HEADLINES

Month: June 2022

Mutual Interest Between Baker Mayfield, Seahawks?

June 24th, 2022 at 1:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a while, the Panthers appeared to have the Baker Mayfield market to themselves. Regarding a trade, that still may be the case. But the Seahawks continue to represent an interested party.

Mayfield is also interested in a Seattle destination, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com, describing the Seahawks as more likely to acquire Mayfield than the Panthers — unless Carolina and Cleveland can move closer on trade terms. Those teams have been haggling over Mayfield’s contract for several weeks, though it is unknown what kind of compensation the Panthers are offering.

Not long after the Browns’ Deshaun Watson acquisition, Mayfield floated Seattle as his most likely landing spot. But the disgruntled QB was not exactly confident at that point, and the subsequent delay has only moved him further into NFL limbo. The Seahawks and Panthers worked with their in-house QBs throughout the two-month offseason program, but with Mayfield’s resume (as inconsistent as it is) presenting him as an upgrade for both teams, it is understandable he continues to be connected to each.

Carolina, however, has been the only team seriously mentioned as a Mayfield trade suitor. The Seahawks are not believed to have entered substantial negotiations with the Browns about splitting up Mayfield’s contract, with the NFC West team mentioned as only being interested in the QB as a free agent. That represents an interesting variable. The Seahawks have held a Geno Smith–Drew Lock competition, and Pete Carroll has said a trade for a third QB is unlikely. Of course, the 13th-year Seattle HC has offered some QB misdirection in the not-so-distant past.

Mayfield being interested in succeeding Russell Wilson in Seattle could provide some urgency for Carolina to finalize a trade. On the other end, the Panthers’ frequent talks — which are believed to have led to the Browns agreeing to pay around $10MM of Mayfield’s fully guaranteed $18.9MM salary — would stand to serve as a warning to the Seahawks they might miss out by not trying to acquire the fifth-year passer via trade. Thus far, the Seahawks have been willing to risk Mayfield going to the Panthers by not entering known trade talks.

Then again, the Seahawks just completed a major QB transaction after little surfaced regarding trade talks. The Broncos had been mentioned as a team Wilson would waive his no-trade clause for, but GMs John Schneider and George Paton‘s negotiations — between the Combine and early March, when the future Hall of Famer was dealt for a monster trade package — largely proceeded off the grid. If the Seahawks are potentially conducting trade talks with the Browns, that could prompt the Panthers to make a better offer.

If this process does reach the point the Browns cut Mayfield — which the AFC North team has continually resisted — the passer’s Seahawks interest would be relevant if it comes down to a Carolina-or-Seattle free agency decision. More than a month away from training camp, that scenario remains far off. But it would certainly be better for one of these teams to make a move earlier, in an effort to have Mayfield up to relative speed on his new team’s scheme by camp.

Cowboys, Dalton Schultz Remain Far Apart On Extension

June 24th, 2022 at 1:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The likelihood Dalton Schultz finalizes a long-term deal with the Cowboys before July 15 continues to diminish. Despite Schultz showing for minicamp and extension talks picking up at that point, progress has proven elusive.

Schultz and the Cowboys are still far apart on terms, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. Although the July deadline spurs changes in negotiations with tagged players, nothing about the Schultz talks this offseason has indicated the sides are making substantial progress.

Dallas’ top tight end displayed his dissatisfaction with the pace of these talks during OTAs, when he stopped showing up after initially reporting to the team’s facility for the voluntary workouts. The 25-year-old pass catcher returned for minicamp, indicating some potential improvement on this front. But three weeks away from the deadline, an impasse persists.

Cuffing Schultz with the tag prevented him from factoring his age-26 season into a lucrative free agency deal, and while a $10.9MM 2022 salary represents a significant raise, Schultz is starting at the annual franchise-player plight: the lack of long-term security. A second Schultz tag would cost $13.1MM — a figure still below David Njoku‘s new AAV ($14.2MM), which has likely affected the Cowboys’ talks with their tight end. That may point to the team waiting, though the team almost certainly could have extended Schultz at a lower cost during his 2021 contract year. The Cowboys opted to wait on extensions with 2021 contract-year players, tabling those talks to 2022.

Blake Jarwin suffered multiple major injuries after signing his extension — a lower-cost accord ahead of his fourth season — but collected some guaranteed money prior to those setbacks. Schultz has proven far more as a weapon, totaling 808 receiving yards — the most by a Cowboy tight end since Jason Witten‘s 851 in 2013 — last season. Dak Prescott has stumped for Schultz this offseason, and the veteran passer’s lengthy talks show what can change after a tagged season. Dallas’ three-offseason negotiations with its quarterback led to a monster extension in 2021 (four years, $160MM), a year after Dak was ready to accept a deal at a lower AAV in the summer of 2020. Negotiations for a tight end obviously do not carry the same stakes, but the Cowboys are approaching the Prescott point on the Schultz timeline.

Prescott received a four-year deal, but Gehlken adds length might be an issue in the Schultz talks as well. The Cowboys prefer longer-term extensions, as they have done with Tyron Smith (an extreme example), Zack Martin, Ezekiel Elliott and others. Schultz agreeing to a five-plus-year extension would tie him to the Cowboys into his 30s, potentially limiting his chances of cashing in again.

Saints, Demario Davis Finalizing Extension

June 24th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints have made a number of changes to the contract status of linebacker Demario Davis. Chief among those is a one-year extension to his existing contract, as detailed by ESPN’s Field Yates. 

As a result of the re-working of his existing pact, coupled with the extra year being tacked on, Davis can earn up to $18MM in new money across the next three seasons. One-third of that total is represented by incentives, but the new year in 2024 also includes a $10MM base salary and $2MM roster bonus.

No changes were made to his 2022 cap status, meaning that he will carry a charge of $5.9MM for the upcoming season. In 2023, Davis will see a slight reduction in his salary, but the addition of an equally-valued workout bonus; the Saints are also guaranteeing $1MM of his compensation for that season. While his cap hit will spike next year, the Saints would essentially see no financial relief from cutting him.

In all, as Yates writes, today’s move provides the 33-year-old with “additional security” regarding his financial future. It comes in the wake of recent speculation on that very subject, with Davis himself acknowledging the potential uncertainty he faced in the latter stages of his career. Now, he and the Saints can move forward with greater confidence, as Davis looks to continue his consistent production in New Orleans. The Arkansas State alum has totalled no fewer than 105 tackles in each of his four seasons with the team, missing just one contest during that span. He has been named an All-Pro in each of the past three years.

With an important piece of business done, an integral member of the new-look Saints defense is on the books through 2024, which should allow him to continue his standard of play for at least the near future.

DeAndre Hopkins Considering Appeal Of PED Suspension?

June 24th, 2022 at 10:12am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals lost a significant member of their offense before the 2022 season even began when it was announced that DeAndre Hopkins would miss the first six games of the campaign due to a PED suspension. The wideout originally withdrew his appeal of the ban, but he remains hopeful that its length can ultimately be reduced. 

When speaking publicly for the first time since the suspension was handed down, Hopkins said, “We’re still doing some research right now” (video link via 12News’ Cameron Clark). “Hopefully, before the season starts, maybe we can get the games down a little bit. But no, it wasn’t on me. I’m a natural. I’m pretty much a naturopathic kind of person… And what it was, it was called Ostarine, and there was 0.1% of it found in my system.

“I don’t take any supplements… I barely take vitamins. So for something like that to happen to me, obviously, I was shocked. But my team and I, we’re still trying to figure out what’s going on.”

Kevin Patra of NFL.com notes that any reduction is “unlikely” at this point, given that the official announcement of the suspension would have been made after the opportunity for an appeal had come and gone. It remains all-but guaranteed, then, that Arizona will be without the three-time All-Pro to begin the season, extending his absence from the field dating back to the injuries which kept him sidelined at the end of the 2021 campaign.

Hopkins is confident that he will be fully recovered by the time he is eligible to return. In the meantime, the Cardinals will rely on Marquise Brown, whom they traded for at the draft, and former second-rounder Rondale Moore, who flashed potential as a rookie last year. Upon his return, Hopkins will add to that pass-catching corps, giving Arizona a chance to take a step forward in terms of offensive consistency throughout the season.

Latest On Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux

June 24th, 2022 at 9:02am CST by Adam La Rose

Kayvon Thibodeaux has, to no surprise, been a central figure in discussion surrounding the Giants’ offseason. The No. 5 overall pick has been dealing with a previously unspecified injury, however, limiting his ability to acclimate to the NFL in the build-up to his rookie campaign. 

Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports (on Twitter) that the ailment in question is a “tweaked hip.” He adds that the injury is considered to be a minor one and posits that the Oregon alum should be fully healthy by training camp in July. More generally, Duggan notes that the team has been “excessively cautious” with injuries during the offseason so far (Twitter link), which could ease concerns about Thibodeaux missing time at the start of the season.

The 6-foot-5, 250 pounder figures to play a large part in the Giants’ defense right away. The team is eyeing a role for him which involves rushing not only off the edge, but from the interior as well. One of the main reasons for that is the fact that they had him rated higher than fellow pass rushers Travon Walker and Aidan Hutchinson, who were selected first and second overall, respectively.

Thibodeaux flashed his potential in college to the point of being in consideration for the top pick heading into the 2021 campaign. His stock waned during much of the pre-draft process due to concerns related to his work ethic, but rebounded in time to be a top-five selection. In New York, he will look to boost a pass rush which ranked 22nd in the league in sacks last season, while backing up his draft position and associated expectations in the process.

Eagles DE Brandon Graham Discusses Future

June 23rd, 2022 at 10:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Brandon Graham is coming off an Achilles injury that limited him to only one-plus game last season. Naturally, the injury has led to questions about the defensive end’s future in the NFL, but the veteran made it clear that he’s still got something left in the tank.

“I’m here right now, I’ve got another opportunity,” Graham said during an appearance on JAKIB Media’s “Sports Take” show (via Adam Hermann of NBC Sports Philadelphia). “It’s the last year on my deal, they’re gonna honor me for this year, and whatever role it is man just enjoy it. Because you didn’t have football last year, you had time with the kids, and you still got one year left of the football if that’s what you choose to do. And I’m like, man, I’m about to enjoy it.”

Graham also mentioned playing three more seasons, which would mean he intends on playing 15 total professional seasons. Of course, considering the veteran’s track record, that’s not out of the realm of possibility. Prior to the 2021 campaign, Graham had only missed a single regular season game since the 2012 season. He’s also managed to remain productive; he actually earned his first career Pro Bowl nod in 2020 after finishing with 46 tackles and eight sacks.

While 2022 will be his age-34 season, Graham sounds confident that he can return to full strength. And if the Eagles aren’t willing to keep him on the roster beyond this upcoming season, the defensive end believes he can still be productive elsewhere.

“You know what? I would,” Graham said when asked if he’d be willing to play elsewhere. “But it would only be probably for a year. The kids are together right now and they’re settled, so that always – I know they wouldn’t up and leave right away – so being away from them and the family, that would only probably last a year. We’d see how it works out, but I’d probably end up playing 14 [years] instead of 15. My goal is to finish on 15 if I could, as an Eagle.”

The 2010 first-round pick has spent his entire career in Philly. He signed a one-year extension with the organization last offseason that would keep him with the Eagles through the 2022 campaign.

Latest On Steelers DT Larry Ogunjobi

June 23rd, 2022 at 8:36pm CST by Ben Levine

Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi joined the Steelers earlier this week, and it sounds like the organization is confident the acquisition will be on the field when practices resume. Ogunjobi underwent Lisfranc surgery this offseason but is expected to be ready for training camp, reports Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Steelers, DT Larry Ogunjobi Agree To Deal]

This isn’t a huge surprise; if the Steelers sensed there were any lingering issues with the player’s foot, it’s unlikely he would have passed their physical. Still, considering Ogunjobi’s ordeal this offseason, it’s still a positive development.

Ogunjobi suffered a season-ending foot injury in the Bengals’ wild-card win over the Raiders. He hit free agency following the season, and he eventually found a suitor in the Bears, agreeing to a three-year, $40.5MM deal. However, the foot injury forced him to fail his physical, and the contract was ultimately nixed. That botched deal seemed to hang over the defensive tackle for the much of the offseason; while he did land a workout with the Jets, it was otherwise quiet on the Ogunjobi front until he landed his deal with the Steelers.

The former third-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Browns, starting 47 of his 60 games while collecting 180 tackles and 14.5 sacks. He inked a one-year deal with the Bengals last offseason and had one of the most productive seasons of his career. In 16 starts, the the 28-year-old collected 49 tackles and a career-high seven sacks.

Meanwhile, we’ve got some details on Ogunjobi’s deal with Pittsburgh. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the defensive tackle got a one-year contract that can be worth up to $8MM. It’s uncertain what incentives Ogunjobi will have to meet, but considering his foot issues, there’s a good chance it’s tied to games played.

AFC South Rumors: Jordan, Titans, Shenault, Radunz

June 23rd, 2022 at 7:58pm CST by Ely Allen

After allowing tight end Jordan Akins to walk in free agency, the Texans are expected to turn to second-year tight end Brevin Jordan to lead the position-group in 2022, according to ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.

Pharaoh Brown started the most games of any tight end on the roster last year but mostly serves as the team’s primary run-blocking tight end. Jordan, though, has seemingly passed Brown on the depth chart in the passing game as he looks to make a big leap during his second year in Houston.

Last season, Jordan caught 20 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns, comparable with Brown’s 23 receptions for 171 yards. Jordan will look to improve those numbers in his sophomore season. The former Miami Hurricane is set up nicely to do so as the newly re-signed Antony Auclair and newly drafted Oregon State rookie Teagan Quitoriano are, like Brown, both well-known for their blocking abilities.

Here are a few more rumors from around the AFC South, starting with a rumor out of Nashville:

  • In a report on the future of Titans linebacker David Long Jr., Terry McCormick of Titan Insider made an interesting claim that, after claiming linebacker Zach Cunningham off of waivers from the Texans in December, Tennessee didn’t feel pressed at all to re-sign former first-round pick Rashaan Evans. This may be mainly due to how Tennessee values the inside linebacker position. Evans, now with the Falcons, had started 39 games, only missing one week of football in his first three seasons, when the Titans declined his fifth-year option. Evans’ best season came in 2019 with his stats falling slightly in 2020. An injury-affected 2021 season sealed his fate in Tennessee as they let him walk in free agency.
  • After bringing in wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones on big money deals, ESPN’s Michael DiRocco reports that Jacksonville still has wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. in their plans. Shenault has stayed consistent over his first two years in the league catching 58 balls for 600 yards as a rookie and 63 passes for 619 yards in his second season. The big difference was in his touchdown totals as he went from five touchdown catches in 2020 to zero in 2021. The Jaguars also like to use Shenault sparingly in the running game, which might be where Shenault’s role lies in the future: as a dual-threat offensive weapon alongside running back Travis Etienne. If not, he’ll be competing for snaps with Kirk, Jones, and Marvin Jones Jr. in the receiving game.
  • According to Turron Davenport of ESPN, rookie offensive lineman out of North Dakota State Dillon Radunz is expected to earn the starting right tackle job in Tennessee. While the position group still has some question marks, the second-round rookie is set to bookend the line opposite veteran Taylor Lewan. This leaves Jamarco Jones, Ben Jones, Nate Davis, Aaron Brewer, and others to compete over the three inside positions over training camp and the preseason as the Titans look to cement their offensive line.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/23/22

June 23rd, 2022 at 6:33pm CST by Ely Allen

Here is the latest mid- or late-round pick to sign his rookie deal:

New York Jets

Clemons played four years for the Aggies after spending a year in JUCO at Cisco College. He saved his best season for last totaling 7.0 sacks, 11.0 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and two passes defensed during his final year in College Station. Clemons joins rookie Jermaine Johnson II in competition with Carl Lawson, John Franklin-Myers, Vinny Curry, Jabari Zuniga, Bryce Huff, and Jacob Martin for playing time at defensive end.

With the singing, the Jets now have two unsigned draft picks: second-round Iowa State running back Breece Hall and fourth-round Louisiana offensive lineman Max Mitchell.

Titans, S Amani Hooker Discuss Extension

June 23rd, 2022 at 5:55pm CST by Ely Allen

Tennessee has a number of players that they are interested in extending over the next season and, according to Terry McCormick of Titan Insider, the Titans have already had discussions with fourth-year safety Amani Hooker. 

Hooker was a fourth-round pick out of the University of Iowa in 2019. He spent his rookie season cutting his teeth as a star on special teams. In year two with the Titans, Hooker worked as a sub-package player, earning more playing time and four interceptions as a result.

Hooker started the 2021 NFL season as the team’s starter at strong safety before a Week 1 groin injury sidelined him for the next five weeks. He returned and became the fourth-leading tackler on the team despite only playing in 12 games. Hooker meshes well with free safety Kevin Byard to form one of the more formidable safety duos in the league. The Titans would certainly like to keep the two together.

Another 2019 draft pick looking to stick around is linebacker David Long Jr. Long was a sixth-round draft pick that served as a reserve linebacker and special teamer his rookie season before filling in for an injured Jayon Brown in the playoffs. In an extremely similar path to Hooker, Long earned more playing time as a substitute before ultimately earning a starting role in 2021. Long was the team’s second-leading tackler despite only appearing in 10 games last season.

The Titans will likely continue pursuing new deals for Hooker and Long in the next few weeks, but the team, as a general rule, tends not to do any contract negotiations during the season. So if any further progress is made, it will likely occur between the start of training camp and Tennessee’s home opener on September 11.

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