HEADLINES

Month: June 2022

Cardinals Seeking Long-Term Deal With Marquise Brown

June 16th, 2022 at 9:07am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals made one of the biggest splashes during the draft when they acquired Marquise Brown. While they have time to work out a new contract with him, they are clearly seeking to do just that in the near future. 

Arizona sent a first round pick to the Ravens for ‘Hollywood’ during Day 1 of the draft, honoring what, it was revealed shortly thereafter, had been a longstanding trade request. With the Cardinals, he is poised to be involved in a much more pass-happy offense than the one in Baltimore he is leaving. That rings true in particular with respect to the first six games of the 2022 season, during which DeAndre Hopkins will be serving a PED suspension.

As the team’s top receiving option for that stretch, Brown will have the opportunity to build off of his first career 1,000-yard season as he reunites with former college teammate Kyler Murray. The 25-year-old would help his cause, financially speaking, with another productive season. He has two more years on his rookie pact, including the fifth-year option in 2023, but the Cardinals will look to have him under contract for longer than that, considering the price they paid to acquire him.

“Yeah, we’d love to get it done” head coach Kliff Kingsbury said, via USA Today’s Tyler Dragon, when asked about an extension for Brown. “Hollywood is a guy that we see as a long-term answer.”

A second contract for Brown would be complicated by a number of factors. One is the seismic shift which has taken place in the WR market this offseason; 11 wideouts are now on contracts worth at least $20MM per season. While Brown may not reach that plateau on an extension, his price will no doubt be inflated by the other recent deals signed by young receivers. The Cardinals also have to consider the ramifications of an extension for Murray, which could be coming shortly, and the financial situation the team will be in after it is signed.

In addition to their top remaining offseason priority, this situation will be one worth watching for the Cardinals in the weeks to come.

This Date In Transactions History: Thomas Davis Signs Extension With Panthers

June 15th, 2022 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

“I now get to officially end my career as a Carolina Panther and that means the world to me.”

That’s how Thomas Davis responded to the two-year extension he inked on this date in 2015. Of course, like most sports stories, things rarely work out as expected.

The 14th overall pick out of Georgia back in 2005, Davis was a key member of the Panthers defense for more than a decade. While the linebacker was limited to only seven games between the 2009 and 2011 seasons, he otherwise missed only nine contests in his 11 healthy seasons with the organization. By the time 2015 came around, Davis had already racked up nearly 750 tackles to go along with 17.5 sacks, six interceptions, and 13 forced fumbles.

He was a Panthers icon, and with only one year remaining on his contract, he was eager to ink one last deal with the only organization he had ever played for. So, on June 15, 2015, the two sides agreed to a two-year extension that would last through the 2017 campaign. In total, the player earned about $6MM per year on the new deal, which was a modest amount for a linebacker eyeing the end of his career.

In an unpredictable twist, Davis was about to go on the best three-year stretch of his career. During his age-32 campaign in 2015, the veteran earned his first-career All Pro nod and Pro Bowl appearance, and he was wildly productive in three postseason contests. He’d earn Pro Bowl spots in 2016 and 2017, as well. Prior to that 2017 season, Davis inked one more extension, this time for one year. Heading into that 2018 campaign, the linebacker made it clear that it would be his last season.

After sitting out the first four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, he ended up starting all 12 of his appearances in 2018, finishing with 79 tackles. That 2018 season ended up being a disappointment for the Panthers; after having made the postseason in four of the previous five seasons, Carolina failed to crack the playoffs after going 7-9. This disappointment apparently influenced Davis to give it another go, but the Panthers weren’t interested in a reunion, with Davis telling reporters that the organization wanted “to go in a different direction” at the position.

“I wanted to be back,” Davis said (via NFL.com). “I wanted to be part of a group that came and just [righted] the wrongs that we had this season. As one of the leaders of this team, I took full responsibility for some of the things that we allowed to happen and the games that we lost consecutively. I wanted to come back and wanted to help fix that. Unfortunately I’m not going to have that opportunity.”

Davis ended up catching on with the Chargers for the 2019 campaign, collecting 112 tackles in 16 starts. After getting into seven games with Washington in 2020, the linebacker decided to hang up his cleats.

While Davis thought he was going to end his career with the Panthers following that 2017 campaign, a late-career breakout changed some things. Fortunately for the player, he still got his wish to retire with the Panthers when he inked a one-year contract with the team in March, 2021.

Falcons Worked Out C Jonotthan Harrison

June 15th, 2022 at 8:45pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons are eyeing an experienced lineman. The team worked out center Jonotthan Harrison yesterday, according to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).

Harrison went undrafted out of Florida in 2014, but he immediately found himself in the Colts lineup. He started 10 of his 15 appearances as a rookie, and he ultimately saw time in 44 games (23 starts) across three seasons with the organization. He got into 40 games (19 starts) with the Jets between the 2017 and 2019 seasons.

The 30-year-old hasn’t made an NFL appearance since that 2019 campaign. He was released by the Jets prior to the 2020 season, and he spent the majority of that year on the Bills practice squad. He spent the beginning of the 2021 campaign on the Giants practice squad before an Achilles injury landed him on IR.

Another notable player who worked out for Atlanta was defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs. The 2019 sixth-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Steelers, seeing time in 29 games. 2021 was his most productive season as a professional, as he started six of his 10 appearances while collecting 17 tackles.

Harrison and Buggs joined a list of tryout players that also included linebacker Dakota Allen, offensive lineman Adam Coon, defensive lineman Jalen Dalton, and wideout Emeka Emezie.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/15/22

June 15th, 2022 at 8:29pm CST by Ben Levine

An updated list of today’s minor moves:

Los Angeles Rams

Seattle Seahawks

Pinkney, a 2020 undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt, bounced around the NFL for much of the 2021 campaign, spending time with the Titans, Lions (two stints), and Rams. He got into a pair of games for Los Angeles, starting one.

Rose had a productive college career at Kentucky before going undrafted during the 2021 draft. He spent his entire rookie campaign with the Vikings organization but didn’t get into a game.

Saints DE Marcus Davenport Had Five Offseason Surgeries

June 15th, 2022 at 6:57pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Marcus Davenport hasn’t had the easiest offseason from a health perspective. As Katherine Terrell of The Athletic writes, the Saints defensive end had a pair of surgeries on his knee and three surgeries on his left hand.

Davenport had a stint on IR last season while dealing with a shoulder ailment, so his two surgeries were likely intended to fix that injury. Meanwhile, Davenport said he’s been dealing with a pinkie injury that dates back to college, but the injury has progressively gotten worse and culminated in Davenport having part of the finger amputated.

The latest finger surgery has put Davenport’s shoulder rehab on hold, but the veteran admitted that he’s feeling better and is excited to get back on the field. Saints coach Dennis Allen previously hinted that training camp was a reasonable return date for the defensive end.

The 2018 first-round pick has spent his entire career with New Orleans, missing 17 games in four seasons. While he was limited to only 11 games (nine starts) last season, he still finished with career-highs in tackles (39), sacks (nine), and forced fumbles (three). In total, Davenport has 21 sacks in 48 games.

The 25-year-old helped the Saints open up some cap space this offseason by reworking his deal. More than $8MM of Davenport’s 2022 $9.6MM base salary was turned into a signing bonus, helping the team carve out $6MM. Davenport is set to hit free agent following the 2022 campaign.

Chase Young Expected To Start Training Camp On PUP

June 15th, 2022 at 6:21pm CST by Ben Levine

Chase Young is likely heading to the PUP. Commanders coach Ron Rivera told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that he expects his star defensive end to start training camp on the physically unable to perform list (Twitter link).

Young is still recovering form a torn ACL suffered in November. A recent report indicated that the former second-overall pick could be back at some point in June, but it sounds like the pass rusher will now be sidelined through at least July. In the meantime, Young is rehabbing his knee with the team.

“I wouldn’t put a timetable on it,” Young said earlier this month (via ESPN.com). “Obviously, I want to be back there as fast as I can, but right now I’m just taking it one day at a time and I’m getting better fast. I know that. Just taking it one day at a time. I can’t rush it.”

The defensive end lived up to his draft billing in 2020, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year after compiling 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 12 QB hits, and four forced fumbles. He slumped a bit during his sophomore season; before suffering his injury, he collected only 1.5 sacks in nine starts.

Despite his struggles, Washington will welcome back the 23-year-old with open arms. He’ll be rejoining one of the top defensive lines in the NFL, with Young playing alongside the likes of Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat, and Daron Payne.

Bills Considered Davis Webb As QBs Coach

June 15th, 2022 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

After promoting their previous quarterbacks coach (Ken Dorsey) to offensive coordinator, the Bills hired former Panthers OC Joe Brady to be Josh Allen‘s position coach. Brady’s hire did not commence until February, and it came after the team was prepared to give a still-active QB a long look for the gig.

Davis Webb signed with the Giants in February, opting to continue his playing career by following Brian Daboll to the rebuilding NFC team. But the Bills were interested in him for their quarterbacks coach post. Had Webb wanted to enter coaching now, Buffalo would have hired him for the QBs role this year, Tim Graham of The Athletic notes (subscription required).

A 2017 third-round Giants pick, Webb has hung around the league on roster fringes. But this potential path to a higher-level assistant gig, at age 27, signals the Cal product could have a future in coaching soon. Webb confirmed during an appearance on the Breaking Big Blue podcast with ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan he had a chance to interview for the Buffalo QBs coach job but chose to keep playing.

“You’re either staying in Buffalo or going probably with Dabs and them or you’re thinking about coaching,” Webb said (audio link). “When I talked to Brandon [Beane] and Sean [McDermott] about it, we kind of left that conversation probably leaning toward coaching in Buffalo. It would have been the quarterback coaching job and I would have had to interview and go through the whole process, but that’s kind of where we were leaning toward was us probably transitioning into that.

“They offered that I could still play. You could be in Buffalo in one of these two roles. We want you here. … Why start coaching when you have two contract [offers] to keep going? For me to give up on that just didn’t seem right.”

Webb is attached to a one-year, $945K Giants deal, following Daboll and ex-Bills assistant QBs coach Shea Tierney to the Giants. Tierney is now Big Blue’s QBs coach. Although Tyrod Taylor is positioned to be Daniel Jones‘ backup, it should be considered likely Webb will have some input in the fourth-year starter’s development. Webb has appeared in one game, which came last season, but has yet to throw a regular-season pass.

Rivera: Commanders Will Not Trade Terry McLaurin

June 15th, 2022 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Terry McLaurin situation in Washington has escalated to the point the fourth-year wide receiver is not at the team’s minicamp. McLaurin’s absence, along with the rapidly rising receiver market, has led Ron Rivera to continue addressing this rather key topic.

After previously indicating optimism for an extension to be completed this year, Rivera took it a step further Wednesday afternoon (via NBC Sports Washington’s Peter Hailey) by indicating the Commanders will not be pushed to trade McLaurin. Extension talks are ongoing here.

“We’re not trading Terry,” Rivera said, via NBC Sports Washington’s Peter Hailey. “We’ve been talking with his folks probably the last week and we’re working on some stuff. Hopefully, it’ll be taken care of in a matter of time. How much time? Don’t know. But it’s never contentious, I can promise you that. We’re feeling pretty good and pretty confident that this’ll get done.”

Trades have been a frequent topic during this historically potent wideout offseason. Trade-and-extension sequences involving Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill reset the receiver market, leading to the glut of fourth-year players to take notice. This preceded the Titans — after beginning negotiations with A.J. Brown this offseason and both Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson indicating Brown would be a long-term Tennessee weapon — trading their No. 1 receiver to the Eagles on draft night.

Even before Brown was dealt, Deebo Samuel requested a trade out of San Francisco. D.K. Metcalf trade rumors swirled ahead of the draft as well, and the Seahawks’ fourth-year pass catcher stayed away from his team’s minicamp. McLaurin has not been connected to being moved. Rivera attempting to stop any rumors in their tracks makes sense, though other coaches and GMs ensured their top wideouts would not be dealt — only to see trades transpire soon after. Brown is now tied to a $25MM-per-year contract that includes a receiver-most $56MM fully guaranteed. McLaurin, 26, should not be expected to top that. But the former third-round pick should be expected to eclipse $20MM per year — a range the Titans did not enter during Brown talks — on his next deal.

Washington has McLaurin under contract through 2022; the 2023 franchise tag option would loom if no extension happens before March. Teams have used the tag to keep No. 1 or No. 2 receivers off the market fairly frequently in recent years. Beyond Adams and Chris Godwin this year, the Bears (Allen Robinson), Bengals (A.J. Green) and Dolphins (Jarvis Landry) have cuffed wideouts over the past five offseasons. The 2019 receiver class could populate next year’s tag ledger, with Samuel, Metcalf, McLaurin and Diontae Johnson unsigned.

The Commanders have gone through significant tag drama in recent years as well. The previous regime famously tagged Kirk Cousins twice before losing him in free agency. Rivera’s regime tagged Brandon Scherff twice. No deal came to fruition this year, and the perennial Pro Bowl guard signed with the Jaguars. Washington’s McLaurin situation is far away from this stage now, but past examples show where these situations can lead.

Patriots To Sign WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

June 15th, 2022 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Patriots lack a traditional No. 1-type wide receiver, the team has a host of notable options vying for spots. New England added another one Wednesday, agreeing to terms with former New Orleans contributor Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Ian Rapoport of NFLcom tweets.

Humphrey is joining the Pats on a one-year deal, adding an additional depth piece. Although it will not be automatic the fourth-year veteran makes the team’s 53-man roster, Humphrey is coming off a season that featured his first extended usage on offense.

A seldom-used backup over his first two seasons, the former Texas Longhorn played a role for the Saints on offense. New Orleans’ Michael Thomas-less season — a year in which the team started four quarterbacks — led to a host of wideouts seeing time. Humphrey averaged 19.2 yards per catch (13/249) and scored twice last season. His final Texas season produced an 86-catch, 1,176-yard, nine-touchdown stat line. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound wideout left school after that junior year.

Despite coming into the league as a UDFA three years ago, Humphrey is only going into his age-24 season. He will join a Pats receiving corps that houses holdovers Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor. New England traded for DeVante Parker and drafted Tyquan Thornton in the second round. Perennial trade candidate N’Keal Harry remains rostered, too, and the Pats also added ex-Humphrey Saints teammate Ty Montgomery this offseason.

Panthers’ Robbie Anderson Contemplating Retirement?

June 15th, 2022 at 2:12pm CST by Rory Parks

JUNE 15: Addressing the matter at Panthers minicamp, Anderson said he was merely “thinking out loud” and was not seriously considering walking away, via Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt (on Twitter). Two years remain on the wideout’s current Carolina contract.

JUNE 12: Panthers wide receiver Robbie Anderson — who announced this offseason that he would be changing the spelling of his first name from “Robby” to “Robbie” — tweeted yesterday that he was contemplating retirement. “Ain’t gone lie Thinking bout Retiring,” Anderson said (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). Anderson later deleted the tweet.

It’s unclear if Anderson is truly considering leaving the game, or if he had something else on his mind. With mandatory minicamp scheduled to take place this week, there may be more clarity in that regard in short order. For now, he is expected to reprise his role as a starting boundary receiver opposite D.J. Moore.

In 2020, his first year in Carolina, Anderson posted career-highs in targets (136), receptions (95), and receiving yards (1,096). The deep threat’s yards-per-reception rate (11.5) was down considerably from the averages he posted as a member of the Jets, but that could be explained by the fact that the Panthers deployed Teddy Bridgewater — whose deep ball is not a strength — under center that season. On the flip side, Anderson’s catch percentage, which never exceeded 58.8% during his time in New York, skyrocketed to 69.9% in 2020, thereby demonstrating that he could work intermediate routes just as well as deep routes.

The Panthers handed Anderson a two-year, $29.5MM extension shortly before the 2021 season got underway, but in a campaign filled with inconsistent quarterback play from Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and P.J. Walker, the former UDFA took a major step back in almost every statistical category. Anderson was still targeted 110 times, but he caught just 53 of those targets, for a career-worst catch percentage of 48.2%. His 519 receiving yards and 9.8 yards-per-reception were also career lows.

Perhaps attempting to buy low, the Patriots engaged the Panthers in trade talks earlier this offseason. Nothing materialized on that front, although Carolina — which subsequently added Rashard Higgins in free agency — was reportedly more than willing to listen to offers.

The club and Anderson later agreed to a restructure for cap purposes, whereby $11.765MM of Anderson’s 2022 salary was converted to a signing bonus. As Smith observes, Anderson would have to pay back that signing bonus if he were to retire, so it seems unlikely that he will actually hang up the cleats this year.

However, the 29-year-old’s future in Charlotte beyond 2022 is certainly up in the air. Although he is under contract through 2023 as a result of the aforementioned extension, his cap charge for the 2023 season spikes to $21.7MM from just under $11MM this year. If he can return to his 2020 level of performance, player and team could work out another extension, and if he cannot, the Panthers will almost certainly release him.

Speculatively, Anderson’s retirement chatter might have stemmed from discontent with the Panthers’ QB situation. The club was unsuccessful in its Deshaun Watson pursuit — which may not have been a bad thing, given recent developments — and currently has Darnold, Walker, and third-round rookie Matt Corral as the top three passers on the depth chart. Carolina continues to be linked to Browns passer Baker Mayfield, but Anderson seems to be decidedly against a potential Mayfield acquisition.

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