2022 March - Pro Football Rumors

Commanders Send Seahawks ‘Strong’ Russell Wilson Offer

March 4th, 2022 at 4:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ron Rivera has made no secret of the fact the Commanders are seeking a quarterback upgrade. The team is not wasting time moving into the trade mix.

Washington sent Seattle a “strong offer” for Russell Wilson, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). His colleague Adam Maya adds that “multiple first-round picks” were involved. The Seahawks have made it known they do not view Wilson as available right now. While the right offer could conceivably change that, Rapoport adds Seattle shut down Washington’s effort to land the 10-year starting QB. Both the Seahawks and Wilson can shut down offers, with Wilson holding a no-trade clause.

The Commanders have been in need for a long-term QB option since Kirk Cousins‘ 2018 free agency exit, having seen injuries (to Alex Smith and Ryan Fitzpatrick) and a draft whiff (Dwayne Haskins) derail their post-Cousins plans at the position. A year after making a big offer for Matthew Stafford, Washington intends to take big swings to finally solve this perennial problem. The Commanders offered the Lions their 2021 first-rounder and more for Stafford. They surely sent the Seahawks a stronger proposal.

Washington has “called everywhere” regarding available or potentially available passers, Rapoport tweets. This saga should not be considered over, though this year’s QB trade market has not produced too many fireworks yet. Rivera said this week he wants a veteran to lead his quarterback room, but the team holding the No. 11 overall pick should not be considered out of the mix for one of this year’s top QB prospects — especially if most of the rumored trade candidates are not truly available.

Mentioned in trade rumors for over a year, Wilson was interested in exploring his options entering this offseason. But noise involving the perennial Pro Bowler has not matched the level of 2021, when Wilson’s agent sent out acceptable trade destinations and he addressed certain issues he had with Pete Carroll. It cannot be certain Wilson will be back in Seattle next season, but all the early signs point to it.

Chiefs, Tyreek Hill Discussing Extension

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

Tyreek Hill‘s second round of off-field trouble led to the Chiefs signing him to a uniquely structured contract, one that protected the team in the event the star wideout encountered another issue. With the perennial Pro Bowler having avoided controversy in the years since, the sides are now discussing a new contract, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

The Chiefs went from being unsure the deep threat would be in their 2019 plans to reaching a three-year, $54MM agreement before that season. One season remains on that deal. Hill and the Chiefs’ negotiations on a third contract have transpired throughout this week, pointing to a new pact being in sight, and Rapoport adds this extension would be a more traditional contract. A new deal would reduce Hill’s 2022 cap number (currently $20.7MM) and arm the Chiefs with additional cap room.

Having fallen to the 2016 fifth round due to an ugly rap sheet, Hill became an integral part of the Chiefs’ first Patrick Mahomes-centered offense with an All-Pro season in 2018. Allegations of child abuse put Hill’s career in jeopardy in 2019. The NFL did not receive sufficient cooperation from a local district attorney’s office during its investigation and opted not to suspend Hill, and the all-time speed merchant continued his run as one of the league’s top receivers. It should now be expected Hill will become a $20MM-per-year player.

Hill, who turned 28 this week, has teamed with Travis Kelce to form a top-end receiving duo for Mahomes. The Chiefs have been unable to rely on their supporting cast during this period, but Mahomes’ top two targets have mostly made up for it. Teams moved to minimize Hill deep targets this past season, dropping his yards-per-catch figure to 11.2, but he still caught a career-high 111 passes and accumulated 1,239 yards.

Kansas City extended Kelce in 2020. Hill’s deal will likely settle in at the No. 3 spot among receivers, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. DeAndre Hopkins‘ $27.25MM-AAV contract still an outlier, and Julio Jones‘ $22MM-per-year pact remains second among wideouts. Hill is looking at an extension worth around $21.25MM annually, Wilson notes, adding that more than $50MM in guarantees stand to come the Chiefs wideout’s way.

Amari Cooper Not Drawing Trade Interest

March 4th, 2022 at 3:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

When attached to his rookie contract, Amari Cooper commanded a first-round pick in a trade. The Cowboys, who sent the Raiders their 2019 first ahead of the 2018 deadline, are not seeing nearly as much interest now that Cooper is tethered to a high-end receiver deal.

The Cowboys will try to trade Cooper, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes, but the veteran wideout has not drawn much interest. Even with teams having known the pricey wideout’s availability for weeks now, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes teams are not lining up to acquire his current contract (Twitter links). Cooper’s deal runs through 2024 and carries a $22MM cap number for this season. One receiver-needy team informed Robinson it has no interest in Cooper at this price. If no reasonable trade offer emerges, the Cowboys intend to cut Cooper.

In recent years, the draft has begun to provide teams with quality value at receiver, with the past few classes being flush with pass-catching help. With those rookies tied to low-cost deals for at least three seasons, value for players like Cooper — who signed a five-year, $100MM deal in 2020 — diminishes.

The Cowboys moving Cooper off their roster before March 20 saves them $16MM, funds that could be allocated to some of the team’s impending free agents. Cooper’s $20MM base salary becomes fully guaranteed on that fifth day of the 2022 league year. The team is interested in retaining Dalton Schultz, and Robinson adds it weighed Cooper’s cost with the ability to keep Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson and potentially Randy Gregory (Twitter links). Wilson, Gallup’s injury replacement in 2021, joins Gallup and Gregory in being on track for free agency. To go through with this plan, the Cowboys ($13.4MM over the cap) will need to make more moves to free up space.

Gallup potentially being available at a slight discount due to his ACL tear benefits the Cowboys, Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes, potentially factoring into the team’s plan. Retaining Gallup would be a cheaper option than keeping Cooper, though losing the latter would stand to put more pressure on CeeDee Lamb, who has benefited from defenses’ attention to Cooper. The Cooper-or-Gallup long-term choice has been on the team’s radar for a while now, and it appears a decision has been made.

Despite having played seven seasons, Cooper is just 27. He would certainly draw extensive interest on the open market. The prospect of the Packers franchise-tagging Davante Adams and the Buccaneers using a second tag on Chris Godwin would enhance Cooper’s value, if the Cowboys indeed release him. Cooper is a four-time Pro Bowler who has posted five 1,000-yard seasons.

Giants’ James Bradberry Drawing Trade Interest

March 4th, 2022 at 1:55pm CST by Zachary Links

James Bradberry is garnering trade interest around the league (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The high-priced cornerback was a favorite of GM Dave Gettleman, but the Giants’ new regime may be open to moving him.

The Giants signed Bradberry to a three-year, $45MM deal ($32MM guaranteed) in 2020. At the time, he was one of the top free agents on the market. Teams were high on him, even though the analytics weren’t quite as fond. Bradberry, a multi-year starter for the Panthers, was ranked as a middle-of-the-road defender by Pro Football Focus in his walk year.

Bradberry earned a Pro Bowl nod in his first Giants season but he didn’t play up to his contract in 2021. Now on the verge of his 29th birthday in August, the Giants may opt to trade him for draft capital while taking much of his $21.8MM cap hit off of the books. And, as Rapoport notes, a Bradberry deal seems much more likely that a trade of star running back Saquon Barkley.

Despite the down year, Bradberry should still hold interest for cornerback-needy teams. He’s not too far removed from that Pro Bowl 2020, when he posted the lowest passer rating of any CB in the league, per PFF.

Bills Permit Cole Beasley To Seek Trade

March 4th, 2022 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Cole Beasley could be on his way out of Buffalo. The Bills have granted the wide receiver permission to seek a new club (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo), paving the way for a potential trade.

Neither side has offered further comment on the matter, though Beasley and the team reportedly clashed throughout the year. Beasley, who will turn 33 on April 26th, was still productive in 2021 with 82 catches for 693 yards and one touchdown. He also managed 82 catches in 2020, though that was a more efficient campaign — his 82/967 line averaged out to a career-high 11.8 yards per grab. Last year, he had just 8.5 yards per reception, tying his career low.

Beasley has one year to go on his four-year, $29MM pact. As it stands, he’s set to count for $7.6MM against the Bills’ books, but a trade or release would leave the team with just $1.5MM in dead money versus $6.1MM in savings.

That’s a decent chunk of change, one that could be put towards larger expenditures like Rob Gronkowski. The Bills are reportedly interested in signing the 32-year-old as a free agent and he may be open to a move following Tom Brady‘s retirement. It also helps that Gronk is a Buffalo-area native who grew up as a Bills fan. Gronkowski, 32, managed 55 catches for 802 yards last year despite missing five games while injured.

Seahawks Want To Re-Sign Geno Smith

March 4th, 2022 at 11:41am CST by Zachary Links

In a matter of days, Geno Smith will be eligible to sign with any team in the NFL. Still, head coach Pete Carroll hopes that the quarterback will stay put (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times).

Smith was arrested on suspicion of DUI in January, a potential roadblock to his future prospects. The quarterback has yet to be charged in connection with that incident, however, which may help his standing in Seattle.

“Being arrested brings a taint onto the reputation that is impossible to undo, no matter what really happened,” Smith said in a tweet following the arrest. “I’m asking all of you to hold back on judging me the same as you would do for a friend or family member. I’ll have more to say down the road & ask that you [bear] with me.”

Smith has spent the past two seasons as the backup in Seattle. In 2021, he made four appearances while Russell Wilson was sidelined with a broken finger. Smith was victorious just once in three starts, but he did throw for 702 yards and five touchdowns against just one interception, a major upgrade over his early pro work.

Giants Open To Saquon Barkley Trade

March 4th, 2022 at 11:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants’ new regime could be making some serious changes this offseason. When asked about the possibility of trading Saquon Barkley, GM Joe Schoen wouldn’t rule it out.

“I’m open to anything. … I’m not going to say yes to every deal, but I’m going to listen,” Schoen said (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network).

Barkley was once untouchable. Now, after a string of injuries, the Giants are at least open to dealing him. After being selected No. 2 overall in 2018, Barkley was nothing short of stellar — his historic rookie campaign included 2,028 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns in a full 16-game slate. He had an equally impressive 5.4 yards per touch in 2019, but he missed three games thanks to a high ankle sprain.

Then, in 2020, he was limited to just two games before succumbing to a torn ACL. Barkley managed to play in 13 games this past year, but clearly wasn’t at 100%. He finished with just 593 yards off of 162 carries, good for just 3.7 yards per attempt.

The Giants have already exercised Barkley’s fifth-year option for 2022, but they may prefer to put those dollars elsewhere and target younger options in the draft. Meanwhile, they may be able to save money elsewhere by negotiating a new deal with wide receiver Sterling Shepard.

Colts GM Chris Ballard On Carson Wentz

March 4th, 2022 at 11:19am CST by Zachary Links

The Colts are “still working through” their quarterback situation, GM Chris Ballard says (Twitter link via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star).
With that in mind, Ballard says that he’ll make a decision on “what’s best for the team” in the next ten days along with head coach Frank Reich and owner Jim Irsay.

Wentz was widely panned for his Week 18 performance against the Jaguars, the loss that cost the Colts a playoff berth. He also clashed with team brass throughout the year and even rankled Irsay. Ballard has yet to give Wentz a vote of confidence, a sign that they could be ready to move on.

“When we made the decision, after Philip [Rivers] retired and we made the decision to make a move on Carson, at the time of the decision we felt good about it and I still don’t regret the decision at the time,” Ballard said in January. “Sitting here today, just so y’all know, I won’t make a comment on who is going to be here next year and who is not going to be here next year. That’s not fair to any player.”

Still, the Colts are projected to have upwards of $37MM in cap room this year — good for seventh in the league — and that’s with Wentz on the books. It’s also worth noting that he managed to finish ninth in QBR, despite so-so production from his wide receivers. Given Wentz’s solid 27-7 TD-INT ratio in 2021, the Colts still have reason to keep him. But, if they don’t, Wentz could fetch at least some draft capital in a trade.

Releasing Wentz would save the Colts another $13MM, if they do so by March 19. If he stays, he’ll be under contract with a $28MM cap number for the coming year.

Browns Unlikely To Re-Sign Rashard Higgins

March 4th, 2022 at 11:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are expected to part ways with wide receiver Rashard Higgins, according to sources who spoke with Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Nothing’s official yet, but that’s the likely outcome as the Browns look ahead to free agency later this month. Cabot also hears that defensive tackle Malik McDowell is trending towards a non-tender.

The 2016 fifth-round pick has spent his entire career in Cleveland, appearing in 82 regular season games in parts of six seasons. The wideout had one of his best seasons in 2020, hauling in 37 receptions for 599 yards and four touchdowns. In 2021, he finished with just 24 grabs for 275 yards and one touchdown in 15 games. All in all, the 27-year-old has collected 137 career receptions for 1,890 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Higgins re-upped with the Browns last year on a one-year, $2.37MM deal. He likely could have fetched a similar contract in 2021 but, this time around, he’d be looking at a much softer market.

Just a year ago, the Browns figured their receiving corps was set for years to come with Higgins backing top targets Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Now, OBJ is in Los Angeles following a messy divorce and Landry profiles as a potential release candidate. The five-time Pro Bowler has one year left on his deal with a 2022 cap hit of $16.4MM — cutting him would clear the bulk of it with just $1.5MM in dead money remaining. A restructuring is also possible, though they’d have to furnish Landry with more in the way of guarantees.

In other Browns news, the team is reportedly willing to keep tight end David Njoku off the market with a ~$10MM/year deal.

Cowboys Likely To Cut Amari Cooper

March 4th, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys are “likely” to release wide receiver Amari Cooper by the start of the league year, according to league sources who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The move would spare Dallas from a fully-guaranteed $20MM payout, due on March 20th.

Cutting Cooper would save the Cowboys $16MM in cap room for 2022. This was unthinkable just a couple of years ago, when the wide receiver inked his five-year, $100MM extension. Back then, he was fresh off of his fourth career Pro Bowl nod and had just reeled in 79 catches for 1,189 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He delivered another solid — though less efficient — season in 2020 with 92 grabs, 1,114 yards, and five scores.

In 2021, however, he had his least productive full season as a Cowboy. His 68 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns were still okay for fantasy owners, but his overall performance wasn’t in line with his best work.
Without the former fourth overall pick, the Cowboys may look to completely overhaul their WR unit. Both Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson are scheduled for free agency, leaving CeeDee Lamb as the only pillar of the group under contract.

A Cooper release would provide breathing room for the long run as well. By dropping the remainder of his five-year, $100MM deal, the Cowboys would escape $22MM cap hits in each of the next three seasons. Cooper, meanwhile, would profile as one of the top free agents available. Despite his down 2021, Cooper has five 1,000-yard seasons on his resume and won’t turn 28 until June.