Lamarcus Joyner

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/7/23

Today’s minor transactions heading into the final Sunday of the regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

  • Promoted from practice squad: WR Josh Ali

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AFC East Rumors: Poyer, Franklin-Myers, Joyner, Hall

Bills safety Jordan Poyer ended his hold out last month, attending mandatory minicamp in order to avoid the roughly $90,000 in fines he would have been liable to pay for an unexcused absence. He’s also not likely to return to his hold out once camp begins for a similar reason, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News.

Poyer had skipped OTAs in May after he had decided to push Buffalo for a contract extension. The deal would likely benefit both parties. Poyer would get a raise while the Bills would have an opportunity to lower Poyer’s cap hit and keep one of the NFL’s best safety tandems together for a few more years (as fellow safety, Micah Hyde, is under contract through next season).

If Poyer balked and ended his hold out at $90,000 to attend minicamp, it’s had to imagine that he would be willing to shell out the $50,000 daily fine that would hit him as a player not on a rookie contract missing camp. Poyer has recently doubled down on his assertion that he truly wants to remain in Buffalo, so moving forward in good faith puts the pressure on the Bills to provide him with a deal to keep him from walking at the end of the season..

Here are a few other rumors from out of the AFC East, specifically coming out of the Garden State:

  • The Jets brought in edge defender Carl Lawson last offseason to improve their pass rush but, unfortunately, saw his season end before it had a chance to begin. With Lawson coming back healthy and looking to start, New York will have to figure out who to start opposite Lawson on the line. Despite some initial thought that rookie first-round pick Jermaine Johnson II would slide into the starting position, it’s looking like veteran John Franklin-Myers will show early dividends on his recent four-year, $55MM extension and earn the starting job, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Johnson will likely rotate in off the bench along with Jacob Martin and Bryce Huff.
  • The Jets brought in veteran cornerback Lamarcus Joyner last offseason in hopes that he could move to safety and start alongside Marcus Maye. Similar to the loss of Lawson, though, New York saw Joyner suffer a Week 1 injury that would hold him out for the remainder of the season. Despite the loss of Maye to free agency, the Jets are still hoping Joyner can start for them at safety, this time alongside free agent addition Jordan Whitehead, according to Costello. New York still has depth at the position with Ashtyn Davis and Elijah Riley both earning starts throughout last year, but the Jets are hoping they can rely on the veteran 1-2 punch of Joyner at free safety and Whitehead at strong safety.
  • Last year’s fourth-round pick, running back Michael Carter, performed admirably over his rookie season showing he can be effective at the NFL-level. But Carter is extremely likely to take a back seat this upcoming season to the team’s second-round pick from this year’s draft, Breece Hall, according to Connor Hughes of The Athletic. While Carter was good in his debut season, the Jets fully expect Hall to be a Pro Bowler and a home run hitter. Hall is expected to receive the majority of the carries for New York’s offense and Carter will be a bit more of a role player in his sophomore season.

Jets Re-Sign DB Lamarcus Joyner

Lamarcus Joyner is returning to New York. The veteran safety is re-signing with the Jets, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a one year-deal for Joyner.

[RELATED: Jamison Crowder Likely To Hit Free Agency]

After getting cut by the Raiders last offseason, Joyner caught on with the Jets. He started his lone game for New York, collecting one tackles in nine defensive snaps. Unfortunately, an elbow injury landed him on injured reserve, and he ended up sitting out the rest of the season.

Joyner entered the league as a second-round pick of the Rams back in 2014. After his rookie contract expired, he played 2018 under the franchise tag with the Rams. The Florida State product earned a big four-year, $42MM contract from the Raiders the following free agency, but he was released just two years into that pact.

Joyner played last season on a one-year deal that included $2.5MM in guaranteed money. Considering the injury, he probably had to settle for less this time around.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/21

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Jets DB Lamarcus Joyner Likely Done For Year

The Jets had a rough opener. They lost to the Panthers 19-14, and also lost starting tackle Mekhi Becton for at least the next month. But the 2020 first-rounder wasn’t the only New York starter to go down against Carolina.

Safety Lamarcus Joyner suffered a torn tendon in his arm that will require surgery, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). The injury “likely knocks him out for the season,” Rapoport writes. It’s a tough blow for a Jets secondary that already profiled as one of the team’s weaknesses. Their group of corners are quite young and inexperienced, and now they’ll be forced to move things around at safety.

Joyner entered the league as a second-round pick of the Rams back in 2014. After his rookie contract expired, he played 2018 under the franchise tag with the Rams. The Florida State product earned a big four-year, $42MM contract from the Raiders the following free agency but was released back in March just two years into that pact.

Shortly after getting cut by Vegas he inked a one-year deal with the Jets worth up to $4.5MM with $2.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM of that was in playing time incentives that it now appears he won’t be able to meet. Joyner turns 31 in November, so he probably won’t be able to count on a huge payday next spring.

Raiders Notes: Ruggs, Key, Joyner

The Raiders will kick off their regular season on Monday Night Football against the Ravens tomorrow. In the meantime, let’s round up a few recent items on the Silver-and-Black:

  • The 2020 wide receiver draft class was absolutely loaded, and plenty of pundits believed Jerry Jeudy was the cream of the crop. Although no WR had been selected by the time the Raiders were on the board with the No. 12 overall pick, Las Vegas ultimately chose Henry Ruggs over Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb. As Vic Tafur of The Athletic writes, there were Jeudy supporters in the Raiders’ war room, but head coach Jon Gruden wanted his own version of Tyreek Hill, and he saw Ruggs as a player who fit that bill.
  • The Raiders selected DE Arden Key, who was once believed to be a first-round talent, in the third round of the 2018 draft. But the LSU product posted just three sacks in three seasons, and Vegas deemed him surplus to requirements in April. He was quickly scooped up by the 49ers, and he did not mince words when asked about his time with the Raiders. “To be honest, I wanted to get out of there,” Key said (via Jacob Hutchinson of KNBR.com). “I been wanting to get out of there. I wasn’t surprised. I was more happy than surprised. I wish it happened a little earlier but, hey, I got what I wanted and I’m good.” Key went on to say that the Raiders’ defensive scheme was a poor fit for him, and while he did not explicitly say so, it seems he is happy to be away from Gruden.
  • Count Lamarcus Joyner as another ex-Raider who is happy to be away from the club. The Raiders deployed Joyner — who primarily played safety with the Rams before signing a big-money free agent contract with Vegas — as a nickelback over the past several seasons, and he struggled in that role. The Raiders released him in March, and he signed with the Jets 10 days later. Gang Green will deploy him as single-high safety, and he is pleased with how things turned out. “I’m pretty sure the whole world knows that (I’m happy to be away from the Raiders),” he said. “I made that known. I’m so happy it’s over and I’m here with coach [Robert] Saleh right now” (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). Joyner was clear that he didn’t have an issue with Gruden personally.

Jets Working On Marcus Maye Extension

The Jets drafted Ashtyn Davis in the 2020 third round and are moving recent acquisition Lamarcus Joyner back to safety, where he has fared best as a pro. But the team used its franchise tag on Marcus Maye. Robert Saleh does not want that transaction to precede Maye departing in 2022.

Saleh said (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he spoke with Maye before the offseason program started and that the Jets’ front office is “working relentlessly” to hammer out an extension for the fifth-year safety.

Joe Douglas said earlier this week keeping Maye in the fold long-term was a priority. Although, the third-year GM previously viewed Jamal Adams as a cornerstone piece; and Maye’s agent made noise earlier this year by voicing frustration about the team’s lack of progress on an extension. The Jets also drafted two safeties — Auburn’s Jamien Sherwood in Round 5 and Florida State’s Hamsah Nasirildeen in Round 6 — this year.

Maye’s arrival precedes Douglas’, with previous Jets GM Mike Maccagnan selecting the Florida alum in the 2017 second round. While Adams received greater accolades during their run together, Maye has been a four-year starter. Saleh did not express any concerns about Maye being a fit for his system. The former 49ers DC appears to be envisioning a Maye-Joyner back-line tandem, Cimini adds. Joyner came over from the Raiders, who cut him after stationing him at slot cornerback for two seasons.

The Broncos further raised the bar for this position this offseason, making Justin Simmons the NFL’s first $15MM-per-year safety. Five other safeties are signed to deals worth at least $14MM per year annually. While Maye has yet to make a Pro Bowl, he is undoubtedly shooting for a contract in this range. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 safety last season. The Jets have until July 15 to finalize an extension, or Maye will play the season on the $10.6MM safety tag.

Contract Details: Trubisky, Andrews, Carson, Jones, Reiff, Joyner

Let’s catch up on the latest contract details from around the league:

  • QB Mitchell TrubiskyBills: One-year, $2MM base salary with $1.5MM guaranteed, $500K signing bonus, and $2MM available in incentives. Via Field Yates of ESPN on Twitter.
  • C David Andrews, Patriots: Four-years, $19 MM, with $6.5MM fully guaranteed. More money available in play-time incentives. Via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network on Twitter.
  • RB Chris CarsonSeahawks: Two-years, $10.425MM, $4.5MM signing bonus and $1MM guaranteed salary for 2021. $4.5MM non-guaranteed 2022 salary and $450K in per-game roster bonuses in ‘22. Up to $1.4MM in incentives in both years. Via Dan Graziano of ESPN on Twitter.
  • RB Aaron JonesPackers: Four-years, $48MM. The $13MM signing bonus is the only fully guaranteed money in the contract. A $3.5MM roster bonus is due on the first day of next league year. For 2023, a $7MM roster bonus is due on the third day of the league year. You can read the full breakdown of each year of the contract via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
  • OL Riley ReiffBengals: One-year, $7.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. We hadn’t known the terms of this contract yet, and $7.5MM is a pretty decent price for the Bengals for a solid starting tackle. Via Yates on Twitter.
  • S Lamarcus JoynerJets: One-year, up to $4.5MM. $2.5MM is guaranteed, with a $1MM signing bonus and $1.5MM base salary. Up to $500K in per game active roster bonuses and $1.5MM in playing time and interception incentives. Via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter.

Jets To Sign DB Lamarcus Joyner

Lamarcus Joyner is heading to New York. The veteran safety is signing with the Jets, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The reporter adds that it’s a one-year deal worth $4.5MM.

The Jets have been searching for some reinforcement at safety over the past week. Outside of Marcus Maye and Ashtyn Davis, the Jets had no depth at the position, so Joyner will certainly contribute with his new team. As Rapoport notes, Joyner seemingly made it a priority to find a team that would let him play safety. The veteran spent the 2020 campaign playing nickel with the Raiders.

Joyner ultimately spent two seasons with the Raider, starting 16 of his 28 games. He finished the 2020 season 66 tackles and five passes defended in 14 games (six starts). He appeared in 62 percent of his team’s defensive snaps last season.

The 2014 second-round pick spent the first five seasons of his career with the Rams organization, hauling in four interceptions in 27 starts between the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Raiders To Release Lamarcus Joyner

The Raiders will clear a sizable chunk of cap space Monday. They plan to release Lamarcus Joyner, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).

Previously rumored, this move will save Las Vegas $8.7MM. That would bump the Raiders to north of $10MM in cap space. Joyner marks the third key contributor the Raiders have parted ways with over the past few days, with starting guards Gabe Jackson and Richie Incognito out the door as well. This news also comes after a report indicated the Raiders are shopping another of their big-ticket 2019 additions (Trent Brown). They have already cut fellow 2019 signee Tyrell Williams.

Signed to a lucrative deal two years ago, Joyner did not work out as a Raider. After excelling at safety with the Rams, Joyner moved to the slot primarily with the Raiders. Pro Football Focus graded him outside its top 80 corners in each of his two seasons with the Raiders, who will again enter a free agency period needing some coverage help.

Joyner has done well for himself financially over the past three seasons, playing on the franchise tag in 2018 and having signed a four-year, $42MM deal in the spring of ’19. Now 30, Joyner will have to settle for a less enticing salary in 2021 in order to continue his career.