2022 April - Pro Football Rumors

Bears Sign LB Matthew Adams

April 9th, 2022 at 2:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former Colts seventh-round pick Matthew Adams will follow Matt Eberflus to Chicago. The Bears signed the veteran linebacker to a one-year contract Saturday.

Despite his final-round draft status, Adams played four seasons with the Colts — all during Eberflus’ defensive coordinator stay — and served as a defensive part-timer and near-full-time special teams contributor. Adams joins defensive lineman Al-Quadin Muhammad as ex-Colt defenders to commit to Chicago since Eberflus’ HC hire.

Part of the 2018 draft class that sent Quenton Nelson, Darius Leonard, Braden Smith and Nyheim Hines to the Colts, Adams played 58 games for the team. The Colts used the ex-Houston Cougar as a nine-game starter over his first two seasons but kept him strictly on special teams from 2020-21. Adams played 79% of Indianapolis’ special teams plays in 2021, making 10 tackles.

Chicago has added a few auxiliary players at linebacker this offseason, signing ex-Raider Nicholas Morrow along with journeymen backups Joe Thomas and Noah Dawkins. Entering his fifth season, Roquan Smith stands to anchor this group — one that lost six-year cog Danny Trevathan following a March release.

Latest On Bengals S Jessie Bates

April 9th, 2022 at 12:48pm CST by Ben Levine

After the Bengals slapped safety Jessie Bates with the franchise tag, there was optimism that the two sides would eventually agree to an extension. However, USA Today’s Tyler Dragon reports (on Twitter) that the Bengals and Bates have not engaged in extension talks.

After working towards a contract extension over the past two years, Bates was ultimately tagged by the Bengals in March, locking the defensive back into a $12.911MM salary for the 2022 campaign. Bengals executive VP Katie Blackburn acknowledged that the two sides had gotten close to an extension, and she hinted that the front office could eventually reengage with Bates’ camp. The Bengals have until July 15 to sign the 25-year-old to a new deal.

“We obviously tried to get him re-signed last year,” Blackburn said.“Thought we had a good chance of getting that done but it didn’t quite get there. I think they wanted to see where the market went in free agency and at some point, we’ll circle back with him and see where we are.”

Bates had previously expressed dissatisfaction about the franchise tag, stating that the process is “tough; you only get one shot at this.” Had Bates reached free agency, he could have commanded one of the top safety salaries in the NFL. Justin Simmons, Kevin Byard, Marcus Williams, and Harrison Smith were previously thrown around as relevant comparisons to Bates; that quartet currently averages $14.8MM per season.

The 2018 second-round pick has spent his entire career in Cincinnati, including a 2020 campaign where he earned second-team All-Pro honors after finishing with 109 tackles and 15 passes defended. His numbers took a bit of a step back in 2021; Bates finished with career-lows in tackles (88), interceptions (one), and passes defended (four) in 15 starts. However, he showed up in four postseason games, collecting 20 tackles, six passes defended, and two picks.

QB Dwayne Haskins Killed After Getting Hit By Car

April 9th, 2022 at 10:21am CST by Ben Levine

Dwayne Haskins was tragically killed Saturday morning after being hit by a car in South Florida, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Haskins was set to turn 25 on May 3.

The Steelers quarterback was struck by a dump truck while walking westbound on Highway I-595 and was killed while trying to cross lanes, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (via Fox Sports 640’s Andy Slater, on Twitter). Haskins was pronounced dead at the scene.

Haskins had a standout sophomore season at Ohio State, setting a number of school records after completing 70 percent of his passes for 4,831 yards and a whopping 50 touchdowns. That performance earned him a number of accolades, including first team All-Big Ten honors, the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year award, and the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year award. Haskins was also named the 2018 Big Ten Football Championship Game MVP and the 2019 Rose Bowl MVP.

The quarterback naturally rocketed up draft lists, and he was ultimately selected by Washington with the 15th-overall pick in the 2019 draft. Expectations were high for Haskins; he was even granted permission to wear the (unofficially) retired jersey number of legend Joe Theismann. Despite the fanfare, head coach Jay Gruden decided to roll with Case Keenum as his starting quarterback heading into the 2019 campaign. Haskins eventually found his way into the lineup, starting seven of his nine appearances. Washington went 2-5 in his seven starts, with the QB completing 58.6 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns vs. seven interceptions.

Haskins entered the 2020 season as the starter and a team captain, but he was benched prior to Week 5 for poor play. He found himself back in the lineup late in the season, but that wasn’t enough to save his career in Washington. Haskins was cut by the team before the end of the regular season.

Haskins caught on with the Steelers in 2021, and he didn’t get into a game while serving as the third QB. Pittsburgh placed an original-round restricted free agent tender on Haskins this offseason, and the expectation was that he’d get an extended look alongside Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.

“I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement. “He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community. Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken.”

Haskins was in South Florida working out with Steelers quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers, per Schefter (on Twitter). That group included Trubisky and running back Najee Harris, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (on Twitter).

We at PFR offer our thoughts and condolences to Haskins’ family and friends.

TE Kyle Rudolph Met With Broncos

April 9th, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Ben Levine

After getting cut by the Giants in early March, Kyle Rudolph has finally appeared in the workout circuit. According to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer (on Twitter), the veteran tight end met with the Broncos recently.

The Giants inked Rudolph to a two-year, $12MM deal in March of 2021, but following a season where the tight end finished with only 26 catches for 357 yards and one touchdown, the team released him to save about $2.5MM. Following his release, Rudolph indicated that he wouldn’t be hanging up his cleats, with the 32-year-old stating that he was “looking forward to what’s next.”

The 2011 second-round pick spent the first 10 seasons of his career in Minnesota, where he hauled in 48 touchdowns in 140 games. Rudolph earned Pro Bowl nods in both 2012 and 2017, although his best offensive season came in 2016 when he finished with 83 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns. Current Broncos GM George Paton was the Vikings’ director of player personnel when the tight end was drafted.

The Broncos included tight end Noah Fant in the Russell Wilson trade, leaving the organization with Albert Okwuegbunam as their top receiving tight end. The Broncos also added tight end Eric Tomlinson, although the veteran is better known for his blocking ability.

Ravens Re-Sign Calais Campbell

April 9th, 2022 at 8:24am CST by Ben Levine

Calais Campbell is returning to Baltimore. The Pro Bowl pass rusher is re-signing with the Ravens, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a two-year deal for Campbell, and the defender is now expected to finish his career in Baltimore. Per Josina Anderson on Twitter, the deal has a max value of $16.5MM, and the deal contains $6MM in guaranteed money (Twitter link).

While Campbell left the door open to retire following the 2021 campaign, he later confirmed that he wanted to stick around for at least another season. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta later admitted that he was trying to convince Campbell to re-sign with the Ravens, and it sounds like the organization ultimately got their way.

“It just felt like the right move,” Campbell told Anderson (via Twitter). “I feel like we started something special and we have unfinished business there.”

A former Cardinals second-round pick, Campbell has excelled for three different 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 in 2020.

In his two seasons with Baltimore, Campbell has started 26 of his 27 games while collecting 5.5 sacks. The 35-year-old delivered another strong season in 2021, helping a Ravens team that had to play without Derek Wolfe‘s for the entire year. Campbell ultimately finished the season with 49 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 12 QB hits.

A six-time Pro Bowler, former All-Pro, Walter Payton Man of the Year winner, 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, and a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team, Campbell is also in search of his 100th career sack. He currently sits at 93.5, although he has transitioned more and more into a run-stopper than a pass rusher in recent years.

Chiefs Didn’t Offer Tyrann Mathieu A Contract

April 8th, 2022 at 9:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tyrann Mathieu has yet to sign with his next team, but a new detail has emerged regarding his exit from Kansas City. As Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star reports, the Chiefs didn’t offer him a new contract when his old one expired last month.

Instead, the team focused its attention on Justin Reid as a replacement. The former Texan signed a three-year, $31.5MM contract to take over the free safety spot. While Reid doesn’t have the pedigree of Mathieu, he is nearly five years younger. When asked about the team’s decision to move on, Mathieu said he it left him “heartbroken”.

“To be honest, if they would’ve offered me [Reid’s] deal, obviously I would’ve tried to negotiate, but if that’s where they drew their line in the sand, I probably would’ve took it” he added. “Agents are going to do their thing, but at the end of the day, it’s the player’s decision whether to sign it or not.”

After three seasons in Kansas City – which included two Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods, as well as a Super Bowl title – the 29-year-old is on the move for the third time in his career. He has met with the Saints and Eagles this week, but they aren’t expected to be the only teams vying for him. On a short-term deal in particular, the LSU product has a chance to earn close to the $14MM he averaged per year with the Chiefs.

Kansas City’s offseason has seen a number of notable moves. From the usage of the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., to the restructured contract of Frank Clark, to the Tyreek Hill trade, the team’s cap situation has changed significantly. It didn’t come as a complete surprise, fiscally speaking, that the former two moves took priority, but it is noteworthy nevertheless that the Chiefs apparently remained as steadfast in their decision to move on from Mathieu as they did.

Bills’ Jordan Poyer Eyeing Extension

April 8th, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jordan Poyer has a new agent and is setting his sights on a new contract. As reported by Tim Graham of the Athletic (on Twitter), the safety and his camp have “approached” the Bills regarding an extension.

As his new agent Drew Rosenhaus said, Poyer “would very much like to finish his career in Buffalo”. The 30-year-old has spent the past five seasons with the Bills, after three-plus campaigns in Cleveland. After mostly playing in a backup role prior to his arrival in western New York, Poyer has teamed with Micah Hyde to form arguably the league’s best safety tandem.

The 2021 season saw Poyer earn First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career, after he equalled a personal best with five interceptions. In 79 total games with the Bills, the former seventh-round pick has collected 519 tackles, 10 sacks, 18 picks and 36 pass deflections. His level of play earned him a two-year, $20.5MM contract in 2020.

That deal was re-worked last September, as Buffalo looked to manufacture some in-season flexibility. As a result, his 2022 cap charge was raised to over $10.7MM. The upcoming campaign is the final one on his contract, so a new deal could help flatten that figure while upping Poyer’s ranking amongst the league’s top safeties.

The $9.75MM average of Poyer’s most recent pact drops him further down the pecking order at the position. New deals signed by the likes of Marcus Williams (averaging $14MM) have continued the rise in value of safeties. How close Poyer could come to the top of that list on a new contract may start to become clear sooner rather than later, if the Bills reciprocate his desire to open negotiations.

Browns To Sign Josh Dobbs

April 8th, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

After a pair of visits with other AFC teams, quarterback Josh Dobbs is landing in Cleveland. The Browns are signing him to a one-year deal (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).

Dobbs was drafted in the fourth round by the Steelers in 2017. He made five appearances in Pittsburgh one year later, but was then traded to the Jaguars the following September. While he ended up back with the Steelers in 2020, he ultimately lost out to Mason Rudolph as the team’s backup to Ben Roethlisberger.

The 27-year-old garnered a notable amount of interest in free agency, working out with Baltimore and New England. The former only currently has two QBs on the roster, so a signing with the Ravens wouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. Instead, he will join a different Steelers’ AFC North rival.

In Cleveland, Dobbs will join a QB room which is – at least for the time being – rather crowded. The Browns have Deshaun Watson at the top of the depth chart, and added experienced depth by signing Jacoby Brissett to replace Case Keenum. The elephant in the room remains Baker Mayfield, whom the team has been widely expected to trade but has expressed a willingness to keep.

Regardless of how the rest of the Browns’ roster shakes out at the position, Dobbs will provide the team with another depth option amongst its signal-callers.

Bears To Sign CB Tavon Young

April 8th, 2022 at 6:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears are making another addition to their secondary. According to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, the team is signing slot cornerback Tavon Young to a one-year, $1.365MM deal (Twitter link).

[RELATED: Bears Sign DB Cruikshank]

Young, 28, had been with the Ravens since they drafted him in 2016. During his time there, he established himself as effective member of the team’s secondary. While his tenure overlapped with Pro Bowlers such as Eric Weddle, Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, he carved out a role for himself as the slot corner.

Young’s play earned him a three-year extension in 2019. Valued at just under $26MM, the deal made him the highest-paid slot CB in the league. In the two seasons immediately following that signing, however, he played in only two games; the 2019 campaign was the second in his relatively brief career (the other being 2017) that he missed in its entirety, primarily due to knee injuries.

The former fourth rounder was able to return to full health, as he played all 17 games in the 2021 season. During his four campaigns in Baltimore, he totalled 127 tackles, four interceptions and four sacks. That tenure came to an end last month, though, as he was cut in a cost-saving move.

Young should be able to step in to the starting slot role in Chicago, where, if he can stay healthy, he will likely provide solid value relative to the modest contract. Without many experienced options behind the aforementioned Humphrey and Peters, the Ravens are expected to turn to the draft for Young’s replacement, or at least depth at the position.

Jets Waive OL Alex Lewis

April 8th, 2022 at 5:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

More than seven months after announcing his retirement, guard Alex Lewis has officially been let go by the Jets. The team is waiving him with a reserve/left squad designation, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link).

Lewis announced his retirement this past August, signalling that his playing days were over. While there was uncertainty surrounding his decision to step away from the Jets, injuries likely played a part. In the time leading up to that, he agreed to take a pay cut, reducing his salary by almost $3MM. That would’ve given him a better chance at making the lineup out of training camp, but the point ultimately became moot.

Lewis, 29, began his career with the Ravens in 2016. He started 18 of 20 games in Baltimore, occupying the left guard spot. After just two years, however, he was traded to the Jets. The former fourth rounder played that same position during his first year in New York, making 12 starts. He was limited to just 544 snaps in 2020, but earned a career-high PFF grade of 66.6.

In Lewis’ absence last season, the Jets used first-round rookie Alijah Vera-Tucker at left guard. Doing the same is an option moving forward, but it is expected free agent signee Laken Tomlinson will occupy that spot starting in 2022. Meanwhile, the team can proceed knowing that the situation with Lewis has officially come to an end.