This Date In Transactions History News & Rumors

This Date In Transactions History: Packers Re-Sign TE Robert Tonyan

April 10th, 2022 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Three years ago today, the Packers re-upped a relatively unknown tight end on their 90-man roster. The move went unnoticed by many, but it proved to be one of the savviest pickups of the offseason. On April 10, 2019, the Packers re-signed tight end Robert Tonyan.

The Indiana State product went undrafted in 2017, but he managed to secure a lucrative three-year, $1.66MM deal with the Lions. He didn’t end up making the regular season roster, and he spent the majority of his rookie year as a free agent before catching on with the Packers practice squad. Following that 2017 campaign, Green Bay retained the young tight end via a futures contract.

Tonyan ended up sticking the team in 2018, appearing in all 16 games. However, other than a memorable 54-yard touchdown catch, the tight end didn’t do much on the offensive end, and he ended the season having appeared more on special teams (191 snaps) than on offense (67). Still, the Packers apparently believed in his potential, as they extended him a tender as an exclusive rights free agent. That decision (and the subsequent negotiations) culminated in the minor move that was made three years ago today.

Tonyan’s 2019 campaign was similar to his 2018 season; he saw a bit more offensive responsibility, but he still didn’t put up notable numbers. Following that season, the Packers made him an exclusive rights free agent once again, and the player ultimately signed the tender.

The tight end rewarded the Packers’ confidence with a breakout season in 2020. The then-26-year-old emerged as one of Aaron Rodgers‘ favorite targets, finishing the season with 52 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. He continued producing in the playoffs, hauling in eight catches for 82 yards and one score in two games.

Tonyan was slapped with a second-round tender last year, locking him into a $3.3MM salary for 2021. In 2021, Tonyan got off to a similar start, minus the massive red-zone impact. Unfortunately, his season was cut short by a torn ACL in a Week 8 game against the Cardinals, but the Packers believe that he’ll make a full recovery. Despite the uncertainty, Tonyan is back on a new one-year, $3.75MM deal for 2022.

This Date In Transactions History: Cowboys Release Tony Romo

April 4th, 2022 at 1:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Five years ago today, the Cowboys released longtime quarterback Tony Romo. At least, that’s how the official record reads. Romo — who had ceded the starting job to rookie Dak Prescott in 2016 — retired in order to begin his broadcasting career.

“We wish Tony and his family nothing but the best,” said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. “As an organization, we did what he asked us to do in terms of his release, and we wanted to do what was ultimately in his best interest and in the best interest of his family. Tony has been a wonderful representative of the Cowboys organization for 14 years, and he left everything he had on the field. He will leave us with many great memories and a legacy of being, truly, one of the greatest players in Cowboys history. We are thrilled for him and his family that he will be able to continue working as a professional in the game he so dearly loves. He is a young man who is just getting started on a long journey in life. All the best my friend.”

Romo, who was on the verge of his 37th birthday, took over for Phil Simms at CBS. His health, he said, wouldn’t allow him to continue playing football. Still, even with his surgically-repaired back, the nature of his retirement led to lots of speculation. After the Cowboys granted his release, Romo was now free to sign with any team. At one point, he considered joining up with the Jets, but ultimately declined. Over the summer, Romo continued to leave the door open ever so slightly, saying that he wouldn’t rule out returning to the Cowboys in an emergency situation. That emergency call never came in though, and Romo has been in the booth ever since.

In effect, this all played out as a standard retirement. Romo didn’t leave the game exactly the way he wanted to, but he did complete a league-high 69.9% of his passes in 2014, his last full season. All in all, Romo collected four Pro Bowl nods over the course of his career in Dallas while earning upwards of $127MM in NFL earnings alone.

This Date In Transactions History: Patriots Trade Brandin Cooks To Rams

April 3rd, 2022 at 6:19pm CST by Zachary Links

When Brandin Cooks was traded to the Patriots in 2017, there was hope that the wideout would stick around New England as one of Tom Brady‘s top targets. About 13 months later, Cooks tenure with the team had come to an end. On this date in 2018, the Patriots traded the wide receiver to the Rams.

Cooks was plenty productive during his lone season in New England, with the wideout leading the air attack (alongside Rob Gronkowski) following Julian Edelman‘s season-ending injury. The receiver finished the regular season having hauled in 65 receptions for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns, and hee continued producing in the postseason, catching another 19 receptions for 292 yards.

That performance apparently wasn’t enough, as the Patriots sent him out on April 3, 2018. Perhaps the team was wary of Cooks’ impending free agency following the 2018 campaign, or perhaps they thought Brady and Bill Belichick‘s clout would land them a comparable (and/or cheaper) receiver via free agency. Either way, New England ultimately sent Cooks and a fourth-rounder to the Rams in exchange for a first-rounder (a pick that eventually turned into lineman Isaiah Wynn) and a sixth-rounder. The Rams subsequently signed the receiver to a pricey five-year, $81MM extension (including $50.5MM guaranteed).

Even though Cooks didn’t last all that long is Los Angeles, it’s hard to be too critical of the Rams. Cooks had a 1,200-yard season during his first year with the Rams, but he fell off in 2019, compiling only 635 yards from scrimmage in 14 games. Following the season, the Rams paired Cooks with a fourth-rounder and sent him to the Texans for a second-rounder (which ultimately turned into receiver Van Jefferson).

Similarly, it’s hard to be too critical of the Patriots; after all, Wynn was a fine consolation. However, the Patriots’ motivation for the trade has never really been explained. While the financial reasons were obvious, it was assumed that the organization would subsequently replace Cooks spot in the lineup. The team was also especially shallow at wideout after Danny Amendola signed with the Dolphins.

While New England would be connected to a number of receivers throughout that 2018 campaign, the team never did anything to significantly improve their receiver corps. That 2018 squad finished without a 1,000-yard receiver, with running back James White leading the squad in receptions. Per usual, that didn’t end up mattering all that much; the Patriots still won the Super Bowl that season after beating (you guessed it) the Rams. While the Patriots selected receiver N’Keal Harry in the first round of the 2019 draft, they never really added another veteran receiver like Brady desired, an issue that was exacerbated after Gronkowski’s sudden retirement. That 2019 campaign would ultimately be Brady’s final season in New England.

This Date In Transactions History: Cardinals Trade For Carson Palmer

April 2nd, 2022 at 9:31am CST by Sam Robinson

In the years between Kurt Warner‘s retirement and Bruce Arians‘ 2013 Arizona arrival, the Cardinals experienced persistent issues at quarterback. A few months into Arians’ tenure, the franchise made a move to stabilize that position.

Nine years ago today, the Cardinals acquired Carson Palmer from the Raiders. In the second Palmer trade in less than two years, the Raiders were not able to fetch what the Bengals did in 2011. On April 2, 2013, the Cards sent a 2013 sixth-round pick and a conditional seventh-rounder in 2014 for Palmer. Arizona immediately extended the then-33-year-old passer, signing him for two years and $16MM. That would not be the last Cardinals contract Palmer signed.

Palmer spent eight seasons with the Bengals, essentially redshirting as a rookie before starting from 2004-10. However, the former Heisman winner grew impatient with the Bengals’ conservative offseasons and staged a brief retirement that lasted well into the 2011 season. The Raiders ended the Palmer-Bengals stalemate by sending a 2012 first-round pick and a 2013 second-rounder to Cincinnati in October 2011. Those picks became Dre Kirkpatrick and Giovani Bernard. While Palmer mostly stayed healthy in Oakland, the Raiders went just 8-16 during the Pro Bowler’s starts in silver and black.

The USC product threw for 4,018 yards, with 22 touchdown passes compared to 14 interceptions in 2012, but went 4-11 as a starter that season. Oakland parted ways with Hue Jackson, their head coach in 2011, and hired Dennis Allen in 2012. The Raiders made an unusual pivot in 2013, using Terrelle Pryor as their primary starting QB — with Matt McGloin mixing in — but acquired Derek Carr in the 2014 second round. Interestingly, the conditional seventh-round pick the Raiders acquired in the Palmer deal turned into defensive lineman Shelby Harris, who played eight games in Oakland before catching on as a regular in Denver.

The Cardinals, who went 5-11 in 2012 and had used John Skelton as their primary post-Warner QB, improved immediately. Palmer started 16 games and guided Arizona to a 10-6 record in 2013. He went 6-0 as Arizona’s starter in 2014, but the second ACL tear of his career harpooned a talented Cardinals squad — one that also lost backup Drew Stanton and ended up starting Ryan Lindley in its wild-card playoff outing. In 2015, Palmer rebounded and finished second in the MVP voting. The then-35-year-old quarterback threw a Cards-record 35 touchdown passes and led the NFL with 8.7 yards per attempt, guiding the team to a 13-3 record and an overtime playoff victory over the Packers.

Injuries ended up limiting Palmer again in 2017, and he retired shortly after that season. This came after Palmer signed a three-year, $49.5MM contract — in 2014, days before his second ACL tear as a pro — and a one-year, $24.4MM extension in 2016. While the Cardinals traded up for Josh Rosen months after Palmer’s exit, they reversed course a year later and drafted Kyler Murray first overall.

This Date In Transactions History: Peyton Manning Retires From NFL

March 6th, 2022 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Prepare to feel old, because it’s been six years since Peyton Manning‘s retirement. In 2016, the quarterback left the game as a two-time Super Bowl champion, the NFL’s all-time leader in total wins, and one of the sport’s greatest quarterbacks of all time.

Manning spent the first 14 seasons of his remarkable career with the Colts. Then, came his neck surgery in 2011, followed by spinal fusion surgery. He’d miss out on the entire ’11 campaign, snapping his streak of 208 consecutive regular season starts. After months of rehab, Manning said he could barely throw a football ten yards. Many feared that he was finished at this point, but Manning disagreed. Ditto for the Broncos, who were happy to furnish him with a lavish contract in 2012.

The Broncos backstopped Manning by drafting Brock Osweiler in the second round of the 2012 draft, but it’d be a while before he took the reins. Instead, Manning went on to enjoy a four-year stint in Denver. He completed 66.5% of his passes for 17,112 yards and 140 touchdowns against 53 interceptions. Along the way, he picked up three of Pro Bowl nods, two First-Team All-Pro selections, yet another MVP award, and yet another Super Bowl ring.

When all was said and done, Manning set new watermarks for total wins by a QB (200), passing yards (71,940), and passing touchdowns (539). He also set the record for most single-season TD tosses (55; 2013). All in all, the No. 1 overall pick of the 1998 draft managed 14 Pro Bowl bids, seven First-Team All-Pro selections, and five MVP trophies. Needless to say, he could have called it quits in 2011 and still walked away as one of the NFL’s GOATs. That’s doubly true when considering his lifetime earnings of $250MM+ — not counting his piles of endorsement checks. Still, Manning wanted to go out on his terms, and he did just that.

Manning wasn’t at his personal best in his final season, but he was good enough while teamed with the league’s most feared defense. A few weeks after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, Manning closed the book on his Hall of Fame career.

This Date In Transactions History: Jets Release Nick Mangold

February 25th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

After eleven seasons, Nick Mangold‘s time with the Jets came to an end. On this date in 2017, Gang Green released the veteran center to save roughly $9MM against the cap.

Mangold played in a career-low eight games the previous year and had no guaranteed dollars to go on his deal. It was supposed to be the final year of Mangold’s seven-year Jets contract. He was a standout, a fan favorite, and he was synonymous with the organization for over a decade. However, the Jets were one of the league’s most cap-strapped teams at the time.

A two-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, Mangold started all 164 games in which he played for the Jets. Mangold said he’d continue playing after rehabbing from the ankle injury that hampered his 2016 season. Unfortunately, the issue lingered. Contenders like the Ravens could have used Mangold, but he wasn’t able to answer the call.

The Jets turned the job over to backup Wesley Johnson, who would find himself with the rival Dolphins one year later. Mangold, meanwhile, inked a one-day contract to retire with the Jets in 2018. Ultimately, the beloved center was unable to bounce back at the age of 34.

“Everything that happened from pee-wee football to high school football to having the good fortune to play at The Ohio State University molded me for my opportunity to play for the New York Jets,” said Mangold. “In my 11 years as a Jet, there were plenty of ups and downs but, through it all, I wanted to be the Steady Eddie. I wanted to be the guy that other guys looked at to see how it was done. I learned this attribute from the vets that I played with.”

“My biggest regret is not bringing the Lombardi Trophy to New York but, as I retire, I will continue my efforts to bring the Trophy home in a different capacity. I have no idea what that capacity is but I’m sure I will figure something out in the future.”

This Date In Transactions History: Giants Extend Tom Coughlin

February 21st, 2022 at 7:46pm CST by Ben Levine

On this date in 2014, the Giants were coming off their first losing season in almost 10 years and head coach Tom Coughlin was about to enter lame-duck status. So, to avoid any controversy regarding their coaching staff, the organization decided to give their head coach an extension.

On February 21, 2014, the Giants signed Coughlin to a one-year extension. The deal kept the long-time head coach on the sideline through the 2015 campaign, with the new deal paying Coughlin around $7MM.

“The Giants have always done that,” Coughlin said of his one-year deal (via Conor Orr of NJ.com). “That’s the way it has been indicated to me. I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to it to be honest with you. We’ve got a lot of work going on in our business, as you know. I had great confidence that it would happen. And it did.”

Following a relatively successful stint as the Jaguars head coach, Coughlin joined the Giants in 2004. During his first five season at the helm, the Giants won 47 regular season games, made four postseason appearances, and won a Super Bowl. After dropping to 8-8 in 2009, they rebounded with 10 wins in 2010 before going 9-7 and earning another ring in 2011. After that second championship, the Giants inked Coughlin to a three-year, $20MM deal.

Following their Super Bowl XLVI victory, the Giants had another 9-7 record in 2012, but this time the team failed to reach the playoffs. The team fell to 7-9 in 2013, but there was still some reason for optimism. The team had an awful start to the season, going 0-6 through the first month-plus. However, they managed to rebound, going 7-3 for the rest of the season. Plus, the head coach had shown an ability to rebound from underwhelming seasons with championship-winning squads. So, when the Giants committed to Coughlin beyond the upcoming 2014 campaign, it raised few eyebrows.

However, things wouldn’t get better for the organization. The team fell to 6-10, but Coughlin still got another one-year extension to once again avoid lame-duck status. The team had another 6-10 season in 2015, and the writing was on the wall. There were whispers that the Giants were prepared to move on from Coughlin, but naturally, the organization allowed their successful coach to save face. So, Coughlin announced that he was stepping down from his position after the two sides decided to part ways.

The Giants took it year-by-year with Coughlin during his final seasons with the organization, but the team has been willing to commit to their recent hires. The team inked Ben McAdoo to a four-year deal, and they signed Pat Shurmur and Joe Judge to five-year deals. We haven’t heard anything about the length of Brian Daboll‘s contract, but the new HC is surely hoping he’ll last longer than his predecessors.

This Date In Transactions History: Ravens Tag Terrell Suggs

February 19th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens have not made paying edge rushers much of a priority, letting a slew of talented outside linebackers — from Matt Judon to Yannick Ngakoue to Za’Darius Smith, among others over the past several years — leave in free agency. The team has made one notable exception here, and that chain of events began 14 years ago today.

Baltimore made a point to ensure Terrell Suggs did not leave during his prime. To prevent such a development, the Ravens used their franchise tag on the impact edge performer on Feb. 19, 2008. This began a rather lengthy process, and a Suggs extension did not commence in the near future.

Tagged at the then-$8.1MM linebacker rate, Suggs filed a grievance to be tagged as a defensive end. The Ravens and Suggs agreed on a compromise price for the 2008 season — $8.5MM, halfway between the D-end and linebacker tags — that May, and the 2003 first-round pick played his age-26 campaign on the tag. Judon agreed to a similar compromise 12 years later. Unlike Judon, the Ravens made a plan to retain Suggs following his tag season.

Baltimore began its John Harbaugh–Joe Flacco era in 2008, keying a resurgence that produced five straight playoff berths, and Suggs remained one of the team’s defensive linchpins. While Ed Reed and Ray Lewis being in their primes overshadowed Suggs at this point, to some degree, the Arizona State product was the team’s lead sack artist. Suggs was mired in what became a five-season run of single-digit sack slates; he finished with eight in 2008. He added four more during a three-game Ravens playoff run. Baltimore still used the exclusive tag on Suggs in 2009 and ran the risk of losing Lewis.

On Feb. 18, 2009, the Ravens re-tagged Suggs, ensuring him a $10.2MM salary for that season if no extension was reached. Although Lewis was still playing at a high level in the late 2000s, the Ravens prioritized the younger Suggs. Lewis hit the market, and the Cowboys and Jets were among those to express interest. However, the all-time great re-signed with the Ravens not long after his first and only free agency foray. Suggs still waited for his payday, and the Ravens ended that ’09 offseason by taking care of their other linebacker standout as well. The Ravens re-upped T-Sizzle on a six-year, $62.5MM extension July 15, just before that year’s tag deadline.

Although Suggs recorded only 4.5 sacks in 2009, he displayed his value over the course of his first Ravens extension. He combined for 25 sacks between the 2010 and ’11 seasons, winning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim in the latter year. Suggs then returned from an offseason Achilles tear to help the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII. The Ravens extended Suggs again in 2014, and he finished a 16-year tenure with the franchise in 2018, working alongside Smith and Judon during the latter duo’s rookie-deal seasons. Suggs’ 132.5 sacks with the Ravens are 62.5 more than anyone else in franchise history.

This Date In Transactions History: Vince McMahon Announces XFL 2.0

January 26th, 2022 at 8:43am CST by Zachary Links

Just when you thought there was no chance in h-e-double-hockey-sticks, Vince McMahon shocked the football world. Four years ago this week, the chairman of the WWE announced the relaunch of the XFL.

The original XFL debuted in February 2001 in a joint venture between McMahon and NBC. The first game reportedly drew ~14 million viewers, but the ratings quickly plummeted. Ultimately, it was a brand of football with no rules and no audience to match. In May of 2001, the XFL ceased operations.

This time around, McMahon said his league would be more professional and less professional wrestling. Unlike the first iteration which featured good ol’ Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler on commentary, this league would focus improving the fan experience with faster play and fewer commercials. McMahon, meanwhile, would not serve as a brand ambassador, choosing to take on more of a behind-the-scenes role.

The new XFL kicked off in 2020 with teams in Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa, and Washington D.C. Early on, McMahon had reason for optimism, thanks to leaner operations and marquee sponsorships from Gatorade and Anheuser-Busch. He also figured that the quality of play would be better than last time, with experienced quarterbacks like Landry Jones and Josh Johnson under center.

Unfortunately, the XFL 2.0 had an even shorter run that the OG XFL. Just like every other league, the pandemic forced them to pause midway through the season. Unlike the rest, the XFL never returned. In May of 2020, the XFL filed for bankruptcy and became entangled in a number of lawsuits, including one from former commissioner Oliver Luck.

Perhaps the third time will be the charm. Since it’s closure, the league has been bought by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and other investors who plan to relaunch the XFL in 2023.

This Date In Transactions History: Titans Hire Mike Vrabel

January 21st, 2022 at 8:41am CST by Zachary Links

Four years ago today, the Titans tapped Mike Vrabel as their next head coach. The former Texans defensive coordinator wasn’t thought to be a frontrunner for the job, but he proved to be the “leader of men” that GM Jon Robinson was looking for.

Early on, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was said to be at the top of the Titans’ list. A few weeks later, it was clear that they made the right choice. McDaniels, of course, was announced as the next HC of the Colts, only to leave them at the altar that same day.

Robinson, a one-time Patriots scout, immediately clicked with the longtime Pats linebacker, according to Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk.

“You could see their connection right away from the history they have with one another – seeing the game in a similar way and talking the same language,” Strunk said. “Mike has a commanding presence and a deep knowledge for how he will attack this head coaching opportunity.”

With that, Vrabel became the 19th head coach in franchise history and the fourth since 2011. They also managed to snag runner-up Matt LaFleur, luring the Rams OC to Nashville for the same role. LaFleur would leave one year later to become the Packers’ HC, but Vrabel continued to deliver results.

Vrabel’s first Titans team went 9-7, even without Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker on the field. Since then, he’s taken the Titans to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons with AFC South titles in each of the last two years. With a win over the Bengals tomorrow, Vrabel can bring his club back to the AFC title game and one step closer to winning its first Super Bowl in over 20 years.

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