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2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

June 2nd, 2023 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The start of June has served as a key NFL financial period for decades. While teams no longer have to wait until after June 1 to make that cost-splitting cut designation, teams pick up the savings from those transactions today. With a handful of teams making post-June 1 cuts this year, here is how each team’s cap space (courtesy of OverTheCap) looks as of Friday:

  1. Chicago Bears: $32.58MM
  2. Carolina Panthers: $27.25MM
  3. Arizona Cardinals: $26.68MM
  4. New York Jets: $24.79MM
  5. Detroit Lions: $23.72MM
  6. Indianapolis Colts: $23.39MM
  7. Dallas Cowboys: $20.48MM
  8. Houston Texans: $16.81MM
  9. Green Bay Packers: $16.57MM
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers: $15.73MM
  11. Cincinnati Bengals: $14.92MM
  12. New Orleans Saints: $14.27MM
  13. New England Patriots: $14.12MM
  14. Miami Dolphins: $13.9MM
  15. Cleveland Browns: $13.86MM
  16. Philadelphia Eagles: $13.85MM
  17. Los Angeles Chargers: $12.61MM
  18. Jacksonville Jaguars: $12MM
  19. Washington Commanders: $11.57MM
  20. Baltimore Ravens: $11.54MM
  21. San Francisco 49ers: $10.72MM
  22. Atlanta Falcons: $10.7MM
  23. Denver Broncos: $10.13MM
  24. Minnesota Vikings: $9.75MM
  25. Tennessee Titans: $7.99MM
  26. Seattle Seahawks: $7.94MM
  27. New York Giants: $3.82MM
  28. Las Vegas Raiders: $3.37MM
  29. Los Angeles Rams: $1.49MM
  30. Buffalo Bills: $1.4MM
  31. Kansas City Chiefs: $653K
  32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $402K

The Dolphins gained the most from a post-June 1 cut (Byron Jones) this year, creating $13.6MM in cap space from a deal that will spread out the cornerback’s dead money through 2024. But the Browns (John Johnson, Jadeveon Clowney) and Cowboys (Ezekiel Elliott) created more than $10MM in space as well.

The Jets’ number is a bit deceiving. They are still working on a restructure with Aaron Rodgers, as the trade acquisition’s cap number — after a Packers restructure — sits at just $1.22MM. In 2024, that number skyrockets to $107.6MM. Rodgers’ cap hit will almost definitely will climb before Week 1, so viewing the Jets along with the other teams north of $20MM in space is not entirely accurate.

Minnesota is moving closer to separating from its $12.6MM-per-year Dalvin Cook contract. The team already created some space by trading Za’Darius Smith to the Browns. Cleveland, which is one of the teams connected to DeAndre Hopkins, added Smith and did so with help from its Deshaun Watson restructure. Watson was set to count $54.9MM against the Browns’ 2023 cap. That number is down to $19.1MM, though the Browns’ restructure both ballooned Watson’s mid-2020s cap figures to $63.9MM — which would shatter the NFL record — and added a 2027 void year.

Tampa Bay and Los Angeles sit atop the league in dead money, with the Bucs — largely from their April 2022 Tom Brady restructure — checking in at $75.3MM here. That total comprises nearly 33% of the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The Rams, at more than $74MM, are not far behind. Despite the Bills and Chiefs — the teams most frequently tied to Hopkins — joining the Bucs and Rams near the bottom of the league in cap space, both AFC contenders also sit in the bottom five in dead money.

Commanders Contract Matters On Hold Amid Likely Ownership Change

June 1st, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The timeline for Dan Snyder‘s long-reported sale — to Josh Harris — has overshadowed everything else pertaining to the Commanders this offseason, and that likely will continue into the foreseeable future.

Snyder and Harris have reached an exclusive sale agreement, doing so in early May. Issues surrounding the league’s debt limit and the number of investors in Harris’ ownership group are expected to produce an extended timetable before the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner takes over. Although Roger Goodell expects Harris’ purchase to be ratified, the NFL’s finance committee is still reviewing the $6.05 billion agreement.

As that matter persists, Snyder may still have some big-picture decisions to make. Though, it sounds like the Commanders’ football-side decision-makers would prefer to avoid that. The team is pausing contractual matters for the time being.

“We’ll have to work through some things before we can do any of that stuff,” Ron Rivera said (via Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero) regarding contract issues. “We’re in a good position right now. I don’t think we really need to make those type of moves. If something does come up, I’ll probably reach out to the current owner and see what we’re capable of doing still.”

Fewer contract issues exist compared to last summer for the team. The 2022 offseason featured negotiations with Terry McLaurin and Daron Payne. McLaurin signed his extension last June, while Payne ended up receiving the franchise tag this year. But the Commanders became the first (and only) team to lock down a tagged player this year, giving the standout defensive tackle a four-year, $90MM extension in March.

“It’s been put out there that everything’s kind of in a holding pattern until we get everything done and put into place,” Rivera said. “I do know that there is a plan. We’ve had a plan. We went through what the plan was in February, March, April. We’ve adjusted it because we got Daron taken care of.

“And so now, we have a plan to focus on the next few guys that we feel we’ve got to be able to go after. But once the ownership change happens, we’ll be able to sit down with the powers that be and explain to them what we see and hopefully they’ll agree with it, and we’ll be able to go forward.”

Beyond signing draft picks, the Commanders do not have a McLaurin- or Payne-level contract decision to address. The team stood down at quarterback, going with an oft-questioned plan of a Sam Howell–Jacoby Brissett competition, and did not pick up Chase Young‘s fifth-year option, pointing to a “prove it” season for the former Defensive Rookie of the Year. This ownership transfer delay could affect the team’s proceedings with Montez Sweat, who is going into his fifth-year option season. The Commanders would have the franchise tag available for Sweat in 2024, but Young’s status — as he prepares for a full season, after seeing his 2021 ACL tear nearly knock him out for all of 2022 — stands to play a role on that front as well. Harris will likely be in place as owner when a potential Young-or-Sweat decision emerges.

Although the NFL’s spring meetings went off without a vote on Harris’ Commanders purchase, a meeting can be called specifically for a vote. That remains expected before the season begins. For the time being, Rivera, GM Martin Mayhew and Co. are somewhat restricted in how they navigate financial matters.

Six Teams To Gain Cap Space From Post-June 1 Cut Designations

May 31st, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the annual June 1 date — a pivotal salary point on the NFL’s calendar for decades — looming, a handful of teams will see their cap-space figures rise this week. This year, six teams took advantage of the post-June 1 cut designation the league allows for cost-defraying purposes.

Teams are permitted to designate two players per offseason as post-June 1 cuts. This transaction allows a team to spread out a dead-money hit over a two-year period, as opposed to absorbing all the cost in one offseason. The Cardinals did not take this path with DeAndre Hopkins, finalized a standard release Tuesday. Arizona is one of the six teams to have used the post-June 1 cut tactic this offseason, however.

Here are the teams who will pick up cap room Friday, via ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter):

  • Miami Dolphins: $13.6MM
  • Cleveland Browns: $10.92MM
  • Dallas Cowboys: $10.9MM
  • Washington Commanders: $4MM
  • Denver Broncos: $3.75MM
  • Arizona Cardinals: $3.22MM

With $1.3MM in cap space, the Dolphins sit 30th as May winds down. They will rise to the league’s top half thanks to the funds from their Byron Jones cut emerging. Jones missed all of last season due to injury, seeing what was believed to be a routine surgery — one not expected to even force him to miss training camp time — leave his career in jeopardy. Three years after the Dolphins gave Jones a then-record-setting cornerback contract, the former Cowboys Pro Bowler expressed doubt about playing again.

The Browns’ John Johnson release will balloon their cap space to $15.9MM. Cleveland gave Johnson a three-year, $33MM deal in 2021 but cut bait with a year to go. The Browns were believed to be interested in Jessie Bates, but the Falcons’ monster offer (four years, $64MM) won out. Cleveland instead signed ex-Kansas City starter Juan Thornhill. The Browns used their second post-June 1 designation on Jadeveon Clowney, doing so despite signing the former No. 1 overall pick to a one-year deal in 2022. Released for procedural purposes after a tumultuous year, Clowney is no longer in the Browns’ plans. The team, which has been mentioned as a Hopkins dark horse, now sits in the top 10 for cap space.

Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott cut will lead to a cap-space figure north of $21MM soon; that will place the team in the top eight. The team would have faced an $11.8MM dead-money charge had the post-June 1 designation not been used. Elliott remains in the mix to return to the Cowboys, but the two-time rushing champion would do so at a significantly reduced rate. The team had signed him to a six-year, $90MM extension ahead of the 2019 season, but the former No. 4 overall pick’s best work came on his rookie contract. The Cowboys still have Tony Pollard tied to a $10.1MM franchise tag.

Chase Roullier represents the source of the Commanders’ belated savings. Washington cut its former starting center earlier this month, doing so after signing veteran Nick Gates and drafting interior O-lineman Ricky Stromberg in Round 3. Roullier signed a Washington extension in January 2021 but missed 24 games over the past two seasons. The 2017 draftee, who played just two games last season due to a knee injury, remains unsigned. The Roullier-generated money will bump Washington’s cap-space total past $8MM.

Denver parting ways with longtime kicker Brandon McManus will lead to its slight funding increase, which will boost the team’s cap space past $10MM. McManus served as the Broncos’ kicker for nine seasons, taking over after Matt Prater‘s substance-abuse suspension in 2014. McManus signed two extensions to stay in Denver, the most recent in 2020. But the Broncos have another round of new special teams coaches. Sean Payton cited cost savings when addressing McManus’ release, and the veteran kicker already has a new gig — in Jacksonville.

The Cardinals will add a few million because of their Rodney Hudson release and J.J. Watt‘s retirement. Hudson, who has been closely tied to retirement, spent the past two seasons in Arizona. The Cards acquired the former Raiders and Chiefs center via 2021 trade. Hudson then signed a three-year, $30MM extension that ran through the 2024 season. Injuries doomed the former Pro Bowler in Arizona. After missing five games in 2021, Hudson missed 13 last season. Although Watt retired, the Cards created nearly $1.2MM in 2023 cap space by processing the move as a post-June 1 exit.

Because the Cardinals had used the post-June 1 designation on Hudson and Watt, they could not apply the cost-spreading measure to the Hopkins release. With the Hudson and Watt moves set to lift the Cardinals past the $27MM mark for cap space, only the Bears will reside ahead of them in available funds.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/30/23

May 30th, 2023 at 5:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

Johnson has bounced around a bit since his two-year Buccaneers stay. After a 360-yard receiving season in 2021, the former fifth-round pick has failed to catch on with the Texans or Raiders. Johnson played in two Houston games last year and, after signing a reserve/futures deal with the Raiders, received his Las Vegas walking papers earlier this month. In addition to the notable 2021 showing, Johnson has seven playoff receptions on his resume.

Stallworth re-signed with the Texans in February but ended up on IR — due to what his agent called a short-term injury — earlier this month. This settlement will allow Stallworth to heal up and attempt to play this season elsewhere. Stallworth played in seven games (six with the Chiefs, one with the Texans) last season but logged 32 as primarily a Colts backup from 2020-21. The veteran D-tackle is going into his age-28 season.

Commanders Cut CB Cameron Dantzler, Expected To Release G Andrew Norwell

May 30th, 2023 at 1:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders claimed Cameron Dantzler off waivers from the Vikings in March, but the NFC East team will end this partnership. Washington announced Tuesday that Dantzler will be cut.

Not yet a vested veteran, the fourth-year cornerback will head back to the waiver wire. Washington has also announced the placement of guard Andrew Norwell on the reserve/PUP list. Norwell started 16 games for the Commanders last season. This designation is expected to precede a release, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who notes the team is planning to cut the veteran guard once he passes a physical (Twitter link).

Washington signed Norwell last year, giving the ex-Ron Rivera Panthers starter a two-year, $10MM deal with $4.7MM guaranteed. The Commanders can gain $4.38MM in cap space by releasing Norwell after June 1. Norwell, who also joined ex-Rivera charge Trai Turner on Washington’s O-line last season, has played nine NFL seasons. Turner is no longer on Washington’s roster.

Rivera said last month the team is planning to give Saahdiq Charles and Chris Paul opportunities to win the left guard job, which Norwell held until Week 18. Norwell played every offensive snap until Washington’s season finale, sitting out Sam Howell‘s debut due to a hip injury. Rather than the hip malady, ESPN’s John Keim notes Norwell is battling a right elbow issue.

The Jaguars gave Norwell a five-year, $66.5MM contract in 2018. He had accepted a pay cut in 2021, with that agreement removing a year from his contract. The Commanders gave Norwell a chance in 2022, after they lost Brandon Scherff to the Jags in free agency. Pro Football Focus slotted Norwell just inside the top 50 at guard last season. While that middle-of-the-pack placement could be considered respectable, it marked his worst career assessment from the advanced metrics site. PFF graded Norwell as a top-30 guard every season from 2014-20.

The Commanders’ offseason approach has likely contributed to Norwell’s impending exit. They signed O-linemen Nick Gates and Andrew Wylie in free agency. While the early plan was for Gates to return to center, where he had lined up in New York before a severe injury sustained in Washington in September 2021, the Commanders also chose interior O-linemen Ricky Stromberg in Round 3. Veteran Tyler Larsen also remains on Washington’s roster. Norwell could be appealing to other teams as a stopgap option, with 127 starts on his resume. This is assuming he surmounts the hip issue soon.

Since claiming Dantzler in March, the Commanders have been busy at corner. The team used its top two draft choices on corners, taking Emmanuel Forbes in Round 1 and Jartavius Martin in Round 2. Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste remain in place as the team’s top veteran options at the position. Dantzler missed part of last season with a hamstring injury but started nine games for the Vikings in 2022. Overall, the former third-round pick started 26 with Minnesota.

Each NFL Franchise’s Richest QB Contract

May 29th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The quarterback market has moved again this offseason. A year after Aaron Rodgers raised the average annual value bar past $50MM, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson did so on long-term extensions. Overall, four teams have authorized the most lucrative QB deal in their respective histories this offseason. Two more — the Bengals and Chargers — are in talks about record-setting extensions as well.

On that note, here is the richest quarterback contract each team has authorized. Although teams like the Jets and Lions have acquired big-ticket contracts via trade, only teams’ extensions or free agency agreements will qualify here.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Jay Cutler, January 2014. Seven years, $126.7MM. $38MM fully guaranteed

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Carson Palmer, December 2005. Six years, $97MM. $30.8MM fully guaranteed

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

In trading this contract to the Jets in April, the Packers restructured the deal. Rodgers’ exit will still tag the Pack with $40.3MM in 2023 dead money.

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Carr’s second Raiders deal — agreed to in April 2022 — was worth $40.5MM per year. The full guarantee, thanks to the February escape hatch the team built into the contract, checked in lower than Carr’s initial Raiders extension.

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Cousins’ 2020 extension checked in with a higher AAV ($33MM) but did not approach his initial Minnesota pact for guarantees.

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Chad Pennington, September 2004. Seven years, $64MM. $23MM guaranteed.

The Jets have signed three quarterbacks to deals involving more guaranteed money, but each of those contracts — for Mark Sanchez (2009), Sam Darnold (2018) and Zach Wilson (2021) — was a rookie pact.

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Latest On Brian Davis’s Commanders Bid

May 28th, 2023 at 6:23pm CST by Ely Allen

For a moment about a month and a half ago, the snag in the Commanders sale from Dan Snyder to Josh Harris had nothing to do with the source of Harris’s funds or awaiting a vote for ownership approval. Back then the snag in the deal was another bidder as Brian Davis offered up a $7 billion bid.

Davis is a D.C. native and a former star for the Duke Blue Devils basketball team, winning two national championships alongside Christian Laettner in the early-1990s. The two remained close friends and eventually pursued a few sports ventures together. They have businesses in real estate development and founded D.C. United Holdings, a holding company that controls the operating rights to the MLS team D.C. United.

Davis entering in a bid nearly $1 billion over Harris’s may have some wondering why Davis isn’t the presumed future owner of the franchise, but questions were almost immediately raised about Davis’s bid. Primarily, while Davis asserted a $7.1 billion bid, the firm tapped to handle the sale of the Commanders never considered the bid to be legitimate. Davis alleges that the reason for this lies with Bank of America, leading to a current lawsuit between Davis’s company Urban Echo Energy and Bank of America.

According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, the lawsuits “claims that Bank of America failed to present the $7.1 billion bid to outgoing owner Daniel Snyder and that, if Bank of America had done so, Snyder would have accepted it.” According to Davis’s company’s attorneys, Davis deposited $5.1 billion for the transaction as a proof of funds in two separate transfers. In the court filings, the team included “images of two alleged copies of the bank drafts,” according to A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports. The attorneys allege that “upon information and belief, (Bank of America) never made the Snyders aware of the existence of the bank drafts.”

Pending the first court hearing tomorrow, Bank of America told the appointed judge that the documents they have in their possession raised “considerable concerns about their genuineness,” claiming that the documents look “fictitious,” according to Daniel Wallach of The Athletic. If Bank of America truly had doubts about the legitimacy of Davis’s transfer documents, it stands to reason that they were unwilling to back his bid for the sale.

On the other side of things, with the Harris deal, progress reportedly continues to be made towards an eventual sale and approval by the NFL. According to Nicki Jhabvala and Mark Maske of The Washington Post, until the deal is ratified by the league’s team owners, Harris “cannot have any role in team operations.” Harris’s group is actively working though the approval process with the league, and discussions appear to be productive.

Roger Goodell Expects Commanders Sale Ratification

May 26th, 2023 at 2:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the latest round of league meetings having come and gone, the sale of the Commanders remains an ongoing process. The agreement which would see Josh Harris become the team’s majority owner is the subject of review from the league and could see adjustments made in the coming weeks, but optimism is in place regarding the chances of the deal going through.

Commissioner Roger Goodell is striking a similar tone on the subject. His comments regarding the sale point to a ratification vote taking place at some point, though no timetable is in place for that to happen. At least 24 owners would need to approve the deal, something which is not expected to be in doubt if the finances of the Harris purchase can be worked out.

“I think we’ll get it to a place where it will be approved,” Goodell said, via Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. “The [finance] committee really just had their first meeting [Monday] on the matter. We really got the documents last week. So we’re hard at work as a staff looking at that, as we do every transaction. There’s a lot of due diligence as well as compliance issues. All of that’s happening and working full speed… And we’ll have a meeting at the appropriate time.”

The desire on the part of other owners to use the sale as a means of ousting Dan Snyder is well known. The latter has become embroiled in a number of scandals and investigations during his 24-year tenure at the helm of the franchise. Those issues have led to indemnification becoming a key talking point in this process, with owners attempting to not only prevent Snyder from receiving legal protection, but also ensure that they are covered against any potential future action by Snyder.

The latter is “eager ” to finalize the sale, per the Post’s report. It adds that the NFL has been in discussions with Snyder’s representatives, and that talks on the issue of indemnification are now “95%” complete. That development is particularly important with respect to the ongoing Mary Jo White investigation into the Commanders. The results of that probe, Goodell has maintained throughout its process, will be made public regardless of if it is finished before or after the sale goes through.

“When she’s concluded the investigation, she’ll let me know,” Goodell said of White. “We have pledged to make sure we tell our ownership. And we’ve pledged to make sure that the findings are made public. So we will do that.”

On the financial side, concerns have been raised about the Harris deal’s number of partners and its breaching of the NFL’s $1.1 billion debt limit for franchise sales. Detailing the matter further, Forbes’ Mike Ozanian reports that $1 billion of the Harris bid comes in the form of unsecured debt. The matter of whether that amount is considered equity (which is strictly prohibited under NFL rules) as opposed to capital could represent a major hurdle. In addition, more than the maximum 24 limited partners could be counted as being involved in the Harris group if the investors in their respective organizations are taken into account, per Ozanian.

The likeliest outcome of this process seems to remain a ratification vote taking place in the summer, but a number of issues are yet to be resolved. Presuming a sale does indeed go through, however, all parties involved will have achieved a significant shared objective.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Davis, Giants

May 26th, 2023 at 10:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Once again positioned as a Super Bowl frontrunner, the Eagles did lose both their starting safeties (Marcus Epps, C.J. Gardner-Johnson) and three-down linebackers (T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White) in free agency. The team has retooled at those spots, placing outside additions (Terrell Edmunds, Nicholas Morrow, third-rounder Sydney Brown) and holdovers (Reed Blankenship, Nakobe Dean) in the starter picture. Dean, a former Georgia standout who unexpectedly dropped into the 2022 third round, will be expected to start, Tim McManus of ESPN.com notes, adding Edmunds and Blankenship are the early expected starters at safety. But more help will probably be on the way. The spring additions aside, McManus expects the defending NFC champions to add both at safety and linebacker before the season. The Howie Roseman-era Eagles have a history of late-offseason supplementation on defense, having acquired Gardner-Johnson barely a week before last season and having traded for Ronald Darby in August 2017.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • The Cardinals’ tampering violation involving Jonathan Gannon may have impacted Vic Fangio‘s decision-making this offseason. Fangio likely would have become the Eagles’ defensive coordinator had the Cardinals and Gannon been upfront about the process that led to the two-year Eagles DC leaving for Arizona, Adam Schefter of ESPN said during a recent appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic’s John Kincade Show. Cards GM Monti Ossenfort confessed to inappropriate contact with Gannon after the NFC championship game. The Cardinals officially requested a Gannon HC interview on Super Bowl Sunday, but discussions occurred before that point. The Eagles had previously eyed Fangio, who had served as a consultant for the team last season, as a Gannon replacement. Ex-Fangio lieutenant Sean Desai is now running Philly’s defense, and the team would have needed to pay up to keep Fangio, who is earning upwards of $4MM per year with the Dolphins.
  • Lane Johnson played in all three Eagles playoff games, coming back in limited form after suffering a late-season adductor injury that required offseason surgery. With that operation successful, Johnson alerted fans this week (via Twitter) he is good to go. This injury was not expected to threaten Johnson’s training camp availability, and the Eagles are on track to have their right tackle back — and on a new deal — well in time for the season.
  • Commanders linebacker Jamin Davis will miss offseason time after undergoing a cleanup procedure on his knee, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post tweets. This procedure occurred earlier this year and should be considered unlikely to threaten the third-year defender’s chances of starting the season on time. A 2021 first-round pick, Davis worked as a full-time starter in Washington last season, making 104 tackles (nine for loss) and tallying three sacks.
  • The Giants are making some changes to their scouting department. D.J. Boisture, a second-generation Giants staffer who had been with the team for a decade, is no longer in place as its West Coast area scout, Neil Stratton of InsidetheLeague.com tweets. Pro scout Steven Price is also out, per the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz, who notes this may be a case of neither’s contract being renewed. Price spent the past three years with the Giants. GM Joe Schoen did not make many changes to Big Blue’s scouting staff last year, but the post-draft period often sees shuffling in these departments. The Giants are also promoting Marcus Cooper — an ex-Bills exec — to a national scout role. Cooper has been with the Giants for five years. Blaise Bell, who has been in the organization since 2019, will also rise to an area scout role.
  • Oshane Ximines‘ deal to stay with the Giants will be worth the league minimum. The fifth-year outside linebacker will be tied to a one-year, $1.1MM deal, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, who notes the Giants are guaranteeing the former third-round pick $200K (Twitter link).

Commanders’ Armani Rogers Tears Achilles

May 24th, 2023 at 10:20am CST by Sam Robinson

Second-year Commanders tight end Armani Rogers suffered a non-contact injury during the team’s OTA session Tuesday, and an MRI revealed a serious setback.

Rogers sustained an Achilles tear, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The UDFA pass catcher is expected to undergo surgery next week. Although players have recovered from offseason Achilles tears in time for late-season returns — Cam Akers, Michael Crabtree, Terrell Suggs, to name three — this development obviously threatens to sideline Rogers until the 2024 campaign and deals a major blow to a young player’s chances of carving out a role.

Washington used Rogers on 158 offensive snaps last season; he made three starts. The son of ex-NFL linebacker Sam Rogers, Armani joined the Commanders after five college seasons (at UNLV and Ohio). He stood to vie for a spot as one of Logan Thomas‘ backups. Rogers caught five passes for 64 yards last season.

The Commanders have Thomas signed through 2024 and carry third-year tight end John Bates and 2022 fifth-round pick Cole Turner. Bates logged 510 offensive snaps last year, while Turner played 245 as a rookie.

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