Newsstand News & Rumors

Seahawks, Titans Agree To Swap LBs Jerome Baker, Ernest Jones

October 23rd, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Sam Robinson

Ernest Jones is heading back to the NFC West, being involved in a second trade this year. The Titans and Seahawks have a linebacker-for-linebacker swap lined up, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports.

The Seahawks are sending Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick to the Titans for Jones, who was originally dealt from the Rams to the Titans in August. The contract-year linebacker will head back to the Pacific Time Zone to finish up his free agency audition. It’s a 2025 fourth, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.

This marks the second Titans seller’s trade of the day, with the move coming hours after the team agreed to send DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs. This checks in as a slightly lower-profile deal, but Tennessee secured a better return for Jones compared to Hopkins. Collecting a conditional fifth-round pick for the former All-Pro receiver, the Titans now have Baker and a fourth coming back. Like Jones, Baker is in a contract year.

As the Rams informed Jones this offseason would not be extended in 2024, his camp received permission to negotiate a trade. While Jones had said he did not request a trade out of Los Angeles, the Rams agreed to one in short order. L.A. collected a fifth-round pick for Jones and a sixth. Despite the season being nearly half over, the Titans did better in their Jones return.

Overall, Tennessee did quite well in the two Jones trades. The team gave up only a 2026 fifth-round pick but has obtained Baker, a 2025 fourth-rounder and a 2026 sixth in exchange. The Seahawks will bet on the younger linebacker while the Titans retool.

A former Rams starter who played a role for the Super Bowl LVI team before being highly productive from 2022-23, Jones has started five games with the Titans. He leaves Tennessee with 44 tackles (second on the team) with three TFLs and two pass deflections. Jones, who briefly teamed with UFA addition Kenneth Murray in Tennessee, led the 2023 Rams in tackles with 145 — to go with 4.5 sacks and 14 TFLs. This came after Jones teamed with Bobby Wagner as a starter in 2022.

The Seahawks had used free agency to staff their LB position, though they did not make the kind of commitment there the Titans did via their three-year Murray pact. Seattle signed Baker and Tyrel Dodson, bringing in the former as a street free agent following his Dolphins release. Baker’s second 2024 relocation will come after he started all five games he played with Seattle. Baker made 30 tackles (two for loss) and forced a fumble during his brief Seahawks stint.

Pro Football Focus has Baker and Jones ranked alongside each other among off-ball ‘backers this season, placing Baker 46th and Jones 47th. PFF has Baker rated as a superior coverage linebacker, though Jones checked in as a top-15 overall option at LB in 2023. He will now have a chance to use the Seahawks as a springboard to a nice 2025 payday.

Baker being nearly three years older explains the compensation in this trade. Baker will turn 28 on Christmas Day; Jones will be 25 next month. The Seahawks hold exclusive negotiating rights with their newly acquired defender until the March legal tampering period.

In Miami, Baker worked as a hybrid player of sorts. He showed the type of blitz acumen that has boosted the profiles of Demario Davis and Devin White. The former third-round pick notched 22.5 sacks in six Dolphins seasons, topping out at seven under Brian Flores in 2020. Baker did not assimilate as easily into Vic Fangio‘s defense last season, but he will now go from one ex-Raven assistant’s scheme to another by moving from Mike Macdonald‘s defense to Dennard Wilson‘s.

While Jones is tied his third-round contract, Baker is attached to a one-year deal worth $7MM. The Seahawks, however, already paid Baker a $4MM roster bonus; he is due barely $1MM in prorated base salary. As Baker joins Murray on a 1-5 Tennessee team, Jones will team with Dodson as a pair of contract-year LBs for a 4-3 Seattle team.

Rams Calling Teams On Cooper Kupp

October 22nd, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams have been waiting on the returns of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, playing most of the season without Matthew Stafford‘s top weapons. Kupp is expected back in Week 8, but trade rumors surrounding the former first-team All-Pro are gaining steam.

Ahead of the Rams’ Thursday matchup with the Vikings, they have received trade inquiries. It was not known if Los Angeles was prepared to entertain offers for Kupp, but it turns out this could be a live market. The Rams are now calling teams on the former Super Bowl MVP, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, Dianna Russini and Mike Silver report. L.A. has called multiple teams on Kupp.

Kupp is tied to a lofty three-year, $80.1MM extension — one agreed to during an offseason in which the Rams also paid Stafford and Aaron Donald — but The Athletic reports the team is willing to pay some of Kupp’s remaining salary, as the goal in a potential swap will be a second-round pick. Kupp’s contract runs through 2026. The Rams owe Kupp $5MM guaranteed in 2025, though his ’25 base is only $12.5MM. It would cost the Rams more than $25MM in dead money to move on, but the bulk of that sum would be absorbed in 2025.

This would be a seismic move from a Rams team that has generally been on the buyer’s side of in-season trades during Sean McVay‘s tenure. It would also leave Stafford in limbo, given the close connection he has formed with Kupp and the team having lost Donald to retirement this offseason.

Just less than $9MM remains on Kupp’s 2024 base salary. Kupp has not lived up to his third Rams contract, going down with injuries in each of the past three years. That would stand to diminish his trade value, but the Rams should have a market if they are truly willing to part with the 31-year-old WR talent.

Three years ago, the Rams sent the Broncos second- and third-round picks for Von Miller, who was rehabbing a minor injury at the time, and saw him join Donald, Stafford, Kupp and Co. to help produce a Super Bowl title. Denver paid almost all of Miller’s remaining 2021 salary to boost trade compensation. Now, the Rams — despite having beaten the Raiders en route to a 2-4 mark achieved largely without Kupp and Nacua — appear prepared to move into a seller’s position.

That year, Stafford and Kupp formed an immediate connection that powered one of the greatest season by a wide receiver in NFL history. Kupp completed the rare triple-crown effort by leading the league with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdown catches. Kupp continued his brilliance in the playoffs, adding 33 more catches, 478 yards and six touchdowns — including the Super Bowl LVI game-winner — to the Rams’ championship effort. Kupp’s reliability saved a team that had lost WR2 Odell Beckham Jr. in the first half, with the in-season addition going down weeks after Robert Woods was lost for the season.

Despite the Rams having paid Kupp and Woods in 2020, another deal for the ascending slot target commenced. Kupp, however, has missed 18 games since signing that extension. Ankle trouble slowed him in 2022, ending a season that also saw Stafford and Donald go down during a woeful Super Bowl title defense. Kupp began last season late due to nagging hamstring issues but did return to play 12 games alongside Nacua. With more ankle trouble plaguing Kupp this year, the Rams look to be gauging the market.

This marks a change from last season, when the Rams received calls on Kupp, Stafford and Donald but did not shop any of the cornerstones. Donald retired at season’s end, and Stafford has been asked to operate his age-36 campaign without both his top receivers and tight end Tyler Higbee. Kupp stepped up for an injured Nacua in Week 1, totaling 14 catches for 110 yards in a loss to the Lions. He went down in Week 2, being part of an injury brigade that has limited the Rams significantly on offense. The Rams, however, have kept Kupp on their active roster — unlike Nacua, who has been on IR since mid-September.

Neither Davante Adams nor Amari Cooper has produced a season like the one Kupp delivered in 2021, but both the recently traded standouts have been healthier. Even if the Rams pay down most of Kupp’s remaining salary, landing a second-rounder for Kupp figures to be difficult due to his recent maladies. Kupp also has an ACL tear on his medical sheet, having gone down midway through the Rams’ first McVay-era Super Bowl season. The former third-round pick posted his first 1,000-yard slate a year later, leading to the Rams’ first extension for the Division I-FCS product.

It will be interesting to see if the Rams find a team that is willing to part with Day 2 compensation for Kupp. The Steelers have been shopping for a wideout for months, while the Saints also missed out on Adams. Clubs may not be too eager to deal with the Chiefs, given their threepeat pursuit, but Kansas City lost JuJu Smith-Schuster with a short-term injury and has been in the market since seeing Rashee Rice follow Marquise Brown in sustaining a season-ending injury. That said, NFC teams stand to be less concerned about arming the Chiefs compared to AFC franchises. It would surprise if the two-time reigning champs did not call (or were not contacted) on Kupp.

Saints Reach Extension With Alvin Kamara

October 22nd, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints and five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara are in agreement on a two-year, $24.5MM contract extension, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Kamara was under contract for one more year, but the Saints were not expected to carry his non-guaranteed $22.4MM salary in 2025. Kamara’s new deal will lower his cap hit in 2025 by $18MM, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, and keep him in New Orleans through the 2026 season, giving Kamara a chance at retiring a Saint.

More than $22MM of his new money is effectively fully guaranteed, according to Garafolo, though Kamara’s per-year average dropped from $15MM to $12.75MM from his first to his second extension. The former Sean Payton chess piece had agreed to a five-year, $75MM extension before the 2020 season; that contract had paid out its guarantees and resided as the longest-running active RB deal.

Kamara, 29, made his desire for a new deal clear over the summer when he left mandatory minicamp a day early, though he reported to training camp on time. He continued to negotiate with the Saints as the season approached, but the two sides appeared to be at an impasse in September, indicating that extension talks would continue in the offseason. The veteran running back even became the subject of trade rumors with New Orleans losing five straight games after opening the season 2-0.

Kamara’s extension will take him out of the trade market and solidify him as the Saints’ long-term running back, even as the team faces massive cap obstacles in the next few seasons. While other players like Marshon Lattimore may become too expensive to retain, New Orleans furthered its commitment to Kamara as the most proven and productive player on its offense — one in dire need of proven playmakers given the injuries at wide receiver.

The eight-year veteran was drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft and received Pro Bowl nods in each of his first four seasons. That earned Kamara the five-year, $75MM payday in 2020; that deal established him as the second-highest-paid running back in the league behind Christian McCaffrey. Kamara’s new APY will drop him to third behind Jonathan Taylor, though he remains ahead of Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs. In terms of guarantees at signing, Kamara has managed to make his way toward that list’s ceiling as well. His $22MM at signing trails only McCaffrey and Barkley.

Kamara’s extension is somewhat of a surprise after negotiations with the Saints appeared to fizzle during the preseason, with both sides focusing on the 2024 season ahead of them. However, Kamara has been New Orleans’ most consistent offensive player this year as several other playmakers – including quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed – have dealt with injuries behind a rotating offensive line. Kamara’s 145 touches lead the league, and he is averaging one touchdown and just under 100 yards from scrimmage per game.

Kamara accepted a pay cut from his last contract with the Saints in exchange for full guarantees on almost 90% of his new money, continuing a league trend of decreasing running back contracts as players sacrifice total earning potential for more security with guaranteed money. The Tennessee alum has done very well for himself, even as RB value has stagnated in the modern NFL. The guarantees on this third Saints contract will bump him past $70MM in career earnings.

With the Saints committing to Kamara, other NFL teams will now turn their attention to players like Lattimore and Carl Granderson as potential trade targets as New Orleans — having dropped from 2-0 to 2-5 — potentially looks to shed contracts to clear up future cap space.

Buccaneers Fear Chris Godwin Sustained Dislocated Ankle

October 21st, 2024 at 10:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Buccaneers attempted to crawl back into their Monday-night matchup with the Ravens, they lost one of their long-running wide receiver starters. The team fears Chris Godwin suffered a serious injury.

The team is concerned Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle, Todd Bowles said postgame. This will stall a bounce-back season for the eighth-year veteran, who has an extensive injury history. Godwin exited the field with an air cast on his injured ankle.

This would be both a significant blow to Tampa Bay’s offense and a poorly timed setback for Mike Evans‘ longtime sidekick. Godwin is in the final season of a three-year, $60MM deal. The former Super Bowl starter has four 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, but he was on pace for a career-best total this year. Godwin caught three passes for 65 yards in the Bucs’ loss tonight, elevating him to 576 on the season. Only Ja’Marr Chase (620) has that beat.

The Bucs gave Evans a third contract this offseason, moving their longtime No. 1 target back in front of Godwin, who is playing on a deal he signed after the team franchise-tagged him for a second straight year. Tampa Bay tagged Godwin in 2021 and ’22; the second stint on the tag did not last long, leading to the $20MM-per-year agreement days later. While Godwin has done quite well for himself as a pro, the former third-round pick was poised to be a high-end free agent at season’s end.

Tampa Bay has established a pattern of letting free agents play out their contract years and convincing them to re-sign. The team went heavy in this direction this year, re-signing Evans, Baker Mayfield and Lavonte David — before tagging and extending Antoine Winfield Jr. The team has also taken this route with cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis, along with center Ryan Jensen. The recently retired center had secured a third contract when he suffered what turned out to be a career-ending knee injury; Godwin’s value for a third contract will likely take a hit as a result of Monday’s development.

In May, an update emerged indicating the Bucs, true to form, had not discussed an extension with Godwin. The productive WR had suffered a torn ACL late in the 2021 season, leaving the team shorthanded (especially after Antonio Brown‘s subsequent meltdown). Godwin, 28, did re-emerge with 1,000-yard slates in 2022 and ’23; though, he was not quite in top form in either year. Godwin posted 1,023 yards in Tom Brady‘s 2022 finale and 1,024 in Mayfield’s Tampa debut, combining for just five touchdowns in that span. He had already matched that total entering Monday night.

The Bucs have trotted out Evans and Godwin together for eight years now. While the younger receiver did not move directly into the starting lineup as a rookie, he soon became Evans’ top complementary piece, helping the likes of Mayfield, Brady and Jameis Winston. Mayfield’s second Tampa Bay arsenal will take a hit as a result, raising the stakes for the likes of Trey Palmer and third-round rookie Jalen McMillan.

Although Brown interfered with Godwin’s unquestioned role as Tampa Bay’s WR2 for a short spell, the Bucs’ pass-game hierarchy has run through Evans and Godwin for many years now. Godwin sits behind only Evans on the team’s all-time receiving list. The Penn State alum’s 7,266 yards are more than 2,000 clear of third-place Mark Carrier, illustrating the value the Bucs have coaxed from their top WRs. If Godwin is unable to come back, this will be a test to the team’s receiver development — both this season and potentially into 2025, considering the veteran’s contract status.

Jameson Williams Facing Two-Game Ban

October 21st, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Jameson Williams‘ breakout season may be coming to a brief pause. According to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard (and via ESPN’s Adam Schefter), the Lions wide receiver is facing a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s PED policy.

Williams spoke to Woodyard, stating that he’s disappointed with the development and has “no choice but to take it on the chin.”

“I’m in good spirits,” Williams told Woodyard. “[I’m] just ready to get back with the my brothers ASAP soon as possible.”

This is a tough blow for both Williams and the Lions, as the former first-round pick was putting together the strongest season of his career. In six games (four starts), Williams has already established career-highs in receiving yards (361) and touchdowns (three). His 60.2 yards-per-game mark was more than double his 2023 average, and it barely trailed Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s team-leading 66.8 yards per game.

The 12th-overall pick in the 2022 draft, Williams didn’t make his debut until that December while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college. After finishing his rookie campaign with a single catch (a 41-yard touchdown, no less), Williams got a full offseason ahead of the 2023 campaign. However, the start of his sophomore season was still delayed thanks to a suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. When he returned, he was firmly behind St. Brown and Josh Reynolds on the depth chart.

With Reynolds no longer around in 2024, Williams has stepped up as the team’s WR2. In an offense loaded with talent, Williams has still managed to garner the second-most targets (30) on the squad. Fortunately for the Lions, they should be more than capable of overcoming Williams’ impending suspension. Tim Patrick and/or Kalif Raymond could step up at WR, and tight end Sam LaPorta could see an uptick in targets following a disappointing start to his sophomore campaign.

49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk Suffers ACL Tear

October 21st, 2024 at 4:15pm CST by Ely Allen

OCTOBER 21: Aiyuk is indeed out for the year, as first confirmed by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Adding further details on the extent of the injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Aiyuk tore his ACL and MCL; further damage may also be present. Even if not, a lengthy recovery period is now in store.

OCTOBER 20: It took a while for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to find his sea legs in the 2024 NFL season, and just as it appears that he found his groove, Aiyuk’s season may be coming to an end. Aiyuk left today’s loss to the Chiefs shortly before the end of the first half and was unable to return. ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry was the first to relay head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s concern that Aiyuk’s injury was a torn ACL.

Aiyuk’s name was a common one in NFL news circles this offseason as he held out for a new contract in San Francisco, at one point even requesting a trade. The 49ers eventually got him signed to an extended contract at the end of August, but missing the ramp up into the regular season seemingly proved significant on the veteran receiver’s production early this year.

In the first four weeks of the season, Aiyuk failed to eclipse five receptions or 48 receiving yards, despite being targeted 10 times in Week 3, and had not caught a touchdown. The 26-year-old had a breakout performance in a Week 5 loss to the Cardinals, catching 8 passes for 147 yards, and though he still didn’t have a touchdown, it appeared that Aiyuk was on his way back to his usual self. Last week saw a bit of regression, but hopes were still high that Aiyuk was on the come up.

Today’s game was looking like another lackluster performance in the making. On six targets, Aiyuk only had two catches for 23 yards. On his second catch of the day, Aiyuk was led over the middle by quarterback Brock Purdy, where defensive back Chamarri Conner met him with a low tackle right at the knees. Aiyuk was carted off the field with what immediately looked like a serious knee injury. Shanahan’s fears echoed what many assumed from watching the play.

Aiyuk’s absence exacerbated an already bad situation in the receiving corps. The 49ers knew heading into today that Jauan Jennings was out with a hip injury and Deebo Samuel exited the game after only a few plays with an illness. Samuel reportedly woke up feeling ill and attempted to play through his sickness but very quickly determined that he would be unable to contribute. This left San Francisco without their top three receiving options for the rest of the day.

Luckily, the team saw the NFL debut of first-round Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall, who was activated off the NFI list on Friday. Purdy was throwing to Pearsall, fourth-round rookie Jacob Cowing, Ronnie Bell, and Chris Conley. The four were targeted for a combined 12 of Purdy’s 31 pass attempts, reeling in a combined six balls for 81 yards. Even with Samuel expected back after recovering from illness, if Aiyuk is out for an extended period, the four who played today are going to need to take some big steps up to support the offense.

For Aiyuk, that holdout seems perfectly justified now. If Aiyuk hadn’t fought for the contract like he had, he would still be on a contract year and headed towards free agency after suffering a serious, potentially season-ending knee injury. Tomorrow’s tests will determine just how long Aiyuk may be out. If it is indeed a torn ACL, his four-year, $120MM contract with $76MM guaranteed may provide a bit of solace in an otherwise devastating situation.

Browns QB Deshaun Watson Tears Achilles

October 21st, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 21: An MRI confirmed on Monday Watson has, in fact, torn his Achilles (h/t Rapoport). His season is over, and attention will turn toward his Week 1 availability for the 2025 campaign.

OCTOBER 20, 10:00pm: When speaking about Watson’s injury after Cleveland’s loss, Stefanski confirmed the team’s fear is an Achilles tear. Further testing will be needed for confirmation, but in all likelihood Thompson-Robinson (who himself exited the contest due to a finger injury) or Winston will be leaned on for the remainder of the campaign.

2:20pm: Deshaun Watson remained atop the Browns’ quarterback depth chart to begin Week 7, but he has since exited the team’s ongoing contest. Watson suffered a non-contact injury affecting his right leg (video link), and he was carted off the field shortly thereafter.

Watson has since been diagnosed with an Achilles injury, per a team announcement. A tear has not been confirmed yet, but the possibility of that season-ending ailment is obviously high. Cleveland does indeed fear Watson suffered a tear, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Further testing will be needed to confirm the worst-case scenario, but if that does take place the Browns will be forced to look at other quarterback options. Questions have been raised throughout the year about a change under center with Watson struggling mightily in 2024. Head coach Kevin Stefanski has repeatedly offered endorsements of the blockbuster trade acquisition (and not at the behest of ownership), who remains attached to the five-year, $230MM deal he signed upon arrival. That pact is guaranteed in full, ensuring Watson will remain in place beyond this season.

The former Texans Pro Bowler is owed $92MM over the final two years of his pact, and restructures have left him positioned to carry massive cap hits during that span. Likewise, any decision to cut him would lead to enormous dead money charges, while finding a trade partner would be impossible without sending notable draft capital to an acquiring team. For the time being, attention will turn to his recovery process after a second consecutive season-ending injury.

Watson dealt with a shoulder ailment which limited him to six games last year. Considering he was suspended for the first 11 contests of the 2022 campaign stemming from his sexual misconduct lawsuits, missed time was already a key element of his Browns tenure. Presuming the 29-year-old is indeed facing a torn Achilles, that will be the case to an even greater degree. Given the recovery timeline for such injuries, being healthy in time for the start of the 2025 campaign will likely be a challenge.

In the meantime, newly-promoted backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson will take over. The 2023 fifth-rounder made three starts during his rookie campaign, one during which the Browns cycled through several signal-callers and landed on Joe Flacco as their preferred starter. The veteran did not receive an offer to remain in Cleveland during free agency, however, and he took the Colts’ QB2 gig. Thompson-Robinson saw Tyler Huntley (who was eventually released) and Jameis Winston added to the mix this spring.

Winston has 80 starts to his name, but so far this season he has only attempted a single pass. Thompson-Robinson’s status as backup for today will give him the opportunity to stake a claim to the first-team role for the coming weeks. If he should struggle in that capacity, Winston will be available as an experienced option. Either way, Watson should not be expected to be on the field any time soon.

Jets Acquire Davante Adams From Raiders

October 15th, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Davante Adams is indeed set to be traded, and he is headed to his preferred destination. The Jets are finalizing a deal to acquire Adams from the Raiders, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The swap will see Vegas receive a conditional 2025 third-round pick from New York, Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero adds. That pick can become a second-rounder based on Adams’ performance with his new team. Crucially. Pelissero also notes the Jets will take on the remainder of Adams’ 2024 salary. Depending on how he fares with his new team, then, the Raiders could wind up meeting their goal of landing a second-rounder in addition to not retaining any of his salary to facilitate a trade.

Providing specifics on the conditional pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the selection will upgrade to a second-rounder if either of two circumstances are met. Adams must earn a first- or second-team All-Pro selection, or he must be on the Jets’ active roster for the AFC title game or Super Bowl. Those thresholds certainly make it likely the pick will wind up as a third-rounder, something SI’s Albert Breer recently speculated represented a cost the Raiders would ultimately be willing to accept.

Once it became known the Raiders were gauging the market on an Adams trade (something the 31-year-old preferred to staying put), the Jets emerged as the likeliest destination. After Adams openly remarked about the potential of reuniting with Aaron Rodgers – something the four-time MVP reciprocated – it came as no surprise to learn the Jets were his top target. Now, the two will in fact resume playing with each other after their successful eight-year run in Green Bay.

A number suitors were in the mix with respect to showing interest, but Vegas remained insistent on landing a second-round pick in any Adams deal. Many contenders saw that price as being too steep, and the Jets and Saints held an advantage in terms of providing Adams with a familiar quarterback (Rodgers or Derek Carr, in the case of New Orleans). Recently, those two teams appeared to be the strongest suitors with the Jets in particular acting aggressively to get a deal done. The team sits at 2-4 with a new head coach and offensive play-caller in place, but Adams could spark a midseason turnaround.

The Jets entered Tuesday with just over $17MM in cap space, a larger figure than many of the other teams interested in acquiring the three-time All-Pro. Since Vegas will not retain any salary, New York will be on the hook for $11.59MM this season (the prorated remainder of Adams’ 2024 salary). Two more years remain on his pact, but no guarantees are in place. Working out a new agreement will be key in this situation, and having Adams as more than a short-term rental would help justify the trade cost to add him. Adams has reportedly expressed concern about Rodgers’ post-2024 future with the Jets, however.

Nevertheless, an organization which just fired head coach Robert Saleh and demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is now making another aggressive move aimed at success this season. The 2024 Jets are the first team led by Rodgers to have a losing record through six weeks. A postseason berth remains the goal, though, and Adams could aid an offense which sits 22nd in scoring. Of course, this move also marks the latest the Jets have undertaken which involves bringing in familiar faces to Rodgers on the field and the sidelines while trying to maximize the remainder of his career.

Adams will now join Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard at the receiver spot with New York. Speculation has increased in the wake of today’s deal that Mike Williams – signed to a one-year deal in free agency – could now be on the move to avoid a logjam at the top of the depth chart and move some money out to compensate for Adams’ arrival. In any case, expectations will increase for better efficiency through the air moving forward.

For the 2-4 Raiders, this move brings an end to a situation between Adams and head coach Antonio Pierce which was marked by a recent increase in tension. As veteran insider Josina Anderson notes, Pierce feels this move is best for all involved. Vegas – a team which is now increasingly short on playmakers and turned to Aidan O’Connell at quarterback for Week 6 – will take on $13.67MM in dead money this year and $15.7MM in 2025 (h/t Spotrac).

With five 1,100-yard campaigns to his name (including both of his full Raiders seasons), Adams will be expected to provide a major boost to the Jets’ offense upon reuniting with Rodgers. If that proves to be the case, the team – which may soon offload edge rusher Haason Reddick and end his holdout in the process – could become a contender for at least an AFC postseason spot. Ending the Jets’ 13-year playoff drought would mark a key success for the team, and it would no doubt quell doubts about general manager Joe Douglas’ job security.

A hamstring injury has kept Adams out of action for the past three weeks, but multiple reports note he is currently at the Jets’ facility undergoing a physical. Once that takes place, this trade can be made official and bring a notable but expected end to the Adams situation. How it affects other receiver deals ahead of the deadline will be interesting to monitor.

Browns Trade Amari Cooper To Bills

October 15th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The receiver market is heating up. Hours after the Jets finalized their deal to acquire Davante Adams, the team that won Monday night’s game will also strike for a pass-catching weapon.

Amari Cooper is headed to Buffalo, with Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reporting the Bills and Browns have a deal in place. A recent report indicated Cleveland was not expected to unload Cooper, but after the Browns did not reach an extension with the accomplished wideout this offseason, he remains in a contract year. It appears that campaign with finish in New York. The teams have since announced the trade.

This deal includes the Browns receiving a third-round pick, though NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport classifies it as a pick-swap agreement. That will send a lower pick back to the Bills. Here is how the trade breaks down, via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero:

Bills receive:

Cooper
A 2025 sixth-round pick

Browns receive:

A 2025 third-round pick
2026 seventh-rounder

This is the second time Cooper has been traded in-season, with the 2018 campaign including the Raiders sending him to the Cowboys for a first-round pick. After re-signing the former top-five pick in 2020, the Cowboys dealt him to the Browns during the 2022 offseason. Cooper, 30, has produced in Cleveland, but with Deshaun Watson well off his Texans pace, he has not fared especially well this season. Given the QB upgrade he is set to see, Cooper is likely to see a production uptick soon.

Sean McDermott said last week Buffalo’s receiver situation had become a concern. The Bills’ plan of moving on from Stefon Diggs and not replacing him with a comparable wideout was passable early, but teams had limited the team’s receivers in recent weeks — a period that bottomed out with a woeful Josh Allen stat line in Houston. Even after the Bills prevailed over the Jets on Monday, they are loading up with one of the best wideouts on the market.

“Andrew Berry called me and told me what was going on,” Cooper said (via veteran insider Josina Anderson) of the trade. “As far as playing with Josh, I’ve always been fan of his game. I’m sure to see it up close and personal and play alongside him, I’m sure it’s going to be great.”

This Cooper swap comes after the Bills had monitored the Adams market. In on Adams from the beginning, Buffalo never appeared in pole position — or even in the front row — for the Raiders trade chip. It does not appear to be a coincidence that the Jets’ Adams trade went down shortly before this one. The Bills snaring Cooper gives them a weapon in an effort to hold off the Jets in the AFC East while taking away a potential Chiefs solution in the wake of Rashee Rice‘s season-ending injury.

Although Cooper is in his age-30 season and is averaging only 10.4 yards per catch this year (24/250), the Bills needed to include a third-round pick likely due to both his past production and the Browns having slashed his 2024 base salary to the veteran minimum. Cooper’s offseason restructure included an incentive package and his 2024 base dropping to $1.21MM.

That works out to just $783K to be transferred to the Bills’ payroll. The Browns, conversely, will take on $7.9MM in dead money this year and $22.6MM in dead cap in 2025. The total sum nearly matches Diggs’ receiver-record figure the Bills ate earlier this year.

Cooper’s route-running chops are on Diggs’ level, making it interesting Buffalo targeted the former No. 5 overall pick. Cooper has seven 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, with the most recent — 2023’s 1,250-yard showing with an aid from Joe Flacco — doubling as a career-high number. Cooper has never quite settled in as a top-tier receiver, but his credentials easily place him on the second rung. The refined pass catcher is a five-time Pro Bowler who has surpassed 1,100 yards in a season five times. Cooper totaled nine touchdowns in his first Browns season, doing so despite the team using Jacoby Brissett for 11 games and Watson (who re-emerged in concerning form) for the final six.

Turning 30 earlier this year, Cooper is several months younger than Diggs. The Bills had tired of Diggs’ antics, but they were beginning to miss his production. Drafted four rounds before Diggs in 2015, Cooper has not proven to be a locker room issue, as he has seamlessly transitioned to new teams via trade before.

The Alabama alum’s 2018 Dallas assimilation made a key difference in turning a sub.-500 Cowboys team into the NFC East champions. Cooper will now try to replace Diggs and help the Bills book a fifth straight division title. Set to anchor a receiving corps previously fronted by Khalil Shakir and second-round pick Keon Coleman, Cooper strengthens the Bills’ hopes of threatening the Chiefs’ AFC vice grip as well.

No stranger to splashy WR trades as the 2020 Diggs swap and the near-deal for Antonio Brown in 2019 shows, Bills GM Brandon Beane will attempt to equip his superstar quarterback with a weapon that will help him better maximize his age-28 season. Diggs moved the needle significantly in Allen’s development. With Allen much closer to a finished product now, the Bills are adding a similar playmaker. Buffalo received a 2025 second-round pick from Houston for Diggs, helping make parting with a Day 2 asset easier.

This deal comes barely two months after the Browns offered Cooper to the 49ers in a swap that would have sent Brandon Aiyuk to Cleveland. Aiyuk did not want to be traded to the Browns, who have struggled in the passing game for most of the decade despite obtaining Watson in 2022. Cooper, however, wanted to be traded to the 49ers, TheLandOnDemand.com’s Tony Grossi offers. That San Francisco proposal, which included second- and fifth-round picks as well, always made Cooper a trade chip to watch. With the Browns now 1-5 and Watson in terrible form, cashing out now with a Day 2 asset — which is more than the Browns initially gave up to acquire him from the Cowboys — can be viewed as a savvy move.

Cleveland sent just fifth- and sixth-round picks to Dallas to acquire Cooper in March 2022. The Cowboys have missed the midrange weapon’s presence, even as CeeDee Lamb has ascended to the All-Pro level. The Browns traded for Jerry Jeudy this offseason and gave the ex-Broncos first-rounder a three-year extension that brought more in guarantees ($41MM) than Cooper’s Cowboys-constructed pact (five years, $100MM, $40MM guaranteed at signing) did. The Browns also have Elijah Moore on their roster, but the ex-Jets second-rounder joins Cooper in being in a contract year.

Jeudy suddenly represents the Browns’ receiver centerpiece, as he is tied to the team through the 2027 season. Jeudy, however, is 0-for-4 in 1,000-yard seasons; Cooper is 7-for-9. A Bills team gunning for its first Super Bowl berth since 1993 will soon deploy Cooper as part of its championship effort, while the Browns — thanks to their historic Watson guarantee tying them to the embattled QB through 2026 — will pick up an asset as they reassess their passing game.

NFL Approves Tom Brady’s Raiders Ownership Stake

October 15th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly 18 months after Tom Brady agreed to buy a stake in the Raiders, NFL owners have finally approved the measure. The all-time QB great-turned-broadcaster is now a part-owner of the AFC West franchise, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

Brady’s ownership effort receiving the necessary 24 votes Tuesday both finishes his long-running bid to become a part-owner and ensures he will not make a comeback as a player. Brady, 47, had teased the idea as being on his radar — a late-season comeback, that is — but owners were not open to the idea of the 23-year veteran being a part-owner who also plays for a team. The current lead FOX analyst is OK with this and will move into the unique position of being an NFL owner who is also a broadcaster.

Brady is in at roughly 5% of the Raiders, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting another 5% going to business partner/Knighthead Capital Management co-founder Tom Wagner. With Wagner part of Brady’s group, the latter technically holds a 10% stake in the Las Vegas NFL franchise. Brady had recently raised his ownership bid, doing enough to move this journey into the end zone.

Providing financial details on this transaction, Ben Fisher and Austin Karp of the Sports Business Journal report the deal will see Brady and Wagner pay $220MM in equity along with $24MM which will go to the league’s other owners as a condition of the franchise’s move to Vegas. The Raiders’ valuation for the purpose of Brady and Wagner’s addition is roughly $3.5 billion, per the report. Forbes’ most recent valuation checked in at $6.7 billion.

Hall of Famer Richard Seymour, who was believed to have been separated from the Brady stake, is a part-Raiders owner at 0.5%, Breer adds. Seymour did not need to wait nearly as long as Brady did on the ownership front, with a few owners meetings coming and going without the matter being part of an official discussion. That changed Tuesday.

Mark Davis agreed to sell a stake to Brady in May 2023; the two were already partners in the WNBA, with Brady buying a piece of Davis’ Las Vegas Aces franchise. Owners took issue with Brady’s stake price and then expressed concerns about the conflict of interest FOX’s first-team color commentator also owning part of a team. The price issue was ironed out months ago, and going into this season, the NFL imposed a round of Brady-only restrictions that prevent him from attending team facilities or taking part in player and coach broadcast meetings.

The restrictions certainly limit Brady’s ability to do his FOX job, but he did not back down from this Raiders ownership pursuit. As a result, Brady will continue to broadcast without going through the usual pregame work his contemporaries do. Owners’ concern also included Brady appearing at a Raiders practice late last season, putting the eventual limitations in motion, but the recently retired quarterback had said he planned to play a passive role as an owner. That also may be subject to change.

Brady should be expected to have a prominent voice as a Raiders part-owner, an NFL source informed the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. He was linked as being involved in the Raiders’ HC and GM searches, though not to the extent Seymour eventually was. If Brady indeed becomes an integral figure in Raiders football decisions, his FOX role may come under additional scrutiny. And Tom Telesco‘s GM power may be conceivably worth questioning. For now, however, the former Patriots and Buccaneers passer is set for dual NFL citizenship of sorts.

A Brady effort to become a player/owner — with Sean Payton as the coach — for the Dolphins produced significant punishment for the AFC East franchise, though at that point, a player/owner effort was not completely off the table. A rule passed last summer, in the wake of Lionel Messi being given equity in Miami’s MLS club, now nixes any NFL player/owner crusades. As a result, Brady’s playing career will officially end.

The 49ers had pursued Brady after his second retirement, seeking to have him start and mentor Brock Purdy. Brady turning down his hometown team, which presented a loaded roster that eventually pushed the Chiefs to the brink of double overtime in Super Bowl LVIII with Purdy at the controls, effectively confirmed he was done playing. While he unretired once and made mention of doing so in an emergency circumstance again this offseason, the book — barring an about-face on an ownership bid he has spent the better part of the past two years pushing for — is closed on Brady the player.

It will now be interesting to see if Brady indeed takes on an active role with the Raiders. Seymour, Brady’s Patriots teammate who played for the Raiders from 2009-12, has been a Davis confidant for a while and was part of the team’s interview process that produced the Telesco-Antonio Pierce pairing. A Hall of Fame defensive lineman, Seymour will now work with his most prominent former teammate in Vegas.

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