The original content and analysis produced by the PFR staff during the past week:
- With this year’s holdout contingent featuring several big names, I rounded up the respective situations. The 2014 draft class’ top defenders are headlining this group, but David Johnson and Earl Thomas have unique cases as well.
- Speaking of the ’14 draft class, it appears at least one of its top members will begin the 2018 season with a record-breaking defensive contract. While it’s uncertain if the Rams, Raiders (or Texans, in Jadeveon Clowney‘s case), will go first, Von Miller‘s six-year, $114.6MM contract probably won’t lead the pack any longer. I asked PFR readers which defender will enter the ’18 slate tethered to the most lucrative contract.
- As teams continue to steadily sign draft picks, Zach Links determined 88 percent of players — including every fourth-, sixth- and seventh-round pick — have signed their rookie pacts. But several big names have yet to reach agreements.
- We covered three notable moves in our This Date In Transactions History series:
- Zach looked at the Dolphins’ ill-fated signing of Chad Johnson in 2012. The outspoken wideout arrived in Miami as Chad Ochocinco before reverting to his given name upon getting to work with the Dolphins. But the stay ended without Johnson suiting up for a Dolphins game. His last game ended up being the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLVI loss.
- Zach then looked at the Falcons’ June 2009 decision to release Michael Vick shortly after he’d been released from prison. One of the best weapons in Falcons history, Vick did not fit with the franchise after Atlanta selected Matt Ryan in the previous year’s draft. This led Vick eventually to Philadelphia.
- Andrew Ortenberg examined a lesser-known transaction, the Packers’ decision to bring in former No. 1 overall pick Tim Couch in 2004. The Kentucky star ended up being released by both the Browns and Packers that summer.