HEADLINES

Giants Add Incentives To WR Darius Slayton’s Contract

May 30th, 2024 at 11:16am CST by Sam Robinson

Darius Slayton‘s return to Giants practice looks to have ended a brief contract squabble. While the team’s top wide receiver during the Daniel Jones era has not secured an extension, the Giants did make a move that led to his return to practice.

The team added incentives to Slayton’s contract, with the wideout confirming (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) that helped lead him to show for voluntary workouts. No additional guarantees come with these incentives, per SNY’s Connor Hughes, but the prospect of additional cash was enough to bring the sixth-year wideout to OTAs.

More specifically, the Giants added $650K in incentives to Slayton’s contract, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. The team previously included $1.5MM in incentives for Slayton in 2024; that number is now at $2.15MM. The Giants have Slayton going into the second season of a two-year, $12MM deal.

The additional incentives mark an interesting step for the parties, seeing as this Giants regime forced Slayton into a pay cut on his rookie deal less than two years ago. But Slayton and this Joe Schoen-led front office had been in talks about a resolution for a few weeks now.

Drafted during the Dave Gettleman GM years, Slayton has helped the Giants after the team made some mistakes on the receiver front. The Golden Tate signing underwhelmed in 2019, and the 2021 offseason — which featured a disastrous Kenny Golladay contract and a Kadarius Toney first-round misfire — set the team back at the position. Amid the missteps around him, Slayton has led the Giants in receiving in four of the past five seasons. Though, he has never topped 800 yards in a single campaign.

While the Giants made an interesting offer to the Patriots in hopes of adding an eventual Jones replacement (Drake Maye), they instead used the No. 6 overall pick to acquire a pass catcher (Malik Nabers) poised to supplant Slayton as the team’s top wideout. Slayton now resides as a Gettleman-era investment — albeit one Schoen re-signed in 2023 — in a receiver cadre otherwise flooded with Schoen pickups. The team has 2023 third-rounder Jalin Hyatt and 2022 second-rounder Wan’Dale Robinson in the fold, joining other players acquired under Schoen — Allen Robinson and ex-Schoen/Brian Daboll Bills pieces Isaiah Hodgins and Isaiah McKenzie.

This bevy of options, Slayton’s arrival under Gettleman and his contract-year status could conceivably make him a trade chip — depending on how Hyatt and Robinson continue to develop — before this year’s November deadline. The Giants, however, have continued to back Jones and appear more likely than not to see Darren Waller retire. Having a proven wideout option to help a quarterback who has never exactly been blessed with reliable receiving casts makes sense. For the time being, Slayton is moving forward with the team that drafted him five years ago.

Texans Sign Round 2 T Blake Fisher, Wrap Draft Class Deals

May 30th, 2024 at 10:05am CST by Sam Robinson

Trading out of the first round weeks before the draft, the Texans completing that swap with the Vikings left their second-rounders as the top prizes in their latest draft class. Houston now has both those draftees under contract.

No. 59 overall pick Blake Fisher finished out the Texans’ rookie signings, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the tackle prospect agreed to terms on his four-year contract. Fisher will check in behind established veterans Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard as he begins his pro career.

Second-round picks continue to make gains on the guarantee front. Wilson reports 4% of Fisher’s 2026 base salary will be guaranteed. An incremental gain, but one that continues to move the bar for Round 2 draftees. Illustrating the progress, no player drafted past No. 49 last year received any Year 3 salary guarantees.

Houston drafted Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter with a pick obtained from Minnesota but added Fisher with its own second-round selection. Fisher has begun competing for a role on the Texans’ offensive line. He spent the past two years at right tackle with Notre Dame, converting from the left side. With Tunsil entrenched on C.J. Stroud‘s blind side, routes to Fisher seeing early playing time will form elsewhere — barring injury.

Injuries, however, have been an issue for the Texans up front. They played without Howard, who signed a three-year extension last July, for most of the 2023 season. Tunsil missed three games and is less than three years removed from a 2021 season in which he suited up for only five contests. The Texans also ran into durability trouble at center and guard last year, creating a need for depth at the very least.

Fisher helped the Fighting Irish to 39.1 points per game — second in the storied program’s history — and left school after his junior season, opting out of the Sun Bowl to prepare for the draft. The Texans chose Fisher four spots ahead of Roger Rosengarten (No. 62, Ravens) and Kingsley Suamataia (No. 63, Chiefs), but this trio checked in as second-tier prospects in a deep tackle class.

The Texans have 2022 first-rounder Kenyon Green back in the mix for the left guard job, and the team did not re-sign Josh Jones or George Fant this offseason. This setup would point Howard back to tackle, but the team has used the 2019 first-rounder at guard in multiple seasons — including throughout his limited 2023. That would potentially represent an option, should Fisher prove ready for early playing time.

With the full group signed, here is how Houston’s 2024 draft class looks:

49ers Extend WR Jauan Jennings

May 29th, 2024 at 10:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the deadline for restricted free agents to sign their tenders nearing, the 49ers and Jauan Jennings will move to a different contractual phase. The parties are done with the RFA process thanks to a Wednesday extension agreement.

San Francisco’s No. 3 wide receiver agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth up to $15.4MM, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Of that total, $10.5MM is guaranteed. This effectively represents a one-year bump for Jennings, who was tied to the 49ers via a second-round RFA tender ($4.89MM) for 2024. The team has since announced the deal.

[RELATED: 49ers ‘Past’ Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk Trade Talks]

Considering the uncertain futures of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, this Jennings agreement — coming after the Ricky Pearsall first-round selection — could be important in the 49ers’ post-2024 plan. This will keep a key role player in the fold beyond this season, and with rumors about an Aiyuk-or-Samuel decision beyond 2024 — when Samuel, Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey will be in contract years — Jennings is now in place on a modest deal.

A former seventh-round pick, Jennings has made some pivotal contributions to the 49ers’ cause. He caught two second-half touchdown passes from Jimmy Garoppolo to clinch a Week 18 win over the Rams in 2021, ensuring the 49ers would qualify for the playoffs. Considering what that San Francisco edition still had in the tank, those proved to be crucial regular-season sequences. Jennings is now better known for both throwing and catching a touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII. The auxiliary performer, a high school quarterback who saw some QB action at Tennessee as well, hit McCaffrey on a well-executed trick play in the first half and caught a TD from Purdy to give the 49ers a fourth-quarter lead.

Jennings, 26, plays a key role in the 49ers’ dominant ground attack as well. Pro Football Focus rated the fifth-year veteran as the league’s third-best run-blocking wideout last season. While Jennings rarely works as a starter, he has been a regular during one of the best periods in 49ers history. The 6-foot-3 performer played 489 offensive snaps in 2022 and 361 (in 13 games) last season. Jennings totaled 35 receptions for 416 yards in 2022 and added 265 yards on 19 grabs last season.

The 49ers have Aiyuk going into a fifth-year option season and Samuel signed through 2025 on a three-year, $71.55MM deal. Trade talks involving both players transpired during the draft, with teams believing the 49ers wanted a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk. Samuel generated talks on Day 2, and the prospect of the 49ers paying the younger player and trading their 28-year-old run-after-catch dynamo has entered the equation. Though, Aiyuk talks have not progressed too far as of yet.

For now, the 49ers have an imposing quartet of receivers to throw at defenses. As Pearsall develops, the team has one of the NFL’s top duos. Jennings, as today’s agreement shows, still factors in prominently to the defending NFC champions’ big picture.

J.J. Watt Comeback Pledge Includes Steelers

May 29th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.J. Watt has made it known he considers a comeback a longshot scenario, but the future Hall of Famer continues to let DeMeco Ryans know he is available if needed. This offer appears to extend to one other team as well.

Watt reaffirmed his pledge to Ryans about rejoining the Texans in an emergency circumstance, via The Athletic’s Dan Pompei, indicating he would “absolutely” return for a 13th season if his former Texans teammate asked (subscription required). Watt’s pledge about coming out of retirement — for an in-season return — would also include the Steelers, Pompei adds in an expansive Ryans profile.

Team No. 2 on Watt’s “in case of emergency” list is unsurprising, seeing as the Steelers employ another Watt on a Hall of Fame path. J.J. Watt considered the Steelers during his free agency in 2021, but he did not want to potentially take money away from his younger brother. Months after J.J. Watt’s two-year, $28MM Cardinals commitment, T.J. Watt landed his extension. The Steelers featured a two-Watt combo for three seasons, with Derek Watt joining T.J., but J.J. closed out his career with the Cards.

The Steelers have Cameron Heyward going into his 14th season with the team, though this longtime partnership now includes a hiccup on the contract front. Heyward’s current contract runs through 2024. The team also has Larry Ogunjobi, DeMarvin Leal and the recently signed Dean Lowry on the payroll. Roster construction would not stand to matter too much here, as J.J. Watt has made it clear it would take a setback changing the Texans’ outlook to come back. That presumably applies to the Steelers as well.

Watt, who turned 35 this offseason, said earlier this month his comeback pledge will expire after the 2024 season. The likely 2028 Canton inductee retired months after a heart scare, but he remained available for the Cardinals and closed the 2022 season strong. Watt finished with 12.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. The latter number matches his most since a stratospheric early-career stretch that remain unapproached; this century’s single-season TFL list still starts with three Watt seasons. Although injuries dogged the all-time great in the seasons following his third Defensive Player of the Year slate, Watt remains the only player in the sack era (1982-present) with two 20-plus-sack seasons. A comeback in a part-time role would certainly be interesting.

The All-Decade-teamer remains with CBS, but this comeback storyline persists. Injuries affecting the Houston or Pittsburgh D-line depth charts will be worth monitoring as the season unfolds.

Front Office Updates: White, Pats, Steelers

May 29th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Bears assistant director of pro scouting Chris White has reportedly been removed from the team’s website, per Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. White had been promoted to the role two years ago after five years as a pro scout for the team.

While nothing official has been announced yet, rumors have it that White is heading to Washington, where he’ll serve as the Commanders‘ new director of pro scouting. White would essentially be filling the role vacated by former director of pro personnel Chris Polian, who is an advisor now in Cleveland.

Here are a couple of other rumors in NFL front offices from around the league:

  • Stratton also tells us that the Patriots are adding a new member to their pro scouting staff in Bob Kronenberg. Kronenberg has had an interesting career path following the end of his playing career in the Arena Football League. Kronenberg spent five games as head coach of the former AFL’s Georgia Force in 2004. Eight years later, he joined the Falcons’ front office as a pro scout. After six years working in the team’s scouting department, Kronenberg accepted a role as Atlanta’s assistant offensive line coach, a role he’s held since 2019. Kronenberg will now find his way back to the front office in New England.
  • Lastly, the Steelers are reportedly bringing on Jim Noel as a new area scout, according to Stratton. Noel has plenty of NFL experience, starting as a scouting intern for the Chiefs in 2015 and working his way up to pro scout after two years. He then spent three years as the northeast area scout for the Browns before heading to the collegiate ranks to work recruiting staff roles at Army and Nebraska.

Latest On Patriots’ QB Battle

May 29th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots hoped that they had the answer to replacing franchise quarterback Tom Brady when rookie first-round pick Mac Jones made the Pro Bowl while taking New England to the playoffs only two years after Brady’s departure. Unfortunately for them, the spark Jones showed in his rookie season quickly fizzled out as he found himself relegated to the bench last year and traded to the Jaguars. Once again, the Patriots have dedicated significant draft capital to the position, but perhaps they have been scared away from depending on their drafted talent in Year 1.

According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye is currently running third on the depth chart in New England, behind Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe. While we’re still early into the offseason, and Maye has plenty of time to work his way past Brissett and Zappe, the Patriots seem to be making him earn his role instead of gifting it to him based on his draft stock.

Technically, all four quarterbacks on the roster were drafted by New England, a feat not seen often in the NFL. Brissett, though, is returning to the team that drafted him for the first time since his rookie season. The 31-year-old veteran is the one currently taking first-team snaps in organized team activities, which makes sense, considering he has the most starting NFL experience of the youthful group.

After starting two games as a rookie, Brissett was traded to the Colts just prior to the start of his sophomore campaign. A week later, Brissett unseated Scott Tolzien as the starter filling in for an injured Andrew Luck and took over as full-time starter once again two years later after Luck announced his retirement two weeks before the 2019 season. Since then, Brissett has served mostly backup duty, starting five games in Miami for an injured Tua Tagovailoa in 2021 and starting the first 11 games of the Browns’ 2022 campaign as Cleveland waited out Deshaun Watson‘s suspension for sexual misconduct.

As a starter, Brissett is 18-30 in his career. Despite failing to consistently stay in the win column, the veteran has been efficient, completing 61.3 percent of the passes over his career for 51 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. Not once has Brissett thrown more picks than touchdowns despite a career reputation as a backup. Now, returning to New England as a Patriot for the first time in eight years, Brissett seems to have been handed the reins and will attempt to hold off Maye as the offseason moves on.

Zappe has an intriguing case for the job, as well. New England took a flyer on Zappe as a fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky two years ago. Filling in for an injured Jones and Brian Hoyer, Zappe showed promise after two starts, both of which were wins and one of which saw him throw for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Last year, despite starting the season on the practice squad, Zappe ended up taking the starting job from Jones down the stretch of the season as Jones’ struggles peaked. The 25-year-old has made the last six starts for the team under center, but his final two outings saw him throw zero touchdowns and five interceptions while failing to breach the 100-yard mark in Week 17 despite 30 pass attempts.

Zappe’s struggles led to the offseason acquisition of Brissett, thanks to the veteran’s known ability to start during bridge seasons when a starter is only needed for about one year. They also led to the team drafting two quarterbacks in this year’s draft: Maye and Tennessee-product Joe Milton. Milton spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career in Ann Arbor, serving as a backup for two years at Michigan before starting five games of the team’s COVID-19-shortened, six-game season in 2020. Going 2-3, completing only 56.7 percent of his passes, and only throwing four touchdowns to four interceptions, Milton progressively lost playing time to Cade McNamara at Michigan and eventually transferred to Tennessee.

Initially entering the 2021 season as the starter for the Volunteers, an injury opened the door for Hendon Hooker, who took over as starter until tearing his ACL 11 games into the 2022 season. Finally, in 2023, Milton got his opportunity to start for a full-season and didn’t disappoint. As Tennessee went 9-4 with Milton, the collegiate veteran completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 20 touchdowns to only five interceptions, adding seven more scores on the ground.

While one should never say never concerning Milton’s chances of earning the Patriots’ starting job as a rookie, the real draw of the 2024 draft class is the third-overall pick out of North Carolina, Maye. After redshirting in 2021 behind Sam Howell, Maye exploded onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in Chapel Hill, completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions, adding 698 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Last year, the Tar Heels were expected to make a large leap alongside Maye, who many considered to be the top option to go second-overall after Caleb Williams, but the team remained stagnant in their success as Maye failed to come anywhere near his numbers from 2022. In two fewer games, Maye completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He rushed for 449 yards and nine additional scores last year, as well. While Maye’s status as a consensus first-round pick never quite waned, his stock fell quite a bit until a bidding war for passers forced many of the draft’s quarterbacks into the top 12 picks.

Maye clearly has the highest ceiling of the quarterbacks on the roster. The 21-year-old is the youngest arm on the roster by three years, and despite failing to improve in his second year as a starter, he’s shown a lot of pro-ready traits that prove the stage isn’t too big for him this early. The failure to get better also points to the possibility of a low floor for the rookie. If the Patriots are looking for the highest floor, Brissett is the likely pick to start under center.

Realistically, getting Maye’s feet wet and starting his professional development as an NFL starter is more important than avoiding a bad rookie season. The Patriots are a longshot to go from fourth in the AFC East to a division-title contender in 2024, so they likely won’t be in a win-now mindset.

While he has yet to earn the role just yet, expect Maye to be taking first-team reps in New England by training camp. Brissett provides an upgrade as an emergency starter in the worst-case scenario, and Zappe has proven he can be effective in small doses as a backup. Meanwhile, Milton will likely find his well to a practice squad where he can serve as an effective scout team quarterback. The team recently stated their plan to narrow the field of competition to three guys by the end of spring, so Zappe or Milton will likely find themselves off the roster or on the practice squad come September.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/29/24

May 29th, 2024 at 7:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s only draft pick signing:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

McMillan may have failed to reach the team-leading reception and touchdown numbers of his redshirt sophomore season in 2023, but he made a big enough impression to solidify himself as a third-round pick even after missing four games as a redshirt junior. McMillan broke out in 2022 with 79 receptions for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns. Last year, he watched top-10 pick Rome Odunze and second-round selection Ja’Lynn Polk take the lead on the Huskies’ road to a berth in the College Football Playoff Championship. Now will get the opportunity in Tampa Bay to compete for a WR3 spot behind usual suspects Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

WR Rashod Bateman Addresses Ravens Extension

May 29th, 2024 at 5:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

Rashod Bateman has not had a breakout campaign to date, but he will have a number of opportunities to deliver one in the coming years. The fourth-year Ravens wideout is under contract through 2026 as a result of the extension he signed in April.

That agreement – which came about in part due to the fact Bateman was on track for restricted free agency in 2025 – has a maximum value of $16.75MM. The former first-rounder therefore remains firmlly in the team’s plans, and he could be positioned to take on a larger role in 2024. Bateman himself was surprised when the team made the offer, though.

“That extension definitely came out of nowhere,” the 24-year-old said, via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (subscription required). “I’m blessed, for sure. I did not see them doing that, but it shows that… the team believes in me. I love playing here. I love this organization… I feel like I still have a lot to do, so it was a no-brainer for me, for sure.”

Bateman entered the league with considerable expectations given his college production and the presumed role he would play early on in Baltimore’s run-heavy offense. He faced injury problems during his first two seasons, though, being limited to 18 games in that span. He suited up for 16 contests, logging a career-high 610 offensive snaps. Bateman finished with a 32-367-1 statline, however, and more will be expected moving forward.

Falling in line with recent trends, the Ravens used a Day 1 selection on Zay Flowers last year. He had a strong rookie season (914 scrimmage yards, six total touchdowns) and projects to once again play a central role in Baltimore’s passing game this season. The team saw Odell Beckham Jr. depart in free agency, although veteran Nelson Agholor was retained this offseason.

That sets the Ravens up for a Flowers-Bateman-Agholor trio at the WR spot in 2024. Of course, All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews will serve as a focal point in the team’s offense for the foreseeable future. Bateman has the opportunity to cement his status as a key cog in the passing attack as well, though, and doing so would give Baltimore another young producer. His level of play in 2024 will be a key storyline to follow.

Texans, WR Nico Collins Agree To Extension

May 29th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 29: Further details on the Collins deal are in, courtesy of Wilson. The pact includes guaranteed base salaries in its first two years (including $13.5MM in 2025), with $10MM of his $20MM 2026 salary becoming guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2025 league year. Collins will see the other half shift to a full guarantee in March 2026; the final year includes a non-guaranteed $21.25MM in base compensation.

To maximize the extension’s value, $750K in annual incentives from 2025-27 will need to be met. Collins will earn an additional $250K each for a Pro Bowl selection, recording 95 catches and posting 1,460 yards those seasons. Each year of the pact contains $625K in roster bonuses.

MAY 28: The Texans’ offensive success in 2023 included a breakout year for Nico Collins. The ascending wideout has landed a lucrative new deal as a result.

Collins and the Texans have agreed to a three-year extension, Dianna Russini of the Athletic reports. This pact will keep him on the books through 2027. Providing further details, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes the deal has a base value of $72.75MM which can max out at $75MM. $52MM is guaranteed, and Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 adds Collins will collect a $17MM signing bonus.

The 25-year-old had a modest start to his career as a member of a low-output Texans passing game. Collins nevertheless showcased his potential as a deep threat in particular during that time, and expectations were raised with C.J. Stroud‘s arrival last year. The two formed a productive partnership in 2023, with Collins posting 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns on 80 catches.

With an annual average value of $24.25MM, this agreement is a strong indication the Texans feel Collins can continue to develop into a focal point on offense. The Michigan product was the team’s top option at the receiver position for much of the 2023 season, although Stroud initially showed a strong connection with third-round rookie Tank Dell. The latter’s season-ending injury paved the way for Collins to take on a larger role, and he will now be expected to remain a top producer.

A February report indicated a mutual interest existed between team and player in Collins’ case. Since then, Houston has acquired Stefon Diggs via trade, a move which adds a four-time Pro Bowler to the mix. Diggs has received at least 149 targets in five of the past six years, and it will be interesting to see how he fits in an offense returning Collins, Dell and tight end Dalton Schultz. The Texans signed Schultz to a three-year deal of his own this offseason, and Collins will join him as a member of the team’s long-term offensive plans.

Dell – who is recovering from a minor gunshot wound suffered this offseason – is on the books for three more years via his rookie pact. With he and Stroud under team control for years to come, Houston can afford to make investments such as this one. Diggs is due just over $22.5MM in 2024 before hitting free agency. Especially if he were to depart next year, Collins would comfortably reside as the Texans’ highest-paid receiver.

This deal will slot the former third-rounder into seventh in the NFL in terms of annual average compensation amongst receivers. The top of the market has been on an upward trajectory with recent deals, and number of ascending talents at the position are set to move the bar even higher in the near future. Collins has understandably not moved to the top of the pecking order, but his 2023 production has vaulted him near the league’s top earners at a premium position.

Load More Posts