HEADLINES

Latest On Jets’ Depth At Safety

May 22nd, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

The Jets will have a trio of players compete for their two starting safety spots. Coach Robert Saleh told reporters (including ESPN’s Rich Cimini) that the Jets will have an open competition at the position, with Chuck Clark, Tony Adams, and Ashtyn Davis competing for the two starting roles.

With two-year starter Jordan Whitehead having returned to Tampa Bay, there is some uncertainty atop the positional depth chart. Adams got the longest look of the trio in 2023, having started all 15 of his appearances while compiling 82 tackles and three interceptions. However, Pro Football Focus only ranked him as a middle-of-the-road safety (41st among 95 qualifiers), and the former UDFA doesn’t have the resume to justify a definitive starting nod.

Davis saw a progressively larger role as the 2023 season went on, and while he didn’t earn enough snaps to qualify for PFF’s leader board, he would have graded out as a top-20 safety. The former third-round pick has seen an inconsistent role through his first four seasons in the NFL, starting 21 of his 54 appearances in New York. However, he’s become a favorite of Saleh, and the team showed some trust in the defensive back when they re-signed him this offseason.

“It is funny, all Ashtyn does is find the ball,” Saleh said last season (via the team’s website). “I am a big fan of his. He has done nothing but work. He was a valuable and very underrated piece of this defense. The way he goes about his business and the way he works, that play embodies everything that he represents for this defense.”

Clark is the true wildcard, as the veteran is coming off a torn ACL that ended his 2023 season before it began. Clark was a consistent starter during his final few years in Baltimore, and while the Jets didn’t give up a whole lot to acquire the veteran last offseason, they were still counting on the former 100-tackle defender to lead their safeties room.

The Jets will also be welcoming a new player to the position grouping. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Isaiah Oliver is moving to the safeties room. After spending the first five seasons of his career in Atlanta, Oliver spent the 2023 campaign in San Francisco, serving as the 49ers’ nickelback. He started six of his 17 appearances, finishing with 67 tackles and one interception. He’ll be competing with the likes of 2023 sixth-round pick Jarrick Bernard-Converse and 2024 seventh-round pick Jaylen Key for one of the final spots on the depth chart.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/22/24

May 22nd, 2024 at 8:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s draft pick signings:

New York Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A knee injury limited Smith to only one game during his first season at Georgia, and the former West Virginia standout saw a part-time role in 2022. However, the defensive back put himself firmly on the NFL radar with a strong 2023 campaign where he finished with 70 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and four interceptions. The rookie is currently penciled in as Tampa Bay’s starting nickelback.

Johnson finished his four-year career with the Nittany Lions having hauled in 77 catches for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns. With Darren Waller still flirting with retirement, the rookie tight end could end up seeing a role in New York in 2024. Johnson will be competing with the likes of Daniel Bellinger, Jack Stoll, Chris Manhertz, and Lawrence Cager for playing time.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/22/24

May 22nd, 2024 at 7:22pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Earnest Brown was a fifth-round pick by the Rams back in 2021. He collected 14 tackles in 12 games through his first two seasons in Los Angeles, but he didn’t get into a single game with the big-league club during the 2023 campaign. He wasn’t retained via a futures contract this offseason, allowing him to catch on with the 49ers. He was waived by San Francisco earlier this month.

He’ll be taking the roster spot previously held by Patrick Laird, who spent the past two seasons on Tampa Bay’s practice squad. The former UDFA previously got into 37 games for the Dolphins between 2019 and 2021, collecting 533 yards from scrimmage. The Buccaneers added a pair of undrafted running backs in D.J. Williams and Ramon Jefferson, so the team may prefer to opt for a rookie on the taxi squad.

Ravens Cut DL Bravvion Roy

May 22nd, 2024 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Bravvion Roy is hitting free agency. The veteran defensive lineman’s contract was terminated by the Ravens today, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.

Roy joined the Ravens last August and spent the entire 2023 campaign on Baltimore’s practice squad. He was retained via a reserve/futures contract back in January, but now he’ll have to look elsewhere for his next gig.

The Baylor product was a sixth-round pick by the Panthers in 2020, a move that reunited him with college coach Matt Rhule. The defensive lineman had a significant role despite his late-round draft stock, starting nine of his 15 appearances as a rookie. He collected a career-high 30 tackles during his sophomore campaign before he was limited to a career-low 299 defensive snaps in 2022.

Roy was waived by the Panthers last July and was quickly picked up by the Bears. He was among Chicago’s final roster cuts, leading to him joining the Ravens.

The 27-year-old was already facing an uphill battle to make Baltimore’s roster. The Ravens are set to return their same defensive line arrangement in 2024, but Roy’s release could end up opening a roster spot for former UDFA Rayshad Nichols or current UDFAs Ja’Mion Franklin and C.J. Ravenell.

JuJu Smith-Schuster Says He’s Fully Healthy

May 22nd, 2024 at 5:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a disastrous first season in New England, JuJu Smith-Schuster is confident he’ll rebound in 2024. The veteran told reporters (including Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald) that he’s 100-percent healthy heading into Patriots OTAs.

Smith-Schuster estimated that he was around 60-percent at this time last year. The veteran wide receiver underwent knee surgery shortly after winning Super Bowl LVII with the Chiefs and before signing with the Patriots.

“It’s a big difference,” Smith Schuster said of his current health. “It’s not easy coming off a knee injury and having a long season and coming back really short… I feel great, honestly. I feel great. I’ve never felt better. I’m just excited to finally be out here around this time and participating.”

The Patriots signed Smith-Schuster to a three-year, $33MM contract last offseason, but the receiver proceeded to put up career-lows across the board. The 27-year-old ultimately finished the campaign with 29 catches for 260 yards and one touchdown. While the disappointing results could partly be attributed to inconsistent QB play, Smith-Schuster also admitted that he was never able to get to 100 percent health.

“I’ve always wanted to just push through and play,” Smith-Schuster said. “I had some injuries that I was dealing with and I just kept pushing through it and playing. That’s just the competitiveness in me. I don’t mind that. So this year it’s a lot different than how it was.”

Smith-Schuster’s production certainly doesn’t match up with his salary, but since he’s attached to a guaranteed $7MM base salary in 2024, it’d be surprising if he doesn’t end up making the team. The Patriots lost out in the Calvin Ridley sweepstakes, meaning their only notable additions at the position have been free agent K.J. Osborn and second-round rookie Ja’lynn Polk. That duo joins Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas atop the depth chart, meaning Smith-Schuster will be competing with the likes of Kayshon Boutte, Tyquan Thornton, and rookie fourth-round pick Javon Baker for a roster spot.

Latest On Broncos, Courtland Sutton

May 22nd, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

In what has become standard operating procedure for wide receivers carrying contract issues, a number of high-profile targets — Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins — have not shown up for OTAs. Courtland Sutton appears in that boat as well.

Sutton has been away from the Broncos during the pre-OTAs portion of their voluntary workout schedule, training in Florida. That appears to still be the case as OTAs get underway, per the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. Sutton has expressed a desire for a contract upgrade, and the seventh-year veteran may be amenable to a straight raise.

Re-emerging as Denver’s No. 1 wide receiver last season, Sutton remains tied to his four-year, $60MM deal. No wideout has been tied to a higher AAV in Broncos history, but Sutton’s contract qualifies as team-friendly now. Agreed to during the 2021 season, Sutton’s deal was finalized before a receiver market boom the following offseason. His AAV now checks in at No. 23, counting Higgins’ franchise tag, at the position.

That contract calls for a $13MM base salary in 2024; just $2MM of that total is guaranteed. Sutton is angling for a new deal — one the Broncos are unlikely to hand out due to two seasons remaining on his current pact — but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler said during a recent SportsCenter appearance (via Heavy.com) Sutton would like to bump his salary up into the $15-$16MM range. No progress is coming out of these talks, Fowler adds.

Players regularly seek extensions when their contracts fall out of step with the market or when existing deals have already paid out guarantees. Sutton probably falls into both camps, but it would be interesting if a raise on his 2024 salary would bring about a resolution. The Broncos took a similar step with Chris Harris back in 2019, after the team had given Kareem Jackson a deal with a higher per-year salary. Denver gave its decorated cornerback a straight raise, bumping his 2019 pay from $8.9MM to $12.05MM.

Some clear differences between that situation and Sutton’s exist, however. En route to All-Decade honors, Harris had been the NFL’s top slot corner for several years ahead of those negotiations. The Broncos also authorized a pure raise for a player in a contract year. That agreement also came during John Elway‘s GM tenure. Sutton, an Elway-era draftee who signed his extension in GM George Paton‘s first season, has two years remaining on his deal and has not approached the heights Harris reached during his Broncos tenure. A decision-maker not around for either his draft arrival or extension, Sean Payton, now carries the most weight in the organization.

A raise would set a precedent under Payton, and teams generally prefer extensions to notable pay bumps. While Sutton has four 700-plus-yard seasons on his resume, 2019 represents his only 1,000-yard season. The Broncos are not expected to trade the 6-foot-4 wideout, who is recovering from offseason ankle surgery. Teams called the Broncos ahead of the draft. The former second-round pick does carry some leverage; the team stands to need him as a reliable target to break in Bo Nix.

Sutton, 28, profiles as Denver’s best bet for steady receiving production this season, though the team has added a few pieces under Payton — from Josh Reynolds to draft choices Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin. While Sutton sits as the highest-floor player in the Broncos’ pass-catching corps, the two recent draftees’ development will play a role in the veteran’s Denver future. A trade-rumor mainstay, Sutton is tied to a $13.5MM nonguaranteed 2025 salary.

Ravens Expect RB Keaton Mitchell To Return During Season

May 22nd, 2024 at 2:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries defined Keaton Mitchell‘s rookie season. The explosive running back did not debut for the Ravens until Week 6 and was done by Week 15. In between, the UDFA displayed promise.

Albeit on just 47 carries, Mitchell finished his rookie year with a monster yards-per-carry number (8.4) and offered Baltimore a new dimension in its backfield. But the East Carolina product’s ACL tear brought more of the same for a Ravens backfield that had dealt with significant J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards maladies in recent years. Mitchell, 22, is on track to follow Dobbins and Edwards in seeing a prior year’s injury cost him time the following season.

John Harbaugh said Wednesday that Mitchell is on track with his rehab, but the second-year RB will not be ready for training camp. Mitchell is also expected to miss some time in-season, with Harbaugh indicating a return is expected “sometime during” the 2024 campaign. This aligns with what GM Eric DeCosta said in March. The 5-foot-8 ball carrier appears a prime candidate to begin the season on the Ravens’ reserve/PUP list. That would sideline him for at least four games, but the Ravens have since made a bigger investment at running back.

The Ravens lost both Dobbins and Edwards for the 2021 season’s entirety, leading to a brigade of aging veterans stopping through. Dobbins did not land on the reserve/PUP list the following season, but the former second-rounder was not ready to go until Week 3 of the 2022 slate. He also ran into more knee trouble that year, requiring an IR stay. Edwards did land on Baltimore’s PUP list and did not start his 2022 season until Week 7 of that season. Both veterans reunited with Greg Roman in Los Angeles, and the Ravens are now a Derrick Henry-centered backfield.

Baltimore gave the two-time rushing champion a two-year, $16MM deal. With $9MM of that fully guaranteed, the Ravens have the chance to reevaluate the ninth-year veteran’s form after this season. Mitchell figures to factor into that process, with he and Justice Hill the Ravens’ primary Henry backups going into the 2024 season. The team also used a fifth-round pick on Marshall’s Rasheen Ali, providing more insurance while Mitchell rehabs.

He of a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the 2023 Combine, Mitchell gave a Dobbins-less backfield an immediate jolt midway through last season. He totaled 138 rushing yards on nine carries in a Ravens rout of the Seahawks. The Ravens used Mitchell as a change-of-pace option last season, keeping his carry count under 10 in each of his outings, but his injury in Jacksonville certainly hurt the eventual No. 1 seed’s offense.

Mitchell can be retained — through the ERFA and RFA process — through the 2026 season, giving the Ravens a low-cost option. For now, the team will await on the Henry complementary piece’s recovery.

Owners Concerned About Tom Brady Conflict Of Interest In Raiders Ownership Role

May 22nd, 2024 at 12:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 22: A Brady policy of sorts will need to be discussed if the Raiders agreement is eventually approved, per Roger Goodell (via Maske). The longtime commissioner mentioned the former QB’s access to team facilities as an issue if/once he becomes a minority owner.

This is still on hold, however. The latest round of owner meetings came and went without a vote on Brady’s Raiders stake, Maske adds. Despite the progress being made, Goodell said issues remain. Brady’s TV career appears a key matter. More than a year has now passed since Brady agreed to buy a stake in the AFC West franchise, and while Goodell discussing the topic keeps it on the radar, NFL owners continue to delay this matter.

MAY 17: In the news lately for his much-discussed roast and a mention of a possible in-season comeback, Tom Brady is months away from beginning his career as a play-by-play analyst. The legendary quarterback will cover the Cowboys-Browns matchup for FOX in Week 1.

While some doubt about Brady following through with his broadcasting deal existed, we are moving close to a rare setup in which the NFL’s most famous player calls games for a network. This gig will allow Brady access to team facilities during the lead-up to games. Hans Schroeder, CEO of NFL media, said (via Fox Sports’ Greg Auman) no limitations regarding which games Brady can or cannot cover are in place.

The subject of limitations pertaining to Brady’s new role has come up due to his ongoing quest to become a part-owner of the Raiders. In May 2023, Brady agreed to purchase a stake of Mark Davis‘ franchise. The agreement, however, is still not official. Although concerns about the stake price Davis set for Brady have been resolved, the conflict-of-interest issue remains. With Brady now firmly on track to start his analyst career this season, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske reports some in the ownership ranks have expressed issues with him receiving access to team practices and facilities for his FOX role.

Should Brady ultimately be approved as a Raiders minority owner, teams will naturally be leery about sharing information with him while he is representing FOX. This would put questions to either the NFL or certain teams about limiting the future Hall of Famer’s access ahead of broadcasting assignments. The issue of a universal Brady policy taking effect or if his access will be determined on a team-by-team basis has come up, Maske adds.

The prospect of Brady’s status changing if he is approved as a Raiders part-owner does appear to be in play. Schroeder left this door open by qualifying the NFL’s no-limitations stance re: Brady by saying (via Maske), “Right now, Tom’s not an owner of the Raiders.” If the 46-year-old QB-turned-announcer is approved, this will make for an interesting chapter in NFL broadcasting history.

A February report indicated Brady’s path to becoming a Raiders part-owner was clearing up, but during the latest round of meetings in late March, no discussions about a vote on this matter are believed to have taken place. No Brady ownership talk occurred at the December owners meetings, either. Brady’s ownership route remains on hold, but it is not closed off yet. Brady said last year he plans to plav a “very passive” role as a minority owner, though a November report pointed to him being involved in the Raiders’ HC and GM hiring process. This job at FOX — one Brady delayed for a year in an effort to better prepare himself following his second retirement as a player — continues to generate understandable concerns among teams.

Brady, who co-owns the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces with Davis, did see an effort to become a player/owner with the Dolphins nixed — to the point the team lost first- and third-round picks and saw its owner suspended — and the NFL may soon need to make another decision on a dual role involving the former Patriots and Buccaneers QB.

Brandon Aiyuk Skipping OTAs; WR, 49ers Not Close On Extension

May 22nd, 2024 at 11:18am CST by Sam Robinson

Abiding by the usual playbook for players in the mix for a lucrative extension, Brandon Aiyuk is not at 49ers OTAs this week. The two-time 1,000-yard wide receiver remains tied to his rookie contract and is operating as other high-profile 49ers have in recent years.

While Nick Bosa is at OTAs, the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback skipped workouts — including minicamp — during his negotiations last year. Deebo Samuel did not participate in the team’s 2022 minicamp, though he did show up weeks after requesting a trade. Aiyuk’s situation is somewhat similar to Samuel’s, but he has not requested a trade. As they did involving Samuel, the 49ers listened to trade offers during the draft’s first night. The team, which rebuffed pre-draft Aiyuk trade inquiries, was believed to be targeting a mid-first-rounder.

[RELATED: 49ers Did Not Consider Day 2 Trade For Aiyuk, Samuel]

Aiyuk and the team, however, still have a long way to go to reach a resolution. The sides are no closer to hammering out an extension than they were when negotiations started, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes. Since the 49ers and Aiyuk began discussions earlier this year, two other wideout contracts — those going to Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown — have changed the market. Both deals checked in north of $30MM per year, which will almost certainly impact Aiyuk’s talks with his team.

Despite topping 1,000 yards in 2022 and ’23, Aiyuk has not matched St. Brown’s production over the past two seasons. Though, the Lions WR also has a significantly higher target share compared to Aiyuk. The 49ers’ leading receiver last season, Aiyuk reached 1,342 yards on fewer targets (105) than he received in 2022 (114). Aiyuk averaged 17.8 yards per reception last season. With Samuel two years older, Aiyuk may well profile as the receiver the 49ers want to build around beyond 2024.

For now, however, the 49ers have an intriguing receiver situation. Samuel and Aiyuk join first-rounder Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, the team’s multiyear WR3. Jennings has not signed his second-round RFA tender, but that is almost certainly coming due to the former seventh-rounder’s limited options. Unless the 49ers circle back to trade talks involving their top duo, they are poised to have a better receiving corps than they did during their latest NFC championship campaign.

The team’s post-2024 situation invites obvious questions, with Aiyuk unsigned and every other key skill-position presence — including Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle — set to be in a contract year come 2025. Brock Purdy‘s contract year will force the 49ers into big decisions, but the team has one more season with its former seventh-round QB find tied to a rookie deal.

While the 49ers would have the franchise tag as a potential Aiyuk option next year, early projections have the team more than $38MM over the 2025 cap. A tag salary would certainly pose an issue on that front, raising the stakes for this year’s extension talks. The 49ers appear to have paused any trade conversations on Aiyuk or Samuel, and the team has a John Lynch-era history of reaching extensions during camp. Samuel, Kittle and Fred Warner signed big-ticket extensions from training camp, and Bosa’s defender-record deal came to pass shortly before last season.

Time remains for Aiyuk and the team, but this offseason’s round of WR deals — a chapter that could be further muddled if Justin Jefferson or CeeDee Lamb sign during the 49ers’ talks — add potential complications. As it stands, Aiyuk is tied to a $14.12MM fifth-year option salary. San Francisco’s June minicamp, the offseason’s only mandatory activity, will mark the next stage of the Aiyuk saga.

WR DeVante Parker Announces Retirement

May 22nd, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Ben Levine

MAY 22: The Eagles officially placed Parker on their reserve/retired list Wednesday. Barring a comeback attempt, Parker will wrap his career after seven seasons as a Dolphin, two as a Patriot and two months with the Eagles.

MAY 20: DeVante Parker is calling it a career. After signing with the Eagles earlier this offseason, the veteran wide receiver told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he has decided to retire.

“I want to see my kids, spend quality time with them,” Parker said of his decision. “I want to be there for them whenever I can.”

The former first-round pick spent the first seven seasons of his career in Miami, including a 2019 campaign where he hauled in 72 catches for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. Parker ultimately finished his Dolphins career having collected 4,727 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. While Parker didn’t necessarily live up to his first-round billing in Miami, he still left the organization ranked top-10 in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

“I also appreciate the Dolphins for drafting me and giving me the opportunity,” Parker told Schefter. “I always will have love for the Dolphins and their organization. And I want to thank all the teams, the Patriots and the Eagles, too. But the Dolphins were the first team, and I really want to thank them.”

Parker was traded to the Patriots ahead of the 2022 campaign and ultimately had two inconsistent seasons in New England. The Patriots’ QB uncertainty limited the wideout to only 933 yards in 26 games with the organization, including this past season where he finished with a career-low 394 receiving yards.

He was released by the Patriots in March and quickly caught on with the Eagles, where he was expected to compete for the third spot on the depth chart behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. With Parker out of the picture, the job is now Parris Campbell‘s to lose. The veteran addition will be competing with the likes of rookie Ainias Smith (fifth round) and Johnny Wilson (sixth round) for reps.

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