HEADLINES

Zay Jones

NFC West Notes: Greenlaw, Seahawks, Rams

April 5th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Not only did the Broncos manage to withstand an 11th-hour 49ers push for Dre Greenlaw, the AFC West team appears to have won out for the talented linebacker despite submitting a lesser offer. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch trekked to Greenlaw’s Texas home to convince the longtime Fred Warner wingman to stay, and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch notes this mid-March meeting involved the team topping the Broncos’ offer. It is not known if San Francisco beat Denver’s overall number ($31.5MM) or guarantee at signing ($11.5MM), but Branch points to Greenlaw’s injury history keeping the 49ers from a substantial effort to retain the six-year veteran, who was on the team’s radar for a third contract. Greenlaw, 27, missed most of the 2021 season with a groin injury and played only a handful of snaps after suffering an Achilles tear in the first half of Super Bowl LVIII.

The Broncos will bet on Greenlaw and ex-49ers teammate Talanoa Hufanga returning to full strength, while the 49ers have Dee Winters — a 2023 sixth-round pick who started 10 games last season — in place as the top internal option to complement Warner. The draft could change this equation, but the 49ers have stood down on the veteran front after their regrettable De’Vondre Campbell stopgap investment in 2024.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Not on the level of Greenlaw’s departure, Laken Tomlinson‘s Texans defection still leaves the Seahawks with a guard need once again. The team hosted Teven Jenkins, Lucas Patrick, and John Schneider also said (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson) a meeting with Jaguars RFA Cole Van Lanen occurred. No offer sheet emerged for Van Lanen, who has three career starts. The Jags gave Van Lanen the low-end RFA tender ($3.26MM). Seattle still has RG starter Anthony Bradford contracted, but Schneider said no veteran addition would be likely until after the draft. That is when Tomlinson arrived last year, but the draft will be a place to look here for the Seahawks.
  • Cooper Kupp‘s three-year, $45MM Seahawks deal features an important 2026 date. The team guaranteed the former All-Pro receiver $17.5MM at signing, but $26.5MM in total. Kupp will see the remaining $9MM shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer notes. Seattle could escape the Kupp contract, should the homecoming not prove a fit, for $8MM in 2026 dead money (due to signing bonus proration).
  • Additionally, the Rams did not designate Kupp a post-June 1 cut, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue adds. This created a $22.26MM dead money bill for the team. It had been assumed the Rams would attempt to halve that by using the post-June 1 option, which would have spread part of the bill into the 2026 offseason. Although this is a lofty single-player dead cap hit, the Rams will be free of the Kupp contract after this year.
  • The Seahawks will deviate from their usual approach by adding a fullback, it appears. Importing Klint Kubiak‘s offense will mean a likely fullback inclusion, as Schneider said (via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar) the team is looking to add one via the draft or free agency. While the likes of Mack Strong and John L. Williams once thrived in Seattle, the team has not used a fullback regularly in many years. Kubiak’s offense, derived from his father’s attack, does make use of the niche position, however.
  • Returning to the topic of Seahawks contracts, they made a much cheaper receiver investment by signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The brief Kubiak Saints option agreed to a one-year deal worth $4MM in base value ($3MM guaranteed), per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. While this is far less than MVS played for in Kansas City, it beats his Buffalo and New Orleans pacts.
  • The Cardinals‘ second Zay Jones contract also checked in south of the initially reported value. Pegged at $4.4MM, Jones’ deal is worth $2.4MM in base value, Balzer notes. Arizona guaranteed the veteran only $1.3MM. Jones, who turned 30 last week, caught just eight passes for 84 yards with the Cards last season.

Cardinals Re-Sign WR Zay Jones

March 11th, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Zay Jones joined the Cardinals on a one-year deal last offseason. That has proven the be the case again on his latest Arizona pact, but the veteran receiver has earned a raise for 2025.

Jones has agreed to a one-year, $4.4MM deal, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. That marks a healthy bump in pay compared to the $2.25MM pact he played on in 2024. The 29-year-old will be counted on to remain a secondary member of the team’s passing attack. The deal is now official, per a team announcement.

Jones’ most productive season to date came during his first of two seasons with the Jaguars in 2022. He recorded 823 yards and five touchdowns on 82 catches. After a less impactful follow-up campaign, Jones was released, leading to his one-year run with the Cardinals in 2024. That did not get off to a welcomed start, of course, as he was hit with a five-game suspension to begin the campaign.

Upon returning to the lineup, Jones made 11 appearances but he only saw a snap share of 35%. That sparse usage resulted in just eight scoreless catches, but a raise will no doubt come with increased expectations in 2025 for the former second-rounder. Arizona ranked 18th in passing yards last season, and Jones will have a role in aiming to improve in that department.

The Cardinals have 2024 No. 4 pick Marvin Harrison Jr. along with Michael Wilson at the receiver spot. Tight end Trey McBride (who could soon have an extension near the top of the position’s market in place) is in line to remain a focal point of the team’s offense. Jones should occupy a secondary role in the passing game, and increasing his production from last year will help his free agent market in 2026.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/14/24

October 14th, 2024 at 6:39pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest transactions from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Houston Texans

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Jones will get to make his Cardinals debut in Week 7 after serving a five-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Arizona requested and received a one-week roster exemption so Jones could get acclimated to his new offense before being added to the 53-man roster. He will bring a veteran presence to a young Cardinals receiver room that lost Marvin Harrison Jr. to a concussion on Sunday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/7/24

October 7th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the minor moves made around the NFL on Monday:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Received one-game roster exemption: WR Zay Jones

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Received one-game roster exemption: DT Mike Hall

Green Bay Packers

Philadelphia Eagles

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Both Jones and Hall were issued suspensions under the personal conduct policy leaving them sidelined for the first five weeks of the season. Their roster exemptions will allow them to make their debuts in Week 6, but after that point a corresponding move will be needed for them to be permanently activated to their respective 53-man rosters.

Lemieux served as New Orleans’ starting center in Week 4 after being promoted from the practice squad. He stepped into a first-team role in place of Erik McCoy, who is dealing with a groin injury. Losing Lemieux for at least the next four games will deal another blow to the Saints’ O-line. Connor McGovern was added to the mix recently, but Lucas Patrick has received the nod at center to begin the team’s Week 5 matchup.

Cardinals WR Zay Jones Handed Five-Game Suspension

August 23rd, 2024 at 2:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

A second suspension has been announced Friday afternoon. Cardinals wideout Zay Jones has been issued a five-game ban for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Jones was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in November. That charge wound up being dropped in March, but the NFL typically conducts its own investigations into such situations. That proved to be the case for Jones, who will now see his Cardinals debut delayed by more than one month.

The 29-year-old has spent time with three teams so far in his career, making 104 appearances and 67 starts. Jones was with the Jaguars in 2022 and ’23, and he recorded career highs in catches (82) and yards (823) during his first campaign in Jacksonville. Last season saw a step back in production and only nine games played, though, leading to his release.

The Jaguars made a number of receiver moves this offseason, bringing in Gabe Davis in free agency and selecting Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the draft. Those additions will help offset the departure of Calvin Ridley and the decision to part ways with Jones. The latter took visits with several teams before signing with the Cardinals on a one-year, $2.25MM deal.

The former second-rounder was set to compete for a starting spot with second-year wideout Michael Wilson as the Cardinals prepare to use fourth overall selection Marvin Harrison Jr. as their WR1. Today’s news will leave Arizona – a team which lost Marquise Brown in free agency – shorthanded in the receiving corps during the fall. This ban will keep Jones sidelined for a notable stretch and no doubt hinder his market value next spring.

Arizona also has the likes of Mack Wilson, Zach Pascal and Greg Dortch on the receiver depth chart. Expectations will be high for Harrison and Wilson early in the season, but Jones’ return will provide experience to the pass-catching group. The time at which that takes place – pending a succesful appeal – will not come until October, however.

NFL Contract Details: Singletary, Jones, Peat

May 27th, 2024 at 6:48pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on recent new contracts around the NFL:

  • Devin Singletary, RB (Giants): Three years, $16.5MM. We had a number of details on Singletary’s contract in our original report, especially noting that the veteran rusher would have the ability to earn up to $3MM in incentives. Thanks to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, we now know how he can earn around $1MM of those incentives. $625K will be available based on his performance; Singletary can earn $125K for reaching 1,100 combined rushing and receiving yards, an additional $250K for 1,200 yards, and another $250K for 1,300 yards. The remaining $325K of the amount previously mentioned would come from playing time. Singletary can earn $125K for playing 56 to 65 percent of New York’s offensive snaps and an additional $250K for playing 66 percent or more.
  • Zay Jones, WR (Cardinals): One year, $2.25MM. In our original post, we noted that Jones’ deal will be worth up to $4.25MM. OvertheCap.com lists his contract value at the $2.25MM amount listed about. The deal has a guaranteed amount of $1.15MM consisting of $650K of his 2024 base salary (worth a total of $1.41MM) and a $500K signing bonus. Jones can also earn a per game active roster bonus of $340K for the season.
  • Andrus Peat, OL (Raiders): One year, $2MM. We didn’t see much in initial reports on Peat’s deal with Las Vegas on salary, but thanks to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, now we know that his contract will be for the $2MM-figure noted above. Underhill also tells us that Peat’s deal will include a guaranteed amount consisting entirely of a $450K signing bonus.

WR Rumors: Chiefs, OBJ, Giants, Packers

May 15th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rashee Rice faces eight felony charges in connection with a hit-and-run incident earlier this year; the second-year Chiefs wideout has since been accused of punching a photographer in the face at a nightclub. On top of that, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes teams were aware a previous incident — while Rice was at SMU — ahead of last year’s draft. Believing former SMU basketball player Kendric Davis was seeing his girlfriend, Rice and others attended a Mustangs basketball game. Rice or a member of his party, per intel gathered during the pre-draft process, fired multiple bullets into Davis’ car, which was empty at the time. The Chiefs, who have displayed a rather high tolerance for off-field issues, chose Rice 55th overall in 2023 and saw him fare well during the team’s Super Bowl LVIII-winning season.

The incident at SMU did not produce a police report, Florio adds, but it would factor into any potential punishment Rice receives under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The Chiefs are bracing for a suspension. While Rice is facing the eight felony charges, he is still viewed as a key part of Kansas City’s offense. The promising wideout attended the first phase of Kansas City’s offseason program virtually.

Here is the latest from the wideout landscape:

  • The Chiefs joined the Cardinals, Titans and Cowboys in meeting with Zay Jones last week. While the recent Jaguars cut ended up signing with the Cardinals, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds he was also interested in joining the Chiefs. Jones landed a one-year deal worth up to 4.25MM. Rice’s issues are likely spurring the Chiefs on the receiver front, as they have already signed Marquise Brown and traded up in Round 1 for Xavier Worthy. A Rice suspension is not a lock to commence during the 2024 season, but it certainly could. It appears the Chiefs are preparing a contingency plan, though the free agent market is obviously thin at this point.
  • One of the other receivers recently taken off the market, Odell Beckham Jr. joined Jones in signing a one-year deal. The Dolphins closed a lengthy back-and-forth with the veteran target, giving him a $3MM deal. But OBJ could see that figure more than double through incentives. The Dolphins must finish as a top-20 offense to trigger any Beckham escalator, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, but the yardage totals are achievable. Beckham would earn $400K for reaching 566 yards (his 2023 Ravens total), another $800K for 650 and an additional $1MM for 800 yards. Just 36 receptions would produce a $400K payment, with 45 and 55 catches respectively representing the $800K and $1MM triggers on the catch front. Payments of $400K and $450K are respectively in place for four and six touchdowns.
  • Brian Daboll said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) the team’s Allen Robinson addition does not have any bearing on the situation with Darius Slayton. The team’s leading receiver in four of the past five seasons, Slayton is staying away from Giants voluntary offseason work in pursuit of an adjusted contract. Slayton’s two-year, $12MM deal does include a fully guaranteed salary ($2.6MM) this year, but the sixth-year pass catcher is aiming for more. Robinson, who is coming off three consecutive down seasons, received the veteran minimum (with just $25K guaranteed) to sign.
  • Alex McGough spent all of last season on the Packers‘ practice squad, re-emerging in the NFL after winning USFL MVP honors in 2023. The Packers are giving the veteran reserve QB an unusual assignment this year. They have moved McGough to receiver, Matt LaFleur said recently (via Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams). McGough worked as a receiver during practice at points last season. The Packers are team No. 5 for the 2018 Seahawks draftee. Green Bay used McGough as its third QB last season. It appears Tulane’s Michael Pratt, a seventh-round pick, has a decent shot to be the passer behind Jordan Love and Sean Clifford this season.

Cardinals To Sign WR Zay Jones

May 10th, 2024 at 10:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

A four-visit week did well to show Zay Jones commanded extensive interest following his Jaguars release. The veteran wide receiver will end up in Arizona, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting the Cardinals have a deal in place.

Jones also met with the Titans, Cowboys and Chiefs this week, setting up an interesting mid-offseason derby for a player who worked as a two-season starter in Jacksonville. Jones will now team with Marvin Harrison Jr. in Arizona. Jones’ deal will be worth up to $4.25MM, Rapoport adds.

The Cardinals received the second visit on a Jones tour that effectively showcased both his value and the state of the WR free agent market. The Titans appeared to take themselves out of the running early, reaching a deal with Tyler Boyd. Of the remaining three teams, the Cardinals appeared to feature the biggest need. Although Harrison is set to anchor Arizona’s receiving corps in Kyler Murray‘s sixth season, Jones will bring considerable experience to an equation that features questions behind the No. 4 overall pick.

A few veteran wide receivers have departed Arizona in recent years. A.J. Green retired after the 2022 season; soon after, the Cardinals released DeAndre Hopkins. This offseason, the Cards let Marquise Brown walk (to the Chiefs) in free agency and traded slot target Rondale Moore to the Falcons. The Brown and Moore exits left the likes of Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch as the top Cards holdover receivers. The past few weeks have changed that outlook.

The Jaguars released Jones shortly after their WR plan came to fruition during the draft’s first night. Nineteen picks after Harrison became this year’s first wideout drafted, Brian Thomas Jr. was the fourth. The LSU product being ticketed for Jacksonville led to the team removing Jones’ $8MM-per-year deal from its payroll. Jones, 29, will soon begin work for a fourth NFL team. The Bills drafted Jones in the 2017 second round but traded him to the Raiders during the 2019 season. The Jags signed both Jones and Christian Kirk during the 2022 offseason.

Jones’ Jags tenure featured a good start and an underwhelming second chapter. The 6-foot- 2 target proved some skeptics wrong by amassing a career-high 823 receiving yards to go with five touchdowns in 2022, helping the Jags to the playoffs. He became Trevor Lawrence‘s leading target in the postseason, totaling 13 receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown. This included a 39-yard score in the Jaguars’ 27-point comeback win over the Chargers and 83 yards in a narrow divisional-round loss to the Chiefs. Last season, however, Jones battled PCL and femur injuries, missing eight games and totaling 321 yards.

Working as an outside receiver in Jacksonville’s offense, Jones did boost Calvin Ridley, whose three 100-yard receiving efforts came with the 200-pound starter on the field. The East Carolina alum’s down 2023 also included a misdemeanor domestic battery charge in November. That will put Jones at risk of a suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The Cardinals clearly feel comfortable with Jones’ status to complete this signing.

Rebuffing trade interest for the No. 4 slot, the Cardinals were intent on upgrading Murray’s receiving corps. They will see if Jones can become a reliable supporting-caster to start Harrison’s career.

NFL Workouts: Jones, Ward, Summers, Tagovailoa

May 8th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Veteran wide receiver Zay Jones continues to make the rounds after getting released by the Jaguars last week. Since then, the 29-year-old pass catcher has taken visits with the Titans, Cardinals, and Cowboys. The newest report has Jones scheduling a visit with the Chiefs tomorrow, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

An impressive 2022 campaign that saw Jones catch 82 balls for 823 yards and five touchdowns, all career highs except for the touchdowns, was virtually erased by a disappointing 2023 campaign in which the receiver missed eight games due to a PCL issue and femur damage. The Jaguars opted not to finish out Jones’ final season of a three-year contract, for which Jones would have represented a $6.57MM cap charge.

In Kansas City, Jones could be a part of a completely new-look wide receiving corps for Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs have added Marquise Brown in free agency and Texas first-round rookie Xavier Worthy in the draft. They also return Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, and Noah Gray from last year, but Rice could be facing some legal trouble, and if healthy, Jones would be an improvement over the other three while playing alongside Brown and Worthy.

Here are a few other workouts happening around the NFL:

  • Career depth running back Jonathan Ward is participating in the Steelers rookie minicamp, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Over four years with the Cardinals and Titans, Ward only has 69 career rushing yards on 17 carries. He’s proven to be an active special teams contributor during that time, though.
  • The Broncos took a look at veteran linebacker Ty Summers at their rookie minicamp this past weekend, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. Summers only has one career start over five years with the Packers, Jaguars, and Saints but has appeared in 71 games over that span. A linebacker with some speed, Summers is a productive special teamer, as well.
  • After agreeing to participate in the Seahawks’ rookie minicamp, undrafted Maryland quarterback, and brother of the Dolphins’ starting passer, Taulia Tagovailoa will attend the Cardinals‘ rookie minicamp this week, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The rookie will audition to join last year’s fifth-round pick Clayton Tune and 2022’s third-round pick for Atlanta Desmond Ridder as potential backup arms for Kyler Murray in 2024.
  • An undrafted linebacker who graduated from Harvard before playing as a graduate transfer at Villanova, Daniel Abraham has been invited to minicamps for both the Falcons and the Seahawks, per Wilson. The speedy linebacker obviously poses some interest due to both his athleticism and his intellect.

Cowboys To Meet With WR Zay Jones

May 8th, 2024 at 8:49am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars’ Zay Jones release moved an experienced wide receiver to the market post-draft, and teams have taken notice. Jones is set to log a third free agency visit this week.

Already meeting with the Titans and Cardinals, Jones is now heading to Dallas. The Cowboys are bringing in the veteran pass catcher for a Wednesday meeting, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets. The Titans have since signed Tyler Boyd, seemingly removing them from this mid-offseason derby.

Jones, 29, would stand to provide Dallas some insurance against 2022 third-round pick Jalen Tolbert not being ready to become a regular. The Cowboys cut Michael Gallup just before part of his 2024 salary was to become guaranteed, and the NFC East team did not address the receiver position early in the draft. The Cowboys waited until Round 6 to add a wideout, selecting Ryan Flournoy out of Division I-FCS Southeast Missouri State.

[RELATED: Raiders Sign WR Michael Gallup]

This fit certainly seems like it would appeal to Jones, who is a Dallas native. The son of former Cowboys linebacker Robert Jones — a starter on each of Dallas’ three 1990s Super Bowl-winning teams — Zay played at Stephen F. Austin High and trekked to East Carolina for college before becoming a Bills second-round pick in 2017. Zay Jones played a regular role for the Jaguars over the past two seasons, but after the team added Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round, it moved on from the two-year starter’s $8MM-per-year contract.

The 6-foot-2 target fared much better in 2022 compared to last season. After fetching a somewhat surprising three-year, $24MM deal from a Jags team committed to upgrading its roster talent in free agency that year, Jones tallied 823 receiving yards and five touchdowns to help the team win the AFC South. Jones then became a key part of the Jags’ 27-point wild-card comeback, catching eight passes for 74 yards and a score against the Chargers. The seven-year vet then led the Jags with 83 receiving yards in a narrow divisional-round loss to the Chiefs. Last season, however, Jones produced just 34 catches for 321 yards. He played in only nine games.

Jones did not make any trips to IR last season but missed six games in a seven-week span over the campaign’s first half. These absences came about because of a PCL issue and femur damage, Jones later admitted. This affected Calvin Ridley‘s season as well, as the veteran’s biggest games came when Jones was on the field. All four of Ridley’s 100-plus-yard showings came in games Jones played. Ridley defected to the Titans, leaving Christian Kirk as the only piece of the team’s previous WR trio left.

The Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks in place as their top two wideouts. Lamb’s slot capabilities would stand to pair with Jones’ outside game. Tolbert has not shown too much since becoming a 2022 third-round pick, though he did make progress last season by hauling in 22 passes for 268 yards and two scores. A Jones addition would probably cut into the South Alabama alum’s time.

It can be argued the Cardinals need more help by comparison, despite Marvin Harrison Jr.‘s arrival, but Jones being from Dallas adds some intrigue here. Barring the former Bills and Raiders target setting an unrealistic asking price, it seems he will have a new home soon.

Load More Posts