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Transactions News & Rumors

Lions Extend LT Taylor Decker

July 29th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Lions general manager Brad Holmes announced during a Monday appearance on 97.1FM radio that left tackle Taylor Decker has signed an extension. His agent confirmed the news, noting this is a three-year, $60MM agreement.

Decker will receive $31.83MM guaranteed on his latest Lions pact. He was entering the final year of his deal, one which was set to pay him $13.7MM. The 29-year-old has now landed a raise, though, along with added long-term security. Decker will be on the books through 2027.

The former first-rounder has spent his entire eight-year career in Detroit, and he has started each of his 116 combined regular and postseason contests. Decker has remained a consistent performer with respect to pass protection in particular, and his PFF evaluations have been steady over the years. He received the ninth-highest overall grade amongst tackles in 2023 (81.1), his best showing in that regard to date.

Extension talks between Decker and the Lions began this spring, ahead of an offseason in which several big-money deals were worked out. The likes of quarterback Jared Goff, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and right tackle Penei Sewell each inked contracts at or near the top of their respective markets in recent months. Decker’s $20MM AAV will move him into seventh amongst blindside blockers, a notable move up the pecking order from where he previously was.

Decker recently expressed a positive outlook on where contract talks stood, so today’s news comes as little surprise. With his deal now official, both members of Detroit’s tackle tandem are in place for the foreseeable future. Any question of whether or not Sewell would transition to the left side (at least any time soon) will be put to rest. The Lions selected Canadian college product Giovanni Manu in the fourth round of the draft, but he projects as a long-term developmental option. With Decker on the books, Manu will not need to be rushed into action.

The Lions’ success in a number of categories last year stemmed in large part from the play of their offensive line. That unit will return Decker, Sewell, left guard Graham Glasgow and center Frank Ragnow. Former right guard starter Jonah Jackson departed in free agency, but Detroit added a capable replacement in the form of Kevin Zeitler. Expectations will therefore once again be high up front for the team in 2024 and beyond with Decker remaining on the blindside.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/24

July 29th, 2024 at 8:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: WR Jesse Matthews

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

  • Waived: K John Parker Romo

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Riley Patterson‘s second stint in Jacksonville has come to an end. After getting a seven-game look with the Lions in 2021, Patterson won the Jaguars full-time kicking gig in 2022. He proceeded to convert 30 of his 35 field goal attempts that season, plus another three-for-three showing in the postseason (including a 41-yard game-winner against the Chargers).

He was replaced in Jacksonville by Brandon McManus last offseason, leading to him spending the majority of the 2023 campaign back in Detroit. In addition to his two-game stint with the Browns to end last season, Patterson ended 2023 having connected on 16 of his 18 FG tries and 41 of his 44 XP tries. The Jaguars brought him back in February via a reserve/future contract, but the team is already committing to rookie sixth-round pick Cam Little as their full-time kicker.

Falcons, WR James Washington Agree To Deal

July 29th, 2024 at 4:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

James Washington‘s efforts to land an NFL deal have produced an agreement. The veteran wideout is set to join the Falcons, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Washington did not record a reception in his pair of Cowboys contests during the 2022 season. He was out of the league altogether last year, but he made it clear earlier this month he intended to join a new team. After reportedly being on the radar of multiple interested teams, he will spend the rest of training camp in Atlanta.

The 28-year-old’s Dallas tenure did not go as planned, but it was preceded by four years in Pittsburgh. Between 2018-21, Washington showed his potential as a deep threat by averaging 14.2 yards per reception. He totaled 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns on 114 catches, and he will aim to regain that form with the Falcons. Atlanta’s receivers coach – Ike Hilliard – served in that role with the Steelers during Washington’s last two years in Pittsburgh.

The Falcons’ WR depth chart is once again topped by 2022 first-rounder Drake London. The former No. 8 pick has been a focal point of the team’s passing attack so far, and that is expected to continue in 2024 with Kirk Cousins at the helm. The Falcons added Darnell Mooney in free agency, and the former Bear is slated to handle a starting role. Washington will be competing for a rotational spot alongside the likes of trade acquisition Rondale Moore, veteran returner Ray-Ray McCloud and incumbent KhaDarel Hodge.

Atlanta entered Monday at the bottom of the league in terms of cap space (roughly $3.5MM), so this Washington accord will not be a lucrative one. That comes as no surprise, of course, but he will now have the opportunity to earn a 53-man roster spot with a new team.

Texans DE Denico Autry Issued Six-Game PED Suspension

July 29th, 2024 at 1:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Denico Autry will miss the opening portion of the 2024 campaign. The Texans defensive end released a statement confirming he has received a six-game suspension for violating the league’s PED policy.

Autry’s statement indicates he inadvertently ingested a banned substance while taking a prescription medication. The 34-year-old does not have a history of using performance-enhancing drugs, but this ban will keep him sidelined for the start of his Texans career. Autry will not appeal the suspension.

The former UDFA began his career with the Raiders, logging 18 starts during his four seasons with the team. Autry then kicked off his tour of the AFC South with a three-year Colts stint. In Indianapolis, he served as a full-time starter and racked up 20 sacks. From 2021-23, he played for the Titans and remained an integral member of the team’s pass rush.

Autry recorded 9.0, 8.0 and 11.5 sacks during his Tennessee campaigns before landing in Houston. The Mississippi State product signed a two-year Texans deal this offseason, and in doing so provided the team with another established producer off the edge. Houston’s offseason included the free agent departure of Jonathan Greenard, but he was replaced in the starting lineup by Danielle Hunter.

The latter will pair with 2023 third overall pick Will Anderson in anchoring Houston’s pass rush. Autry was expected to play a large role in that regard as well, but his season debut will now be delayed. The former UDFA will forfeit $1.5MM in salary, $500K in lost signing bonus compensation along with $177K in weekly roster bonuses, as detailed by Spotrac. In addition, Autry’s remaining 2024 salary ($3MM) will no longer be guaranteed.

The Texans also have the likes of Derek Barnett, Jerry Hughes and Dylan Horton along the edge. During the first six games of the season in particular, they will be counted on to step up. Autry will first be eligible to make his season debut in Week 7 against the Packers.

Vikings To Sign DB Bobby McCain

July 29th, 2024 at 11:24am CST by Adam La Rose

In need of depth in the secondary, the Vikings are set to bring in Bobby McCain. The veteran defensive back has a deal in place with Minnesota, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

McCain has spent nine seasons in the NFL across three teams. His first stint came in Miami, which included time spent under then-head coach Brian Flores. The latter is now the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, and he will have a familiar face in the fold during training camp. McCain will use the coming weeks attempting to carve out a spot on Minnesota’s defense (or at least a special teams role).

The 30-year-old spent a pair of seasons as a full-time starter in Washington. Across the 2021 and ’22 campaigns, McCain logged just over 2,000 snaps while seeing considerable time at safety. He also saw time at slot corner, however, and his path to a 53-man roster spot in Minnesota could be at the CB position. With that said, Flores indicated – via Schefter’s colleague Kevin Seifert – McCain will start out at safety with the potential to also spend time in the slot or on the perimeter.

McCain was released by the Commanders last offseason (as he was at the end of his Dolphins tenure), paving the way for a one-year Giants contract. The former fifth-rounder was used heavily on special teams during his brief New York tenure, but he saw just 19 defensive snaps. He was let go in December and remained unsigned until now. McCain will face plenty of competition for a safety role alongside Harrison Smith, but he could earn a depth spot as a corner considering the Vikings’ losses at that spot recently.

Rookie Khyree Jackson died in a car accident this offseason, and Mekhi Blackmon suffered an ACL tear last week. That has left the team short on available contributors in the secondary, and head coach Kevin O’Connell recently said (via Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune) the Vikings would look into further free agent options. Minnesota already signed Duke Shelley, and he will now join McCain in competing for a roster spot.

The latter is a veteran of 131 games and 87 starts, and his familiarity with Flores could allow him to secure playing time on his newest team. Minnesota entered Monday with just over $19MM in cap space, so an underwhelming showing from McCain would still allow for further depth moves in the secondary to be made if necessary.

Browns Place OL Brian Allen On IR

July 29th, 2024 at 9:20am CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns’ interior offensive line depth has been dealt a blow well before the start of the season. Brian Allen was placed on injured reserve Monday, per a team announcement.

Allen has been dealing with a calf injury since the third day of training camp, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes. The ailment is obviously a serious one, as today’s move means Allen will not play in 2024. The 28-year-old signed with the Browns after the draft in a bid to put together a healthy campaign on a new team.

Allen started each of his appearances with the Rams from 2019-22, but injuries hindered his Los Angeles tenure. The former fourth-rounder missed the 2020 campaign altogether, and he was limited to five games (and no starts) last season. To little surprise, he was released by the Rams in a move which set up his Browns arrival.

Cleveland’s offensive line was decimated by injuries in 2023, so added depth across the board was welcomed in the offseason. Allen has exclusively played at center during his career, but he did take practice reps at guard prior to suffering the injury. Now, the Browns’ plans along the interior will no longer include him for 2024. The team still has Ethan Pocic in place as a starter in the middle, along with the well-regarded tandem of Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio at guard.

Allen’s Cleveland contract was a one-year accord, as could be expected given his injury issues during his Rams tenure. His attention will now return to rehab in anticipation of free agency next spring. After another full season spent on the sidelines, though, it is safe to assume his market will not be strong once he returns to full health. In a corresponding move, the Browns signed guard Zach Johnson.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/24

July 28th, 2024 at 5:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves to close out the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Activated from active/NFI list: TE Erick All

Dallas Cowboys

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Thuney has been working his way back from a pectoral injury. After suffering the strain in a Divisional Round win over the Bills, the injury held Thuney out of the team’s final two wins over the Ravens and 49ers. Having passed his physical, Thuney will return to practice in order to take the next steps on his way back to the field.

The Giants weren’t the only team to submit a waiver claim for Rourke as he continues to try and turn his success in the Canadian Football League into an NFL opportunity. Now, after being buried on the depth chart behind Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito, Rourke is able to look elsewhere for that chance at playing time in the NFL.

Rams, Matthew Stafford Reach Contract Resolution

July 28th, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 28: Stafford’s deal is now officially in place, per Garafolo’s colleague Ian Rapoport. $5MM has been accelerated from a future year into 2024, meaning he will receive $36MM this season. In addition, a guaranteed $4MM roster bonus has been added for 2025. Stafford has thus met his goal of acquiring new locked in compensation while also receiving a raise up front.

JULY 23: Rams head coach Sean McVay announced on Tuesday that an agreement has been reached with Matthew Stafford on a new contract. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback will be in attendance at training camp.

McVay did not go into specifics with respect to financial terms, but he noted (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo) today’s agreement is not an extension. As a result, Stafford remains under contract through the 2026 campaign. Only one more year remained on the pact with guaranteed salary, so this restructure presumably includes new locked in compensation.

It became known during the draft that Stafford was seeking guarantees beyond 2024. The 36-year-old delivered a healthy and productive season last year, putting to rest thoughts of a trade sending him out of Los Angeles or (for at least the time being) speculation about retirement. McVay confirmed Stafford would remain in place for the coming campaign atop the QB depth chart after the team’s postseason exit. That will be the case for 2024 and potentially beyond, depending on the structure of the new arrangement.

Stafford’s camp had been in communication with the Rams about a resolution, so today’s update comes as little surprise. The latest report on the matter indicated the longtime Lions signal-caller would not engage in a training camp holdout even if a deal had not been agreed to. That has now become a moot point, and team and player will turn their attention to the 2024 season.

The Rams’ youth movement at a number of positions led to lessened expectations last year, but Stafford helped guide the team to the wild-card round. Taking one or more steps further than that in 2024 would prove his $31MM salary to be worthwhile, and staying healthy would make today’s investment in his finances for 2025 and/or ’26 a reasonable decision as well. The details of today’s move will be worth watching for as the Rams prepare for life after Aaron Donald on the field and from a financial perspective.

Cowboys Release Gareon Conley; CB Plans To Retire

July 28th, 2024 at 12:07pm CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have released cornerback Gareon Conley, per a team announcement. The club just signed Conley in June in the hopes that the 2017 first-rounder — who last suited up for regular season action in 2019 — could make a comeback in Dallas, where he would be reunited with Paul Guenther (Guenther, currently a Cowboys assistant, was the Raiders’ defensive coordinator from 2018-19, when Conley was a starter for the then-Oakland outfit).

Rather than continue his journey back to an NFL roster, Conley has decided to retire, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. As Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports, Conley requested his release, and the Cowboys obliged.

Conley, now 29, played in just two games for the Raiders in his rookie season in 2017 due to injury, but he was elevated to the starting lineup the following season, the first year of Jon Gruden‘s second stint with the club. The Ohio State product played reasonably well in his first extensive professional action, earning an average 64.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and accumulating three interceptions — including one pick-six — among 15 passes defensed.

He remained a starter in 2019 and performed at a similar level, which was enough for the Texans to send a third-round choice to the Raiders at that year’s deadline to acquire Conley’s services. However, it was not enough for Houston to exercise his fifth-year option, which turned 2020 into a platform year. Unfortunately, instead of making his case for a lucrative second NFL contract, Conley never got into another meaningful game.

He underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery in the 2020 offseason, and though he was medically cleared to return to practice that August, he landed on IR before the season started. As it turned out, the ordinarily minor procedure led to unexpected complications, and Conley eventually required another surgery.

Conley filed a grievance against the Texans stemming from his medical issues, a matter that was recently settled for $100K. He officially exits the game after having played in just 31 contests (26 starts), though he did earn $10.5MM over the life of his rookie deal.

We at PFR wish Conley the best in retirement.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/24

July 27th, 2024 at 8:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins 

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Martinez had a productive dual-threat career in college, scoring 96 total touchdowns during his time with Nebraska and Kansas State. He joined the Lions as a UDFA last spring, but he did not survive roster cutdowns. Martinez did not see any NFL game action, but he recently boosted his stock in the UFL. The 24-year-old earned league MVP honors while leading the Birmingham Stallions to the championship. Martinez compiled a combined 17:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and led the league with 588 rushing yards.

The top of New York’s depth chart is set with Aaron Rodgers and Tyrod Taylor, but rookie Jordan Travis opened training camp on the NFI list as he continues to recover from the leg injury which ended his Florida State career. Martinez’s arrival (and the corresponding departure of Bryant) will allow him to see limited reps for at least a brief period. He could be a practice squad candidate if Travis returns to health in time for the fall, but a strong showing in training camp and/or the preseason could make him an attractive option for other teams.

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