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This Date In Transactions History News & Rumors

This Date In Transactions History Series

July 4th, 2018 at 8:10am CST by Zachary Links

For the last several weeks, we’ve been commemorating some of the NFL’s most interesting moves with our “This Date In Transactions History” series. In case you missed any of them, here’s a rundown of every entry:

This Date In Transactions History: NFL Suspends Dolphins’ Dion Jordan

July 3rd, 2018 at 8:02am CST by Zachary Links

In 2013, the Dolphins made defensive end Dion Jordan the highest selected University of Oregon product since Joey Harrington in 2002. Like Harrington, the selection of Jordan did not prove to be a good one.

Jordan, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, was only a part-time player as a rookie and his sophomore campaign did not get off to a promising start. On this date in 2014, Jordan was banned for the first four games of the season after a violation of the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

For his part, Jordan claimed that he tested “positive for stimulants that are banned under the NFL policy.” In September, his suspension was lifted as a part of the league’s overhaul of its drug policy, but he was immediately hit with another four-game suspension for a separate infraction. Jordan wound up missing the first six games of the 2014 season and underwhelmed in the ten games he did play.

In 2015, Jordan lost his entire season after the NFL found that he diluted one of his test samples. He was conditionally reinstated in 2016, but the Dolphins were forced to place him on the NFI list as he was recovering from a knee surgery that he did not inform the team about. After a second knee surgery in the fall, the Dolphins were fed up, and they opted against activating Jordan for the home stretch of the season.

The good news here is that Jordan may finally be on the right track. Last year, he hooked on with the Seahawks and showed promise in a small five-game sample as he tallied four sacks. This offseason, the Seahawks retained Jordan on a one-year, $1.9MM deal. He underwent a minor knee procedure in June, but Seattle expects to have him back in time for the preseason.

This Date In Transactions History: NFL Suspends Gates, McClain, Richardson

July 2nd, 2018 at 11:23am CST by Zachary Links

The days leading up to the Fourth of July aren’t necessarily a hotbed of activity in the NFL. But, sometimes, the league office will use the cover of the holiday weekend to drop some unfavorable news. That’s what the NFL did on July 2, 2015 when it announced the suspensions of three notable players. 

Three years ago today, the league announced suspensions for Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson, and Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain. All three players were banned for the first four games of the season – Gates for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy and McClain and Richardson for substance abuse policy violations.

Gates issued a statement soon after the suspension came down, saying that he tested positive for a substance that he was unaware was on the league’s banned list. At the time, it felt like the ban could signal the end of the Gates era in San Diego and the beginning of the Ladarius Green era. Green had flashed his immense physical tools in the past, but was buried behind Gates on the tight end depth chart. Green was productive in Gates’ absence, but Gates came storming back when he took the field and finished ahead of Green in all major statistical categories. In the following year, Green went on to sign an ill-fated contract with the Steelers and Gates remained as the team’s primary tight end.

Richardson’s suspension, meanwhile, probably hurt his standing with his team. Richardson’s suspension gave rookie Leonard Williams a chance to shine and further reinforced the perception of him as a bad teammate. The former first-round pick turned in the worst season of his career to date and lost upwards of $600K in salary and bonus money as a result of the suspension. The Jets tried hard to trade Richardson throughout the 2016 season, but could not find any takers. Then, just before the start of the ’17 campaign, they shipped him to the Seahawks for wide receiver Jermaine Kearse and a second-round pick.

McClain’s suspension was the result of violating the league’s substance abuse policy for a fourth time in his NFL career. In a statement, McClain vowed that he would “not break the rules of [his] profession in the future.” Unfortunately, he was unable to keep that promise. In 2016, McClain was suspended for substance abuse yet again, this time for ten games. He later failed another drug test midway through the season, and the NFL slapped him with an indefinite suspension. McClain has reportedly battled an addiction to “purple drank” (a mixture of codeine-based cold medication and soda) and there has been no word of a potential comeback in some time.

This Date In Transactions History: Rolando McClain

June 30th, 2018 at 9:11am CST by Ben Levine

When linebacker Rolando McClain was handed a 10-game suspension on this date in 2016, it was assumed he’d be back for the Cowboys’ late-season run. However, two years later, it’s uncertain if the 28-year-old will ever play in the NFL again.

The 2010 first-round pick had three productive seasons with the Raiders, although it was accompanied by its fair share of controversy. In 2012, he was booted from team practices after several incidents, and McClain subsequently took to Facebook to complain about the organization, going as far as to say that he wanted “to be anywhere besides here.” He was released by the team the next offseason before briefly catching on with the Ravens. However, less than a month after signing with Baltimore, McClain suddenly announced his retirement.

The Cowboys then took a bit of a risk trading for the linebacker in 2014, despite the fact that McClain had sat out the previous season. It ended up paying off for Dallas, as the linebacker would go on to appear in 13 games for his new team, compiling 81 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. He earned his first suspension from the NFL the following offseason, limiting him to only 11 games in 2015, although he still collected 80 tackles and a pair of sacks.

After signing another one-year deal with the Cowboys during the 2016 offseason, McClain was handed the 10-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He then failed another drug test midway through the season, and the NFL slapped him with an indefinite suspension. Following his third ban in two years, it doesn’t sound like McClain will be making a return anytime soon. Since he was suspended indefinitely, we’ve only heard one bit of news about McClain: a 2017 arrest for firearm and drug charges.

Two years ago today, the Cowboys were surely disappointed hearing about McClain’s suspension. However, it’s unlikely they would have thought that he’d be out of the NFL two years later.

This Date In Transactions History: Andrew Luck

June 29th, 2018 at 10:13am CST by Zachary Links

On this date two years ago, the Colts made Andrew Luck the highest-paid player in NFL history. Two years later, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the deal will pay off. 

[RELATED: Latest On Andrew Luck]

The Colts inked Luck to a five-year extension worth a whopping $122MM, with $87MM in overall guarantees and $47MM fully guaranteed at signing. Without the deal, Luck would have been eligible for free agency following the ’16 season. From there, the Colts could have retained Luck for an additional two seasons via the franchise tag at estimated values of $25MM and $35MM, but it would have put them in a difficult position down the road. Instead, both sides used Luck’s expected franchise tags amounts as a framework for talks and hammered out a deal.

With the contract, Luck leapfrogged Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers in average annual value. The deal made sense, but it did not come without risk. Luck was coming off of an injury-riddled, seven-game season in which he completed just 55.3% of his passes and logged 15 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.

Luck’s shoulder was largely a non-issue in 2016 as he threw for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns with a career-high 63.5 completion percentage. After the season, he went under the knife to fix his shoulder, and that’s where things started to get messy. First, Luck was held out of training camp and the preseason. Then, he was ruled out for week after week in the regular season. Finally, in November, the Colts were forced to place Luck on season-ending IR.

Luck finally was able to throw a regulation-sized football earlier this month, but questions remain about how effective Luck can be going forward. When healthy, Luck is one of the league’s best QBs and he has three Pro Bowl nods to back that up. Still, no one knows if his shoulder can withstand the punishment of a full season. The Colts will be married to the former No. 1 overall pick for a while, regardless of how things turn out.

Already, Luck’s $12MM base salary for 2018 and $6MM of his 2019 salary have become fully guaranteed. If the Colts want to push the eject button in 2019, it’ll leave them with $12.8MM in dead money versus $14.725MM in cap savings. Their first chance to move on from Luck with an impactful effect on the cap will come in 2020, when they can save $22MM by cutting him with just $6.5MM in dead money remaining.

The Colts and Luck are hoping that it won’t come to that. If Luck gets back to his old form this year, the mega deal he signed in 2016 will once again look worthwhile, and maybe even team-friendly.

This Date In Transactions History: Ed Reed

June 28th, 2018 at 8:20am CST by Zachary Links

In his prime, few players were more fearsome than safety Ed Reed. On this date in 2006, the Ravens rewarded Reed with a six-year, $40MM contract, making him the highest-paid player at his position in league history. 

The previous league-leading deal for safeties belonged to Adam Archuleta, who inked a six-year, $30MM deal with the Redskins in March of ’06. Reed blew past him on a rocket ship, and for good reason.

Reed became a starter as a rookie in 2002 and quickly cemented himself as a key cog in Baltimore’s defense. He notched 21 interceptions in his first three seasons and led the league with nine picks in 2004. Although he was held back by an ankle injury in 2005, the Ravens saw a Reed as a multiple-time Pro Bowler who was ready to get back to his old form.

“It was his time,” GM Ozzie Newsome said. “He has earned the contract.”

Indeed, the Ravens were right. Reed came back in a big way in ’06 as he started in every game and tallied five picks, plus two in the postseason. He earned Pro Bowl nods in every season from 2006 through 2012 and picked up four First-Team All-Pro nods in that span.

Reed earned his first ring in the Super Bowl following the 2012 season and notched his ninth career postseason interception in the big game. Although he was still productive, Reed and the Ravens went their separate ways in the offseason. Reed signed a three-year, $15MM deal with the Texans, but that deal was terminated midway through the ’13 campaign. He reunited with Rex Ryan by signing with the Jets, but he was unable to turn back the clock. After sitting out the 2014 season, Reed signed a one-day contract with Baltimore so that he could retire a Raven.

Reed’s final season on the field was forgettable, but the extension he signed with the Ravens in 2006 proved to be a win-win for both sides. Reed cashed in and gained financial security in a violent sport, and the Ravens got elite level production out of him for the majority of the deal.

This Date In Transactions History: Desmond Bishop

June 27th, 2018 at 6:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Five years ago today, the Vikings added what they presumed would be their new starting linebacker. Unfortunately, the veteran’s injury woes continued during his brief tenure in Minnesota.

On June 27th, 2013, the Vikings signed linebacker Desmond Bishop to a one-year contract. The 2007 sixth-round pick out of California had spent his entire career with the division-rival Packers, and he proved to be a revelation in Green Bay. After serving as mostly a backup during his first three seasons in the league, Bishop had a breakout campaign in 2010, finishing with 99 tackles (which was more than his previous three seasons combined). He also had a fumble recovery in his team’s Super Bowl XLV win over the Steelers.

His breakout campaign earned him a four-year, $19MM extension, and Bishop followed that up with an even better season in 2011. He ultimately established career-highs with 115 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles. Unfortunately, Bishop suffered a significant hamstring injury during the 2012 preseason, forcing him to miss the entire campaign. He ended up being released by the team prior to training camp in 2013.

After having visited the Chiefs and Vikings, Bishop ultimately decided to join Minnesota. While he was projected to slide into the team’s starting lineup, he lost the gig early on during the 2013 season. Then, in mid-October, the linebacker tore his ACL, ending his season. During his one year in Minnesota, Bishop compiled only five tackles in four games (one start). He’d later have brief stints with the Cardinals, 49ers, and Redskins.

Following a 2012 campaign that saw them go 10-6, the Vikings were probably hoping that Bishop would provide them with a veteran presence on defense (they even released former fourth-rounder Stanford Keglar to make the necessary roster space). Fortunately for Minnesota, they didn’t lock themselves into a long-term deal with the linebacker.

This Date In Transactions History: Julius Peppers

June 26th, 2018 at 12:12pm CST by Zachary Links

After a mysteriously quiet 2007, Julius Peppers mounted a strong comeback campaign in ’08. Then, on the heels of notching a career-high 14.5 sacks and helping the Panthers return to the playoffs, Peppers wanted out. Specifically, Peppers expressed a desire to join a team with a 3-4 scheme so that he could move from defensive end to linebacker. 

Peppers insisted that he would never sign a long-term deal with Carolina and tried hard to discourage the team from using the franchise tender on him in the 2009 offseason.

“The front office has been informed of my desire to explore opportunities with other NFL teams following the expiration of my contract next month,” Peppers said in a statement (via ESPN.com). “At this point in my NFL career, I am seeking new challenges that will allow me to grow, develop and reach my personal potential on the football field.”

The Panthers held firm, however, and applied the one-year, $16.7MM placeholder on their top defender. In theory, another team could have signed Peppers as a restricted free agent, but that would have required the forfeiture of two first-round picks on top of a mammoth contract. While he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Peppers abstained from offseason activities. The multiple-time Pro Bowler’s absence cast a serious shadow over the Panthers’ offseason and made the football world wonder whether the Panthers would cave and trade him.

Ultimately, Peppers’ agent was unable to find a suitable deal for him. And, on June 26, 2009, Peppers inked his one-year deal with the Panthers.

Peppers earned another Pro Bowl nod in 2009, and that proved to be the final season of his first Panthers run. After the season, the Panthers declined to use the franchise tag on him, allowing him to reach unrestricted free agency and to a six-year, $91.5MM deal with the Bears. When that deal was terminated in 2014, he stayed in the NFC North and signed with the Packers.

It took a while, but Peppers ultimately came full circle. In 2017, the veteran joined the Panthers on a one-year, $3.5MM deal. A few months later, the Panthers canned GM Dave Gettleman and brought back Marty Hurney as their top football executive, but there were no hard feelings between Peppers and Hurney. This past March, Peppers and Hurney shook hands on a new one-year, $5MM deal to keep the 38-year-old in Carolina.

This Date In Transactions History: Joe Horn Retires

June 25th, 2018 at 8:03am CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 2010, wide receiver Joe Horn officially called it a career. By signing a one-day deal with the Saints, Horn found the perfect way to ride into the sunset while also patching things up with the franchise that helped make him famous. 

Horn entered the league with the Chiefs in 1996, but he made his name with the Saints starting in 2000. Horn seemingly came from out of the blue to notch 94 catches, 1,430 yards, and eight touchdowns in his first season with New Orleans, earning him his first of four career Pro Bowl selections. Through the highs (helping the franchise to its first playoff victory), lows (a five-year playoff drought), and the in-between (hiding a cell phone in the goal post), Horn was out in front as one of the Saints’ premier players.

However, his Saints tenure ended on an awkward note in 2007 when he joined up with the rival Falcons. Things were a bit frosty between the outspoken wide receiver and the organization, but the two sides patched things up years later when he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.

“I appreciate the city that welcomed me, and I’m humbled by this day, ” Horn said (via the Times-Picayune). “When I was embracing Coach [Sean] Payton and we immediately started reliving the good times, I felt very good leaving that golf course.”

Horn tried hard to find success after his time with the Saints, but he was never able to replicate those results. At the age of 35, the Falcons used him as a bit player in 2007. He later auditioned for the Lions, Giants, and Titans, but did not find a deal in 2008 or 2009.

It only makes sense that the Saints and Horn put the ugliness behind them to focus on the positives. Although Marques Colston and Jimmy Graham pushed him down the list in many statistical categories, Horn is still third all-time in Saints history in touchdown receptions (50), receiving yards (7,622), and receptions (523).

This Date In Transactions History: Matt Cassel

June 24th, 2018 at 4:39pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

When the Patriots drafted Matt Cassel in the seventh round of the 2005 draft, nobody would’ve guessed that Cassel would go on to have a lengthy and significant NFL career. Cassel never started a game in college, he was a backup all four years at USC, but landed himself on NFL teams’ radars with a strong Pro Day performance. On this day 13 years ago, Cassel signed his rookie contract with the Patriots. 

It was a surprise when Cassel even made the Patriots’ initial 53-man roster in 2005, and even more of a shock that he continued to stick around. Eventually he worked his way from third string into being Tom Brady‘s primary backup. Cassel would entrench himself in NFL and Patriots history when Brady went down with a torn ACL in the first game of the 2008 season. Cassel stepped in and ended up starting the next 15 games for New England.

He led the Patriots to an 11-5 record while throwing for 3,693 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Although the Patriots became the first team since the NFL switched to their current playoff format to go 11-5 and not make the playoffs, it was an incredible season for Cassell. Just a couple months earlier beat writers had been predicting he would be cut from the team.

At the end of the year, the Patriots franchised tagged him and ended up trading him to the Chiefs for an early second round pick. Cassel would go on to make the Pro Bowl with the Chiefs in 2010, but flamed out soon after that and has bounced around the league as a backup ever since. He’s spent time with the Chiefs, Vikings, Bills, Cowboys, and Titans since his magical season in New England. This past April, he signed a one-year deal with the Lions.

The seventh round pick who hadn’t started a game in high school somehow saw himself quarterbacking the Patriots to an 11-5 record and earned himself a spot in the NFL for the next decade. It was a great pick by the Patriots, who ended up getting a season of stellar quarterback play and a second round pick for the 230th pick in the 2005 draft. And it all started on this day, 13 years ago.

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