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Jets Optimistic About Haason Reddick Resolution; Summer Extension Unlikely

June 19th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Qualifying the second-most discussed no-show at Jets minicamp, Haason Reddick is still not seeing eye-to-eye with his new team. While Aaron Rodgers‘ absence last week garnered more attention, Reddick’s situation remains the lead item for a Jets team that gave up a third-round pick for the Pro Bowl edge rusher earlier this offseason.

Reddick is seeking a new contract, and while the Jets are open to taking this route, this does not appear the way the team wants to resolve this situation. It should be considered highly unlikely the Jets extend Reddick before the season, according to the New York Post’s Brian Costello, who does not see any situation in which the team caves on this front this summer.

A report last week from ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini alluded to Jets GM Joe Douglas being hesitant to do extensions for players 29 and older or immediately extending recently acquired talent. Reddick, who will turn 30 in September, checks both boxes. While teams regularly have extensions ready for high-end players acquired via trade, the Jets are clearly aiming to avoid this with Reddick.

The team may not strictly view the former Cardinals, Panthers and Eagles edge rusher as a pure rental, but its actions thus far do not paint a picture of a club eager to extend this partnership beyond 2024. This differs from the paths the Giants (Brian Burns), Bears (Montez Sweat) and Dolphins (Bradley Chubb) took upon acquiring impact edge rushers via trade. Immediate extensions were authorized. Though, each player was at least two years younger than Reddick at the time those deals were finalized.

The Jets passed on paying Bryce Huff in free agency, but the team has bigger plans for Reddick — whom it views as a three-down player. The Eagles and Jets effectively swapped Huff and Reddick, though the latter is holding its new edge defender to his Philly contract (three years, $45MM) despite the Pro Bowler’s 50.5 sacks — with 13 forced fumbles mixed in — during the 2020s ranking fourth in the NFL. It will be interesting if Reddick attempts to further test the Jets by staging a holdout or if he shows up to training camp and does not practice, the new hold-in strategy.

Despite this unusual situation, Costello adds the sides are optimistic a resolution will emerge before training camp. Robert Saleh mentioned a conversation with the team’s new sack artist recently, and Costello indicates this situation differs from the bitter Jamal Adams contract talks that eventually produced a trade. Still, this is not exactly a good look for a Jets team that traded a Day 2 pick for a two-time Pro Bowler.

New York also unloaded dependable starter John Franklin-Myers to make room for Reddick’s contract, which sits tied for 19th among edges presently. Reddick will be expected to play the lead role in a group housing recent first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald. An incentive package that allows the team to avoid an extension may well be the way the sides finish this chapter. Should that happen, Reddick will be headed toward free agency in 2025.

Although the Jets would have exclusive negotiating rights with Reddick until next March’s legal tampering period, their present stance does not point to an about-face regarding an extension. Reddick entering this season without a new deal will present him as a rental piece, with a route to a fifth team more likely than not to emerge come 2025.

Zach Wilson In Uphill Battle To Be Broncos’ Backup QB?

June 19th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ahead of training camp, the Broncos have a quarterback who spent a season in Sean Payton‘s offense and another the team drafted in the first round. Zach Wilson looms as a wild card.

As Jarrett Stidham enjoys an advantage from spending 2023 in Denver and Bo Nix likely to start the majority (barring injury) of the Broncos’ games this season, Wilson sits in an unusual position. The Broncos and Jets agreed on a salary compromise to facilitate a trade finalized days before the draft, but the former No. 2 overall pick is not a lock to secure a spot on the team’s 53-man roster.

Stidham and Wilson may well be vying for one roster spot, and The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider notes the latter has some ground to close if he is to be Denver’s backup to begin the season (subscription required). The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel also views Wilson as in third place in this competition exiting minicamp.

In terms of arm talent, Wilson did reveal an advantage over the other two Denver QBs during on-field workouts. This has not exactly been the BYU alum’s issue during his NFL career, with a dazzling pro day leading to the Jets deciding to select him second overall and trade Sam Darnold. Wilson quickly revealed himself to be a poor decision-maker with inconsistent mechanics in New York, leading to multiple 2022 benchings and another demotion — for a player (Tim Boyle) Robert Saleh admitted was less talented — late last season.

Payton said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold) he does not have a hard deadline — before game week, that is — on deciding if Nix, Stidham or Wilson will be his Week 1 starter. A recent report pointed to the job being Nix’s to lose. Considering the Broncos’ investment in the recent Oregon standout, it would be stunning if the No. 12 overall pick was not in the lineup early in the season. As of now, Stidham appears to have the better shot among the veterans of delaying Nix’s debut.

Payton regularly kept two quarterbacks on his active roster in New Orleans, doing so before the NFL reimplemented the emergency third-QB rule. The league further increasing flexibility for teams regarding their QB3 spot keeps the door open for the loser of the Wilson-Stidham competition to end up on the practice squad. Though, select teams could certainly eye the competition’s odd man out for an active-roster role. Wilson would need to be exposed to waivers if cut, whereas Stidham is a vested veteran. If the Broncos waive Wilson, they would be hit with $2.7MM in dead money. This would obviously represent another setback for a once-coveted prospect.

The Broncos, of course, are in Year 1 of a record-setting dead money process stemming from their Russell Wilson release. A minor guarantee for Zach Wilson might not move the needle too much when Payton decides on his backup.

Stidham is attached to a two-year, $10MM deal, but just $1MM of his 2024 base salary ($4.49MM) is guaranteed. As a vested vet, Stidham will see the rest of that money become locked in just before the season. Denver trading one of the veterans, while adding another QB to be its emergency option on the P-squad, also would seem to be on the table. The preseason’s conclusion has been a trade window for many years.

Stidham or Wilson seeing significant playing time this year will mean something has gone wrong, as Nix is 24 and set the Division I-FBS record for quarterback starts. Training camp and the preseason will bring more important reps for Wilson, but after being paid to leave the Jets, the erratic talent — who arrived after the Broncos’ offseason program had begun — looks to be falling behind with his new team.

WR James Washington Eyeing Comeback, Drawing Interest

June 19th, 2024 at 8:56pm CST by Ben Levine

After sitting out most of the past two seasons, veteran receiver James Washington is attempting a comeback. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Washington has received “multiple inquires” from NFL teams and could start auditioning for these squads soon.

The former second-round pick had an inconsistent role while playing on his rookie contract in Pittsburgh. He had a standout 2019 campaign when he hauled in 44 catches for 735 yards in 15 games (10 starts). Otherwise, he was limited to only 70 catches for 894 yards during his other three seasons with the Steelers (45 games). Washington also had some standout postseason performances, hauling in seven catches for 109 yards and one touchdown in two playoff appearances.

The injury issues started popping up after he signed with the Cowboys in 2022. He fractured a bone in his foot during that year’s training camp and only returned for a handful of snaps. After getting cut by Dallas towards the end of that season, Washington had brief practice squad or preseason stints with the Giants, Saints, and Colts. He was cut by Indy last August and didn’t join a roster for the entire 2023 campaign.

Washington has only seen the field for two games since the start of the 2022 campaign, and 2024 would represent his age-28 season. Still, Washington would provide a veteran voice to any receivers room, and the wideout would likely bring along some extra motivation as he looks to return from his injury woes.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/19/24

June 19th, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Signed: DT Prince Emili

Denver Broncos

Signed: LB Dondrea Tillman

New York Jets

Waived: OL Vitaliy Gurman

Pittsburgh Steelers

Waived: S Trenton Thompson

After winning a UFL championship with the Birmingham Stallions, Tillman will be joining the Broncos. According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, the linebacker will get a three-year deal from Denver that includes a $10K signing bonus. Monday was the first day that UFL players could officially join NFL teams, and Tillman’s agent, Marty Magid, told Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette that his client received interest from a handful of squads before landing in Denver.

A former standout at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Tillman went undrafted in 2019. After spending the past two years in the USFL, he caught on with the UFL for the 2024 campaign and proceeded to have a breakout season. The linebacker finished the campaign with 27 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.

Cowboys Work Out UFL DE Jonathan Garvin

June 19th, 2024 at 7:12pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a standout season in the UFL, Jonathan Garvin is attracting interest from NFL squads. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the defensive end worked out for the Cowboys today.

The former seventh-round pick out of Miami managed to stick on the Packers roster for the first three years of his career. His largest role came in 2021, when he got into about 40 percent of his team’s defensive snaps while compiling 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His defensive snaps were cut in half during the 2022 campaign, and the lineman ended up getting cut by the Packers last July.

Garvin didn’t get an NFL gig during the 2023 campaign, but he ended up reemerging with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL. He had a productive season for the eventual league champs, finishing with 20 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

At only 24 years old, Garvin still has plenty of upside. The 6-foot-4, 257-pound defensive lineman would be hard pressed to earn snaps behind Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence, and it’s worth noting that the organization recently used a second-round pick on defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. If Dallas ends up adding the UFL standout, the player will likely be competing with the likes of Sam Williams, Durrell Johnson, and Viliami Fehoko Jr. for one of the final DE spots. Garvin’s experience on special teams provides him with an additional path to a roster spot.

Ravens WR Tylan Wallace On Roster Bubble?

June 19th, 2024 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

For the second-straight season, Tylan Wallace finds himself on the Ravens roster bubble. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes, the Ravens wide receiver will once again be competing for one of the final spots on the roster.

This isn’t the first time Wallace has found himself competing for his roster spot. Just last year, it seemed like the former fourth-round pick wasn’t going to last in Baltimore. After all, the organization had invested heavily in the position, adding veterans Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor along with first-round wideout Zay Flowers. With Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay also sticking around, there didn’t seem to be a clear spot for Wallace.

However, the wideout ended up pushing his way on to the opening day roster with a strong training camp and preseason. Unfortunately, that roster spot didn’t lead to production, as Wallace was limited to a single catch during the 2023 campaign. This followed his first two years in the NFL where he hauled in only six total catches.

Considering his lack of production, it’s not a shock that the 25-year-old once again finds himself on the roster bubble. This time around, Wallace doesn’t face as much competition. Beckham Jr. and Duvernay are no longer on the roster, and the team’s most notable addition at the position was fourth-round rookie Devontez Walker.

When we checked in on the position last month, we heard that Wallace could be a candidate to replace Duvernay as a returner. Wallace filled in for Duvernay briefly during the 2023 campaign, earning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after scoring a game-winning punt return touchdown. Zrebiec shares a similar sentiment about the player’s special teams prowess, especially with former All-Pro returner Deonte Harty away from OTAs and minicamp while dealing with a personal matter. Zrebiec notes that Wallace was an OTA standout for a second-straight year, with the writer estimating that the player led the Ravens in practice receptions.

With only a year remaining on Wallace’s rookie contract, the Ravens may simply opt for a younger player at the position. If that ends up coming to fruition, Wallace will surely get another chance based on his collegiate track record alone. The Oklahoma State product finished his college career having earned a pair of All-American nods.

Latest On Patriots G Cole Strange’s Knee Injury

June 19th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard last month that Cole Strange was expected to miss the start of the 2024 campaign as he recovered from a knee injury. We’ve now got more details on the injury that ended the former first-round pick’s 2023 campaign. ESPN’s Mike Reiss writes that Strange suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee.

This helps provide some context to head coach Jerod Mayo‘s “month-to-month” comment from May. As Reiss notes, Mayo suffered the same injury towards the end of his playing career, so the coach’s estimated timeline is based on first-hand experience.

The Patriots raised some eyebrows when they selected the former UT-Chattanooga standout in the first round of the 2022 draft. While Strange managed to start all 17 of his appearances as a rookie, his Pro Football Focus grade still only ranked 61st among qualifying guards. He did take a slight step forward in 2023; in his 10 games, Strange was slotted in as the 26-best offensive guard in the NFL.

The Patriots were surely counting on Strange to take another step forward during his third year in the league, but his season debut will surely be delayed. Reiss notes that 2023 fourth-round pick Sidy Sow got the majority of the reps at left guard during spring practices. Sow started 13 games on the opposite side of the line as a rookie. Fortunately, the second-year player has plenty of experience playing on the left side of the line thanks to his time in college, and the lineman told Reiss that he’s appreciated his growing chemistry with expected starting LT Chukwuma Okorafor.

Troy Fautanu Likely To Enter Steelers Training Camp In Backup Role

June 19th, 2024 at 4:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

A few of this year’s first-round tackle draftees are being asked to change positions. Troy Fautanu had been rumored to be headed to right tackle, and the No. 20 overall pick confirmed that is where he expects the Steelers to slot him in his first NFL training camp.

Fautanu’s expected move to right tackle is part of an interesting plan for the Steelers, who are preparing to use a 2023 right tackle on the left side and pit two 2023 LTs against each other on the right side. After three years as the Steelers’ left tackle starter, Dan Moore Jr. is projected to switch sides to accommodate Broderick Jones‘ rumored LT move.

During Moore’s time at left tackle, the Steelers used back-to-back first-round picks to bolster the position. As the three-year starter heads into a contract year, he could be moving toward free agency from a backup role. That does not appear to be in the cards just yet.

Moore appeared far ahead of Fautanu during the offseason program, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes, while adding the veteran’s lead should be expected due to the experience gap (subscription required). But Fautanu will need to unseat a 49-start player. Pittsburgh’s Moore plan has been rather complicated, as the incumbent LT remained in his blindside post during OTAs. But the expectation remains he will move to right tackle.

The Steelers are certainly grooming Fautanu to start opposite Jones, who manned the left side for Georgia in 2022 before replacing Chukwuma Okorafor at Pittsburgh’s RT midway through the season. Rumors about Jones pushing Moore last summer emerged, but the former fourth-round pick held off the high-end prospect. The Steelers are believed to have viewed Fautanu as a superior prospect to Jones, so it will be interesting to see if the rookie can mount a strong challenge once the pads come on.

Harshly assessing Moore’s pass protection, Pro Football Focus slotted the Texas A&M alum outside the top 60 among tackles last year. The advanced metrics site charged him with eight sacks allowed; among tackles who started full seasons, PFF rated Moore as the worst pass protector. With one of this era’s most sack-prone quarterbacks (Russell Wilson) likely to start, this sets up as a shaky combination.

Moore, 25, is most likely playing his final season in Pittsburgh. With free agency in sight, this profiles as a pivotal position battle. Moore’s experience edge will matter, of course, but the position change stands to negate that to some degree. He has all of five NFL snaps at RT.

The fifth tackle chosen this year, Fautanu checked in as the No. 11 overall prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board. Fautanu spent the past two seasons as a full-time starter at Washington, including a 2023 campaign where he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He joins Joe Alt, JC Latham, Tyler Guyton, Taliese Fuaga and Graham Barton as first-round O-linemen set to change positions as rookies. Barton is moving from left tackle back to center; the others are flipping tackle spots.

As the Steelers’ Jones rookie-year plan showed, Moore beating out Fautanu in camp would not relegate the rookie to full-season backup duty. But Moore’s early lead here could also point to a developmental season for the team’s hopeful long-term RT.

Packers Waive K Jack Podlesny

June 19th, 2024 at 3:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

A regular talking point out of Green Bay this offseason, the team’s kicker situation became a bit clearer Wednesday. The Packers have thinned their kicking group from three to two.

Green Bay waived Jack Podlesny, per a team announcement. The former Georgia specialist had signed a reserve/futures deal with the team in January and vied with Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph during the offseason program.

A Vikings UDFA in 2023, Podlesny spent last year’s offseason in the Twin Cities but did not stick with the team leading up to roster-cutdown day. The Vikings moved on in mid-August, and Podlesny spent the rest of the season out of football. After Carlson struggled down the stretch last season, the Packers brought in some competition. But Joseph now represents the second-year kicker’s sole threat.

This news comes after a report that suggested the Packers could consider a three-way competition going into camp. Teams do not regularly bring three kickers to camp, however, as 90-man roster spots go to other areas. Joseph was the player who beat out Podlesny for the Vikings’ job last year, and he completed a third season as Minnesota’s kicker. After Joseph signed with the Packers in late March, the Vikings moved on via sixth-round pick Will Reichard.

Podlesny served as Georgia’s kicker during both the team’s recent national championship seasons. He made at least 81% of his field goals in each of this three seasons as the Bulldogs’ kicker, topping out with a 26-for-31 season in 2022. While the Packers may certainly look outside the organization if their kicker battle underwhelms, it is now slated to be a Carlson-Joseph matchup.

Latest On Raiders’ Offensive Line

June 19th, 2024 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

After making minimal changes during the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler period, the Raiders made a few moves aimed to bolster their offensive line this offseason. Though, they passed on a clear-cut upgrade effort.

The Raiders did not capitalize on this draft’s deep tackle crop, leaving Taliese Fuaga, Amarius Mims, Troy Fautanu and Co. on the board at No. 13 in order to take Brock Bowers in a best-player-available pick. With two-year right tackle starter Jermaine Eluemunor committing to New York during the legal tampering period, Las Vegas is readying to plug former seventh-rounder Thayer Munford in as a starter.

This has been a rumored scenario for a bit, but coming out of minicamp, ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez points to the Ohio State product being the clear favorite to take over opposite Kolton Miller. Munford was viewed as a player who could push Eluemunor for the gig during training camp last year, but the Raiders passed on elevating the younger player and kicking the veteran to a swing role. This worked out well for Eluemunor, who parlayed his second season as Las Vegas’ RT into a career-best payday (two years, $14MM) from the Giants.

Munford also saw time at left tackle last season, filling in for an injured Miller, who missed four games. Pro Football Focus viewed Munford’s work positively, particularly in the run game, in part-time duty. Ohio State has churned out a number of quality O-line prospects in recent years, and while Munford lasted until pick No. 238 in 2022, he started 45 games for the Buckeyes. He earned first-team All-Big Ten acclaim in 2020 and ’21, providing an interesting background ahead of this starter opportunity.

Raiders offensive line coach James Clegg confirmed (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) the team is moving Dylan Parham from left to right guard. This previously rumored move will pair Parham, a two-year LG starter, with Munford and clear a path for rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson on the left side. Though, Powers-Johnson missed most of Las Vegas’ offseason program with an undisclosed injury. Teams are not obligated to specify injuries during the offseason, but the second-round pick missed considerable time ahead of his first training camp.

One of the veteran blockers the Raiders added later in free agency, Cody Whitehair primarily filled in for Powers-Johnson, Gutierrez adds. Miller, who underwent shoulder surgery earlier this offseason, gave way to the other notable UFA O-line addition — Andrus Peat — during minicamp, per Tafur. While Whitehair and Peat look to be insurance options, they each have started more than 100 games. The Raiders received some quality stopgap work from mid-offseason pickup Greg Van Roten — at right guard — last season but did not re-sign him. Powers-Johnson’s training camp status will be worth monitoring, and his offseason absences stand to help Whitehair, who signed a one-year deal worth $2.5MM ($1.4MM guaranteed).

Peat’s extensive past, which includes Pro Bowl nods, at left guard would help his cause. But the Raiders using him as Miller’s fill-in opens the door for Whitehair. Peat also spent much of last season at LT, replacing an ineffective Trevor Penning.

The Raiders plan to manage Miller to keep him healthy this season, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore. This could lead to Peat, whose $2MM contract only includes $450K guaranteed, being prioritized as veteran insurance. Two years remain on Miller’s three-year, $54MM extension, though no guaranteed money is left on the veteran LT’s deal.

Peat in a swing role would make sense, given his past at guard and tackle. Whitehair has played extensively at guard and center. The Raiders also drafted Delmar Glaze in the third round, crowding a depth chart that was thinner in 2023. Glaze has backed up Munford this offseason, per Gutierrez. For now, though, left guard may be the only job up for grabs going into training camp.

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