Chandon Sullivan - Pro Football Rumors

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Rams, Metcalf, Cards

September 19th, 2024 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trent Williams‘ absence secured him a significant guarantee midway through the life of a six-year contract. The All-Pro 49ers left tackle had shown up to minicamp but staged a training camp holdout that surpassed one month. Williams did not talk to Kyle Shanahan or John Lynch for more than two months, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini notes (subscription required). This ended with Shanahan calling the disgruntled tackle to express the team’s need for his return, with Russini indicating that the eighth-year HC’s overture took place eight days before San Francisco’s season opener.

The parties ended up agreeing to their rework, which provided Williams with a three-year deal worth $82.66MM ($26.9MM guaranteed at signing), less than 48 hours later. Williams, who remains signed through 2026, is by far the 49ers’ best O-lineman and is gunning for a tackle-record 12th Pro Bowl nod.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

Brock Purdy will already be without McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel against the Rams, but the third-year 49ers QB also may not be able to target George Kittle in a game featuring concerning injury trouble for both California teams. Hamstring tightness led Kittle to a DNP on Thursday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. The All-Pro tight end practiced Wednesday but appears to have come out of the workout worse for wear. Kittle, 31 next month, has dealt with a number of injuries in his career but has managed to avoid extensive absences since missing much of the 2020 season. Eric Saubert would likely step in as San Francisco’s starter if Kittle joins CMC and Samuel in being unable to go.
The 49ers also recently worked out slot cornerbacks Tre Herndon and Chandon Sullivan, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. A longtime Jaguars slot player, Herndon caught on with the Giants in June but did not make their 53-man roster. Sullivan, who has played for the Packers, Vikings and Steelers in a six-year career, has been a free agent since March.
A tweaked hamstring led Darious Williams to the Rams‘ IR list just before the season. Williams preceded a host of Rams regulars — including Puka Nacua, Jonah Jackson, Steve Avila and John Johnson — in heading to IR before Week 3. Williams had been battling hamstring trouble this summer and will be eligible to return in Week 5, with ESPN.com’s Sarah Barshop noting the Rams are not yet concerned the recently reacquired cornerback will need to miss more time. Hamstrings, of course, can cause uncertain timetables. For Williams, this is his first IR trip since 2021. It is not a good start to his age-31 season, as the former Super Bowl starter is attached to a contract that becomes a pay-as-you-go accord beyond 2024. Williams will be due $8MM if on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year.
The Seahawks recently created some cap space by restructuring D.K. Metcalf‘s three-year deal. Seattle converted $11.88MM of Metcalf’s 2024 base salary into a signing bonus, freeing up $9.5MM in cap room, OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fizgerald notes. The team saw its cap-space figure balloon from around $4MM to $13MM-plus via this conversion, creating breathing room and inflating Metcalf’s 2025 cap number (now $31.88MM). Seattle added three void years to Metcalf’s deal as well; as a result, the team would take on $7.13MM in dead money if Metcalf is not re-signed before the 2026 league year begins.
The Cardinals and Patriots each posted 4-13 records last season, but New England’s tiebreaker both provided access to the No. 3 overall pick (Drake Maye) and a better waiver position. The Pats took advantage recently, claiming recent UDFA tackle Demontrey Jacobs off waivers from the Broncos. Arizona had also submitted a claim for Jacobs, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss offers, only to lose out by one priority spot.

Steelers To Sign CB Chandon Sullivan

April 29th, 2023 at 4:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carving out some late headline space on Day 3 of the draft, veteran slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan is signing with the Steelers. The former Packers and Vikings defender’s agency announced the move Saturday afternoon.

After four Green Bay seasons, Sullivan spent 2022 in Minnesota. He will join a Steelers team that lost Cameron Sutton but has added Patrick Peterson and Joey Porter Jr.

Sullivan, 27, came to Minneapolis to replace Mackensie Alexander in the slot last year. Pro Football Focus did not view the veteran as being especially reliable for the Vikings, who have revamped their defense after a one-and-done Ed Donatell season. PFF rated Sullivan just inside the top 100 at corner last year, though the five-year vet gave up only one touchdown during his Vikings slate.

The former Eagles UDFA, however, has extensive experience patrolling the slot and has never missed a game due to injury. Prior to playing a career-most 945 defensive snaps last season, Sullivan surpassed 700 defensive plays in his final two Packers seasons. The 5-foot-11 defender ranked among the top five slot corners in snaps per target and snaps per reception in his Packers finale, intercepting three passes. But he has been unable to score a notable payday since hitting free agency initially in 2022. Sullivan played on a one-year, $1.75MM deal last season.

In addition to Peterson and Porter, the Steelers have Levi Wallace, Ahkello Witherspoon, James Pierre and Arthur Maulet under contract. Maulet logged the most snaps of any Steeler in the slot last season; PFF ranked Maulet just ahead of Sullivan at corner, slotting him 90th. The team has seen its top corners depart in each of the past two offseasons, losing Joe Haden (eventually to retirement) in 2022 and letting Sutton join the Lions this year.

NFC North Notes: Alexander, Bears, Lions

March 29th, 2022 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers were unable to reach an extension agreement with Davante Adams, leading to a blockbuster trade following a franchise tag. Brian Gutekunst would prefer the Jaire Alexander process conclude before a potential Alexander tag comes into play. The fifth-year Packers GM said the team “would love” to extend Alexander this offseason, via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman (on Twitter). Gutekunst confirmed the Packers and Alexander are in talks, which became known earlier this month, and said the discussions could continue throughout the year. Alexander finds himself in an interesting position, coming off a season a shoulder injury mostly nullified. But the one-time Pro Bowler is still eyeing a top-market extension. Alexander figures to face a decision on playing out a contract year ahead of a potential tag or taking long-term security — at likely a slightly lower price — before the season.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

Larry Ogunjobi was onboard with the Bears for fewer than five days, with the team nixing the defensive tackle’s deal due to a failed physical. New Bears GM Ryan Poles is open to agreeing to another contract with Ogunjobi, per ESPN.com’s Courney Cronin, who notes the failed physical stemmed from the former Browns and Bengals D-lineman’s surgically repaired right foot (Twitter link). Ogunjobi suffered a foot injury during the Bengals’ wild-card win. Poles noted the Bears’ deal with Ogunjobi prevented them from adding other free agents during the legal tampering period, per Adam Jahns of The Athletic (subscription required).
Viewing Trevor Siemian as a better fit in the offense Luke Getsy is installing, Poles said (via Jahns) he hopes a Nick Foles trade emerges in the near future. But nothing is on the horizon, continuing this holding pattern for the former Super Bowl MVP. Foles is due a $4MM base salary in 2022, the final year of his contract. Foles has the Bears’ fourth-largest cap number ($10.7MM); a trade would let the Bears off the hook for Foles’ salary but still hand the team a $6MM-plus dead-money charge.
Although the Bears gutted their front seven by trading Khalil Mack, cutting Danny Trevathan and not re-signing Akiem Hicks, Poles said the team is not planning to move on from Robert Quinn. No Quinn trade scenario has come up, Poles said (via Jahns, on Twitter). Quinn’s $17.1MM cap figure is the largest on the Bears’ 2022 payroll. Despite going into his age-32 season, Quinn boosted his trade value last year by breaking Richard Dent‘s franchise single-season sack record.
Prior to Chandon Sullivan‘s Vikings agreement, the Packers made a late push to keep him, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. Sullivan spent the past three seasons with the Packers, who have a need at slot cornerback thanks to his defection to a division rival. The Broncos also pursued Sullivan but signed K’Waun Williams days before news of Sullivan’s Vikings agreement surfaced.
The Lions will primarily use a 4-3 defense next season, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. Detroit started last season by changing to a 3-4 look, but Aaron Glenn‘s unit adjusted a bit down the stretch. Prior to last season, the Lions had used a 4-3 look for many years.

Vikings To Sign CB Chandon Sullivan

March 25th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

It looks like the Vikings have a new slot cornerback. Chandon Sullivan‘s Minnesota visit Friday led to a contract agreement, according to the veteran corner’s agency (Twitter link).

Sullivan spent the past three seasons with the Packers and worked primarily as their slot defender. The Vikings are not planning to bring back Mike Zimmer mainstay Mackensie Alexander, and Sullivan is coming off a nice contract year at the position. Sullivan will reunite with new Vikings staffer Mike Pettine, who was the Packers’ defensive coordinator during two of the cornerback’s three seasons in Green Bay.

Originally an Eagles UDFA, Sullivan caught on with the Packers in 2019. The Georgia State alum played 77% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps last season and intercepted three passes. He ranked among the top five slot corners in snaps per target and snaps per reception. Sullivan, 25, did not miss a game for Green Bay during his time with the team.

The Packers will make a transition here, but the team has committed significant resources at corner. In addition to housing first-round picks Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, the Packers re-signed Rasul Douglas on a $7MM-per-year deal last week. Still, Green Bay valued what it had in Sullivan and hoped to re-sign him, as Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. The Broncos also had interest, per Tomasson.

With the Vikings moving to a new defensive system, it is uncertain they will re-sign free agent Patrick Peterson, though the All-Decade defender has expressed interest in staying. Peterson signed a one-year, $8MM deal to leave Arizona for Minnesota last year. The Vikes have Cameron Dantzler under contract, but even after signing Sullivan, the retooling team will need more help in coverage.

Vikings To Meet With CB Chandon Sullivan

March 24th, 2022 at 5:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The second wave of free agency, per usual, is featuring a number of visits. The Vikings will participate. They are set to meet with veteran cornerback Chandon Sullivan, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Sullivan has been a Packers regular for the past three seasons. That included time with current Vikings staffer Mike Pettine, who was the Packers’ defensive coordinator from 2018-20. Green Bay signed Sullivan during the 2019 offseason, picking the former UDFA up after the Eagles waived him.

Coming out of Georgia State, Sullivan worked frequently as Green Bay’s slot corner during his Wisconsin time. Last season, Pro Football Focus graded Sullivan as one of its top slot defenders. The 5-foot-11 cover man ranked in the top five among slot players snaps per target and snaps per reception. For traditional stats, Sullivan intercepted three passes and broke up four more.

Sullivan, 25, played 77% of Green Bay’s defensive snaps last season. The Packers have Jaire Alexander on the cusp of an extension, used a first-round pick on Eric Stokes last season and prioritized a Rasul Douglas re-up. This appears to point to Alexander leaving in free agency.

The Vikings are expected to let slot defender Mackensie Alexander walk in free agency. Alexander was a staple in Minnesota’s secondary, but with the team having canned Mike Zimmer, it is moving in a different direction.

Packers Rework CB Chandon Sullivan’s Contract

September 11th, 2021 at 9:47am CST by Ben Levine

The Packers opened a chunk of cap space today by reworking Chandon Sullivan‘s contract. Per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), Green Bay converted $1.213MM of the cornerback’s salary into a signing bonus.

The move added four void years to Sullivan’s deal while opening about $970K against the cap. The Packers are now operating with around $8MM in cap space (h/t to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky on Twitter).

Sullivan went undrafted out of Georgia State in 2018, and following a quiet rookie season with the Eagles, the defensive back found a home in Green Bay before the 2019 campaign. The cornerback has spent the past two years with the Packers, seeing time in all 32 regular season contests. This includes a 2020 campaign where Sullivan started 10 of his 16 games en route to 41 tackles, six passes defended, and one interception. He also started two playoff games for Green Bay, collecting 13 tackles.

While the Packers are doing some work to open cap space, that extra financial flexibility won’t be used to re-sign Davante Adams. The wideout said there’s “no chance” he signs an extension before the season opener, and with Green Bay’s game only about 24 hours away, it’s looking like Adams was probably right.

Packers’ Chandon Sullivan Signs RFA Tender

April 23rd, 2021 at 1:16pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s officially official. On Friday, Packers cornerback Chandon Sullivan announced that he has signed his restricted free agency tender for the 2021 season.

Sullivan, a 2018 undrafted free agent out of Georgia State, first entered the league with the Eagles. After appearing in five games as a rookie, he joined up with the Packers in 2019 and proceeded to appear in 16 games with 30 tackles, six passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.

Last year, Sullivan started ten times out of his 16 games, notching 41 stops, six passes defensed, and a pick-six. His worked earned him a solid performance-based pay bump. With a playing time rate of 77.4% on defense, Sullivan collected a cool $500K to lead the Packers, topping the payouts of wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, guard Lucas Patrick, and tight end Robert Tonyan.

Even with Sullivan in the fold, the Packers could still consider cornerbacks in next week’s draft. For now, Sullivan will return to a CB group that includes All-Pro Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, and Josh Jackson, who has yet to live up to his second-round billing.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/21

March 16th, 2021 at 6:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Tomorrow is the deadline for NFL teams to extend tender offers to their own restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Tendered:

Chiefs: G Andrew Wylie
Colts: S George Odum
Cowboys: DT Antwaun Woods
Dolphins: OL Adam Pankey
Packers: CB Chandon Sullivan, TE Robert Tonyan (second-round tender)
Raiders: K Daniel Carlson (second-round tender)
Texans: DT P.J. Hall, CB A.J. Moore

Non-Tendered:

Packers: DL Tyler Lancaster
Seahawks: LB Shaquem Griffin
Vikings: RB Mike Boone, DL Ifeadi Odenigbo

Packers’ Allen Lazard, Chandon Sullivan Sign ERFA Tenders

April 27th, 2020 at 6:50pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers are bringing back a pair of exclusive rights free agents. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that Green Bay has re-signed wide receiver Allen Lazard and cornerback Chandon Sullivan.

Lazard, 24, had a breakout season for the Packers last season, hauling in 35 receptions, 477 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. He also added a 21-yard rushing attempt and six tackles. The 6-foot-5, 227-pound receiver has a chance to be the second wideout behind Davante Adams in 2020, as he’ll be competing with the likes of Devin Funchess and Marquez Valdes-Scantling for targets.

Sullivan, a 2018 undrafted free agent out of Georgia State, appeared in five games for the Eagles as a rookie. He signed with the Packers last offseason and proceeded to appear in 16 games, compiling 30 tackles, six passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.

The Packers had previously inked a trio of exclusive rights free agents: tight end Robert Tonyan, wide receiver Jake Kumerow, and defensive end Tyler Lancaster.