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49ers Sign RB Matt Breida

August 5th, 2024 at 8:29pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Breida is returning to his first NFL squad. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the 49ers are signing the veteran running back. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, Breida was among a long list of players who auditioned for the 49ers today, a grouping that also included fellow running backs Anthony McFarland Jr. and Ke’Shawn Vaughn.

The UDFA out of Georgia Southern got his first NFL contract from the 49ers and proceeded to spend three seasons in San Francisco. Breida got into 43 games (18 starts) with the organization between 2017 and 2019, compiling 2,463 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. His best season came in 2018, when he topped 1,000 offensive yards.

He was dealt to the Dolphins ahead of the 2020 campaign, but he finished his lone season in Miami with a career-low 68 touches. That number fell to 33 touches during his stint with the Bills in 2021, but he found a home with the Giants over the past two years. Serving as Saquon Barkley‘s primary backup, Breida collected 577 yards from scrimmage between 2022 and 2023.

Now, he’ll be joining a 49ers depth chart that’s in need of some depth. As Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes, fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo recently went down with a hamstring injury, and the team was already expected to limit Christian McCaffrey‘s snaps during the preseason. That means Breida will now be competing for preseason reps with familiar faces like Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason, newcomer Patrick Taylor Jr., and UDFA Cody Schrader.

The 49ers made a couple of other transactions today. According to Barrows, the team signed offensive lineman Lewis Kidd and placed OL Pat Elflein on IR. Elflein only joined the team the other day, and Barrows notes that the lineman injured his calf only a few plays into his first practice with the team.

This is the second-straight year that Elflein has landed on injured reserve before the season even begins. Last year, it came with the Cardinals, as the lineman was placed on IR with an undisclosed injury right before the season started. The former Vikings starter spent the 2021 and 2022 campaigns in Carolina, where he started all 15 of his appearances.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/24

August 5th, 2024 at 8:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: LB Mike Rose

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Waived: OL Jason Poe

Seattle Seahawks

Broncos DL Eyioma Uwazurike Reinstated From Gambling Suspension

August 5th, 2024 at 6:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

6:10pm: Uwazurike has released a statement (per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport):

“I am grateful to the Denver Broncos and the National Football League for giving me the opportunity to resume my NFL career. I’ve learned from this situation and taken steps to ensure it will never happen again.

“It is a privilege to play in the NFL, and I hope others can learn from my mistake. I will not take this second chance for granted and am fully committed to making a positive impact with the Broncos both on and off the field.”

12:30pm: Eyioma Uwazurike is back in the fold as of Monday. The Broncos defensive lineman has been reinstated from his 2023 gambling suspension, per a league announcement. He will take the roster spot vacated by safety Caden Sterns, who will be traded or waived today.

[Offseason In Review: Denver Broncos]

Uwazurike was among the many players hit with a ban last summer, one which ultimately lasted 54 weeks. An investigation into the 26-year-old’s wagering revealed he placed bets on five Broncos games during his rookie season as part of a wider pattern of FanDuel action which included bets made on Iowa State contests in 2021 when he played for the Cyclones.

Further review from the league office as well as the state of Colorado and Arapahoe County District Attorney took place recently. Uwazurike was first eligible to apply for reinstatement on July 24, but that probe was ongoing at the time. For that reason, he remained unable to take part in team activities until the investigation concluded. As detailed by Mike Klis of 9News, no charges have been filed, clearing the way for Uwazurike to return to action.

Given the year-long absence, the former fourth-rounder’s contract tolled in 2024. As a result, Uwazurike still has three years remaining on his rookie pact. He made eight appearances as a rookie, totaling 17 tackles and two quarterback pressures. With Denver’s training camp well underway, he will now turn his attention to carving out a roster spot on a new-look defensive front.

The Broncos saw the departure of Mike Purcell and Jonathan Harris this offseason while bringing in Malcolm Roach and Angelo Blackson via free agency. Denver also traded for John Franklin-Meyers during the draft, giving the team a number of new options along the defensive interior to pair with Zach Allen and D.J. Jones. Uwazurike will compete for playing time as a member of that group while attempting to avoid any further gambling-related issues.

Dolphins, Tyreek Hill Agree To Reworked Contract

August 5th, 2024 at 11:55am CST by Ben Levine

AUGUST 5: Detailing the structure of the new deal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talks notes Hill will receive a raise of $11.4MM over 2024 and ’25 compared to the previous arrangement. His up front compensation includes a $7MM signing bonus and guaranteed salaries and roster bonuses for the next two seasons. Hill can receive up $2.8MM in per-game roster bonuses during that span along with annual playing time and team postseason win incentives up to $500K.

2026 calls for $36MM in compensation, though none of it is locked in at signing. $11MM of that total will become guaranteed in 2026, but until then team and player will move forward with a revised short-term pact.

AUGUST 3: After a number of top wideouts earned lucrative extensions this offseason, Tyreek Hill was secured his pay day. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Dolphins have reached an agreement with their star wide receiver on a restructured contract worth $90MM over the next three years.

The deal includes $65MM in guaranteed money, and the restructuring will only cover the three years that were already remaining on Hill’s contract (so no new years were added). When combined with his 2023 guarantees, Hill’s $106.5MM in guaranteed money is the most by a wideout over a four-year stretch, per Schefter. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that Hill also made NFL history with the “most guaranteed money added to a contract without adding new years,” and that record is likely a reflection of Hill’s unique contract situation.

The Dolphins once established Hill as the league’s highest-paid WR when they signed him to a four-year, $120MM extension. The last few years of that pact signaled that revisions were eventually coming. Hill was already attached to a significant $31MM cap hit in 2024, with that number jumping to $34MM in 2025 and an untenable $56MM in 2026. The front office also had outs in both 2025 and 2026 (via the player’s nonguaranteed $43.9MM salary), so it always seemed likely that the sides would head back to the drawing board.

Since inking his initial Miami extension, Hill has since been passed by the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson on the AAV list. Even Hill’s teammate, Jaylen Waddle found himself with a new deal that encroached on the numbers Hill was making. The Dolphins star won’t make any progress on St. Brown, Brown, and Jefferson with this latest deal in AAV, but he will approach Jefferson in terms of guaranteed money. Jefferson’s record-setting deal set the guaranteed money mark at $88.74MM.

It seemed strange that Hill trailed the above names in salary despite leading the league in receiving yards and touchdowns last year and only trailing Cowboys wideout CeeDee Lamb in receptions. Due to the nature of how quickly position salaries have seemed to escalate in recent years, it was no surprise to see Hill’s once record-setting deal pale in comparison to the younger generation.

The Dolphins’ new deal with Hill at least partially rights that wrong. Though Hill didn’t have any years added to his contract, Miami still has him, Waddle, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa under contract through the 2026 season, with both Waddle and Tagovailoa having one more year than Hill. The team’s offensive corps remains intact and well-paid for the next three years, at least.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Panthers Place Kemoko Turay On IR

August 5th, 2024 at 9:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Kemoko Turay‘s Panthers tenure has proven to be rather short-lived. The veteran edge rusher was placed on injured reserve Monday, per Joe Person of The Athletic.

Turay was one of several outside linebackers who visited Carolina before he landed a deal. The 29-year-old was set to compete for a rotational role along the edge with the Panthers, but today’s move will keep him sidelined for the season. Turay’s contract did not include any guaranteed money, so the team will not have any dead cap charges to deal with.

The Panthers added Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum in free agency, and that pair is set to start on a team which no longer has Brian Burns or Yetur Gross-Matos along the edge. Questions have been raised about Carolina’s depth, though, and the loss of Turay could lead them to circle back to the other options which auditioned last month. That list includes Carl Lawson, Yannick Ngakoue and Marquis Haynes.

Lawson recently worked out for the Cowboys, but he (like the other two) remains unsigned at this point. In any event, the lack of veteran depth options for the time being means K’Lavon Chaisson will still have plenty of reps available during training camp. The former Jaguars first-rounder has not lived up to expectations in the NFL, and he will attempt to get his career on track with the Panthers.

In a corresponding move, Carolina added quarterback Jake Luton, as first reported by Person. The 28-year-old will return to the Panthers after spending time on their practice squad last season. Luton has bounced around the league since he made the lone three starts of his career with Jacksonville in 2020. Carolina was on the lookout for a depth QB addition with backup Andy Dalton sidelined due to a quad injury. Luton will give the Panthers another camp body alongside Bryce Young and Jack Plummer while Dalton rehabs.

Eagles Sign LB Shaquille Quarterman

August 5th, 2024 at 8:52am CST by Adam La Rose

Philadelphia will have an additional option in the linebacking corps for the remainder of training camp. The Eagles have an agreement in place with Shaquille Quarterman, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The signing is now official, per a team announcement.

Quarterman entered the league in 2020 after being drafted by the Jaguars. He was a regular in Jacksonville over the course of his rookie contract, making 65 combined regular and postseason appearances. The 26-year-old did not make any starts on defense, though, with most of his playing time coming on special teams.

The 2021 season saw Quarterman total 3o tackles while logging his largest defensive workload (142 snaps). His third phase contributions over the following two years were not enough to land him a new Jaguars pact, however, leading to a lengthy stay on the open market. The former fourth-rounder visited the Bears last month, but he will be headed to Philadelphia for at least the next few weeks.

The Eagles have undergone a number of changes at the linebacker spot this offseason after the team’s underwhelming end on defense to close out the 2023 campaign. Nicholas Morrow took a deal with the Bills, while Zach Cunningham and Shaquille Leonard remain unsigned. Philadelphia added Devin White and Zack Baun in free agency before drafting Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Those new faces will join returnee Nakobe Dean in competing for defensive playing time.

Quarterman will attempt to carve out a role as part of that group, presumably on special teams. The Eagles’ upcoming preseason contests will give the Miami alum a chance to earn a 53-man roster spot. Philadelphia entered Monday with over $25.5MM in cap space, so this addition (which will no doubt be for one year and the league minimum) will not affect the team’s financial outlook.

Titans Sign Veteran S Quandre Diggs

August 4th, 2024 at 6:27pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s a Seattle reunion in Nashville. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, veteran safety Quandre Diggs has signed a one-year contract that will reunite him with his backfield mate of the past four years, Jamal Adams, in Tennessee. Diggs’ deal with the Titans will be worth up to $5MM, a bit more than Adams is expected to make in 2024. Diggs broke the news first on his personal X account.

The 31-year-old was released alongside Adams around the start of free agency after just over four years with the team. The former Longhorn was drafted in the sixth round by the Lions back in 2015 and took a couple years before he earned a consistent starting role in Detroit. Finally a starter in his third season, Diggs recorded three picks, a minimum he would match every year after, up until that streak ended in 2023.

Prior to the final year of his rookie deal, Diggs signed a three-year, $20.4MM extension with the Lions. After only six games under his new contract, though, Detroit traded Diggs and a seventh-round pick to the Seahawks for a fifth-round pick. When Seattle traded for Adams the following summer, they formed their defensive backfield for the next four years, though Adams would struggle to stay on the field during that time.

In their first year on the field together, both players were selected to the Pro Bowl, and Adams earned second-team All-Pro honors. While Adams’ injury troubles would keep him from any other accolades during his time in Seattle, Diggs would find his way to two more Pro Bowls. After only amassing six interceptions in four-and-a-half years in Detroit, Diggs tripled that output with 18 picks in the same amount of time with the Seahawks. With the emergence of Julian Love last year and the signings of Rayshawn Jenkins and K’Von Wallace, the Seahawks were clearly looking to move on from their veteran defensive backs.

Signing with the Titans, Diggs now joins a new-look defense in Tennessee that has added Adams, cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie, linebacker Kenneth Murray, and defensive tackles Sebastian Joseph-Day and rookie T’Vondre Sweat, all playing under new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson and head coach Brian Callahan. The Titans moved on from their own veteran All-Pro this past season, trading away Kevin Byard. As a result, they saw former cornerback Elijah Molden step up and take a starting role across from Amani Hooker.

It’s difficult to predict how this lineup plays out. A new-look secondary now sees Sneed and Awuzie starting at cornerback, while Roger McCreary returns to his primary nickelback role. At safety, Hooker and Molden may get the first crack at first-team snaps, due to their experience in the unit, though the scheme is set to change a bit with new coaching.

However Diggs and Adams fit into the new secondary, one can’t deny that the team has employed outstanding depth at the position. Having so many starting-caliber safeties on the roster should allow the Titans to roam their best players around the field in unique packages.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/24

August 4th, 2024 at 5:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions to close out the weekend:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Washington Commanders

The Browns were looking forward to stashing Allen’s starting experience as a reserve lineman on the interior. Unfortunately, he suffered a calf injury that ended his season before it even began. Only on a one-year contract anyway, Allen will now get a head start on the free agency he would’ve faced at the end of this season.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson will not be coaching his son, Josh, this season, it appears. The 26-year-old tight end appeared in three games under his father in 2023.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/24

August 3rd, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

New Orleans Saints

  • Waived (injury designation): WR Jermaine Jackson

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Claimed off waivers (from Jets): TE Kevin Foelsch
  • Waived (injury designation): TE McCallan Castles

Brown’s workout with the Panthers obviously went well, as he now has a deal in place. The 30-year-old was unable to find a permanent home last season as he continued to rehab a torn Achilles from the year prior. Brown will spend the rest of the summer with a team seeking out depth at the CB spot, and his experience from his Cowboys days could help him secure a roster spot. Doing so could pave the way for at least a rotational role ahead of free agency in 2025.

Cardinals Extend DE Zaven Collins

August 3rd, 2024 at 1:39pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cardinals have been on a journey with 2021 first-round pick Zaven Collins, helping him transition from inside linebacker to defensive end this past season. Analytics marked the position change as a successful one, and as a result, the Cardinals have decided to extend Collins for two more years, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Collins’ new deal is set to earn him $14MM through 2025 and 2026. The contract will include $11.25MM of guarantees, as well. The team had recently declined Collins’ fifth-year option as a former first-rounder. OvertheCap.com predicts that, with his official position switch to defensive end, Collins’ fifth-year option would’ve been a fully-guaranteed $13.25MM. The Cardinals decision to handle Collins’ situation how they did essentially gave them an additional year on his contract for only $749K extra.

Collins’ NFL career got off to a slow start. After a stellar junior year at Tulsa, in which he recorded 11.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) in just eight games, Collins forewent his remaining eligibility and went 16th overall to Arizona. In his rookie year, Collins only made six starts. He was classified on the depth chart as a defensive back but spent most of his time in the box as a linebacker failing to make much of an impact with just 25 tackles and three passes defensed.

In 2022, Collins was made a full-time starter. He did make an impact on the defense, finishing third on the team with 100 total tackles and second on the team with 11 tackles for loss, but Pro Football Focus (subscription required) didn’t seem to respect Collins’ second-year jump as much. According to PFF, Collins graded out as the league’s 51st-best linebacker out of 81 players at the position.

This past season, Collins and the Cardinals experimented with another position shift, putting the third-year player almost exclusively on the edge. While, predictably, Collins’ pass-rushing arsenal could use some improvement, he graded out favorably, per PFF, in run defense and coverage. His efforts in a new position last year saw him grade out as the 44th best edge defender out of 112, according to PFF.

Collins’ new contract won’t put him anywhere on the radar of the top contracts at the position, and he hasn’t yet done anything to deserve such a contract. Instead, what this extension does is give Arizona ample time to figure out how Collins fits into his new role long-term. Instead of one contract year to decide his future, the Cardinals will now have an additional two years before their versatile former first-round selection tests free agency.

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