2021 June - Pro Football Rumors

Jets To Sign S Sharrod Neasman

June 10th, 2021 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

After five seasons in Atlanta, Sharrod Neasman will make his way north. The veteran safety and special-teamer agreed to a deal with the Jets on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Despite having started just two career games, Neasman was with the Falcons from 2016-20. Atlanta picked him up as a UDFA out of Florida Atlantic and deployed him as a steady special-teamer for much of his time with the team. Neasman joins a Jets team fairly well-stocked at safety.

The Jets have Marcus Maye on the franchise tag, and they agreed to a deal with Lamarcus Joyner this offseason. Although the Raiders stationed Joyner in the slot the past two years, the Jets plan to use him at safety. New York also rosters 2020 third-round pick Ashtyn Davis.

Neasman, 29, started two games last season but was a regular on Atlanta’s special teams units during the 2019 and ’20 slates. The Falcons did use Neasman as a part-timer on defense in 2018, when both Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen were lost for the season in September, and last season. The Jets will now give him a chance to make the squad as a backup.

NFL Suspends Packers TE Jace Sternberger

June 10th, 2021 at 3:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers will not have Jace Sternberger to start their season. The third-year tight end incurred a two-game suspension Thursday for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

This represents a critical setback for the former third-round pick. Sternberger has yet to make much of an impact with the Packers, who have since found a productive receiving tight end in UDFA Robert Tonyan. Green Bay also re-signed Marcedes Lewis this year.

A Texas A&M product, Sternberger missed a chunk of his rookie season after beginning it on IR. He ended up missing 10 games as a rookie. Last season, the 6-foot-4 pass catcher played in 12 contests and caught 12 passes. He was on the field for just 19% of Green Bay’s offensive snaps, however, with Tonyan (61%) and Lewis (41%) playing bigger roles.

Two seasons remain on Sternberger’s rookie contract, but this suspension will not help his chances of carving out a notable role in his third NFL season.

CB Johnathan Joseph Announces Retirement

June 10th, 2021 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Johnathan Joseph enjoyed one of the longest careers among modern cornerbacks, lasting 15 seasons. The accomplished cover man announced (via Twitter) Thursday he will not attempt to play a 16th NFL campaign, choosing retirement instead.

A former Bengals first-round pick, Joseph spent most of his career in Cincinnati and Houston. However, he spent time in Tennessee and Arizona in his final season. Overall, Joseph played in 211 games and logged 192 starts during a career that included two Pro Bowls.

The South Carolina alum displayed a knack for finding the end zone during his career, intercepting 32 passes and taking seven back for touchdowns. Joseph, 37, will leave the game tied for seventh all time in pick-sixes — alongside Hall of Famers Ed Reed, Ty Law, Lem Barney and Herb Adderley. Joseph added a fumble return for a score in 2008. While Joseph will not end up in the Hall of Fame like his pick-six contemporaries, he was regarded as one of the NFL’s best corners for several seasons during his prime.

Joseph added two postseason interceptions, both coming in Texans wild-card wins over the Bengals. He played a key role in elevating Houston to those early-2010s January games, which doubled as the franchise’s initial playoff appearances. The 5-foot-11 defender made the Pro Bowl in those seasons. The Texans gave Joseph a five-year, $48.75MM contract in 2011. He performed well enough that the team extended him — on a three-year, $22MM deal — in the summer of 2015. Joseph ended up outlasting both A.J. Bouye and first-round pick Kevin Johnson in Houston; Johnson opted to retire this month as well.

With the Bengals in 2009, Joseph notched a career-high six INTs to help the franchise to the AFC North championship. Joseph signed with the Titans last year but could not help an overmatched defense much, though he did add one more INT to his career total. The Titans released him in November, but he caught on soon after with a familiar face. Johnathan Joseph concluded his career with the Cardinals, playing for former Texans secondary coach Vance Joseph.

Cowboys Sign Round 2 CB Kelvin Joseph

June 10th, 2021 at 2:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

For the second straight year, the Cowboys selected a cornerback in the second round. They came to terms with that draftee, Kelvin Joseph, on his rookie contract Thursday, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

Joseph will be locked in through the 2024 season. The Kentucky product should be expected to contribute early on a retooled Cowboys defense, which now has Dan Quinn at the controls. The Cowboys went defense with their first six picks, which is understandable after the unit’s woeful 2020 showing.

Dallas gave up a franchise-record 473 points, which eclipsed the franchise’s previous high of 436 (in 2010). They ranked 28th in scoring and 23rd in total defense. The team let Byron Jones walk in free agency last year and opted against re-signing Chidobe Awuzie in March; Awuzie is now with the Bengals. The Cowboys did bring back Jourdan Lewis, however, and will pair Joseph with 2020 second-round pick Trevon Diggs. Third-rounder Nahshon Wright joins Joseph as a Day 2 arrival who will attempt to carve out an early role in Dallas.

Joseph transferred from LSU to Kentucky, playing one season with the Wildcats. He made it count, intercepting four passes and taking one back for a touchdown. The 5-foot-11 defender only played 15 games in his college career, however. After playing in six for LSU as a true freshman in 2018, he transferred and sat out 2019.

Three Cowboy draft picks remain unsigned. All were chosen in the third round, which annually produces longer negotiations due to murkier CBA language regarding rookie contracts.

Packers To Sign QB Jake Dolegala

June 10th, 2021 at 2:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Five quarterbacks now reside on the Packers’ 90-man roster. After participating in Green Bay’s minicamp on a tryout basis this week, Jake Dolegala signed with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Dolegala joined Jordan Love and recently signed QBs Blake Bortles and Kurt Benkert in Packers workouts this week. Dolegala may end up sticking around through training camp, though this scenario may be contingent on another player’s status.

Aaron Rodgers did not show for Packers minicamp, beginning his long-rumored holdout, and the reigning MVP has shown no signs of budging in his quest to leave Green Bay. Despite substantial fines on tap for training camp absences, Rodgers not turning up in late July is a very real possibility.

The Packers entered their offseason program with only Love as a willing quarterback participant, having not kept previous Rodgers backup Tim Boyle as a restricted free agent. Boyle is now in Detroit. The team’s QB depth chart now looks considerably different.

A four-year starter at Central Connecticut State, Dolegala went to training camp with the Bengals in 2019 and ’20 but has yet to throw a regular-season pass. The 6-foot-7 QB then bounced on and off the Patriots’ practice squad last season. New England parted ways with the 24-year-old passer shortly after the draft.

Defensive lineman Anthony Rush is expected to be waived to make room for Dolegala, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Rush played in one game with the Packers last season and has suited up for 14 over the past two years, spending 2019 with the Eagles and part of 2020 with the Seahawks.

Ravens Officially Sign Ja’Wuan James

June 10th, 2021 at 12:06pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s officially official. On Thursday, free agent offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James inked his Ravens contract.

James was cut loose by the Broncos earlier this year after suffering a torn Achilles’ tendon. The injury happened outside of the team facility, so he still has some business to settle with his former club. Given the nature of the injury, most assumed that James would spend the year rehabbing before signing his next deal in 2022. Instead, the Ravens moved quickly to sign him to a two-year deal worth up to $9MM in total.

James could even suit up sometime this year, according to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. If James can stay healthy and return to the form he exhibited in South Beach, this could prove to be one of the savviest signings of the year. James’ last full season came in 2018 with the Dolphins. In that year, Pro Football Focus measured the former first-round pick as a top-35 tackle. He’s been a starter ever since he entered the league — save for his stints on the IR.

For now, longtime Steelers starter Alejandro Villanueva is ticketed to handle the right tackle job with Ronnie Stanley returning to his spot on the left side.

Bears Sign Justin Fields

June 10th, 2021 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

It’s a done deal. On Thursday, the Bears struck agreement with first-round quarterback Justin Fields (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).

Per the terms of his slot, Fields will collect $17.9MM on his fully guaranteed four-year deal. That includes a healthy $11.1MM signing bonus for the No. 11 overall pick.

The Bears already had Andy Dalton heading into the draft, but they couldn’t pass up Fields. Meanwhile, Giants GM Dave Gettleman couldn’t resist the urge to trade. With that, the Bears moved up to No. 11 in exchange for pick No. 20, pick No. 164, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2022 fourth-round pick.

Some evaluators preferred Zach Wilson and Trey Lance, who were the first QBs to come off the board after Trevor Lawrence. Regardless, the Bears were thrilled to land the Ohio State product. In just two short years as a Buckeye, he cemented himself as one of the most accomplished players in program history. The dual-threat QB threw for 5,373 yards, 63 touchdowns, and nine interceptions across 22 starts.

Now, the two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year will try and work his magic in Chicago.

Chiefs’ Charvarius Ward Signs Second-Round Tender

June 10th, 2021 at 9:30am CST by Zachary Links

Charvarius Ward has officially signed his second-round tender (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Now, the Chiefs have the cornerback locked in for 2021 at a salary of ~$3.4MM.

Ward joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee in 2018. After seeing time in 13 games as a rookie, Ward ended up starting 16 games in 2019 for the eventual Super Bowl champs. Ward finished that season with 74 tackles, ten passes defended, and two interceptions. He also added another nine tackles in three postseason games.

The 25-year-old started 13 of his 14 games in 2020, finishing the year with 51 tackles, one sack, and six passes defended. Then, he started in each of Kansas City’s three playoff games, collecting 18 tackles. Needless to say, the Chiefs didn’t want to let him get away. The second-round tender was enough to scare away would-be suitors, so he’ll return to KC and the starting lineup again this year.

Ravens Host Todd Gurley

June 10th, 2021 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens are hosting running back Todd Gurley on a visit today (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If signed, Gurley could provide yet another intriguing option for Baltimore’s already-loaded backfield.

The bulk of the Ravens’ carries will go to second-year pro J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. But, with Mark Ingram now out of the picture, the Ravens are exploring every opportunity to fortify the group. Gurley hasn’t looked like his old Pro Bowl self in a while, but he comes with tremendous upside if he can stay healthy. Or, at minimum, he could mentor Dobbins as he looks to build on his stellar rookie season. Last year, he ran for 805 yards off of just 134 carries, good for a 6.0 yards per carry average.

Gurley, meanwhile, was held to just 3.5 yards per carry with the Falcons last year while adding 25 catches for 164 yards. His best work, of course, came with the Rams — he was an All-Pro in 2017 and 2018 with a combined 40 touchdowns during that stretch.

The Ravens have been active in the third wave of free agency, having just signed former Broncos tackle Ja’Wuan James to a two-year deal. And, despite his ruptured Achilles, there’s a chance that he could suit up for them this season.

Giants RB Saquon Barkley Not Focused On Next Contract

June 9th, 2021 at 9:50pm CST by Ben Levine

Saquon Barkley‘s rookie deal is set to expire following the 2022 season, but the Giants running back isn’t worried about a lack of an extension. When asked if he’d play the upcoming season without a new deal, the former second-overall pick made it clear that he’s only focused about what’s on the field.

“When it comes to the contract situation that’s not even something that’s crossing my mind,” Barkley said (via Pat Leonard of New York Daily News on Twitter). “I have an amazing agent. Those are things I have conversations with her about. But for me right now, the only thing I’m focusing on is coming here today, working my butt off, and trying to get as ready as I can so when I’m able to get back out there, I’m 110% and I can perform to the best of my abilities for my team.”

The 24-year-old is saying all the right things, and it’s obviously encouraging that he’s focused on his comeback vs. his next contract. However, there’s no denying that the financials aren’t at least being considered in Barkley’s camp. The running back has already dealt with his fair share of injures; a high ankle sprain forced him to miss three games in 2019, and a torn ACL limited him to only a pair of contests in 2020. Another injury would surely hurt Barkley’s earnings potential, so it makes sense to grab the money when he can.

Further, Barkley is underpaid at his position, especially for a player of his caliber. The running back has a base salary of only $850K in 2021, with the total-cash earnings (including signing bonus) valued at around $4.8MM. The Giants predictably picked up his fifth-year option, guaranteeing him $7.2MM in 2022, but even that chunk of cash would rank him ninth at his position (in average annual salary).

Barkley could easily make an argument for being paid like one of the top backs in the NFL. Following a dynamic rookie campaign that saw him finish with 2,028 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns, Barkley followed that up with a sophomore campaign where he had 1,441 yards and eight scores (albeit in three fewer games). The former Pro Bowler will be looking to return to his previous form next year, and we recently heard he was rehabbing (but not participating) at OTAs.