HEADLINES

Month: March 2022

Giants Asking Sterling Shepard To Take Significant Pay Cut

March 3rd, 2022 at 12:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, more news is coming out regarding cost-cutting moves by the Giants. In this case, they are attempting to keep a key member of the offense, but at a greatly reduced cost. Per Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post, the team is asking receiver Sterling Shepard to take “a significant pay cut”.

The team already began shedding salary yesterday, cutting tight end Kyle Rudolph, then doing the same with running back Devontae Booker. Shepard represents one of several big-name players the Giants have more difficult decisions to make with regards to solving their salary cap dilemma.

The 29-year-old is currently scheduled to have a cap hit of just under $12.5MM. Cutting him, as the team has already done and will likely do with others, however, would only create $4.5MM in savings, a consequence of the restructure done to his contract in September. For that reason, Dunleavy writes, the team is offering a new one-year pact at a reduced rate. While nothing is official regarding how much the Giants are asking Shepard to drop his $8.475MM salary by, Dunleavy reports that his compensation on a re-worked deal “is expected to be close to the league minimum”. For a veteran such as Shepard, that would amount to just over $1MM.

The longest tenured member of the Giants, Shepard has served as Daniel Jones‘ favorite target when healthy. Unfortunately for him, that hasn’t been the case often enough to justify his contract as things currently stand. He suffered a torn Achilles in December, the most significant of multiple injuries he faced in 2021. Overall, he’s played a full campaign only twice in six years, though his 2018 numbers (66 catches, 872 yards, four touchdowns) demonstrate what he’s capable of producing when he’s able to stay on the field.

Dunleavy adds that Shepard “is said to be considering the pay cut as he ponders his options”. Staying put could allow him to play his way into a new contract closer in value to the extension he signed in 2019, assuming he is able to fully recover and stay on the field. If he declines the Giants’ request, general manager Joe Schoen‘s cap gymnastics could get that much more complicated.

Jets Will Pick Up Quinnen Williams’ Fifth Year Option

March 3rd, 2022 at 10:52am CST by Adam La Rose

When speaking to the media at the NFL Combine, Jets general manager Joe Douglas confirmed a decision many felt was inevitable. The team will pick up the fifth year option on Quinnen Williams‘ contract (video link). 

“We are going to pick up pick up Quinnen’s option”, Douglas said. “We had that conversation. I don’t think that’s really huge news… We’re excited to have Quinnen. This is going to be year two in a defense that we feel really accentuates his strengths… We’re looking forward for him to come back and dominate this offseason”.

It was reported late in the 2021 regular season that the Jets weren’t in a hurry to give the 24-year-old an extension when he first became eligible. That left the door open to the team letting him play out the last two years of his rookie deal, which would keep him in New York through at least the 2023 campaign. Franchise tags could extend that by two more years, of course, though a new deal would presumably be in place by then.

The third overall pick in 2019, Williams’ production this past year was closer to his second, most effective one than his rookie campaign. In 15 games, he compiled 53 tackles, including seven for a loss, along with six sacks and three pass deflections. Over the past two seasons, his 13 total sacks rank second in the league amongst interior linemen, demonstrating the disruptive presence he was touted to be coming out of college.

With Williams in place for at least another two years, the Jets can move forward this offseason looking to build around him in an attempt to upgrade the league’s worst statistical defense from last season.

 

Haason Reddick Likely To Hit Free Agency

March 3rd, 2022 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

One of the most effective moves made last offseason was the Panthers signing Haason Reddick. After a highly productive year in Charlotte, however, it appears he will be on the open market for the second straight year. 

As noted by NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe (on Twitter), Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer “anticipates” the pass rusher testing free agency. He signed a one-year, $8MM deal with Carolina last March, ending a difficult four-year stint in Arizona and reuniting with Panthers head coach Matt Rhule.

For much of his time with the Cardinals, the former first rounder was used as an off-ball linebacker. Only partway through the 2020 season did he step in for Chandler Jones as a pass rusher; he seized the opportunity, totalling 12.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. That earned him a contract with the Panthers to prove he could replicate his production.

That certainly ended up being the case. Reddick posted 68 tackles, including 12 for a loss, 11 sacks (which ranked tied for 11th in the NFL) and 18 quarterback hits in 16 games this season. The $8MM pact turned into a steal in terms of value, though the Panthers know they could be in need of a similar deal with another edge rusher soon.

In the event Reddick, 27, lands a lucrative new contract elsewhere, Fitterer said “they’ll be happy for him“. While another deal in Carolina isn’t off the table, the team has other priorities, including in the secondary where Donte Jackson and Stephon Gilmore are both pending free agents. Despite Sam Darnold being under contract, the Panthers are also likely to be involved in the quarterback market.

Jaguars’ Pederson Wants DJ Chark Back

March 3rd, 2022 at 8:54am CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars figure to be big players in free agency, with lots of cap space to work with and plenty of room for improvement on offense. One piece of the unit that new head coach Doug Pederson would like to keep in Jacksonville, however, is receiver DJ Chark. 

In an appearance on 1010 XL, Pederson noted that injuries played a large role in the team’s struggles last year. With a rookie quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, along with a lost season for fellow first-rounder Travis Etienne, the Jags certainly could’ve used a productive campaign from Chark. Instead, he suffered a fractured ankle in Week 4, an injury that ended his season. The 25-year-old posted 154 receiving yards, and the Jaguars finished last in the league in scoring.

“You think about James Robinson, you think about Travis Etienne, you think about even, you know, hopefully we get DJ Chark back” Pederson said. “I mean, you think about some of these younger receivers that we do have and there is some skill and ability there that we are excited as a staff to get going with”.

While Pederson added that the offense “is not there yet”, and that new pieces will be brought in, his remarks demonstrate a willingness to bring the former second round pick back. Chark’s best season came in 2019, where he made 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns en route to the Pro Bowl. That helped lead to momentum regarding a potential extension early in the 2021 campaign, but the ankle injury – one of several in his career – surely complicates the matter.

Without a new deal in the next few weeks, Chark will hit the open market. If he does land elsewhere, Jacksonville will still have Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault and Jamal Agnew under contract through next year.

Titans Have Discussed New Deal With LB Harold Landry

March 2nd, 2022 at 10:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry had a breakout season at the perfect time, finishing with a career-high 12 sacks before hitting free agency this offseason. Naturally, the organization wants to keep Landry in Tennessee, as GM Jon Robinson told reporters today.

“I hope so, but there’s a lot of factors that go into that,” Robinson said when asked if he thinks Landry will be back next season (via Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com). “He’s certainly worked hard. He’s been about what we’re about. We’re going to do our best to keep him.”

Robinson also acknowledged that the Titans have discussed a new deal with Landry.

“Yeah, we’ve had some discussions,” Robinson said. “We will continue to have those discussions. We’ve got a meeting later this week. Continue to work through that situation, we’ve got a little bit of time on the tag decision. We’ve got a little more time on hopefully a long-term solution. Continue to work through that. We’ll see how it goes.”

The Titans are a bit strapped for cash at the moment ($8.3MM over the cap), so they’ll have to do some maneuvering to afford Landry’s next deal. This will be especially true if the organization simply decides to tag the 25-year-old, which would be valued at $18.5MM. Wilson estimates that Landry could earn between $17MM and $19MM on the open market.

Landry was a second-round pick out of Boston College in 2018, and he’s spent his entire four-year career with the Titans. After serving as mostly a backup during his rookie campaign, Landry has started all 49 games for Tennessee over the past three years. That includes a 2021 campaign where he earned his first Pro Bowl nod.

Ravens Hope To Re-Sign Calais Campbell

March 2nd, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Deemed a retirement candidate late in his 14th season, Calais Campbell subsequently indicated he plans on playing in 2022. The Ravens hope the stalwart defensive lineman will be back in Baltimore.

Eric DeCosta has been in contact with Campbell, and although the Baltimore GM sounded less certain aging interior D-lineman will play again, he would sign off on a third Campbell season with the Ravens.

“I don’t want to speak for Calais, but I asked Calais, I basically said, ‘Listen, if you want to play, I’d like you to let me know at some point because we thought you had a good year, you are a good player,’” DeCosta said, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (subscription required) “I have a lot of admiration for Calais as a person and as a player and as a leader.

“I’m hopeful that we can bring him back. We’d love to bring him back.”

Campbell, 35, delivered another strong season and was available in 15 games. That helped a Ravens team that did not have Derek Wolfe‘s services at all in 2021. Wolfe is coming off hip surgery, and the Ravens have D-linemen Brandon Williams on track for free agency. The Ravens re-signed Williams before he hit the market in 2017, but the higher-end interior defender turned 33 last week. Wolfe is signed, but he would be set for his age-32 season. Edge rusher Justin Houston, 33, is also a free agent. Defensive line is certainly a place where the Ravens could use younger regulars, but the team is thin at the interior and edge spots.

A former Cardinals second-round pick, Campbell has excelled for three franchises. He already rewarded the Jaguars as a 30-something free agent, spearheading the team’s “Sacksonville” D-line to the Super Bowl precipice in 2017. After three Pro Bowl seasons in Jacksonville, Campbell landed in Baltimore via trade. He and the Ravens agreed on a new deal following that swap, and Campbell made his sixth Pro Bowl in 2020.

Despite his age, Campbell (36 in September) stands to generate interest in his first free agency trip in five years. The All-Decade lineman and all-time kick blocker would be an interesting addition to a contender’s D-line. Holding just more than $8MM in cap space, the Ravens rank in the NFL’s bottom half here. The Ravens have exclusive negotiating rights with Campbell until March 14, when the legal tampering period opens.

Josh McDaniels: Derek Carr To Remain Raiders’ Starter

March 2nd, 2022 at 6:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh McDaniels‘ first try as a head coach involved an early feud with the team’s starting quarterback and a seismic trade occurring soon after. It does not appear the new Raiders HC has his sights set on a quarterback change to start his second HC go-round.

When asked by NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero if he was prepared to confirm Derek Carr would be Las Vegas’ Week 1 starter, McDaniels indicated there was “no doubt” this would be the case (video link). This follows a report that indicated mutual respect exists between Carr and the longtime Patriots offensive coordinator. This would be Carr’s ninth season as the Raiders’ QB1.

In Denver, McDaniels’ irking of Jay Cutler led to a stunning trade in April 2009, sending the 2008 Pro Bowler to Chicago for a package of picks. McDaniels trading up for Tim Tebow in the 2010 first round added to a dismal quarterback run for the young coach/de facto personnel czar in Denver. It seems McDaniels is eyeing a more stable start to his Raiders tenure.

Carr spent most of Jon Gruden‘s stay in trade rumors, but the Raiders kept going year to year with the Reggie McKenzie-era draftee. The Raiders brought in Marcus Mariota to push Carr in 2020, but the longtime starter staved off the former No. 2 overall pick. Mariota is on track for free agency again. Last season, Carr led the Raiders to the playoffs despite the midseason exits of Gruden and Henry Ruggs. Carr finished with a career-high 282.6 passing yards per game, though his QBR figure (52.4, 14th) dropped after back-to-back marks above 64 (10th, 11th).

The Raiders will soon need to make a decision on Carr, and McDaniels added (via Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed, on Twitter) the sides have not begun extension discussions yet. Carr’s $25MM-per-year contract — an NFL record when signed in June 2017 — runs through the 2022 season. If the Raiders are committed to the soon-to-be 31-year-old passer, they will need to authorize a big raise.

Rams Prioritizing Matthew Stafford Extension, Discussing Aaron Donald’s Deal

March 2nd, 2022 at 5:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams’ cornerstone offensive and defensive players are under contract for 2022, but each could be attached to new deals by Week 1. Sean McVay called a Matthew Stafford extension and the addressing of Aaron Donald‘s contract top offseason priorities, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (on Twitter).

Stafford’s Lions-constructed deal runs through the 2022 season, but after the strong-armed passer led the Rams to a Super Bowl win in his first Los Angeles season, he will soon be rewarded. Combine buzz has put Patrick Mahomes‘ $45MM-per-year price on the radar for Stafford, Rodrigue tweets.

The 13-year veteran will soon join Mahomes, Josh Allen and Dak Prescott in the NFL’s $40MM-AAV club. This would be a notable increase from Stafford’s current $27MM-per-year accord — an NFL record by a $2MM margin when he signed it in 2017. Stafford, 33, is on L.A.’s books at $23MM in 2022; that figure is nonguaranteed. An extension can be constructed to reduce that cap number and give the Rams more room, potentially to retain the likes of Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. The Rams are currently $21MM over the projected 2022 cap.

Donald’s situation is a bit more complicated. The future Hall of Fame defensive tackle waged a holdout in 2017, missing two games, and landed a then-record-breaking extension a year later. Per usual with NFL contracts, Donald’s $22.5MM-per-year deal has since been dwarfed. Khalil Mack topped it days later in 2018, and T.J. Watt, Joey Bosa and Myles Garrett have since surpassed it. Donald, who won his second and third Defensive Player of the Year awards on this contract, is this generation’s defining defender and is going into his age-31 season.

Donald’s age and the state of the market makes this contract issue understandable, and it may have factored into the surprise retirement talk, though Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says that was not the case (video link). The Rams are discussing Donald’s contract, and GM Les Snead said he is not concerned about the seven-time All-Pro D-tackle retiring (Twitter link via Rodrigue). That could be because the Rams are, according to Rapoport, planning to give Donald a “big raise.”

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

Latest On Commanders’ QB Search

March 2nd, 2022 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

On the heels of another failed quarterback move, Washington is getting the word out it seeks an upgrade. Ron Rivera said Tuesday he is “trying to let [teams] know” the Commanders are interested, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes. Wednesday, the third-year Washington HC doubled down.

“I think this team needs a veteran. I really do,” Rivera said, via CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, of the Commanders’ quarterback pursuit (video link). “That’s not gonna preclude us from looking at a rookie. It’s not gonna preclude us from saying that, if we ended up with a veteran and all of the sudden we draft a rookie, that this rookie’s not gonna get an opportunity.”

This could put the Commanders on the radar to make a Day 2 quarterback choice to develop behind whichever veteran lands in the nation’s capital. The team offered its first-rounder for Matthew Stafford last year, but after the Rams landed the longtime Lions starter, Washington declined to trade up in the first round for Justin Fields or Mac Jones. Washington ended up with Ryan Fitzpatrick, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1. It is clear the team is aiming much higher this offseason.

Oddsmakers have given the Commanders decent odds at acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo, and the team has been mentioned as a suitor. But the 49ers starter’s upcoming shoulder surgery could cloud that market. Garoppolo will not be ready to throw again until the summer, potentially reducing San Francisco’s asking price.

The Commanders will surely discuss Aaron Rodgers, should he want to be traded, but they were not on his 2021 destination list and were left off both Russell Wilson lists that emerged last year. Deshaun Watson has also not been connected to the Commanders, and the embattled Texans QB’s no-trade clause could nix such a pursuit. This could bring ex-NFC East QB1 Carson Wentz into the discussion. The Colts have made it known they wish to move on from Wentz after one season.

A lower-profile veteran, such as one of the free agents available, could also be used as a bridge to a first-round talent. This year’s draft crop has been maligned for months, which would make Washington’s path to landing one at No. 11 easier. The Commanders still have 2021 starter Taylor Heinicke under contract, but Rivera has other plans for 2022.

“What we hope is that we’ve said enough,” Rivera said, via Jhabvala, of the team’s QB interest. “I’ve talked with people in interviews — as far as the media is concerned, it’s just been put out there that we feel we have a lot to offer and we most certainly will be willing to discuss and talk and just listen to what people have to say and would love to be able to get in some of those conversations just because we think it’s important.”

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