Malcolm Jenkins - Pro Football Rumors

Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins “Won’t Be Back On The Same Deal”

January 6th, 2020 at 11:08am CST by Zachary Links

If the Eagles want Malcolm Jenkins to return for a seventh season in Philadelphia, it’ll cost ’em. On Monday, Jenkins told reporters that he is seeking a sizable pay bump on his next contract.

“I won’t be back on the same deal,” Jenkins said, via Zach Berman of The Athletic (on Twitter). “That won’t happen. The market is good for safeties now. I consider myself in the top tier.”

Jenkins, 32, has emerged as a defensive leader and a proven playmaker. The three-time Pro Bowler still has one year to go on his current deal, but he’s been pushing for a raise for a while now. In June, he said that he has “outplayed” his contact. Months later, the veteran is still eyeing a substantial extension.

In 2019, Jenkins tallied 80 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and eight passes defensed, though he finished without an interception for the first time since 2011.

Jenkins is set to enter the final season of his four-year, $35MM deal. That pact calls for a $10.887MM cap hit with $7.6MM in base pay. A new deal could allow the Eagles to reduce the hit in 2020, though they’ll may be wary about giving significant guarantees to a player who will turn 33 before the end of the upcoming campaign.

A “top-tier” deal for Jenkins would equate to a $10MM+ average annual salary.

Extra Points: Bradberry, Jenkins, Lions

June 15th, 2019 at 12:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Count Panthers head coach Ron Rivera among those who’d like to see cornerback James Bradberry signed long-term.

“He is a guy that I hope we do keep around because he is important to what we’ve done,” Rivera told Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer. “We’ve kind of shown that you have to be able to keep that type of a corner around.”

It’s pretty easy to surmise that Rivera is talking about former cornerback Josh Norman, who left the organization following a messy contract dispuit. Since then, Bradberry has been one of the lone consistencies among Panthers defensive backs, so it only makes sense that the coaching staff would want to keep him around. The 25-year-old is heading into the final season of his rookie contract.

“I think I’ve shown that I am capable of being a top corner in this league,” Bradberry said. “I just had to make sure I stayed on my P’s and Q’s, on top of my toes. Did a lot of film study each and every week.”

That commitment has certainly paid off. The former second-rounder had another solid season in 2018, finishing with 70 tackles, 15 passes defended, and one interception.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie played a role in convincing safety Malcolm Jenkins to attend the team’s minicamp. The veteran had previously missed the team’s voluntary workouts, and there was concern that he’d skip training camp in pursuit of a new deal. However, after talking to Lurie, Jenkins was in a better frame of mind. “One of the reasons that I feel comfortable being here,” Jenkins told Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, “is because of my relationship with Jeff Lurie and understanding that I do feel valued and respected.”
The Lions did not waive Michael Roberts as an injured player, meaning there was no injury settlement, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. We learned yesterday that Roberts’ trade from the Lions to the Patriots was called off, and the tight end was subsequently waived by Detroit While a failed physical has been the assumed reason for the failed trade, Birkett notes that different teams’ doctors could have differing opinions.
Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton has yet to ink his exclusive rights free agent tender and continues to push the club for a new deal. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that the player may have been inspired by teammate Alejandro Villanueva, who pulled off a similar move in 2017. “I can’t say if it’s better to sign now or later,” Villanueva said. “But betting on yourself, in this business, usually works.” Fowler writes that the two players have discussed the matter, although Hilton may not see the same kind of resolution as Villanueva.

Eagles Notes: Jenkins, Wentz, Staff

June 11th, 2019 at 7:37pm CST by Micah Powell

Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins did not report to team OTAs earlier this offseason in the hopes of renegotiating his contract. At the first day of minicamp on Tuesday, the veteran defender opened up about his desire for a new deal and said that both sides are still talking, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane tweets.

Though he wants to rework his current deal, Jenkins said he did not consider skipping minicamp, citing his relationship with owner Jeffrey Lurie and the need to be with his teammates as motivating factors for showing up.

Jenkins is under club control through 2020 thanks to a four-year, $35MM extension he signed three years ago, but after the safety market famously stagnated in 2018, it came back in 2019. Jenkins is now the 10th-highest-paid safety in the NFL in terms of total value, full guarantee, and per-year average.

“I’m happy whenever any other player gets paid,” Jenkins said, as tweeted by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Zach Berman. “You start to look at where you are and evaluate your position, just like anybody in any job. If you feel like you’re the best at what you do and there are other people out there making more than you, you want to renegotiate your contract make sure you’re getting the value you should be. Any business and any businessperson should think like that. I think any player should think like that.

As McLane notes, Jenkins and Lurie have a solid relationship and talks are ongoing, which should signal that a new deal could be in the offing before the start of the season.

Here’s more from Philadelphia:

After an injury-plagued 2018 campaign, the Eagles decided to shake up their medical staff in 2019, McLane writes. The team parted way with its head physician and internist, Stephen Stache, and hired Arsh Dhanota to be the chief medical officer. Stache was in the position for just one season and the team saw a 57-percent increase in player injuries from the 2018 campaign.
Among the pros of Carson Wentz‘s new deal with the Eagles include the annual cap hit and his future potential, 94WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks writes. In his pros-and-cons list, Parks notes that his current average between $26 and 27MM a year would rank ninth among all quarterbacks, a significant value for the potential of the signal-caller, which is a top-five passer. The obvious con is the risk involved with a deal for a player riddled with injuries through his first three seasons in the league.

Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins Reports To Team

June 10th, 2019 at 10:38am CST by Zachary Links

Eagles’ safety Malcolm Jenkins reported for his team physical this week and will be in attendance for the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Furthermore, Schefter hears that Jenkins is excited to be with his teammates and is focused on the 2019 season as an Eagle.

Jenkins skipped out on OTAs in an apparent effort to get his contract reworked. It’s not yet clear whether the Eagles will meet his demands, however, since his deal doesn’t expire until the end of the 2020 season. The veteran’s $8.75MM average annual salary still ranks in the top-10 at the position, though the 31-year-old recognizes that this may be his last shot at a pay bump.

Despite a down year for the safety market in 2018, things have advanced at the position. Jenkins’ per-year salary of $8.75MM is only 63% of the $14MM average for Landon Collins and Tyrann Mathieu, who both inked new deals earlier this year. Jenkins is older than both players, but it would be difficult for Philadelphia to argue that he is only 63% as valuable.

While Jenkins might not have enough leverage for a pay bump, his importance to the club could result in an extension to take him through at least the 2021 season.

NFC Notes: Kupp, Rudolph, Lions, Eagles

May 21st, 2019 at 6:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Rams wideout Cooper Kupp tore his ACL back in mid-November, and the team is eyeing a Week 1 return for the 25-year-old. Kupp participated in individual drills during the Rams’ organized team activities on Monday, and he told reporters that he feels better each week.

“It’s been a long process for sure,” Kupp told ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry. “I’ve been doing what I can to get back.

“I can’t predict how I’m going to feel even a week from now. But the way that things are going, I’m happy with the way that things are trending. Each week there’s progress.”

While Kupp wouldn’t give a definitive target date for his return, coach Sean McVay told reporters said the team is hopeful he’ll be ready to go for the season opener.

“He’s like a kid standing on the sidelines that just wants to grab a ball and go play,” McVay said. “He’s one of those guys that’s right on track with where we want him to be.”

The former third-rounder followed a standout rookie campaign with a solid 2018 season. Kupp finished the year with 40 receptions for 566 yards and six scores in eight games.

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…

While there’s no guarantee that he’ll be with the Vikings come the start of the season, tight end Kyle Rudolph told NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero that he’d be attending his team’s OTAs (Twitter link). We learned last week that the organization had offered the veteran a five-year extension, although there hasn’t been a lot of progress with negotiations. There were rumblings that the team could even look to move on from Rudolph after selecting Irv Smith Jr. in the second round of last month’s draft.
A pair of veterans won’t be attending Lions OTAs. Coach Matt Patricia told Justin Rogers of The Detroit News that nose tackle Damon Harrison and cornerback Darius Slay wouldn’t be attending the voluntary workouts (Twitter link). “Right now we are – it’s voluntary as that part of the season is concerned,” Patricia said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “Those two guys are not here. You will not see them at the practice today, but we fully expect that this time of the year, guys that are here, guys that are not. That’s totally fine. We’re working with the guys that are out there.” Both Harrison and Slay have two years remaining on their current deals, and both players are represented by agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins isn’t attending his team’s OTAs, tweets NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out on Twitter, the absence is notable because Jenkins is “one of the NFL’s most-respected players.” The defensive back is presumably seeking a new contract, although his current deal doesn’t expire until the end of the 2020 season. Jenkins’ $8.75MM average annual salary still ranks in the top-10 at the position. The 31-year-old earned his third Pro Bowl nod last season.
Chris Long played alongside a number of talented defensive linemen with the Eagles this past season, leading to him appearing in a modest 59.1% of the team’s defensive plays. The veteran acknowledged that his diminishing role played a part in his decision to retire. “Philadelphia is where I wanted to play a couple more years,” Long told Peter King of Football Morning in America. “I love Philadelphia. But as a player I learned the most important thing to me is Sunday, and having a chance to be a big part of it. It seemed like player-coach was kind of the role that was going to be carved out for me—maybe playing 10, 12, 15 plays a game. I’m a rhythm player. I need to set people up, I need to be in the flow of the game. If I sit on the bench for three series, I can’t get rhythm, and I’ll get cold and maybe I’ll hurt myself. Some people think that’s great—play less and you won’t get hurt. Man, I want to play ball. In Philadelphia, it didn’t seem there was much of a chance to compete there. But they were honest with me the whole time. I appreciate the honesty.”

Eagles Notes: Long, FAs, Jenkins

May 19th, 2019 at 11:08am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s round up several notes from the city of Brotherly Love:

DE Chris Long called it a career yesterday, and he apparently made his intentions quite clear to the team all along. Per Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Long had been in touch with the Eagles all offseason and had told them to not count on his coming back (Twitter link).
Long played on over half of the Eagles’ defensive snaps last season, and he may have elected to return in 2019 if the team could have assured him of a similar role. However, per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter), the Eagles could not guarantee Long that his role would not be reduced, which apparently made his decision easier. Geoff Mosher of 97.3 ESPN hears the same (Twitter link).
In a separate tweet, Mosher suggests that the team is unlikely to acquire a veteran defensive end to replace Long. The Eagles have already brought back Vinny Curry this offseason, and they added Penn State defensive end Shareef Miller in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.
Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com believes that Malcolm Jenkins‘ absence from team workouts this offseason is indeed contract-related, and Shorr-Parks believes that Jenkins is justified in demanding more money. He goes on to say that a new deal for Jenkins should be the Eagles’ top priority right now.
We learned yesterday that the Eagles and quarterback Carson Wentz are discussing an extension.

Malcolm Jenkins Absent From Eagles Workouts

May 5th, 2019 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

Malcolm Jenkins has been absent from Eagles workouts this offseason, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Although the workouts are voluntary, it is uncharacteristic for Jenkins to miss them, so McLane posits that Jenkins could be angling for a new contract.

Jenkins is under club control through 2020 thanks to a four-year, $35MM extension he signed three years ago, but after the safety market famously stagnated in 2018, it came back with a vengeance in 2019. Jenkins is now the 10th-highest-paid safety in the NFL in terms of total value, full guarantee, and per-year average.

And while McLane concedes that Jenkins’ contract may accurately reflect his standing in the league’s safety hierarchy, he also notes that Jenkins’ per-year salary of $8.75MM is only 63% of the $14MM average for Landon Collins and Tyrann Mathieu, who both inked new deals this offseason. Though Jenkins, 31, is older than Collins and Mathieu, it would be difficult for Philadelphia to argue that he is only 63% as valuable.

Despite his age, Jenkins is about as durable as they come, his work ethic is among the best on the team, and he is still playing at a high level. The Eagles typically don’t add new money to a contract that has multiple years left, but McLane believes the team should be willing to make an exception for a player as important to its success as Jenkins.

Jenkins, though, may be content with the addition of incentives to his current deal, or perhaps with a restructure like the one he agreed to last year that gave him more guaranteed money upfront. It is difficult to know at this point, because Jenkins and his representation have declined comment, and the Eagles don’t comment on a player missing non-mandatory training.

If Jenkins is still a no-show for the team’ OTAs in a couple of weeks, that would give us a better indication of Jenkins’ mindset.

Eagles Rework S Malcolm Jenkins’ Contract

September 3rd, 2018 at 10:31am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Just three days before the Eagles kickoff the 2018 NFL season on Thursday against the Falcons, the team has freed up some cap space. Safety Malcolm Jenkins is restructuring his contract, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link).

While Yates reports that “Jenkins earns the same amount of money”, the Eagles will create $6.148MM in cap space. In other words, it isn’t a pay cut for Jenkins, but rather a procedural move that will give the Eagles additional flexibility. It likely involves converting some of Jenkins’ base salaries into a signing bonus that will spread the cap hit over multiple seasons.

Jenkins is heading into the second year of a four-year, $35MM contract extension. One of the league’s best safeties, Jenkins has started all 64 games that he’s been with the team since signing with Philadelphia as a free agent after the 2013 season. A two-time Super Bowl champion, Jenkins had eight passes defended and two interceptions last year.

It’s unclear what the Eagles plan on doing with the additional salary cap space, but it’s possible they’re planning a move for one of the bigger name free agents out there, and will need the space to sign them. Whatever their intentions, we should have more clarity on their plans soon.

East Notes: Eagles, Jenkins, Pats, Dolphins

April 24th, 2017 at 9:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles reportedly offered veteran safety Malcolm Jenkins to the Saints as part of a package for wide receiver Brandin Cooks, and though Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman later denied dangling Jenkins, the 29-year-old defensive back admitted today he’s known New Orleans wanted him for some time, tweets Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Jenkins of course, spent the first five seasons of his career with the Saints, but he’s indicated to Eagles management that he prefers to remain in Philadelphia, per Berman.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis visited the Eagles and Cardinals during the predraft process, he tells Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. Davis also confirmed that he was hosted by the Titans, Ravens, and Browns over the past month or so. After undergoing ankle surgery and missing the combine, Davis says his ankle is now roughly 85% healed, per Laine. Davis comes from a small school, but he’s been extremely productive against lesser production, topping 1,400 receiving yards in each of the last three seasons. He’s expected to be one of the first three wideouts off the board in Round 1.
The Patriots created $4.75MM in cap space by reducing wide receiver Danny Amendola‘s pay for the 2017 campaign, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Amendola, 31, has now agreed to a paycut for the third consecutive season. He’ll earn a $100K signing bonus and a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.25MM, and can also bring in a $50K workout bonus and $300K in per-game roster bonuses. Originally $7.791MM, Amendola’s 2017 salary cap charge is now $3.041MM.
Dolphins center Mike Pouncey recently underwent a stem cell procedure on his hip as part of his regular rehabilitation program, reports James Walker of ESPN.com. Pouncey, who missed 11 games during the 2016 season, is now on crutches but hasn’t suffered any setbacks. Yesterday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote the Dolphins are aware they need to invest in an insurance policy at center given Pouncey’s repeated health scares.

Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins On Trade Rumors

March 31st, 2017 at 11:09am CST by Zachary Links

Earlier this month, the Eagles reportedly offered up Malcolm Jenkins and draft picks to the Saints for Brandin Cooks. Ultimately, Cooks went to the Patriots and top exec Howie Roseman came out swinging against talk that the safety was made available. Now, comments from Jenkins himself seem to confirm that he was in fact being discussed with New Orleans.

“His message was that they want me to be an Eagle,” Jenkins said as he recounted a recent conversation with Roseman (via CSNPhilly.com’s Dave Zangaro). “They love what I’m doing on the field, they love what I’m doing in the community and they want me to be a big part of what they do from a long-term standpoint. But at the same time, if somebody is going to offer something ridiculously high for me that he thinks is in the best interest of the team then he would definitely consider, which he would with anybody. And I understand that. So that doesn’t give me any anxiety or any worry.”

Jenkins added that he thinks he would have been involved in the deal, for the right price. Although he’s still playing at a high level, Jenkins will turn 30 in December and he probably shouldn’t be considered an untouchable. It seems like Roseman denied the trade talk in order to avoid things getting awkward for the veteran. Fortunately for him, Jenkins seems to be taking it all in stride.

Jenkins is signed through 2020. He is scheduled to carry cap hits of $7.5MM, $10MM, $9.75MM, and $9.25MM in each of the next four seasons.