last season on injured reserve.

Following the loss of Taylor, the team explored a number of options to replace him, clearly seeing a need for quality with Jones’ injury history. The series showed that veteran names like Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco were floated around the building before the team ultimately landed on Drew Lock as their target.

A couple of months ago, we touched on a rumor that Jones’ injury history was part of the pitch that lured Lock to New York, with the team pointing at the success that former backups like Taylor and Mitch Trubisky have had finding contracts following their time with the Giants. That was seemingly confirmed in this week’s episode, showing that, whereas other teams had tried to sell Lock a potentially unrealistic chance to start, New York touted their history of getting backup passers back on their feet.

Regardless of how they got there, both parties appear to be in a good place now. Lock stands a better chance at seeing the field in New York (based on Jones’ injury history), and the Giants now roster one of the league’s most promising young backups as their QB2.

Largest 2024 Cap Hits: Defense

July 17th, 2024 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

As veteran report dates for training camps near, NFL payrolls are largely set. Extension- and trade-related matters remain, but as far as high cap numbers go, the list will not change much between now and Week 1. After we ran down the top cap charges on the offensive side of the ball last week, here are the highest 2024 figures tied to defenders:

  1. Maxx Crosby, EDGE (Raiders): $30.48MM
  2. T.J. Watt, EDGE (Steelers): $30.42MM
  3. Kenny Clark, DL (Packers): $27.49MM
  4. Joey Bosa, EDGE (Chargers): $26.11MM
  5. Khalil Mack, EDGE (Chargers): $25.39MM
  6. Montez Sweat, EDGE (Bears): $25.09MM
  7. Harold Landry, EDGE (Titans): $23.8MM
  8. Jaire Alexander, CB (Packers): $23.49MM
  9. Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $22.88MM
  10. Tremaine Edmunds, LB (Bears): $22.44MM
  11. Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.41MM
  12. Jeffery Simmons, DL (Titans): $21.65MM
  13. Daron Payne, DL (Commanders): $21.61MM
  14. Jonathan Allen, DL (Commanders): $21.44MM
  15. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (Steelers): $21.36MM
  16. Vita Vea, DL (Buccaneers): $20.97MM
  17. DeMarcus Lawrence, EDGE (Cowboys): $20.46MM
  18. Quinnen Williams, DL (Jets): $20.4MM
  19. Grady Jarrett, DL (Falcons): $20.38MM
  20. Myles Garrett, EDGE (Browns): $20.17MM
  21. Trey Hendrickson, EDGE (Bengals): $20.17MM
  22. Derwin James, S (Chargers): $19.86MM
  23. Budda Baker, S (Cardinals): $19.03MM
  24. Charvarius Ward, CB (49ers): $18.4MM
  25. Marcus Williams, S (Ravens): $18.03MM

While a handful of quarterbacks are set to break the single-player record for cap hit — after this offseason’s $30.6MM cap spike — this year’s defensive hits do not check in on that level. Crosby and Watt are at $30MM, but those numbers do not match last year’s top defender cap hit — attached to then-Giants D-lineman Leonard Williams ($32.26MM). With Aaron Donald now in the dead money category following his retirement and Chris Jones extended, some new faces have climbed toward the top of this list.

The Raiders gave Crosby a $6MM 2024 pay bump to reward a former Day 3 pick who has unlocked another level while attached to an extension signed in 2022. Rather than greenlight a new deal for their top defender, the Raiders moved money around on his through-2026 extension to accommodate a rising market. This season now marks the highest cap hit on this Crosby contract.

Although the Chargers worked out pay-cut agreements with Bosa and Mack, both edge rushers are still among the most expensive — cap-wise — players in the league. The March reductions, however, moved Bosa’s cap number down from $36.6MM and lowered Mack’s from $38.5MM. With James tied to the second-highest 2024 safety figure, Jim Harbaugh‘s team — while clearing out costs on offense — remains among the top defensive spenders.

Two years remain on Watt’s deal, which has paid out its guaranteed money. With Nick Bosa having secured a defender-record extension and lower-production players — compared to Watt, at least — Brian Burns and Josh Allen surpassing the future Hall of Famer’s 2021 extension, a third Steelers-Watt agreement will likely be rumored soon. Heyward has expressed interest in a fourth Steelers contract, which would reduce his lofty cap figure, but the accomplished veteran has not heard much from the team’s side on this matter.

The Packers have begun talks with Clark on what would be a third extension. His current $17.5MM-per-year contract has fallen to 15th among active D-linemen. A new deal would update that figure for a reliable starter while reducing his 2024 cap hit. Despite rumors about the Pack separating from Alexander coming out in December, GM Brian Gutekunst shot down any such move associated with the league’s highest-paid corner.

Baker requested a trade last year, eyeing a deal closer to the James-Fitzpatrick level. The longtime Cardinal DB is in the final year of an extension agreed to back in 2020. Although the Cardinals are rebuilding, Baker has remained part of Jonathan Gannon‘s team. He expressed hope to stay in Arizona beyond 2024, and the Cardinals have the contract-year safety — the team’s longest-tenured starter, now that D.J. Humphries is off the roster — on the team going into his age-28 season.

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