Terry McLaurin

Rivera: Commanders Will Not Trade Terry McLaurin

June 15th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Terry McLaurin situation in Washington has escalated to the point the fourth-year wide receiver is not at the team’s minicamp. McLaurin’s absence, along with the rapidly rising receiver market, has led Ron Rivera to continue addressing this rather key topic.

After previously indicating optimism for an extension to be completed this year, Rivera took it a step further Wednesday afternoon (via NBC Sports Washington’s Peter Hailey) by indicating the Commanders will not be pushed to trade McLaurin. Extension talks are ongoing here.

“We’re not trading Terry,” Rivera said, via NBC Sports Washington’s Peter Hailey. “We’ve been talking with his folks probably the last week and we’re working on some stuff. Hopefully, it’ll be taken care of in a matter of time. How much time? Don’t know. But it’s never contentious, I can promise you that. We’re feeling pretty good and pretty confident that this’ll get done.”

Trades have been a frequent topic during this historically potent wideout offseason. Trade-and-extension sequences involving Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill reset the receiver market, leading to the glut of fourth-year players to take notice. This preceded the Titans — after beginning negotiations with A.J. Brown this offseason and both Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson indicating Brown would be a long-term Tennessee weapon — trading their No. 1 receiver to the Eagles on draft night.

Even before Brown was dealt, Deebo Samuel requested a trade out of San Francisco. D.K. Metcalf trade rumors swirled ahead of the draft as well, and the Seahawks’ fourth-year pass catcher stayed away from his team’s minicamp. McLaurin has not been connected to being moved. Rivera attempting to stop any rumors in their tracks makes sense, though other coaches and GMs ensured their top wideouts would not be dealt — only to see trades transpire soon after. Brown is now tied to a $25MM-per-year contract that includes a receiver-most $56MM fully guaranteed. McLaurin, 26, should not be expected to top that. But the former third-round pick should be expected to eclipse $20MM per year — a range the Titans did not enter during Brown talks — on his next deal.

Washington has McLaurin under contract through 2022; the 2023 franchise tag option would loom if no extension happens before March. Teams have used the tag to keep No. 1 or No. 2 receivers off the market fairly frequently in recent years. Beyond Adams and Chris Godwin this year, the Bears (Allen Robinson), Bengals (A.J. Green) and Dolphins (Jarvis Landry) have cuffed wideouts over the past five offseasons. The 2019 receiver class could populate next year’s tag ledger, with Samuel, Metcalf, McLaurin and Diontae Johnson unsigned.

The Commanders have gone through significant tag drama in recent years as well. The previous regime famously tagged Kirk Cousins twice before losing him in free agency. Rivera’s regime tagged Brandon Scherff twice. No deal came to fruition this year, and the perennial Pro Bowl guard signed with the Jaguars. Washington’s McLaurin situation is far away from this stage now, but past examples show where these situations can lead.

Latest On Commanders’ Talks With WR Terry McLaurin, DT Daron Payne

June 15th, 2022 at 9:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Terry McLaurin is one of the few players who have opted to skip his respective team’s minicamp without an excused absence. Washington’s top wide receiver for the past three seasons, McLaurin will have a high price tag — thanks in large part to 2022’s soaring wideout market.

Although McLaurin has not been at the Commanders’ facility in weeks, showing up only to the team’s early voluntary sessions as an observer and then disappearing around draft time, Ron Rivera is nevertheless optimistic the team will finalize an extension this year. The third-year Washington HC cited the team’s successful talks with Jonathan Allen last year, noting the team began discussing McLaurin’s deal earlier this offseason than it addressed Allen’s in 2021. Rivera believes the McLaurin talks are “headed in the right direction,” per ESPN.com’s John Keim (on Twitter).

“We understand what Terry is trying to do,” Rivera said, via Keim (on Twitter). “We want him here; he’s going to be here. We believe in him as a football player.”

That belief will be costly, with the wideout market changing dramatically since Rivera backed a McLaurin extension in February. The former third-round pick is undoubtedly asking for more than the Jaguars gave Christian Kirk (four years, $72MM) and likely has set his sights on being the 12th wideout attached to a deal north of $20MM annually.

McLaurin has yet to receive a Pro Bowl invite, but two other members of the $20MM-AAV club — D.J. Moore, Mike Williams — also have not been such honored. Escalating price notwithstanding, Keim expects a deal to be completed this year (Twitter link).

While McLaurin is the Commanders’ unquestioned passing-game centerpiece, the team’s other top 2022 extension candidate — Daron Payne — finds himself on less sturdy terrain. Washington indeed addressed Allen’s contract last year — via a four-year, $72MM pact that makes him the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid interior defensive lineman — and has other D-line cogs to take care of. Montez Sweat is extension-eligible, but thanks to the fifth-year option, Washington can table potential Sweat talks until 2023. The team’s no-brainer re-up prospect, Chase Young, becomes eligible for a second contract next year.

Payne showed up for Commanders minicamp this week, after missing some OTA time, but has refrained from doing team drills due to his contract situation, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post tweets. The urgency in Washington’s Payne talks does not match the team’s approach with McLaurin, and it recently used a second-round pick on another Alabama defensive tackle — Phiadarian Mathis. Payne declined to elaborate on where any negotiations stand, per NBC Sports Washington’s Bijan Todd.

Payne would seemingly sit behind McLaurin in the team’s franchise tag queue, if neither signs an extension this year. But the former would be an attractive 2023 free agent. Payne, 25, is coming off his most productive season, one in which he tallied 4.5 sacks and notched a career-high 15 quarterback hits. The well-regarded interior lineman has also missed just one game in four seasons, adding to his value.

Terry McLaurin Not Planning To Attend Commanders’ Minicamp

June 13th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

JUNE 13: McLaurin does indeed plan to skip this week’s mandatory minicamp, as he continues to try and leverage a new contract, Jhabvala tweets. The Commanders can fine their standout receiver more than $90K, though McLaurin’s absence — as Washington begins its Wentz era — looms larger than the small fine he will incur.

JUNE 12: In an offseason which has seen skyrocketing contract values for young receivers, the Commanders face a crucial decision with respect to Terry McLaurin. The team is seeking an extension with him, but a new contract does not appear to be forthcoming.

Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports (via Twitter) that negotiations are ongoing, but the two sides remain “far apart.” The 26-year-old is eligible for an extension for the first time in his career, after three seasons operating as the team’s focal point on offense. Despite a rotating cast of quarterbacks, he has produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, leading many to believe he would join A.J. Brown as a 2019 draftee receiving a substantial raise this offseason.

The chances of a deal being signed seemed to increase when it was reported Washington curtailed some its free agent spending knowing a McLaurin extension (as well as one for Daron Payne) needed to be accounted for. However, there has clearly been little progress made since then.

The former third-rounder was expected to be present at OTAs, albeit without taking part in on-field work. However, it became known last month that McLaurin has been away from the team since the draft. That left the matter of his minicamp attendance in question. On that point, Jhabvala adds that it “seems unlikely” at this point that he will be present for the three-day mandatory practice period. In that event, the Ohio State alum would become subject to as much as $93K in fines, at the team’s discretion.

Moving towards a year which, given the addition of quarterback Carson Wentz and receiver Jahan Dotson in the first round of the draft, could see the Commanders improve on offense, the contract situation with their top wideout is set to remain a contentious issue for at least the immediate future.

Latest On Commanders, Terry McLaurin

May 24th, 2022 at 5:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Terry McLaurin was expected to skip the on-field portions of Washington’s offseason workouts, as he angles for an extension, the fourth-year standout was planning to be at the team facility for leadership purposes. That stopped weeks ago.

McLaurin began the team’s offseason program April 18 by participating in all team activities other than on-field work, but the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala notes the veteran wide receiver did not show up for the Commanders’ first OTA Monday and has not been with the team since the draft (Twitter links).

It should be expected McLaurin will not be on the field for any of Washington’s voluntary OTAs, absent an extension. Next month’s mandatory minicamp will be the next chapter here. McLaurin, 26, has not received a Pro Bowl invite but has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume. The Ohio State alum has been the centerpiece of Washington’s aerial attack since arriving as a 2019 third-round pick. This combination, coupled with other developments at the receiver position this offseason, makes for particularly interesting negotiations.

Declining to expand much on this situation, Ron Rivera said (via Jhabvala, on Twitter) the team continues to communicate with McLaurin and believes this situation will be resolved. Rivera said in February extensions for McLaurin and Daron Payne were on the docket, and a recent report indicated Washington spent cautiously in free agency because of its McLaurin extension plan. Of course, this offseason has brought an earthquake for the receiver market — one that has shaken up a few teams’ depth charts.

The Packers are believed to have made a comparable offer for Davante Adams, who chose to reunite with Derek Carr over staying in Green Bay. But Adams’ $28MM-per-year contract led to the Chiefs and Titans determining Tyreek Hill and A.J. Brown‘s post-Adams-deal asking prices were too high. Hill is now with the Dolphins on a receiver-record $30MM-per-year deal, while Brown is an Eagle on a $25MM-AAV contract. Brown’s pact, which is certainly relevant to McLaurin’s negotiations due to each being a 2019 Day 2 draftee, actually tops Hill’s for fully guaranteed money ($56.4MM) by a decent margin. That raises the stakes for the Commanders, Seahawks and 49ers, who each employ wideouts in the contract-year boat in which Brown previously resided.

Washington used a first-round pick on Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson, giving the team a well-regarded wideout prospect that can be under rookie-contract control through 2026. Although the Titans essentially replaced Brown with first-rounder Treylon Burks, the Commanders’ issues finding a McLaurin complementary wideout should point to the team going with a McLaurin-Dotson foundation for the foreseeable future. But the team will need to determine if McLaurin’s demands are worth it.

Commanders Preparing Extension For Terry McLaurin?

May 19th, 2022 at 9:09am CST by Adam La Rose

With one major domino having already fallen this offseason with respect to extension-eligible receivers, another could be soon to follow. The Commanders have positioned themselves in a way that makes a second contract for Terry McLaurin a distinct possibility.

As detailed by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Washington “spent mildly in free agency” this spring. Part of the reason for doing so, he continues, is the fact that the team “has budgeted for” a long-term deal with McLaurin. The 26-year-old has one season remaining on his rookie contract with a cap hit of just over $3MM.

As Fowler notes, however, that figure will spike considerably if/when the sides reach an agreement on a new deal. The former third rounder’s production has placed him amongst the top young players at the position; in three seasons, he has missed only two contests while averaging 74 receptions and 1,030 yards per campaign. Those numbers, considering the team’s quarterback situation throughout that span, make him a logical extension candidate.

The WR market has seen a dramatic upward trend this offseason, though. With the cost of top young wideouts increasing, McLaurin was named, along with fellow 2019 draftees Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown, as players choosing not to attend their respective teams’ offseason programs. While the latter has since been signed to a four-year, $100MM extension, doing so required the Titans trading him to the Eagles.

Extending McLaurin was listed after the season as a top priority by head coach Ron Rivera, but Fowler writes that the new going rate for top wideouts “looms large” in this situation. While the team could afford a slight uptick in his cap hit via a new deal, they still rank towards the bottom of the league in terms of overall financial flexibility. Nevertheless, they see McLaurin as “a true cornerstone piece”, meaning that a lucrative second contract being signed in the near future would come as little surprise.

WR Rumors: McLaurin, Parker, Harry

April 24th, 2022 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

The 2019 draft was rife with wide receiver talent, and a few WRs from that class — the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel, the Titans’ A.J. Brown, the Seahawks’ D.K. Metcalf, and the Commanders’ Terry McLaurin — have been prominently featured in PFR pages in recent weeks. That is largely because those players are extension-eligible for the first time this offseason, and they have all done enough in their first three professional seasons to command massive multi-year extensions.

Samuel, Brown, and McLaurin have elected to sit out at least the on-field portion of their teams’ offseason programs in their pursuit of new contracts, though Samuel is the only member of that trio to request a trade at this point. McLaurin, who has career averages of 1,030 receiving yards per year and 13.9 yards per reception despite a less-than-ideal QB situation, has not been mentioned as a trade candidate, and Washington head coach Ron Rivera said in February that he hopes to hammer out a new contract for McLaurin sooner rather than later.

The Commanders’ OTAs begin on May 23, and the club wants McLaurin on the field no later than that in order to start building chemistry with new QB Carson Wentz. ESPN’s Dianna Russini hears from her sources that a deal will indeed get done.

Now for more WR news and notes:

Shortly after the trade that sent DeVante Parker from the Dolphins to the Patriots, we heard that, while a number of other clubs were pursuing Parker, the 2015 first-rounder wanted to be dealt to New England. Albert Breer of SI.com confirms as much, and he passes along a quote from Parker himself. “I chose to get traded [to the Patriots],” Parker said. “My agent hit me up, just telling me what the situation was, and the options I had for the teams to go to. The first on my list was the Patriots. I’m just excited we were able to get everything done.” It is notable that the Dolphins not only allowed Parker a say in his next destination, but were willing to deal him to a division rival.
N’Keal Harry, a less successful member of the above-referenced 2019 class of wide receivers, may have been on his way out of New England even before the Patriots acquired Parker, but the Parker trade seemed to definitively signal an end to Harry’s tenure in Foxborough. He remains on the roster for now, but Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes that the Arizona State product was not with the team for the start of the offseason program last week. Harry’s agent says his client is training away from the team facilities, and that he and the Patriots continue to have “positive dialogue” about a potential trade (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network). 2022 will be a critical season for Harry, whose fifth-year option will almost certainly be declined and who will therefore be eligible for free agency next year.
The Jets are said to be “all in” on Samuel, but the 49ers are reportedly not even entertaining trade offers at this time.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has said Brown isn’t going anywhere, and it sounds as if Tennessee may have offered the 2020 Pro Bowler an extension with a $20MM AAV. Even if that’s the case, we do not know any of the more important details like guarantees and cash flow, and it sounds like there is still plenty of negotiating to be done before Brown puts pen to paper.

Chiefs Unlikely To Trade For Samuel, Other Top WRs

April 21st, 2022 at 10:01am CST by Adam La Rose

In the aftermath of Deebo Samuel‘s trade request, attention has turned to which teams could make the most sense as potential destinations. Given the state of their wide receiver room, the Chiefs have been named as a team which would, presumably, be interested in adding him. As noted by NFL Network’s Jeffri Chadiha, however, such a move doesn’t appear to be forthcoming (Twitter link).

He reports that a trade for not only Samuel, but other top young wideouts like A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf and Terry McLaurin “isn’t likely”. Brown and McLaurin are expected to skip the voluntary portions of their team’s offseason programs, leading to speculation they too could be on the move. Chadiha has been told, however, that those options “are probably all long shots at this point”.

The Chiefs traded away Tyreek Hill after they couldn’t reach an agreement regarding a new contract. They have since made two veteran additions in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but many expect more to come. Currently listed as having more than $18MM in cap space, Kansas City could easily accommodate the final year of those 2019 draftees’ rookie contracts, though negotiations on an extension would of course be another matter altogether.

The Chiefs also have the 29th and 30th overall picks in next week’s draft, so they will have the option to add a significant pass-catcher that way. It appears that – or the remaining waves of free agency – will remain the most likely route the team takes to try to maintain their passing attack’s strength in Hill’s absence.

Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin Won’t Participate In Offseason Programs

April 18th, 2022 at 9:06am CST by Adam La Rose

Three of the top wide receivers currently on their rookie contracts are taking steps to apply pressure to their respective teams regarding new deals. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown and Terry McLaurin are among the players not expected to take part in the on-field portion of their clubs’ offseason programs (Twitter link).

Those three were taken in the second and, in McLaurin’s case, third round of the 2019 Draft. As a result, Samuel and Brown are scheduled to make just under $4MM in 2022, while McLaurin is due $2.79MM. Those figures rank each player far lower down the list of wideout salaries than they will be when they sign a second contract, especially given the upward trend seen in the WR market this offseason.

Extensions signed by Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs are chief among the new deals comfortably averaging more than $20MM per season. As a result of other lucrative contracts handed out over the past month, the number of wideouts set to make or eclipse that mark is now nine. Between that fact, and the expected surge in the salary cap ceiling in the near future, a number of young receivers will be requesting sizeable new pacts as early as possible.

Samuel has long been named as a top financial priority for the 49ers. In 2021 especially, he demonstrated his unique ability in both the passing and running games, posting 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 total touchdowns. That led to a report last week claiming he will be seeking around $25MM per season.

Brown, meanwhile, had his worst statistical season in 2021. In 13 games, he still totalled 869 receiving yards and averaged nearly 14 yards per catch. He has two 1,000-yard seasons and a Pro Bowl to his name, and extension talks have begun between him and the Titans. As for McLaurin, his production despite inconsistent QB play has been impressive; he has recorded 222 receptions for 3,090 yards and 16 scores, making his extension a priority for Washington.

As Schefter notes, McLaurin will still attend the Commanders’ program, which starts today. Still, the fact that he and the others will not be on the field signals their desire to get extended before the final year of their rookie deals begins in the fall.

Commanders Want To Extend Terry McLaurin, Daron Payne

February 23rd, 2022 at 10:31pm CST by Ben Levine

A pair of notable Commanders are up for extensions, and it sounds like coach Ron Rivera wants to keep them around. In a conversation with Ben Standig of The Athletic, Rivera said he’s very interested in locking in wideout Terry McLaurin and defensive tackle Daron Payne for the foreseeable future.

“We have a tremendous amount of interest in making sure these guys are with us going forward,” Rivera said.

Despite being selected in the third round of the 2019 draft, it didn’t take McLaurin very long to make a name for himself. He finished that campaign with PFWA All-Rookie Team honors after compiling 919 receiving yards. The receiver kept it up during his sophomore and junior campaigns, combining for 164 receptions, 2,171 yards, and nine touchdowns between the 2020 and 2021 seasons (despite some inconsistent play from the quarterback position).

Payne had a bit more fanfare heading into the NFL after being selected with the 13th-overall pick in 2018. The 6-foor-3, 320-pound defensive lineman has started 58 of his 64 career games, including all 33 over the past two seasons. Payne finished the 2021 campaign with career-highs in tackles (61) and QB hits (15) to go along with 4.5 sacks.

Payne had his fifth-year option picked up last April, locking him in to a $8.529MM salary for 2022. McLaurin, meanwhile, is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and has a cap number of $3.04MM in 2022.

NFC East Notes: Dak, Howard, Giants

December 26th, 2019 at 5:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dak Prescott bet on himself and will finish with statistical benchmarks in several categories this season — including touchdown passes (26) and passing yards (4,599). The fourth-year Cowboys quarterback has a good chance of eclipsing his previous single-season passing high by over 1,000 yards. Despite Dallas’ disappointing season, team brass remain bullish on a long-term Dak re-up. Prescott and the Cowboys have been negotiating for months.

“I’m just not surprised,” Prescott said, via Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams, of the lack of a new contract. “… It’s the business. It’s my first time going through it. Not surprised by anything that comes from it — from the league, from the team, from whatever. Learning as I go.”

With March 10 being the deadline for franchise tenders to be applied, the Cowboys not reaching an extension with their quarterback opens the door to the prospect of tagging Prescott and letting Amari Cooper hit free agency. As of now, with no CBA in place, teams would be permitted to use both their franchise and transition tags come March. Just as they were throughout this past summer, the Cowboys’ negotiations will be a key component of the upcoming offseason.

One of two divisions still up for grabs, the NFC East features the Eagles and Cowboys vying for the division’s 50th championship. Here is the latest from the two contending teams, along with the Giants and Redskins.

With the Eagles cutting Jay Ajayi, the expectation was they’d have Jordan Howard back in the fold for Week 17. But that’s not necessarily the case. The fourth-year back met with doctors on Thursday, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, who adds Howard has not yet been cleared for contact (Twitter link). Howard has not played since Week 9 due to a shoulder injury. The Eagles are using Miles Sanders and Boston Scott as their primary backs, but Howard was the team’s rushing leader before going down.
The Redskins have already seen several starters’ seasons end early; they may see their breakout wide receiver miss the season finale as well. Terry McLaurin is in Washington’s concussion protocol, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. McLaurin (919 receiving yards) is just seven yards away from Gary Clark‘s 34-year-old franchise record for most by a rookie. A loss to Dallas would lock Washington in the No. 2 draft slot, which could well be Ohio State edge-rushing dynamo Chase Young.
Markus Golden‘s value-reestablishing Giants season included another positive development for the contract-year pass rusher. A stat correction turned a Golden half-sack into a full sack, giving him 10 for the season and a $1MM incentive bonus, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. The Giants gave Golden a one-year, $3.75MM deal this offseason. After two lost seasons, due largely to a 2017 ACL tear, Golden has his second 10-plus-sack campaign. He profiles as a Giants extension candidate and an intriguing UFA pass rusher, should he hit the market.

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