HEADLINES

Daniel Jones Addresses Giants’ Offseason QB Pursuit

May 23rd, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Giants hosted Russell Wilson and signed Drew Lock, they made a strong effort to acquire a long-term replacement for Daniel Jones in the draft. Countless connections to this year’s cast of arms emerged, leaving Jones in limbo for weeks going into the Detroit-based event.

Big Blue ties to J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr., along with the team’s Bo Nix visit, did not turn out to matter as much as the late flurry of reports tethering the club to Drake Maye. The steady late-April buzz on Maye turned out to be accurate, with both the Giants and Vikings offering future first-rounders with the purpose of drafting the two-year North Carolina starter.

The Giants offered Nos. 6 and 47, along with their 2025 first, to the Patriots with an eye on Maye. Holding the inside track thanks to a 4-13 2023 season, the Pats stuck at No. 3 and are developing Maye to be their hopeful long-term starter. The Pats’ interest in Maye became excellent news for Jones, who can breathe easier about his job security.

“Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t fired up about it,” Jones said (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) about the Giants’ QB pursuit. “… I don’t think you can take anything personally at this level. How exactly it happened and what happened, I’m not sure I know; I’m not sure you know. But at the end of the day I’m focused on playing good football.”

Rumblings about the Giants using their disappointing season (and higher-than-expected draft slot) to draft a Jones successor following his ACL tear had surfaced back in November. By the Combine, a full-fledged QB research project was in high gear. But Giants interest in McCarthy, a popular topic earlier in the offseason, did not outweigh their hope Jones could improve if given a top-flight wide receiver prospect. The Giants walked through the latter door, giving their incumbent QB Malik Nabers to target.

The Giants’ plans at equipping Jones with impact targets have fizzled. They drafted Jones a month after trading Odell Beckham Jr. By 2021, the team’s WR plans bottomed out. Kenny Golladay became a historic free agency bust, and first-rounder Kadarius Toney quickly fell out of favor. The Joe Schoen regime’s trade for Darren Waller is looking like it will not produce any results beyond Year 1, with the former Pro Bowl tight end still considering retirement. As the earliest Giants WR pick in the common draft era (1967-present), Nabers represents a quality addition and will be a key part of what could certainly be Jones’ last chance with the team.

Jones received a text from the team before the Nabers pick, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. The sixth-year QB remains confident he will be ready for Week 1 — long held as a realistic goal by player and team — and Raanan adds he is no longer wearing a knee brace. Jones has participated in seven-on-seven drills at OTAs.

The four-year, $160MM extension Jones signed drew immediate scrutiny, and the Eli Manning successor did not play well — albeit behind an injury-plagued O-line — before his November ACL tear. Two neck injuries have forced Jones to miss time over the past three seasons, with the starter’s injury trouble likely leading Lock to New York. While Lock may not be a true threat to take Jones’ job by Week 1 — contrary to one post-draft report — the former second-rounder might be a candidate to make starts down the stretch, as injury guarantees could come into play for the Giants. No guaranteed money will remain on Jones’ deal beyond 2024 — unless he unable to pass a physical by the start of the 2025 league year. That scenario would put the Giants on the hook for an additional $12MM.

For now, however, Jones is nearing a return from ACL surgery and will be aiming to develop a rapport with Nabers. While Saquon Barkley‘s defection stands to sting, the Giants will hope Nabers can fill a longstanding WR need. Jones will hope to show the Giants will not go into 2025 with a quarterback need.

AFC East Notes: Bills, Hackett, Dolphins

May 23rd, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Terry and Kim Pegula shared equal ownership of the Bills upon buying the team in 2014, but the heart attack Kim suffered in June 2022 has brought a belated update to that status. A February 2023 Terry Pegula filing led to Kim being ruled incapacitated and her husband serving as her guardian, according to The Athletic’s Tim Graham (subscription required). Kim Pegula is not expected to be back with the Bills, Graham reports. Days after the ruling, Laura Pegula — Terry’s daughter from his first marriage — represented the Bills at owners meetings. Soon after, Terry transferred a “small percentage” of the team to Laura to comply with NFL rules regarding succession planning, Graham adds.

While this is an obviously concerning update regarding the health of Kim Pegula, 54, Graham indicates many Bills employees are in the dark about her prognosis and Laura Pegula’s role. Each May, teams are required to have succession plans in place. Previously, Kim was set to act as Bills principal owner as a bridge to the couple’s children; Terry is 73. The succession setup may soon become an issue. Bills employees had assumed tennis prodigy Jessica Pegula, Kim’s oldest child and the WTA’s No. 5-ranked player, and her husband, Taylor Gahagen, would eventually run the team. Jessica wrote a Players’ Tribune piece about her mother’s condition in February 2023, informing the public Kim had suffered brain damage from the heart attack. Months after that column, Graham reports Gahagen had been removed from his position as Bills director of corporate development and Laura had been given an equity stake in the franchise.

Remaining in place as CEO of the Bills and Buffalo Sabres, Terry Pegula has not answered questions publicly about the team since 2019. This update certainly calls into question, particularly in light of how the Broncos ended up being sold, the 11th-year owner’s succession view. Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • Nathaniel Hackett believes, despite reports the Jets attempted to have some his power stripped this offseason, Robert Saleh still has full confidence in him as OC. “I don’t know what those reports are and I don’t know where their sources came from,” Hackett said, via SNY. “I know what happened with us. It was great. We had a lot of conversations, got to talk to a lot of different people. It’s that simple. It’s already been addressed. … We had a lot of changes, so we were talking to a lot of people.” No known change to the Jets’ offensive plan came about this offseason, though the team has added some new position coaches. Aaron Rodgers has stumped for Hackett on many occasions, and the duo’s relationship from their Green Bay days is largely why the embattled play-caller remains in place. After a rough year as Broncos HC and losing Rodgers four plays into his debut as Jets OC, Hackett joins Saleh and GM Joe Douglas on the hot seat.
  • The Dolphins will pick up $18.5MM in cap space June 2, after the funds from the Xavien Howard cut become available. The team will not look to free agency to make immediate upgrades, per Mike McDaniel. The third-year Dolphins coach said (via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley) the team — which lost key starters like Howard, Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt and Jerome Baker this offseason — is “not on the hunt” for FA help.
  • Bills right tackle Spencer Brown will not participate fully in OTAs due to undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, Sean McDermott said (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). The Bills battled injuries at many positions last season, but they were healthy along their offensive front. Brown, who has been the team’s primary RT starter since his 2021 rookie year, played all 17 Buffalo games in 2023.

Raiders Rework Maxx Crosby’s Contract

May 23rd, 2024 at 8:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are rewarding their top defender. Having Maxx Crosby under contract through the 2026 season, the Raiders will still take a step to increase the Pro Bowl edge rusher’s near-future earnings.

An additional $6MM on Crosby’s deal will be moved into 2024, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Crosby was set to make $19MM in base salary — an amount that is fully guaranteed — this season. The team also moved $1.2MM in Crosby money for the 2025 season. None of Crosby’s 2025 salary ($21MM) was to be guaranteed.

No new years will be added to the deal, per Schefter, though the Raiders are attempting to express interest in keeping Crosby beyond his current contract. The team rebuffed trade interest in Crosby before the 2023 deadline. Some of Crosby’s 2026 money is likely being shifted, and it would stand to reason the Raiders will be interested in extending their standout edge defender before that 2026 season begins.

When Crosby signed his four-year, $94MM extension, he was coming off seven- and eight-sack seasons. Although Crosby broke through with 30 QB hits to help the Raiders to the playoffs in 2021, the Eastern Michigan alum has since topped his career-high in sacks twice while on his second contract. Crosby totaled 12.5 sacks in 2022 and 14.5 last season. In both years, the Jon Gruden-era draftee led the NFL in tackles for loss — 22 in 2022, 23 in 2023.

This marks an interesting decision due to the personnel running the Raiders presently. Although Gruden and former GM Mike Mayock drafted Crosby, the consistent pressure producer signed his extension early during the Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler pairing’s tenure. GM Tom Telesco will authorize this adjustment, signaling he and HC Antonio Pierce are interested — naturally, as Crosby has proven one of the best draft picks in recent NFL history — in keeping the sixth-year veteran around beyond this $23.5MM-per-year deal.

The Gruden-Mayock period produced a handful of poor draft decisions, but Crosby was unquestionably the best move to come out of that stretch. Crosby also memorably provided key support for Pierce’s bid to become the Raiders’ full-time HC. A mid-January report pegged Crosby as ready to explore a trade request if the Raiders did not remove Pierce’s interim tag. Mark Davis, who regretted not making this move for Rich Bisaccia in 2022, soon named Pierce the full-time HC; Pierce is the first NFL interim leader since Doug Marrone in 2017 to move into a full-time HC role.

The Raiders used free agency (Chandler Jones) and the first round (Tyree Wilson) to equip Crosby with a better supporting cast post-Yannick Ngakoue. After trading Ngakoue, Las Vegas saw the Jones signing backfire in spectacular fashion. Wilson did not make many contributions as a rookie, though 2021 third-rounder Malcolm Koonce did emerge as an intriguing option opposite Crosby. For the most part, however, the Raiders’ defense has relied on Crosby to generate pressure since the Ngakoue trade. They paid up for Christian Wilkins, signing off on a $28MM-per-year deal (with $57.5MM fully guaranteed) in March. Wilkins’ guarantee at signing more than doubled Crosby’s ($26.5MM).

Teams do not regularly authorize extensions for players who have three contract years remaining, so this represents a half-measure of sorts. Since Crosby’s deal came to pass in March 2022, a host of edge rusher extensions have dropped the Raiders’ top gun to ninth at the position. Crosby, whose 97 QB hits since 2021 trail only Nick Bosa‘s count (115), will see some more money after performing well in the first two years of his extension.

Latest On Broncos WR Tim Patrick, TE Greg Dulcich

May 23rd, 2024 at 5:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two of this decade’s most injury-prone players, Tim Patrick and Greg Dulcich are attempting to shake off two seasons sidetracked by maladies. In Patrick’s case, injuries kept him off the field throughout the Broncos’ Russell Wilson era.

Patrick suffered season-nullifying injuries during the Broncos’ past two training camps, going down with a torn ACL in 2022 and an Achilles tear last summer. Patrick was expected to be a key possession receiver for Wilson, but with the team bailing — at a historic cost — on the QB’s extension it authorized in 2022, the 6-foot-4 target now looms as a wild card of sorts for a regrouping Denver squad.

[RELATED: Latest On Broncos, WR Courtland Sutton]

The Broncos’ OTA workouts featured Patrick running routes, as The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider observes. The former UDFA is once again on track to be part of the Broncos’ receiving corps, but the past two years have certainly sidetracked the ex-Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater target’s career. Denver extended Patrick on a three-year, $30MM deal during the 2021 season. Despite Patrick being unable to play a down on that contract, the now-Sean Payton-fronted franchise retained him — but on a substantial pay cut. The 30-year-old wideout is now tied to a $1.63MM deal that contains no guarantees.

A surehanded target during the seasons before the Wilson trade, Patrick posted 742- and 734-yard showings in 2020 and ’21 and totaled 11 touchdowns. As injuries kept the likes of Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and former second-rounder KJ Hamler off the field for extended stretches, Patrick provided a key insurance piece. The 2021 contract signified the team viewed him as a starter. With the Broncos adding Marvin Mims, Josh Reynolds and Troy Franklin over the past two offseasons, Patrick’s place is now uncertain. Though, the 2017 free agency addition could provide good value if he returns to form.

Dulcich’s injury pattern — and the Broncos’ limited tight end corps — may make his participation worth monitoring. Chronic hamstring trouble forced the 2022 third-round pick into an alarming four IR trips in two seasons. Dulcich last played in Week 6 of the 2023 season, reinjuring his hamstring shortly after being activated from IR. The Broncos designated the UCLA alum for return down the stretch last year but did not activate him; they are now bringing him along slowly.

The Broncos’ first OTA sessions featured Dulcich working on a side field. Denver’s top receiving tight end continues to see specialists about his hamstring trouble, and while Payton confirmed full participation is likely at some point this offseason, the team is not unleashing him for full-speed work still.

“He’s close. Man, he’s had all the work done; we’re encouraged,” Payton said, via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. “I think you’ll see him sooner than later and we want to be smart. His rehab has gone well and it’s not going to be that we don’t see him until training camp.”

Dulcich played only 32 offensive snaps last season, suffering injuries in both contests he played. A woeful 2022 season for the Broncos’ offense did double as a somewhat promising slate for Dulcich, who totaled 411 receiving yards in 10 games. Of course, he also needed two IR trips due to hamstring issues as a rookie. It is safe to say Dulcich’s availability this season will determine if he has a viable path to TE1 work in the NFL.

Rumored to be wanting help at tight end this offseason, the Broncos stood down in both free agency and the draft. The team re-signed ex-Saints draftee Adam Trautman and saw former UDFA Lucas Krull make some late-season contributions. But Dulcich is the team’s top receiving tight end, barring a late addition.

It is interesting the Broncos, as Bo Nix arrives, have not added a more reliable piece at the position. The inaction represents good news for Dulcich, who looks to have a clear route back to regular work if he can stay healthy.

Packers Sign Round 2 LB Edgerrin Cooper

May 23rd, 2024 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers have drafted two off-ball linebackers in the first two rounds since 2022, with Edgerrin Cooper following Quay Walker to Wisconsin. This represents a shift for the team, one in line to have some talented prospects manning its defensive second level.

Saying goodbye to De’Vondre Campbell (via release) after three years this offseason, the Packers brought in Cooper with the No. 45 overall pick. That draft slot comes with at least two years guaranteed and either all or part of Year 3 locked in. While it remains to be seen how well Cooper did in terms of 2026 guarantees, the Texas A&M product signed to his four-year rookie deal Thursday.

Walker marked the Packers’ first non-rush linebacker chosen in the first or second round since A.J. Hawk in 2006. After a run of Day 3 LBs — with Oren Burks the only third-rounder chosen from 2007-21 — Green Bay is placing a higher priority on this position. It should certainly be expected — provided Cooper proves ready — the team is eyeing multiple seasons with Walker and Cooper as three-down ‘backers.

The Pack also backstopped the Cooper addition with a third-round linebacker investment as well, taking Ty’ron Hopper out of Missouri. New DC Jeff Hafley will have some options at the position. Walker’s rookie contract runs through 2025, while a fifth-year option — though, teams have been passing on ILB options as of late — could take the deal through 2026. Cooper and Hopper will be signed through 2027.

This year’s first off-ball LB chosen, Cooper headlined a modest crop at the position. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, however, placed Cooper as a first-round prospect, slotting him 26th overall. Cooper earned first-team All-American honors last season, delivering a versatile finale with the Aggies. He paired 84 tackles with eight sacks and 17 tackles for loss. A productive blitzer, Cooper also fared well in coverage and finished the 2023 season with two forced fumbles.

Green Bay added fifth- and sixth-round picks to move down four spots in Round 2, sending the No. 41 overall pick to New Orleans. As the Saints attempt to develop Kool-Aid McKinstry, the Packers will bank on Cooper becoming an early-career starter

Cards Sign Round 1 WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

May 23rd, 2024 at 2:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Marvin Harrison Jr. will enter Cardinals training camp as the team’s highest-ceiling wide receiver prospect in 20 years. This year’s No. 4 overall pick will not carry any contract drama into Arizona’s minicamp; the team signed its top draft choice Thursday.

The Ohio State prospect, who is following his father as a first-round NFL draft choice, will be tied to a fully guaranteed rookie deal that runs through 2027. Viewed as one of the highest-floor WR prospects to ever enter the draft, Harrison can be kept through 2028 on this contract via the fifth-year option. It is a $35.37MM deal.

With none of the quarterbacks chosen in the top three signed yet, Harrison is the first of this year’s top-five draftees to ink his rookie contract. The fifth-year option was not in place when Larry Fitzgerald signed his rookie deal in 2004, though the future Hall of Famer lasted quite a bit longer with the team, playing 17 seasons. Marvin Harrison Sr. played 13 in the NFL — all with the Colts. High expectations will be placed on the Hall of Famer’s son.

With Kyler Murray locked in as the team’s starting quarterback, the Cardinals were closely tied to trading down from No. 4. Arizona’s draft slot was viewed as a place QB-seeking teams could jump to for one of the non-Caleb Williams/Jayden Daniels prospects. Drake Maye generated extensive trade interest, as it turned out, with the Giants and Vikings offering the Patriots future first-rounders for their No. 3 draft slot. Interest in the other QBs did not lead to similar aggression, and the Cardinals — after trading down from No. 3 overall last year — stayed at 4 and selected their new WR1. Close Cards connections to Harrison emerged well before Round 1.

The Cardinals received at least two trade offers to move off No. 4, but GM Monti Ossenfort said no proposal was strong enough to convince the team to move out of Harrison range. Had the Cardinals traded down to No. 6 (via the Giants), they would have risked losing Harrison. Moving to 11 (the Vikings’ slot) would have all but certainly sent the second-generation WR prospect elsewhere. Carrying major questions at receiver going into the draft, the Cards will plug Harrison into their lineup. The 6-foot-4 talent will be expected to become Arizona’s top receiver as a rookie.

Arizona released DeAndre Hopkins last May and, despite talks about re-signing Marquise Brown, let the 2022 trade acquisition (and ex-Murray Oklahoma teammate) walk in free agency. The team has since added veteran starter Zay Jones to team with 2023 third-rounder Michael Wilson, but Harrison is the clear centerpiece of the rebuilding club’s receiving corps.

While some teams viewed Malik Nabers as a higher-ceiling prospect and a more explosive player, Harrison checks just about every box. Harrison carried a high enough pedigree as a prospect he was able to pass on Combine participation and pro day work. The Harrison camp’s plan featured training for an NFL offseason program, not pre-draft workouts. Few prospects can pull off this itinerary; Harrison being able to — and seeing it not dock his draft stock — illustrates the league’s view of his potential.

A crisp route runner who brings a desired size-speed combination, Harrison averaged north of 16 yards per reception in 2022 and ’23. With a hamstring injury shutting down Jaxon Smith-Njigba for longer than expected in 2022, Harrison broke through and became the Buckeyes’ go-to weapon. He totaled 14 touchdown catches in both 2022 and ’23, topping 1,200 receiving yards in both seasons. Viewed as this draft’s top wideout prospect for months ahead of the event, Harrison will get to work on establishing a rapport with Murray ahead of Drew Petzing‘s second season as Cards OC.

Giants CB Cor’Dale Flott On Track To Start

May 23rd, 2024 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adoree’ Jackson remains available in free agency. In addition to work with the Giants, Jackson overlapped with new DC Shane Bowen during his Titans stay. But the Giants are moving in a different direction.

Not expected to re-sign the three-year starter, the Giants will first see if one of their younger cornerbacks can win the starting job opposite first-rounder Deonte Banks. Cor’Dale Flott would be the starter if the season opened today, Giants secondary coach Jerome Henderson said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy).

A report earlier this month suggested Flott, primarily a slot defender through two seasons, had a good chance at the boundary job opposite Banks. This would be a transition for the former third-round pick, who was drafted to man a slot post in New York. But the team’s plans have changed at that spot, too. Another third-round corner, Dru Phillips, may be the lead candidate — with Darnay Holmes as insurance — to work inside.

Pro Football Focus did not grade Flott (13 career starts in the slot) well in 2023, ranking him 101st at the position. The 6-foot-2 cover man did drop his completion percentage-allowed (as the closest defender) number from his 2022 rookie year, lowering it from 63% in 2022 to 59.6%. Veteran Nick McCloud and 2023 sixth-rounder Tre Hawkins stand to represent training camp competition here, as camp work will be more relevant to Big Blue’s lineup decisions compared to OTAs.

Hawkins emerged at last year’s training camp but was benched early in the season, moving Jackson — temporarily relocated to the slot over Flott — back to his usual boundary position. But Henderson and Brian Daboll‘s early endorsements of Flott point to a clear favorite going into camp this year. McCloud is also working in the slot at OTAs, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. Given Flott and Holmes’ slot experience, the Giants have some fallback options if their early plan does not pan out.

The Giants going with Flott would mark a transition. The team has carried veteran cornerback contracts on its payroll for a while. Jackson signed a three-year, $39MM deal in 2021. That contract overlapped with the three-year, $45MM pact James Bradberry signed in 2020. The Giants, who released Bradberry following the 2022 draft, steadily moving on from vets at corner makes sense due to the rising costs elsewhere on their roster. In addition to Daniel Jones no longer being on a rookie contract, the team has extended Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas. The trade for Brian Burns produced an extension (five years, $141MM) that doubles as the NFL’s third-most lucrative pact for an edge rusher.

Costs are low across the Giants’ secondary, with the team not matching the Packers’ Xavier McKinney offer a year after failing to re-sign Julian Love. The team has Jason Pinnock and second-rounder Tyler Nubin positioned to start at safety, though Raanan adds Dane Belton worked alongside Nubin with the starters at OTAs. Versatile veteran Jalen Mills potentially factoring in. Experience questions will certainly apply here, but Banks’ $3.1MM cap number currently tops the list of Giants CB expenses for 2024.

Steelers Sign RB La’Mical Perine

May 23rd, 2024 at 12:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

La’Mical Perine has not needed to wait long to find his next opportunity. The former Chiefs running back was let go last week, but the Steelers announced on Thursday he has been signed.

Perine entered the league as a Jets fourth-rounder. He played sparingly on offense between the 2020 and ’21 seasons, receiving just 72 carries during that time. That was followed by short-lived stints with the Eagles and Dolphins, but his next regular season action came in 2023 with the Chiefs. Perine mainly served as a special-teamer during Kansas City’s run to a second straight Super Bowl title.

The Chiefs did not draft a running back this year, but the team nevertheless let Perine go. That has led to questions about how they will fill out their backfield depth chart during the summer, but the 26-year-old will again be joining a RB room with the top two spots accounted for. Pittsburgh has Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren as returnees from last year. Both are pending free agents, but they are each positioned to once again handle a notable workload.

The Steelers added Cordarrelle Patterson this offseason in large part based on his prowess as a returner. He could serve as a third running back contributor as well, though. The team also added Jonathan Ward earlier this week, and he too will be competing for the RB3 role during training camp. Perine will provide Pittsburgh with another option in that regard.

The latter made one start last season, a regular season finale in which Kansas City sat several starters. Perine received all but one of his 22 carries on the season during that game; with only 14 career receptions, the Florida product does not profile as a pass-catching specialist on the Steelers or any other team. A special teams role therefore represents Perine’s likeliest path to playing time in Pittsburgh.

Eagles Sign WR John Ross

May 23rd, 2024 at 12:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

John Ross took part in the Eagles’ rookie minicamp, and his performance has earned him an extended look. The veteran receiver signed with Philadelphia on Thursday, per a team announcement.

Ross retired last summer, but he attempted a comeback in November. Without having found playing time at the end of the 2023 campaign, he has not played a regular season game since 2021. The 28-year-old will attempt to carve out a roster spot with the Eagles as they sort out the back of their WR depth chart.

Philadelphia is set in terms of starting spots with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Both wideouts signed lucrative new deals this offseason, and they will be counted on to remain the focal points of the team’s passing game in 2024 and beyond. The Eagles lost Quez Watkins and Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency, which required the addition of new secondary contributors.

One of those is Parris Campbell, who inked a one-year deal in March. The former Colt had an underwhelming single campaign with the Giants last year, and he will spend the offseason trying to lock down a role in the Eagles’ offense. The same was presumed to be true of DeVante Parker, but he announced his retirement earlier this week.

Ross will now attempt to take advantage of the opportunity created by Parker’s absence. The former is best remembered for his 4.22-second 40-yard dash at the 2017 Combine. That performance led to Ross hearing his name called ninth overall, but he struggled during his four-year tenure with the Bengals. The Washington product played a single season as a Giant after his rookie contract expired, but that effort likewise did not yield notable production. To little surprise, Ross has been unable to find a permanent home since.

This agreement will no doubt represent nothing more than a one-year flier on the part of the Eagles. If he performs during the summer and can remain healthy, Ross could provide the team with a deep threat at the receiver spot. If not, Philadelphia will again need to turn elsewhere for depth options ahead of the start of the season.

Dolphins, S Jevon Holland Have Not Discussed Extension

May 23rd, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Adam La Rose

Tua Tagovailoa is in line for an extension, but a number of other Dolphins are also eligible for deals keeping them in the fold beyond 2024. That group includes safety Jevon Holland, who has one year remaining on his rookie pact.

An April report indicated Miami was interested in a Holland extension, and general manager Chris Grier confirmed that is the case. Both Tagovailoa and receiver Jaylen Waddle (who is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2025) represent more notable financial priorities, however. That has left Holland waiting for negotiations to begin in his case.

“I’m on the back burner,” the latter said when speaking about the lack of contract talks (via Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald). “I don’t know much. “I just work here. I just work here.”

Holland, 24, has started all but three of his 46 combined regular and postseason appearances for the Dolphins. The former second-rounder had a strong season in 2022, racking up 96 tackles and a pair of interceptions. He was limited to 12 games last year, however, due to a pair of MCL sprains. In 2023, Holland totaled 74 stops, three forced fumbles and a 99-yard pick-six.

The Oregon product also showed improvement in coverage, allowing a passer rating of 99.3 and a pair of touchdowns as the nearest defender. Still, his level of play after returning to the field likely hindered his asking price on a new contract. The overall landscape of the safety position is also a factor working against him with respect to commanding a lucrative extension.

The 2024 offseason has seen a number of high-profile safeties let go, and a number of them remain unsigned well after the draft. While Antoine Winfield Jr. represents a notable exception, the position as a whole has been undervalued recently. That will most acutely affect veterans seeking third or fourth contracts, but it will no doubt be a factor in Holland’s attempts to secure a raise on his second deal.

The Dolphins lost Brandon Jones and DeShon Elliott in free agency, while the team retained Elijah Campbell and added Jordan Poyer. The latter (who came over from the Bills on a one-year, $2MM deal) is set to handle a starting role in 2024. The same will be true of Holland, and his play will particularly be worth watching in the event no new deal gets worked out over the remainder of the offseason.

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