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Minor NFL Transactions: 6/18/24

June 18th, 2024 at 7:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins

  • Waived: WR Mathew Sexton

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Signed: G Liam Fornadel

New York Jets

  • Signed: OL Kohl Levao

Jones-Smith brings six games of experience to Atlanta, with the offensive lineman seeing time with the Raiders (2020) and Ravens (2021). The majority of his career snaps have come on special teams. He’ll provide the Falcons with some OT depth behind Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary.

The Lions officially added former UFL kicker Jake Bates to their squad, so the team moved on from an undrafted kicker to make room. Turner spent four years at Louisville before joining Michigan for the 2023 campaign. He had a standout season for the Wolverines, converting 18 of his 21 field goal attempts and 65 of his 66 XP tries.

OL David Bakhtiari Aiming To Play Another Couple Of Years

June 18th, 2024 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite being limited to only 13 games over the past three seasons, David Bakhtiari believes he can still play a few more years. During an appearance on The Adam Schefter Podcast, Bakhtiari said he was “really happy” with his recovery from November knee surgery and can still contribute in 2024.

[RELATED: OL David Bakhtiari Receives Positive Health Update]

“A lot of other people wanted me to just kind of grit through it, but no one experiences what you truly experience,” Bakhtiari said (via ESPN). “Look, I’ve been gritting through it for three years. I’m in constant pain. I’m so happy now to be on the other side of it and get the actual surgery that I needed because my knee was not in a good place.”

Since tearing his ACL late in the 2020 campaign, the offensive lineman has undergone five knee surgeries. His most-recent operation followed a one-game outing with the Packers in 2023. Despite his lack of availability over the past few years, the free agent said he’s received interest from teams this offseason. The 32-year-old said he still has to overcome a handful of hurdles before he can return to the field, and he estimated that he could sign with a team at some point between the start of training camp and the start of the regular season.

“My goal right now is just to make sure that I not only fully recover but I can withstand and play the game that I want to play but also play and be there for a team no matter what,” Bakhtiari said. “I’m not a reliever guy, I am your cornerstone guy. Someone that’s not only going to play in September but in December and into February and obviously hopefully for another couple of years.”

The long-time Packers lineman was cut by the organization back in March. The former fourth-round pick got into 131 games across his 11 seasons with the organization, earning five-straight All-Pro nods. Unfortunately, his last three-plus seasons have been defined by his absences. His 2020 campaign ended early thanks to that aforementioned ACL tear, and he returned for only one game in 2021. He managed to play in 11 games during his comeback season in 2022, but he only got into one game this past year before undergoing season-ending knee surgery.

Considering his connection to Green Bay and former QB Aaron Rodgers, both the Packers and Jets have been mentioned as potential suitors. However, Bakhtiari told Schefter that he isn’t anticipating joining either squad. The lineman specifically pointed to the Jets’ offseason acquisitions of veterans Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses and first-round rookie Olu Fashanu.

Ten Unsigned 2024 Draft Picks Remain

June 17th, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL collectively is ahead of where it was last year with regards to draft signings. Teams have navigated the guarantee issue second-round contracts presented in recent years. Unlike 2023, when 30 players were unsigned in late June and nearly half the second round was without contracts entering July, we are down to 10 unsigned rookies from the 2024 class. Here is the lot still without NFL contracts:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

The clearest difference between this year and last comes from the second round. On June 17, 2023, half the second-rounders were unsigned. The 2011 CBA introducing the slot system has removed most of the drama from rookie-deal negotiations, but second-rounders continue to make guarantee gains. This contractual component has complicated matters for teams in the past, but that has not been the case — for the most part — this year.

A number of 2021 second-round picks remain attached to their rookie deals. Those terms illustrate the improvements Round 2 draftees have made on that front since. The Jaguars did guarantee 2021 No. 33 pick Tyson Campbell‘s first three seasons; his fourth brought $50K guaranteed. This year, the Bills needed to guarantee nearly Keon Coleman‘s entire rookie contract. Coleman has three years locked in and $1.74MM of his $2.1MM 2027 base salary is guaranteed at signing. This year’s No. 59 overall pick (Texans tackle Blake Fisher) secured more in Year 4 guarantees than Campbell’s deal contains.

A sizable gap does exist between Coleman’s final-year guarantees and those of Falcons DT Ruke Orhorhoro (No. 35 overall). The Clemson product has $966K of his $2.1MM 2024 base guaranteed. This gulf has likely caused the holdup for the Chargers and McConkey, a player who — after the exits of longtime starters Keenan Allen and Mike Williams — stands to be a central figure in the Bolts’ first Jim Harbaugh-era offense. With the top players in Round 2 on the cusp of seeing fully guaranteed deals, McConkey can set another notable precedent while gaining some additional security for himself.

First-round contracts have only been fully guaranteed en masse since 2022, when Vikings safety Lewis Cine — chosen 32nd overall — secured those terms. Though, matters like offset language still have been known to slow negotiations. Extended holdouts into training camp no longer occur among rookies, with players risking the loss of an accrued season toward free agency — a product of the 2020 CBA — by doing so. Corley and Benson were this year’s top third-round picks. The 49ers gave No. 64 overall pick Renardo Green two fully guaranteed years. That has likely caused a holdup for the Jets and Cardinals, considering the progress made via contracts agreed to by earlier draftees.

Latest On Jets, QB Aaron Rodgers

June 17th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

JUNE 17: Rodgers and the Jets were in agreement with the decision to classify his minicamp absence as unexcused, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes. New York elected not to move the date of minicamp up one week, he adds, given the effects such a decision would have had on several other players. After a brief spell with Taylor guiding the first-team offense, Rodgers will be back in place for training camp.

JUNE 12: Haason Reddick‘s pursuit of a new contract qualifies as the top issue coming out of the Jets’ minicamp, but the team conspicuously does not have its future Hall of Fame quarterback on-hand for its mandatory June workouts.

Aaron Rodgers did not show for Tuesday’s minicamp opener, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes the second-year Jets QB will not take part in any of the team’s workouts this week. While Tyrod Taylor seeing more reps with his new team stands to be important given how last season went for the Jets, Rodgers making a point to urge the Jets to avoid distractions and then ending his offseason this way has naturally generated questions.

[RELATED: Jets Not Closing Door On Haason Reddick Extension]

It is not known where Rodgers is this week. The 20th-year passer reported for the Jets’ media day Monday and took a mandatory physical, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini, before leaving town. Rodgers had planned this trip during his rehab work, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes, who adds the Jets are not concerned about their QB’s absence.

Rodgers, 40, participated in the Jets’ voluntary workouts this offseason. He has also been in the team’s Nathaniel Hackett-guided offense for two years now. Rodgers also has a recent history of not showing for his team’s minicamp.

Most recently, he did so in 2021 during a months-long standoff with the Packers themed around a trade request. The parties agreed to a truce of sorts ahead of training camp. The 18-year Packer, however, did not show for his former team’s voluntary workouts in 2022. This became an issue for Green Bay, which was breaking in a few rookie wide receivers that offseason. Though, Rodgers reported for Green Bay’s mandatory minicamp that year. He was at Jets minicamp in 2023. It should be noted Rodgers won his fourth MVP award after the 2021 standoff, though his performance dipped — as the Packers moved on from Davante Adams — in 2022.

Coming off an Achilles tear sustained four plays into last season, Rodgers has acknowledged the pressure the Jets face this year. Ownership signed off on mulligans for Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas, but it is widely believed the HC-GM combo is on the hot seat. The QB’s whereabouts should become known at some point, and while the Jets are downplaying the matter, this certainly represents an unusual ending to an offseason program. Rodgers has been full-go during the team’s offseason program and will continue building toward a full-fledged comeback when training camp begins.

Rams Contacted Jets, Vikings About Round 1 Trade-Up

June 14th, 2024 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Known for trading first-round picks for veteran talent since returning to Los Angeles, the Rams finally used their allotted selection on a college performer this year by drafting Florida State’s Jared Verse at No. 19. But this came after reports of the team trying to climb into the top 10.

A pre-draft report indicated the Rams were interested in moving into the top 10, and Georgia’s Brock Bowers was believed to be the team’s target. The Rams have Tyler Higbee coming off a late-season ACL tear, with Hunter Long having undergone MCL surgery shortly before that. The team signed Colby Parkinson in free agency, but Bowers certainly would have represented a splashier piece in Sean McVay‘s offense.

The Rams targeted the Jets with a trade-up effort. Not seeking one of the quarterbacks still on the board, the Jets eventually used their position to squeeze an extra fourth-round pick from the QB-needy Vikings. That J.J. McCarthy-centered transaction came after GM Joe Douglas took a call from Rams counterpart Les Snead. A recent look into the Rams’ draft process (h/t The33rdTeam.com’s Ari Meirov) points to Snead offering Nos. 19 and 52 to the Jets for No. 10.

Snead revealed Douglas was not interested in moving down from 10 to 19. That drop likely would have taken the Jets out of the running for the player they eventually grabbed at 11 — Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu. Following the Jets-Vikings trade, the Rams came back with an offer that included Nos. 19, 52 and third- and sixth-round picks for No. 11, Meirov adds. While would have brought an interesting haul for the Jets, the team’s decision to pass shows its level of interest in Fashanu, who became this year’s third tackle chosen.

The Rams’ call was also interesting due to the pre-draft Jets-Bowers connections that developed. The Jets hosted the Georgia tight end on a “30” visit following his clearance from ankle surgery, and pre-draft reports suggested Gang Green stood as the floor for the three-year SEC standout. The Jets also were believed to be interested in adding another wide receiver to the mix, but after the Bears took Washington’s Rome Odunze at No. 9, the team — which had also been linked to trading down — made a deal with the Vikings and still landed Fashanu at 11.

Fashanu joins March pickups Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses in a Jets tackle group that promises to be deeper than last season’s contingent, while Verse will join ex-Seminoles teammate Braden Fiske — whom the Rams acquired after completing a second-round trade-up effort (via the Panthers) — in a group effort to replace the retired Aaron Donald.

McVay also called ex-assistant Kevin O’Connell about a move to No. 11, but the eighth-year Los Angeles HC was fairly sure the Vikings — after a run of QB work and extensive rumors leading up to the draft — would stay and pick McCarthy were he still on the board at 11.

It certainly would have been interesting to see the Rams equip Matthew Stafford with a dynamic tight end. The Rams have obviously enjoyed sustained success under McVay, but they have not employed a Pro Bowl tight end during the Super Bowl-winning HC’s tenure. Though, Higbee has put together multiple productive seasons. Going down in the Rams’ wild-card loss, Higbee will not be ready for training camp. It would not surprise to see the ninth-year veteran land on the reserve/PUP list to start the season.

The Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. pick at No. 8 halted any Broncos trade-down interest as well. Sean Payton‘s interest in adding Bo Nix effectively cut off the Rams’ options re: Bowers. The Raiders will attempt to make good use out of a Bowers-Michael Mayer tandem, having made a best-player-available choice — after six QBs went off the board before their No. 13 overall slot — to bring in this draft’s top TE.

CB D.J. Reed Open To New Jets Deal; No Extension Talks Taking Place

June 14th, 2024 at 2:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Haason Reddick is the pending free agent defender who has drawn the most attention for the Jets recently. Another player who fits that description is cornerback D.J. Reed, although he is not in danger of missing training camp or regular season action.

The latter joined New York on a three-year, $33MM deal in 2022. That pact has proven to be a sound investment on the team’s part given the way Reed has worked in tandem with Sauce Gardner over their two seasons together. The former Seahawk is due $11MM in 2024 with a cap hit of $15.64MM.

Working out an extension would likely lower that figure while ensuring the Gardner-Reed tandem remains in place beyond 2024. As Reed said when addressing the media, however, no talks on an extension have taken place to this point (h/t ESPN’s Rich Cimini). He therefore remains on track to play out the coming season as a walk year.

“I signed a three-year deal, so I expect to play three years here and go into free agency,” Reed said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “I do love New York. I love playing here. I love the coaches, love the organization. [Owner] Woody [Johnson] took care of me last time.”

Reed split his first four NFL seasons evenly between the 49ers and Seahawks, starting 24 games across that span. The 27-year-old had a strong contract year in 2021 (two interceptions, 10 pass deflections) before leaving the NFC West for the first time in his career. He has remained a full-time starter in New York, posting consistent seasons in terms of ball production while adding strong play in coverage.

That has yielded steady PFF evaluations; Reed has ranked between eighth and 23rd amongst qualified corners in the past four years. 2024 should see him continue to deliver solid performances in the Jets’ secondary, a unit which also has Michael Carter II looming as an extension candidate. Especially with Gardner eligible for a monster re-up as early as next offseason, keeping Reed in the fold could be challenging. Much will depend on how New York proceeds at the cornerback spot from a financial perspective over the short-term future.

“The ball is in the Jets’ court,” the Kansas State product added. ““I love being here, but I’m not really stressing about it. I’m here. I’m going to be here in training camp. I signed a three-year deal here, so I expect to play my three years out and go from there.”

Jets Sign DE Takk McKinley

June 13th, 2024 at 11:18am CST by Adam La Rose

Several veterans around the NFL have used ongoing minicamps as a means of trying out with a team in the hopes of landing a new deal. In the case of edge rusher Takkarist McKinley, that has produced a Jets agreement.

McKinley took part in the Jets’ minincamp, as noted by Brian Costello of the New York Post. The former first-rounder did enough to secure a roster spot for at least the summer. He and the team have a deal in place, as first reported by Connor Hughes of SNY. The deal is now official, per a team announcement.

The 28-year-old began his career with the Falcons, logging 25 starts across 49 games. Expectations were high after McKinley racked up 13 sacks in his first two campaigns, but he has failed to match that production since. Following the end of his Atlanta tenure, he bounced around to the Bengals, 49ers and Raiders.

That led to a one-year Browns contract in 2021. McKinley recorded 2.5 sacks that year, and they remain the most recent of his career. The UCLA product played sparingly for the Rams in 2022, collecting just one tackle. A Cowboys re-signing last March did not yield a roster spot. He was out of the league last season, so this agreement represents an opportunity to revive his career and compete for a depth role along the Jets’ defensive front.

New York saw Bryce Huff depart in free agency. While Haason Reddick was acquired as a replacement, the team later moved on from John Franklin-Myers in a cost-shedding trade during the draft. Reddick is under contract for one more year, although his ongoing absence from the team has cast doubt on his long-term future in the Big Apple.

The Jets have recent first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald in place along the edge. The latter in particular is expected to see a notable uptick in workload despite the former and Reddick being set to handle first-team responsibilities. McKinley will nevertheless spend training camp looking to carve out a rotational and/or special teams role in his bid to return to NFL game action.

Jets Not Closing Door On Haason Reddick Extension

June 12th, 2024 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Rodgers‘ surprise — to most — no-show for Jets minicamp has generated more attention this week, but Haason Reddick‘s situation qualifies as the more newsworthy story. Unlike Rodgers, Reddick did not show for the entirety of New York’s offseason program.

Seeking a new contract since the end of his Eagles run, Reddick stayed away from OTAs and this week’s minicamp. The sides do not appear on the same page regarding the team’s plan, which may well be to let the trade acquisition play out his contract and reassess after the season. Given Reddick’s age (30 in September), it is not too surprising he is attempting to force the issue in a contract year.

The Jets indeed look to prefer waiting on a Reddick extension, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini, but the veteran reporter adds the team has not ruled out the prospect of a new deal for the recently acquired edge rusher. Although the Jets remain confident Reddick will resurface and enjoy a productive season, this is certainly not a good start to the relationship.

Teams who trade for impact players disgruntled with their contracts often have new deals ready. That makes this Jets situation tricky, especially as the Eagles signed four-year Jet contributor Bryce Huff to replace Reddick weeks before the trade was finalized. The Eagles also reached a resolution with Josh Sweat, effectively ensuring Reddick would be traded. New York sent Philadelphia a third-round pick for Reddick in late March, but he and Robert Saleh had not spoken until this past weekend. Saleh confirmed (via Cimini) he reached out to the eighth-year vet.

Upon agreeing to take on Reddick’s three-year, $45MM contract, GM Joe Douglas deemed John Franklin-Myers as too expensive to retain. The Jets sent the dependable D-lineman to the Broncos, who then reworked his deal. (Franklin-Myers turned down a Jets pay-cut proposal, one that did not approach the numbers he is now tied to in Denver.)

Reddick has shown a much higher ceiling by comparison, stringing together four straight double-digit sack seasons — with three different teams — after being miscast as an off-ball linebacker early in his career. Reddick proved his legitimacy in Philly, spearheading a dominant 2022 pass rush en route to Super Bowl LVII, but has seen his $15MM-AAV deal become an upper-middle-class (at best) edge rusher accord. After the Huff, Danielle Hunter, Jonathan Greenard, Brian Burns and Josh Allen accords were finalized this offseason, Reddick’s deal has fallen into a tie for 19th among edge defenders.

Reddick’s 50.5 sacks since 2020 rank fourth in the NFL. The former first-round pick agreed to the Eagles deal ahead of his sixth season, however, as it took him some time to prove his 2020 Cardinals contract year was not fluky. This timeline may be costing the Temple alum here, with Cimini adding Douglas generally prefers not to extend players 29 and older or those acquired via trade. Reddick checks both boxes, adding another complication to this offseason saga.

After deploying Huff as a pass-rushing specialist, the Jets are expecting Reddick to play an every-down role. Unless Reddick wants to rack up $50K-per-day fines in training camp, he will report for his new team’s workouts next month. It will be interesting, then, to see if the trade pickup opts for the increasingly popular hold-in strategy — even though it is unclear if the team is planning any contract talks — come July.

Jets Aiming To Let Haason Reddick Play Out Contract; Parties No Longer On Same Page?

June 11th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets-Haason Reddick partnership has certainly featured a rocky start. The recent trade acquisition has not shown for the team’s offseason program, and after Robert Saleh said he expected the veteran edge rusher at minicamp, Tuesday brought an unexcused absence from the mandatory workouts.

It is not surprising to see Reddick test his new team, seeing as his below-market contract led to the separation from the Eagles, but the Jets look to have seen the former first-round pick change his stance as the offseason progressed.

Reddick, who will turn 30 in September, is in the final season of a three-year, $45MM contract. After what is believed to have been a productive spring visit before the trade came to pass, the parties do not appear on the same page regarding this issue. A previous Jets-Reddick meeting, however, suggested they were.

The Jets had communicated to the former Cardinals, Panthers and Eagles sack artist they would not extend him this year, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes, with the sides believed to be in agreement Reddick would play out his deal and see about receiving his money from the Jets — or another team — in 2025. Reddick was believed to be on board with the plan, per Hughes, who notes the former Super Bowl starter had told Jets staffers he would attend both OTAs and minicamp. It appears the parties are no longer in lockstep on a plan.

While the Jets communicated to Reddick adjustments could be made to his current contract — potentially via incentives — Hughes adds they indicated no extension was coming this year. This is an interesting stance for the team, which gave up a third-round pick for the Pro Bowler, as it has two rookie-contract edge players (Jermaine Johnson, Will McDonald) and traded its other veteran piece (John Franklin-Myers) in an April salary dump.

It is understandable why Reddick would opt to force the issue; his contract is out of step with his production, which now includes four straight double-digit sack seasons. His dominant 2022 showing (19.5 total sacks, 3.5 coming in the playoffs) helped the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII and had them on the cusp of breaking the 1984 Bears’ single-season sack record. Reddick did not fare quite as well last season, but he still totaled 11 sacks. He has also seen his contract — already a below-market deal upon signing — further shift toward a team-friendly classification. Offseason extensions for Brian Burns and Josh Allen have bumped Reddick down to the NFL’s 19th-highest-paid edge defender.

Reddick is both subject to a $104K fine by skipping minicamp, and he forfeited a $250K workout bonus as well. The eighth-year vet could force the issue by continuing his holdout into training camp, but teams must fine non-rookie-contract players $50K per day for each training camp workout missed. That has largely removed holdouts from the equation, though Chris Jones and Zack Martin both succeeded — Martin via an immediate agreement, Jones via a monster 2024 payday — after holding out. A Reddick hold-in effort could be the next step here.

The Jets effectively swapped out Bryce Huff for Reddick, with the younger player now with the Eagles on a three-year, $51.1MM deal to place the four-year Jet among the handful of edge rushers now paid more than Reddick.

It would look odd if the Jets turned around and paid Reddick a market-value contract, seeing as Huff is four years younger. Though, the Jets are planning a three-down role for Reddick after having used Huff as a designated pass rusher of sorts. Reddick may well attempt to use the Jets’ plan against them; training camp represents the next stage of this developing saga.

Haason Reddick, Aaron Rodgers Absent From Jets’ Minicamp

June 11th, 2024 at 10:24am CST by Adam La Rose

Haason Reddick remained away from the Jets during the voluntary portion of offseason workouts. The Pro Bowl edge rusher was expected to be present during his new team’s minicamp, but that has not turned out to be the case.

Reddick is not in attendance for the opening of New York’s minicamp, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports. Head coach Robert Saleh has since confirmed the news, adding (via Brian Costello of the New York Post) that he and Reddick spoke this weekend. Saleh had publicly expressed his expectation that the offseason trade acquisition would attend minicamp, making today’s news a surprise.

By virtue of missing out on OTAs, Reddick lost out on a $250K workout bonus. He will now be subject to fines as a result of his decision not to attend minicamp, a strategy often employed by players seeking new deals. The 29-year-old falls squarely into that category, with one year remaining on his current pact. Reddick is due $14.5MM in 2024, a figure much lower than the top of the edge rush market.

Reddick thrived during his two-year run with the Eagles, racking up 27 sacks and a pair of Pro Bowl nods. He expressed a desire to remain in Philadelphia on a new deal, but with no agreement in place the team elected to move on. Reddick was dealt to the Jets after the Eagles signed Bryce Huff to serve as a replacement. That set up the coming season as a potential walk year, unless New York pursues a long-term extension.

The Jets are prepared to use Reddick as a three-down starter along the edge, something which was not the case with Huff. The former’s attendance at training camp will be worth watching if no resolution is reached on the contract front. After an offseason in which a number of edge rushers landed lucrative new deals, there are now 12 players at the position attached to an annual average value above $20MM, and Reddick could attempt to join that group.

Saleh also said on Tuesday that quarterback Aaron Rodgers is away from the team for minicamp. Rodgers took part in voluntary workouts, but an engagement taking place this week will lead to an absence which Saleh indicated (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) is unexcused. Both Rodgers and Reddick will therefore be subject to roughly $100K in fines which the team has the option of waiving.

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