HEADLINES

Month: March 2022

Bucs, DL William Gholston Nearing Deal

March 22nd, 2022 at 5:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers continue to prioritize keeping their free agents. Hours after another Leonard Fournette reunion came to pass, the team is close to re-signing William Gholston.

The veteran defensive lineman is nearing a deal to stay in Tampa, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. At least four other teams expressed interest in the nine-year veteran, per Fowler, but Gholston wants to stay with the Bucs. It is a one-year agreement, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets.

Tampa Bay already extended Gholston, but the team is in a bit stronger position than it was when the parties agreed to that deal — a five-year, $37MM pact — back in 2017. Gholston, 30, played out that contract last season. Gholston has been a regular starter for the Bucs for most of the past eight seasons and sits behind only Lavonte David as the team’s longest-tenured player.

After teaming with Gerald McCoy as the Bucs’ D-line anchors, Gholston has worked alongside Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea for the past three seasons. Vea signed an extension recently, but Suh is unsigned. So is Jason Pierre-Paul, who has been connected to other teams. But the Bucs have done well to retain high-priority free agents, tagging and then extending Chris Godwin and keeping Ryan Jensen and Carlton Davis off the market.

Fournette and Gholston represent the latest puzzle pieces. Although unsigned players remain and the team lost guard starters Alex Cappa and Ali Marpet, Tampa Bay’s 2022 offseason resembles its historic 2021 retention effort.

Gholston, who will turn 31 before Week 1, registered a career-high 4.5 sacks last season. DC Todd Bowles deployed Gholston as a part-time player in 2021, using him on 44% of the team’s defensive snaps. The former fourth-round pick has nevertheless been a key part of the team’s past two Bucs defenses, combining for 15 tackles for loss and 31 quarterback hits in that span.

Raiders Sign WR Demarcus Robinson

March 22nd, 2022 at 5:27pm CST by Ben Levine

Demarcus Robinson has found a new home. The former Chiefs receiver is signing with the Raiders, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).

The wideout is inking a one-year deal with Las Vegas, per Schefter. We heard earlier today that Robinson was set to meet with the Raiders.

The 27-year-old wideout had spent his entire six-year career in Kansas City. He started 42 of 97 games during that span, including a 2020 campaign where he operated as a secondary piece in the Chiefs offense and finished with 45 catches for 466 yards and three touchdowns. However, the veteran has also had seasons like 2021, when he had a reduced role on offense and finished with only 264 receiving yards.

The writing seemed to be on the wall for Robinson’s future in Kansas City when the Chiefs added JuJu Smith-Schuster to a depth chart that already included Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman (not to mention Travis Kelce).

So, the receiver is off to Las Vegas. Robinson is the second post-worthy addition to the Raiders’ WR room this offseason. Having already traded for Davante Adams, the team also has reliable slot man Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller in the fold. Just like in Kansas City, Robinson will likely continue to rank third or fourth in terms of targets, although he should have a firm grasp of that spot on the depth chart.

Rams GM Les Snead Discusses OBJ, Aaron Donald

March 22nd, 2022 at 5:11pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams have reshuffled their receivers depth chart this offseason, but that hasn’t changed their views on Odell Beckham Jr.. Rams general manager Les Snead told reporters today that the team would still like OBJ back in Los Angeles for the 2022 campaign.

[RELATED: Latest On Rams’ Pending Free Agents]

“He’s someone that we definitely want back,” Snead said (via AP’s Greg Beacham on Twitter). “A little bit more complex situation based on the injury. We envision it being similar but different circumstances to last year. When Odell is ready to play, we’d appreciate him being part of (the Rams).”

The Rams had previously made it clear that they wanted OBJ back, and the player also expressed interest in returning to the team. As a result, a new contract was “expected to happen,” but nothing has materialized in two weeks. Another report indicated that the Rams were staying flexible with respect to contract offers, so perhaps a deal is only a matter of time.

OBJ joined the Rams midseason and ended up having a standout performance for his new team, posting 48 catches for 593 yards and seven touchdowns between the regular season and playoffs before a knee injury knocked him out of the Super Bowl. Since the season ended, the Rams added Allen Robinson to their squad while shipping out veteran Robert Woods.

Meanwhile, Snead acknowledged that extension talks with Aaron Donald are “still in progress,” per Michael J. Duarte on Twitter. The defensive tackle waged a holdout in 2017 and later landed a then-record-breaking extension. Naturally, Donald’s $22.5MM-per-year deal has since been dwarfed. Donald’s age and the state of the market makes this contract issue understandable, and it may have factored into the surprise retirement talk.

Raiders Sign DT Vernon Butler

March 22nd, 2022 at 4:32pm CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders are adding a veteran defensive lineman. The team has inked defensive tackle Vernon Butler to a contract, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).

It’s a one-year deal for Butler. ESPN’s Field Yates tweeted earlier today that Butler was set to visit Las Vegas.

Butler was a first-round pick by the Panthers back in 2016, but he didn’t do a whole lot during his first three seasons with the organization, collecting two sacks in 38 games. Naturally, the organization didn’t pick up his fifth-year option. The defensive tackle finally started some games during the 2019 season, and he popped a bit, finishing with six sacks.

Butler ended up getting a two-year contract from the Bills in 2020, and he started 10 of his 24 games during his time in Buffalo. The 27-year-old had 29 tackles and no sacks during his two seasons with the team, but he still managed to find himself playing on nearly half his team’s defensive snaps. Butler also started all three of the Bills’ playoff games in 2020.

Broncos, CB K’Waun Williams Reach Deal

March 22nd, 2022 at 4:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

With Bryce Callahan a free agent, the Broncos entered the second week of free agency with a slot cornerback need. They are signing one of the most experienced options available.

Longtime 49ers inside cover man K’Waun Williams is nearing a deal with the Broncos, per Brandon Krisztal of KOA (on Twitter). The sides are closing in on a two-year agreement, per Krisztal and Denver7’s Troy Renck (Twitter link). It appears this deal is done. It is a two-year, $7MM pact, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The contract will likely check in a bit lower, with Klis adding $7MM is the max value here (Twitter link).

This bolsters a Denver secondary that has two outside starters entrenched in Patrick Surtain and Ronald Darby. Williams spent the past five seasons in San Francisco and has been one of the NFL’s better slot corners over the past several years. Williams will turn 31 this summer, but the 5-foot-9 defender worked as the 49ers’ primary slot patrolman throughout his five-year Bay Area tenure. Prior to that, Williams spent time with the Browns.

The Broncos did not have to worry about their slot position for many years, with All-Decade defender Chris Harris manning that post. Harris departed as a free agent in 2020. While Harris is back in free agency, he is two years older than Williams. Broncos GM George Paton also said recently the door was open for Callahan to return, per Renck (on Twitter). This Williams pact being finalized seemingly closes that door. Callahan is coming off an injury-prone Denver stint, though the longtime Vic Fangio charge was also a top-tier slot corner when healthy.

Williams played 72% of San Francisco’s defensive snaps last season and was a reliable cog for the franchise’s Super Bowl LIV-qualifying squad two years prior. Williams’ numbers worsened in 2021, with his passer rating in coverage and completion percentage allowed both increasing from 2020. He did notch a key interception against the Cowboys in the 49ers’ first-round win. The Broncos may not be done at cornerback, but this agreement fills a key positional need before the draft.

Latest On Colts, QB Matt Ryan

March 22nd, 2022 at 4:24pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons and Colts stole headlines yesterday when Atlanta shipped quarterback Matt Ryan to Indianapolis. While it was still a bit jarring to see the Falcons trade their long-time QB, the deal didn’t come as a complete surprise. After all, the Falcons pursued Deshaun Watson before he landed with the Browns, and Ryan’s name was on the trade block even before this offseason.

Ryan spoke with reporters today and admitted that the constant trade chatter did get to him a bit.

“I didn’t like everything I heard but you don’t always like what you hear sometimes,” Ryan said (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Twitter). “But [the Falcons] were professional and handled it well. I knew at some point I was going to have to make a decision on whether or not I would stay.”

Ryan also said that Indy was the only destination he wanted to go to if he didn’t end up back in Atlanta (per Garafolo on Twitter).

Some more notes regarding yesterday’s trade:

  • Ryan met with the Colts on Saturday night, requesting to explore his options elsewhere after the Watson developments, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That meeting ended up swaying him to join the organization vs. staying with the Falcons, per Garafolo (on Twitter). “The time was just right for me and I felt I needed to do it,” Ryan said of his decision to move on.
  • The Colts picked up Ryan’s $7.5MM roster bonus and added guarantees to the entirety of his two-year deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The deal still has nearly $54MM remaining.
  • OverTheCap.com has provided some insight on what those next two years will look like for Indy’s cap sheet. Ryan will have a $24.7MM cap hit this upcoming season and a $29.2MM cap hit in 2023. Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the Falcons will carry $40.52MM in dead cap this season thanks to the trade. Incredibly, that’s $9MM in savings for the organization.

Texans Meet With RB Marlon Mack

March 22nd, 2022 at 4:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two-year Texans contributor David Johnson is a free agent, joining 2021 acquisition Phillip Lindsay, who finished last season in Miami. While Houston extended Rex Burkhead and re-signed Royce Freeman, the team is looking into additional veteran help.

Marlon Mack is on the team’s radar. The Texans met with the longtime Colts back Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Jonathan Taylor took Mack’s spot in Indianapolis, but an Achilles injury changed the former 1,000-yard rusher’s career.

Indianapolis agreed to work with Mack on a trade last year, but he instead remained on the Colts’ roster as a seldom-used backup. Since his September 2020 Achilles tear, Mack has just 32 carries for 127 yards. That said, he is approaching two years since that injury and was productive for the Colts in the late 2010s. Mack, who just turned 26, topped 900 rushing yards in a 12-game 2018 season and totaled 1,091 on the ground in a 14-game 2019 slate.

The Texans certainly have a need for a younger back, with Burkhead now 31 and Freeman coming off a year in which he was with three teams. But Houston has used veteran-heavy backfields under GM Nick Caserio. Although Mack generated some trade interest last year, he will be available on a low-cost deal despite his pre-injury success.

Contract Details: Miller, Robinson, Reddick, Mariota, Jensen, Collins, Brown, Norwell

March 22nd, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from contracts recently agreed to across the league, starting with the Bills’ big-ticket deal for a future Hall of Fame edge rusher:

  • Von Miller, LB (Bills): Six years, $120MM. Miller’s deal includes $51.44MM guaranteed. The Bills will keep Miller’s early base salaries low; he is tied to $1.1MM (2022) and $1.3MM (’23) salaries, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Miller has a $13.34MM roster bonus due in 2023, and Albert Breer of SI.com tweets his deal includes $50MM over the first two years. His $17.1MM, $19.6MM and $29.6MM salaries from 2025-27 are nonguaranteed.
  • Allen Robinson, WR (Rams): Three years, $46.5MM. Robinson is attached to guaranteed base salaries of $1.5MM and $10MM in 2022 and ’23, respectively, per Wilson (on Twitter). The contract includes a $5.75MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2024 league year. If Robinson surpasses 2,200 receiving yards in the regular season and playoffs during the 2022 or ’23 seasons, Wilson adds his 2024 year will void (Twitter link). Only Cooper Kupp has accomplished that feat in a season.
  • Haason Reddick, DE (Eagles): Three years, $45MM. Reddick, who is guaranteed $30MM, is tethered to base salaries of just $1MM and $1.1MM in 2022 and 2023, per Wilson (on Twitter). His $13.75MM 2024 salary is nonguaranteed. The Eagles tacked three void years onto the deal for cap purposes. Reddick will collect a $13.7MM roster bonus in 2023.
  • Ryan Jensen, C (Buccaneers): Three years, $39MM. Jensen’s deal includes $26.5MM guaranteed. The Bucs center is tied to a $1.5MM base salary in 2022 and a $12.5MM base in 2023, Wilson tweets. Jensen’s 2023 salary is partially guaranteed at signing; it will become fully guaranteed if he is on Tampa Bay’s roster by Day 5 of the 2023 league year. A $1.5MM 2024 roster bonus resides in this deal as well. The Bucs included two void years here for cap purposes.
  • La’el Collins, T (Bengals): Three years, $30MM. The contract is closer to a two-year, $20MM pact, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with Year 3 being included for cap purposes (Twitter link). It appears Cincinnati has dipped into the void-year realm, though is not clear just yet how this contract is structured.
  • Marcus Mariota, QB (Falcons): Two years, $18.75MM. This deal veers closer to a one-year pact. Mariota is due $6.75MM in 2022, but NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes (on Twitter) a $12MM 2023 option is included in this contract. A key point for Mariota’s Atlanta future will arrive on Day 5 of the 2023 league year, when a $3MM roster bonus is due.
  • Trent Brown, T (Patriots): Two years, $13MM. Brown will see $4MM guaranteed, Pelissero tweets. The veteran right tackle can earn up to $22MM on the contract.
  • Andrew Norwell, G (Commanders): Two years, $10MM. Norwell will collect $5.7MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. He is set to earn $1.2MM and $3.54MM in base salary, with Wilson adding Washington added three void years onto this deal.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/22

March 22nd, 2022 at 3:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are today’s minor moves around the NFL:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

Pittsburgh Steelers

Packers To Sign DL Jarran Reed

March 22nd, 2022 at 3:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jarran Reed is set to play for a third team in three seasons. The former Seahawks and Chiefs defensive lineman is signing with the Packers, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Bengals also met with Reed recently, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com adds, but he will head to Wisconsin.

The six-year veteran visited the Packers on Tuesday and will join a defensive line also housing Kenny Clark. This marked the third straight offseason in which Reed hit free agency. The Seahawks locked him up on a short-term deal in 2020, but that relationship quickly deteriorated and has led to a nomadic journey for the talented interior D-lineman.

Seattle gave Reed a longer-term deal, but an unusual development led to his exit. Reed refused to restructure his two-year, $23MM pact in 2021, leading to the Seahawks cutting him. The Chiefs gave Reed a one-year, $5.5MM deal and used him as a 17-game starter.

A former second-round pick out of Alabama, Reed zoomed onto the extension radar after a 10.5-sack 2018 season. A six-game suspension stalled Reed’s momentum in 2019, when he finished with just two sacks. He recorded 6.5 in 2020 and 2.5 last season, adding two forced fumbles and 12 QB hits during his one Chiefs campaign. Reed has also tallied three postseason sacks over the past two seasons.

Reed, 29, has been a highly durable player throughout his career. Excepting the suspension-induced hiatus, he has never missed more than one game in a season. The Packers will look to Reed as a supporting-caster, with Clark, Rashan Gary and Preston Smith set to spearhead their pass rush post-Za’Darius Smith. This will be Reed’s first run in a 3-4 defense, though these transitions have become less notable given the increased usages of sub-packages.

Since trading Davante Adams to the Raiders, the Packers have used some of the freed-up funds to address other areas. They have since signed Reed and reached agreements to bring back Rasul Douglas and Robert Tonyan.

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