HEADLINES

Jets Sign DE Takk McKinley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eagles Will Not Face Tampering Charges

June 13th, 2024 at 10:13am CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL has been investigating tampering violations against the Falcons for their addition of Kirk Cousins and the Eagles for their Saquon Barkley signing. In the case of the latter, no discipline will be forthcoming.

“After a thorough review of the Philadelphia Eagles signing of Saquon Barkley, the NFL today informed the club that the investigation did not discover sufficient evidence to support a finding that the Anti-Tampering Policy was violated,” a statement from the league reads (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).

“In coming to this conclusion, the league reviewed phone logs, text messages and other documents related to Philadelphia’s free agency strategy and decision to sign Barkley. The NFL also interviewed several members of the organization, including [general manager] Howie Roseman and [head coach] Nick Sirianni, as well as Barkley and Penn State head coach James Franklin.”

Remarks made by Franklin indicated Roseman and Barkley directly spoke with one another before the opening of the new league year. For players who do not represent themselves – which is the case for Barkley – that is prohibited by league policy. Throughout the investigation, the Eagles have maintained no violation occurred.

That is the same for the Falcons, although Atlanta has been expected to receive a stiffer penalty than Philadelphia as a result of the Cousins inquiry. A recent report indicated both investigations would likely reach a conclusion soon, and that has proven to be the case.

The NFL’s statement notes that new evidence could prompt the Eagles investigation to be re-opened. As things stand now, however, no fines or loss of draft picks will be forthcoming for the team. Barkley is tied to Philadelphia through 2026 after he inked a $37.75MM pact in free agency.

Saints TE Juwan Johnson To Undergo Foot Surgery

June 13th, 2024 at 9:30am CST by Adam La Rose

Juwan Johnson suffered an injury during the Saints’ minicamp, as first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The veteran tight end is facing notable absence as a result.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the ailment – a foot injury – will require surgery. Both Schefter and Underhill add the team is hopeful Johnson will be available by the start of the regular season, but at a minimum he will be sidelined for the bulk of training camp. His procedure will take place next week.

New Orleans’ tight end depth chart would be dealt a blow if Johnson were forced to miss time in September. The 27-year-old has received 124 targets in the two seasons following his transition from receiver to tight end. He has totaled 876 yards and 11 touchdowns during that span, and a notable offensive role should await him when he is healthy.

Johnson signed a two-year extension worth just over $12MM last offseason. That move took away the need for an RFA tender and included $8.5MM in guarantees. Another $2MM is available via incentives, but missed time would obviously hurt the former UDFA’s chances of earning them. As a pending free agent, Johnson’s value could also be affected depending on the length of his recovery and his production when back on the field.

The Saints have Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau as other options the tight end spot. The former is in line to once again serve in a unique offensive role in 2024, whereas the latter could see an increased workload if Johnson is unavailable for Week 1. ESPN’s Katherine Terrell notes Moreau (who played in 15 games last year following a successful bout with cancer) was used heavily during minicamp practice yesterday with Johnson sidelined.

New Orleans has other, less experienced options in the fold. That group includes rookie Dallin Holker, who received one of the league’s largest guarantees ($235K) amongst this year’s UDFAs. As New Orleans proceeds with a shorthanded tight end group through the summer, Johnson’s recovery will be worth monitoring.

Sam Darnold To Open Training Camp As Vikings’ Starter

June 12th, 2024 at 10:12pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings are set to look very different under center in 2024. After watching Kirk Cousins go down with a season-ending injury last year, Minnesota was forced to use a mixture of Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall to finish the season. With Cousins in Atlanta now and Dobbs now a backup in San Francisco, the Vikings will be looking at two new faces atop the depth chart.

The team essentially exchanged Dobbs for former 49ers backup quarterback Sam Darnold who failed to start more than one game for the first time in his six-year career last season. Darnold was expected to return to a starting role in his replacement of Cousins, being designated as the new QB1 over the incumbent Mullens and Hall. That was, of course, barring any further additions to the room in the offseason.

The Vikings were not in a position to go after one of the top three quarterbacks in the 11th draft slot. Still, many saw the organization as one of the teams likely to go after a passer in the draft, but nobody was quite sure what lengths the team would go to in order to acquire one. Minnesota was lucky enough to see the fourth quarterback projected to come off the board start to slide down closer and closer to their pick but needed to avoid getting scooped and traded up one spot in order to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy at No. 10 overall.

Rarely these days are quarterbacks drafted in the top 10 draft picks without an expectation that they will start right away, but it appears that is the case for now. According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, head coach Kevin O’Connell has announced that Darnold, and not McCarthy, will begin training camp as the starting quarterback.

Darnold had been running as QB1 through organized team activities this spring, and O’Connell saw no reason to change things up quite yet. Right now, McCarthy has reportedly been focusing more on individual improvement than on competition with Darnold. While McCarthy could certainly get an opportunity to win the job at the end of the summer, O’Connell stopped short of saying anything more than that he is planning for training camp to be “competitive” at many positions.

Brian Daboll Addresses Giants’ QB Situation

June 12th, 2024 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Daniel Jones‘ progress on a return from a November ACL tear has not included 11-on-11 work at the team’s minicamp, but the sixth-year quarterback has long been expected to be back by training camp. When Jones returns, the starting job will be his once again.

Rumblings about Drew Lock potentially challenging Jones for the gig have come up at multiple points during the offseason. Seahawks GM John Schneider was responsible for once such instance, saying the Giants “basically sold him on the opportunity to compete to be the starter.” Brian Daboll became the latest to insist no QB competition will be on tap for training camp, indicating Jones — barring a setback on his nearly complete rehab journey — will be the Giants’ starter for a sixth season.

[RELATED: Daniel Jones Addresses Giants’ Offseason QB Pursuit]

“We’ve talked about that. [Lock] understands his role,” Daboll said (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) of the team’s Jones-Lock QB depth chart. “He has been a true pro. He has definitely improved since he has gotten here. Good to get two more workdays here with the guys that he might not necessarily get as many reps with once we get to training camp.”

The six-year mark provides an interesting line of demarcation for Giants starting quarterbacks. Kerry Collins and Fran Tarkenton‘s time as New York QB1s stopped after five seasons; Y.A. Tittle‘s tenure stopped at four. Over the past 75 years, Jones will join only Eli Manning, Phil Simms and Charlie Conerly as Big Blue passers to operate as primary starters for at least six seasons. The Giants have not seen a great return on their investment — from either the No. 6 overall pick in 2019 or 2023’s four-year, $160MM extension — but their decision-makers have continued to aim for another Jones opportunity.

A Jones-Lock depth chart appeared to be Plan B for the Giants, who submitted an offer to the Patriots that included Nos. 6 and 47 and the team’s 2025 first-round pick. The Pats cut off both the Giants and Vikings’ Drake Maye interest by drafting the North Carolina passer at No. 3. With next year’s QB class not generating the reviews this one did — albeit at this early juncture — the Giants reside in uncertain territory after passing on the likes of Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix. By default, the team’s game plan remains Jones-centric.

Chosen 36 picks after Jones in 2019, Lock signed a one-year deal worth $5MM ($4.95MM guaranteed). Jones’ injury history is believed to have played a role in Lock’s decision to join the Giants, but the ex-Broncos and Seahawks passer does not yet look to have a path to playing time. Jones has missed 21 starts due to injury as a pro. A late-season situation could also come up in which the Giants opt to sit their starter to ensure he can pass a 2025 physical; Jones being unable to do so would put the Giants on the hook for an additional $12MM in injury guarantees for 2025.

Lock has made 23 career starts. The Broncos had hoped he would become a reliable option, but the team demoted him after a 2020 season in which he led the NFL in interceptions. Lock could not beat out Geno Smith for Seattle’s starting gig in 2022. As of now, he is set as New York’s QB2.

Barring a major injury, the Giants can move on from Jones (via a post-June 1 cut) next year and incur only $11.1MM in 2025 dead money. The Maye pursuit certainly points to the team having doubts about Jones’ future, with his injury history playing the lead role on that front. After Jones’ 2022 showing convinced the current Giants regime to buy back in after the team had declined his fifth-year option, the oft-doubted starter is set for another “prove it” season.

Bears WR Keenan Allen Making Change In Representation

June 12th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

New Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen is going to be playing for a team not named the “Chargers” for the first time in his eleven-year NFL career. Allen was shipped to Chicago back in March in exchange for a fourth-round pick that Los Angeles used to trade up and select Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey in the second round. Because Allen was a trade asset, the Bears are now faced with contract concerns in their new weapon’s future.

Allen arrives in Chicago with only one year remaining on his previous four-year, $80.1MM deal. Because of that, Allen is either heading for free agency for the first time in his career or finding a way to extend his contract with the Bears. Either way, Allen is preparing for the future, hiring new agents in anticipation of the contract situations ahead, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

After playing out three years of his rookie deal out of Cal, Allen signed a four-year, $45MM extension, avoiding free agency. Before that deal could expire, the Chargers extended him again on his most recent four-year deal. If he fails to extend his contract in Chicago, he will hit NFL free agency for the first time. He has a lot that he can prove in a potential contract year. At 32 years old, Allen will try to put up career numbers for the second year in a row but will do so this time with a rookie quarterback. He’ll also be competing for targets with D.J. Moore, who showed how dominant he could be as Chicago’s WR1 last year.

The other option sees Allen enjoying a multi-year stay with the Bears. Allen may utilize his new representation to avoid free agency once again and sign an extension to stay in Chicago. This is a route that Allen has claimed to be open to with the Bears but one that he failed to see through this past year with the Chargers, who reportedly offered him another extension to stay in Los Angeles.

Perhaps the change in representation marks a change in contract year strategies for the veteran pass catcher. Maybe instead of continuing to extend his contracts before they expire, Allen has the intention of finally testing the free agent market and hired new agents to handle the situation. Only the future will tell.

Buccaneers Sign Second-Round Pick Chris Braswell

June 12th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The Buccaneers edge rushing group is going to look a bit different in 2024 after the departure of Shaquil Barrett in free agency. One of the players hoping to help fill that role will be the team’s second-round draft selection this year, Alabama’s Chris Braswell. The first step towards that after the draft has been taken as Tampa Bay announces that Braswell has now signed his rookie contract.

Braswell decided to forgo his senior year of eligibility in Tuscaloosa after a breakout season for the Crimson Tide. Following the 22-year-old’s redshirt seasons, Braswell appeared in every game for Alabama the next two years but only mustered backup numbers with 34 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble in both years combined. Last year, though, starting only two games in continued limited time, Braswell showed what he could contribute. He finished second on the team in sacks (8.0) and third in tackles for loss (10.5).

Braswell joins a youthful pass rusher group. 2021 first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka has been a starter in the group for the last two years. Last year’s third-round pick, YaYa Diaby, is expected to take a step forward in 2024 after leading the team with 7.5 sacks in his rookie season. Adding some veteran presence to the group is Randy Gregory, who split time with the Broncos and 49ers last year.

The Buccaneers pass rushing group failed to produce a player with double-digit sacks last year, though they presented an effective team rush, enough to finish seventh in the NFL is sacks as a team. If they plan on having their first double-digit-sack pass rusher since 2021, someone in the above group will need to break out.

With today’s signing, the team has now signed all but one of their first-round picks. Only first-round Duke center Graham Barton remains unsigned. Here are the others:

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/12/24

June 12th, 2024 at 6:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Wednesday’s minor NFL moves:

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Released (with injury settlement): CB Luq Barcoo

Seattle Seahawks

Jets Not Closing Door On Haason Reddick Extension

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commanders Sign Second-Round DT Johnny Newton

June 12th, 2024 at 3:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders, perhaps against the previous regime’s wishes, retooled at defensive end at last year’s trade deadline. But the team kept its veteran defensive tackles and continues to devote early-round picks to this position. Another piece joined the team in this year’s second round.

Washington hoarded Day 2 draft capital via trades, but its first second-round choice — Illinois DT Johnny Newton — came with the team’s own draft slot (No. 36 overall). The Commanders now have Newton signed to a four-year rookie deal, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating the contract comes 86% guaranteed.

Newton’s first three years are fully guaranteed; the 2023 All-American will see $800K of his Year 4 base salary ($2.13MM) guaranteed as well, Wilson adds. Last year’s No. 36 overall pick, Rams O-lineman Steve Avila, received a $201K guarantee of his Year 4 base salary. As Newton has some security, he is currently going through a second round of foot rehab this year.

After undergoing a procedure to repair an injury to his right foot in January, the Commanders defensive tackle needed another foot procedure — the second one on his left foot. Newton sustained a fracture at an unknown point of Washington’s offseason program and underwent surgery in early May. The team is optimistic about Newton returning by Week 1, but it is safe to say a stay on the active/PUP list to begin training camp will take place.

Newton sustained a partial foot fracture that led to the January procedure; this operation caused a weekslong delay in Newton’s pre-draft preparation. He did not participate in Combine workouts but did recover in time to hold a belated pro day in mid-April. He played through the previous foot issue during part of last season to cement a first-team All-American showing, which included 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. Newton totaled 14.5 TFLs for the Fighting Illini in 2022. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rated Newton as this year’s No. 21 overall prospect; the foot trouble helped knock him out of the first round.

The Commanders still roster Jonathan Allen, despite intermittent trade rumors, and gave Daron Payne an extension last year. The Ron Rivera regime also used a 2022 second-round pick on another Alabama DT (Phidarian Mathis), but he has not yet found his footing. Mathis will now compete with Newton for playing time, as the latter comes in attached to the Adam Peters-Dan Quinn partnership.

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