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Buccaneers Waive/Injured WR Deven Thompkins

May 30th, 2024 at 7:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers will have a new primary returner in 2024. The team has waived Deven Thompkins with an injury designation, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine.

Thompkins joined Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent out of Utah State in 2022. After playing sparingly on offense as a rookie, the wideout got into close to one fourth of his team’s offensive snaps in 2023. He ultimately finished the campaign with 17 catches for 83 yards and one touchdown.

The 24-year-old really showed out on special teams this past season. He finished the year with 16 kick returns for 327 yards (20.4 yards per return) and 25 punt returns for 234 yards (9.4 yards per return). He was especially active in the postseason, returning another three punts and one kickoff in two games.

As Greg Auman of FOX Sports points out, the NFL’s new kickoff rules should result in more returns and more contact. This means the league may be shifting away from the “smaller, shifty receivers” as their primary kick and punt returners. Thompkins is listed at 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds; Auman suggests Tampa Bay’s new options could be fourth-round RB Bucky Irving (5-foot-9, 192 pounds) and third-round WR Jalen McMillan (6-foot-1, 197 pounds).

On offense, Thompkins’ exit shouldn’t shake up the depth chart. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will continue to soak up the majority of the targets, with McMillan and Trey Palmer sliding in behind that duo. The Buccaneers are also rostering a long list of former UDFAs (including Rakim Jarrett) and current UDFAs (including Tanner Knue, Latreal Jones, and Kameron Johnson).

Giants Add Incentives To WR Darius Slayton’s Contract

May 30th, 2024 at 11:16am CST by Sam Robinson

Darius Slayton‘s return to Giants practice looks to have ended a brief contract squabble. While the team’s top wide receiver during the Daniel Jones era has not secured an extension, the Giants did make a move that led to his return to practice.

The team added incentives to Slayton’s contract, with the wideout confirming (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) that helped lead him to show for voluntary workouts. No additional guarantees come with these incentives, per SNY’s Connor Hughes, but the prospect of additional cash was enough to bring the sixth-year wideout to OTAs.

More specifically, the Giants added $650K in incentives to Slayton’s contract, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. The team previously included $1.5MM in incentives for Slayton in 2024; that number is now at $2.15MM. The Giants have Slayton going into the second season of a two-year, $12MM deal.

The additional incentives mark an interesting step for the parties, seeing as this Giants regime forced Slayton into a pay cut on his rookie deal less than two years ago. But Slayton and this Joe Schoen-led front office had been in talks about a resolution for a few weeks now.

Drafted during the Dave Gettleman GM years, Slayton has helped the Giants after the team made some mistakes on the receiver front. The Golden Tate signing underwhelmed in 2019, and the 2021 offseason — which featured a disastrous Kenny Golladay contract and a Kadarius Toney first-round misfire — set the team back at the position. Amid the missteps around him, Slayton has led the Giants in receiving in four of the past five seasons. Though, he has never topped 800 yards in a single campaign.

While the Giants made an interesting offer to the Patriots in hopes of adding an eventual Jones replacement (Drake Maye), they instead used the No. 6 overall pick to acquire a pass catcher (Malik Nabers) poised to supplant Slayton as the team’s top wideout. Slayton now resides as a Gettleman-era investment — albeit one Schoen re-signed in 2023 — in a receiver cadre otherwise flooded with Schoen pickups. The team has 2023 third-rounder Jalin Hyatt and 2022 second-rounder Wan’Dale Robinson in the fold, joining other players acquired under Schoen — Allen Robinson and ex-Schoen/Brian Daboll Bills pieces Isaiah Hodgins and Isaiah McKenzie.

This bevy of options, Slayton’s arrival under Gettleman and his contract-year status could conceivably make him a trade chip — depending on how Hyatt and Robinson continue to develop — before this year’s November deadline. The Giants, however, have continued to back Jones and appear more likely than not to see Darren Waller retire. Having a proven wideout option to help a quarterback who has never exactly been blessed with reliable receiving casts makes sense. For the time being, Slayton is moving forward with the team that drafted him five years ago.

49ers Extend WR Jauan Jennings

May 29th, 2024 at 10:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the deadline for restricted free agents to sign their tenders nearing, the 49ers and Jauan Jennings will move to a different contractual phase. The parties are done with the RFA process thanks to a Wednesday extension agreement.

San Francisco’s No. 3 wide receiver agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth up to $15.4MM, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Of that total, $10.5MM is guaranteed. This effectively represents a one-year bump for Jennings, who was tied to the 49ers via a second-round RFA tender ($4.89MM) for 2024. The team has since announced the deal.

[RELATED: 49ers ‘Past’ Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk Trade Talks]

Considering the uncertain futures of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, this Jennings agreement — coming after the Ricky Pearsall first-round selection — could be important in the 49ers’ post-2024 plan. This will keep a key role player in the fold beyond this season, and with rumors about an Aiyuk-or-Samuel decision beyond 2024 — when Samuel, Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey will be in contract years — Jennings is now in place on a modest deal.

A former seventh-round pick, Jennings has made some pivotal contributions to the 49ers’ cause. He caught two second-half touchdown passes from Jimmy Garoppolo to clinch a Week 18 win over the Rams in 2021, ensuring the 49ers would qualify for the playoffs. Considering what that San Francisco edition still had in the tank, those proved to be crucial regular-season sequences. Jennings is now better known for both throwing and catching a touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII. The auxiliary performer, a high school quarterback who saw some QB action at Tennessee as well, hit McCaffrey on a well-executed trick play in the first half and caught a TD from Purdy to give the 49ers a fourth-quarter lead.

Jennings, 26, plays a key role in the 49ers’ dominant ground attack as well. Pro Football Focus rated the fifth-year veteran as the league’s third-best run-blocking wideout last season. While Jennings rarely works as a starter, he has been a regular during one of the best periods in 49ers history. The 6-foot-3 performer played 489 offensive snaps in 2022 and 361 (in 13 games) last season. Jennings totaled 35 receptions for 416 yards in 2022 and added 265 yards on 19 grabs last season.

The 49ers have Aiyuk going into a fifth-year option season and Samuel signed through 2025 on a three-year, $71.55MM deal. Trade talks involving both players transpired during the draft, with teams believing the 49ers wanted a mid-first-round pick for Aiyuk. Samuel generated talks on Day 2, and the prospect of the 49ers paying the younger player and trading their 28-year-old run-after-catch dynamo has entered the equation. Though, Aiyuk talks have not progressed too far as of yet.

For now, the 49ers have an imposing quartet of receivers to throw at defenses. As Pearsall develops, the team has one of the NFL’s top duos. Jennings, as today’s agreement shows, still factors in prominently to the defending NFC champions’ big picture.

Front Office Updates: White, Pats, Steelers

May 29th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Bears assistant director of pro scouting Chris White has reportedly been removed from the team’s website, per Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. White had been promoted to the role two years ago after five years as a pro scout for the team.

While nothing official has been announced yet, rumors have it that White is heading to Washington, where he’ll serve as the Commanders‘ new director of pro scouting. White would essentially be filling the role vacated by former director of pro personnel Chris Polian, who is an advisor now in Cleveland.

Here are a couple of other rumors in NFL front offices from around the league:

  • Stratton also tells us that the Patriots are adding a new member to their pro scouting staff in Bob Kronenberg. Kronenberg has had an interesting career path following the end of his playing career in the Arena Football League. Kronenberg spent five games as head coach of the former AFL’s Georgia Force in 2004. Eight years later, he joined the Falcons’ front office as a pro scout. After six years working in the team’s scouting department, Kronenberg accepted a role as Atlanta’s assistant offensive line coach, a role he’s held since 2019. Kronenberg will now find his way back to the front office in New England.
  • Lastly, the Steelers are reportedly bringing on Jim Noel as a new area scout, according to Stratton. Noel has plenty of NFL experience, starting as a scouting intern for the Chiefs in 2015 and working his way up to pro scout after two years. He then spent three years as the northeast area scout for the Browns before heading to the collegiate ranks to work recruiting staff roles at Army and Nebraska.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/29/24

May 29th, 2024 at 7:36pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s only draft pick signing:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

McMillan may have failed to reach the team-leading reception and touchdown numbers of his redshirt sophomore season in 2023, but he made a big enough impression to solidify himself as a third-round pick even after missing four games as a redshirt junior. McMillan broke out in 2022 with 79 receptions for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns. Last year, he watched top-10 pick Rome Odunze and second-round selection Ja’Lynn Polk take the lead on the Huskies’ road to a berth in the College Football Playoff Championship. Now will get the opportunity in Tampa Bay to compete for a WR3 spot behind usual suspects Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Texans, WR Nico Collins Agree To Extension

May 29th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 29: Further details on the Collins deal are in, courtesy of Wilson. The pact includes guaranteed base salaries in its first two years (including $13.5MM in 2025), with $10MM of his $20MM 2026 salary becoming guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2025 league year. Collins will see the other half shift to a full guarantee in March 2026; the final year includes a non-guaranteed $21.25MM in base compensation.

To maximize the extension’s value, $750K in annual incentives from 2025-27 will need to be met. Collins will earn an additional $250K each for a Pro Bowl selection, recording 95 catches and posting 1,460 yards those seasons. Each year of the pact contains $625K in roster bonuses.

MAY 28: The Texans’ offensive success in 2023 included a breakout year for Nico Collins. The ascending wideout has landed a lucrative new deal as a result.

Collins and the Texans have agreed to a three-year extension, Dianna Russini of the Athletic reports. This pact will keep him on the books through 2027. Providing further details, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes the deal has a base value of $72.75MM which can max out at $75MM. $52MM is guaranteed, and Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 adds Collins will collect a $17MM signing bonus.

The 25-year-old had a modest start to his career as a member of a low-output Texans passing game. Collins nevertheless showcased his potential as a deep threat in particular during that time, and expectations were raised with C.J. Stroud‘s arrival last year. The two formed a productive partnership in 2023, with Collins posting 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns on 80 catches.

With an annual average value of $24.25MM, this agreement is a strong indication the Texans feel Collins can continue to develop into a focal point on offense. The Michigan product was the team’s top option at the receiver position for much of the 2023 season, although Stroud initially showed a strong connection with third-round rookie Tank Dell. The latter’s season-ending injury paved the way for Collins to take on a larger role, and he will now be expected to remain a top producer.

A February report indicated a mutual interest existed between team and player in Collins’ case. Since then, Houston has acquired Stefon Diggs via trade, a move which adds a four-time Pro Bowler to the mix. Diggs has received at least 149 targets in five of the past six years, and it will be interesting to see how he fits in an offense returning Collins, Dell and tight end Dalton Schultz. The Texans signed Schultz to a three-year deal of his own this offseason, and Collins will join him as a member of the team’s long-term offensive plans.

Dell – who is recovering from a minor gunshot wound suffered this offseason – is on the books for three more years via his rookie pact. With he and Stroud under team control for years to come, Houston can afford to make investments such as this one. Diggs is due just over $22.5MM in 2024 before hitting free agency. Especially if he were to depart next year, Collins would comfortably reside as the Texans’ highest-paid receiver.

This deal will slot the former third-rounder into seventh in the NFL in terms of annual average compensation amongst receivers. The top of the market has been on an upward trajectory with recent deals, and number of ascending talents at the position are set to move the bar even higher in the near future. Collins has understandably not moved to the top of the pecking order, but his 2023 production has vaulted him near the league’s top earners at a premium position.

Chargers To Sign OL Alex Leatherwood

May 29th, 2024 at 1:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Alex Leatherwood has barely been seen on a game field since his one-season Raiders partnership ended. The former first-round pick, however, did spend last season on the Browns’ practice squad.

Cleveland did not retain Leatherwood, but the former Alabama offensive lineman will receive another opportunity. The Chargers are bringing him in, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Leatherwood last saw action as a Bears backup during the 2022 season.

It is difficult for a team to fare worse in a stretch with six first-round picks than the Raiders did during the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock drafts. Of the players chosen from 2019-21, only one (Josh Jacobs) has been a regular starter. Henry Ruggs and Damon Arnette are out of the league, while Johnathan Abram has bounced around as a backup. Clelin Ferrell stabilized his career, to a degree, as a 49ers starter on a low-cost deal in 2023. The Saints and Commanders, respectively, signed Abram and Ferrell to one-year deals this offseason. Leatherwood became the quickest of those Raider first-rounders to wash out with his original NFL team.

Criticized for what was widely labeled a reach pick by selecting Leatherwood 17th overall in 2021, the Raiders used their first-rounder as a starting guard during their playoff campaign. The team moved the tackle prospect inside quickly, but Pro Football Focus viewed the rookie as the league’s worst O-line regular that season. The Josh McDaniels-led coaching staff kicked Leatherwood back outside during the 2022 offseason and then attempted to trade him. No trade partner emerged, and the Raiders waived Leatherwood. The Bears took on the former Crimson Tide starter’s contract, but a mononucleosis bout stalled his rebound opportunity. Leatherwood played 32 offensive snaps for the Bears in 2022 and did not make Chicago’s 53-man roster last year.

It will be interesting to see if a year learning under acclaimed O-line coach Bill Callahan in Cleveland will benefit Leatherwood, who is going into his age-25 season. The Chargers hired ex-Ravens assistant Mike Devlin as their O-line coach. He will be tasked with continuing Leatherwood’s development.

The Bolts are set at tackle, having drafted Joe Alt to go with Rashawn Slater, and they are planning to see how displaced RT Trey Pipkins looks at guard. The team rosters Zion Johnson as its other guard starter. Jamaree Salyer, who worked as a starting guard last year after filling in for Slater as a rookie, remains on the now-Jim Harbaugh-led roster as well. At this stage, Leatherwood profiles as a backup candidate. He joins Foster Sarell, 2021 fifth-rounder Brenden Jaimes, 2023 fifth-rounder Jordan McFadden and a host of rookie UDFAs as Bolts backup options up front.

Jets To Bring In RB Tarik Cohen

May 29th, 2024 at 10:25am CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries stalled Tarik Cohen‘s career early in the 2020s. The former Bears running back and Pro Bowl return man managed a comeback opportunity with the Panthers last year, but the team ended that bid recently. The Jets will now take a flier.

Cohen is heading to New York on a one-year agreement, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. This comes after the Panthers cut him earlier this month. Robert Saleh confirmed the deal, and the fourth-year Jets HC (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) pointed to the new kickoff rules when discussing Cohen.

With the NFL greenlighting an experiment that will reintroduce the kick return to prominence, some teams are making notable additions in preparation. The Steelers brought in Cordarrelle Patterson hours after owners approved the one-year trial for the XFL-style kickoff, and the Seahawks added Laviska Shenault Jr. with a return role in mind. Cohen has contributed on offense, but his best NFL work has come in the return game.

Cohen, 28, led the NFL in punt-return yardage in 2018, earning first-team All-Pro acclaim, and returned a punt for a touchdown as a rookie a year prior. The bulk of Cohen’s return experience has come on punts, however. The Bears removed the 5-foot-7 back from the kick-return role after his rookie season. Of course, Chicago rostered Patterson from 2019-20. Ceding a job to one of the best kick returners in NFL history did not prove detrimental for Cohen, who signed a three-year, $17.25MM extension in 2020.

Although the Panthers stashed Cohen on their practice squad last year, injury trouble — which initially cropped up not long after his extension came to pass — resurfaced. Cohen spent several weeks on Carolina’s practice squad injured list. The North Carolina A&T alum has not played in a game since the 2020 season; Cohen suffered a torn ACL in September 2020 and missed the 2021 season as well. Shortly after being released in 2022, Cohen sustained an Achilles tear.

The Jets used UDFA Xavier Gipson as their primary return man last year. That fit produced one of the most memorable special teams moments in team history, via the walk-off Week 1 punt return. Saleh confirmed Gipson remains the frontrunner for the kick-return role. Seeing as nearly four years have passed since Cohen’s last game action, the small-school product is running out of chances. But the Jets, who will have 16 practice squad spots in addition to their 53-man roster, will see what the former Bears standout has left.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/28/24

May 28th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Ben Levine

A couple of draft pick signings to pass along:

Minnesota Vikings

Tennessee Titans

Gray earned first-team All-ACC honors in both 2022 and 2023, collecting 266 totals tackles at North Carolina over that span. Despite being selected in the fourth round, Gray was still only the seventh linebacker off the board, with scouts lauding the former UNC captain’s defensive savviness. The linebacker’s four-year rookie contract is worth $4.85MM, including $834K in guaranteed money (per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston).vWith the signing, the Titans only have one unsigned draft pick: second-round defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat (Texas).

Jackson joins the Vikings following a productive lone season at Oregon. After transferring from Alabama, the defensive back had his best collegiate season, finishing with 34 tackles, three interceptions, and a pair of sacks for the Ducks. With this signing, Minnesota only has two unsigned rookies: first-round QB J.J. McCarthy and first-round edge rusher Dallas Turner.

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