2020 March - Pro Football Rumors

Matt Ryan, Jake Matthews Restructure Deals

March 22nd, 2020 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Up against the cap this offseason, the Falcons made three lower-level signings Sunday. They have also restructured a few contracts.

The Falcons restructured the deals of Matt Ryan, Jake Matthews and Allen Bailey, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes. This marks an interesting move for Ryan, who restructured his deal at the end of last season. He was already set to have cap figures north of $39MM in 2021 and 2022.

Ryan was to comprise $24.1MM of Atlanta’s 2020 cap, while Matthews was to account for $16MM of it. Bailey’s two-year deal included a $5.9MM 2020 cap number.

The Falcons and Ryan agreed on a five-year, $150MM extension in May 2018. He is under contract through 2023. Prior to the revised figures from this latest restructure, Ryan’s 2023 cap number sat at $34MM. Signed to a five-year extension worth $72.5MM in July 2018, Matthews is also under contract through 2023. His next four cap numbers are north of $16MM, so it should be expected some of them will rise as a result of this adjustment.

Atlanta added Laquon Treadwell and offensive lineman Justin McCray on Sunday and also re-signed Blidi Wreh-Wilson. They added Todd Gurley on Friday and authorized a $16MM-AAV deal for Dante Fowler. Considering the Falcons’ minimal cap room, these Ryan and Matthews restructures were surely necessary to accommodate the Fowler pact. The Falcons also cut Desmond Trufant and Devonta Freeman to clear space.

Cowboys Expect Randy Gregory Return

March 22nd, 2020 at 9:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

9:48pm: Gregory has made the move to file for reinstatement, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. The league has 60 days to approve or deny the application.

9:30pm: The new CBA significantly loosened constraints for non-PED substance abuse, and at least one player who ran afoul of the previous CBA’s off-field guidelines may be set for a return to action.

The Cowboys are expecting Randy Gregory to be reinstated and be back with the team next season, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports. A former second-round pick remains suspended indefinitely. Gregory missed the entire 2017 and ’19 seasons because of substance-abuse suspensions; he registered six sacks in 2018. The 27-year-old defensive end said recently he wants to play next season.

Gregory plans to apply for reinstatement soon, and Moore notes the Cowboys are willing to give him another chance. His Cowboys contract runs through the 2020 season. Gregory was set to apply for reinstatement last summer, but Moore indicates a slip-up in his aftercare program helped put those plans on hold.

This CBA will only produce marijuana-based suspensions in extreme cases (and only when players fail to cooperate with treatment) and, while DUIs will be dealt with in a stricter manner than they once were, other substance-abuse restrictions have been loosened. This leaves Gregory and others in limbo, but the Cowboys are optimistic on this front. This will, however, be an interesting challenge for Roger Goodell. Gregory has been suspended four times since coming into the league.

The Cowboys, however, are not planning on having David Irving back. The NFL suspended Irving indefinitely because of substance abuse, doing so just before the defensive lineman was to enter free agency last year. While the Cowboys retain his rights, Moore adds they have moved on.

Latest On COVID-19’s NFL Impact

March 22nd, 2020 at 9:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although a lockout marred the 2011 NFL offseason, this year will eclipse that delayed offseason for the most unusual in the league’s modern history. Here is some of the fallout from how COVID-19 has affected the NFL during free agency and how it will impact the league going forward:

Some teams have inserted coronavirus-triggered language into contracts. With players not permitted to visit team facilities and take physicals and teams not allowed to have staffers meet with free agent targets, some teams have included provisions into contracts indicating that failed physicals would void signing bonus money, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. Players are prohibited from entering team facilities until at least April, and with this likely set to be an offseason without OTAs, it could be months before free agents take physicals with their new teams. It is not known how many teams are taking this hard-line stance, Fowler notes.
Teams are permitted to use independent physicians for physicals, but Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) some of the league’s franchises are not comfortable doing so. The delay on physicals has led to most free agency deals yet to be officially announced. Some teams that have announced trades got around these rules. The Falcons and Ravens announced their Hayden Hurst-centered trade because Hurst took his physical before the COVID-19 rules went into effect, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. This delay on teams’ medical staffs being able to examine players figures to keep some free agents with injury questions unsigned and has certainly impacted the Cam Newton trade market.
Due to the stock market’s uncertainty because of coronavirus, multiple NFL owners instructed their front offices to defer signing bonus payments for as long as possible, Florio reports. Signing bonuses are committed to players when they sign, but teams often pay them in installments. Some teams are trying to push back the windows for some of the bonus money to be paid, Florio adds, noting that the Raiders are avoiding signing bonuses altogether. Las Vegas made multiple splashy signings early in free agency, but no details of signing bonuses emerged after those agreements.
Some NFL execs were unhappy the league moved forward with free agency during this unprecedented climate in North American sports. “Tone deaf is right!” a GM told NBC Sports’ Peter King. “The world has stopped. We’re in a national emergency as a country and we do this? It’s awful. We’re telling the rest of the world we don’t care.” While the NFL provided the sports-following world with a distraction this week, the uncertainty surrounding OTAs and minicamps — and the lack of pre-draft visits and workouts — will send the league into a strange period similar to what the other major American sports are navigating because of coronavirus.
The NFL will make some changes to the draft, and some notable unknowns still exist a month away from the annual April event.

AFC Contract Details: Bulaga, Cobb, Collins

March 22nd, 2020 at 8:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest contract details as of Sunday night. We will focus on the AFC here.

Bryan Bulaga, T (Chargers): Three years, $30MM. $19.25MM guaranteed; $10MM signing bonus. Bulaga’s salaries in 2020 ($1.5MM) and 2021 ($7.75MM) are guaranteed. A $2.5MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the 2022 league year, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
Randall Cobb, WR (Texans): Three years, $27MM. $18MM guaranteed; $6MM signing bonus. Base salaries in 2020 ($3.75MM) and ’21 ($8.25MM) are guaranteed; non-guaranteed salary of $7.9MM in 2022. Wilson notes (on Twitter).
Rodney Gunter, DL (Jaguars): Three years, $18MM. $11.15MM guaranteed; $4.25MM signing bonus. 2020 and ’21 base salaries of $2MM and $4.9MM are guaranteed. Non-guaranteed 2022 base of $5.4MM, per Wilson (on Twitter).
Vic Beasley, OLB (Titans): One year, $9.5MM. The $9.5MM is guaranteed and includes a $6MM signing bonus. $2.5MM worth of sack-based incentives exist in the deal, Wilson adds (on Twitter).
Maliek Collins, DT (Raiders): One year, $6MM. $5.75MM guaranteed. Deal includes a $1.5MM sack-based incentive, Wilson tweets.
De’Vante Bausby, CB (Broncos): One year, $825K. The deal contains no guaranteed money, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

Falcons Sign OL Justin McCray, CB Blidi Wreh-Wilson

March 22nd, 2020 at 7:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons will bring in an offensive line swing man and re-sign one of their backup cornerbacks of recent years. Atlanta signed Justin McCray and Blidi Wreh-Wilson on Sunday.

McCray, who played with the Browns last season and has seen action with three teams since 2014, agreed to a one-year deal, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets. Wilson has been with the Falcons since 2016; he signed a one-year deal to stay in Atlanta in February 2019.

A former UDFA out of Central Florida, McCray started four games with the Browns last season. He started 13 with the Packers from 2017-18. The Packers traded McCray to the Browns last August, and the 27-year-old blocker saw action at guard and tackle. Largely because of his work in pass protection, McCray graded as one of Pro Football Focus’ worst tackles in 2019.

McCray will join Jamon Brown, James Carpenter, John Wetzel and fourth-year blocker Sean Harlow as players vying for roles among Atlanta’s O-line group.

Wilson, 30, has started three games since coming to Georgia nearly four years ago. He saw his biggest workload in 2019, playing 335 defensive snaps. Wilson finished with seven passes defensed and 25 tackles last season. Having released Desmond Trufant, the Falcons are retooling at cornerback. They will have more moves to make at this position going forward this offseason.

Latest On Tom Brady’s Bucs Contract

March 22nd, 2020 at 7:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a multi-day wait, Tom Brady officially signed with the Buccaneers. He agreed to a two-year, $50MM deal that is fully guaranteed. But some incentives have emerged that would allow the all-time great to collect more from the Bucs. The contract contains a max value of $59MM, per Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter).

Brady would collect an additional $500K if the Buccaneers make the playoffs, with that payout spiking to $750K for a playoff win and $1.25MM if the team reaches the NFC championship game, Breer tweets. Were Brady to play in a 10th Super Bowl, his wins-based incentive package would bump to $1.75MM. A second Bucs Super Bowl title would net the future Hall of Famer $2.25MM. The Buccaneers have not made the playoffs since 2007 and have not won a playoff game since Super Bowl XXXVII.

Additionally, performance-based incentives are included in the deal. A $563K bump each would commence if Brady finishes in the top five in passer rating, touchdown passes, passing yards, completion percentage and yards per attempt, Breer adds. The Patriots sweetened Brady’s deal through incentives in 2018, but the then-41-year-old quarterback did not hit those performance-based benchmarks.

While this is probably a moot point at Brady’s age, Breer adds that only four of these performance escalators would pay out in a given season. The incentives max out at $4.5MM in 2020 and ’21, Breer notes. Regarding the team incentives, Brady would need to play in 75% of the Bucs’ snaps to trigger them. Brady has taken 75% of his team’s snaps in all but three NFL seasons — 2000, 2008 and 2016.

Falcons Sign WR Laquon Treadwell

March 22nd, 2020 at 5:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Laquon Treadwell will have a chance to prove himself with another team. After the former first-round pick underwhelmed for four seasons with the Vikings, he will join the Falcons. The team announced the move.

The 2016 first-round pick could not justify that draft status in Minnesota, being released and re-signed in 2019 and totaling just 65 receptions for 701 yards and two touchdowns during his four Vikings seasons. He did finish the ’19 slate with a 20.4-yard average but did so on just nine catches.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Ole Miss product topped out at 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash four years ago and never solidified the No. 3 receiver role behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. He will have an opportunity to fill in behind another talented wideout duo.

Atlanta will have the high-end Julio Jones–Calvin Ridley tandem back for a third season together and saw Russell Gage eclipse 400 receiving yards last season. Treadwell will attempt to carve out a spot in the Falcons’ receiver group.

Seahawks To Sign Chance Warmack

March 22nd, 2020 at 4:51pm CST by Marc Delucchi

Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter) that the Seahawks and guard Chance Warmack have come to terms on an agreement. Warmack, a first-round pick out of Alabama in the 2013 NFL Draft, once was one of the best young guards in the league but has only played 7 snaps over the past two seasons. The deal spans one season, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN (via Twitter).

The tenth overall selection by the Titans, Warmack immediately entered Tennessee’s starting lineup and graded as a well-above-average guard (per Pro Football Focus) for the first three seasons of his career. However, the combination of injuries and poor play quickly derailed a once-promising career.

After a difficult 2016 season, the Titans declined Warmack’s fifth-year option. When he became a free agent, the Eagles gave Warmack an opportunity, but he failed to replicate his early-career success and was relegated to backup duty. The Seahawks, whose struggles along the offensive line have been well documented, will surely give Warmack a chance to regain his old form.

Patriots To Sign Brandon Copeland

March 22nd, 2020 at 3:58pm CST by Marc Delucchi

Linebacker Brandon Copeland has come to an agreement with the Patriots on a one-year deal, per Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. Copeland can receive up to $1.1MM in the deal, according to NFL Insider Adam Caplan.

Over his four-year career, Copeland has split his time with the Lions and Jets. While he has only started 14 games over his four-year career (10 of which came in 2018), he has appeared in 60 games accruing 107 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks.

In 2019, with the Jets, Copeland received a 58.6 player grade from Pro Football Focus, which was the 49th highest grade of 89 qualified linebackers.

Patriots To Sign Brian Hoyer

March 22nd, 2020 at 2:58pm CST by Marc Delucchi

The Patriots will once again reunite with quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe. While Hoyer immediately becomes the most experienced signal-caller in Foxborough, it remains difficult to envision him entering the season as the team’s starter. NFL Insider Adam Caplan added that the deal is worth $2MM for one season and is fully guaranteed.

Hoyer was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State by the Patriots in 2008 before he was released in 2012. After stints with the Steelers and Cardinals, Hoyer found his first extended playing time with the Browns. Over a couple of seasons in Cleveland, Hoyer started 16 games in which the team went 10-6.

Of course, when the Browns decided to go in a direction, Hoyer went on to play with the Texans, Bears, and 49ers before rejoining the Patriots for 2017 and 2018. Last offseason Hoyer signed with the Colts and became the primary backup to Jacoby Brissett in the 2019 season. Now, Hoyer will be in a familiar situation but will be there for the first time without Tom Brady in New England.