This Date In Transactions History News & Rumors

This Date In Transactions History: Seahawks Offer RB Marshawn Lynch “Huge” Extension

February 1st, 2021 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Marshawn Lynch was certainly unpredictable during his playing career. So, when it was reported six years ago today that the Seahawks had offered the running back a lucrative contract extension, not many were sure how the negotiations would unfold. Honestly, most fans and pundits were focused on Seattle’s Super Bowl matchup with New England scheduled for later that night.

Before we discuss how the story ultimately ended, let’s go back to February 1st, 2015. Lynch was coming off his fourth-straight Pro Bowl season, finishing with 1,673 all-purpose yards and a career-high 17 rushing/receiving touchdowns. He continued that performance in the postseason, including Super Bowl XLIX, when he ran for 102 yards and one touchdown. Of course, Lynch famously got snubbed when the Seahawks were within yards of a game-winning touchdown (and we all know how that game ended).

While the season may have ended in disappointment, there was no denying that Lynch was a key member of the Seahawks offense. With the veteran running back set to make only $5MM in 2015, Seattle’s front office understood that their star deserved a raise. So, they offered their running back an extension, and the terms started to leak out on this date six years ago. The new deal would pay Lynch $10MM in 2015 alone, and the “huge” extension was expected to keep Lynch in Seattle for the rest of his career.

Ultimately, Lynch signed that extension with Seattle in March of 2015, but it didn’t provide the long-term security that many expected, as the new deal was worth $24MM over two years. Unfortunately, Lynch was never really the same after inking his new contract. He was limited to only 417 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2015, and sports hernia surgery knocked him out of the lineup for the second half of the season. Lynch eventually made his return in the Divisional Round, a game the Seahawks ultimately lost to the Panthers.

A few weeks later, Lynch shocked the NFL by announcing his retirement. Of course, considering that aforementioned unpredictably, it didn’t take long for rumors to start popping up about a potential comeback. Ultimately, he returned to his hometown Raiders for the 2017 season, a deal that required the Seahawks to participate in a trade (considering they still held his rights). Lynch spent two seasons in Oakland, and he once against announced his retirement following the 2018 campaign.

Of course, that wasn’t the end for Beast Mode. With the Seahawks dealing with injuries to their running back corps, Lynch rejoined his former team late in the 2019 season. The veteran ended up playing in one regular season game and two postseason contests, and his three playoff touchdowns ultimately elevated him to fourth on the all-time list for postseason rushing touchdowns. Lynch seemingly learned from his previous retirements, as he kept the door opened for a potential return in 2020. As recently as December, the 34-year-old hinted that he’d still be willing to return to the league. However, he ended up sitting out the 2020 season.

We’ll probably never know the terms of the extension that was reported six years ago today, so it’s uncertain if either the Seahawks or Lynch ended up winning the negotiations. However, one thing is definitely certain: when news broke of an extension offer on this day six years ago, few would have guessed how the rest of Lynch’s career would unfold.

This Date In Transactions History: Eagles Sign TE Zach Ertz To Extension

January 25th, 2021 at 5:02pm CST by Ben Levine

With Zach Ertz coming off a career year and about to enter the final year of his rookie contract, the Eagles decided to back up the Brinks truck on this date five years ago. On January 25th, 2016, Philly signed their star tight end to a five-year extension (including an option for the final year).

The 35th-overall pick in the 2013 draft built off strong rookie and sophomore years and put together a breakout campaign in 2015. Ertz established himself as quarterback Sam Bradford‘s favorite target, hauling in 75 receptions for 853 yards and two touchdowns. As a result of his continued improvement, the Eagles committed to the then-25-year-old through the 2021 season.

Ertz ended up inking a five-year, $42.5MM deal that included $20MM in guaranteed money. At the time, his new $8.5MM AAV ranked fourth in the NFL among tight ends (behind Jimmy Graham, Julius Thomas, and Rob Gronkowski; the deal still ranked seventh this season behind George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Kyle Rudolph, and Gronk in 2020). The deal officially kicked in during the 2017 season, following the completion of Ertz’s rookie contract.

“Nothing could make me happier than knowing I’m going to be a member of the Philadelphia Eagles for years to come,” Ertz wrote at the time (on his blog).

The Eagles were also happy with the extension, at least temporarily. Ertz made a Pro Bowl in each of the first three years of his extension, including a 2018 campaign where he set the record for most receptions by a tight end in a single season (116, which went along with career-highs in receiving yards (1,163) and touchdowns (eight, tie)).

Following another Pro Bowl appearance in 2019, the Eagles predictably picked up Ertz’s option for the 2021 campaign, and it was assumed that the two sides would work on an extension throughout the 2020 campaign. However, following months of inaction, Philly’s extension offer came in lower than expected, putting an “abrupt halt” to the negotiations.

Things went a bit downhill after that; Ertz expressed doubt that the Eagles wanted to keep him long-term, and the tight end reportedly engaged in a shouting match with general manager Howie Roseman following a September practice. To add insult to injury (pun wasn’t really intended), Ertz landed on IR in late October. In total, Ertz finished the 2020 campaign having hauled in 36 receptions for 335 yards and one touchdown, all career-lows. At the end of the season, the veteran indicated that he’d still be open to sticking around Philly.

Ertz’s extension, signed five years ago, is looking like it won’t have the desired ending that both sides had hoped for back in 2016. Still, considering Ertz’s production between 2017-2019 and his continued standing as one of the NFL’s highest-paid tight ends, you could easily say the deal worked out for both sides.

This Date In Transactions History: Bengals Sign HC Marvin Lewis To Two-Year Extension

January 2nd, 2021 at 11:07am CST by Ben Levine

On this date in 2018, Cincinnati fans weren’t too high on Marvin Lewis. The Bengals head coach had just missed the postseason for the second-straight season, but it’s not like anyone would have had much faith in the team had they found a way to sneak into the playoffs. After all, Lewis had (and still has) his infamous 0-7 playoff record, with the head coach guiding the organization to first-round exits every year between the 2011 and 2015 campaigns.

So, with the team having only won 13 combined games between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, it only seemed natural to move on from Lewis, right? Nah. Instead, on January 2nd, 2018, the Bengals signed Lewis to a two-year extension that would last through the 2019 campaign. As an aside, Lewis had traditionally inked one-year extensions with the organization, so the two-year pact was met with plenty of ire.

A Bleacher Report article said the extension was a “commitment to mediocrity,” while Will Brinson of CBS Sports described the move as “stunning.” If you want a take on fan reactions, you can check out the comments section of our own article.

Lewis and the organization didn’t do much to calm fans’ nerves when discussing the extension. The coach acknowledged that he probably would have been fired in any other city (per USA Today), while Bengals President Mike Brown admitted that the team had recently “fallen short of our expectations.”

“My job is to win a World Championship,” Lewis said in a statement that day. “We have a talented roster full of veteran leaders and emerging young stars, and I am committed to making the necessary improvements to put this team in the best position to win.”

Critics of the extension were punching air through the five weeks of the 2018 season. With Lewis serving as the second longest-tenured head coach in the NFL (behind Bill Belichick), the Bengals held the top spot in the AFC North with a 4-1 record, and they entered their bye week at 5-3. Then the wheels fell off. The Bengals dropped five consecutive contests and finished the season with a 6-10 record. Raise your hand if you know what happened next. The Bengals and Lewis decided to mutually part ways with a year remaining on the coach’s contract.

Cincinnati bottomed out in 2019 with new head coach Zac Taylor at the helm, allowing them to snag Joe Burrow with the top pick. Lewis hasn’t really committed to returning to the NFL, but he’s still been connected to a number of openings. Over the past few years, Lewis has been linked to head coaching gigs in Washington and Dallas, and he interviewed for the lead position with the Texans in late December. The 62-year-old has been on the Arizona State coaching staff for the past two seasons.

When the extensions was signed three years ago today, Lewis and the Bengals organization probably weren’t envisioning their present-day status. Everyone else? I think we all saw this coming.

This Date In Transactions History: Eagles Place QB Carson Wentz On IR

December 12th, 2020 at 9:44am CST by Ben Levine

With Carson Wentz hitting the bench this weekend, it’s only appropriate to look back at one of the first notable transactions involving the quarterback. On this date in 2017, the Eagles placed Wentz on the injured reserve.

At this point three years ago, Wentz hadn’t yet been labeled as injury prone. The 2016 second-overall pick started all 16 games during his rookie season, with Wentz playing the second-most snaps in the NFL that year (per Football Outsiders). The young quarterback was also rolling during the 2017 campaign, helping the Eagles to an 11-2 record by tossing 33 touchdowns through 13 games (a performance that would ultimately garner him his lone Pro Bowl nod).

However, during Philly’s NFC-East-clinching Week 14 win over the Rams, Wentz suffered a torn ACL, ending his season. We all know what happened next; backup Nick Foles took over under center and helped guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl LII victory over the Patriots.

Wentz suffered (pseudo) season-ending injuries in both of the next two seasons. After missing the first two games of the 2018 season as he recovered from knee surgery, the quarterback regained his starting spot. A back injury ended up sidelining him for the remainder of the season and playoffs, with Foles again taking over as the starter. Wentz managed to appear in all 16 games during the 2019 campaign, but during his postseason debut, he suffered a head injury following a helmet-to-helmet hit with Jadeveon Clowney during the NFC Wild Card game. That first-quarter injury ultimately sidelined Wentz for the rest of the game.

Wentz managed to return from his concussion and start each of the Eagles 12 games in 2020. However, the 27-year-old’s performance took a significant dip; Wentz has connected on a career-low 57.4-percent of his passes, and he leads the NFL in sacks taken (50) and interceptions (15 vs. only 16 touchdowns). Doug Pederson ended up benching Wentz for rookie Jalen Hurts during the second half of last weekend’s loss to the Packers, and the 2020 second-rounder will get the start this weekend against the Saints.

On this date in 2017, there was still plenty of optimism surrounding Wentz; NFL.com listed him third in their ranking of the top-100 players heading into the 2018 campaign. Things obviously could have been a lot worse for the Eagles (the team can always point to their Super Bowl rings), but the transaction that took place three years ago today proved to be a sign of things to come.

This Date In Transactions History: Broncos Extend Brandon Stokley

December 8th, 2020 at 8:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Broncos of the late 2000s were not particularly successful and are better known for a controversial Mike Shanahan-to-Josh McDaniels transition, one player’s extension agreement 13 years ago today helped lead to some higher-profile NFL moments.

The Broncos signed Brandon Stokley to a one-year deal in the spring of 2007, adding the former Colts standout as part of their post-Rod Smith receiving corps. On Dec. 8, 2007, Stokley agreed to terms on a three-year extension to stay in Denver. This ended up paying dividends down the road.

Stokley ruptured an Achilles’ tendon late in the Colts’ Super Bowl-winning 2006 season, leading the team to release its slot receiver in March of ’07. Stokley had been part of the past four explosive Indianapolis offenses. This included a 2004 season that featured Peyton Manning breaking Dan Marino‘s touchdown pass record — on a throw to Stokley — and his veteran slot staple joining Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne in surpassing 1,000 receiving yards.

Stokley recovered from this injury quickly and amassed more than 1,100 yards in Shanahan’s final two Broncos seasons, but he was less productive under McDaniels. That said, the veteran wideout’s first catch in McDaniels’ offense produced one of the unlikeliest endings in NFL history (and set the table for a signature Gus Johnson call). Stokley’s 87-yard, game-winning touchdown off a deflection gave the Broncos a final-seconds victory over the Bengals in Week 1 of the 2009 season. Denver started 6-0 that season.

Although the Broncos ended up releasing Stokley in September 2010, his Colorado relocation played a part in one of the free agency era’s biggest transactions.

After seasons with the Seahawks and Giants in 2010 and ’11, Stokley circled back to Denver in 2012. This came after the Colorado resident helped recruit Manning and worked out with the future Hall of Fame passer during his Denver free agency visit. When the Broncos landed Manning, they brought back Stokley on a one-year agreement soon after. Despite being 36 in 2012, Stokley re-emerged with a 544-yard, five-TD season — which ended with a 13-3 Broncos record and Manning’s QB-record sixth first-team All-Pro honor — and added a touchdown reception in Denver’s divisional-round loss.

The Broncos did not bring back Stokley in 2013, having signed Wes Welker ahead of a record-setting offensive season. The 15-year veteran finished his career back in Baltimore that season. But Stokley played a part in some key developments for the Broncos this century.

This Date In Transactions History: Vikings Waive Donovan McNabb

December 1st, 2020 at 7:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kirk Cousins has been the first quarterback to open three straight seasons as the Vikings’ starter since Daunte Culpepper. In between, the franchise took several notable swings to fill the position. One of those came nine years ago, when Donovan McNabb made his third and final NFL stop.

The Vikings acquired McNabb from Washington in July 2011 — after the lockout’s conclusion led to the 2011 league year beginning just before training camp — by trading a sixth-round pick for the then-34-year-old passer. (That pick turned into Alfred Morris in 2012.) But after six starts, Minnesota benched the former Pro Bowler.

On Dec. 1, 2011, the Vikings waived McNabb in what then-HC Leslie Frazier described as a mutual decision that would free up McNabb to catch on elsewhere. That did not end up happening, and the ’11 season in the Twin Cities became McNabb’s 13th and final NFL campaign.

Culpepper’s severe knee injury in 2005 led the Vikings to a run of passers. They pivoted back to Brad Johnson following Culpepper’s career-altering setback and used a 2006 second-round pick on Tarvaris Jackson, who served as the team’s primary starter from 2007-08. Brett Favre notably replaced Jackson, but his retirement following the 2010 season left the Vikings again in need at quarterback.

The Eagles had completed the rare intra-division QB trade, ending McNabb’s Philadelphia tenure at 11 seasons by sending him to Washington in 2010 — months after he led the Eagles to a playoff berth and earned his sixth Pro Bowl nod. McNabb, however, did not replicate that form in Washington, finishing the ’10 season with a 14-15 TD-INT ratio.

In Minnesota, the former No. 2 overall pick produced a better QBR figure (55.3) than he did in Washington (48.2). But he threw just four touchdown passes in six starts and went 1-5 as the Vikes’ first-stringer. Frazier, who was with the Eagles when they drafted McNabb in 1999, benched the veteran for first-round pick Christian Ponder that October. The Eagles’ all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes, McNabb went unclaimed on waivers and ended up officially retiring as an Eagle in 2013. But his final game action occurred with the Vikings.

The Vikings have not needed quarterback stability to venture to the playoffs. Since Culpepper’s injury, each of the franchise’s six postseason berths came with a different QB1. Minnesota is keen on Cousins ending this unusual run, having signed him to a two-year, $66MM extension in March.

This Date In Transactions History: Giants Bench Eli Manning

November 28th, 2020 at 10:24am CST by Ben Levine

Three years ago today, it was looking like Eli Manning‘s career with the Giants was coming to an end. On November 28, 2017, the organization announced that they’d be benching the future Hall of Famer for Geno Smith (we know, we know…this isn’t actually a transaction, but it’s not everyday an organization releases a press release regarding a BENCHING).

“Geno will start this week,” said then-head coach Ben McAdoo. “Over the last five games, we will take a look at Geno, and we will also give Davis [Webb] an opportunity.”

While the move certainly came as a surprise, there was some merit to the decision. It was already a lost season for the Giants, as the team was out of the playoff picture with a 2-9 record. The organization apparently thought it was useful to evaluate their younger options as they looked ahead to the 2018 campaign.

On the flip side, there were also plenty of reasons to stick with the Manning. His illustrious resume included a 210-game starting streak, the then-second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history (behind Brett Favre (and since passed by Philip Rivers)). The Giants gave Manning the option to still start the upcoming games, but the veteran said it was “pointless” and disingenuous to start a game that he wouldn’t finish. Further, it wasn’t like the quarterback had even bad that bad during the 2017 campaign. Despite the team’s record, Manning had still completed 62.5-percent of his passes for 2,411 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions through the first 11 games…and that was with major injuries to wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall.

The move was instantly criticized around the NFL. Former Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said he was “very upset” by the decision, and many pundits suspected the move came from higher-ups like Jerry Reese and John Mara. Naturally, there were also a number of articles pertaining to trade theories, with the Jaguars, Broncos, and Cardinals listed as potential suitors.

How did the move work out? Not great. The Giants lost by seven to the Raiders with Smith under center. The former second-rounder did manage to complete 61.7-percent of his passes for 212 yards and one score, and he added 13 yards on the ground. However, he also had a fair of key fumbles that could have changed the Giants’ fortunes.

Days following the loss, McAdoo was fired, and interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo reinserted Manning back into the lineup. Manning proceeded to start the rest of the Giants games that season, and he started all 16 of their games in 2018. Manning’s career would ultimately come to an end following the 2019 campaign…but still, that was two years later than what many thought on this date in 2017.

This Date In Transactions History: Washington Claims Reuben Foster

November 27th, 2020 at 1:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The [Washington Football Team] has had its fair share of controversies. One of their most polarizing moves took place two years ago today, when they claimed linebacker Reuben Foster off waivers.

Foster stood as one of the NFL’s most talented linebackers. He was also a household name for all of the wrong reasons. The 2017 first-round pick was accused of roughing up his ex-girlfriend, Elissa Ennis, in February of 2018. Ennis went on to recant that story, but, in November, she alleged Foster of abusing her once again at the 49ers’ team hotel in Florida. The Niners dropped him soon after and no one expected him to be claimed off of the waiver wire.

Washington did just that, vowing to keep Foster on the straight-and-narrow and off the field until his legal situation was resolved.

“[We] fully understand the severity of the recent allegations against Reuben. If true, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone,” VP of player personnel Doug Williams said. “Let me be clear, Reuben will have to go through numerous steps, including the full legal process, an investigation and potential discipline from the NFL, as well as meetings with counselors associated with the team, before he will ever have the opportunity to wear the Burgundy and Gold as a player.”

Still, Foster has yet to actually take the field for the WFT. The ‘backer tore his ACL and MCL in his very first Washington practice, wiping out his 2019 season. Washington activated him this past August, but his lack of strength and explosiveness forced the club to park him on IR once again. Now in his final year under contract, it’s possible that Foster will never actually play a down in D.C. It’s also possible that Foster will never play again in the NFL — we won’t know for sure until the offseason when he gets re-evaluated.

This Date In Transactions History: Cardinals Extend Larry Fitzgerald

November 17th, 2020 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

Three years ago, Larry Fitzgerald was thought to be on his farewell tour. That, of course, was not the case. The Cardinals inked the legendary wide receiver to a new one-year extension worth $11MM, tying him to the team for at least one more year.

Fitzgerald was considering retirement, but the Cardinals talked him out of it with this re-up, which included a no-trade clause. It wasn’t necessarily an easy decision for the vet, who could have left on a high note. At the time of the deal, Fitzgerald led the NFC with 60 catches and was on pace for well over 1,000 yards. No player in league history ever registered more than 100 catches and 1,000 yards in an age-34 season — Fitzgerald did it with ease.

The deal didn’t necessarily guarantee that Fitzgerald would play in 2018 — it merely put the ball in his court. Fitzgerald went on to play and suit up for every game, matching kicker Jim Bakken for the most regular season games played in Cardinals history with 234. He also captured his eleventh career Pro Bowl nod and leapfrogged tight end Tony Gonzalez for second all-time in NFL receptions, behind Jerry Rice. Fitzgerald didn’t stop there — he’s now eclipsed Randy Moss and Terrell Owens on the all-time list with 17,000+ receiving yards. Once again, only Rice (22,895) tops him.

Fitzgerald is still doing his thing at the age of 37 and he’s still not quite ready to commit to retirement. What would it take for one of the league’s all-time legends to call it quits?

“You wouldn’t see me around here anymore if [we win the Super Bowl this year],” Fitzgerald said in September. “Another catch, another touchdown, another yard is not going to make more whatever – my legacy is pretty much cemented. I just want to win a championship, I want to compete for a division title. Those are the things that are important to me.”

This Date In Transactions History: Cardinals QB Carson Palmer Signs Extension, Tears ACL

November 10th, 2020 at 7:21pm CST by Ben Levine

In one of the more unfortunate post-extension-signing performances in NFL history (we’re assuming, considering the specificity of that statement), Carson Palmer tore his ACL shortly after inking an extension six years ago. We know, we know…Palmer officially inked his new deal on November 7th, and he subsequently suffered the injury on November 9th. However, on November 10th, 2014, we learned of the quarterback’s official diagnosis (head coach Bruce Arians also acknowledged that Palmer was heading to the IR) and (in a cruel twist) the full details of the extension. So, for the sake of this series, we’ll say this qualifies.

The story really begins in 2013. Following a three-year stint with the Bengals and Raiders that saw him go 12-27, Palmer was traded to the Cardinals for a few late-round picks. The former first-overall pick overcome a tough start to the season and finished the campaign with a 7-2 record in his final nine contests. In total, Palmer completed 63.3-percent of his passes for 4,274 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Palmer looked like a potential MVP candidate during the early part of the 2014 season. He threw for 11 touchdowns vs. only three interceptions and won each of his six games as a starter, and that proved to be enough to warrant an extension from the Cardinals front office. So, on November 7th, 2014, Palmer inked a lucrative three-year, $49.5MM deal, including a bit more than $20M in guaranteed money.

You probably already know what happens next. A few days after inking his extension, Palmer suffered an ACL tear in a win over the Rams. With Drew Stanton inserted into the lineup, the Cardinals went 3-4 the rest of the way, and they lost to the Panthers in the first round of the playoffs.

Fortunately, the story has a somewhat happy ending. Palmer returned to appear in all 16 games in 2015, earning his first Pro Bowl nod in nine years and finishing tied for second (with Tom Brady, behind Cam Newton) in MVP voting. The veteran also set career-highs in passing yards (4,671) and touchdown passes (35) while leading the Cardinals to a 13-3 record. Palmer ended up having a brutal game in an NFC Championship loss that postseason, but it was still a remarkable comeback for the quarterback.

Palmer spent two more seasons with Arizona before hanging up his cleats in 2018. Ultimately, this proved to be a solid ending to a story that got temporarily sidetracked six years ago today.

Load More Posts