HEADLINES

Dolphins To Sign DL Calais Campbell

June 21st, 2024 at 9:46am CST by Sam Robinson

JUNE 21: Campbell’s Miami return will see him receive the veteran’s minimum ($1.21MM) for a base salary, per Over the Cap. The pact includes a $790K signing bonus, resulting in a cap charge of $2MM. If Campbell can remain healthy in 2024, he should be able to provide cost-effective play against the run and pass for the Dolphins.

JUNE 13: The Dolphins are not stopping at Shaquil Barrett as a front-seven addition. They are adding one of this era’s most accomplished defensive linemen. Calais Campbell is coming back to South Florida.

After a season in Atlanta, Campbell intends to sign with the Dolphins, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Campbell is a Denver native but played collegiately at Miami back in the 2000s. This will be the consistent D-lineman’s 17th NFL season. The agreement will also reunite Campbell and new Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver, who coached the stalwart interior defender with the Ravens.

Plenty of time has passed since Campbell’s previous Miami stay; he was college teammates with Frank Gore, Devin Hester and Antrel Rolle. Campbell joined the Hurricanes 20 years ago, redshirting during the 2004 season. The 37-year-old defender did return to Florida for his memorable Jaguars stay; this will complete a journey back to where he starred in college. Campbell will join a Dolphins team that lost top interior pass rusher Christian Wilkins this offseason.

Although Campbell will turn 38 in September, he is still performing at a high level. The former Cardinals draftee totaled 6.5 sacks last season, pacing the Falcons, and produced his most quarterback hits (17) since the 2019 season. His 10 tackles for loss also doubled as the most he had notched since 2019. Campbell also notched a third career safety during a productive Atlanta stay, but after the Falcons changed coaching staffs, the productive veteran will rejoin his former position coach in Miami.

New Falcons HC Raheem Morris said in April he looked forward to a Campbell meeting, keeping the door open to a return. Atlanta, which has Grady Jarrett on the road back from an ACL tear, used three draft choices to bolster its D-line this year. While the Falcons took heat for drafting Michael Penix Jr. in Round 1 and punting on its glaring need for a pass rusher, the team did circle back to help its front on Days 2 and 3 of the draft.

Standing 6-foot-8, Campbell has been one of this era’s premier inside rushers. He will enter the 2024 season with 105.5 career sacks. Among players currently on NFL rosters, only Von Miller (123.5) and Cameron Jordan (117.5) have that beat. Campbell, who is also one of the great kick blockers in NFL history, entered the NFL three years before those edge-rushing standouts. He will continue to serve as the longest-tenured defender in football.

Campbell made all six of his Pro Bowls from 2014-20, serving as a key part of the Cardinals’ successful mid-2010s defenses before anchoring the Jaguars’ “Sacksonville” efforts later in the decade. Campbell’s free agency accord with Jacksonville in 2017 played a central role in the team making a stunning run to the AFC championship game. He totaled a career-high 14.5 sacks that season and followed that up with 10.5 in 2018. As the Jags’ nucleus splintered, Campbell wound up in Baltimore via trade. He spent three seasons with the Ravens, making a Pro Bowl in 2020 and totaling 5.5 sacks in 2022.

The Dolphins lost both Wilkins and Raekwon Davis off their defensive line in free agency. While the team extended Zach Sieler last year, Wilkins broke through as a pass rusher in his contract year and signed a monster Raiders deal in free agency. The Dolphins had not ruled out retaining Wilkins, but their cap situation made that virtually impossible.

Campbell has a better record as a pass rusher, though his age obviously brings down his price tag. The historically experienced pass rusher joins Jonathan Harris, Da’Shawn Hand and Teair Tart as Miami offseason D-line additions. Campbell played for $7MM last season; it should be expected his Dolphins contract will not check in too much higher than the deals given to the other UFA D-linemen Miami added this year.

Patriots, RB Rhamondre Stevenson Agree To Extension

June 20th, 2024 at 10:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, the Patriots and Rhamondre Stevenson have worked out a deal. The fourth-year running back has agreed to a four-year, $36MM extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The pact includes $17MM fully guaranteed, Schefter notes. With Stevenson having been set to play out the final year of his rookie contract in 2024, this agreement will keep him in place through 2028. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds the 26-year-old will collect an $8MM signing bonus.

Stevenson’s deal also includes $12MM in incentives, per Rapoport. Reaching 1,400 yards and earning Pro Bowl or All-Pro acclaim will add to the former fourth-rounder’s earnings on his New England extension, which can max out at $48MM. Stevenson has operated as the team’s lead back for the past two seasons, and he will now face increased expectations moving forward with a $9MM AAV. That figure ranks seventh in the league amongst running backs.

Last week, Stevenson publicly stated he felt an agreement on a long-term deal was close. That was followed in short order by a report that progress was being made, so today’s news comes as little surprise. The Patriots regime which drafted him – one which did not make a habit of investing in running backs – is no longer in place. New head coach Jerod Mayo spoke highly of a potential deal, though, and his tenure at the helm will no doubt feature plenty of usage for Stevenson in the backfield.

The Oklahoma product has a career yards per carry average of 4.5, although that figure checked in at 4.0 during his injury-shortened 2023 campaign. Ezekiel Elliott handled RB1 duties to close out the season in Stevenson’s absence, but he has since re-joined the Cowboys. To fill the veteran vacancy at the position, New England signed Antonio Gibson in free agency. The latter has shown an ability as a pass-catcher in particular, but early down responsibilities will no doubt lie with Stevenson for years to come.

While the 2024 offseason has seen a changing of the guard along the sidelines and in the front office for the Patriots, new general manager Eliot Wolf has made a number of moves aimed at keeping in-house players on the books. Deals for the likes of safety Kyle Dugger, right tackle Michael Onwenu and tight end Hunter Henry prevented what would have been notable free agent departures. Instead of testing the market in 2025, Stevenson will likewise be tied to New England for the foreseeable future.

The Patriots’ offense will feature a number of new faces in 2024, headlined by first-round rookie Drake Maye presumably taking on starting quarterback duties at some point. The team’s array of pass-catchers features veteran signing K.J. Osborn and a pair of rookies (second-rounder Ja’Lynn Polk, fifth-rounder Javon Baker), but the ground game will no doubt remain a key element of the team’s attack. That will leave Stevenson as a focal point for the Patriots’ offense in 2024 and beyond as he seeks to justify this lucrative investment.

Browns GM Andrew Berry: Deshaun Watson “Ahead Of Schedule” In Recovery

June 20th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the Browns aim to have a healthy Deshaun Watson available for the entire 2024 campaign, a key aspect of the team’s offseason will be his rehab from a fractured shoulder socket. Developments on that front have been encouraging so far.

Watson threw every other day during OTAs, with the Browns understandably taking a cautious approach early in the spring. His workload increased over time, though, and he impressed during minicamp. As a result, the 28-year-old is on track to practice without restrictions in training camp.

“First and foremost, Deshaun has really worked his tail off during the rehabilitation process over the last several months,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said during an appearance on NFL Network’s The Insiders. “He’s really actually ahead of schedule… He’s thrown the ball well. Did a really nice job during our 7-on-7 and team periods during this veteran minicamp.

“He’s making excellent progress. Honestly if you didn’t know he got hurt last year, you really wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. We’re very excited once camp starts.”

The lingering shoulder issue affected Watson’s second Cleveland campaign, one in which he was slated to take part in the full season after the suspension which sidelined him for 11 contests in 2022. The Browns ultimately won 11 games while using five different starting quarterbacks last year, but having the former Texan in place for a full slate would be critical for team and player. Watson is entering the third year of his $230MM fully guaranteed pact signed upon arrival in Cleveland.

To date, the team has not received the expected results from the decision to trade for and sign Watson. The three-time Pro Bowler is set to carry cap hits above $63MM in each of the next three seasons (unless another restructure is worked out in the coming weeks), which will add to his importance on offense moving forward. Especially with running back Nick Chubb likely to miss time at the start of the season, increased emphasis will be placed on Cleveland’s passing game. If Watson is back to 100% by the fall, he will be positioned to make another run at a healthy season and serve as the focal point of the team’s attack.

NFL Issues New Rules For IR Activations

June 20th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here at Pro Football Rumors, our main focus is on transactions. We are sure to note any time a player is placed on injured reserve, and not only do we make sure to cover any activations from IR, but we also track the number activations each team uses in accordance with the IR activation rules. In 2024, those rules will be slightly different, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The main spirit of the rules will remain the same. Throughout the regular season and postseason, each NFL squad will have the ability to designate a player on its IR for return. Over the course of the regular season, each team will be able to make such a designation eight times.

Once placed on IR, a player will be forced to miss four games before they are eligible to return to the active roster. Once designated to return from IR, that player will have a 21-day window during which they can practice with their team before ultimately being activated from IR. If, by the end of the 21-day practice window, that team makes the decision not to return the player to the active roster, that player will be forced to remain on IR for the remainder of the season. If a player returns from IR in the season and gets hurt again, they are able to be designated for return once more but only twice in a single season. Both designations count against the team’s restricted count for the season.

There are two main changes with the rule: one pertaining to the start of the season and one pertaining to the postseason. Before the new rule, any player placed on IR before the start of the regular season would not be eligible to return later in the season. In order to be eligible for return, a player injured before the season began would need to spend one day after final roster cuts on the 53-man roster before then being placed on IR. The new rule stipulates that, on the final day of roster cuts, teams can now designate two players on its preseason IR list for return. Those two players will count against the team’s allotted eight for the regular season, but teams will now have two extra spots on the 53-man roster to hold on to fringe players who otherwise would become free agents before potentially signing to the practice squad.

The postseason rule change sees each team granted two additional designations in the postseason. If a team has utilized all eight of their designations from the regular season, they will be granted two more in the postseason; if a team has utilized zero designations throughout the regular season, they will now have 10 usable designations in the postseason. This allows teams to be a bit more judicious in how they will utilize their remaining designations late in the season if they are on track to make the playoffs.

While the postseason rule change is grabbing more headlines, the preseason designation allowance is, perhaps, far more impactful. In the end, only 14 playoff teams will be able to utilize the postseason rule, allowing for 28 additional players to return in the final month of the season, assuming every team utilizes all of its remaining designations and the recovery of key athletes just happens to align with that timeline.

With the new preseason rule, teams will no longer have to reserve space on their initial 53-man rosters for players who cannot play but could return later in the season. Or, at least, they won’t have to reserve two spots on the initial 53-man roster for those players. If every team decides to utilize this new rule, that would mean 64 players would get roster spots who otherwise would not have made the final roster with the rules from 2023. And teams will now have two players apiece whom they will not have to give up to the waiver wire and free agency at the end of August.

49ers Sign First-Round WR Ricky Pearsall, Wrap Up Draft Class Signings

June 20th, 2024 at 8:39pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers wrapped up their rookie draft class contracts today, inking their first-round pick, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. With their rookie contracts done, San Francisco’s front office can shift their focus toward the other priorities of the offseason.

Pearsall benefitted from a busy first round that featured an unprecedented run of offensive prospects to start the night. Despite being projected by some outlets as a second- or third-round pick, Pearsall found himself getting selected at the back of the first round as the sixth wide receiver off the board and one of seven on Day 1.

Pearsall, an Arizona-native, originally opted to attend college at nearby, in-state Arizona State, seeing minimal time in his first two years with the Sun Devils. In his third year with the team, Pearsall became a full-time starter, leading the team in all three receiving categories with 48 receptions, 580 receiving yards, and four touchdowns off of the arm of this year’s No. 2 overall pick, Jayden Daniels.

Like Daniels, Pearsall hit the transfer portal after 2021 and headed to the SEC, joining the Gators in Gainesville. In his first year with the team, Pearsall led Florida with 661 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions. With a new quarterback in 2023, Pearsall continued to lead the Gators in receiving production with 65 catches for 965 yards. His college offenses also took advantage of his speed on the ground. Over his five years, he added 21 rushes for 253 yards and five rushing touchdowns to his ledger.

In San Francisco, Pearsall comes in as the prototypical style of wide receiver that the 49ers love. Along with the advantage of having already shared a wide receivers room with Brandon Aiyuk in Tempe, Pearsall was utilized in Gainesville in a very similar fashion to the team’s other top wideout, Deebo Samuel. Pearsall’s abilities made him usable all over the field, much in the same way Samuel is currently utilized in San Francisco. While Pearsall may not be ready to step into that role right away, his presence makes a potential Samuel-departure in the future much easier to stomach.

With Pearsall’s contract taken care of, only eight rookie draft picks remain unsigned: Chicago’s Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr., Cincinnati’s Amarius Mims, New York’s Malachi Corley, and Arizona’s Trey Benson.

Here’s a breakdown of the entire 2024 rookie class for the 49ers:

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/20/24

June 20th, 2024 at 6:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Thursday’s minor NFL transactions:

Denver Broncos

  • Waived: LB Alec Mock

Jacksonville Jaguars

Today’s minor moves are the side effects of recent signings by both teams. The Broncos needed to make room after signing recent UFL champion linebacker Dondrea Tillman. Mock, one of this year’s class of undrafted free agents, finds himself off the roster as a result. The Air Force-product will still have the option to sign with another squad this summer.

McGowan’s release comes as a result of today’s signing of Denzel Mims. The WR corps in Jacksonville will have quite a different look, besides Christian Kirk and a few other faces, but it’s quickly gotten crowded with the addition of Mims, pushing out McGowan, who signed just six days ago.

Broncos’ Riley Moss ‘Firmly In Mix’ To Start

June 20th, 2024 at 6:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have identified a star cornerback in Patrick Surtain; the fourth-year player is a clear extension candidate. Last season also featured the emergence of slot defender Ja’Quan McMillian. With two regular spots locked down, Denver will still go into training camp with uncertainty at the position.

After Week 1 starter Damarri Mathis did not pan out in DC Vance Joseph‘s first season back with the team, the Broncos received better play from replacement Fabian Moreau. The latter is no longer on the roster, opening the door to a CB2 battle featuring a host of players. While none appears a true frontrunner, the team’s investment in Riley Moss remains notable.

Denver sent Seattle a 2024 third-round pick to trade up for the Iowa corner in the 2023 third round, but an offseason injury — requiring sports hernia surgery — sidetracked the rookie’s season. Moss played only 23 defensive snaps last year, but he is a clear candidate to man the boundary spot opposite Surtain. Moss is “firmly in the mix” for the job, per the Denver Post’s Troy Renck, with colleague Parker Gabriel indicating the second-year CB will be given every chance to land the gig after an impressive offseason.

Moss’ primary competitors appear to be Mathis and free agency addition Levi Wallace. Mathis replaced an injured Ronald Darby in Denver’s lineup early in the 2022 season but could not sustain his momentum last year. The former fourth-round pick did not exceed nine defensive snaps in any game following his Week 7 benching, playing zero snaps in six of the team’s final seven contests.

Wallace, who turned 29 last week, spent the past two seasons with the Steelers. An ex-Bills starter, Wallace also saw his role change in-season. The former UDFA shifted to a backup role midseason and did not return to starter duty until injuries affected Pittsburgh’s depth chart in late December. Pro Football Focus rated Wallace 88th among CBs last season, and despite a reduced workload, the six-year veteran allowed six touchdown passes as the closest defender.

The Broncos will give the 6-foot defender a chance to bounce back, though they only authorized a one-year deal worth $1.29MM ($668K guaranteed). Denver also drafted Missouri’s Kris Abrams-Draine in the fifth round, but he may not be thrown into the mix immediately.

The team’s positional makeup ahead of camp points to Moss being the preferred option. He was drafted under Sean Payton — whereas Mathis arrived during the Nathaniel Hackett-Ejiro Evero year — to play in Joseph’s scheme. The Broncos moved up 25 draft slots to acquire Moss, giving up one of their 2024 third-round picks — they received another from the Saints in the swap for Payton’s rights — to obtain him.

A former Iowa high school 110-meter hurdles champion, Moss moved from two-star recruit to Hawkeyes regular. The 6-foot defender intercepted 11 passes in his five college seasons, playing alongside Eagles second-round pick Cooper DeJean. Moss earned first-team All-Big Ten acclaim in 2021 and ’22.

Moss will obviously be attempting to break norms as a white NFL cornerback; no team has started a white corner since the Bengals’ Kevin Kaesviharn in 2003, Renck adds. Kaesviharn moved to safety soon after, spending much of his nine-year career there. Jason Sehorn, a Giants starter from 1996-2002, resides as the NFL’s last long-term white CB.

Whomever the Broncos decide to use as their primary CB2 starter will certainly be tested regularly, as teams will undoubtedly target the to-be-determined player with Surtain patrolling the other side. Moss showing he can stick at the position would give the Broncos a low-cost answer opposite Surtain, who could make a case to become the NFL’s highest-paid CB by a wide margin — considering the current gap between the wide receiver ceiling and the top CB number ($21MM AAV presently) — this offseason or in 2025.

If this competition underwhelms, the Broncos would have some options — should they seek more outside help. Adoree’ Jackson remains unsigned, as do Xavien Howard, Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson and likely Hall of Famer Patrick Peterson. Though, Peterson and Gilmore will each turn 34 soon. It stands to reason most of this lot will find jobs soon. Considering the Broncos’ situation, it would not exactly surprise to see them connected to one of them.

Bears To Feature Training Camp Center Competition; RG Spot Uncertain?

June 20th, 2024 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears have two veteran options for their center spot, adding both players — Ryan Bates, Coleman Shelton — this offseason. These additions have not produced a starter-swingman hierarchy just yet, with a training camp battle on tap.

Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan said (via The Athletic’s Adam Jahns) Bates and Shelton will match up for the job once the pads come on. The Bears have eyed Bates for a bit, having signed him to an RFA offer sheet — one the Bills ended up matching — in 2022. But the veteran guard worked as a Buffalo backup in 2023. Shelton, conversely, worked as a starter throughout last season with the Rams.

Before Chicago’s offseason program began, a rumor pointed to Bates having a better shot at claiming the job despite his 2023 second-string role. The Bears designed his current four-year, $17MM contract, and although the team changed offensive coordinators since that point, Morgan remains in place as Chicago’s O-line coach. Shelton signed a one-year, $3MM Bears deal.

Bates, 27, has made 19 career starts. Almost all of those came in 2022, when the Bills matched the offer sheet. Pro Football Focus ranked Bates 41st among guards in 2022, and he lost a position battle to second-round pick O’Cyrus Torrence. The latter’s assimilation provided the Bills some stability, and they deemed Bates expendable (for a fifth-round pick) this offseason. Although the Bills rostered Mitch Morse throughout Bates’ Buffalo stay, Bates saw 135 snaps at center in 2022 and played there sparingly in 2021 and ’23.

Shelton, 29 next month, started all 18 Rams games last season and made 13 starts for an injury-battered 2022 Los Angeles team. While the Rams were interested in re-signing Shelton, they doled out two high-priced guard deals (to Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson) and are moving Steve Avila to center. A former UDFA, Shelton only played center in 2023; PFF slotted him 17th at the position. Shelton played mostly center for the Rams in 2022, but he also logged 258 snaps at guard. Shelton and Bates’ guard work could be notable as well.

The Bears gave four-year Titans starter Nate Davis a three-year, $30MM pact and installed him at right guard, moving ascending blocker Teven Jenkins to left guard last year. PFF slotted Davis 58th among guards in his Bears debut, and Jahns expects the team to have the former Tennessee starter battle for a starting job as well. Davis’ $8.75MM 2024 base salary is guaranteed; his 2025 compensation is not.

On Titans teams that regularly battled extensive injury trouble, Davis did miss 12 regular-season games from 2019-22. He started 54 over the course of his rookie contract, however, and impressed, leading to the Bears authorizing $17.5MM guaranteed at signing. An additional $1.75MM locked in for Davis in March. But the former third-round pick missed six games last season.

Third-round pick Kiram Amegadjie played guard at points at Yale, though he his final full season (2022) came at left tackle. His final college season ended early due to quad surgery. An Ivy League-to-NFL transition will naturally be difficult, especially coming off injury, but Amegadjie could also give the Bears an option at some point.

The door may well be open for both Bates and Shelton to start in 2024, with Amegadjie a wild card as a developmental blocker. Though, Davis certainly will have a chance to keep his job.

Packers Claim K James Turner

June 20th, 2024 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Perhaps the Packers will indeed go into training camp with three kickers. After the team waived Jack Podlesny to bring its kicker count to two post-minicamp, another specialist is now on the roster.

Green Bay submitted a successful waiver claim for James Turner on Thursday, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. The Lions waived Turner to make room for UFL addition Jake Bates. Turner will join Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph on the Packers’ 90-man offseason roster.

While Podlesny was given a reserve/futures deal in January, Turner entered the league as a UDFA months later. He spent the past four years as a primary kicker, first at Louisville before a final season at Michigan. Turner’s transfer allowed him to kick for the national championship-winning Wolverines last season.

Turner served as Louisville’s primary kicker from 2020-22 before using his COVID-19 year of eligibility at the Big Ten program. Turner made 90.9% of his field goal tries during his final season at the ACC school (20-for-22); he connected on 85.7% of his tries (18-for-21) with the Big Ten program. While Turner struggled with the Cardinals in 2021, his past two years served as a rebound of sorts. Turner showed enough to secure an offseason commitment from the Lions, but the UFL’s Michigan team ended up affecting the NFL club’s kicker setup.

The Packers used a sixth-round pick on Carlson last year, and he replaced 16-year kicker Mason Crosby. Counting the playoffs, Carlson missed six extra points last season and misfired on four field goals in the regular season’s second half — before missing a 41-yarder in a three-point divisional-round loss to the 49ers. The Packers added Joseph in late March.

A recent rumor about the Packers considering a three-kicker training camp competition lost some steam with the Podlesny move, but Green Bay will use Detroit’s recent UFL addition to keep that reality in play.

Browns DE Lonnie Phelps Arrested For DUI

June 20th, 2024 at 3:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:08pm: The Browns have cut ties with the recently arrested defender. The team announced Thursday afternoon it waived Phelps.

1:19pm: Lonnie Phelps was arrested Wednesday night after he crashed his SUV into a Key West restaurant, as detailed by 7News Miami. The second-year Browns defensive end now faces charges for DUI and damaging property.

Phelps’ vehicle crashed into the Red Shoe Island Bistro just before 9:00pm on June 19 with the passenger side “embedded in the wall,” per the police report. The Hyundai SUV also sustained damage in the front, and airbags on both sides deployed. Phelps and his girlfriend were present at the time of the crash.

The parties were seen arguing upon exiting the vehicle, and the report indicates Phelps showed signs of intoxication. He refused a breathalyzer test and was uncooperative with officers before ultimately being booked into the Monroe County Detention Center. Damages from the crash have been estimated at $300K.

Phelps joined the Browns last spring as an undrafted free agent. He spent his first three college seasons at Miami (Ohio), collecting 16 sacks in 38 games. Transferring to Kansas in 2022 paved the way for him to have a strong final campaign at the college level with seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Phelps did not see any game time as a rookie, but he remained in Cleveland by signing a futures contract in January.

The Browns’ edge group contains the likes of Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Alex Wright. That quartet consists of returning players, and they will be expected to shoulder the load once again during the 2024 campaign. Phelps will again look to carve out a roster spot during training camp this summer if Cleveland elects to keep him in the fold. If the team were to let him go, he would be subject to waivers.

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