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Dolphins Inquired On RB D’Andre Swift

June 8th, 2023 at 8:42pm CST by Ben Levine

The Dolphins have been heavily connected to Dalvin Cook, but that wasn’t the first time the team considered bringing in an experienced running back. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (and via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques), Miami inquired about D’Andre Swift before the RB was traded from the Lions to the Eagles.

[RELATED: Vikings To Release RB Dalvin Cook]

Swift’s production in Detroit didn’t match Cook’s Pro Bowl-caliber stats in Minnesota, and the 24-year-old certainly wouldn’t match the upside of the soon-to-be free agent. Still, the running back would have provided the Dolphins with an intriguing option in the backfield. Despite finding himself in and out of the starting lineup, Swift averaged more than 900 yards from scrimmage and scored 25 touchdowns during his three seasons in Detroit.

Swift was ultimately traded to the Eagles for a fourth-round pick, and the Dolphins ended up pivoting to Texas A&M running back Devon Achane in the third round. Swift is only owed $1.7MM in the final year of his rookie contract.

It was assumed the Achane pick would be the end of the team’s major moves at the position. Both Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. seem locked into roster spots after leading Miami’s rushing attack in 2022. Former starter Myles Gaskin is also still around (albeit with a non-guaranteed contract).

Still, the team appears to be the front runner for Cook when the running back is cut by the Vikings tomorrow. The Dolphins discussed Cook with the Vikings in March, and the team was listed as a potential landing spot last week. We heard earlier today that the veteran RB was “very much intrigued” by playing for his hometown team, so it might not take long for a deal to come to fruition. Earlier today, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson tweeted that Cook’s next deal probably won’t come close to the $10.4MM he was set to earn in Minnesota, but we can assume that the Pro Bowler will still require a heftier contract than what’s owed to Swift in 2023.

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

June 2nd, 2023 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The start of June has served as a key NFL financial period for decades. While teams no longer have to wait until after June 1 to make that cost-splitting cut designation, teams pick up the savings from those transactions today. With a handful of teams making post-June 1 cuts this year, here is how each team’s cap space (courtesy of OverTheCap) looks as of Friday:

  1. Chicago Bears: $32.58MM
  2. Carolina Panthers: $27.25MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $26.68MM
  4. New York Jets: $24.79MM
  5. Detroit Lions: $23.72MM
  6. Indianapolis Colts: $23.39MM
  7. Dallas Cowboys: $20.48MM
  8. Houston Texans: $16.81MM
  9. Green Bay Packers: $16.57MM
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers: $15.73MM
  11. Cincinnati Bengals: $14.92MM
  12. New Orleans Saints: $14.27MM
  13. New England Patriots: $14.12MM
  14. Miami Dolphins: $13.9MM
  15. Cleveland Browns: $13.86MM
  16. Philadelphia Eagles: $13.85MM
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: $12.61MM
  18. Jacksonville Jaguars: $12MM
  19. Washington Commanders: $11.57MM
  20. Baltimore Ravens: $11.54MM
  21. San Francisco 49ers: $10.72MM
  22. Atlanta Falcons: $10.7MM
  23. Denver Broncos: $10.13MM
  24. Minnesota Vikings: $9.75MM
  25. Tennessee Titans: $7.99MM
  26. Seattle Seahawks: $7.94MM
  27. New York Giants: $3.82MM
  28. Las Vegas Raiders: $3.37MM
  29. Los Angeles Rams: $1.49MM
  30. Buffalo Bills: $1.4MM
  31. Kansas City Chiefs: $653K
  32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $402K

The Dolphins gained the most from a post-June 1 cut (Byron Jones) this year, creating $13.6MM in cap space from a deal that will spread out the cornerback’s dead money through 2024. But the Browns (John Johnson, Jadeveon Clowney) and Cowboys (Ezekiel Elliott) created more than $10MM in space as well.

The Jets’ number is a bit deceiving. They are still working on a restructure with Aaron Rodgers, as the trade acquisition’s cap number — after a Packers restructure — sits at just $1.22MM. In 2024, that number skyrockets to $107.6MM. Rodgers’ cap hit will almost definitely will climb before Week 1, so viewing the Jets along with the other teams north of $20MM in space is not entirely accurate.

Minnesota is moving closer to separating from its $12.6MM-per-year Dalvin Cook contract. The team already created some space by trading Za’Darius Smith to the Browns. Cleveland, which is one of the teams connected to DeAndre Hopkins, added Smith and did so with help from its Deshaun Watson restructure. Watson was set to count $54.9MM against the Browns’ 2023 cap. That number is down to $19.1MM, though the Browns’ restructure both ballooned Watson’s mid-2020s cap figures to $63.9MM — which would shatter the NFL record — and added a 2027 void year.

Tampa Bay and Los Angeles sit atop the league in dead money, with the Bucs — largely from their April 2022 Tom Brady restructure — checking in at $75.3MM here. That total comprises nearly 33% of the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The Rams, at more than $74MM, are not far behind. Despite the Bills and Chiefs — the teams most frequently tied to Hopkins — joining the Bucs and Rams near the bottom of the league in cap space, both AFC contenders also sit in the bottom five in dead money.

P Brett Kern Announces Retirement

June 1st, 2023 at 9:07am CST by Sam Robinson

One of this era’s most experienced punters, Brett Kern will wrap his career after 15 seasons. The former Broncos, Titans and Eagles specialist announced Thursday he is retiring.

Best known for his Tennessee tenure, Kern punted in 197 games with the AFC South team. Although Oilers legends Bruce Matthews and Elvin Bethea have that number beat for the franchise, Kern has logged the most games — by a considerable margin — during the organization’s Tennessee period. Punters occupy the top two spots on the Tennessee section of that list, with Kern surpassing the player he replaced (Craig Hentrich).

Kern, 37, finished his 13-year Titans career with three Pro Bowl nods and a first-team All-Pro honor. The Titans gave promising UDFA Ryan Stonehouse the job out of training camp last year, and while Kern spent most of the season away from the game, he finished his career by helping the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. Kern replaced an injured Arryn Siposs in December for the Eagles, punting in six games. Though, Siposs’ recovery from a December injury ended up booting Kern off Philly’s active roster just ahead of Super Bowl Sunday.

The Titans acquired Kern in 2009, claiming him a day after the Broncos waived him in-season. Kern signed three Titans extensions, including two deals that paid him at least $3MM per season. The most recent — a $12.65MM deal — came during the 2019 offseason. Despite playing the NFL’s second-lowest-paid regular position (ahead of long snapper), Kern earned more than $29MM during his career.

Kern led the NFL with 49.7 yards per punt in 2017 and finished four other seasons north of 47 years per boot. Following his three-year Pro Bowl run, Kern placed a career-high 59.5% of his punts inside the 20-yard line in 2020. He placed a career-high 39 punts inside the 20 in 2018.

Each NFL Franchise’s Richest QB Contract

May 29th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The quarterback market has moved again this offseason. A year after Aaron Rodgers raised the average annual value bar past $50MM, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson did so on long-term extensions. Overall, four teams have authorized the most lucrative QB deal in their respective histories this offseason. Two more — the Bengals and Chargers — are in talks about record-setting extensions as well.

On that note, here is the richest quarterback contract each team has authorized. Although teams like the Jets and Lions have acquired big-ticket contracts via trade, only teams’ extensions or free agency agreements will qualify here.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Jay Cutler, January 2014. Seven years, $126.7MM. $38MM fully guaranteed

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Carson Palmer, December 2005. Six years, $97MM. $30.8MM fully guaranteed

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

In trading this contract to the Jets in April, the Packers restructured the deal. Rodgers’ exit will still tag the Pack with $40.3MM in 2023 dead money.

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Carr’s second Raiders deal — agreed to in April 2022 — was worth $40.5MM per year. The full guarantee, thanks to the February escape hatch the team built into the contract, checked in lower than Carr’s initial Raiders extension.

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Cousins’ 2020 extension checked in with a higher AAV ($33MM) but did not approach his initial Minnesota pact for guarantees.

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Chad Pennington, September 2004. Seven years, $64MM. $23MM guaranteed.

The Jets have signed three quarterbacks to deals involving more guaranteed money, but each of those contracts — for Mark Sanchez (2009), Sam Darnold (2018) and Zach Wilson (2021) — was a rookie pact.

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Davis, Giants

May 26th, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Once again positioned as a Super Bowl frontrunner, the Eagles did lose both their starting safeties (Marcus Epps, C.J. Gardner-Johnson) and three-down linebackers (T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White) in free agency. The team has retooled at those spots, placing outside additions (Terrell Edmunds, Nicholas Morrow, third-rounder Sydney Brown) and holdovers (Reed Blankenship, Nakobe Dean) in the starter picture. Dean, a former Georgia standout who unexpectedly dropped into the 2022 third round, will be expected to start, Tim McManus of ESPN.com notes, adding Edmunds and Blankenship are the early expected starters at safety. But more help will probably be on the way. The spring additions aside, McManus expects the defending NFC champions to add both at safety and linebacker before the season. The Howie Roseman-era Eagles have a history of late-offseason supplementation on defense, having acquired Gardner-Johnson barely a week before last season and having traded for Ronald Darby in August 2017.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • The Cardinals’ tampering violation involving Jonathan Gannon may have impacted Vic Fangio‘s decision-making this offseason. Fangio likely would have become the Eagles’ defensive coordinator had the Cardinals and Gannon been upfront about the process that led to the two-year Eagles DC leaving for Arizona, Adam Schefter of ESPN said during a recent appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic’s John Kincade Show. Cards GM Monti Ossenfort confessed to inappropriate contact with Gannon after the NFC championship game. The Cardinals officially requested a Gannon HC interview on Super Bowl Sunday, but discussions occurred before that point. The Eagles had previously eyed Fangio, who had served as a consultant for the team last season, as a Gannon replacement. Ex-Fangio lieutenant Sean Desai is now running Philly’s defense, and the team would have needed to pay up to keep Fangio, who is earning upwards of $4MM per year with the Dolphins.
  • Lane Johnson played in all three Eagles playoff games, coming back in limited form after suffering a late-season adductor injury that required offseason surgery. With that operation successful, Johnson alerted fans this week (via Twitter) he is good to go. This injury was not expected to threaten Johnson’s training camp availability, and the Eagles are on track to have their right tackle back — and on a new deal — well in time for the season.
  • Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis will miss offseason time after undergoing a cleanup procedure on his knee, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post tweets. This procedure occurred earlier this year and should be considered unlikely to threaten the third-year defender’s chances of starting the season on time. A 2021 first-round pick, Davis worked as a full-time starter in Washington last season, making 104 tackles (nine for loss) and tallying three sacks.
  • The Giants are making some changes to their scouting department. D.J. Boisture, a second-generation Giants staffer who had been with the team for a decade, is no longer in place as its West Coast area scout, Neil Stratton of InsidetheLeague.com tweets. Pro scout Steven Price is also out, per the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz, who notes this may be a case of neither’s contract being renewed. Price spent the past three years with the Giants. GM Joe Schoen did not make many changes to Big Blue’s scouting staff last year, but the post-draft period often sees shuffling in these departments. The Giants are also promoting Marcus Cooper — an ex-Bills exec — to a national scout role. Cooper has been with the Giants for five years. Blaise Bell, who has been in the organization since 2019, will also rise to an area scout role.
  • Oshane Ximines‘ deal to stay with the Giants will be worth the league minimum. The fifth-year outside linebacker will be tied to a one-year, $1.1MM deal, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, who notes the Giants are guaranteeing the former third-round pick $200K (Twitter link).

Eagles Worked Out OL D.J. Fluker

May 25th, 2023 at 9:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite not having played since 2020, D.J. Fluker is considering a comeback. The veteran offensive lineman worked out for the Eagles yesterday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).

While the former first-round pick didn’t necessarily live up to his draft stock, he still put together a solid eight-year stretch. He started all 59 of his appearances for the Chargers to begin his career, and he later had stints with the Giants, Seahawks (two years), and Ravens.

After starting eight of his 16 appearances for Baltimore in 2020, Fluker signed with the Dolphins, but a torn meniscus ultimately led to his release. He was later slapped with a six-game suspension, and he had brief stints with the Raiders and Jaguars to end the 2021 campaign. The veteran remained unsigned for the 2022 season.

When we last saw him in 2020, Pro Football Focus pegged Fluker as an average offensive tackle, favoring his run-blocking ability over his pass-blocking ability. The site was never particularly fond of the lineman’s performance, and they most recently graded him as an above-average player at his position in 2016.

Still, Fluker could make some sense for the Eagles. The Eagles mostly have inexperienced depth behind their starters, so Fluker would provide some reinforcement in that regard. Plus, it wouldn’t take long to catch him up to speed; he played for OL Jeff Stoutland when the two were at Alabama, and he played for head coach Nick Sirianni when the two were in San Diego. Plus, for what it’s worth, reports out of Fluker’s camp indicate that he’s been working nonstop and has lost nearly 40 pounds.

Eagles Sign First-Round LB Nolan Smith

May 22nd, 2023 at 10:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Both of the Eagles’ first-round picks in the 2023 draft are now officially on the books. The team announced on Monday that they have signed edge rusher Nolan Smith to his four-year rookie deal.

Smith was one of multiple former Georgia defenders to be selected by the Eagles this year, joining fellow first-rounder Jalen Carter and fourth-round corner Kelee Ringo in that regard. With Smith now signed, only the latter has yet to ink his first NFL deal out of Philadelphia’s seven-man class.

Smith was a consistent contributor on the Bulldogs’ vaunted defense, a unit which was key in leading the team to consecutive national championships. The 6-3, 235-pounder’s best season came in 2021, when he totaled 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. Those figures fell slightly to three and seven, respectively, last year. Smith still found himself squarely on the first-round radar given his skillset against the pass and run.

A very strong performance at the Combine led many to believe he would be one of the top edge rushers to hear his name called on draft night. Instead, Smith fell to the No. 30 slot before the Eagles added him to a draft class which already included Carter, the class’ top defensive tackle. The latter was the draft’s most polarizing figure, but Smith will join the Eagles with one of the safest floors in the class given the praise he has received on and off the field.

Size was raised as a potential concern for Smith, though his frame has yielded Haason Reddick comparisons. The veteran enjoyed a highly successful first campaign in Philadelphia last season, recording 16 sacks and a league-leading five forced fumbles. Reddick will once again be a key member of the Eagles’ pass rush, though they had several contributors in 2022 en route to registering 69 regular season sacks.

Smith will look to carve out a role alongside Reddick and the likes of Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat in his rookie season. With Graham likely nearing the end of his career, an increased role could emerge for Smith down the road, but in the immediate future he will join a deep edge rushing group aiming to repeat the Eagles’ success from last year.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Bills, Titans, Steelers

May 21st, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Last year, the Raiders offensive line was viewed as a major weakness, forcing Las Vegas to shuffle the depth chart until they found a workable solution. Oddly enough, though, by the end of the season, the team found a reliable starting five and some dependable reserves that didn’t blow anybody away but routinely got the job done. With the position no longer a weakness, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal posits that the Raiders may not have much urgency in addressing the position before next season.

Returning a likely starting five of Kolton Miller at left tackle, Dylan Parham at left guard, Andre James at center, Alex Bars at right guard, and Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle, the Raiders don’t necessarily have any holes in the offensive line. Bonsignore asserts that the team still may look for potential upgrades from younger reserve linemen pushing for playing time or potential outside additions, if they present themselves, but right now, the team’s roster may be set after the recent additions of free agent Greg Van Roten and undrafted rookies McClendon Curtis and Dalton Wagner.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC:

  • The Bills made a number of moves within their scouting department this offseason. Formerly the team’s pro personnel director, Malik Boyd has been named senior personnel advisor in Buffalo. The former Vikings defensive back and veteran scout with personnel experience for the Colts and Cardinals will work as an executive scout in both pro and college mediums. Additionally, Chris Marrow and Curtis Rukavina have both been named co-directors of pro scouting. The two remain entwined after joining the team as pro scouts in 2017 and both working as assistant directors of pro scouting until their recent promotions.
  • With a new general manager in Ran Carthon, the Titans, too, have begun to make some front office adjustments, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Max Curtis has been named as the team’s new player personnel coordinator, being from promoted from dual roles last year as coordinator of football administration and executive assistant to the executive vice president and general manager. Bryce Wasserman will now be the Titans’ director of team strategy after serving last year as staff counsel. Lastly, a football development coordinator last year, John Streicher will now be in the role of director of football administration.
  • Finally, the Steelers have poached a scout from the in-state Eagles, according to Colin Dunlap of 93.7 The Fan, Pittsburgh. After five years as an area scout for Philadelphia, Jim Ward will cross the state to serve a similar role in Pittsburgh.

Eagles Open To Extension With RB D’Andre Swift

May 20th, 2023 at 6:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles came away from the 2023 draft with another collection of Georgia defenders, but those weren’t the only former Bulldogs which they acquired. Trade addition D’Andre Swift is entering the final year of his rookie contract, making his financial future a situation to monitor.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that the Eagles could look into an extension with the ex-Lions running back. Philadelphia acquired Swift as part of a draft-day pick swap which saw them exchange seventh-rounders and send a 2025 fourth-round selection to Detroit. That move was an expected one after the Lions surprisingly used their top pick on running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who is in line to hold a sizeable role in their backfield.

The same can be said of Swift in his new home. The Eagles lost Miles Sanders in free agency, creating an opening at the top of their RB depth chart. They signed Rashaad Penny, but the former Seahawks’ career has been marred by injury troubles. That could leave the door open to Swift taking on lead back duties, especially given his strength as a pass-catcher; the 24-year-old has racked up 1,198 yards and seven touchdowns in the air during his first three seasons.

Of his 40 career games, only 16 have been starts, however. Swift saw his snap share fall from 67% to 42% in 2022, leading to him lamenting his lack of opportunities. By the time he was dealt to his hometown NFL team, it came as little surprise that the Lions allowed him an opportunity to rebuild his value ahead of free agency. While the former second-rounder could sign a deal at any time, that should not be expected at this point.

Fowler adds that a Swift extension in 2023 is unlikely, given his inability to remain healthy for a full season to date. Doing so would no doubt boost his value, though the market did not yield much for running backs who were allowed to test free agency this offseason. Playing a key role in what should once again be an elite Philadelphia offense should, in any event, provide clarity on Swift’s likelihood of remaining with the Eagles beyond 2023.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/18/23

May 18th, 2023 at 5:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Non-first-round picks continue to sign their four-year contracts. We’ve collected today’s signings below:

Arizona Cardinals

Houston Texans

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Williams was one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft considering his status heading into the 2022 campaign. The Syracuse cornerback is still recovering from a torn ACL that limited him to only seven games last season. As the rookie told Darren Urban of the team’s website, he’s already progressed to running.

“You feel like football season is around the corner, but you’ve got to stay patient,” Williams said. “I can’t rush it. But obviously I can’t wait to put the cleats and pads back on … The hard part’s done. Now it’s the fun part, strengthening things, I’m able to run. I feel like a football player again.”

The defensive back also made it clear that he’s aiming to be back on the field for training camp, but he understands that the organization may want to bring him along more slowly.

“I am seeing it as, I can come back from this and make my story,” Williams said. “I see my life as a movie [and] make my movie that much cooler, that much better at the end.”

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