Orlando Brown

Chiefs Want To Keep OTs Orlando Brown Jr., Andrew Wylie

February 18th, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chiefs’ offensive line was commended for their performance in Super Bowl LVII, keeping a dominant Eagles pass rush from recording a sack in the championship game. The bookends of that unit are pending free agents, but the team would prefer to keep them both.

Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. played out the 2022 season on the franchise tag, after negotiations on a long-term deal failed to deliver a big-ticket extension. He has made clear his intention of staying in Kansas City for 2023 and beyond, though a below-market contract will not be considered in his situation. The four-time Pro Bowler earned a 75.4 PFF grade this season, an identical rating to the one from the previous campaign.

Brown, 26, made $16.6MM by playing on the tag last year. He would see his salary bump up to $19.9MM if a second tag were to be used, something which is reportedly expected to take place. If the Oklahoma alum were hit the open market, though, he would command a serious bidding war given his age and consistency. The Chiefs’ cap situation is also set to become more complicated as they move further into quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ mega-extension.

On the other side of the line, right tackle Andrew Wylie took on a full-time starting role in 2022. That made his one-year, $2.5MM contract signed last offseason a highly valuable one. The 28-year-old played over 1,000 snaps for the first time in his career, and while he only ranked 45th out of 81 qualifying tackles in PFF grade, he confirmed his presence as a versatile blocker. The Chiefs are no doubt facing numerous changes this offseason, but maintaining their tackle tandem appears to be a priority.

“Those guys obviously had good years for us,” head coach Andy Reid said when speaking to the media following the team’s Super Bowl victory. “All these contract things I haven’t gotten with [general manager Brett] Veach on at all. I kind of stay out of that world, but I think both guys are very well-liked here and I’m sure that Brett will surely make a strong attempt at keeping them here. But we’ll see how that goes” (h/t Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons).

Both Brown and Wylie are in line for raises compared to the 2022 campaign. Reid’s comments suggest they could be coming, though plenty of financial maneuvering will be needed on the Chiefs’ part to make that possible.

2023 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates

February 16th, 2023 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Set to begin its fourth decade of existence, the franchise tag remains a valuable tool for teams to keep top free agents off the market. This year’s tag window opens at 3pm CT on Feb. 21 and closes at 3pm CT on March 7. The NFL released its franchise tag figures — regarding the non-exclusive tag, at least, which will apply to all but one possible tag recipient — earlier this month, and teams are busy budgeting for free agency.

The legal tampering period opens March 13, with the new league year (and official free agency) starting March 15. Once a player is tagged, he has until July 15 to sign an extension with his respective team. Absent an extension agreement by that date, the player must play the 2023 season on the tag (or go the Le’Veon Bell/Dan Williams/Sean Gilbert route, passing on guaranteed money and skipping the season).

With high-profile free agents weeks away from hitting the market, here are the players who figure to be tagged or at least generate conversations about a tag ahead of the March 7 deadline.

Locks

Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens)

One of the most obvious tag candidates since the tag’s 1993 debut, Jackson has been extension-eligible since January 2021. He and the Ravens went through negotiations in 2021 and 2022, negotiating into the season two years ago and stopping talks before Week 1 — a Jackson mandate — of last season. The self-represented quarterback has declined multiple Ravens offers in this span and failed to finish a season for the second straight year. The endless extension drama and rumblings of team frustration about Jackson’s failure to return from an ankle injury aside, the team will tag the former MVP.

Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta said last month he had not decided on using the exclusive or non-exclusive tag — the former preventing teams from talking to the QB, the latter opening the door to offer sheets — but a recent report suggested the team is more likely to roll the dice by using the non-exclusive tag. This would allow another team to sign to Jackson, 25, to the fully guaranteed deal he covets (in a transaction that could send two first-round picks Baltimore’s way) but also hit the Ravens with just a $32.4MM cap hit.

With the Browns collecting three first-rounders and change for Deshaun Watson, the Ravens would almost definitely want more than the two-first-rounder haul attached as baseline compensation for franchise tag offer sheets. But an exclusive QB tag is expected to check in beyond $45MM; this would severely restrict the Ravens in free agency.

The Browns’ Watson extension changed the game for the Ravens, creating a potentially unbridgeable guarantee gap. Jackson has long been connected to seeking a deal north of Watson’s $230MM fully guaranteed; the Ravens offered $133MM guaranteed at signing last year. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti spoke out against the Browns giving Watson that money, and tag-and-trade scenarios involving the top quarterback in Ravens history have entered the equation. It will be a fascinating offseason in Baltimore, even after DeCosta and John Harbaugh expressed hope Jackson can be extended.

Likely tag recipients

Orlando Brown Jr., T (Chiefs)

Criticized by some for turning down the Chiefs’ six-year, $139MM extension offer in July 2022, Brown stayed healthy this season and earned another Pro Bowl nod. The mammoth left tackle is 2-for-2 in Pro Bowls as a Chief, and although he is not quite a top-tier blindsider, he would be one of this year’s top free agents if permitted to hit the market. The Super Bowl champions are not expected to let that happen. A second Brown tag would come in at $19.99MM, being 120% of his 2022 salary.

Brown, 26, cited insufficient guarantees in the Chiefs’ July proposal, which contained $38MM guaranteed at signing and $52.25MM guaranteed in total. The total guarantee figure trailed only ex-Ravens teammate Ronnie Stanley among tackles, while the full guarantee would have placed Brown fourth at the position. Brown turning down that proposal brought risk, and some in the Chiefs organization expressed frustration with the talented blocker. But the former Ravens right tackle’s bet on himself still appears to be paying off. This will be a crucial offseason for the Chiefs and Brown. A third tag — 144% of Brown’s 2023 salary — in 2024 would be viewed as untenable, sending him to free agency on the Kirk Cousins/Trumaine Johnson path. That makes July 15 a fairly firm deadline for Brown and the Chiefs.

Josh Jacobs, RB (Raiders)

After Las Vegas’ new regime passed on Jacobs’ fifth-year option, he became the first Raider to win the rushing title since Marcus Allen in 1985. Jacobs led the NFL in touches in 2022 (393) but was never a primary ball-carrier at Alabama; the former first-round pick should still have some tread on his tires. Running back extensions have become popular but divisive in recent years. While Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara and (for now) Ezekiel Elliott are attached to deals worth at least $15MM per year, the Raiders can tag Jacobs at just $10.1MM.

Jacobs, 24, has expressed a desire to stay in Nevada, and Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler want to continue this partnership as well. With many quality running backs on track for free agency, new deals could be finalized before the Raiders become serious about Jacobs negotiations. Whether that happens this year or not, the former first-round pick is unlikely to reach the market.

Daron Payne, DT (Commanders)

After early-offseason extension rumblings, the Commanders did not move too far in this direction last year. They re-upped Terry McLaurin and let Payne play out a contract year. But Payne turned 2022 into a platform campaign that stands to make him one of this year’s top free agents. The Commanders are soon to have $26MM in additional cap space, by moving on from Carson Wentz, and the team will likely give strong consideration to keeping Payne off the market. The defensive tackle tag costs $18.94MM. Washington has begun Payne talks, but those are still in the early stages.

Washington has some mouths to feed on its defensive line, with both Montez Sweat and Chase Young now extension-eligible. The team already paid Payne’s Alabama and Washington D-tackle teammate, Jonathan Allen, and drafted another Crimson Tide interior rusher (Phidarian Mathis) in Round 2 last year. Mathis went down in Week 1, and Payne broke through for an 11.5-sack, 18-TFL season. A tag here is not an open-and-shut tag case, but it would be a tough blow for the Commanders to see their sack leader walk. Regrouping with Payne, 25, would make more sense, especially with the team not preparing to spend big at quarterback this offseason.

Tony Pollard, RB (Cowboys)

Seeming likelier by the week, a Pollard tag would keep an emerging playmaker with a light career workload in the fold. The Cowboys are believed to be strongly considering a tag here, even with Ezekiel Elliott‘s bloated contract on the books. Elliott taking less to stay — it would need to be a lot less — has already been floated, opening the door for his better-performing (in recent years, at least) backup to stick around on the $10.1MM number or via an extension.

It would be strange to tag a backup, but Pollard, 25, is essentially a Dallas starter. He matched Elliott with 12 touchdowns in 2022 and smashed his career-high scrimmage yards number with 1,378. Pollard’s 631 career touches rank just 24th among backs since 2019, pointing to a few prime years remaining on the horizon. With Elliott’s cap number near certain to move down from its present $16.7MM place and Pollard not at risk of seeing his fractured fibula affect his 2023 availability, the former fourth-round find should be back in Dallas.

The Giants’ decision

Daniel Jones, QB

Passing on Jones’ fifth-year option — an understandable decision, given Jones’ first three seasons — leads the Giants to one of the more interesting free agency quandaries in recent memory. After making Saquon Barkley a higher priority regarding in-season extension talks, Big Blue’s new regime has come around on Jones. The former No. 6 overall pick piloting the Giants to the divisional round for the first time in 11 years transformed his value from where it was entering the season, and GM Joe Schoen all but assured the fifth-year passer will be back with the team in 2023. Will that be on a long-term deal or via the tag?

If the Giants and Jones, 25, cannot find common ground before March 7, the tag will likely come out. The team encountered this situation with Leonard Williams in 2021 and tagged the trade acquisition for a second time. That preceded a monster extension. The Giants probably should be careful here, with two late-season matchups against a porous Vikings defense boosting Jones’ value — to the $35MM-per-year range. But the team also should be eager to see Jones in Brian Daboll‘s offense and surrounded by better pass catchers.

Saquon Barkley, RB

A Giants team that battled injuries and bad investments at wide receiver relied on Barkley for much of 2022. Losing the two-time Pro Bowler for nothing will bring considerable risk. Jones sitting atop the Giants’ to-do list may be a pivot from the midseason point, when Schoen referenced a Barkley tag. A positional value-based course change could send Barkley to free agency.

The Giants are believed to have offered Barkley a deal in the $12.5MM-per-year neighborhood, and while the former No. 2 overall pick cited his injury history (21 missed games from 2019-21) in saying he is not looking to reset the running back market, Schoen noted the sides’ 2022 negotiation did not come close to a deal. Barkley, 25, is believed to be seeking a contract near McCaffrey’s $16MM-per-year market-setting price. A $14MM-AAV compromise could be in play, but Barkley may also be keen on testing the market.

Tagging Jones at $32.4MM would clog the Giants’ cap ahead of free agency, whereas as a Barkley tag ($10.1MM) would not drain the team’s funds on the same level. Barkley can make a case he is worthy of the McCaffrey-Kamara tier, given his production (when healthy) and versatility — and the salary cap jumping nearly $30MM (to $224.8MM) since those stars’ 2020 extensions were finalized. But the Giants are not yet prepared to go much higher than the $12MM-AAV range — the second tier for running backs. Jones talks not producing a deal would put the Giants to a decision; Barkley could become one of the most talented backs to hit free agency.

While Barkley is a better player, Jones has become the Giants’ top priority. Tagging the quarterback would be far more expensive than cuffing Barkley. A Jones extension/Barkley tag scenario remains the best Giants path, but that can only come to fruition if Jones agrees to terms before March 7.

On tag radar

Jessie Bates, S (Bengals)

With Joe Burrow now extension-eligible, new contractual territory awaits the Bengals. Tee Higgins is also eligible for a new deal, with Germaine Pratt weeks away from free agency. Vonn Bell, a three-year Bengals starter who is also nearing free agency, would be a cheaper alternative at safety to keeping Bates on a second tag. Cincinnati also drafted potential Bates heir apparent Dax Hill in the first round. This all points to the Bengals letting Bates walk — as they did defenders Carl Lawson and William Jackson in 2021 — but the former second-round pick is still one of the league’s top safeties.

The Bengals and Bates never came close on an extension last year; the team’s conservative guarantee policy led to an offer of $16MM guaranteed at signing. While player personnel director Duke Tobin said last summer renegotiations this year will not be off the table, Bates will likely hit the market. The five-year Cincinnati starter, who will turn 26 next week, can be re-tagged at $15.5MM.

Jamel Dean, CB (Buccaneers)

The Bucs tagged Chris Godwin in each of the past two years and prioritized retaining their core players above all else during that span. But, with Tom Brady‘s void-years money hitting the Bucs’ cap in 2023, a Dean tag will be difficult to pull off. The Saints moving from $75MM-plus over the cap in February 2021 to creating room for a Marcus Williams tag, however, shows how teams can go from cap hell to carving out tag space. That said, Brady’s $35.1MM hitting the cap pushes the Bucs past $50MM over the 2023 salary ceiling.

Dean, 26, has been one of the team’s top players. The former third-round pick grades as Pro Football Focus’ No. 11 overall cornerback from 2020-22. This still looks like an unlikely proposition, with the corner tag at $18.14MM, but it should not be considered completely off the table.

Evan Engram, TE (Jaguars)

Tight ends Mike Gesicki, David Njoku and Dalton Schultz received tags in 2022, and the tight end tag again checking in as the third-cheapest ($11.36MM) this year makes the Jaguars keeping Engram off the market a logical step. The former Giants first-round pick broke through on his one-year Jags pact, filling a longstanding void for the franchise. Engram’s 766 receiving yards set a Jacksonville single-season tight end record. With mutual interest believed to exist, a tag as a bridge to a summer extension — ahead of Engram’s age-29 season — is a scenario to watch here.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S (Eagles)

The Eagles traded two Day 3 draft picks for Gardner-Johnson and moved him from corner to safety. After the ex-Saints slot defender led the NFL in interceptions, he will be in line for a payday. New Orleans and Gardner-Johnson, 25, could not come to terms last summer, leading to the trade, but Philadelphia wants to retain the imported DB. The Bengals kept Bates off the market last year with the safety tag, which checks in at $14.46MM this year. Given the volume of defenders the NFC champions have set for free agency, this looks like a longer-odds scenario.

Dre’Mont Jones, DL (Broncos)

Jones’ statistical production would not be in line with a tag. The talented defensive lineman has yet to surpass 6.5 sacks or 11 quarterback hits in a season, but the former third-round pick has offered consistency and earned praise from the front office. Following the Broncos’ decision to trade Bradley Chubb, GM George Paton identified Jones as a player the team wanted to keep. The advanced metrics also view Jones fondly; Pro Football Focus charts the former third-round pick in the top 20 for pressures since 2019. Jones is believed to be a higher priority compared to guard Dalton Risner, a fellow Denver free agent-to-be.

Sean Payton‘s team using a $19MM tag on a non-Pro Bowler would be risky during an offseason in which the draft capital-poor team — thanks to the Payton trade requiring a 2023 first-round pick — faces a key free agency stretch. Jones, 26, sticking around should also depend on whom the Broncos hire as defensive coordinator.

Jordan Poyer, S (Bills)

Buffalo defensive stalwarts Poyer and Tremaine Edmunds are ticketed for free agency, but with the NFL still grouping rush- and non-rush linebackers together under its tag formula, Edmunds is not a realistic tag candidate. The linebacker tag ($20.9MM) trails only the QB price. Poyer, 31, is coming off his first Pro Bowl season and has been one of the Bills’ steadiest players in the Sean McDermott era. Signed during McDermott’s first offseason, Poyer has inked two Bills contracts. He angled for a third, eventually agreeing to an incentive package, and became indispensable during a season in which the Bills lost Micah Hyde to a September neck injury and saw Damar Hamlin face one of the scariest health issues in NFL history in January.

Hamlin aims to return, while Hyde is under contract. But a Bills defense that has seen inconsistency at corner for years could still use Poyer. If the parties cannot strike a deal before March 7, the $14.5MM safety tag may not be too steep here. That said, the Bills may try to avoid a tag and save some free agency dough for Edmunds.

Geno Smith, QB (Seahawks)

A $32.4MM quarterback tag does sound too steep for Smith, his Comeback Player of the Year award notwithstanding. The Seahawks traded Russell Wilson on March 8, 2022; they re-signed Smith to a one-year, $3.5MM deal on April 14. That low-cost, incentive-laden accord effectively illustrated the NFL’s view of the former second-rounder. While Smith’s stunning season upped his value tremendously, it still seems unlikely the franchise tag will come into play. A transition tag — worth $29.5MM and involving no draft compensation — would be a more logical move.

But the top tag has been floated as a Smith-Seattle scenario. The sides have begun negotiations, and Smith’s camp figures to factor the tag salaries into the talks. This process still feels like it will end in a Smith medium-term deal. But after a 30-touchdown pass season that also included an NFL-high 69.8% completion rate, the 32-year-old passer setting a high price as the tag deadline nears would force the team to consider cuffing its starter.

Chiefs Expected To Tag Orlando Brown Jr. Again, Want To Re-Sign JuJu Smith-Schuster

February 13th, 2023 at 5:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jettisoning the likes of Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu, the Chiefs retooled a bit this past offseason. Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones‘ cap numbers ballooned from 2021, but the team managed to build a Super Bowl-winning roster. Two components of that blueprint are in Kansas City’s 2023 plan.

The Super Bowl champions are not expected to let Orlando Brown Jr. hit the market. Other teams expect the Chiefs to use their franchise tag on their left tackle for a second time, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. This would mean Brown stays on Kansas City’s payroll at 120% of his 2022 salary, setting the Pro Bowler’s 2023 cap number at $19.99MM.

Additionally, mutual interest looks to exist between the Chiefs and one of their post-Hill solutions. They are interested in bringing back JuJu Smith-Schuster, per Fowler. Smith-Schuster signed an incentive-laden one-year deal worth just $3.76MM in base value in March 2022. The ex-Steeler collected millions via incentives, finishing off that run by pocketing $1MM by playing at least 50% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps in Super Bowl LVII. It will be more expensive for the Chiefs to retain Smith-Schuster this time around, but he is interested in staying.

Brown, 26, has made the Pro Bowl in both seasons since the Chiefs acquired him. While the former Ravens right tackle may not be a top-shelf left-sider, he was the centerpiece of the Chiefs’ 2021 offensive line overhaul. A considerable market would await Brown in free agency, but the Chiefs should not be expected to bid against other teams for their blindside cog.

Brown passed on a deal that would have made him the league’s highest-paid left tackle last year — a six-year, $139MM pact — but he said the offer included insufficient guarantees. The Chiefs looked to have expected the offer to lock down Brown, and it will be interesting to see what the team proposes now that Brown’s baseline — thanks to the higher tag number and the salary cap’s $16MM bump — will check in higher.

While the Chiefs navigated Mahomes and Jones’ cap figures rising, Joe Thuney‘s number will go from $8.2MM in 2022 to $22.1MM in ’23. Mahomes’ $45MM-per-year contract will also produce a higher cap hit in 2023; the superstar quarterback’s number will spike from $35.8MM to $49.3MM. The latter number would be an NFL record, but if the Browns do not restructure Deshaun Watson‘s megadeal, the Cleveland QB’s 2023 cap figure would come in higher ($54.9MM). No NFLer has played on a cap number north of $46MM previously. Kansas City restructured Mahomes’ deal in 2021 but did not do so in ’22.

The Mahomes and Thuney numbers climbing would make it more challenging for the Chiefs to re-tag Brown; that $19.99MM hit would stay on the Chiefs’ payroll until the sides reached an extension agreement. As of Monday, the Chiefs have just more than $7MM in cap space.

Smith-Schuster, 26, finished his season with a six-catch, 53-yard Super Bowl, drawing the debated defensive holding call that effectively dashed the Eagles’ hopes. In the regular season, the free agent-to-be caught 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns. No other Chiefs wideout came close to Smith-Schuster’s yardage total, and as Travis Kelce enters his mid-30s, the team will probably need more help from its wideouts.

The six year veteran’s desire to stay in Kansas City notwithstanding, a lukewarm receiver market stands to put him in stronger position compared to his 2021 and 2022 free agency runs. Seeing how much of a hometown discount Smith-Schuster would take to remain with Mahomes and Co. will be worth monitoring.

AFC West Notes: Brown, Chargers, Raiders

February 10th, 2023 at 12:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Orlando Brown Jr. will command either a second franchise tag, another lucrative Chiefs extension offer or a massive free agency accord. The four-time Pro Bowler wants to stay in Kansas City, but it certainly does not sound like any hometown discount will be considered.

“Yeah, absolutely, I want to stay here, but the business is the business,” Brown said, via Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams. “Things happen. Whatever happens, man, I’ll be prepared to go.”

This stance is unsurprising, given how the franchise-tagged tackle played his 2022 negotiations. Despite acquiring Brown via trade in 2021, the Chiefs tabled extension talks until last year. Brown changed agents, hiring a representative without a football background, and said Kansas City’s offer was too light on guarantees for him to sign. The Chiefs offered Brown a six-year, $139MM deal that contained the second-most guarantees among tackles, and although a bloated final-year salary existed to increase the AAV to top Trent Williams‘ $23MM mark, Brown passed. This rankled some in the organization. Pro Football Focus viewed the mammoth left tackle as making slight improvements in 2022, slotting him as a top-20 player at the position. Barring a major injury in Super Bowl LVII, Brown will be in strong negotiating position again soon.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

Justin Herbert will be taking some time off ahead of the Chargers‘ offseason program. The star quarterback underwent surgery to address a shoulder labrum injury, according to the team. Herbert underwent the procedure on his nonthrowing shoulder, which became an issue late in the season. The Chargers expect their QB to be ready in time for their offseason program, which will be a bit more important for Herbert and Co. due to the team having changed offensive coordinators.
On the OC topic, the Chargers will entrust Herbert’s fourth season to Kellen Moore. The 33-year-old play-caller made a quick move from Dallas to L.A., being informed he was not returning for a fifth season as the Cowboys’ OC to landing the Bolts job within a day. Prior to the Chargers moving quickly on Moore, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes they were leaning toward hiring Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson (Twitter link). Multiple coordinator-seeking teams believed Robinson, a former Brandon Staley coworker, would land the gig. Robinson has interviewed for the Ravens’ OC position, but as of now, the young assistant is set to return to the Rams.
Kyzir White departed the Chargers after a productive contract year, one that led the linebacker to the Eagles. Set to start in Super Bowl LVII, White is still auditioning for a long-term payday. The Eagles gave the converted safety a one-year, $3MM deal. Despite White tallying a career-high 144 tackles and starting 17 games for the 2021 Chargers, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper notes Staley’s system not placing a high value on off-ball ‘backers led the Bolts to let him walk (subscription required). This could be relevant intel for the Bolts’ Kenneth Murray plan. The team chose Murray in the first round before Staley’s arrival; his fifth-year option will cost $12.72MM.
The Bolts should be expected to consider re-signing right tackle Trey Pipkins, per Popper. Winning the right-side job in training camp after making offseason improvements, Pipkins suffered an MCL sprain and aggravated the injury twice upon returning. The free agent-to-be still started 14 games. Pro Football Focus ranked Pipkins 67th among tackles, though Popper notes the Chargers will likely hold the former third-round pick in higher regard compared to the rest of the league. It will be interesting to see what Pipkins’ market produces, as starter-caliber tackles generally do well in free agency.
Adam Butler secured a pretty nice reserve/futures deal with the Raiders. The veteran defensive tackle’s one-year pact includes $485.8K guaranteed, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, adding the contract can spike to $2MM. A former Patriots regular, Butler did not play in 2022 after being cut by the Dolphins during training camp.

Orlando Brown Jr.: Chiefs’ Extension Offer Too Light On Guarantees

August 2nd, 2022 at 5:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Yannick Ngakoue and Jadeveon Clowney showed, tag-and-trade sequences can occur well after the extension deadline. But Orlando Brown Jr. is not eyeing a path to a team that will make him a better offer down the line.

After reporting to Chiefs training camp Monday, Brown said he still hopes to sign a long-term deal with the team. But the fifth-year blocker said the deal Kansas City offered ahead of the July 15 deadline included insufficient guarantees.

“I want to be here. I want to finish my career here in Kansas City,” Brown said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I’m sure questions are out there, but to me, with the contract situation, it just wasn’t enough guarantees.”

Brown, 26, sought an extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid left tackle. The Chiefs’ proposal — a six-year, $139MM accord — allowed him to say that. While that deal did have a bloated Year 6 salary ($40MM) that inflated the contract’s overall value, Albert Breer of SI.com notes the Chiefs offered $38MM guaranteed at signing and $52.25MM guaranteed for injury. Those numbers are not out of step with the tackle market.

Only Ronnie Stanley is tied to more total guarantees ($70.9MM). That number is an outlier among tackles, with only two others (Laremy Tunsil and Taylor Lewan) having $50MM guarantees in their respective deals. In terms of full guarantees, Brown’s contract would have placed him behind only Stanley ($64.1MM), Williams ($40.1MM) and Tunsil ($40MM). Williams’ guarantees also are part of a six-year contract; Stanley’s are part of a five-year deal. No other tackle signed for more than $35MM fully guaranteed.

At $95MM through five years, Brown’s contract would have placed him just below Williams ($104.8MM) and Stanley ($98.8MM) in this category. It is, thus, unsurprising his refusal to accept the Chiefs’ offer rankled some in the organization.

Patrick Mahomes led the way in convincing Brown to report shortly after the Chiefs opened camp, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). Although Brown teased the prospect of a holdout into the season, that always seemed unrealistic. The former third-round pick has only earned rookie-deal money to this point. By far his biggest annual salary to date will come from this $16.7MM franchise tender. Now, Bengals safety Jessie Bates remains the only franchise-tagged player not to have signed his tender.

“I just didn’t feel right sitting at home, missing out on this,” Brown said of his early-camp absence. “This is something that I want to be a part of. You know, I was brought here to help with Super Bowls, and this week is very important to our progression.”

The decision to pass on Kansas City’s proposal does come with risk for Brown, whom a host of evaluators who spoke to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler did not rate as a top-10 tackle (ESPN+ link). An injury would hurt the former Ravens right tackle’s value. But the Chiefs gave up quite a bit to acquire Brown last year. He was the centerpiece of Kansas City’s 2021 O-line reconstruction. That project only has one other player — Joe Thuney — tied to a veteran contract. Rookie-year standouts Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith do not become extension-eligible until 2024. The Chiefs are also tied to a low-cost situation at right tackle.

A second franchise tag, which would be worth almost $20MM, is a realistic scenario. Brown journeying to another Pro Bowl, which would be his fourth overall and second as a Chief, would obviously drive up his price. As will the continued salary cap growth. The Chiefs still plan to try and hammer out a long-term solution, however.

Orlando Brown Jr. Reports To Chiefs Training Camp; Team Still Eyeing Long-Term Deal

August 1st, 2022 at 9:59am CST by Adam La Rose

With both Bengals safety Jessie Bates and Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. absent from their respective teams’ training camps, questions have been raised regarding when they would attend and sign their franchise tags. In the latter’s case, Monday has turned out to be the answer.

Brown will report to camp today, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). He, like Bates, had yet to sign his franchise tag, but will of course do so to participate in practice. Since he was not under contract during the week he missed, Brown will not be subject to any fines.

Under the tag, the 26-year-old will earn $16.7MM. The Chiefs came close to finalizing a extension which would have made Brown the league’s highest-paid offensive lineman, but it fell through in large part due to the structure of the final year of their offer in particular. The sides cannot negotiate again until the end of the 2022 season. When that window opens, though, the team is prepared to make another push for a long-term deal.

“The agency has advisors around [Brown], and we respect his decision,” GM Brett Veach said, via Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star. “And it’s not going to limit our pursuit of him next year. We’re gonna continue to try to get him locked up.”

That represents a notably different tone than what some may have expected, given recent reports of the Chiefs’ frustrations over Brown’s decision to play on the tag this year. Nevertheless, Veach added that the team was going to welcome Brown back to camp “with open arms. I’m sure that [head] coach [Andy Reid] and I will get a chance to have a good conversation with him, and we’ll certainly let him know how much we love him, appreciate him.”

Barring an agreement being reached next offseason, a second tag would cost nearly $20MM, but leave the team with a lack of long-term certainty. Especially considering the price they paid to trade for the three-time Pro Bowler, a multi-year extension would obviously be their preference. Since his immediate future is no longer in doubt, though, attention will now turn to Bates, who has been adamant that he won’t play on the tag in 2022.

Orlando Brown Jr., Jessie Bates Absent From Training Camps

July 26th, 2022 at 10:16am CST by Adam La Rose

Two notable absences were widely expected as training camps open this week: Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and Bengals safety Jessie Bates. To no surprise, then, their respective teams will be without them for the beginning of summer practices.

Brown’s absence was confirmed by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (video link). The news comes in the wake of details regarding the final offer made by the Chiefs to get the three-time Pro Bowler signed long-term. The proposed deal would have allowed Brown to reach his stated goal of becoming the league’s highest-paid offensive lineman, but issues related to the structure and guarantees led to the deal falling through.

Reports have since surfaced about the team’s frustrations regarding the process which has left both sides in their present situation. With Brown attached to a franchise tag valued at $16.7MM, head coach Andy Reid said, when asked about whether or not the 26-year-old would report to camp, “I don’t know that. So I don’t know whether he’s going to be here or not. If he’s here, great. And if he’s not, we move on.”

Bates, meanwhile, never came nearly as close as Brown did to inking a long-term extension, something which has been a point of contention dating back to last offseason. The 25-year-old has maintained throughout this process that he will not play on the franchise tag ($12.9MM), making his decision to stay away from camp (confirmed, on Twitter, by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler) the next logical move in this saga.

In a similar vein to the Chiefs with respect to Brown, the Bengals offered a five-year deal with insufficient guarantees to gain much traction in finalizing an agreement. Bates’ absence will leave first-team reps available for Daxton Hill, the Bengals’ top draft pick and long-term successor in the likely event Bates is gone by no later than March. A trade is not considered to be in the cards at this point.

Since neither player has signed their tags, they will not be subject to fines as a result of their absences. Sitting out the campaign remains their only alternative to eventually signing and reporting, though, an eventuality which will be closely monitored in the coming days and weeks.

Chiefs Frustrated With LT Orlando Brown Jr.

July 24th, 2022 at 10:16pm CST by Rory Parks

The Chiefs and left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. were unable to agree to an extension prior to the July 15 deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign multi-year deals. That development has reportedly led to Kansas City becoming frustrated with its 2021 trade acquisition.

“There was frustration and there was disappointment,” Jeffri Chadiha of the NFL Network recently said (via Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star). “They really like Orlando Brown Jr., they love having him be a part of this team, but the money he was asking for was too high for them. They feel like they don’t want to not have stability at left tackle here, but they also don’t want to pay top-of-the-market money for a player that they don’t think is the best player at his position in the NFL.”

Of course, the frustration is probably mutual. While the Chiefs proposed a six-year, $139MM contract, that featured a bloated $40MM salary in the sixth and final year of the deal that was never intended to be paid and was only included to give Brown a market-topping average annual value of over $23MM. The AAV over the first five years was around $18MM, which would have stood eighth among tackles.

On the other hand, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the Chiefs’ offer did include $38MM in full guarantees and another $14.25MM in injury guarantees (which would have converted to a full guarantee in 2024). That $38MM mark is critical because it represents more than what Brown would earn under two consecutive franchise tags — $16.7MM in 2022 and $19.9MM in 2023 — and that is often a key to working out an extension for tagged players.

Brown, though, was pushing for a $40MM signing bonus and full guarantees beyond that, along with a “true” AAV of $25MM. It is easy to see why the Chiefs did not want to go there for a very good player who can dominate lesser defenders but who can look more pedestrian against quality competition. Though he excels at run-blocking thanks largely to his mauling style of play, his pass-block win rate in 2021 — his first full year on the blindside — was outside the top-40 at his position. That is especially concerning since, in the Chiefs’ high-flying offense, he is generally not asked to sustain blocks for very long.

There is certainly a chance that Brown, 26, will continue to improve, and even if he is hit with the franchise tag again in 2023, he will have the chance to finally hit the open market the following year, when he is just 28 years old. At that time, the salary cap is expected to be considerably higher than it is now, so as long as he can avoid a major injury and at least sustain his current level of performance, Brown’s patience could be rewarded in a big way.

For now, it is unclear if he will report to training camp, which opens later this week. Head coach Andy Reid, during a press conference on Friday, said, “I don’t know that. So I don’t know whether he’s going to be here or not. If he’s here, great. And if he’s not, we move on. That’s how we’ve done it in the past. This isn’t the first time I’ve been through something like this” (via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk).

Brown will almost certainly sign his tender at some point, though Chadiha did indicate that the three-time Pro Bowler may be willing to extend his holdout into Week 1.

Per Chadiha, “one front office person said, ‘[t]his isn’t the same guy that we traded for.’ The feeling there is that when they got him from Baltimore is that he was going to be a team player and work with them on a team-friendly type of deal. That was not the case. Right now we’re looking at a situation where Orlando Brown probably won’t be there for training camp and may not be there for Week 1.”

Franchise Tag Roundup: Bengals, Chiefs, Cowboys, Dolphins Table Talks To 2023

July 15th, 2022 at 10:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the first time since 2018, the summer franchise tag deadline day did not produce an extension. The past three years brought deadline-day deals for Taylor Moton, Derrick Henry, Chris Jones, Grady Jarrett and Robbie Gould. None of the four teams who still had tagged players could hammer out a deal Friday, however.

Bengals safety Jessie Bates, Chiefs left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki and Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz remain attached to their franchise tag prices ($12.9MM, $16.7MM, $10.9MM, $10.9MM, respectively). They are prevented from negotiating with their teams again until the 2022 season ends. The four teams can apply second franchise tags to these players in 2023, at 120% of their 2022 tag prices.

The Chiefs and Brown came closest to a deal. Although the Chiefs reached an extension agreement with Frank Clark upon trading a first-round pick and change for him in 2019, they postponed Brown negotiations last year. When the sides came to the table, after Brown earned a Pro Bowl nod for his first season as a full-time left tackle, the fifth-year blocker had a new agent and wanted a deal that made him the highest-paid offensive lineman. The Chiefs were willing to go there, but on their terms. What amounts to a dummy year in the contract’s final season led Brown to turn down a six-year, $139MM extension offer. Although failed tag talks often lead to separations the following year, it would surprise if the Chiefs — considering the compensation they parted with for Brown in 2021 — did not make a strong effort to extend Brown in 2023.
Less clarity emerged with the other three tag negotiations, but the Bengals‘ five-year offer and reported guarantee of around $17MM — which would be a fringe top-10 mark at the safety position — did not bring Bates to sign an extension. The fifth-year defender wanted to be the NFL’s highest-paid safety, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link). Minkah Fitzpatrick moved that number to $18.2MM per year this summer. Bates expressed interest in re-signing with the Bengals in 2021, after he posted a strong 2020 season. Following a less impactful 2021 regular season, Bates rebounded with critical playoff contributions. The Bengals, who drafted safety Daxton Hill in Round 1 and have Vonn Bell under contract for one more season, may be willing to let Bates test free agency a year from now. But Bell’s contract-year status may well keep Bates in the fold beyond 2022.
A lot of Schultz news came out this offseason, including a late rumor of a possible deal coming to fruition. But scant optimism about a Cowboys long-term deal surfaced. Dallas cuffed its top tight end and, with Schultz having signed his tender, he can be fined daily for not reporting to training camp. Although Schultz left OTAs to make a point about negotiations, he showed for Cowboys minicamp. The sides, however, appeared far apart. Ahead of Friday’s deadline, they had not negotiated in weeks. Contract length was an issue for Schultz’s camp. While Dak Prescott‘s contract is an exception, the Cowboys prefer five- or six-year extensions. No deadline-day magic occurred, and Schultz may become a bigger part of Dallas’ offense, with the team having traded Amari Cooper shortly after tagging its tight end.
It does not sound like substantial Gesicki-Dolphins talks occurred this offseason. Though, Gesicki was interested in an extension. After the former second-round pick broke through for a 703-yard, six-touchdown 2020 season, the team did not make an extension ahead of his 2021 contract year a priority. Gesicki then posted a 780-yard slate. That was enough to move Miami to keep the Penn State product off the free agent market. Gesicki should play a key part in a critical Tua Tagovailoa season, but with Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM-per-year contract now on Miami’s books, other Dolphins skill players may be affected.

The Browns (David Njoku), Buccaneers (Chris Godwin), Jaguars (Cam Robinson) and Packers (Davante Adams) saw their tagged players land extensions. Adams’ money, of course, came from the Raiders, who gave their new All-Pro weapon a five-year, $140MM extension — a deal that impacted Hill’s Chiefs talks and one that has two lofty nonguaranteed salaries in its final two years — after Adams voiced a preference to reunite with Derek Carr out west. Njoku becoming the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid tight end, after not matching either of Gesicki or Schultz’s best seasons, likely became an issue in the Cowboys and Dolphins’ respective negotiations.

Bates and Brown have not signed their tenders. This would allow each to skip training camp without being fined. The 2020 CBA prevents teams from waiving fines for holdouts, pointing to Gesicki and Schultz showing up. Bates is not expected to attend camp, and Brown hinted at staying away for a while. The Bengals and Chiefs’ tagged performers have until Nov. 15 to sign their tenders, or they cannot play in 2022. Multiple defensive linemen (Sean Gilbert and Dan Williams, the latter a Chiefs tag recipient) followed through with skipping seasons after being tagged in the late 1990s, but Le’Veon Bell (2018) is the only player to pass on a guaranteed salary by skipping a full season while attached to the tag this century.

Latest On Chiefs’ Orlando Brown Jr. Offer

July 15th, 2022 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

It appears the Chiefs and Orlando Brown Jr. will reassess this situation in 2023. After Brown’s agent indicated the Pro Bowl left tackle will not reach a long-term agreement with the Chiefs by Friday’s 3pm CT deadline, more details on Kansas City’s offer have emerged.

The Chiefs are believed to have offered a market-topping deal, but Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes the proposal contained a lofty final-year payment that inflated the average annual value to that place. A $40MM-plus salary existed in the 2027 season, lifting the contract’s value past Trent Williams‘ $23MM-per-year figure (Twitter link).

That strategy worked for the Dolphins with Tyreek Hill and the Raiders with Davante Adams, who have massive nonguaranteed salaries in the final years of their respective contracts to elevate the AAVs to market-changing levels. Brown’s camp sought more security.

The Chiefs’ offer contained $91MM over the first five years. While each year of contracts factors into AAV figures, the Brown offer averaged $18.2MM through five years — a mark that would have stood eighth among tackles. The dummy year interfered with Brown’s hopes here, Garafolo adds (on Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes the offer’s first five years included $95MM and adds the deal featured a $30.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link). The full offer was six years, $139MM, narrowly topping Williams’ six-year, $138.1MM contract.

Kansas City traded its 2021 first-round pick for Brown. Although that deal did include Baltimore’s second-round pick coming back — used to select Nick Bolton — Kansas City gave up a big haul to acquire the Pro Bowl blocker. The Chiefs will have Brown attached to the $16.7MM franchise tender — one he has not signed. The fifth-year tackle teased a holdout into the regular season, surely as an effort to convince the Chiefs to up their pre-deadline offer. Brown’s $16.7MM figure will be guaranteed when he signs the tender. A second Brown tag would cost the Chiefs almost $20MM in 2023.

Barring restructures for Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones, the Chiefs will soon have Brown’s tender and their top offensive and defensive players tied to top-five NFL cap figures. Mahomes’ will spike from $7.4MM in 2021 to $35.7MM this year. Jones’ will climb from $8.5MM in 2021 to $29.4MM. With Brown’s tag on the books alongside these cap numbers, it will represent a new-look Chiefs payroll.

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