HEADLINES

Month: March 2022

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/22

March 16th, 2022 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Rams In Driver’s Seat For Von Miller?

March 16th, 2022 at 2:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Von Miller has not committed to a team during his first free agency bid, but the Rams look to have moved into pole position for the future Hall of Fame pass rusher.

The expectation is Miller will stay with the Rams, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noting teams are under the impression this is how the Miller process will conclude (Twitter link). Other teams are still pursuing the 11-year veteran, but the Rams appear to have the inside track.

Dallas and Cleveland have also attempted to land Miller this week. Both teams’ 2021 sidekick rushers — Randy Gregory and Jadeveon Clowney, respectively — are either unsigned (Clowney) or with another team now (Gregory). Gregory was on the verge of returning to the Cowboys, but an 11th-hour snafu sent him to the Broncos. The Cowboys are not especially confident they will beat out the Rams for Miller, Jane Slater of NFL.com adds (on Twitter). The Cowboys have not made Miller an offer, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

Miller, 33 next week, was connected to going back to Denver as well. The team’s successful pursuit of Gregory nixed that path. Prior to any Broncos-reunion talk or a hope of returning to his native Dallas, Miller had said he wanted to stay in Los Angeles. The All-Decade edge rusher notched nine sacks in the Rams’ final eight games last season.

The Rams have Leonard Floyd signed to a long-term deal and may well need to give Aaron Donald a raise soon. Miller is expected to command close to $20MM annually. While that is a sizable chunk of cash to commit to pass rushers, the Rams have not shied away from making splashy moves work since relocating to L.A.

Cardinals To Re-Sign Maxx Williams

March 16th, 2022 at 2:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals are in line to keep another member of their tight end room. The team is giving Maxx Williams a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Cardinals, Zach Ertz Closing In On Deal]

Williams, who will be 28 at the start of next season, has spent the past campaigns seasons in Arizona. That was preceded by four years in Baltimore, after the Ravens drafted him in the second round in 2015. He totalled 497 receiving yards in 42 games with the Ravens, which included 21 starts.

In Arizona, the Minnesota product has put up an identical number of yards, in this case needing 12 fewer games to do so. Not surprisingly, that production has come as a result of greater playing time. He snap percentage has increased in each of the last three years, reaching 66% in 2021. He was off to an impressive start this season, but suffered a torn ACL in Week 5.

Even with Ertz back, then, Williams has cared out a role for himself in the team’s offense. With receiver Christian Kirk having signed with the Jaguars, the veteran could also be in line for an increase in targets. In any event, Williams’ blocking ability should continue to earn him plenty of time on the field for what was one of the league’s top offenses in 2021.

Panthers To Sign WR Rashard Higgins

March 16th, 2022 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers are not certain who their 2022 starting quarterback will be, but that passer will have a nice array of wide receivers to target. Rashard Higgins is joining Carolina’s group, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a one-year deal.

A six-year Browns contributor, Higgins will call a place outside Ohio home for the first time since college. No, Higgins has no Temple or Baylor ties, having played at Colorado State. But Matt Rhule nevertheless is adding a veteran wideout to a receiving corps that includes D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson and Terrace Marshall.

Higgins, 27, has two 500-plus-yard receiving seasons on his resume. Last season, he finished with 275 yards as part of a Browns passing game that struggled for most of the year. Carolina’s aerial attack did as well, but the team is highly equipped at receiver for 2022.

The team remains in pursuit of Deshaun Watson, but the Texans passer has at least four suitors as he determines a second NFL employer.

Jets To Re-Sign Joe Flacco

March 16th, 2022 at 1:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

As many expected, Joe Flacco will be staying in New York. The Jets have re-signed the veteran to a one-year contract (Twitter link via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). His colleague Adam Schefter adds that the deal is worth $3.5MM plus incentives (Twitter link). 

Jets general manager Joe Douglas has made it clear throughout the offseason that his preference was to keep the 37-year-old, along with Mike White, in the hopes of maintaining the current QB room led by Zach Wilson. On that point, Brian Costello of The New York Post tweets that the team has placed an original round tender (valued at $2.6MM) on White.

A first round pick of the Ravens in 2008, Flacco is of course best remembered for his MVP performance in Super Bowl XLVII, which capped off a playoff run that came at the best possible time for him financially. A mega-extension signed that offseason was followed by inconsistency, and was a large part of the reason for his departure from Baltimore.

After failing to secure the long-term starting role in Denver, Flacco’s first go-round with the Jets in 2020 was equally unsuccessful. He lost all four of his starts, completing just over 55% of his passes. He got closer to home by signing with the Eagles last offseason, but was traded back to New York before the deadline. He lost his lone start filling in for Wilson, but threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns in the process.

With Flacco and, in all likelihood, White, back in the fold, the Jets’ QB situation appears to be set for 2022.

Raiders To Trade Yannick Ngakoue To Colts For Rock Ya-Sin

March 16th, 2022 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Minutes after agreeing to terms with Chandler Jones, the Raiders are clearing out a starting spot and a salary slot for the All-Pro pass rusher. They are expected to trade Yannick Ngakoue to the Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin is coming back in the deal. The Raiders and Colts have been working on this swap for the past day or so, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). Las Vegas, understandably, did not pull the trigger on a deal until its Jones agreement came through. No draft picks are changing hands; this is a player-for-player swap. This trade will cost the Raiders $8MM in dead money.

The Colts will be Ngakoue’s fifth team in the past three seasons. The former Jaguars standout made his way to the Vikings, Ravens and Raiders from 2020-21, being dealt late in the summer of 2020 and then being moved before that season’s deadline. After signing with Las Vegas, Ngakoue is being traded for a third time. Ngakoue, who will turn 27 later this month, registered 10 sacks last season. The former third-round pick has 20 forced fumbles over the course of his six-year career.

This will give the Colts a veteran edge presence they lacked last season and provide DeForest Buckner with a proven outside sack artist. The Colts used first- and second-round picks on defensive ends in the 2021 draft — Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo — and will now spend some cash on the position. After the Carson Wentz trade, Indianapolis entered free agency with its usual cap-space war chest. Ngakoue is signed through the 2022 season, on a $13MM-per-year accord.

While this trade will reunite Ngakoue with Gus Bradley, the Jaguars’ head coach when Ngakoue was drafted and the Raiders’ DC when he arrived in Vegas last year, it will send Ya-Sin to a Raiders team in need at cornerback. After a bounce-back year with Bradley, Casey Hayward is a free agent. A 2019 second-round pick, Ya-Sin will come to Vegas with one year remaining on his rookie contract.

Ya-Sin started 29 games with the Colts. While the Temple product has not played at a Pro Bowl level and only has two interceptions as a pro, the Raiders will shed salary here and land a player with considerable experience. After an up-and-down start to his career, Ya-Sin finished the 2021 season with a career-best 53% completion rate allowed when targeted. Pro Football Focus assigned Ya-Sin the fifth-best man-coverage grade last season.

Raiders, Chandler Jones Agree To Deal

March 16th, 2022 at 1:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders will land one of the top players on this year’s market. They have agreed to terms with Chandler Jones, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The sides agreed to a three-year deal worth $52.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, adding that the deal includes $34MM guaranteed.

This will reunite the former All-Pro with Josh McDaniels and Patrick Graham, who were both in New England during the first chapter of Jones’ career. After breaking through to the All-Pro level in Arizona, Jones will relocate to Las Vegas and join Maxx Crosby atop their edge-rushing stable.

For barely a minute, a Raiders reality with Crosby, Jones and Yannick Ngakoue existed. But the team is trading Ngakoue to the Colts. This will clear out some money for a Raiders squad that now has a Pro Bowl edge partnership. Jones bounced back after a biceps injury halted his 2020 season early; he registered 10.5 sacks in his sixth Cardinals season. Cards owner Michael Bidwill expressed a desire to re-sign Jones, who then tweeted laughing emojis after the owner’s comments. Unsurprisingly, the Cards were not closely connected with Jones during the legal tampering period.

Jones, 32, began the 2021 season as a disgruntled Cardinal, having requested a trade after voicing frustration about his contract. Several pass rushers had surpassed Jones’ 2017 extension — a $16.5MM-per-year pact — but he played out the deal. Jones is not exactly leaving the desert, with the Raiders now in Las Vegas, but his Cardinals chapter is over. He has agreed to similar terms with the Raiders. Jones appears to have missed his window to land a $20MM-plus-year-year accord, but he has still done quite well for himself during his prime.

The Raiders recently gave Crosby a $23.5MM-per-year extension. They are now fully loaded at the edge spot. Jones led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2017 — a year after the Patriots dealt him to Arizona — and posted a 19-sack slate in 2019. Making Pro Bowls with both the Pats and Cards, Jones will attempt to aid the Raiders in an AFC West suddenly flush with pass rushers. Jones, Khalil Mack and Randy Gregory are each with AFC West teams now, creating a division stacked at both quarterback and players paid to pursue QBs.

Seahawks To Sign Uchenna Nwosu

March 16th, 2022 at 1:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chargers recently added to their pass rushing group, but they are now reportedly losing an incumbent edge rusher. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks are signing Uchenna Nwosu to a two-year, $20MM contract (Twitter link). The deal includes $10.5MM in guaranteed money.

[RELATED: Chargers To Acquire Khalil Mack]

The 25-year-old spent the first four seasons of his career with the Chargers. His production has increased incrementally during that time, as he has taken on a progressively increased workload. 2021 was the first season in which he played more than half of the team’s defensive snaps, with 67%.

Nwosu took advantage of the increased opportunity, totalling 40 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles. Given the steps forward he has taken in his tenure, along with his age, the former second rounder was seen by many as an under-the-radar option for teams looking to make an impact signing in the pass-rush department.

The move continues the re-making of the Seahawks’ roster. In the aftermath of franchise icons Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner being traded and released, respectively, the team is making it clear they are not entering a rebuild. The re-signing of safety Quandre Diggs, for instance, is a sign they are still willing to invest in high-priced pieces to their defense. Nwosu’s addition represents an effort to get younger at key positions, but nevertheless a commitment to remaining competitive in 2022.

J.D. McKissic Returning To Washington?

March 16th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

J.D. McKissic is changing course. After agreeing to join the Bills, he is instead re-signing with the Commanders for the same price (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). 

The 28-year-old was reported to be be signing with the Bills earlier this week, on a two-year, $7MM deal. The contract also includes $1MM in incentives. As Schefter notes, the Commanders didn’t need to eclipse that figure – simply match it, as it turns out – to convince him to stay in the nation’s capital.

A former UDFA, McKissic started his career in Seattle, where he registered one start in three years. He then played in Detroit for one campaign, totalling 438 scrimmage yards. He has found much more success in his two seasons in Washington, though.

In 27 games in Landover, McKissic has started 10 of those contests. He’s totalled 133 carries for 577 yards and three touchdowns. In the passing game, he’s added 123 receptions for 986 yards and another four majors. That versatility has made him a valuable piece of Washington’s offense, paired with lead back Antonio Gibson.

Schefter adds that the Commanders initially didn’t offer McKissic a new deal (Twitter link). It was only after the agreement between him and the Bills that the team expressed an interest in retaining him. McKissic’s preference was clearly to stay put, however, and it now appears that he will do just that.

Falcons To Restructure Matt Ryan’s Deal?

March 16th, 2022 at 11:55am CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 16, 11:55am: The Falcons have yet to process a restructuring of Matt Ryan‘s deal (Twitter link via Ari Meirov). That could be an indication that they’re serious about their pursuit of Deshaun Watson, who met with the Falcons today.

MARCH 11, 8:35pm: The man who was projected to have the highest cap number in the NFL in 2022 has re-worked his contract. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Falcons have restructured Matt Ryan‘s deal (Twitter link). 

As Rapoport details, the move creates $12MM in cap space for the upcoming season. While he was only due to make $23.75MM in 2022, Ryan’s cap number was slated to be over $48.66MM. That was a result of previous financial maneuvering, which contributed in no small part to the team’s current difficult cap situation. Ryan’s pact follows a similar pattern in its two remaining years.

Last month, owner Arthur Blank made it clear the team is putting together a succession plan for their franchise QB. The former third-overall pick will be 37 when the 2022 season starts, and it surprised many when the Falcons chose not to draft an heir apparent with the No. 4 selection last April.

Ryan has been the model of consistency throughout his 14 seasons in Atlanta, including, most notably, his MVP season in 2016 that led to a trip to the Super Bowl. Since then, his individual stats have been essentially on par with his career averages, although the team as a whole hasn’t been able to replicate that previous success. In 2021, the four-time Pro Bowler completed 67% of his passes for 3,968 yards and 20 touchdowns.

With this move, the Falcons will now have roughly $16.2MM to work with heading into free agency next week. One obvious use for the manufactured space would be to re-sign linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, who earned himself a pay raise after leading the NFL in tackles last season. It was recently reported that he could reach the $10MM per year mark on a new deal – a figure which would now be easier for Atlanta to accommodate.

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