This Date In Transactions History News & Rumors

This Date In Transactions History: Seahawks Sign LB Bobby Wagner To First Extension

August 2nd, 2021 at 7:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Hindsight is obviously 20/20…but we can definitively say that on this date in 2015, the Seahawks completed one of the best big-money contracts in recent memory. On August 2, 2015, the organization inked linebacker Bobby Wagner to an extension.

The former second-round pick had a breakout campaign in 2014. Despite missing a handful of games due to turf toe, Wagner still managed to compile 104 tackles and two sacks, leading to his first (of seven consecutive) Pro Bowl appearance and his first (of six total) first-team All-Pro nod. The Seahawks clearly prioritized the linebacker as a foundational piece, and after settling Russell Wilson‘s extension, the team ended up inking their star linebacker to a new deal.

The extension was for four years at $43MM, including almost $20MM in guaranteed money. At the time, this was a significant sum of money for a player with only three years experience; in fact, the move made Wagner the highest-paid middle linebacker in NFL history. While the move may have looked a bit pricey, the organization was clearly establishing Wagner as the leader of their defense for years to come. Of course, as we all know, that decision ended up working out great for Seattle.

Wagner only made second-team All-Pro during the final year of his rookie contract in 2015, but since his extension kicked in, he’s established himself as one of the best linebackers in recent memory. The linebacker has made a first-team All-Pro team and a Pro Bowl each year since 2016, averaging 147 tackles, more than 2.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and almost 11 QB hits per season.

Predictably, the organization once again made him one of the league’s highest-paid linebackers with his second extension. In 2019, the team signed Wagner to a new three-year, $54MM deal, including $40.2MM guaranteed. The deal lasts through the 2022 season.

Wagner had obviously shown flashes of brilliance through his first three years in the NFL, but his 2015 extension surely raised a few eyebrows when it was completed. Fast forward six years, and we’re now applauding the organization for the deal.

This Date In Transactions History: Browns Extend OL John Greco

July 23rd, 2021 at 8:15am CST by Zachary Links

The 2013 offseason was a busy one for the Cleveland Browns. The organization replaced general manager Tom Heckert Jr. with Michael Lombardi, and they hired Rob Chudzinski as head coach after canning Pat Shurmur. The team also made significant changes to the roster, ditching former third-round quarterback Colt McCoy and signing veteran Jason Campbell to a two-year deal. The front office also traded former third-overall pick Trent Richardson.

One of the moves that went under the radar was a move made on July 23rd, 2013. On that date, the organization signed offensive lineman John Greco to a five-year, $13MM deal. The contract featured only $3MM in guaranteed money.

Greco originally joined the Browns before the 2011 season, as the Rams traded their former third-round pick to Cleveland for a conditional seventh-rounder. Greco appeared as a backup in 15 games during the 2011 campaign, but he endeared himself to the organization in 2012 when he started 10 games in place of Jason Pinkston.

The Browns proceeded to ink Greco to a surprisingly lengthy extension, but the organization ended up getting plenty out of the offensive guard. The lineman started 56 games for Cleveland between 2013 and 2016, including a stint at center when regular starter Alex Mack was sidelined.

While Greco dealt with a handful of injuries during his tenure in Cleveland, he emerged as a dependable, reliable option for the coaching staff. While he certainly wasn’t a household name, the lineman consistently ranked in the top-20 of Pro Football Focus’ offensive guard rankings.

Cleveland made some changes to their offensive line before the 2017 season, adding Kevin Zeitler and center J.C. Tretter. Greco was ultimately cut by the Browns at the end of the preseason. He didn’t end up seeing the field during his subsequent stint with the Saints, but he appeared in 21 games (with seven starts) for the Giants between the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

While Greco’s career ended unceremoniously, he’s getting his time in the (PFR) limelight today.

This Date In Transactions History: Broncos QB Drew Lock Signs Rookie Contract

July 17th, 2021 at 10:09am CST by Ben Levine

On this date two years ago, Drew Lock signed his first NFL deal. On July 17, 2019, the second-round pick signed his rookie contract with the Denver Broncos.

By the 2019 offseason, John Elway was preparing for his third attempt to find Peyton Manning‘s long-term successor. His first two swings (2012 second-round pick Brock Osweiler and 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch) hadn’t worked out, and after the Broncos completed their third-straight losing season, Elway was willing to give it another go.

Unfortunately for Elway, the 2019 draft wasn’t known for its QB depth. Outside of presumed number-one pick Kyler Murray, there were only a handful of alternatives (Daniel Jones, Dwayne Haskins, Lock) with a first- or second-round grade. So, instead of reaching for someone with the No. 10 pick (or trading up for Jones), Elway decided to trade back in the first round and later trade up in the second to select Lock.

Lock was a worthy choice at No. 42. The Mizzou product finished his collegiate career with 99 touchdown passes — including 44 as a junior — and 12,193 yards, and he earned All-SEC honors in both 2017 and 2018. Thanks to that performance, Lock’s camp seemed to think that he was worthy of a first-round salary (or at least more than the allotted salary for an early-ish second-round pick). Lock’s agent was reportedly seeking a “quarterback premium,” which meant they wanted more money than the draft slot dictated.

However, the two sides ultimately came to an agreement on this date in 2019. The Broncos didn’t end up giving into any demands of an overslot deal; the team gave Lock the same workout bonuses as their other second-round pick (Dalton Risner), and the quarterback’s $3.1MM signing bonus was the standard amount for the No. 42 slot.

Declining to overpay Lock may have been a wise decision by the Broncos front office. While Lock impressed a bit after replacing Joe Flacco during his rookie season (4-1 record, 7 touchdowns vs. three interceptions), he struggled during his first full season as a starter in 2020. The quarterback guided Denver to a 4-9 record in 13 starts, connecting on 57.3-percent of his passes for 2,933 yards, 16 touchdowns, and an NFL-high 15 interceptions.

2021 will surely be a make-or-break season for the 24-year-old, and he probably won’t see as long of a leash during the early parts of the season. For starters, head coach Vic Fangio is likely fighting for his job, and secondly, the organization has a serviceable backup plan with veteran Teddy Bridgewater. Further, the organization recently hired GM George Paton, and if the Broncos struggle in 2021, there’s a good chance the front office will be looking to bring in their own young QB.

As always, there was plenty of optimism surrounding Lock’s signing on this date in 2019. However, fast forward two years, and the second-round QB is now struggling to retain his starting gig.

This Date In Transactions History: Steelers Extend Cameron Heyward

July 16th, 2021 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

Six years ago today, the Steelers gave Cameron Heyward his first ever re-up. The defensive lineman scored a six-year, $59.25MM extension with the Steelers, tying him to the club through much of his prime.

Pittsburgh selected the Ohio State product with the 31st pick of the 2011 draft. It took a while for Heyward to settle into a starting role, but he never looked back after starting 13 games during the 2013 campaign. After combining for 12.5 sacks between the 2013 and 2014 seasons, the Steelers decided to lock him up. However, the deal left them with plenty of wiggle room as Heyward got just $15MM in guaranteed cash.

Heyward more than lived up to that deal. He earned Pro Bowl appearances in every season from 2017 through 2020, plus first-team All-Pro honors in 2017 and 2019. The veteran has only missed two regular season games over the past four years, averaging just over eight sacks per season. And, from ’17 through ’19, he was averaging roughly 10 sacks per campaign.

Last fall, just before Heyward’s would-be walk year, the Steelers inked him to yet another extension. This time around, it was four years for $71.4MM in total with a stronger guarantee of $20.25MM. At the time, there were rumblings that Heyward would approach Aaron Donald‘s six-year, $135MM deal. But, ultimately, he was on the wrong side of 30. He also didn’t have a ton of leverage — throughout the talks, he was vocal about wanting to stay in Pittsburgh.

Heyward’s four-sack season didn’t jump off of the page, but he was still strong in 2020. And, besides Donald, he has more total pressures than anyone over the last four years. There’s still lots of time left on his most recent deal, but it’s safe to say that the Steelers got their money’s worth on Heyward’s first extension.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

This Date In Transactions History: Bills Extend Jason Peters

July 15th, 2021 at 9:29am CST by Zachary Links

Potentially on the verge of his 18th NFL season, Jason Peters has signed a number of contracts. The first of Peters’ many re-ups occurred on this date 15 years ago.

On July 14, 2006, the Bills and their UDFA discovery agreed to terms on a contract that eventually led to the parties splitting up. Peters signed a five-year, $15MM extension during the ’06 offseason, this coming after the Bills tendered him a contract worth $425K. Soon outplaying the teams of his $3MM-AAV deal, Peters became a disgruntled Bill.

The Bills initially took a flier on the former college tight end and defensive end, and this only came to be because of lobbying by the future All-Pro blocker’s agent, and stashed him on their practice squad for most of the 2004 season. Buffalo broke Peters in on special teams before turning to him as its starting right tackle for much of the ’05 slate. Peters had supplanted underwhelming former top-five pick Mike Williams as Buffalo’s top right tackle, and the Bills made the move to lock the emerging talent up the following offseason. The team then moved Peters to the left side midway through the ’06 campaign. That ultimately proved to be a short-term arrangement.

Dissatisfaction over a $3.25MM salary prompted Peters to hold out in 2008, and after he begrudgingly returned to his Bills post that season, the Eagles came in with a trade offer to acquire Peters just before the 2009 draft. The Bills received 2009 first- and fourth-round picks, along with a 2010 sixth-rounder, in the swap. They used the first of those selections to draft future long-term center Eric Wood 28th overall. Philadelphia handed Peters a six-year, $60MM extension, beginning a fruitful era for their offensive line.

Buffalo went on to churn through few left tackles, including Cordy Glenn, since Peters’ departure, while Peters has started 127 games as an Eagle. That was good for the fifth-most in franchise history by a pure offensive lineman. Peters would go on to make two Pro Bowls with the Bills and seven with the Eagles, also receiving two first-team All-Pro honors in Philly. The Eagles also extended their veteran protector in 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2020.

Now at the age of 39, Peters hasn’t ruled out playing in 2021. Although his return might not come in Philadelphia, Peters could be an interesting late summer addition for another contender in need.

This Date In Transactions History: Washington Signs Larry Centers

July 12th, 2021 at 9:41am CST by Sam Robinson

Fullback Larry Centers enjoyed a 14-year career punctuated by a Super Bowl ring with the 2003 Patriots. His most notable work may have come with the Cardinals in the 90s, but his second half was still solid.

A former fifth-round Phoenix Cardinals pick out of Stephen F. Austin, Centers ascended to rare heights as the club’s starting fullback. In 1995 and ’96, he combined to catch 200 passes. His ’95 season — 101 receptions and 962 receiving yards — still stacks up incredibly well historically. At the time, Centers became the first running back to record 100 catches in a season and was among the first 15 players at any position to do so. While 101 receptions now ranks tied for 70th in NFL single-season history, only one running back (Matt Forte) appears higher on that list.

On this date in 1999, Centers officially moved on to the second team of his NFL career, joining Washington on a modest one-year pact. Centers wound up being part of Washington’s first Joe Gibbs-less team to reach the divisional round of the playoffs since 1976. He didn’t match those lofty standards, but he was a consistent receiving threat. In 1999, Centers delivered 544 air yards on 69 catches. One of those — a 33-yard touchdown grab from Brad Johnson to secure an overtime win over the 49ers — clinched Washington’s first NFC East title since its 1991 Super Bowl season. Under Norv Turner, they edged the Lions before falling to the Bucs in the next round.

Washington re-signed Centers for one year and $6MM in 2000 — for perspective, only three fullbacks make more than $3MM per year today — and his production that year still ranks atop team record books. Centers caught 81 passes in his second Washington season; still a team standard for running backs 20+ years later.

Centers parlayed that late-career success into a 2001 deal with the Bills, when he earned his third Pro Bowl nod. He capped his long, and sometimes underappreciated, career with the Pats in 2003, scoring his first ever Super Bowl ring.

This Date In Transactions History: Chiefs Promote Brett Veach To GM

July 10th, 2021 at 9:52am CST by Ben Levine

Brett Veach made his way through the coaching and front office ranks before hitting the pinnacle of his career on this date four years ago. On July 10, 2017, the Chiefs promoted the executive to the role of general manager.

Veach undoubtedly had the resume to lead the front office; after a few years as an Eagles coach and scout, he took the role of pro and college personnel analyst in Kansas City before getting promoted to Co-Director of Player Personnel, a position he held for two seasons. While the executive was certainly qualified to be GM, he also needed a bit of luck to get the job in the first place.

For starters, the Chiefs surprised the NFL world when they fired previous GM John Dorsey so late in the offseason. Dorsey had already guided the organization through much of their offseason tasks, including the draft (where they team traded up to select Patrick Mahomes) and extensions (where they handed Eric Berry a sizable pay day). Some pundits second-guessed the organization’s decision to not pivot away from Dorsey earlier in the offseason, especially since his heir apparent, Chris Ballard, had taken the Colts GM gig only months before. Ultimately, it sounds like Dorsey’s inability to effectively communicate and manage his staff (coupled with some questionable salary cap moves) spelled his demise in Kansas City. Rather than waiting another year to make a GM change, the organization decided to make their move at the end of June.

So, Veach took control of a roster that had lost in the Divisional Round in each of the past two seasons (despite averaging 11.5 wins per year during that span). After a 10-win 2017 campaign that saw Kansas City lose in the Wild Card Round, the GM made perhaps the most significant decision of his tenure. The Chiefs traded veteran Alex Smith to Washington, thus making Mahomes the full-time starter.

How has that worked out for the Chiefs? Well, Mahomes’ accolades are well-documented, but the team has also had plenty of on-field success. The team won 12 games and made it to the AFC Championship Game during Mahomes’ first season at the helm, they finally won that elusive Super Bowl during the 2019 campaign, and they made their second-straight Super Bowl appearance in 2020 (where they ultimately lost to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers).

Many fans want to give Mahomes credit for the Chiefs ascension into one of the best teams in football (rightfully so), and many pundits look back at Dorsey’s transactions and give him credit for forming the team’s core (also rightfully so). However, Veach has done a remarkable job of nurturing his roster by re-signing big names, taking shots on embattled or unheralded players, and making shrewd moves in both the draft and free agency. Signing Tyrann Mathieu to a three-year, $42MM deal was one of the GM’s best free agent acquisitions, and he’s also brought in contributors like Sammy Watkins and Bashaud Breeland via free agency, Frank Clark and Emmanuel Ogbah via trade, and Juan Thornhill and L’Jarius Sneed via the draft. The GM has also shown an ability to identify weaknesses and fix them. Kansas City’s offensive line dealt with a long list of issues in 2020, and Veach worked to revamp the unit by signing Joe Thuney to a five-year, $80MM deal and trading for Orlando Brown.

Perhaps most importantly, Veach has made sure that the team’s best players will continue to wear Chiefs uniforms. In 2020 alone, the general manager extended tight end Travis Kelce (four years, $57.3MM), defensive tackle Chris Jones (four years, $80MM), and Mahomes (a massive, unprecedented 10-year deal worth $450MM.

Clearly, the organization has valued what the GM has done. In 2020, the Chiefs gave Veach (along with head coach Andy Reid) a six-year extension.

Sure, you can question whether Veach deserves full credit for the Chiefs’ recent success, and it’s also fair to ask if he lucked his way into his position in the first place. However, plenty of replacements could have just as easily bungled the team’s roster over the past few years. Instead, Veach has helped elevate the team into a perennial contender.

This Date In Transactions History: Seahawks Extend Cortez Kennedy

July 8th, 2021 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Seahawks’ apex occurred during the 2010s, the franchise has a few Hall of Famers whose careers wrapped up before Pete Carroll‘s arrival. One of them signed his final (and most lucrative) extension on July 8, 1998.

Twenty-three years ago today, the Seahawks reached an agreement to retain Cortez Kennedy. A perennial Pro Bowl defensive tackle, Kennedy agreed to a three-year deal worth $17MM. Kennedy’s third Seattle contract contained a $6MM signing bonus and marked a raise from his previous accord.

The Seahawks’ first Kennedy extension took place in the initial year of the free agency era (1993). That four-year, $12.6MM pact put the dominant D-lineman on track for free agency after the 1998 season. But the Seahawks worked proactively to prevent a Kennedy free agency bid, and the summer ’98 extension allowed him to play his entire career in Seattle.

Part of the Miami Hurricanes’ 1980s dominance, Kennedy came to Seattle as the No. 3 overall pick in 1990. The Seahawks held two top-10 choices that year and sent both to the Patriots to move into the top three for Kennedy. He rewarded the move.

Although the then-AFC West franchise hit a rough patch, with its issues finding a quarterback at the epicenter of what became 10-season playoff drought, Kennedy more than delivered. The interior pass rusher ripped off a dominant stretch that crested with a 14-sack 1992 season. Despite the Seahawks finishing 2-14 that year, Kennedy earned Defensive Player of the Year acclaim.

Kennedy made every Pro Bowl from 1991-96 and booked his final two Hawaii trips over the course of his July 1998 extension. (Kennedy’s eight Pro Bowls rank second in Seahawks history, behind fellow Hall of Famer Walter Jones‘ nine.) After an injury-marred 1997, Kennedy returned to play in 47 of a possible 48 games during his final three seasons. His lone playoff appearance also occurred during this stretch, with a Jon Kitna-quarterbacked Seattle team winning the AFC West title in 1999. Kennedy recorded 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss that year.

After the Seahawks released Kennedy in March 2001 — three days following the signing of future Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle — the 11-year veteran called it a career. Although Kennedy and Randle were never teammates in Seattle, they were voted as the two first-team defensive tackles on the 1990s’ All-Decade team. Only Randle accumulated more sacks among D-tackles during the ’90s. Kennedy finished his career with 58 QB takedowns and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

This Date In Transactions History: Raiders Trade Eric Dickerson To Falcons

July 7th, 2021 at 11:22am CST by Sam Robinson

While Eric Dickerson is best remembered in Rams and Colts uniforms, the Hall of Fame running back finished his career with two other franchises. Those teams made a deal on this date 28 years ago.

The then-Los Angeles Raiders, who had acquired Dickerson in 1992, traded the veteran back to the Falcons on July 7, 1993. The Falcons sent the Raiders a conditional sixth-round pick for Dickerson. The 10-year vet had visited Atlanta earlier that summer, and the teams soon agreed to a trade that would send him to his fourth and final NFL team. This move came after some key running back developments for both teams.

Dickerson was traded three times in his career, not counting the Rams trading up one spot to acquire him at No. 2 overall in the 1983 draft. The SMU product spent four-plus seasons with the Rams, who traded him to the Colts for a monster haul midway through the 1987 season due to a contract dispute. Dickerson delivered the fifth, sixth and seventh 1,000-yard rushing seasons while in Indianapolis, where he won the fourth and final rushing titles of his career (in 1988), but the Colts sent him to the Raiders for fourth- and eighth-round picks in April 1992.

After missing 11 games between the 1990 and ’91 seasons, Dickerson played all 16 in his lone Raiders season. He ended up leading the 1992 Raiders in rushing, with 729 yards, and reduced Marcus Allen to a minimal role (67 carries in 16 games). Embroiled in a feud with Al Davis, Allen signed with the Chiefs in June 1993. After rostering two first-ballot Hall of Fame running backs in 1992, two summer 1993 transactions led to the Raiders pivoting to younger players at the position.

The Falcons ranked 27th in rushing in 1992, despite having drafted Tony Smith in the first round, and totaled just three rushing touchdowns as a team. Smith was the player the Falcons selected with the pick they obtained from the Packers in that year’s Brett Favre deal. Smith did not receive an NFL carry after that rookie season. Dickerson, however, did not provide much of a stopgap. He played in just four Falcons games (two starts) and amassed 91 rushing yards. Erric Pegram, a 1991 sixth-round pick, ended up surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for Atlanta that year.

Dickerson’s final NFL snaps came with Atlanta, but he nearly joined Favre in Green Bay. Atlanta attempted to trade the aging back to Green Bay in October 1993, but a post-trade physical revealed a bulging disk in Dickerson’s neck and led the Packers to nix the deal. Dickerson retired shortly after the trade fell through.

He ended his career as the NFL’s No. 2 all-time leading rusher, with 13,259 yards. While Dickerson has fallen to ninth on that list, his 2,105 rushing yards (in 1984) remain the league’s single-season standard. It will be interesting to see if the NFL’s move to a 17-game season will lead to that record falling in the near future.

This Date In Transactions History: Patrick Mahomes Signs Massive Extension

July 6th, 2021 at 6:16pm CST by Ben Levine

On this date last year, Patrick Mahomes became a very, very, very rich man. On July 6, 2020, the former MVP signed a historic 10-year extension with the Chiefs.

The massive deal was worth $477MM, with potential bonuses bumping the contract to a max value of $503MM. The deal marked the first time that an NFL player held the title of “highest-paid player in American sports history.” Mahomes’ $477MM in “guarantee mechanisms” exceeded the 12-year, $426.5MM deal that Mike Trout signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, and the $50.3MM average annual value topped Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard‘s $49MM AAV (part of a four-year, $196MM deal that will begin in 2021).

Worldwide, Mahomes’ contract value only trailed Lionel Messi’s head-spinning four-year deal worth around $674MM. With Messi’s contract recently expiring, the Chiefs QB could soon hold the title for largest contract in all of sports.

From an NFL standpoint, both the $477MM value and $140MM in guaranteed money shattered NFL records. Mahomes’ ~$50MM-per-year price tag was a staggering $10MM increase on Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-AAV deal that previously resided as the NFL salary benchmark. As far as guarantees go, Mahomes’ bests the previous leader — Jared Goff‘s 2019 re-up — by $30MM.

It wasn’t a huge surprise that Mahomes was able to garner such a deal, and it wasn’t a huge surprise that the Chiefs were willing to make such a commitment to the franchise quarterback. After all, few players have managed to accomplish all Mahomes had through their first two seasons as a starter. Fortunately, Mahomes continued to back up the organization’s faith in 2020. The 25-year-old had another standout campaign, completing a career-high 66.3-percent of his passes for 38 touchdowns vs. only six interceptions. Mahomes also guided the Chiefs to their second-straight Super Bowl appearance, where they ultimately lost to the Buccaneers.

Unsurprisingly, we’ve already seen Mahomes work with the Chiefs to save the organization some cash. We learned earlier this offseason that the quarterback had restructured his contract, providing the team with an extra $17MM in cap space by moving much of Mahomes’ $21.7MM roster bonus into a prorated signing bonus. Language in Mahomes’ deal allows the Chiefs to automatically restructure it to create cap space, and since the quarterback is inked through the 2031 season, this surely won’t be the last time we see both sides agree to a reworked deal.

The 10-year deal that was signed one year ago today was practically unprecedented. Considering Mahomes’ standing as the best young QB in the NFL, it will probably be a while before we see another franchise commit half-a-billion dollars to a player.

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