2021 June - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Patriots’ Cam Newton

June 14th, 2021 at 8:52am CST by Zachary Links

Cam Newton is set to participate in Patriots minicamp, including his full complement of reps this week (Twitter link via Jim McBride of the Boston Globe). That’s good news for the quarterback after he was forced out of OTAs earlier this month with a hand injury.

Newton reportedly banged his hand against a teammate’s helmet, resulting in a painful bone bruise. The injury was said to be fairly minor from the get-go, though it could have impacted his availability for these early practices. Meanwhile, Newton needs the on-field time as he battles for the starting job with first-round pick Mac Jones.

Soon after landing Jones, head coach Bill Belichick said that Newton would be slotted as the starter until further notice. That’s a familiar refrain in the NFL, though younger guys often go on to beat out the established vets ahead of them.

Newton didn’t exactly inspire confidence in his first season with the Pats. The longtime Panthers star threw for just eight touchdowns against ten interceptions. On the plus side, he completed 65.8% of his passes, which was a better showing than most of his NFL seasons. The Pats still re-upped Newton, but his one-year carries just $3.5MM in guarantees.

This Date In Transactions History: Texans Extend Benardrick McKinney

June 14th, 2021 at 8:43am CST by Zachary Links

Today marks the three-year anniversary of Benardrick McKinney‘s five-year, $50MM extension with the Texans. If you forgot to get the inside linebacker a gift, that’s alright. He probably doesn’t need much in the way of gadgets and home furnishings for his new Miami-area pad.

McKinney, a 2015 second-round pick out of Mississippi State, emerged as one of the Texans’ top defenders in his sophomore NFL season. He was solid as a rookie, but as a second-team All-Pro nod in 2016, he finished out with 129 tackles, five sacks, and a forced fumble, ensuring that he would see a sizable pay bump in the offseason. His 2017 stat sheet wasn’t quite as gaudy – 95 tackles and three sacks – but he was still impressive and placed as Pro Football Focus’ No. 24 ranked linebacker in the NFL.

Because he was a second-round pick, the Texans didn’t have the fifth-year option as a safety net. By 2018, McKinney was set to enter his walk year, when he could potentially send his sticker price through the roof. McKinney, meanwhile, was 25 and wanted the security of a multi-year deal. It was the right time for both parties to come to the table and the Texans were happy to oblige. The deal also gave them a clearer picture of their budget as they considered an extension for Jadeveon Clowney (though they ultimately couldn’t make it work).

McKinney went on to earn a Pro Bowl nod in 2018 and racked up 100+ tackles again in 2019. Last year, however, a shoulder injury limited him to just four games. Then, the Texans were in a bit of a pickle as they had to replace franchise icon J.J. Watt. Earlier this year, they shipped McKinney to the Dolphins for edge rusher Shaq Lawson. In cap terms, the deal was pretty much a wash. But, on the field, the Texans effectively swapped Watt and McKinney for Lawson and newcomer Christian Kirksey.

Now, McKinney is set to start alongside Jerome Baker, who just landed a sizable extension of his own. When McKinney was at his best, he formed one of the league’s best run-stuffing tandems with Zach Cunningham. This Dolphins duo has the potential to be even better, if McKinney can match Baker’s strides in pass coverage.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/13/21

June 13th, 2021 at 9:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ve got one small move to pass along as we wrap up the weekend:

Chicago Bears

Cut: TE Darion Clark

The Bears elected to free up a roster spot. Clark is a converted D1 college basketball player who Chicago signed to a reserve/futures deal in 2020. He spent all of last season on injured reserve.

NFC West Notes: 49ers, Alford, Hekker

June 13th, 2021 at 9:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 49ers have drawn the ire of the league office. The NFL docked San Francisco the “last week of their rookie development program for a violation of offseason work rules,” sources told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Pelissero reports that the team’s infraction took place during their rookie minicamp. As for what that infraction was, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports tweets the punishment stems “from minimal contact that appeared on a social media video when contact was prohibited during rookie camp.”

Sounds pretty minor. Maiocco adds that the now-scrapped last week of their rookie development program “was to consist of non-football and life skills,” so it’s doubtful that 49ers brass is going to lose too much sleep over it.

Here are a couple other nuggets from around the NFC West on a quiet Sunday night:

Cornerback Robert Alford has dealt with a lot of adversity the past couple seasons. Alford signed a three-year, $22.5MM deal with the Cardinals in 2019, but has yet to play a down for the team. He missed all of 2019 with a broken leg, and all of 2020 with a torn pec. He was unsurprisingly released this offseason, but quickly re-signed on a one-year deal. As it turns out that new deal is for the veteran’s minimum, as Darren Urban of the team’s official site writes. It also turns out Alford never had any intention of leaving. “He basically told us ‘Hey I want to come back, I owe you guys, so I’ll come back for whatever deal because I owe the organization, I owe the Cardinals and want to prove y’all were right about me,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury said, who added “we respect that a ton.” It sounds like Alford is going to be playing with a chip on his shoulder, and here’s to hoping he can stay healthy in 2021. The 32-year-old was a quality starter in Atlanta before the injuries derailed his career in the desert.
Punter Johnny Hekker is the longest-tenured member of the Rams. He’s a fan-favorite, leader in the locker room, and four-time first-team All-Pro. And even his job isn’t safe. In a testament to the ‘easy come easy go’ nature of the NFL, Hekker now has some real competition in Rams camp. The Oregon State product is coming off a season where he had a career-low yards per punt average and is the highest-paid punter in the league with a cap number of $4.9MM this year, as Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times writes. Speaking to the media recently, Hekker was frank about his status. “I definitely did not perform to the best of my abilities,” last season, he stated plainly. Although Sean McVay has denied the team is looking to move on from Hekker, the veteran said he’s treating recently-signed Corey Bojorquez as serious competition and operating as if he’s fighting for his job. He also added that “there’s no running around the financial aspect of it.” This will be a situation to keep an eye on this summer.

Jordan Love: I’ve Spoken To Aaron Rodgers, Ready To Start Week 1

June 13th, 2021 at 7:15pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The big story of this NFL offseason has been the Aaron Rodgers drama in Green Bay. Depending on how things shake out, the Jordan Love Packers era could start in as early as a few months.

There have been reports that team brass didn’t think Love was particularly close to being ready to start last year, but the Utah State product sounds confident heading into 2021. “A hundred percent,” Love said when asked if he’ll be ready to start come Week 1, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

“Obviously, this is a time where I’m getting a lot of extremely valuable reps that I might not have been getting in a normal circumstance. So I’m just going to take it day by day. … But yeah, that’s what I’m here for. I was drafted here to play quarterback, so I’ll definitely be ready Week 1.”

Love, of course, was referring to Rodgers’ holdout from the team’s mandatory minicamp. The 26th pick of last year’s draft also interestingly revealed that he’s stayed in touch with Rodgers this offseason. In fact, Demovsky reports that Love said he spoke with Rodgers shortly before arriving in Green Bay for OTAs.

A lot of Rodgers’ beef with the Packers reportedly stems from the process of selecting Love, which he wasn’t in the loop for, but he apparently hasn’t let that effect his relationship with his young potential successor.

Demovsky writes that Love has been hot and cold so far, struggling one day then having stretches of brilliance the next. Despite being in contact Love said he has no idea what Rodgers is going to do, and that he was “surprised” he elected to skip minicamp.

Despite getting drafted in 2020, Love won’t turn 23 until November. At this point, it seems like there’s a good chance he’s thrown into the fire before then.

Vikings’ Bashaud Breeland Had Surgery

June 13th, 2021 at 5:02pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Cornerback Bashaud Breeland was on the free agent market for a while, finally inking a one-year deal worth up to $4MM with the Vikings earlier this month.

One reason for his delayed signing may have been that he underwent shoulder surgery shortly after playing in the Super Bowl with the Chiefs, the veteran corner revealed earlier this week, via Andrew Kramer of the Star Tribune. Kramer notes Breeland still remains sidelined, and although the Clemson product said he’s “on track,” he also said “doctors tell me when I’m ready to get on the field.” It sounds like he should be ready for the start of the season but will end up missing a good amount of practice time with his new team.

Interestingly, Breeland also said his original plan was to return to the Chiefs for a third season. Breeland said his “heart was sold” on returning to Kansas City, but a couple weeks after his visit to the Vikings’ facility Minnesota came in with a financial offer he couldn’t pass up.

Originally a fourth-round pick of Washington in 2014, Breeland started 11 games for the Chiefs last year after serving a four-game suspension to start the season. He’s started both of the Chiefs’ recent Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl LIV with the team.

The Bears also expressed interest in him last month. After having a very youthful group of corners that often struggled last year, Mike Zimmer made overhauling the position a priority this offseason. In addition to signing Breeland, the team traded away former first-rounder Mike Hughes and signed Patrick Peterson.

In his seven-year career, Breeland has made 88 starts and racked up 81 passes defended to go with 14 interceptions.

Dolphins To Extend Jerome Baker

June 13th, 2021 at 2:03pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins and Jerome Baker have agreed to an extension (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The linebacker is now inked for another three years at a max value of $39MM. The deal includes $28.4MM guaranteed, though it’s not clear how much of that is fully guaranteed at signing.

Just recently, Baker told reporters that the Dolphins “haven’t really” approached him about a new contract this offseason. Apparently, he was playing coy. Baker has quietly turned himself into a solid starting linebacker for the Dolphins, averaging 119 stops over the past two seasons. He also showed a knack for pass rushing last year, compiling seven sacks. Now, he has a contract to match his performance.

Previously, Baker was set to make $2.433MM in 2021. His new deal gives him an average annual value of $13MM/year, ahead of fellow ‘Fins inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney. In terms of new money, Baker now ranks as one of the ten highest-paid ILBs in the NFL.

The Dolphins believe in Baker, though he did miss ten tackles last year while ranking as a middle-of-the-pack LB, per Pro Football focus. Still, the Dolphins are clearly encouraged by his evolving coverage and pass rushing skills.

“I definitely look myself in the mirror and know what I need to do to get better,” Baker said earlier this month (via Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald). “For me, locking in on the run game, being one of those linebackers that secures the inside, not just in the pass game but in the run game.”

This Date In Transactions History: Eagles Extend Fletcher Cox

June 13th, 2021 at 1:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Five years ago today, the Eagles locked up Fletcher Cox to a six-year, $103MM deal. The pact, which included $63MM in total guarantees, tied the defensive tackle to Philly through the 2022 season.

Our retrospectives often deal with contracts that didn’t make it all the way to the end. After all, that’s the nature of the NFL, where injuries are common and true long-term security is hard to come by. However, Cox has mostly held up his end of the bargain. At the time of signing, Cox was coming off of his first ever Pro Bowl appearance. Now, he’s up to six straight, including a 2018 All-Pro nod.

The Eagles started talks in the spring, but things stalled into the summer. Cox skipped the Eagles’ voluntary workouts, leaving some to wonder whether a deal would ever come together. Still, Howie Roseman called Cox a “huge part” of the Eagles’ future and he backed that up by making him the second-highest paid defender in NFL history (at the time), just behind Ndamukong Suh and just ahead of Olivier Vernon. The $63MM in guaranteed cash was notable, and $55.5MM of that was effectively guaranteed at signing — $1.5MM more than Aaron Rodgers got on his re-up.

Cox remains a key cog on the Eagles’ defensive line, having notched 6.5 sacks from the interior last year. However, Jeff McLane of The Inquirer hears that the team has some concern about his conditioning. The feeling in Philly is that Cox hasn’t been as dedicated as Rams star Aaron Donald, and there’s concern that it will catch up with him sooner rather than later. If Cox loses a step, the Eagles won’t be inclined to carry his $23.8MM cap hit into 2022. Instead, the Birds could drop him between now and next spring, saving $10.6MM against $13.15MM in dead money.

Le’Veon Bell: “I’ll Never Play For Andy Reid Again”

June 13th, 2021 at 12:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Le’Veon Bell wants to continue his playing career in 2021, but he’s not exactly endearing himself to teams that might be interested in his services. Bell commented on a recent Instagram post by RapTV — a post concerning someone’s outlandish McDonald’s bill — and fellow commenters began asking him questions about his NFL future (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).

In one of his responses, Bell said, “I’ll never play for [Chiefs head coach] Andy Reid again. I’d retire first.” Of course, Bell joined up with Reid’s Chiefs following his release from the Jets last October, and he ended up appearing in nine regular season games (two starts). He tallied 63 carries for 254 yards (4.0 YPC), and added 13 catches for 99 yards. However, he did not see the field in the AFC Championship game or the Super Bowl.

The nature of Bell’s beef with Reid is unclear, though the coach’s decision to keep him on the sidelines for KC’s two biggest postseason contests probably explains some (or all) of the animosity. Still, publicly airing grievances against one of the most respected and affable head coaches in the league is probably not in Bell’s best interests.

He recently cited his lack of usage with the Jets as the reason for his regression from his halcyon days in Pittsburgh, though his 311 touches in 2019 — his first and only full season in the Meadowlands — were the eighth-highest total in the league that year. He was tremendous with the Steelers in 2017, piling up nearly 2,000 scrimmage yards and 11 TDs en route to his second First Team All-Pro bid, but he sat out all of 2018 due to his infamous contract dispute with Pittsburgh, so he is now three years removed from his best work. As far as we know, neither the Chiefs nor any other club have expressed interest in Bell in 2021.

Obviously, Bell’s underwhelming performance with the Jets is at least partly attributable to the dearth of offensive talent on Gang Green’s roster (including the O-line), and the fact that he is still only 29 and hasn’t run up the odometer too much in recent years theoretically makes him an attractive option for any number of clubs. His inability to generate any interest on the open market could be indicative of what teams think about his fit in a locker room, and comments like those he made about Reid aren’t helping his cause.

No Contract Talks Between Dolphins, LB Jerome Baker

June 13th, 2021 at 11:03am CST by Rory Parks

2018 third-rounder Jerome Baker has quietly turned himself into a solid starting linebacker for the Dolphins. He has averaged 119 tackles over the past two seasons, and he even displayed some real pass-rushing chops in 2020, compiling seven sacks.

The Ohio State product is entering the final year of his rookie deal, but it doesn’t sound as if there have been any substantive contract talks between player and team at this point. When asked if the Dolphins had approached him about a long-term accord, Baker said, “I guess? We haven’t really talked about anything. We’re just going into this year” (via Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald).

Baker is due to earn $2.433MM in 2021, though he would surely love a multi-year deal with an eight-figure average annual value. His new running mate at inside linebacker, Benardrick McKinney, has a $10MM AAV — which positions him just outside the top-10 for ILBs — and given Baker’s performance to date and potential for further growth, that seems like a fair starting point in negotiations.

Still, Baker understands that there are things he can work on. Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics painted him as a fairly average defender in 2020, and he received a subpar 47.4 mark in run defense. As Beasley points out, Baker missed 10 tackles last season, though those deficiencies were largely counterbalanced by his improvements in coverage and the pass rush.

“I definitely look myself in the mirror and know what I need to do to get better,” Baker said. “For me, locking in on the run game, being one of those linebackers that secures the inside, not just in the pass game but in the run game.”

He added that he would be perfectly content to continue his career in South Beach. “I want to play here the rest of my career. I love it here. I love the fans, I love the organization. I love everyone here. I can definitely see myself playing here a long time. … The contract stuff’s the contract stuff. I really don’t care for that right now.”

We heard earlier this year that it could be extension-or-bust for Baker and the Dolphins, as the club is unlikely to use the franchise tag on him in 2022.